Waive The White Flag On NASCAR Callers

1. Racin’ On The Radio?

Okay, so it’s Monday morning and I am hosting my nationally syndicated sports talk radio show on Fox Sports Radio. The Indy 500 was thrilling. The Coca-Cola 600 had plenty goin’ on, with Tony Stewart flaming out, and Kyle Busch throwing crap at other drivers. I figure: “let’s talk some racin’.”

Crickets.

And that little crash into the radio wall at 200 MPH got me to thinking. If NASCAR ratings are on par with the NBA – which they are. And if we can talk about GOLF for at least one or two days a year in my industry (Masters, U.S. Open). Then how come we don’t spend at least one or two days a year “breaking down” big races like Daytona and taking calls?

Is NASCAR a huge success on TV, at the track, in print, and at the merchandise window, but somehow a miserable failure on talk radio?

I think the answer is basically: “Um, yeah.”

So I ask the question why? Is racing simply too complex, with an un-knowable web of factors leading one guy to win over a another on any given week? Is it too random? Are there no good stats to use as a backbone for your argument?

Perhaps most mainstream sports talk hosts (me included) just don’t know enough about NASCAR to make it work.

I don’t know. But I would love to hear some theories. Granted, I don’t think we should take calls on NASCAR and race re-caps all the time. But a couple times a year would seem – I stress SEEM – to make sense.

2. Boris Diaw Deal Details

Now that everybody is realizing that the Atlanta Hawks made a huge mistake giving up Boris Diaw, let’s take a moment to fully grapple with HOW big a mistake that was.

For starters, just giving up Diaw alone, was a mistake. He can obviously play, and is not just a product of the Suns “system.”

But wait, it gets worse. Diaw was part of the Joe Johnson sign-and-trade. The Hawks also gave up TWO #1 picks to Phoenix in the deal! And when you are talking “Hawks #1 picks” then THOSE are some prime cuts of meat, there! We’re talking almost certain lottery.

On top of all that, was the fact that Atlanta deemed the 17 ppg Johnson to be worth an insane $70 million deal.

Good grief, Charlie Brown. From the same team that brought you the Jon Koncak signing. And that’s why they are, the Atlanta Hawks. Can we please edit every “L.A. Clippers” joke to read “Atlanta Hawks” from now on?

3. Sexy Interview

ESPN’s west-coast reporter Colleen Dominquez is a snicky. Or, let me say, some people think that way. Me, I’m not so into her. For starters, she’s clearly got some mileage. And like a bike left out in the rain that the entire neighborhood has taken a ride on, she’s far from the young and pristine Alex Flanagan.

Anyhow, on to my point.

Colleen was doing an interview on Sunday night with one Shawn Marion – aka the Matrix – and he’s doing it shirtless. Now Colleen is doing her best to compose herself, but she’s standing eyeball-to-nipple with a chiseled NBA athlete without half (or maybe even all) his clothes on.

Now feminists can say all they want about how “it’s just a job” like it is for me, but that’s complete crap. Unless Colleen is a lesbian (and hell, ain’t nuttin’ wrong wit’ dat!) then it’s not “just like” it is for men.

Please.

I’d love to someday fall down a cosmic wormhole and come tumbling out into a bizarre universe where most men don’t like sports, and I’m one of just a small 10% minority who cover them professionally.

And the #1-2-3-4 sports in America are women’s volleyball, tennis, soccer, and swimming. Please sign me up for a “job” where I can go eyeball-to-nipple with a casual Maria Sharapova standing two feet away from me shirtless.

4. From Hero To Zero

Well, this one isn’t any shocker to Skins fans, but somewhat sad nonetheless…

DENVER: Former National Football League running back and Super Bowl record-holder Timmy Smith was sentenced in federal court on Friday to two and a half years in prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine.

The former Washington Redskins tailback was arrested last fall along with his younger brother, Christopher, after the pair sold about $20,000 worth of cocaine to undercover agents with the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

REACT: Kinda ironic, that he was sent to prison in Denver, the same city who demolished remote controls en masse that Sunday afternoon in 1988 watching their beloved Broncos chase him in futility.

5. And Now, Your Pic O’ The Day!

And you see kids, that's why she's called the FORMER "World's Number One."