It wasn't the way Dario Franchitti wanted to win another points championship.Franchitti, who carried an 18-point advantage over Will Power entering Sunday's IndyCar event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was declared the points champion after the event was called off following the multi-car crash that resulted in the death of Dan Wheldon.IndyCar officials ruled that the championship points would include races up through the Kentucky Indy 300 on Oct. 2.Franchitti amassed four victories and two pole starts in his tightly contested competition with Power for the second year in a row to win the points title for the fourth time in five years.Understandably, Franchitti found little joy in the accomplishment."One minute, you're joking around at driver intros.Cheap jerseys The next, Dan's gone," said Franchitti, whose wife, actress Ashley Judd, had to bring him a box of tissues. "I lost, we lost, a good friend. Everybody in the IndyCar series considered him a friend. He was such a good guy. He was a charmer."With the race canceled, drivers, many sobbing openly, took part in a five-lap salute around the 1.5-mile oval in honor of one of the sport's biggest stars."We put so much pressure on ourselves to win races and championships, and that's what we love to do, what we live for," Franchitti said. "Days like today, it doesn't really matter. ... Dan was one of those special, special people, from when he first showed up at IndyCar."Also injured in the crash were Sausalito's J.R. Hildebrand and Pippa Mann.IndyCar said Mann was treated for a burn to her right pinkie finger and will be released this morning. Hildebrand was awake and alert but held overnight for further evaluation.
Power was evaluated and released.Vettel, who started from second on the grid, passed pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton on the first lap and dominated the 55-lap race before crossing the finish line in a time of 1 hour, 38 minutes, 1.994 seconds, 12 seconds ahead of the McLaren driver.Jack Beckman took the Funny Car standings lead with two events left, racing to his third career victory at Firebird International Raceway at Chandler, Ariz.The turmoil in Cricket South Africa due to the allegedly irregular bonuses paid to its CEO Gerald Majola during the 2009 IPL has deepened with sports minister Fikile Mbalula stating that if necessary, heads will roll over the issue.Wholesale NBA jerseys CSA president Mtutuzeli Nyoka, who took on Majola over the IPL payments when the tournament was held in 2009, was sacked for a second time in absentia by its controversial Board.Mbalula said with the issue refusing to die down, there could be sackings, a statement that sources say, has "sent shivers through the spines of some CSA staff."The source said despite an assurance by CSA that it would cooperate with the committee that Mbalula plans to appoint to investigate CSA Board's handling of an independent audit and the legal opinion that cleared Majola of alleged breach of the Companies' Act, there was concern that this would aggravate already strained relations within CSA ranks."The facade of unity that was maintained until now through press statements that were clearly aimed at getting (CSA president Mtutuzeli) Nyoka out is breaking down now," said the source.
Devin Hester already had scored a touchdown on a 48-yard pass reception and 98-yard kickoff return against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night when he took a punt in the third quarter that looked pretty close to another fastball down the middle.He found an opening, cut to the outside, but was hemmed in by Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. Hester coasted out of bounds and slammed the ball to the ground in frustration.For all Hester has accomplished in his six-year NFL career, the triple-crown — touchdowns on a kickoff, punt and pass reception in the same game — remains elusive.But just give him time. At the rate he’s going, he’ll get plenty more chances.Hester had two touchdowns in the Beasr’ 39-10 rout of the Vikings at Soldier Field. But his night ended early when he left the game with a chest injury. His status is not known.Hester helped set the tone when he beat Vikings safety Husain Abdullah and cornerback Cedric Griffin in the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown that gave the Bears a 7-0 lead just 2:13 seconds into the game.It was a team effort, with excellent protection, including tight end Matt Spaeth on Vikings pass rusher Jared Allen and a perfect throw from Jay Cutler.Great throw, good route by Devin,’’ Spaeth said. ‘‘It was good for us because it really jump-started the night for us.After the Vikings Adrian Peterson scored on a four-yard run to close to 26-10 in the third quarter, Hester extended his NFL record for career kick return touchdowns when he took a kickoff in the third quarter, darted through a crease around the 35-yard line and outran what remained of the Vikings’ coverage unit for a 98-yard touchdown that gave the Bears a 33-10 lead.
When he’s back there and the music comes on and he’s on that big screen, I even get goosebumps — I’m about to block for the best kick returer who’s every played the game, said Dom DeCicco, who helped block for Hesters touchdown. It makes you want to do your job that much more.My guy was close [to Hester], but he’s just really fast and outran my guy. In situations like that one, you dont get the best block on your guy, there’s still a good chance he’s going to make him miss, which makes our job so much easier. He’s just an unbelievable player and an even better guy. It’s awesome blocking for him.Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd said he could tell Hester was going to break something.Because right before we got out there, he smiles and has that look like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s eat. To the house, Hurd said. That means every play can go to the house and I’m going to do my best to [make it happen]. He’s phenomenal.Hurd credited the Bears special teams coaches for being well-prepared for the Vikings coverage scheme. But when asked what strategic move made it happen, it always comes back to the same thing.
When he’s back there and the music comes on and he’s on that big screen, I even get goosebumps — I’m about to block for the best kick returer who’s every played the game, said Dom DeCicco, who helped block for Hesters touchdown. It makes you want to do your job that much more.My guy was close [to Hester], but he’s just really fast and outran my guy. In situations like that one, you dont get the best block on your guy, there’s still a good chance he’s going to make him miss, which makes our job so much easier. He’s just an unbelievable player and an even better guy. It’s awesome blocking for him.Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd said he could tell Hester was going to break something.Because right before we got out there, he smiles and has that look like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s eat. To the house, Hurd said. That means every play can go to the house and I’m going to do my best to [make it happen]. He’s phenomenal.Hurd credited the Bears special teams coaches for being well-prepared for the Vikings coverage scheme. But when asked what strategic move made it happen, it always comes back to the same thing.
The 50-50 plays that seemed to go wrong during the Philadelphia Eagles' four-game skid went right for a change, and that's perhaps the main reason the so-called dream team of the NFC East isn't buried yet.The Eagles finally learned how to tackle and stop the run Sunday during a 20-13 win over the Washington Redskins. Kurt Coleman celebrated his injury-induced return to the starting lineup with three interceptions.Cheap football jerseys The offense overcame a thinned offensive line and gave the ball to LeSean McCoy a career-high 28 times.But the story of the game was also told in these snapshot moments:When the ball was lying on the goal line after a wayward snap, Michael Vick got to it first.When McCoy lost the ball at the end of a run, he was already down.When Brent Celek tipped the ball twice with defenders around him, he still made the catch — an incredible grab — while falling on his back.When a pass by Vick fluttered dangerously after being tipped behind the line of scrimmage, it landed in Jeremy Maclin's hands instead of those of a defender."The last four games, I think we've been having a lot of things go the other team's way," center Jason Kelce said, "batted balls going into their hands and stuff like that.
I think today we're starting to get a little bit of that luck shifting over back to our side."The Eagles (2-4) raced to a 20-0 second-quarter lead and picked off Rex Grossman four times, prompting Washington coach Mike Shanahan to answer the fans' chants of "We want Beck!" by giving John Beck his first regular-season appearance since 2007.Beck got the Redskins back into the game with a 2-yard quarterback draw to cap an 80-yard drive that pulled the Redskins within seven points with 2:44 remaining, but the Eagles ran out the clock with the tail end of a 126-yard day from McCoy, who headed to the sideline and punched coach Andy Reid in the chest in his excitement."He knocked the wind out of me. He got me, got a good one," Reid said. "But I don't really care.Wholesale soccer uniforms He can do anything he wants today."Said McCoy of his stout coach: "Andy, we're like his kids. We're still young. I kind of punched him. ... A lot of cushion there."The Redskins (3-2) were the division's surprise leaders, in front by themselves this late in the season for the first time since 1999, but now their momentum has ground to a halt — and they have a quarterback quandary to boot. Shanahan said he went with Beck because the team "needed a spark." The coach wouldn't say who will start next week's game at Carolina.The Redskins also lost left guard Kory Lichtensteiger with a right knee injury that "doesn't look good," according to Shanahan. Left tackle Trent Williams has a severely sprained right ankle. Tight end Chris Cooley broke his left index finger and will need surgery.
I think today we're starting to get a little bit of that luck shifting over back to our side."The Eagles (2-4) raced to a 20-0 second-quarter lead and picked off Rex Grossman four times, prompting Washington coach Mike Shanahan to answer the fans' chants of "We want Beck!" by giving John Beck his first regular-season appearance since 2007.Beck got the Redskins back into the game with a 2-yard quarterback draw to cap an 80-yard drive that pulled the Redskins within seven points with 2:44 remaining, but the Eagles ran out the clock with the tail end of a 126-yard day from McCoy, who headed to the sideline and punched coach Andy Reid in the chest in his excitement."He knocked the wind out of me. He got me, got a good one," Reid said. "But I don't really care.Wholesale soccer uniforms He can do anything he wants today."Said McCoy of his stout coach: "Andy, we're like his kids. We're still young. I kind of punched him. ... A lot of cushion there."The Redskins (3-2) were the division's surprise leaders, in front by themselves this late in the season for the first time since 1999, but now their momentum has ground to a halt — and they have a quarterback quandary to boot. Shanahan said he went with Beck because the team "needed a spark." The coach wouldn't say who will start next week's game at Carolina.The Redskins also lost left guard Kory Lichtensteiger with a right knee injury that "doesn't look good," according to Shanahan. Left tackle Trent Williams has a severely sprained right ankle. Tight end Chris Cooley broke his left index finger and will need surgery.