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Anaheim 1 set to serve up unpredictable Supercross opener

No matter what form of motorsport you’re talking about, the best racing is always the most unpredictable.

That’s why I’m stoked for the AMA Monster Energy Supercross opener tonight in Anaheim (10 p.m. ET/FS1). The fans, media and riders themselves all don’t know what to expect, and the race tonight — as well as the championship — seems the most wide open in years.

Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto had combined to win the last eight titles, but they’re both retired now (Dungey retired in the offseason after three straight championships). The only past champion left in the field is Chad Reed, but he hasn’t won since 2008, has two still-healing broken ankles and is now a privateer instead of racing for a factory team.

So that leaves Eli Tomac — who came oh-so-close to the title last year, Marvin Musquin, Jason Anderson and — oh yeah, Ken Roczen.

Roczen, in case you haven’t heard, is an early candidate for Best Comeback Story in all of sports for this year. After winning Anaheim 1 last year, he shattered his left arm in the second Anaheim race.

He’s had 11 surgeries since then. Eleven! It would have been an accomplishment for him to ever hold a pencil again, let alone get back on a bike and race.

But there he was Friday, sitting in the annual preseason press conference with a suit and tie and proclaiming himself ready to not only compete — but contend.

Could Roczen actually go out tonight and win the season opener?

“My arm, if it would be fragile and I could barely do a pushup or put any weight on it, I feel like I wouldn’t really sit up here,” he said. “The people my team and I have hired to go through (physical therapy) for months and months, they did a pretty phenomenal job.

“It’s never going to be the same, but it’s definitely good enough to race dirt bikes and, in my eyes, have good strength to handle the bike and do whatever with it.”

That said, Roczen said he will ride with a wrist brace tonight. So how competitive he’ll be is a giant unknown.

Asked about Roczen, the other riders offered restrained praise on Friday. They seem happy for the guy they call “Kenny” to return, but they also aren’t anxious to see him win.

After all, the door is wide open for Tomac to claim his first title, but Musquin and Anderson should be right there as well.

But if Roczen’s arm is truly fixed enough, all of them might be chasing the German on his comeback tour.

 

 

 

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Not being able to pump your own gas in Oregon isn’t that bad

You may have seen that Oregon is in the news today after people started making fun of Oregonians who are very against a change in the state’s gas pumping law.

In Oregon (like New Jersey), you’re not allowed to pump your own gas. When you pull up to a gas station here, an attendant comes up to your window, you give him or her your credit card and tell them what kind of gas you want. If you try to get out of your car at the pump and do it yourself, you get scolded and they wave you back in your car (I made that mistake when I first moved here, just out of habit).

But that changed on Jan. 1, when people in Oregon’s rural counties were given the right to pump their own gas.

That did not sit well with some longtime Oregonians, who aired their concerns on the Facebook page of a local TV station.

I’m not going to defend those people, because of course they can pump their own gas with no problem and it’s not the big deal they’re making it out to be.

However, I’ve actually come to enjoy the original law quite a bit in the six months we’ve lived here.

It’s almost like having the option between going into a fast food restaurant to order or being able to use the drive-through lane. Why do so many people use the drive-through? Because it’s more convenient and they don’t want to get out of their cars.

So it’s actually pretty nice when it’s cold outside and you don’t even have to get out of your car to fill up the gas tank. You can just sit there with the window rolled up and look at your phone while someone else does it — guilt-free!

I know it’s lazy to think that way, but it’s actually the law here, so you don’t have a choice anyway (plus, it creates jobs!). Well, until now (in some counties).

Anyway, if you were someone who lived in Oregon for your entire life and got used to it, I can see why those people might be bummed to see it go away.

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Fan Profile: Peggy Long

This is part of a series of 12 Questions-style NASCAR fan profiles open to people who select that tier on my Patreon page.

Name: Peggy Long

Location: Huntsville, Ala.

Twitter name: @msudawg7880

Age: 60 – ugh!!

1. How long have you been a NASCAR fan?

Since 1962.

2. How many races have you attended?

Too many to count.

3. Who is your No. 1 favorite driver?

Denny Hamlin.

4. What made you a fan of his?

I began following Denny during his rookie year with Joe Gibbs Racing. I had stopped watching NASCAR after the death of my two favorite drivers, Davey Allison and Neil Bonnett. A friend told me, “This new guy is your kind of driver.” I watched his first race and my inner NASCAR spirit was renewed. I love his determination!

5. Who is your most disliked driver?

It’s a toss up between Joey Logano or Brad Keselowski.

6. Why don’t you like them?

I don’t like Logano for wrecking Denny in California. And Keselowski for his treatment of a handicapped child who wanted an autograph at Talladega. Being a special educator, that did not set well with me.  I’ve seen Brad do some great things since, but it still bothers me.

7. What is your favorite track?

Talladega.

8. What is one thing you would change if you were in charge of NASCAR?

Do away with pit road speeding penalties.

9. What is one thing you would keep the same if you were in charge of NASCAR?

Double-file restarts.

10. How often do you yell at the TV during a race?

Every race. I rock in my recliner more than I yell. In 2016, I hit almost 18,000 steps on my Fitbit during the Daytona 500 — rocking and yelling, trying to help Denny win. It worked!

11. Do you have any advice for other fans?

Support your driver and the team. Follow them on social media, join the Fan Club and attend those events — especially the Joe Gibbs Racing team events. Go to the tweetups and connect with other fans. Connect with the writers, NASCAR executives, spotters and team members on Twitter and support their work. NASCAR is the only sport that provides multiple ways to participate other than just watching the race. Take advantage of every opportunity you have to experience NASCAR.

12. What else do you want the NASCAR world to know about you?

I always want to be a part of the team — not a part of the problem. If I believe in you, I will support you.

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New Year’s Resolutions for 2018

On the last day of 2017, I asked you for tips about sticking to New Year’s Resolutions.

I’m glad to take the advice for myself, because I always make resolutions but have a hard time sticking to them. A lot of you said your advice was to not make any resolutions — because then you can’t break them — and suggested if these goals were that important, they shouldn’t wait until New Year’s.

But I’m a very deadline-oriented person, so I tend to put things off until there’s a reason. So that’s why the start of a new year seems like a good time to make some changes.

There were a couple themes in your advice: Accountability is a big one, because telling others means you create some peer pressure to keep the goals alive. But also people said it’s important to structure the resolutions in a way to where if you don’t live up to one of them during a given week (like not having time to work out), you don’t just completely fall off the wagon and stop doing it altogether.

So I’m going to give you my resolutions now — primarily to be accountable for them.

1. Drink 75 ounces of water per day

I’m terrible about drinking water. When I’m at the track, I don’t want to constantly have to pee — so I don’t make an effort to drink water. I’m not in the habit.

But I know it’s super important for good health, so I’ll give it another try. I’ve tried apps before that help you track it, but the goals are so lofty (100 ounces of water per day?!?) that I typically fail right away and then just give up.

I just downloaded a new app and it lets you set your own goal. I put it at 75 ounces of water per day. That’s still a TON compared to what I usually drink, but it seems perhaps more doable than 100 — and maybe I will be able to have a better shot at keeping up with it.

2. Average 10,000 steps per day

They say 10,000 steps per day doesn’t really do much for your health, but it keeps you from being too sedentary (which can be a real problem for me when I’m sitting at the computer all day).

But if I said, “I will take 10,000 steps every day,” I would fail almost immediately. Instead, I’m going to try to average that amount so if I have a bad day or two, I can make up for it.

That’s going to be a big change for me, because last year I only averaged 5,700 steps per day (according to my iPhone). So this one might be hard.

3. Triple the number of days I work out

Last year, I rode 455 miles on my bike — which was pretty good for my standards. But I only worked out a total of 33 days last year. That means I only exercised on 9 percent of the days! Clearly, that is not a healthy lifestyle (especially for someone who has high cholesterol like me). So I need to improve that, and in a hurry — or I won’t be here for as long as I hope.

I’m going to shoot for 100 days working out this year (“working out” meaning a minimum of 20 minutes of exercise). Hopefully that will help my overall health.

4. One hour every day for correspondence/finances/housekeeping

My biggest weakness in Year 1 of running my own site was failing to stay on top of things like replying to emails and DMs (I still have emails from last March that I’ve been meaning to return), staying organized with finances (tax season is going to be rough) and making improvements to the site/podcast/Patreon page.

Obviously, the top priority is the editorial content (columns, interviews, news, etc.). But I just need to make more time for the rest of it — whether that means waking up an hour earlier or just using my time better.

 

 

5. Keep improving as a person

I have so many faults and flaws, and I need to work on becoming a better human overall. You can’t really ever stop when it comes to that. I need to make sure to recognize my shortcomings and try to fix them where possible. This one is pretty general, but there are too many specifics to tackle just one.

So those are my five. What are yours? If you want to write yours down for accountability as well, feel free to post in the comments section below.

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Fan Profile: John Burns

This is part of a series of 12 Questions-style NASCAR fan profiles open to people who select that tier on my Patreon page.

Name: John Burns

Location: Atlanta

Twitter name: @johndburns

Age: 32

1. How long have you been a NASCAR fan?

Since 2004.

2. How many races have you attended?

Approximately 75.

3. Who is your No. 1 favorite driver?

Formerly Jeff Gordon; now Jimmie Johnson.

4. What made you a fan of Gordon?

This is a very interesting story. I’m originally from Jacksonville, and my dad received tickets to the July Daytona race from a friend. I was 20 at the time and I definitely had other priorities for my Saturdays other than going to a NASCAR race. Dad ended up bribing me to go, so I made the trek down to Daytona with him.

We got down to the track and started to go in, but we were immediately looked at funny because we were going through a “normal” entrance and we had Daytona Club tickets. Being new to this, both of us said, “What is the Daytona Club?” It turns out we had suite tickets with access to pre-race parties where food, drinks and live music were among the things we could partake in. I wish we would’ve known that prior to stopping off at the Krystal on International Speedway Blvd.!

We were sitting at a table with a few other NASCAR fans and my dad made a comment asking who was on the pole. I didn’t even know what he was talking about. But to that question, a guy quickly replied, “Shithead.” Dad and I both looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and then I asked back: “Who’s ‘Shithead?'” Turns out back in 2004, “Shithead” was better known as Jeff Gordon.

I absolutely fell in love with NASCAR while at the race. Gordon ended up winning, and so I naturally liked him — but mostly because the guy in the Daytona Club called him Shithead.

5. Who is your most disliked driver?

Kyle Busch.

6. Why don’t you like him?

I want to like him. He and Samantha do a lot of good things for racing and the community. But gosh, there has just always been something about him when he raced at Hendrick that made me despise him, and I just can’t seem to get over it.

7. What is your favorite track?

Texas Motor Speedway.

8. What is one thing you would change if you were in charge of NASCAR?

Get the CEO of NASCAR to attend more races than I attend.

9. What is one thing you would keep the same if you were in charge of NASCAR?

Keep weekend races versus having races during the week.

10. How often do you yell at the TV during a race?

Depends how race is going, but it can be frequently.

11. Do you have any advice for other fans?

Make NASCAR races a weekend getaway. I am pretty fortunate to be able to travel around on the weekends and go to roughly 20 races a year. It is what I enjoy doing, and a lot of the reason why is being able to meet people from different parts of the country, have a drink with them and have a great time. I can talk NASCAR all day with someone, so being able to sit at a bar with other fans who enjoy NASCAR just as much — it doesn’t get much better than that.

12. What else do you want the NASCAR world to know about you?

Never did I think I would become a NASCAR fan, but I was immediately hooked after one race. I love traveling around to races, and I do most of these races by myself — so if anyone is going to a race and would like to have a couple drinks and/or tailgate, I would be open to it.

My real job during the week is the assistant controller of a logistics company headquartered in Atlanta.

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Column: Survivor goes the wrong direction with late-game rules twist

One of the best things about Survivor over the years has been the show’s ability to introduce new wrinkles to keep it fresh without detracting from its credibility as a competition.

But the producers took a giant step back this season with the twist introduced after the last immunity challenge in Wednesday’s finale, and it left a bad taste in my mouth after watching it play out.

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

Before we go any further, you should know I was rooting for Ben to win this season and actively rooting against Chrissy, who I thought was arrogant and condescending toward the other players. So this isn’t an anti-Ben opinion, because I wanted him to win it all; he was my favorite player.

But the way he won? Yikes. It didn’t feel right.

After the upside-down U in the word puzzle cost him in the final immunity challenge, I was absolutely heartbroken for Ben. I felt sick to see him lose it that way. You could tell based on the reaction he knew the mistake had been a game-ending one, and Survivor showed us the raw emotions from both Ben and Chrissy — one defeated, one victorious — to illustrate how important that moment was.

Except…it wasn’t. Ben wasn’t out of the game, thanks to the “secret advantage” Chrissy won. As it turned out, the producers had a rule twist where Chrissy could pick who sat next to her at final tribal, but the other two players had to do a fire-making challenge for the last spot.

That is disturbingly unfair. As much as I hated the moment for Ben and was completely disappointed that Chrissy was about to become Sole Survivor, she won the right to eliminate her competition fair and square by succeeding in the final challenge.

Instead, the producers took that away from her under the guise of an “advantage.” Some advantage that was! Could she have ripped it up and said, “No thanks?” I’m guessing not, but surely she would have preferred to not have “won” the advantage since it really only helped Ben.

Ultimately, that was a game-changing, million-dollar decision by the producers. They took $1 million out of Chrissy’s hands. And that’s wrong. The one thing that has remained constant on Survivor over the years is players eliminate other players by voting each other off; Chrissy deserved to be able to vote Ben off in order to set the final three, but she was not given that opportunity.

Again, I was going to be absolutely pissed that Chrissy won. Ben had a miracle run to make it that far by finding the three idols. But he came up short. It was very unfortunate, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

Instead, Survivor threw him a lifeline and gave him another chance. And of course, he capitalized.

The producers seemed to know how bad it looked during the finale. Jeff Probst went out of his way to tell viewers the twist was a permanent addition to the game (See? It wasn’t just for Ben!) and the producers aired a highlight package of Ben’s journey immediately after the vote (See? He deserved it! The best player won!).

Sure, you could argue, “This twist is positive because it puts the players’ destiny into their own hands.” Yes, but Ben already had his destiny in his own hands at the final immunity challenge — and lost.

Survivor has continued to be successful over the years because it maintained the integrity of a real-life game while also providing drama and excitement. But that drama can’t be overly manufactured, or it will harm the competition and turn people away.

Ben has raced at his local short track and said he plans to buy a race car with his winnings, so he will understand this analogy: Despite spinning out while leading late in the race, the producers put him back on the front row for the final restart.

A decision like that doesn’t feel right — both in racing and Survivor.

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Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Power Rankings: Season Finale

Each week during this season of Survivor, I’ve been ranking the castaways in terms of best chance to win the game. Last week, Ashley was voted off after being ranked No. 6 of the six remaining players.

Power Rankings heading into season finale: 

1. Devon (Last week: 2): The $1 million is likely going to come down to Devon or Chrissy. Both of them believe they can beat the other, and it could be close — but I’m leaning toward Devon because of Chrissy’s potentially weak jury management (see a more in-depth explanation below). People have underestimated Devon all season, but he’s played a very solid game, has been likable and acted on his gut when he needed to (like ditching Ryan to go with Ben after Ryan broke his trust). As far as his resume, he also orchestrated two very smart moves as the final seven approached, then jumped on a potential final three with Chrissy and Ryan. It’s been a subtle game and not outwardly strategic, but he’s had to make a lot of adjustments. He could be overlooked by his surfer bro nature, but I think Devon may be crowned the winner tonight.

2. Chrissy (Last week: 4): I was very pro-Chrissy at the start of the season, but then she made a series of missteps. She was too cocky as the final seven approached (twice whispering in front of other players and then being on cruise control before Ben flipped) and has made statements accusing people of being unsportsmanlike or too personal — which could alienate some players. That said, she’s obviously very smart and is now in a strong position to make the final three. But can she win it? Well, there are going to be eight people on the jury, and I’m not sure she can muster up four votes based on who may be against her from the start (like Lauren and Joe). Plus, if Ashley gets over the bitterness toward Devon, Chrissy might not have that vote, either. That leaves Chrissy needing a sweep of votes from Desi, Cole, JP and the two players she votes off tonight (perhaps Ben and Dr. Mike?). This is a lot of projecting based on unknown events, but I think Devon beats Chrissy head-to-head with Ryan getting no votes in their potential final three. (Side note: Remember, if it’s tied 4-4, then the third person in the final three casts the deciding vote — which is good for Chrissy if that person is Ryan.)

3. Ryan (Last week: 3): I’ve enjoyed Ryan as a character this season, but I expected him to be more of a player. Instead, he got too comfortable with Chrissy and ultimately seemed to take a backseat to her as she led and made the decisions. He seems headed for the final three, but I’m not sure he has a winning resume unless he pulls out some big moves late in the game. His best chance is to go along with others as they eliminate Ben, then take out Chrissy and make the case for himself against Devon and Dr. Mike — which could still be a losing proposition.

4. Mike (Last week: 5): It’s been a fun ride for Dr. Mike, but the end of his journey likely won’t result in the $1 million. I have a feeling he’ll jump on the “Vote Ben Out!” train to save himself in the first vote tonight and then he’ll be a victim of the final cut before the three at the end. Even if he does make it to final tribal, the jury hasn’t respected his game enough to reward him with the Sole Survivor title. To win, he would probably need to team up with Ben for a vote to get Chrissy out, then flip and take Ben out to end up in a final three with Ryan and Devon. Even then, he would probably finish third.

5. Ben (Last week: 1): There’s no way Ben can possibly make it to the final three. Right? Right?!? The players speak openly amongst themselves about how he’s the biggest threat and everyone knows if he makes it to the end, he will win. So these smart players can’t possibly pass up an opportunity to get him out. Right? Right?!?! That means he would have to win the two remaining immunity challenges, which seems like a longshot because he’s not particularly great at those. I guess it’s possible if he keeps pulling out miracles like the last two weeks, but he’ll likely be the first boot tonight.

 

Eliminated: 

Week 1: Katrina (ranked No. 6 of 18 remaining players)

Week 2: Simone (ranked No. 17 of 17 remaining players)

Week 3: Patrick (ranked No. 16 of 16 remaining players)

Week 4: Alan (ranked No. 13 of 15 remaining players)

Week 5: Roark (ranked No. 10 of 14 remaining players)

Week 6: Ali (ranked No. 5 of 13 remaining players)

Week 7: Jessica (ranked No. 9 of 12 remaining players)

Week 8: Desi (ranked No. 8 of 11 remaining players)

Week 9: Cole (ranked No. 10 of 10 remaining players)

Week 10: JP (ranked No. 9 of nine remaining players) and then Joe (ranked No. 7 of nine remaining players going into the double episode)

Week 11: Lauren (ranked No. 2 of seven remaining players)

Week 12: Ashley (ranked No. 6 of six remaining players)