GFS Marketplace 400: Silly Season Gets Sillier
The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round.... As the third Chase for the Championship in NASCAR grows nigh, as Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. try to hold off Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle, another battle has exploded. The Battle For Silliness. I wrote an article a few weeks back on a Silly Season that already included Brian Vickers getting fired from Hendrick Motorsports and helping start a new Toyota Red Bull Racing team; Casey Mears leaving Ganassi for Vickers's old #25 with Hendrick; Todd Kluever taking over for Mark Martin in the #6 at Roush; Dale Jarrett leaving the iconic #88 for Michael Waltrip's Toyota team; and Juan Pablo Montoya jumping from F-1 to Ganassi's #42. But that was before the latest explosion on the Smokeless Set. While Kahne has threatened the top 10 all season, his teammate at Evernham, Jeremy Mayfield, has been truly dreadful; he currently sits 34th in points, and amazingly hasn't posted a single top-10 finish through all of 2006 (this from a guy who squeaked into the Chase each of the last two seasons). The axe finally fell at Evernham this week, as the increasingly-whiny Mayfield was relieved of his duties. Amazingly, the guy who'll replace him is Elliott Sadler, another guy who's made a Chase, and who was suffering through a mediocre year at a suddenly-mediocre team: Robert Yates Racing. Sadler was 20th in points, had one top-five and five top-10 finishes this year, and was part of a Yates organization that has fallen apart at the seams. Jarrett is gone in November, and no replacement has been named (could Ward Burton really be headed back to Cup driving?), general manager Eddie D'Hondt was fired after being blamed for allowing Sadler to go, and crew chiefs Tommy Baldwin (Sadler's chief) and Slugger Labbe (Jarrett's) were released. It's been a brutal year in general for all Ford teams, considering Fords have won only three events all season (they'd won nine at this point in '05), and Yates certainly bears the brunt of this. This weekend, David Gilliland takes over for Sadler in the #38, Jarrett continues his lame-duck run in the #88, and Sadler takes over the #19, while Mayfield looks on from the sideline. Considering Sadler, Mayfield and Jarrett are three of the mega-stars in this sport, this is amazing. (Imagine Gary Sheffield and Manny Ramirez getting traded in a three-team swap, and Vladimir Guerrero being forced to sit for the rest of the season as a result.) As we head into Michigan for our second trip to the Irish Hills this weekend, a track where the Fords have traditionally dominated, all you can really say is: Wow. And let's all resolve not to bet on any of these drivers for the rest of the year, shall we? Last Week: Tony Stewart couldn't quite hold off Kevin Harvick at Watkins Glen, so I barely missed on a straight-up win (albeit one at very slender odds). However, Junior did top Mears, so I won a -180 head-to-head bet, which gave me the tiniest winning week I've ever had: I finished up .06 units. Woo-hoo! We're rich! Anyway, for the season, I'm hanging tough at a profit of 14.56 units, which is much, much better than a sharp stick in the eye. We've posted winning weeks in 14 out of 21 tries, too. So let's keep it going. Take Carl Edwards (+900), 1/6th unit. Edwards probably had the best car here on Father's Day weekend, but he never quite got the chance to show it. It was a rainy June day, and Kasey Kahne (+450) was able to get out of his pits on what would turn out to be the race's final stop just a split-second faster than Edwards, whereupon the heavens opened. I don't discount how good Kahne has been on the downforce tracks this year, but I think he's slightly better suited to the higher-banked 1.5-milers in Charlotte, Atlanta and Texas (where, not coincidentally, he's swept so far in '06). Edwards, meanwhile, seems to like those two-milers a ton: his average career finish at Michigan is 5.25, and he's come 2nd, 4th and 5th the last three events here. He's also great at Michigan's sister track in Fontana, where he's come 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th the last four times out there. His year has sucked, but he's had good cars at Pocono and Indy lately. I think he can break through here. Take Greg Biffle (+600), 1/6th unit. Hey, didn't I just say the Fords have been kind of crap so far in '06? Well, get used to it, because you're about to see a pretty clear pattern in what I expect to happen this weekend. Biffle has won twice at Michigan (in the fall of '04 and spring of '05), and has only failed to post a finish inside the top six once here in his last six tries. The Biff is known for his love of these big sweeping tracks, which suit his style of going hard into the corners and letting his car slide maniacally up toward the wall. He's able to carry as much speed as anyone in the field using this method (which also tended to suit him at the A-C-T tracks last season, though not as much in '06). Plus Biffle is desperate to get closer in the Chase; he currently sits 13th, 180 points in back of Dale Eanrhardt Jr. (+1400). He's still got time to make the top 10, but it has to begin now. Take Matt Kenseth (+900), 1/6th unit. Kenseth won the California race this spring, and probably should've won the Michigan race exactly one year ago, but for some crazy fuel strategy by eventual winner Jeremy Mayfield (who, as I mentioned above, won't be participating this weekend). Kenseth was only 13th here in June, which broke a string of six consecutive top-10 finishes; he also won at this joint way back in the summer of '02. It's clear that I'm making one final stand with the Roush cars this weekend, despite the fact that there's no question that the Dodges, and even to some extent the Chevys (especially when they're driven by Jimmie Johnson (+1000)), have made up most of the gap between them and the Roush downforce cars. I wasn't convinced Kahne was the best man in June, so we'll find out if Roush is ready to make a stand; right now, only Kenseth and Mark Martin (+1600) are securely in the Chase, and getting only two of their five drivers into the postseason would certainly be a major upset for Roush. Note: Please check back for updated odds and a head-to-head selection either late Saturday or early Sunday, depending on when the online books put the odds online. Thanks. Christopher Harris is a featured writer for the Professional Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com |
Other Sport Betting Articles
Benefits of Betting with an Offshore Sportsbook At one time if you wanted to bet on sports, you had only two options, through a local bookie or flying to Las Vegas. However, due to increased technology you can now bet from the comfort of your own home. Offshore sportsbook sites have become full-service, customer-oriented businesses. Even when these companies are not located in the United Stat ...World Cup Goalkeepers - Zeljko Kalac, Australia Zeljko Kalac is an Australian goalkeeper of Croatian descent who made his international debut in 1992. Since then he has played in over 50 international games, his most celebrated stint being with AC Milan. Known as the Spider on account of his two meter plus frame and flailing arms, Kalac started his career with Sydney United. He later moved to ...A Bad Night in Vegas: A Boxing Story His name was Javier Ayala and he was from Los Angeles by way of Tijuana. He had once gone ten rounds with the great Roberto Duran in 1973 in Los Angeles and also went the distance with Leroy Haley. But on this night at the Silver Slipper in Las Vegas, his main event opponent was Bruce Finch whose claim to fame would be that after his 3rd round T ...Reasons For Sports Betting Online Maybe you have a friend that does it, or perhaps you've simply read about it. Sports betting online is becoming increasingly popular, and there are a lot of reasons why people choose to engage in this activity.For some folks, it's a money-making endeavor. By carefully researching the statistics and staying current on sporting news, they'r ...Differences Between Canadian and American Football American and Canadian football both descended from rugby and began in Canada as a game played between British soldiers garrisoned in Montreal. The soldiers played a series of games against students at McGill University. McGill played several games against Harvard in 1874 and a tradition was born. Despite their mutual origins, the Canadian and th ...The Belmont Stakes – The Third Jewel in Horse Racing's Triple Crown With both Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and Preakness winner Bernardini out of the race, the 138th Belmont Stakes, horse racing’s final leg of the Triple Crown, appears to be up for grabs.This year’s best prospect for the Triple Crown, Barbaro, is recovering from a life threating injury sustained in the Preakness. In 131 years of horse r ...Football Camp for Kids Since the devastation of Katrina, residents in New Orleans have been trying to put their lives back together. NFL stars Peyton Manning and his brighter Eli have given time, money, and support to their city. They will be donating more time at their family’s summer football camp started by their father eleven years ago to help kids improve their s ...2006 Tournament of Champions The 2006 Tournament of Champions featured a $2,000,000 prize pool and 27 of the top players in the World Series of Poker competition. 9 came from the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event, 12 came from the winners of the World Series of Poker Circuit Tournament Main Events that have been held throughout the year and six additional players who re ...Founding Fathers Of NASCAR Hey Racing Fans!! Are your engines revving? Can't wait till the next NASCAR race? Have you ever wondered where and when this addicting sport got it's start? It unofficially got started when deep in the back woods, farmers around the depression era made moonshine to earn money to support their families. Money for the bare necessities was hard to ...A Look At UK Soccer The FA Premier League Partnership, also known as UK soccer, was first founded in 1992 and is a league that is reserved for the top UK soccer clubs in the English system. This distinction makes it England’s primary soccer competition. Each year, 20 teams compete for the league championship but, oddly enough, only four teams have been crowned. ...World Cup Draw 2006 The draw for the 2006 football World Cup was held in Leipzig Germany on December 9th 2005. This is the greatest sporting event on earth after the Olympic games and has been eagerly looked forward to. The 32 teams were allocated into 8 groups of four in a televised ceremony that was watched live in over one hundred and sixty countries. The top tw ...Hip-Hop Breaks Out At Boxing Match Saturday night there was a boxing match for the Welterweight title between fighters Floyd Mayweather and Zab Judah. The event was promoted by legendary promoters Bob Arum and Don King. Trying to drum up support for the Pay-Per-View event, the promoters labeled it some sort of "hip-hop summit." Allegedly, the "heavy-hitters" would be there includ ...Premiership Season Preview 2006/07 - Middlesbrough MiddlesbroughOdds: 500/1Last Five Seasons 2005/06 - 14 (Premiership), 2004/05 - 7 (Premiership), 2003/04 - 11 (Premiership), 2002/03 - 11 (Premiership), 2001/02 - 12 (Premiership).2005/06 Cup Progress UEFA Cup Final vs Sevilla (n) - lost 4-0. FA Cup Semi Final vs West Ham United (n) - lost 1-0. Carling Cup Qu ...Premiership Betting Review - 5 February 2006 Alan Shearer broke Jackie Milburn's all-time Newcastle scoring record with his 201st goal in a vital 2-0 win over relegation strugglers Portsmouth. The Magpies were playing their first match under temporary manager Glenn Roeder and were 4/5 to win before kick off. An opener from Charles N’Zogbia and a second from Shearer gave Newcastle their fir ...Horse Racing Betting, a Beginners Guide (Part 1) So you want to bet on the horses but you haven’t got a clue where to start. You look at the form but at this stage the numbers don’t mean a thing. Well listen up as what I’m about to tell could result in a few winners today.First things first, ignore the jockeys silk (There nice colours, So What!) and don’t try and pick a cool sounding na ...World Cup Fun for Kids The 2006 soccer World Cup is being held in Germany, and all around the world people old and young, male and female will be looking forward to a feast of football. Whether you love or loathe the ‘beautiful game’ you can make the World Cup both a fun and educational experience for your kids! There are 32 countries competing in the World Cup 2006 ...Sports Betting Placing money on the result of a sporting event is called sports betting. While many people regard betting as high interest in a sport, those who oppose the practice do so because they feel it threatens the basic honor of the sport.Betting on sports activities may be officially permitted in some countries. In North America, it is generall ...FA Cup Third Round - Oppose Premiership Teams Away The so-called "gulf" between teams from Premiership and those striving to join the elite from the Championship is often noted, especially when teams from their respective divisions clash in Cup competitions.However, this "gulf" may be nothing more than a fallacy. When the third round of the FA Cup comes around, Championship teams rewarded ...Soccer - Hair Matters Hair style is such an important part of life for a lot of people around the world that even World Soccer Cup stars are rated these days according to the way their cut, curl, color and part their hair.Beckham’s hair styling for example is apparently very popular with the soccer fans in India. There is much talk about Beckham's hairdo in th ...2006 World Cup Basics The FIFA World Cup (often just called The World Cup, or simply World Cup) is the most prestigious competition in international football (referred to as soccer in the USA & Canada). It is the world's most competitive sports event involving 197 countries and is Organised by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA),football's go ...Playing Chess in Russia - The Agony of Victory Russians have a thing for chess and, frankly, are very good at it. Being from San Diego, I thought chess was something you put photo albums in.Playing ChessPlaying chess requires thinking ten or twelve steps ahead. If I wanted to understand the Russian mind, I had to learn to play chess. If nothing else, it would be a good way to p ...The History of Backgammon - Now and Then Backgammon is the oldest game in history. Also known as the “wee battle,” backgammon began in Mesopotamia (now known as Iraq) about 5000 years ago. However, Egyptians called backgammon “Senat,” which was a similar form of the current game played today. Centuries ago, only people in power, the prevailing figures of royalty like Egyptian pharaohs ...Buy Yourself Some Football Portion of adrenalin quickened our imagination many a time. We strained our voices on stands, rooted for our favorite teams in front of TV impetuously, and were so surprised, why our palms ached so much after a football match. It’s because we just love football. And cannot imagine our life without our favorite team. We’re fans and there’re more ...The Ultimate Soccer Experience for Greeks During the 2004 summer, my home country, Greece had the privilege to be the protagonist in two extremely important and prestigious events in the nation's sports history; the EURO 2004 Soccer Championship and the 2004 Olympic Games. In the EURO 2004 Soccer Championship, the National Soccer Team of Greece gained the title as the new European Socce ...Make Money Betting on Horses Are you in love with gambling on horse races? Do you believe that there is money to be made by betting on horses? Make money betting on horses today and begin treating yourself to better and more expensive belongings.Horse racing is a very popular gamblers sport and it seems that the gambling is all a chance, a guess, and some luck. Th ...Championship Season Preview 2006/07 - West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich AlbionOdds: 8/1Last Five Seasons 2005/06 - 19 (Premiership, Relegated), 2004/05 - 17 (Premiership), 2003/04 - 2 (Championship, Promoted), 2002/03 - 19 (Premiership, Relegated), 2001/02 - 2 (Championship, Promoted).2005/06 Cup Progress FA Cup Third Round (replay) vs Reading (a) - lost 3-2 after extra tim ...
|
