I know it has been an on-going week of steroids and substance abuse talk revolving around one of the biggest names in baseball in New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez. I apologize to all those who are reading and are like not another story on A-Rod. I was going to stay away from the topic all together, but figured they are few sides to these steroids stories that many people are unaware of.  Sadly performance enhancers topic seems to headline Major League Baseball every week. While there are many new drug test proposed by the MLB people need to realize the real problems with baseball substance abuse in today’s society. Basically breaking this thing down plain and simple the problem that Major League Baseball is having starts many years before these star athletes ever reach this elite league of superstars. Simply put, if you want to keep the performance enhancing substances out of the big leagues they must start to keep them out of the colleges and high schools.

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This topic may have been hit on briefly by a few people, but nobody really refers to this problem when making the connection to the MLB. Speaking as a high school standout in baseball that later went on to play college baseball I feel it is important to bring the truth to doorstep to all those that do not understand why players would take these substances. High schools are now facing the exact same problems with steroids and substance abuses with sports athletes, especially baseball players. The majority of high school athletes can pass a physical and be cleared to play on most varsity levels. While you may not hear about steroids use in your local home town schools, that does not mean they are not there. As a high school player, I was asked on multiple occasions if I ever wanted to take steroids by teammates that were currently using them. Considering I only weighed 135lbs my entire career in high school I figured they would not help myself enough. However, that did not stop many teammates from using them on a consistent basis. There was an unspoken rule that you accepted to those players that took performance enhancers. The simple rule was that it was not to be talked about, but between teammates. While many may jump to say that this was just one high school and not a large majority. There were plenty of opportunities and summer leagues where players met up with other players from different schools and again there were countless players who were open to admit using steroids and performance enhancers.  While many of these players did this type of behavior in the off-season, some continued all year long.

The reason I am preaching this reality is for people to understand the need for enforcing strong regulations for drug testing in early ages of sports. College athletes are at an all-time high with steroid use and performance enhancing abuse. When I signed on the dotted line on the NCAA transcript back some 5 years ago to confirm that I was subject to any drug test at any time, I understood that agreement. I also understood as I signed that line that the chances of me really ever being tested were slim to none. I believe that is the problem with teams today. There are not enough mandatory drug screenings, and many players can fall through the cracks. While some do make mandatory screenings so many times a year, players are often aware of these drug test long before they happen giving them plenty of time to stay off the substances or at least long enough to past the test. Until, the rules and regulations take a big change you are going to continue to have these issues in the years to come. It is not surprising one bit that Alex Rodriguez one of the biggest names in the sport has used a type of performance enhancing product, because if the truth was to actually come out (which it never will) you would be absolutely shocked at the number of players that have used these types of drugs at some time or another in their career. For MLB athletes, I would expect no less than the 70% range.

I have seen arguments were people have tried to claim that using these steroids make no big impact on baseball or performance on the field. Those people could never be so wrong. I have seen players go to take these drugs and start hitting balls they never could dream of. For people to try and say that it does not affect the game of baseball, are simply in a delusional world. The sad thing steroids really do is they take away from the level of play from some of the greats of the old-age of baseball. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron were some of the names that could change the game with a swing of the bat. Today there are many guys that can change the game with a swing of the bat, or the injection of a needle. The stats from the legends of the past mean nothing to the new players juiced on some inhuman type advantage. The all-time greats that revolutionized the game may lose their value to history because their stats will fall to the new rise and new age of this type of play edged by an unfair advantage. Also, even more disappointing is to those players that are not using or have never used these products. Imagine a player breaking out with 60+ homeruns, and breaking RBI records that is doing it the right way. The majority of America will never believe they have not used performance enhancers in today’s game. Unfortunately, the game of baseball has been tarnished even if it is the greatest game in the world. What is even more unfortunate, is that there is no doubt that Alex Rodriguez will not be the last hero to fall victim to performance enhancements.

The College Basketball season enters the final 4 weeks of basketball before we head into the always exciting conference championships and March Madness. We have some numerous events take place already on the college hoops stage with upsets, last second buzzer beaters, to instant classics, and much more. The rest of the season promises to be just as exciting and we will take a look what to possibly expect when the NCAA Tournament rolls around with a prediction of number 1 seeds, along with teams to watch out for, and who could possibly win it all.

The 2009 season has seen many different number 1 teams fall, and a few other teams completely fall apart. However, there are a few that have been rather stellar throughout the year and have a great chance at locking up a number 1 seed in March. The most probable team to lock up a number 1 is the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma stands right now at a 23-1 record for the season along with 13 straight wins since their lone loss to Arkansas in late December. Oklahoma has narrowly escaped quite a few games this season but has managed to get the wins none the less. However, Oklahoma will really get tested in their final 5 games of the season with road trips to Missouri and Texas while also hosting Kansas. Oklahoma benefits from teams like Duke, Wake Forest, Louisville, all having at least 4 losses which are also the teams ranked 4-7 nationally. Even if the Sooners lose 1 or possibly 2 of the last 5 they still have a good chance to receive a number 1 seed because they only have 1 loss at this point in the year. While many have criticized the Sooners schedule, Blake Griffin (22ppg, 13rpg) has proven to be one of the best players in the nation and will likely give Oklahoma a chance to win any game they play in for the rest of the season no matter who they play. Given the Sooners do not completely fall apart they should be a safe bet to holding down the number 1 spot in March.

Another number one seed will likely come out of the best conference in basketball throughout 2009 which is the Big East. The Connecticut Huskies has held the number 1 ranking in America over the last two weeks and they will have a great shot to finish the year strong. Pittsburgh is another strong team that will have a chance as well. The Panthers were the top ranked team in America for a good while during the early part of the year, but suffered two losses rather close together to top 15 teams Louisville and Villanova. However, both of these two teams are first and second in the conference and will battle two more times this year including a showdown tonight at Gampel Pavilion. It is safe to say if one of those teams could win both games they could likely win the Big East will continuing to be one of the top ranked teams in the country. Pittsburgh and Connecticut have only 5 games left to play and you would have to give the Huskies the advantage with their outstanding defense and excellent rebounding. If these two teams split, Connecticut will still have the edge with one less loss at this point in the season and many would have to consider them the biggest favorite to capture a number one seed. However, it is too early to count out Pittsburgh heading into tonight’s big game.

The North Carolina Tarheels came out of the gates this season as strong as any team in recent history. North Carolina won 13 straight games in dominating fashion and had some fans believing in an undefeated campaign. However, the Tarheels would lose 2 out of the next 3 to unranked Boston College and also Wake Forest. Since those slips, North Carolina has returned to early season form with 9 straight wins including double digit victories over Clemson and Duke. The Tarheels have a rather light schedule ahead of them with the season finale at home against Duke once again. North Carolina can lose 1 game and still become a number one seed, but considering how well they have been playing they may not lose any. Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, and Wayne Ellington make up an all-star type college hoops lineup and there is no doubt they possess the most talent in America.

The final number one seed could be up for grabs. Pittsburgh will have the best opportunity even with their two match-ups with Connecticut that could go either way. The Panthers only have two losses and if they could avoid dropping both to the Huskies they have the best shot at locking up the final number one seed. However, teams like Memphis and Louisville still have legitimate chances. Louisville suffered their 5th loss of the season and will take a slide towards the bottom of the top 10. However if they could get some help from Connecticut taking down Pittsburgh once or twice, the Cardinals will also get Pittsburgh and they have already beat them once this year. Memphis on the other hand is a team that lacks the strength of schedule or RPI as the top teams, but they have racked up 16 straight wins with the optimistic outlook of an easy schedule. The Tigers could very well have the best chance with the other team’s difficult schedules to rally and earn the final number one position in the NCAA Tournament.

Now we move on to one of the more difficult task in predicting a team that many would not expect to turn the NCAA Tournament into their Cinderella story in 2009. Davidson was one similar scenario last year when they seemingly came out of nowhere to make the Elite 8 before losing to Kansas who went on to win the National Championship. There are some teams that would love to impact the tournament this season and make similar noise. One team that could likely breakout in 2009 Tournament time is the Marquette Golden Eagles. Marquette has played against the best teams in America all season as has hung right with the best of them and is currently only one game behind Connecticut in the Big East. The Golden Eagles are a fast pace team that could give the usual power teams a lot of problems with players like Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews. Another team that could make an impact in the tournament is an unlikely wonder out of the SEC and the only unranked team we have mentioned in the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gamecocks have really played well behind new coach Darrin Horn. After two straight seasons of 15 or more losses, the Gamecocks now stand at 18-5 and in the lead of the SEC East division. South Carolina was definitely not considered to even make the Tournament this year much less make an impact in the spectacle. However, South Carolina is a scrappy bunch lead by Devan Downey who is one of the better guards in America. South Carolina has won with some exciting close games this year in the SEC and if they can hang in some ball games they will be tough to beat late in games. All of these teams appear to have the ability to surprise some teams, but we never know what will truly shake out. One thing is for certain and that is the uncertain in March.

The 51st running of the Daytona 500 will occur this Sunday afternoon live from the famed Daytona International Speedway. The ultimate racing spectacle will be seen by millions around the world as it is the biggest racing event of our time. Daytona is a famed 2.5 mile track with restrictor plate racing that keeps the cars in close tight packs at speeds nearing 200mph giving fans that most exciting racing imaginable. Last week, the Budweiser Shootout kicked off the week and 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick made a last lap pass to win his first Bud Shootout. Harvick has always performed rather well at Daytona even though he is not known as a restrictor plate racer. Harvick will lead a cast of veteran drivers fighting for the biggest trophy in motorsports this Sunday.

There are so many factors that determine crowning a winner at the high banks of Daytona. You need a car that of course has a lot of horsepower, it needs to handle well, and stay out of trouble in the race. However, even the best of cars can go from the lead to the tail of the pack in a split second if they lose the draft. Drivers can not lose focus at anytime as they try and position themselves for a chance to be there at the end. If they are there at the end then they still need the right drafting help and a little bit of luck to score a victory. It truly is one of the most exciting events in sports. Last year’s Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman left the #12 Alltel Penkse Dodge last season, and will driver for Stewart-Haas racing this year in the #39 US Army Chevrolet. Although, Newman victory last year was a big surprise he has had a strong car this week in speedweeks. However, Newman was wrecked in the Gatorade 125 qualifying races on Thursday and will start in a backup car come Sunday afternoon.

Tony Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing last season to take control of what is now Stewart-Haas racing driving the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice machine. Stewart has always run well at the restrictor plate tracks Daytona and Talladega. The driver of the #14 machine has been strong all week in his own ride including a 2nd place finish in the duel races on Thursday. Stewart will be one of the leading favorites to win this Sunday and score his first ever Daytona 500 victory. Kyle Busch had a dominating season last year winning 8 races and started off 2009 strong with a victory in the Gatorade 125 on Thursday. Busch won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in July last season and he has won nearly ever track on the tour. Winning the Daytona 500 would be fitting for the young talent considering his success over the last year or so of racing. Busch is the overall favorite heading into this Sunday.

One thing is certain heading into the Daytona 500 and that is that all of the Hendrick Racing cars should be very strong. Mark Martin at 50 years of age and his first year with Hendrick qualified on the outside pole while appearing to have the fastest car on Thursday. Martin lost the 2007 Daytona 500 by near inches to Kevin Harvick and would love nothing more than to win the race that has eluded him through his career. Martin has an amazing 4 runner-up finishes in the event and he should have a good chance to finally get the win this weekend. Teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr all having considerable chances to win as well this Sunday. Jeff Gordon won the other Gatorade 125 on Thursday and will go after his 4th Daytona 500 victory to add to his remarkable career. Jimmie Johnson is the defending back to back to back Champion in the Spring Cup Series only the 2nd driver to ever accomplish the feat. Johnson has also run well all week and the 2006 Daytona 500 could be a force on Sunday. Finally, the #88 car driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr will be certainly watched by many. Earnhardt is always a favorite at the restrictor plate tracks considering his overwhelming talent and understanding of the draft. Earnhardt won the Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade 125 last season, but has had trouble through the week including a wreck in the Shootout and tire problems in the duel race that has not allowed him to get a quality finish. However, Earnhardt is without much doubt probably the best driver at the big super speedways and will attempt to make some noise in attempt to capture his 2nd Daytona 500 victory.

Other drivers to watch out for in the field include the young 18 year old Joey Logano. Logano may have flown under the radar through speedweeks after a disappointing performance in the Bud Shootout. However, the young talent opened some eyes in the 1st duel race on Thursday with a 3rd place finish behind Tony Stewart. Logano is already the youngest driver to start a race at Daytona and he definitely has the talent to pull off what would be one of the most surprising of victories due to his age and inexperience to win the Great American Race. Carl Edwards led the Sprint Cup Series last season with 9 wins, but has failed to consistently run up front this week. Edwards drew a lot of scrutiny after taking out nearly an entire field last year at Talladega and I believe it is safe to say that restrictor plate racing is not his best quality, but do not misunderstand Edwards has all the ability in the world to get up front and challenge for the win. However, considering the way he has looked thus far in the week I would not have him in the fantasy lineups this week.

There are a few more young guys to take a look at heading into the big event this weekend. While some of these drivers may not be individuals with great shots of winning, they are still some that could surprise a lot of people on Sunday. Among these dark horses is A.J Allmendinger, who had to race his way into the event on Thursday. Allmendinger was not even sure he would have a chance at making the Daytona 500, but the driver of the #44 car has looked rather impressive this week. Despite not having much success on the Cup side, Allmendinger has a load of talent that is in dire need to be unraveled. Jamie McMurrary topped the speed charts in final practice #26 Crown Royal Ford is another car that could emerge as a front runner this weekend. Drivers like Brian Vickers, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kasey Kahne are also other drivers that deserve to keep an eye on this Sunday as well.

Picking racing drivers may be a difficult task to come by, but if you looking at placing a bet or picking a fantasy lineup then let me give a few choices for Sunday. I really like Mark Martin in the event to run strong. The savvy veteran has a knack for staying out of trouble and you can get him for good odds in fantasy lineups and well as good odds to win the event in the sports books. Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Kyle Busch would also equally be thrown in there as the biggest favorites to win the Daytona 500 this weekend. Many believe Stewart does not have the equipment to stay up front, but I really beg to differ considering his amazing talent at these size tracks. One final name to throw into the list as a dark horse include the #83 Toyota Red Bull Racing car driven by Brian Vickers.

Also a large cast of Spring Cup drivers will also participate in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday at Daytona that should be interesting as well. Among some of the notable names that will participate include Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, David Ragan, and more.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr: 6/1
Mark Martin: 10/1
Jimmie Johnson: 6/1
Kevin Harvick: 15/1
Denny Hamlin: 12/1
Kyle Busch: 5/1
Joey Logano: 40/1
Tony Stewart: 7/1
Jeff Gordon: 5/1
Carl Edwards: 10/1
Kasey Kahne: 35/1
Brian Vickers: 40/1

When you think of college basketball perhaps you think of the great teams throughout the years like UCLA, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Duke. Then when you throw the world rivalry into the phrase with college basketball two names standout far more than the rest and they are the North Carolina Tarheels and the Duke Blue Devils. These two highly successful teams have the most brutally intense rivalry in college basketball fueled by years of close games with anywhere from Conference to National Championship implications. These two programs rivalry burns like no other match-up in basketball and they will reignite the flame this Wednesday night.

It may be hard for those that do not understand the history to fully grasp the significance in this annual rivalry meeting which happens twice a year. North Carolina and Duke rank in the top 4 of schools in NCAA History on the all-time wins list not to mention both schools have combined for 7 National Titles. 5 of those National Titles have also come in the last two decades and only twice since 1990 has a Duke or North Carolina team not won or shared the regular season ACC Championship. The battles that take place twice every year always have extreme implications on the line. Nearly every year these two schools are battling for ACC supremacy or games with National meaning. This Wednesday night’s match-up is no different as these two schools are tied for first place in the ACC and they will take center stage in front of the nation to battle it out once again in one of the most highly anticipated games of the year.

If you could imagine battling the same team year in and year in these type of high pressure meaningful games, you can quickly understand why this game has become a rivalry. Add to the fact that both schools are from the same conference and they meet twice a season and you can see why this is a big rivalry. Finally, throw in the fact that these two campuses are separated by only 8 miles of Tobacco Road and you can perhaps understand why this has become one of the biggest calamities in sports. If you have not witnessed these games first hand, you could not imagine the animosity between the two fan bases. A spectacle that will once again be seen Wednesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium at the home of the Blue Devils.

The rivalry has become of the rarest forms of true hatred between two teams in college sports and quite possibly it is all due to the success of both programs. When you combine 28 Final Four appearances from the Universities, and have to go back over 50 years to 1955 to find the last meeting that occurred when neither team was ranked in the top 25 in the Associated Press polls so you can just get a glimpse at the high profile type of play. In 2006, the rivalry hit one of its climax moments when it turned in to a bloodshed battle between two of the current standout players for each team. The Blue Devils Gerald Henderson went up to test a shot with North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough and the outcome was a scene for the ages. While the act did not look intentional, Henderson frustratingly swung to block the shot when he made a direct hit on Hansbrough’s nose. Hansbrough lied on the floor for a moment before hopping up with a nasty flow of blood streaming from his nose. This moment in time epitomized the rivalries intensity and the hatred between the schools. The 2006 game between North Carolina and Duke was later claimed to be the most watch college basketball game in NCAA history. In case you were missing from the basketball world in 2006 or just want to rekindle the moment here is the video.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH9gnyosh_w

The history between the rivalry is fascinating especially when you consider names like Michael Jordan, Jason Williams, Antawn Jamison, Christian Laettner, and many more have participated in these events then you can appreciate both teams and their significance to college basketball. As far as the recent history goes, North Carolina has won the last 4 of 5 games and they will be the favorites to win on Wednesday night despite Duke is a perfect 14-0 at home this season. Before the impressive run by the Tarheels in the rivalry, Duke put together one of the most impressive streaks in the rivalry when they put together wins in 15 of 19 meetings from prior to the 2006 meeting. The Tarheels lead the all-time series that started back in 1920, by a record of 128-97. However these two elite teams have met a total of 64 times when ranked in the top 25 and they are split even at 32-32. Be sure to tune in late Wednesday night as these two teams return to the spotlight and catch all of the magical moments from the best rivalry in college basketball.

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I know we have not even hit the All-star break which will take place this weekend, but it is not too early to kick-start the MVP talk for the NBA. Especially with all the spectacular performances over the past week or so between the two leading candidate Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, it brings a great debate into full focus. Despite their being nearly 30 games or more left in the season, we will take a look at what to expect for the rest of the season along with how things are shaping up with the most prestigious title in the NBA which is the MVP Award.

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Nearly no less than a week ago, many people would have given the edge to Lebron James considering he had been one of the primary reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the best teams in the East while sporting a perfect home record. However, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have had a really strong start to February with some important victories. Bryant initiated all the madness when he broke the Madison Square Garden record for points scored inside the historic building with an amazing 61 points against the Knicks back on February 2nd. While many consider that to be the standout performance in all the Bryant uproar, I believe the Lakers big victories over Boston and Cleveland which were both on the road against the two best teams in the league at home was the biggest shocker in this insane stretch of basketball. The Lakers win over the Cavaliers ended the amazing home run Cleveland had been on with a perfect 23-0 start that ranked as one of the top 5 best starts in NBA history. It would be hard to give anybody the edge over Kobe at this point in the season considering the huge performance and wins he has lead the Lakers to over the past 2 weeks of basketball. Hard to imagine that with all the Championships and all the considerable achievements in Bryant’s career that last season was his first and only MVP Award. However the 30 year old is the prime candidate to repeat his title this season even if there is a long way to go.

Lebron James really highlighted the two standouts battle for league supremacy last week when he backed up Kobe Bryant’s performance at Madison Square Garden with an electrifying performance of his own. In only two days after Bryant broke a Madison Square record with 61 points, James made a huge impact for the Cavaliers in their win over the Knicks. Lebron was given credit for a triple-double with an outstanding 52 point performance to go along with the stats for the night. Cleveland won the game 107-102 and James finished with 52 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assist. The game would have been the only triple-double in Madison Square Garden history that included 50 or more points. However, the NBA reversed the ruling a few days after the event claiming Ben Wallace tapped the 9th rebound that was recorded to Lebron giving Wallace the rebound instead. Still, Lebron ended with a huge night and quite possibly if the night had not been so big there would probably never have been a review on that rebound. Instead when you are in the spotlight, everything goes through the microscope. While King James declared that his performance was no attempt to match Kobe’s 61 in the garden, Lebron definitely wanted to make a statement that night. James who was an MVP finalist last season will be the most likely candidate with the chance of stealing the hardware away from Kobe in search of his first MVP Award.

Outside of the undeclared two horse race that many perceive the MVP race will come down to there are still a few others with a shot at the MVP even though the odds will be stacked against them. Dwayne Wade leads the NBA in scoring with 28.3 points over James and Bryant. Wade is also posting a solid 7 assist per game, but the problem is that the Miami Heat is mediocre at best right now. Not to mention MVP Awards are usually handed to individuals that really make a huge impact for their team. While Wade’s numbers are impressive, he has not led the Heat to the success that they need at this point in the year. Dirk Nowitzki is another player having a big year with a long shot to make a run at an MVP trophy. Nowitzki won the 2007 MVP Title and is having a solid season trying to give the Mavericks a boost to get them back in the playoff race. Fresh off a 44 point night against Chicago, Nowitzki is 4th in the NBA in scoring while adding a little over 8 rebounds per night. Chris Paul was a leading MVP Finalist last season and is posting strong numbers again this year with double-double averages 21.5 points and 11 assist per outing. However, the Hornets have been struggling and Paul has been battling a groin injury. Still Paul is one of the most exciting players to watch in the league and it will be interesting to see if he can turn it on during the latter part of the season.

Daytona International Speedway will host the 31st annual Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night featuring an all-star type atmosphere for the best drivers in the world to kick start the 2009 season. A record field of 28 drivers will try and tame the high banks of Daytona in restrictor plate style racing at speeds near 200mph giving the start to this year’s NASCAR season. Dale Earnhardt Jr won the event last year in his first ever race as a Hendrick driver when the piloted the #88 National Guard to victory lane to grab his 2nd career shootout victory. Tonight’s Budweiser Shootout will officially start the most exciting week in auto-sports what many like to call speedweeks at Daytona. Unlike most races, the Daytona 500 has many special events leading up to NASCAR’s biggest race. After the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night a non-points prestigious dash for the cash, Sunday will follow with the qualifying for the Daytona 500. Although over 40 cars will qualify for the event, only the top two spots are locked into the field. The rest will battle it out on Thursday for 50 laps in two Gatorade 125s to set the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 that will follow next Sunday. Without a doubt, this will be an exciting week in NASCAR.

There will be a ton of fantasy racing and betting odds all week from the major sports books and while many may not give any expert picks we will break down the drivers with the best opportunities to make a big impact in the next week of racing. The favorite in the field is undoubtedly the restrictor plate king Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt Jr has more wins at restrictor plate racing than any active driver on the circuit and all eyes will be on the NASCAR’s most popular driver when the green drops at 8:00est Saturday night. Earnhardt captured last year’s Shootout victory and backed it up by winning the Gatorade 125’s after starting dead last a season ago. Earnhardt Jr is receiving 5/1 odds to win the Budweiser Shootout and he is definitely a driver to keep your eye on.

Tony Stewart will be in a new ride this season when he takes the wheel of the No. 14 Old Spice machine. Stewart left the famed Joe Gibbs Racing last season to become majority owner at what is now Stewart-Haas racing. It is unclear how long it will take Stewart to build up the time if he can, considering how hard it is for today’s owner in the sport of NASCAR. Stewart has 3 victories in the Shootout that is 2nd to only the late Dale Earnhardt who dominated the event with 6 wins. The new team of Stewart-Haas will release the No. 14 on Saturday night and see if they can contend with the big franchise teams like Hendrick, Rousch, and others. Stewart is receiving 15/1 odds for his no. 14 Chevrolet to reach victory lane.

Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have both had success at Daytona. Gordon has won the event twice and always runs well at the 2.5 mile oval. Jimmie Johnson won his 3rd consecutive championship last season and also has a Bud Shootout victory to his resume. These two drivers finished 2nd and 4th last year behind the other Hendrick car Dale Earnhardt Jr in the Shootout and they will again try to put the Hendrick cars out in front of the pack. Kyle Busch and Carl Edward both broke out last year with career seasons. Edwards ended up with more wins than any other driver with 9. However, Edwards has not faired well at the super-speedways in the past, but will try to change that on Saturday. Kyle Busch on the other hand can drive to the front on any track on the circuit and had two restrictor plate victories in 4 tries last season. Busch actually leads the betting odds going into the shootout as a slight favorite over Dale Earnhardt Jr at 9/2.

A few other notable drivers to keep an eye on…

Joey Logano – Logano will be the youngest driver to get a start at Daytona at 18 years of age. The sensational talent won his 3rd career start in the Nationwide Series last year and will attempt to be the youngest winner ever in NASCAR.

Kevin Harvick – Harvick may not be widely known as a restrictor plate driver, but he has had a lot of success at these types of tracks. Driver of the Goodwrench #29 career finish at Daytona ranks 5th among active drivers.

David Ragan – This is an outside dark horse, but David Ragan had an excellent season last year early in his career and is staged to make another impressive run in 2009. Receiving 20/1 odds this driver may be worth a gambling risk to score his first big win.

* Last year’s Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman will not be in the field due to the eligibility requirements. Newman switched teams at the end of last season to side with Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas racing and will be left out of this year’s Shootout.

Bud Shootout Notable Betting Odds…

Kurt Busch 12/1
Kyle Busch 9/2
Dale Earnhardt Jr 5/1
Carl Edwards 8/1
Joey Logano 35/1
Tony Stewart 15/1
Jimmie Johnson 13/2
Jeff Gordon 15/2
Kevin Harvick 15/1
Denny Hamlin 10/1

National Signing Day is officially over and the most talented high school athletes in America have signed letters of intent on where they are going to showcase their play at the college level. The Southeastern Conference known as the SEC has dominated on the playing field over the last few years and owns the last 3 National Championships. The recruiting battle is very important to maintaining dominance on the playing field as coaches try and persuade talented players to come to their school in attempt to build the best football roster possible. Similar to previous years, the 2009 recruiting class coming out of the SEC looks to be as strong as ever with an amazing 10 teams in the top 25 according to rivals.com with 5 among the top 12 in the country.

The Alabama Crimson Tide have signed the top rated class in America for the 2nd straight year in a row which is a huge accomplishment for Nick Saban in his early tenure in Tuscaloosa. Young star players like Julio Jones who appears to be the best freshmen in America made immediate impacts last season and there are a ton of talented athletes who will have the same chance out of the 2009 class. Alabama shocked the majority of the SEC last year with an undefeated regular season. The Crimson Tide was expected to be very good as a young team, but nobody expected them to contend for a National Title so early. However, after this year’s class backing up the number 1 class of 2008 the Crimson Tide may take over the position from Florida in battling for National Championships on a yearly basis.

The number 2 rated class radiates out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana by the LSU Tigers. LSU won the 2008 National Championship and will try to get back to the top of the SEC West after a disappointing finish to last year’s season. The Tigers stout class favors the defensive side of the ball with future standouts DB Craig Loston and DT Chris Davenport. LSU defense is the crown jewel that led them to the National Championship two years ago and it seems that Coach Les Miles is in the midst of building back another dominant defense to return the Tigers to glory.

The Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, and South Carolina Gamecocks wrapped up the 9th, 10th, and 12th team rankings in recruiting. The Bulldogs lost a bunch of key players last season in running back Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford on the offensive side of the ball. Georgia signed some big names on the offensive side of the ball to fill those shoes. Aaron Murray ranks 3rd out all the quarterbacks in the nation coming out of high school in 2009 and the young Tampa, Florida native will try to make a difference down in Athens.

The Florida Gators have accomplished everything over the last few seasons in Heisman Trophy and 2 National Championship Awards. Tim Tebow will return for his senior season and all eyes will be on the former Heisman winner to see if he can lead the Gators in quest of another championship. Outside of the loss of junior Percy Harvin the majority of the Gators will be back in 2009. Florida signed the smallest class out of any of the teams in the Top 25 with only 16 signatures compared to the 25 limit most schools signed. The Gators will return a mature talented team that will look to add some more hardware down in Gainesville.

The South Carolina Gamecocks have struggled on the field over the last few seasons, but have really recruited well despite some disappointing losses. The Gamecocks were plagued by inconsistency last season at the quarterback position despite having a premier defense. South Carolina signed some big players to help boost the struggling offense. Running back Jarvis Giles and wide receiver Alshon Jefferey will have valid opportunities to get immediate playing time. Still the Gamecocks will be in search of a leader behind center. However if they find a reliable quarterback, they could wreak havoc in the SEC next year as the spoiler team of the conference.

Lane Kiffin took over the head coaching position at Tennessee this season late in the recruiting trail. The Volunteer staff only signed 19 players, but they really closed the deal on some talented players that propelled them to a number 17 ranking. Kiffin will have a load of reconstructive work to do in Knoxville and it will likely take a season or two before the tradition returns to Tennessee.

Other SEC schools No. 15 Arkansas, No. 18 Ole Miss, No. 19 Auburn, and No. 23 Mississippi State all signed more than the 25 allowed on campus in attempt to fill up the rosters. Over signing is not that uncommon considering many kids will not get in due to academics while others may enroll in junior colleges until they progress to the Div I level.

If you ever wonder why the SEC has been so dominant on the football field over the last decade and especially in the last few years, then you should start your search on the recruiting trail. The SEC earned the top ranked recruiting class for the 3rd year in a row eerie similar to the 3 National Titles they have won on the field the last 3 years. Sure the SEC plays the best defense in the country when the season begins and many people credit that is the lone reason for the success from the conference. However, when you sign so many talented team rosters and put those highly rated players on the football field to battle every game throughout the season in a conference like the SEC then it tends to get the best out of a team towards the end of the season and that is the real reason the SEC continues to excel.