NASCAR needs to control on-going Edwards-Keselowski feud
Autoracing Betting Lines
03/08/2010 -
Hampton, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Prior to the start of the 2010 season, NASCAR
essentially told Sprint Cup Series drivers, "Boys, have at it and have a good
time." Perhaps NASCAR should redefine its new rules on allowing more on-track
freedom for drivers, following Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski's frightful
incident in the closing laps of Sunday's race at Atlanta.
Keselowski got his bell rung when Edwards intentionally bumped him from behind
and sent his No.12 Penske Dodge flying upside down into the wall along the
frontstretch at the fast 1.54-mile track.
Edwards was more than 150 laps behind at the time of the crash, due to a
previous encounter with Keselowski earlier in the race. Keselowski clipped
Edwards and shot him up to the track before he made contact with Joey Logano
and then slammed into the wall.
Obviously, it was payback time for Edwards, after he spent most of the race in
the garage for repairs on his Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
Keselowski was not injured during his spectacular crash, but appeared to be a
bit dazed and confused when he exited his battered car under his own power.
"It's one thing to race somebody hard and to get into an accident," Keselowski
said. "When you're going for position, it's another to intentionally wreck
somebody doing 195 m.p.h. at a track like this."
NASCAR immediately took action when they parked Edwards for the remainder of
the event and ordered him to the hauler for a not-so-pleasant discussion with
race officials.
"I think we probably won't have as many run-ins now as we had in the past, and
that's a good thing," Edwards said. "Both of us probably will be better off."
Right now, NASCAR faces a dilemma on how to handle the latest in the on-going
feud between Edwards and Keselowski. The sanctioning body currently is
reviewing the episode between the two drivers, and could hand down hefty
penalties if warranted.
"I would say that there seems to be a history between the two drivers, and I'm
not going any further on it right now," NASCAR vice president of competition
Robin Pemberton said after the race.
The feud between the two began last April when Keselowski hit Edwards from
behind on the final lap at Talladega. While Keselowski drove on to his first
Sprint Cup victory, Edwards' car spun and then sailed into the safety fence
along the frontstretch. Eight race fans sustained minor injuries after being
struck by debris from his car.
Later in the season, both drivers tangled in a Nationwide Series race at
Memphis, with Keselowski turning Edwards around in the closing laps.
Keselowski has a reputation among fellow competitors as being an overly
aggressive driver. Denny Hamlin certainly would agree with that assertion,
after the two engaged in a heated rivalry during the final Nationwide races
last season. Keselowski spun Hamlin at Phoenix, and Hamlin retaliated with a
bump from behind the following week in the season-finale at Homestead.
While the Hamlin-Keselowski rivalry has simmered for the time being, the feud
between Edwards and Keselowski has reached a boiling point. Edwards counter-
attack at Atlanta could have produced devastating consequences.
So, should NASCAR suspend Edwards at least one race for his premeditated
action against Keselowski? Probably so. Will they? Probably not. If Edwards is
suspended, it would be a huge blow towards his chances of making the
championship Chase in the fall.
Suspensions are not common in NASCAR's top circuit. Only two Cup drivers have
been suspended for a race in the past decade. Kevin Harvick sat out the spring
race at Martinsville one day after he was parked for rough driving in the
truck race there. NASCAR grounded Robby Gordon for the August 2007 race at
Pocono following his on-track altercation with Marcos Ambrose in the inaugural
Nationwide event at Montreal.
Even though NASCAR adopted a more hands-off policy this year, Edwards crossed
the line at Atlanta, and he should be punished.
It's time for NASCAR to take the appropriate action.
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The 11-year veteran started the last nine games in 2009 and had 36 catch
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lineman Cornell Green to a multi-year contract.
Green, who will turn 34 years old this August, spent the last three seasons
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Panthers release FB Hoover >>
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fullback Brad Hoover, the team announced Monday.
Hoover has spent all 10 of his NFL seasons with the Panthers, and last season
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NCAA Football Betting
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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