10/05/2008 - Talladega, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Stewart will end his final year with Joe Gibbs Racing with at least one victory before he moves on to start his own Sprint Cup Series team next year. Stewart ended a 43-race winless streak with a thrilling victory in Sunday's Amp Energy 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway.
Regan Smith crossed the finish line first, but NASCAR ruled Smith passed Stewart below the yellow line and awarded Stewart with the victory. NASCAR rules state that any driver advancing their position below the yellow line at Talladega or Daytona is out-of-bounds and therefore considered illegal.
"We really got a big push from Regan on the backstretch, and I thought he was going to be able to stay on my bumper," Stewart said. "He got away from us there, got a gap and got a good run. (I) just had to try to protect it at the end."
The victory was Stewart's 33rd career Sprint Cup victory but first at Talladega. He had finished second at the 2.66-mile track six times before.
"It's one thing to get back to victory lane, but to do it at Talladega, this is one of about four places I haven't won a Cup race at," Stewart said. "Talk about wanting to win, I've wanted to win here for so long."
Smith thought Stewart forced him below the yellow line and disagreed with NASCAR's ruling.
"I always got told that the rule was if you get forced down there, then you're the winner of the race, and on the last lap, anything goes," Smith said.
Smith, in his rookie season with Dale Earnhardt Inc., was credited with an 18th-place finish.
Stewart led a race-high 24 laps and survived two major wrecks to record his first Cup win since August 2007 at Watkins Glen. The 500-mile event at Talladega featured a whopping 64 lead changes among 28 drivers.
Jimmie Johnson ran far off the pace, nearly six seconds behind leader Travis Kvapil, in the opening laps. Johnson qualified 20th on Friday but had to start from the rear of the field due to adjustments during the impound. He fell one lap behind, but the second caution on Lap 47 put him back on the lead lap.
On Lap 54, David Reutimann blew a right-rear tire and spun. Jeff Gordon, a "Chase" contender and six-time Talladega winner, tried to avoid Reutimann's car but slammed into the wall and sustained heavy damage to his Chevrolet.
"I was all the way in the back, and (Reutimann) cut a tire and turned left out of nowhere," Gordon said. "I tried to avoid him, and when I did, the car turned to the right and just lost control."
Gordon returned to the track 33 laps behind but was involved in another incident in the late-stages, ending his day with a 38th-place finish.
Johnson suffered a broken splitter brace from the incident and had to make repairs in the pits during the caution. He managed to stay on the lead lap.
The first big accident occurred on Lap 68 when Brian Vickers' right-front tire exploded, triggering a nine-car wreck. Vickers bumped into Martin Truex, Jr., whose car was severely damaged.
"Vickers was right there beside me and his right front tire exploded, and I heard 'bam' like a shotgun going off, and (I) just (went) along for the ride from there," Truex said.
Aric Almirola, David Gilliland, Kasey Kahne, Terry Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Tony Raines and Mike Skinner were also involved in the pileup.
"I felt my right-front tire explode," Vickers said. "I saw the right-front fender going through the air before the front of the car even dropped,"
NASCAR halted the race for 17 minutes for track cleanup efforts.
Denny Hamlin held the lead when he blew a right-front tire on Lap 99. Hamlin smacked the wall hard and needed assistance in getting out of his car. He was awake and alert after the accident but was transported to a nearby hospital for further observation.
The second big accident came with less than 15 laps to go when Carl Edwards bumped Greg Biffle from behind heading into turn three. Biffle spun and collected Matt Kenseth, Kvapil, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Dave Blaney, Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Joe Nemechek, Reed Sorenson and Michael Waltrip were also involved in the incident.
"I think (Edwards) tried to give us just a little help there in the center of the corner and got us turned around," Biffle said.
The race was stopped again, this time for 12 minutes.
Stewart captured the lead when the 12-car pileup occurred and ran out in front when the race resumed with 10 laps remaining.
McMurray cut a right-front tire to put the race under caution for the 10th time, setting up a green-white-checkered finish.
Stewart held off DEI drivers Smith and Paul Menard until Smith made his attempt for the win coming out of the final turn on the last lap.
Menard was credit with second-place, his career-best finish in the series.
David Ragan, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer completed the top-five.
Johnson recovered from a difficult day at Talladega to finish ninth and remain the leader in the championship "Chase" standings. Johnson now holds a 72-point advantage over Edwards, who finished 29th.
"I was pushing (Biffle) as hard as I could, and it was my fault, and I apologize to everyone caught up in that wreck," Edwards said.
Biffle is 77 points down in third after his 24th-place finish.
The fifth race in the "Chase" is scheduled for Saturday, October 11th, at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
<< Line of Scrimmage: Holmgren's Swan Song More Like a Swan Dive
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In their nine years under head coach Mike
Holmgren, the Seattle Seahawks have achieved things well beyond the realm of
what the organization had previously experienced.
Perennial top-dog status in the NFC
<< NFL Inactives (Sunday, October 5, 2008)
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The following is a list of inactive players
for today's NFL games.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, 8:15 P.M. (ET)
Steelers - 3rd QB Dennis Dixon, FB Carey Davis, RB Willie Parker, LB Andre
<< Creamer hangs on for fourth win in '08
Half Moon Bay, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paula Creamer closed with a three-under
69 Sunday to fend off Song-Hee Kim to win the Samsung World Championship.
Creamer, who picked up her fourth win of the season and eighth of her LPGA
Tour care
<< Turner, Falcons edge Rodgers and the Pack
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Turner finished with 121 rushing
yards and a touchdown as the Atlanta Falcons downed the Green Bay Packers,
27-24, at Lambeau Field.
Matt Ryan went 16-for-26 with 194 yards, two touchdown
Giants remain perfect, clobber Seahawks >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Jacobs gashed the Seahawks
defense for 136 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries, as the New York
Giants remained perfect on the young season after a 44-6 rout of Seattle.
Eli Mann
Bills' Edwards leaves with concussion >>
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards was
forced to leave Sunday's 41-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals with a
concussion.
Buffalo started the game with the ball and Edwards completed three s
Williams, Panthers maul Chiefs >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - DeAngelo Williams ran for two touchdowns and
caught a scoring pass in Carolina's 34-0 drubbing of the listless Kansas City
Chiefs.
Williams gained a career-high 123 yards on 20 carries for the Panthers (4-
Cowboys tested but keep Bengals out of win column >>
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Romo threw for three touchdowns, including
two in the fourth quarter, to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 31-22 victory over
the Cincinnati Bengals at Texas Stadium.
Romo completed 14-of-23 passes for 17
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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