As of Monday, it appears he’s out of a job.

One of the most fascinating subplots of the immediate postrace celebration was the fact that Grubb has done what no other crew chief has managed in the last half-decade, and yet he’s still apparently going to be looking for work.

[Related: Tony Stewart beats Carl Edwards to win Sprint Cup title]

Certainly, Grubb’s performance in the early part of the year could have justified a firing. Stewart limped into the Chase, appearing to have little to compete with the workhorse programs of Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch.

Still, Stewart won the first two races of the Chase, and suddenly the ship started turning in the right direction. But then Stewart slid back in the pack, and the Stewart-Haas braintrust made the decision: Grubb was gone as of the end of the season. The team notified him of his impending unemployment as of the Charlotte race in October.

But to hear Grubb tell it, that decision was made in haste, without giving him time to see the season through. In an awkward postrace interview, Grubb said he was “pleading” to be given the rest of the season. He added that he finds this entire decision “baffling.” He’s not certain whether a Cup win will help his chances, and he’s not certain if, even if he were offered his job back, he’d take it.

[Related: Legend of Tony Stewart cemented in full]

Stewart studiously avoided answering any question relating to Grubb’s future. He initially blew off the question with a joke: “In the immediate future, I’m going to get him drunk.” But then he lapsed into the usual bureaucratic ownerspeak, saying that there were many options to consider in any offseason. But he also avoided giving Grubb anything resembling a vote of confidence.

Perhaps Stewart and Grubb will meet and Grubb will re-up with the man whom he crewed to a championship. And perhaps Stewart will decide to look in a different direction with the expectation that his next championship won’t be so close. Either way, Grubb won’t be out of work for long. There aren’t many crew chiefs working these days with a Cup to their credit.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Stewart, Edwards duel may go down as best race in NASCAR history
? NFL’s Week 11 Winners and losers
? Beckham’s future uncertain after winning MLS Cup

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Tony-Stewart-crew-chief-Darian-Grubb-Win-on-Sun?urn=nascar-wp5344

Mike Williams Johnny Knox Mario Manningham Vernon Davis Braylon Edwards

Woods was brilliant against the Aussie favorite on Sunday, going four-up on the 15th hole to put the Americans up 18-14 and out of reach of a game International squad. The win for Woods culminates a long climb back over just this weekend, from mediocre play on Thursday and Friday to hitting greens and missing puts on Saturday to tasting victory, in some form or fashion, for the first time since 2009.

Tiger had been playing solid golf coming into the competition, with a third-place finish in the Australian Open under his belt that could easily have been a full-blown win if not for a pair of bogies on the back nine on Sunday.

Does this mean that Tiger has regained his form, that he’s ready to resume his winning ways on the PGA Tour? Not necessarily, though the boost of confidence that comes from playing well with victory hanging in the balance should serve as a step in the right direction.

How big a step that is remains to be seen, at least until the 2012 season gets under way. We’ve seen Tiger play well in fits and starts in the years since his thrilling triumph at the 2008 US Open and the fallout from his marital infidelities that followed in late November of 2009. He notched three top-four finishes in Majors between 2010 and 2011—two at the Masters, one at the US Open—though after being in position to win going into the weekend.

Sure, it’s telling, if not downright encouraging, that Woods played his best golf of the event on the last day when it mattered most, which he used to do with regularity.

But before we go around proclaiming that Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods once again, let’s take a step back and remember that, in the end, the Presidents Cup wasn’t all about him, that the Americans probably would’ve won even if he hadn’t come through and, as such, the pressure wasn’t really on like it used to be. Tiger looked great off the tee but miserable on the greens, missing putts with alarming regularity.

He certainly wasn’t alone in that regard, as the greens were tough for just about everyone in the field, but if Tiger is truly the elite golfer that he once was, if he is, in fact, going to dominate the competition like he once did, he need not be phased by the concerns of his mere-mortal competitors.

A high standard, to be sure, but one that Tiger set for himself by putting the world of professional golf in his back pocket for more than a decade.

It’s unlikely that he’s already that Tiger again, or that he ever will be, but the powers that be in the PGA must be pleased to see their once-crumbling cash cow back on the right track. Love him or hate him, you’ve got to admit that golf is more exciting, at least for the casual fan that the game is trying to reach, when Tiger Woods is actually relevant.

Something he proved to be over the weekend at the Presidents Cup.

Read more Golf news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/948525-presidents-cup-2011-tiger-woods-tops-aaron-baddeley-to-clinch-cup-for-us-team

Matt Forte BenJarvus Green-Ellis LeGarrette Blount Fred Jackson LaDainian Tomlinson

In a recent interview with Fight Hype, Ariza absolutely tore Arum apart. For starters, Ariza said Arum will be solely responsible for “Pac-Man” never having a super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

“I think that’s the fight that everybody wants to see,” Ariza said, in regards to Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.

“Here’s the thing, Dana White is 100 percent absolutely correct. Bob Arum is a greedy pig. Now I see. That’s exactly why Dana White has been so successful and Bob Arum sees him as such a threat, because he puts the fights together that the people want to see. It’s about putting the best fights on,” Ariza added.

Ariza went on to praise White for his business savvy and matchmaking skills, while he slammed Arum for allowing personal bias to get in the way.

“Even though he had the biggest fight with Nick Diaz and they went back and forth at each other, Dana did the right thing by the sport and he still put him and B.J. Penn together and made them fight,” Ariza said. 

“Arum hates Floyd Mayweather, can’t stand him, doesn’t want to see him make a dollar, can’t stand Golden Boy, doesn’t want to do business with them, but instead of doing what’s best for the sport, what’s best for the fans, and what’s best for the fighters because they’ll get the payday of a lifetime, no, it’s all about him.”

As angry as Ariza seemed up to this point, he really began to lose his cool after further thinking about boxing’s fantasy showdown that may never be. 

“‘I don’t like him, so f**k him!’ I mean, right or wrong?,” Ariza said, talking about Arum’s attitude towards Mayweather.

“Unless you can tell me and convince me otherwise, because I’m thoroughly convinced and believe that Floyd really does want to have this fight. I think he really wants to have this fight. As far as he knows, he’s right. He’s right. Bob is the one interfering and f**king s**t up,” Ariza noted.

All this hate for Arum is a little puzzling, considering that Ariza was calling for a fourth bout between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez just two days after the controversial Pac-Man victory.

So fight fans: did Ariza hit the nail on the head? Or is he oversimplifying the matter at hand?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/956405-ufc-news-manny-pacquiaos-coach-sides-with-dana-white-against-bob-arum

Felix Hernandez Francisco Liriano Gio Gonzalez Hiroki Kuroda Jaime Garcia

Kyle Busch has been parked for Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race and Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway after intentionally crashing Ron Hornaday in Friday night’s Camping World Truck Series race.

“[Busch being parked for Friday night's race is] done under section 9.12 of the rulebook, that gives NASCAR the authority to react during a race weekend. And following the event and after a good deal of conversation and discussion, NASCAR has decided to maintain that parked position on the driver of the 18 truck for the balance of the weekend,” NASCAR president Mike Helton said Saturday morning.

“So basically what that means is that Kyle Busch will not be participating today or tomorrow in the NASCAR event here in Texas.”

Joe Gibbs, Busch’s team owner in the Cup and Nationwide Series, was at home in North Carolina and not at the track Friday night. He flew to Texas Saturday morning and met with NASCAR officials and Busch. Gibbs said he ”trusts” NASCAR’s decision. He would not divulge what he told Busch in their 1-on-1 meeting, but did say they “needed to get out here and meet with everybody we needed to meet with.” In other words, Busch, who was not kicked out of the track, needs to make the rounds to apologize.

Busch’s suspension is the first for a driver after the “Boys have at it” declaration from NASCAR ? a statement that’s been pointed to numerous times over the past two years when it comes to driver discipline.

“The responsibility that over the past two or three seasons we’ve given back to the drivers came, I think, with a very clear understanding that there could be a line that got crossed,” Helton said. “And as annoying as the comments that I’ve made personally in the past of ‘we’ll know it when we see it’ might have been, we saw it last night.”

Michael McDowell will drive Busch’s No. 18 car on Sunday.

Busch is currently in seventh place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings, 57 points behind points leader Carl Edwards with three races to go. Busch met with series officials before the start of Saturday morning’s first practice session at Texas Motor Speedway.

The actions NASCAR took Saturday are not unprecedented. Both Kevin Harvick and Robby Gordon have been suspended for Cup races for actions on the track in other series. Perhaps somewhat ironically, Harvick’s suspension came in 2002 after crashing Coy Gibbs ? son of Joe Gibbs, Busch’s Sprint Cup Series owner ? in a Truck race at Martinsville. Harvick owns Hornaday’s truck. Earlier this season, Harvick and Busch had a meeting on pit road after the Sprint Cup race in Darlington in May. Busch was also in a confrontation with Richard Childress, Harvick’s owner in the Sprint Cup Series, after Busch raced RCR driver Joey Coulter hard for position in the Truck race at Kansas in June.

Got all that?

Gordon was suspended for the cartoonish finish to the Montreal Nationwide race in 2007 and disobeying NASCAR orders to serve a penalty. That was the last time NASCAR parked a driver for a Cup race.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Danica Patrick to run 10 Sprint Cup races in 2012 | Danica Patrick photos
? Video: NFL: Can Bears slow down Michael Vick?
? Tiger Woods’ ex-caddie drops racist comment about former boss

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Kyle-Busch-suspended-for-Cup-race-for-actions-in?urn=nascar-wp5125

Shaun Marcum Ted Lilly Tim Hudson Tim Lincecum Tommy Hanson

On Sunday, all golfers involved will participate in Sunday Singles, which pits each individual in head-to-head action with a member from the opposition. Despite Tiger Woods’ 1-3 performance thus far, the Americans look to have a stronger team that will power through to the title.

At 10:30 a.m. in Melbourne, the golfers will begin teeing off with 12-minute delays between each individual battle. The team of Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk is undefeated thus far, and Mickelson has already collected a win against his opponent on Sunday—Adam Scott.

The unique nature of match-play gives the advantage to the golfers who thrive under the pressure. Despite his struggles in stroke-play, Woods went 5-0 in a 19.5-14.5 win for the U.S. in 2009.

The most emotional, in-the-moment golfers are favored to win at the Presidents Cup—that is, if they get ahead early. The U.S. has won this tournament the last three times. The Americans also have only one loss in the competition’s history.

For Woods, he’s still not playing the golf people have come to expect him to, but it’s on the horizon. In golf especially, all it takes is one win to pump the confidence back into a player. With the personal issues behind him and some support behind him, Woods will win his match on Sunday against Aaron Baddeley.

Michael Warner of the Herald Sun quoted commentator Jack Newton, who attests to the progression of Woods throughout the weekend.

“I don’t think he (Tiger) is far away. And with all of his other issues, I think his head is starting to come good.”

The U.S. only needs to win five of 12 matches on Sunday to secure the victory.

Even if Woods can’t close the deal, the Americans will secure five victories throughout the course of the day for the triumph.

Read more Golf news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/947571-presidents-cup-2011-us-to-triumph-despite-tiger-woods-lackluster-performance

Chad Henne Mark Sanchez Matt Hasselbeck Brett Favre Derek Anderson

Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is making his NHL debut for the Washington Capitals tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes, and News From The Nosebleeds decided to commemorate the occasion ? by doctoring up an Alex Ovechkin T-shirt.

OK, so they needed the ‘O’ and the ’8′. Still, the sight of this thing at a time when Alex Ovechkin is getting criticized for his lack of production and being portrayed as a coach killer turned a few heads during warm-ups.

Most likely a Tribute Jersey to Orlov. Perhaps a Protest Jersey. Either way, not a Foul.

Now, what are all of those Alex Semin shirsy owners going to do if this healthy scratch portends the Semin’s climax in Washington?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Jersey-Fouls-Extra-Things-are-different-for-Ale?urn=nhl-wp17967

Justin Verlander Mat Latos Matt Cain Max Scherzer Roy Halladay

Bryant’s reputation as one of the most polarizing figures in sports has led to furious and spirited debates between Bryant’s detractors and his fans, and sometimes it’s hard to separate legitimate criticism of his game from simple hatred.

For instance, a person’s opinion on Bryant’s incident in Colorado has no bearing on Bryant’s merits as a player, but the point that he sometimes makes questionable decisions on the court does.

Unfortunately, both of those points of view can usually be found in the same argument, and instead of debating honest criticism of Kobe’s game, we tend to get lost on tangents that have nothing to do with basketball.

During some of these debates I have heard several criticisms pertaining to Kobe’s game that seem valid, and I have compiled a list of the top three that have been the most repeated in my opinion.

I’m sure most Lakers fans have heard these particular criticisms as well, and even if they don’t completely agree, they have to admit there is at least a nugget of truth to be found in each slide. Please enjoy.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/955881-kobe-bryant-3-kobe-criticisms-lakers-fans-cant-deny

LeBron James Luis Scola Luol Deng Manu Ginobili Michael Beasley

Back by popular demand, here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.

? Benoit Pouliot finished in sixth place during last night’s Handstand Competition between the Bruins and Canadians with this feeble attempt. [AP]

Preview: Los Angeles Kings at St. Louis Blues, 7:30 p.m. ET. Under Ken Hitchcock, the Blues have yet to lose in regulation going 4-0-2 since Davis Payne was fired and climbing to within three points of first place in the Central Division. Jaroslav Halak is scheduled to battle Jonathan Bernier as the Kings look to bounce back after getting their three-game win streak snapped on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m. ET. David Steckel versus Victor Hedman! How many times will they be asked about Sidney Crosby today? In good news for the Leafs, goaltender James Reimer met with the media today for the first time in a month and said he is progressing well and hopes to be back soon. Both teams are looking to turn things around as the Leafs have won once in their last five games, while the Lightning has taken two points once in four.

Preview: Edmonton Oilers at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m. ET. Wrapping up a five game homestand where they’ve taken six out of a possible eight points, the Predators look to go out winners before they head off for a five game road trip. The Oilers have lost five of six and their last four on the road.

Check out previews and updated scores for all of today’s games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page. For tonight’s starting goalies, check out Left Wing Lock.

Evening Reading

? Jochen Hecht expects to return from a concussion tomorrow night against the Boston Bruins. Expect a roomier press box at First Niagara Center tomorrow than what was in Pittsburgh on Monday night. [Sabres Edge]

? After four games and one assist this season, the Detroit Red Wings have sent Fabian Brunnstrom down to Grand Rapids of the AHL. [MLive]

? The New York Islanders announced today that forward Micheal Haley has been recalled from loan from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League. [Islanders]

? Finally, here’s four minutes of farmers being asked who they think will win the Stanley Cup this year (Spoiler: Lots of Leafs and Oilers fans in the video):

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: Bitter Wings Fan on the Tim Tebow/Sidney Crosby comparisons:

“The main difference that voids the Tebow / Crosby analogy is that Crosby is universally considered and accepted as the best in the game at his position. Nobody would dare make that type of claim about Tebow.”

My fantasy football team would agree with you.

Bold Prediction: Pekke Rinne with the 4-0 shutout of the Oilers.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Previews-Blues-host-Kings-James-Reimer-on?urn=nhl-wp18028

LeGarrette Blount Fred Jackson LaDainian Tomlinson Thomas Jones Frank Gore

? Out of the shadows, into Corvallis. As expected, Nick “Yes That Montana” Montana will make his first career start for Washington Saturday when the Huskies visit Oregon State, replacing gimpy starter Keith Price. Montana, youngest spawn of Joe, played the entire fourth quarter last week after Price was knocked out of a 40-17 loss at USC, connecting on his first touchdown pass with 13 seconds to play in the blowout.

“It just felt right. I loved how Nick had looked the last couple of days [in practice],” said coach Steve Sarkisian. “For our team it’s the right thing to do. For Keith it was the right thing to do. Nicky’s earned it, he’s done a nice job.” [Seattle Times]

? This is what happens when you put the cart before the horse. Southern Miss blew a 14-0 lead, its longest winning streak in 60 years and a realistic shot at a BCS bowl Thursday at lowly UAB, dropping a 34-31 decision that will haunt the Golden Eagles even more than their only other loss, a six-turnover debacle at Marshall back in September. UAB ? that would be 24-point underdog UAB ? converted 12 of 17 third downs, held the ball for nearly 37 minutes and kept USM off the board entirely on four different trips into Blazer territory.

At least the horse is still alive: The choke in Birmingham doesn’t end Southern Miss’ chances at a Conference USA title (the Eagles can clinch the East Division next week against even lowlier Memphis) or its first 10-win season since 1988. But it does end any chance of moving into the top 16 of the BCS standings with a win over unbeaten Houston in the C-USA title game, likely triggering an automatic big-money bid as the highest-ranked non-”Big Six” conference champion. [Clarion-Ledger, Rivals]

? On the Sandusky beat… An attorney for “Victim Four” said Thursday that his client is “more adamant” about testifying against former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky after watching Sandusky tell a national television audience earlier this week that he has never sexually abused underage males. The alleged victim ? one of eight Sandusky has been charged with abusing over a span of more than a decade ? says Sandusky began testing boundaries the day they met, when Victim Four was 12 or 13, and came to play two roles during the boy’s teenage years: Surrogate father and molester. Now 27, Victim Four says he was “a fixture” in the Sandusky household, worked out with Sandusky, accompanied Sandusky to charity events and on road trips, and shared hotel rooms and showers with Sandusky, who plied him with cash and gifts as the abuse continued.

“My client now has become even more adamant that he intends to testify and not waver from his grand jury presentment testimony,” attorney Ben Andreozzi told the Harrisburg Patriot-News. “At this point, his anger is directed at Mr. Sandusky. That does not mean that he excuses the actions of the others. It’s fair to say that he knew the Sandusky family quite well.” [Harrisburg Patriot-News]

? We may or may not be hearing something at an undefined point in the future. Among proposals for overhauling the BCS discussed earlier this week is one that would effectively dismantle the BCS structure outside of a championship game matching the No. 1 and No. 2 teams. At meetings in San Francisco earlier this week, there was reportedly strong sentiment toward eliminating “automatic qualifier” status for certain conferences ? one of the prime drivers in conference realignment ? as well as the two-teams-per-conference limit. The most radical proposal would sever ties with the traditional bowls (the Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar) and limit the BCS strictly to organizing the title match.

“There’s a lot of stuff being thrown at the wall,” an official who attended the meetings told ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski. “I think the people in the room really want to get it right. They’re tired of getting beat up.” Per another official: “I’d be amazed if that’s where we ended up.” And another: “I think it really has a chance. It really does.” [ESPN, Sports Illustrated]

? Free as a Bull. South Florida offensive lineman Tony Kibler was released from jail Thursday on $27,250 bond, 17 days after he was arrested on two felony counts for burglary and improper exhibition of a weapon on school grounds. At the time, police said Kibler was involved in a dispute stemming from a “dissolved relationship” with a female student who lived across the hall in his dorm. The girl complained to police that Kibler had attempted to use a knife to break into her room and “exhibit[ed] the knife in an angry manner.” He remains suspended from the team. [Tampa Tribune]

? Wink wink nudge nudge. On the same day USC released a Maroon 5-backed video touting receiver Robert Woods for the Biletnikoff Award, coach Lane Kiffin said Woods’ status against Oregon is going to be a game-time decision after he watches his go-to playmaker in warmups. “I’m going to have to see speed, that he can go, that he can get in and out of breaks and be able to play at a high level for us,” Kiffin said.

For his part, Woods said his ailing ankle is “50-50″ and his shoulder is “aggravated,” but he still fully expects to play in Eugene. “[Kiffin]‘s the one calling the personnel,” Woods said, “but I’m definitely in his ear trying to get on the field.” [Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register]

Quickly? Penn State hires a law firm. ? Geno Smith is formally reprimanded for criticizing Big East officials. ? Profiling Brad Wing, the nation’s best punter. ? And LaMichael James explains in graphic detail why he’ll never do the ‘O’ sign again.

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Matt Hinton is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Headlinin-8217-Washington-rolls-the-dice-on-M?urn=ncaaf-wp10123

Matt Hasselbeck Brett Favre Derek Anderson Arian Foster Jamaal Charles

For the past couple weeks, the NCAA president has been noncommittal about interjecting his organization into the ongoing child sex scandal that has descended on Penn State. But today Emmert sent a letter to acting university president Rodney Erickson alerting him that the NCAA plans to look into “Penn State’s exercise of institutional control over its intercollegiate athletics programs” in the wake of grand jury findings that multiple university officials ? including now-former head coach Joe Paterno ? allowed longtime defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky to remain connected to the program and have unsupervised access to football facilities for years after they were informed of allegations that Sandusky had sexually abused children in those facilities.

In an interview with National Public Radio’s Kai Ryssdal, Emmert suggested that charges of lack of institutional control could be levied against the university:

Ryssdal: As the body that is charged, in theory, with guaranteeing the safety of student athletes in American colleges and universities, how are you going to do that? What is your role in something like Penn State?

Emmert: Well we have rules and bylaws that — while they were never written to address anything quite like this of course — they speak directly to the control that institutions have to maintain over their athletic departments and their programs. And they speak very directly to ethical behavior of people in those programs and we’ll apply those bylaws, and if the allegations hold up, then we’ll act accordingly.

Ryssdal: Let me make sure I understand you: There is room here for NCAA sanctions against Penn State?

Emmert: We have a very strong interest in making sure that our programs are reflective of the best values of athletics and of universities.

Since Penn State became embroiled in a littany of sexual abuse charges against Sandusky two weeks ago, Emmert has maintained that the NCAA would monitor the situation and wait for the legal process to sort itself out. Emmert has been very vocal about his personal feelings regarding the Penn State scandal, which might be driving an attempt to get the NCAA involved.

“My reactions are similar to almost everyone who’s looking at this right now and it’s pretty much one of stunned, disbelief, anger and frustration ? all of those emotions come pouring out,” Emmert said in an interview with ESPN on Nov. 10. “You can’t read the 23-page testimony without having your stomach turn and asking yourself, ‘How in the world does this happen?’ “

Of course, any potential NCAA violations are taking a major backseat to the legal ramifications that are still looming. There are several rules in the NCAA rulebook that deal with honesty and sportsmanship, ethical conduct and exemplary conduct, which all could be applied to this case and put the Penn State football program in some pretty hot water for a very long time. It’s clear ? and Emmert has even said it himself ? that this is the worst scandal to ever rock the NCAA and perhaps one of the worst in sports history period.

- – -
Graham Watson is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow her @Yahoo_Graham.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/NCAA-may-target-Penn-State-for-lack-of-institut?urn=ncaaf-wp10130

Ricky Williams Michael Bush Jahvid Best Danny Woodhead Justin Forsett