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Whether you’re looking for a basic primer or a complete run-down, I’m bringing you the links you need to get fully caught up on the big welterweight fight in Dallas between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey. [queensberryrules]

 

We always start with the work we’ve done here. We looked at what was at stake; how good Clottey is; the keys the fight, parts I and II; the undercard (first me, then Scott); and after all that looking, produced a final preview and prediction.

If you’re still unfamiliar with one or both men after that, or just want to take a short cut, it’s hard to do better than watching some short clips. Unfortunately, HBO seems to have only produced a “greatest hits” for Pacquiao, but there’s a lot of other Clottey footage on HBO’s YouTube page. I included the one I thought was best. (HBO also has some more in-depth stuff, like a Compubox analysis of both men, on its website’s page for the fight.)

You can glance over each fighter’s complete record at their Boxrec pages, here and here.

My provider is charging $49.95 for standard definition and $59.95 for high definition broadcasts of the pay-per-view. Since I just upgraded to HD, I guess I’ll have to swallow paying the extra ten-spot, then gulp down a bunch of Tecate to get their $20 rebate.

Rarely are the weigh-ins interesting as a spectacle, but there’s probably some mild intrigue about whether Clottey struggled to make weight, and whether Pacquiao will come in at the full 147-pound limit. It could all make a strategic difference in the fight’s outcome, however minute. You can watch it at 6 p.m. on Top Rank’s website.

Among the biggest papers and magazines in the country, the New York Times stayed on the sidelines this time around, but The Washington Post – the last major pub not to return to boxing coverage – joined in, and provided a welcome, well-done and informative piece about Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach. GQ put together a beautifully written profile of Pacquiao, while Time looked forward to the prospects for Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather. (I’m perturbed by the degree to which Pacquiao’s side is saying they want the fight and they’ll do anything to get it, but always conveniently note they won’t agree to Mayweather’s preferred drug testing regimen, which is the whole reason the fight fell apart and isn’t likely to go away). The New York Daily News honed in on the Bronx angle – it’s where Clottey and his trainer live. The Wall Street Journal does a pretty straight preview, but notes this may be the last time we see Pacquiao in the ring. The L.A. Times and USA Today examined, respectively, promoter Bob Arum’s grudge against Las Vegas and the Cowboys Stadium venue. Some of those publications did plenty more on the fight, by the way, most of it very much worth reading.

Just about done. I leave you with some thing off-beat -- If you’re the kind of person who likes to watch boxers being drawn in time-lapse footage, then you should love this…

…and I leave you with a question. How big do you think this fight will be, as far as pay-per-view sales? Earlier this week, Top Rank boss Arum was predicting no less than 900,000, and I was originally inclined to agree. But the traffic on this blog for this Pacquiao fight has been nowhere near that of the usual Pacquiao-generated numbers, and not nearly as many people want to come watch the fight at my house as usual. Arum recognizes that Pacquiao-Clottey is a huge comedown from Mayweather-Pacquiao, and in a way I’m glad he got that message. But the question remains – how many buys? I’m guessing a little below the bottom end of Arum’s prediction, 800,000. Drop your prediction below. [queensberryrules2]

So continues our marathon coverage of one of the biggest fights of 2010, Manny Pacquiao versus Joshua Clottey on Saturday. Previously: why and how Pacquiao-Clottey matters; how good is Clottey?; keys to the fight, parts I and II; the undercard. Next: the ultimate guide. [queensberryrules]

No use beating around the bush here. You know that scene near the beginning of "Jurassic Park," where they lower a cow into the velociraptor pit by crane, then after some infernal racket, they wheel the cow’s harness back up and there’s nothing left but ragged straps? That’s what I think Pacquiao-Clottey is kind of going to look like.

If ever a boxer was like a velociraptor -- predatory, quick, intelligence on the attack -- it’s Pacquiao (above left). But it’s not that I think Clottey (above right) is some defenseless cow, exactly. In fact, he’s very defense-ful. Defense is what he excels at most. I do think, though, with his tendency to have to plant his feet to punch and the way he covers up so passively when blocking shots will have the effect of Pacquiao making him look like he’s strapped to a harness. And I don’t think he’s going to be pretty at the end of the night.

That’ll make the rest of this anticlimatic, but I do think it’s worth considering the alternatives – the scenarios where Pacquiao has a long, difficult night or even where Clottey wins. Clottey is no schlub. He’s a very good fighter. Even in losses, he has given his opponents hell, to the point that some believe he’s been ripped off repeatedly. It’s not far-fetched that Clottey gets his licks in or even pulls off the win.

 

Pacquiao is the best fighter in the world for a lot of reasons: He’s got the kind of offense that invites comparisons to natural disasters; he’s an athletic marvel; he’s become a complete fighter, adding defense and versatility; his style is unique and unpredictable; and mentally, he’s as hard as diamonds. He’s far better than Clottey, really, having proven time and time again that he will beat future Hall of Famers like he’s batting an eyelash.

Clottey, meanwhile, has a style that lends itself to frustrating showings at the end of the night. There’s no doubting his talent. He’s sharp, if too conservative, on offense. He’s no knockout artist, but he hits hard enough that when you see his opponents tasting his power, they often shy away. He rarely gets hit cleanly because of his defense, and he’s apparently unhurtable even if he’s hit. But there are flaws, like I mentioned, and that reactivity/passivity in his style means that even when he’s doing effective work, judges side against him because the other man is working harder, trying to make the fight, looking like he’s winning even if he’s not.

It's style, not class, that presents Clottey with an opening. Where I see Clottey presenting potential problems for Pacquiao are in his size, his defense, his counterpunching and maybe even a little luck.

Clottey is going to be massive compared to Pacquiao, and Pacquiao has never faced anyone who could weigh as much as 170 pounds on the day of the fight (thanks to Clottey's record of rehydration from the weigh-in the day before). Pacquiao might well come in below the 147-pound limit, and may stay that way the night of. And Clottey might as well be made of stone. If I close my eyes and play pretend, I can see Clottey taking advantage of his size by using his ability to cut off the ring, brushing off Pacquiao’s punches and roughing him up.

Clottey as well will be the best defensive fighter Pacquiao has ever faced. We don’t know exactly how he’ll handle that. Will he be able to connect cleanly enough to convince the judges he’s the winner?

And as recently as early 2008, albeit in a time before Pacquiao had added as much nuance to his game as he has now, Pacquiao struggled badly against the counterpunching of Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao hasn’t faced a very good counterpuncher since then, and Clottey’s got some authentic counterpunching chops.

As for that luck? You don’t have to look around too hard to find a bunch of people hyping the “head butt” path to a Clottey victory. A head butt that opened a bad cut over Miguel Cotto’s eye helped Clottey keep things close in his last fight, even if he ultimately didn’t get the decision. In the past, Pacquiao has struggled with cuts, although only for a few rounds with his current cut man, Miguel Diaz, who’s worked miracles on Pac at times. I suppose, though, Clottey could “make a little luck for himself” by initiating a head butt, or elbow.

None of these are the most hopeful situations for Clottey. If one of your best chances for winning is "inadvertent head butt," maybe you've reached a point in your career where you're overstretched. Clottey is good. Pacquiao is great.

What's more, aside from the difference in class, I think that the stylistic factors working to aid Clottey are far exceeded by the stylistic factors working to aid Pacquiao. In some ways, it's hard to imagine a better match-up for Pacquiao than an opponent who comes straight forward and does nothing but stand there when you punch him. From what I can tell, that's as sophisticated as Clottey's plan is for this weekend. He asserted this week at news conferences that he would block Pacquiao's punches. Well, no duh. I think Clottey will block a good many of Pacquiao's punches. But Pacquiao won't throw at a single punch at a time, the way Clottey does. Pacquiao will fire a combo that tries to penetrate Clottey's gloves through the middle, then down low, then around the side -- and then he'll fire three more punches before he's done with the combo. Some of that's going to get through, and all of it will be harder and more dangerous than any volley he's ever encountered. And by the time Clottey fires back, Pacquiao will already be gone, out of range.

For all my doubts about Clottey's fighting mentality and its inherent whininess, I don't think he's the kind who will quit on his stool. But I think he's going to get hit so much, and so much more cleanly than he's used to, that he's going to find somebody -- the referee, his corner -- eager to save him from as nasty a beating as Pacquiao can deliver.

It might be the case that Pacquiao ends up with a bit more of a scrap than I've depicted, should Clottey catch Pacquiao with some counters here and there. That's far more feasible to me than the idea that Clottey will actually win, though . That, I have real trouble imagining. He doesn't have the power to either KO or dissuade Pacquiao from throwing, by my reckoning, and if he doesn't have that he will, at minimum, get outworked.

Clottey has been good enough to hang with the likes of Cotto and Antonio Margarito. I don't think he'll hang with Pacquiao. It's a legitimate fight, Pacquiao-Clottey, and it might offer good two-way action, but mostly I think it will be a one-sided thrashing, albeit an entertaining one. It will probably be damn near the most fun you ever have at an execution.

[The prediction game is in effect for this fight. Remember, for those of you who are still filing predictions late and get one last chance to do so: You must have your submission in by 11:59 p.m. ET the day before the fight, in this case Friday.] [queensberryrules2]

The European Poker Tour was in Berlin over the weekend for an event at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at Potsdammer Platz and American Kevin MacPhee ultimately won the tournament, taking home €1m. It was some other gentlemen who made all the headlines though. On Saturday as play was going on, 4 armed robbers came into the ballroom and walked off with a low 6-figure haul. Amazingly, the cameras were rolling and capture (sort of) the whole thing, LIVE. Pretty amazing. [slanchreport]

[Card Player]

Click the Read More link below for another video of the robbers entering the hotel

 

[slanchreport2]

When I first sat down to write up a list of sports movies, it was coming out much too long.  I had EVERYTHING on there.  "Hmmm, M*A*S*H is a war movie, but it has that great football sequence in it;  those Harry Potter movies have the best quidditch sequences ever filmed"....  [guysgirl]

Realizing the column would wind up being 9 pages long, I then thought of doing a “top 10” list, or picking the best movies in each individual sport.  Then I scrapped all those artificial constructions and just came up with MY list.  These may or may not be the best sports movies ever, but they are my best sports movies ever. 

Every film on this list is something which struck me when I first saw it and that I can watch over and over again.  In keeping with that sort of “no particular definition” spirit, these movies are not in any order.  This is not a ranking system, it’s just a list of sports titles that won’t let you down.

 

NBC has drawn some heat for its controversial tape delayed Olympic coverage, and this is sure to add some heat to the fire. As a result of a production error, the men's bobsled from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics never aired, and the network has chosen to subtly work it into this year's Vancouver Olympics.[realfakesports]

"We just reviewed some past Olympic broadcasts to see what we could improve on," said one production assistant, "and someone discovered the 2002 men's bobsled never made it to air. A pretty big oversight. We're just hoping that when we finally get around to broadcasting it no one notices it's from eight years ago, or that it says 'Salt Lake City'  instead of 'Vancouver' on pretty much everything."

Luckily for NBC, Bob Costas hasn't changed his hairstyle in roughly 29 years, so there is little need to modify the studio reports for the event.

 

NBC's tape-delayed coverage of Olympics frustrating for sports fans (SI.com)
Sorry, Tom, NBC's Coverage Sucks (Capitals Kremlin)

[realfakesports2]

Many Olympians have family who have or still do participate in the same sport, sometimes they even compete together. Two sports that feature multiple sets of siblings in these games are doubles luge and ice dancing. [slanchreport]

So, the Slanch Report has just one question for you. Which is more awkward to do, doubles luging with your brother or having to do a romantic tango with your sister? And yes, that's John and Sinead Kerr, siblings, and Wolfgang and Andreas Linger, brothers in the photos.

Which is it! Vote in the poll below!

or

[slanchreport2]

In what probably is the most anticipated press conference in history, Tiger Woods finally emerged from hiding to deliver his statement to the world. [guysgirl]

And the world was waiting.

First impressions were that he seemed very sincere, contrite and genuine in his apology. There were also times where he seemed angry-especially at the accusations of him using PED's and even more so when addressing the treatment of his family by the paparazzi.

Since the accident, tabloid sites have hounded his mother and Elin but most disturbingly, following his children to and from school and even reporting the name and location of the school.

Some of his statements made were

-- "I thought I could get away with anything I wanted to ... I thought I was entitled ... I don't get to play by different rules."

-- "As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time."

-- "I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again."

-- "I do plan to return to golf one day, but I don't know when that will be."

-- "Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy."

-- "Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology."

From reading the updates on Twitter and other sites, a lot of people seem to be bashing Tiger in a pathetic way criticizing anything he says and the order in which he says it.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

The most touching quote he made was "its up to me to start living a life of integrity, its not what you achieve in life that matters, its what you overcome".

After his closing, Tiger gave a long embrace to his mother that was in attendance (along with the PGA Commissioner) and walked out of the conference with a hand to his head as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulder.

Well said Tiger and the Golf world will be happy to have you back. [guysgirl2]

 

 

Wednesday night was a phenomenal night of Olympics for Americans, one superstar after another took his or her turn on top of the podium and in the process justified all the cash NBC has spent promoting them. For my money, Shaun White's victory was the most impressive, just because it was sheer domination, he was so far beyond the rest of the field that it never was really close. [slanchreport]

NBC managed to capture a special moment between White and US snowboard coach Bud Keene before White took his victory run. First off, is there a cushier position than being the snowboarding coach? I'm guessing he spends 90% of his time drinking and smoking pot. On second though, where do I sign up for that? It turns out that Keene needs to get his mouth washed out with soap after dropping a bunch of swears live on-air. I for one appreciated it. Fuck NBC and their tape-delays, and so when they are live, I fully support messing with them.

sorry about the low volume, something is busted in my camera I think, but I'm working on it.[slanchreport2]

Remember when we brought you the incredibly dope goalie mask that Ryan Miller had made for the Olympics, well it seems that the IOC is less impressed with the hotness and more concerned with things like trademarks and advertising. How else can you explain them telling Jonathan Quick he needed to remove the "Support our Troops" decal on the back of his mask. Or telling Miler his mask can't have the Olympic rings on the front. The IOC also told Miller he needed to remove the part of his mask where it said "Miller Time" and "Matt Man." The first one obviously relates to Miller's last name and the latter to his cousin who died and Miller wanted to honor. [slacnhreport]

Nice ones IOC, you guys are worse than the NCAA. And it's one thing to get all bitchy about the rules, but these are PROFESSIONAL hockey players, it's not like they're amateurs, what's the big deal?

[Reuters]  [slacnhreport2]

I completed my mission. If you don't know what I'm talking about then read my column from Friday, but basically I set out to watch my first NASCAR race, from start to finish, to try and find out why millions upon millions of fans watch the sport each week. [favredollarfootlongs]

What I planned on doing is sitting on my couch for four to five hours to watch the Daytona 500 in hopes of finding a reason to love the sport. What I ended up doing is sitting on the couch for seven hours and recording a meticulous journal of all the events that took place from the opening concert, to the commentators, to the commercial, and of course the race. Did I enjoy the race? Did I find that thing that so many other people across the country love so much about NASCAR? You'll find out after you're done reading my Daytona Diary. Come on! I sat through seven hours to find out my answer the least you can do is read through one column to find out yours.

12:25pm - I returned home from the gym at noon; psychologically prepared for five hours of cars going around in circles. I turned on Fox and was pleasantly surprised to see a Tim McGraw concert happening at Daytona. Well not pleasantly surprised since I'm not the biggest T McG fan, but it wasn't too bad. I especially enjoyed the ridiculous Daytona 500 jackets that they gave to the celebrities there. I wasn't using my undivided attention on him so I don't even know any of the songs he played, but I did find it funny that he had to hop in a car window of a race car just to cruise about 50 feet off the stage. That's when I learned that this was definitely the Super Bowl of NASCAR. Whenever you have lots of unnecessary events and props then it's definitely a Super Bowl.

1:00pm - The concert finished and I got to experience some NASCAR pre-game at the "Hollywood Hotel". That's what they called it. I forgot to write down the names of everyone, but according to Wikipedia it was Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond in the studio. The broadcast booth, which I'll get to soon enough, consisted of Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Larry McReynolds. I already prepared with a little studying myself by watching Jimmie Johnson 24/7 on HBO and also I watched Inside NASCAR on Showtime. The entire analysis basically consisted of them talking about every team move by racers and that basically every team had a chance to win the race.

1:18 - The start of the Daytona 500! Right as the race began we heard the insightful words of Larry McReynolds, say, "Reach up there and pull those belts tight one more time!" Then the catch phrase of the day came. I had no clue it was a catch phrase by Darrell Waltrip until I looked it up, but I guess he starts every race with this gem.

"Boogity, Boogity, Boogity. Let's Go Racing Boys!"

The race got off pretty smooth. Mark Martin started out in front with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. second and Jimmie Johnson third. The placement stayed the same for a few laps. Mark Martin moved up to first as he crossed the fifth lap, which got the broadcast team really excited. That's like getting excited for receiving silverware when you go to dinner. It really doesn't mean anything.

1:26 - We got our first wreck! Finally! It took eight minutes for a wreck. I thought NASCAR was trying to make crashes happen more frequent. This was the start to many cautions throughout the day. The crash involved Regan Smith, Sam Hornish, Jr., and Brad Keselowski. Yeah, I didn't know who they were either. I did learn that basically every time there's a caution that once the race starts back up basically everyone goes to pit row for new tires and gas.

1:38 - Mark Martin got caught in the middle of the two lanes of cars. I thought this was hilarious. Picture yourself at the front of a buffet line and you forget a napkin so you go back in between the two lines and no one will let you back in. That's basically what happened to Mark Martin. He just stood in the middle as everyone passed him and lost a solid twenty spots.

1:57 - This is when I learned that this Super Bowl is nowhere near the football's Super Bowl. The commercials were horrible. I got my first glimpse of a new show coming to Fox called Sons of Tucson that is about three kids who pay a thirty-some year old guy who looks like he still lives at his parent's house to act as their father. I know I've seen a movie with the same premise before. I think Sinbad was in it. I can't remember though.

2:06 - Lap 50 is completed. At this point I'm thinking the race is going pretty well. It's only been 48 minutes to reach 50 laps so I'll be done watching this race in about three hours or less. Everyone decided to pit again. I was a little disappointed with the pit crew displays. I thought they'd focus some more on how quick they were changing tires and everything. They put times up for pit stops, they displayed how many tires they exchanged, but that was about it. I just heard so much emphasis on how crucial the teams were so I thought they'd talk about them a little more. I did think it was cool how quick they filled up gas. I'd definitely like to roll through a gas station where some dude was out there with this huge plastic gas container and just poured it down the gullet really quick to cap me off.

2:11 - A preview for a new show on FX called Justified had a pretty cool commercial. The one guy from The Shield is in it and it showed him searching around a house with a shotgun and as he turns the corner the other guy points a pistol right into his face. Looked like some cool effects and FX has definitely been on point with television shows.

2:13 - We got to see an in-studio display of the front of a race car. They showed how the racers have some tape on the front of the grill of the car to block intake, which makes the car more stable. They said if you have the piece of tape on it's like having two new wheels, but some guys had to take it off due to overheating. I never knew 1/8" of tape could mean so much.

2:19 - We got our second wreck and this one was fatal. I'm kidding, but I wish it was. Okay, I'm kidding again. This one involved just Joe Nemecheck who was knocked out of the race from the damage. Somehow he didn't hit anyone else. Do NASCAR's have air bags?

2:25 - Another pitiful commercial. This one was from Nationwide Insurance where they tried to persuade the "World's Greatest Spokesperson" to come and market for them. The end result was that you had to go to a web site to see the rest of the video. I don't want to watch your commercial. Why would I want to visit a web site to see more of it?

2:40 - We get our second Sons of Tucson commercial. Still looks just as bad. We also got our third caution on the 81st lap.

2:55 - The excitement begins! Jeff Gordon passes Kyle Busch to take the lead and for the first time all day, the inebriated fans find the strength and ability to stand and cheer. I lifted my head off the pillow!

2:56 - Lap 100 of 200. Not too shabby. Still on pace to end before 5pm. I'm going strong at this point and starting to learn all the race cars now and getting into it a little more.

3:08 - I learn that every car out there is loose. This is supposedly because the track hasn't heated up enough yet so you don't get as much grip. Very interesting.

3:10 - A trailer for the movie Cop Out. Quick name me a good movie with Tracy Morgan?

3:12 - We get back from commercial and the racers are on their fourth caution. John Andretti hit a wall or something. Of course we missed it during a commercial. Just my luck.

3:23 - Red Flag is out! It is at this point where everything completely changes in the race. The pace, the broadcasting booth, the teams, and most importantly, my attitude. A decent sized piece of asphalt has been displaced from the track and therefore the race has come to a halt. It's a healthy pothole around the one corner of the track. The broadcast team says that they just have to fill it with concrete and it will be about 10-12 minutes before racing begins. I thought it would take much longer. I was right. Anyone who complains about sitting through baseball instant replays should have to sit through this.

I then learn that the track hasn't been repaved since August 1978. Are you kidding me? I understand you want heritage and tradition, but I can't believe during the past 30 years there haven’t been improvements in pavement to make the track better so stupid stuff like this doesn't happen. Maybe they just want to keep Dale Earnhardt's blood stains there forever.

3:24 - I'm much happier. I flip to the Penguins game and I lucked out because overtime is just about to begin. Ten to twelve minute break is no problem anymore since I get to watch the Pens play the Predators in OT.

3:30 - The Pens get a 4 on 3 power play in OT due to a holding penalty. They have to win now.

3:40 - The shootout ends abruptly after the Pens miss two straight shootout shots and Nashville makes both of theirs. Back to NASCAR.

3:45 - Still no racing.

3:52 - The third and still horrible Sons of Tucson commercial.

3:55 - Racers are finally allowed to leave their car to grab a bite to eat or take a piss break. They had to sit in their car the whole time before that. This pothole could still be awhile.

4:23 - An hour later and still no racing! I'm losing my patience with this sport.

4:41 - The broadcasters don't have much to talk about so they're interviewing any racer they can. We get a nice interview about the Speed Channel.

4:42 - A Larry the Cable Guy sighting.

4:53 - I flipped on the USA Women's Hockey game versus China. The score was 9-0 USA. There really needs to be a mercy rule for any Asian hockey teams.

5:04 - Cars finally begin to move again after a 1 hour and 41 minute delay. At least when there are rain delays in baseball we get to watch Mark Buhrle slip and slide across the tarp. This was just unbearable.

5:07 Lap 122 finally begins.

5:09 - The second "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity" is spoken by Darrell Waltrip. Maybe the delay was worth it!

5:17 - The announcers tried to take any positives they could out of the delay. They said that because the track heated up now that this would be an entire different race with cars racing three lanes at a time and speeds would increase. Speeds didn't increase and there never were three lanes of cars.

5:24 - First fire of the day and fifth caution due to #43 A.J. Allmendinger having some car problems. I love going by car numbers, but even the racers call everyone by their number.

5:34 - 50 laps to go! The race really should be over by now.

5:42 - Sixth caution. I was thinking, wouldn't it be a great idea if Google just sponsored every single race car? They could basically purchase the whole sport. Plus if you see any interview with a race car driver the first words out of their mouth is their sponsor’s name. Anytime they would be asked a question they could just respond with Google It.

5:49 - Please God NO! The pothole is back and worse than ever. More and more pieces around it eroded it. This is where I really get pissed. We hear from the broadcasters that this time they're going with a different option that dries much faster and is a very durable epoxy. Why wouldn't you do that in the first place? Completely idiotic. This better not last long.

6:20 - Fourth Sons of Tucson commercial. I think the show has been canceled already.

6:34 - Drivers are in their cars and getting ready to move again.

6:36 - The race is back on with the normal caution to begin with.

6:38 - Every single driver pits, except for one. The badass who didn't is named Scott Speed. If there's going to be the one tough guy during a race I'm glad his name is Scott Speed.

6:44 - The caution is about to end and it immediately goes back up due to debris on the course. This is more of an ordeal then I could have ever dreamed of.

6:47 - Race finally begins again without a caution and there are about 33 laps to go.

6:53 - There are 25 laps to go and Scott Speed is still in the lead!

6:56 - We have to have another commercial break with 20 laps left.

7:00 - Jimmie Johnson, the racer I wanted to win, blows a tire thanks to that sweet epoxy pothole and he's done for the day.

7:03 - Darrell starts getting really excited about Kevin Harvick.  He yells out a "That car is crazy fast!" and proclaims him the fastest car on the track.  He wasn't even in first place.

7:05 - 10 laps to go!  The end is in sight.  I think.

7:07 - 7th caution of the day/night.  Ryan Newman just destroyed his car with about six laps to go.

7:16 - Due to the wreck the caution has been out and we only have two lefts to go. I learned that NASCAR has installed some new rule that makes it so that with two laps left there is a green flag, then with one a white flag, and then the checkered. If there is an accident before the white flag then it restarts to the same rotation again for up to three times.

7:17- 8th Caution. Did I expect it not to happen?  The rule is fully on display as Bill Elliot takes out Joey Logano.

7:22 - Breaking news!  A deal has been cut between Jamie McMurray & Kevin Harvick so that McMurray will draft behind Harvick and push him towards the lead. I didn't know there were so many politics between teams. This deal stuff just seems a little shady and unfair. Not sure if I like it.

7:24 - The green flag is back up. 2 laps to go. The best move of the day came here. The deal paid off and Harvick jumps to first.

7:24 - Harvick is in first for about 20 seconds and then caution number 9 is out!  Sucks for him. Jeff Gordon decided to bump Kasey Kahne a couple times and he flew off the track into the grass.

7:31 - The final green, white, checkered flag sequence will finally happen!

7:32 - We finally reach a white flag. Last lap!

7:33 - Waltrip really wants Dale Jr. to win. Jr. jumps from 10th to 2nd. I think it was all from the encouragement he got from Waltrip yelling "Look out Jr., Come on Jr. Come on!"

7:33 - Jamie McMurray wins the Daytona 500!  I have officially witnessed an entire NASCAR race that lasted 6 hours and 15 minutes

I just witnessed my first NASCAR race and I spent over seven hours doing so. I can't remember the last time I spent seven hours doing anything from start to finish. It was a wild ride for sure. I learned a lot from the day; probably more then I'd like to learn. I learned that I can stick to a commitment even when things change unexpectedly. I found out many new interesting things about NASCAR that I never knew before and I realized that you never know what to expect during a race. I don't know how anyone could gamble on this sport.

Most importantly, I learned that I will never watch a NASCAR race again; from start to finish. I don't know how anyone does it. I know people say they only need to watch the end of the game for baseball and I totally disagree with them, but in racing it seems like you only need to watch towards the end. There are no home runs or web gems that can change the outcome of the game early on. In racing it doesn't matter at all if you have the lead. I guess the wrecks are cool and those people are out of the race so it's good to know who's left, but it's not like any moment in the first 150 laps meant anything significant. If you don't wreck and stay with the pack until the end then you have a shot to win. I can see watching the end of races and paying attention to standings throughout the year, but that's about it.

I gave it a shot though. I really wanted to love NASCAR. I didn't find the thing that other NASCAR fans love. Instead I did enjoy the sport and respect what these drivers and teams do. I'll probably pay attention to the standings and flip to the event each week from now on. I enjoyed it at times, but not enough to become a fan. Maybe loving a new sport is much tougher then I thought. Maybe I just have to take baby steps. I've never tried to love a new sport before; most people have never attempted it either.

I'm happy I did it though and I'm still waiting for that good Tracy Morgan movie answer. [favredollarfootlongs2]