Small Sports Chat

Post 423

The Legion baseball team made it through round one of the playoffs, but hit a snag in the quarterfinals. They were down 2-1 to Gastonia Post 23 (15-11) in a five game series. Rutherford County (20-4), who is the No.1 seed in the West would play later this weekend if advancing to the next round.

Forest City Owls

The Owls started out the second half of the season 3-1, but this week they ended up 1-3. So, now they are 4-4 with 17 games to go in the regular season.

The Braves

Atlanta ended the All-Star break going 3-7 and out of first place in the National League East. The good news is that they are only a half game back. This is a young team as younger seems to be the way the way to go lately. Oddly enough, the Braves are a better road team then at home. They actually have the second best in the National League, just behind Arizona.

NASCAR

Martin Truex Jr. has come alive and the reigning champ is showing his muscles again. His fourth win of the season seems to be not his last this year as he easily won in Kentucky. However, the Kyle Busch-Ricky Stenhouse feud has yet to go away.

Stenhouse was wrong not to address Busch this week by phone or in person after the Daytona accident. Still, there are those out there who want NASCAR to intervene and make the two get along. Why? This is exactly what NASCAR needs. You want people to tune in, make rivalries. Some are afraid that the Kenseth-Logano incident of a few years ago at Martinsville will arise again.

Why not? It was the best thing to happen to the series in decade. The publicity was off the chart and that is what got the sport recognition back in the 70's.

Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson will be together through 2020, so the eighth championship has two and half more years to come to fruition before Johnson likely retires. Right now, I am not forecasting it, but it is Jimmie Johnson after all.

The Series heads to New Hampshire this weekend.

So, now that the World Cup has ended and France has won, which is no surprise to me....the USA still didn't make it. We should feel embarrassed and the question maybe how long is the US from being extremely competitive in World Cup play again? 8 years? 20 years? Making the final 16 or even 8 used to be a decent bet, but not anymore.