The Ultimate Sports Quandary
UFC/Nascar Viewing Guide
*edit* Espys..Nascar brings home: Jeff G as best driver & Talladega Nights as best sports film?(huh?)
UFC 73 Results (refresh page for updates until event is finished)
Regular readers have by now probably figured out, that in the off season of spoiling 24, I am also a big Nascar & UFC fan.
No, I do not live in a back-woods trailer, overgrown by weeds, surrounded by cars that are up on blocks; with my dogs, snarling and frothing at the mouth, tied to said blocks. I do not put in my best teeth for the occasion of important sporting events or trips into town for a case of generic beer and off-brand cigarettes either. That being said…… *ahem*
There are a few races that I consider my favorites and some fights that I must see. When they fall on the same weekend, I call them Sportsgasmic Weekends…when they fall upon the same dang night.…it is an Ultimate Quandary.
I have included a Nascar viewing schedule, a UFC line-up and viewing guide, and some related voting links that you can participate in.
Nascar
Night Racing at Daytona (The Firecracker 400/Pepsi 400)
Nascar Viewing schedule:
(all times Eastern)
- Cup Qualifying today at 4pm on SPEED (check back for results…posted at the bottom of this edited post)
- Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 Tonight at 7:30 on ESPN2
- The PEPSI 400! Tomorrow 7/7/07, 6:30pm on TNT (why are we subjected to TNT for this?)
Supposedly at Nascar-dot-com, they are offering Trackpass and/or RaceView free for this event. My assistant is thinking of trying Trackpass along with Direct TV’s HotPass for this…that may be a bit overwhelming.
(I prefer Trackpass over Hotpass, as there are no commercials that interrupt the radio communications between the driver & crew)
UFC 73
(all times eastern)
Main Event:
UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (18-4) vs. Nathan Marquardt (25-6-2) Middleweight Title
Undercard:
155 lbs.: Sean Sherk (31-2-1) vs. Hermes Franca (18-5)Lightweight Title
205 lbs.: Tito Ortiz (15-5) vs. Rashad Evans (10-0)
HvyWt: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (29-4-1) vs. Heath Herring (27-12)
155 lbs.: Kenny Florian (5-3) vs. Alvin Robinson (8-1)
170 lbs.: Chris Lytle (22-14-5) vs. Jason Gilliam (9-1)
205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar (9-4) vs. Mike Nickels (5-1)
155 lbs.: Jorge Gurgel (10-2) vs. Diego Saraiva (9-4-1)
For those of you not buying the PPV there are other options:
You can read the play-by-play at Sherdog. com
or you can usually watch for free at your local
Hooters restaurant.
(get there early)
*I’ve got my picks; and if I were a betting girl, by the way my luck has been going for the past few UFCs, I’d be rich by now.
**Fight spoilers will be posted at the end of this edited post Saturday night; along with qualifying & race results.
The Espys
Kevin Harvick. You can vote for him as best driver and best finish.
ESPN has FINALLY figured out that the UFC is much better than boxing; and has included Randy Couture in the re-named category as best fighter. (formally known as “best boxer”)
You can vote for Kevin & Randy here.
ESPN is still lame-assed; as they left out the St.Louis Cardinals in the Best Upset category. (or am I confused? is the World Series from 2006 not included for the 2007 Espys? Still…ESPN is lame…just look at the best athlete category…case closed.)
I think they should have a worst athlete/biggest criminal & asshat category. I nominate Michael Vick.
UFC vs. Nascar
(I’m staying out of this one)….okay *no I’m not.
*Based on considering the criteria of, and I quote: “both on-field success and off-field buzz“, I’m voting for Jr.
Recently:
- Chuck lost his title
- Jr has stayed in the chase in spite of the loss of his crew chief
- Jr has had recent major buzz revolving around his leaving DEI and signing with Hendrick Motor Sports.
More voting click on the “Launch Who’s Now” graphic to vote.
He’s mixed martial arts’ reigning superstar, an athlete known by fight fans for his right hand to the jaw, and by your sister for scaring the wits out of Johnny Drama on HBO’s ‘Entourage’. Even your grandmother probably knows who Chuck Liddell is after he made an appearance to cheer on his friend Willa Ford during her stint on season one of ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
Bottom line, the mohawked Liddell has become the face of the world’s fastest growing sport in recent years, and has rightfully earned himself one of 32 spots on ESPN’s “Who’s Now” list, alongside sports superstars such as Tiger Woods,Derek Jeter, Lebron James, and Tom Brady.
“The Iceman” is the only combat sports athlete in the Muhammad Ali bracket, and the only one honored with a berth in the 32-person field, which contains athletes from baseball (4), football (7), basketball (6), hockey (1), tennis (3), swimming (2), snowboarding (1), soccer (2), auto racing (3), golf (1), and surfing (1).
The “Who’s Now” competition, which takes place throughout July, will, according to ESPN.com “determine the ultimate sports star by considering both on-field success and off-field buzz. Based on fan nominations, ESPN Research selected 32 finalists to square off in a single-elimination bracket. The winner of each matchup will advance based upon fan voting (70 percent) and ESPN’s three-person panel (30 percent).”
Each day, ESPN’s SportsCenter will air a “Who’s Now” matchup, and fans will be able to vote for their favorite at ESPN.com.
Liddell, a former UFC’ light heavyweight champion who was on the cover of ESPN The Magazine in May, will battle NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. in an opening round matchup between the fifth and four seeds on Friday, July 6th. Other athletes in the Ali bracket are Peyton Manning, Amanda Beard, Alex Rodriguez, Terrell Owens, Kobe Bryant, and Ronaldinho.
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I’m still in a quandary on what to do in regards to Saturday night. I could:
- Get PPV on one television and watch the race on the other.
- Watch the race and keep up with UFC with the play-by-play on the computer; since I’ll be on it anyway with TrackPass.
It’s a toss-up and I’ll probably decide at the last minute.
…but qualifying starts in less than an hour, so….
Let the sportsgasmic weekend begin! 
