David Booth Latest to Show Spin-o-Rama Is Unstoppable

February 2 2011 Last updated at 10:40 AM ET

A couple of weeks ago our Chris Botta argued that, sooner or later, a goalie that is tired of being burned by the suddenly played out (but almost always successful) spin-o-rama move will simply crash the party and take out a skater. And maybe he's right. It would certainly add another level of excitement to the shootout, if nothing else.

On Tuesday night in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers forward David Booth was the latest player to show off the move by beating Jean-Sebastien Giguere with relative ease. As is always pointed out by somebody when this move is used, it's technically against the rules of the shootout/penalty shot because the puck isn't always moving forward (Rule 24). But there is also a clause in the rule that specifically allows the move to be performed because it involves a continuous motion. Should the rule be changed to ban the move? I don't know, that seems like a pretty drastic step.

As I've argued before, if the NHL is going to allow 65 minutes of hockey to be decided by a skills competition it kind of defeats the purpose to start eliminating skills because they're too good. Isn't that the point? If you start banning moves that are too good the shootout should be done away with (and I say that as somebody that enjoys watching the shootout simply for the entertainment value -- Even if I'm not really a fan of a tie game being decided that way).

Anyway, here's a look at Booth's goal from Tuesday night...

Even though Booth's goal will make the highlights, Toronto won the shootout thanks to goals from Tyler Bozak and Colby Armstrong. The win snapped what had been a three-game losing streak for the Leafs and was just their second win in the past eight games.

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A New NASCAR Season Spawns Hope, Optimism and Nervousness

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- Painted high on the walls of the sprawling setup room at the Stewart-Haas Racing team shop here are inspirational quotes from Winston Churchill, Thomas Paine, Lyndon B. Johnson and Vince Lombardi, among others, as well as Satchel Paige, the legendary African-American baseball player who made his name as a pitcher rather than a great politician or statesman.

Yet it is Paige's quote -- "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you" -- that seems to best typify the dead-of-winter mood in the race shops scattered around the greater Charlotte area.

Nearly all the teams and drivers are once again filled with hope and enthusiasm, but everyone has to be wondering nonetheless how their season will play out. Will they be competitive right out of the box? Have other teams gained some kind of a little advantage?

"It's just who made the bigger gains" during the off-season and preparing for 2011, said Tony Stewart as the annual Charlotte Motor Speedway media tour, with some 200 media members in attendance, made a stop at his Kannapolis shop Monday afternoon for a visit with him and teammate Ryan Newman.

Chip Ganassi, co-owner of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, echoed the thought earlier Monday during a luncheon with the team. Although both of his drivers, Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya, won races in 2010, "there are lots of places we can improve," he said. "You're looking at that all the time. It's a constant process of looking at yourself and looking at the team."

"You never want to believe you're there," Ganassi said. "Because if you believe you're there, you're gonna get smacked over the head by something that you didn't think of."

The sagging economy was one of the hot topics Monday, and Stewart said his success in bringing Mobil One on as a sponsor, along with added help from team co-owner Gene Haas, has allowed his team to devote time to some special projects that he believes may help give Stewart-Haas that elusive edge.

"Being able to add to some programs -- that's something that's got us really excited," said Stewart. "Gene Haas has been really crucial in that."

Stewart said the battle for sponsorship among teams "has probably been more competitive than I ever thought it would be. It's probably harder now than anytime in the last 20 years. I don't think we've turned the corner on the economic side."

For his part, Ganassi said Earnhardt Ganassi Racing "went through a dip (with the economy) a little earlier maybe than most teams, and we seem to be coming out of it."

Ganassi's key sponsor, Target Stores, this year marks its 22nd year with him. Another key sponsor, Eveready Energizer batteries, starts its 16th year with him.

"It's very special to enjoy this in this economy," Ganassi said.

Stewart appeared slimmer and more fit than last year and said he's adopted a new regime of eating less but more frequently -- five times a day.

"I just wanted to feel better," he said. It's changing your lifestyle. I would eat twice a day, but now I'm eating more frequently and I'm eating breakfast." Stewart said he hasn't really lost a lot of weight, but has lost body fat. "I'm not one to read the box and see what's in it, but I'm doing a lot of that now," he added.

In light of the stellar 2010 season that McMurray had, which included victories in the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400, he spent more time than anyone else Monday answering questions about last year. But when asked to describe a favorite moment, the one he cited was the level of acceptance he felt when he appeared in the media center at Charlotte Motor Speedway after winning his third race of the year there in the fall.

"When I walked into the media center at Charlotte, it was different," he said. "That was the coolest feeling ever -- that you guys weren't shocked when I walked in there."

There was also a good bit of talk about what to expect in the upcoming Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 now that the 2.5-mile speedway has been repaved. Everyone agreed that cars will stay together more and handling won't be anywhere near as much of an issue as it has been at Daytona.

Stewart had one of the most interesting points when he said that with the new surface, driver skill could actually become much more crucial because the two-car draft may become king at Daytona as it was last year at Talladega,

"It's something we haven't seen a lot of in the past.," Stewart said. "But guys are really thinking that's how the Daytona 500 is going to be won."

Because one car cannot stay behind the other one too long lest it overheat, the drivers in two-car drafts will have to switch positions from time to time. "It's going to be a matter of how quick you can make that change," Stewart said. "It's going to be critical on how this plays out."

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United in Fort Lauderdale: Day 1

Washington, DC

UNITED ARRIVES

D.C. United departed the cold of Washington early this morning and arrived in sunny Florida at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. The coaches and players are in good spirits, with the weather in Fort Lauderdale some 30 degrees more pleasant than what the Black-and-Red left behind at Dulles International. New arrivals Dax McCarty and Joseph Ngwenya are both finally with their new team, and they are eager to get doing with United. Neither man will have to wait long, as Head Coach Ben Olsen will begin the first leg of preseason this afternoon with a light training session. Tomorrow his players begin bright and early in Fort Lauderdale with their first session of the day at 9:00 a.m.�

ROSTER NOTES

As expected, Chinese forward Yang Men has joined United in Florida. The 6'2" striker trained with the Black-and-Red last September, and he will battle alongside other players to make the final roster. Former University of Maryland forward Abe Thompson is no longer training with the team, and 21-year-old Colombian forward Yessy Mena has been invited into camp on trial. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid is the only member of the Black-and-Red not currently with the squad - the United Academy product is down in Alabama having his shoulder cleared by the surgeon that performed his labrum procedure last year. Following this evaluation, Hamid will be back in camp shortly. We will have much more from Fort Lauderdale as the players get settled and training games are announced, including Q&A's with new signings Dax McCarty and Joseph Ngwenya.

�

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Steelers, Packers Are in Jerry Jones' Bowl

DALLAS -- Jerry Jones says he doesn't want the focus to be on him this week. What better way than to have a 45-minute press conference to talk about himself, his team, his stadium and his plans to dominate the universe.

"It's certainly not to take away, not that I could, from two great football teams," Jones said.

Yes he could. In a Super Bowl first, there are actually three teams in play this week. It's the Packers vs. the Steelers vs. their old nemesis, the Cowboys. Never in the XLV years of Super Bowls has so much attention been paid to the host franchise.

Packers and Steelers are asked how it feels that they're here and the Cowboys aren't. When Pittsburgh's bus pulled up at the team hotel Monday, fans greeted the players with a "Steelers Country" banner. A few natives quickly appeared and unfurled a "Cowboys Country" banner.

That sure never happened during Super Bowl weeks in Miami or Tampa or Detroit. The host owner has also never staged his own press conference. But Tuesday wasn't just another exercise in vanity for Jones.

He and the Cowboys really are part of this week's story. Jerry is the reason we're all here. The sad and ongoing irony for Dallas fans is that he's also the reason the Cowboys aren't here.

His only real flaw as an owner is that he thinks he's a coach. If only Jones would learn from this week's interlopers.

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The Packers and Steelers are everything the Cowboys aren't. Like millions of Americans, I like the fact those small-town, blue-collar, soot-covered, cheese-eating franchises are here and Jerry's glamour boys aren't.

The contrast extends to the executive offices. The Rooney family has run the Steelers with calm and class since before the 68-year-old Jones was born.

There are those 112,158 owners of the Packers. They control the 4,750,937 shares, appoint a board of directors and never hang out on the sideline during games or spew drunken boasts in bars.

That's Jerry's schtick, and he just can't help himself. In a lot of ways, he's the world's greatest owner. His passion reaches to the sky. Just look at Cowboys Stadium.

It rises like a giant pimple out of the prairie land between Dallas and Fort Worth. As it was going up, the economy was going south.

"Don't be so glamorous," people told Jones. "Let's be a little austere."

The franchise architect could have built the thing for a mere $600 million.

"I had a decision to make," Jones said.

When the choice is between making a splash or a ripple, Jones is the world's biggest belly-flopper. He built Jerry's World for $1.2 billion.No he didn't. When the choice is between making a splash or a ripple, Jones is the world's biggest belly-flopper. He built Jerry's World for $1.2 billion. With JJ, the show must always go on. It goes back to his father, who moved to Arkansas in the 1940s and opened a grocery store.

"We were promoters," Jones said.

His father would go up and down the aisles wearing a Cowboy hat and twirling six-shooters. He'd hire a band to attract customers. Six decades later, his son is selling Super Bowl tickets for $200.

They won't actually get you into the game. They will get you onto the premises and let you see it on a big screen. Oh yeah, fans also have to buy a package of four tickets if they want to be part of that crowd.

Such is the marketing genius of Jerry. He bought the team for $140 million and has turned it into a $1.8 billion colossus. The Cowboys are the NFL's most popular team despite the fact they've been a .500 franchise for 15 years.

They have two playoff wins in that time. The Steelers have two Super Bowl wins in the past six years. The Packers were in the Cowboys cement boots just three years ago. Now they are as young and promising a franchise as the NFL has to offer.

How close are we to seeing that in Dallas?

"You need a pair of binoculars," Deion Sanders said.

And he loves his ex-boss. But you don't have to be an ex-Pro Bowler to see why the world's greatest owner is also its worse.

Jones has the connections to invite Arkansas chum Bill Clinton to Sunday's game. Bubba phoned back and said he couldn't make it. The key part of the story is where Jones got the call.

He was at the Senior Bowl, scouting players in his role as General Manager. You'll never see Dan Rooney pretending to be Mike Tomlin, or those Packers owners calling down plays.

Jones' ego giveth, and it taketh away. Despite 15 years of hard evidence, he thinks he's as good at building football teams as he is at building stadiums.

He couldn't share the stage with Jimmy Johnson, so that led to Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo and Wade Phillips. Now comes Jason Garrett. He might be a fine coach, but he wouldn't have gotten the gig if he didn't know his place.

"We all have certain skills," Jones said, "and certain talents and different ways to show them."

Jerry's skills make him the NFL's consummate marketer. The Steelers and Packers have rolled into town, but it's Jones who is going around wearing a Cowboy hat and twirling his pistols.

If only he could learn to stop shooting his team in the foot.

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Chipper Jones Knocks Cover Off Baseball

February 1 2011 Last updated at 04:42 PM ET

If you consider a striking resemblance to Roy Hobbs to be a positive thing in a baseball player, it would seem that Chipper Jones' recovery from knee surgery is going quite well.

Jones was taking batting practice at Turner Field on Tuesday morning when he caught one just right and literally knocked the cover off the ball. Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a picture of the ruined baseball while Jones did a little a bit of crowing after his big connection.

"That's what you've got to look forward to this year," he said.

While that seems unlikely, the fact that Jones was in the cage and stroking the ball (hitting from the left side, by the way) is a good sign that he's going to be ready to go when the pitches start counting for real. Now he just needs to work on the rest of his game.

Jones hasn't done any running or fielding since suffering his season-ending injury last August. He plans to start doing agility drills this week, but won't do any work with a glove until the start of spring training. Because he ended the year on the disabled list, Jones will report along with pitchers and catchers on Valentine's Day. He told The Associated Press that he plans to be out there that day and every other day until he proves that he's still the same Chipper Jones we've always known.

"I don't want to miss a day of work in spring training because I have a limited time to prove to everybody else -- and myself -- that I can go out there and play and be the Opening Day third baseman," Jones said.

That shouldn't be too hard. The Braves lineup will be in rough shape if Jones isn't able to answer the bell so he's going to be given every chance to show that his 38-year-old bones still have baseball left in them.

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Monday Movers: Torrey Pines' Dramatic Finish Excites Golf World

January 31 2011 Last updated at 03:30 PM ET

Each week, Monday Movers will look back on the previous week in the golf world to see whose stock is rising and who will likely be heading back to the range.

Stock Up

Bubba Watson -- Watson's victory at Torrey Pines won't be remembered for the 362-yard drive he bombed on 13. Instead, it was the brilliant touch he showed with his short game as he got up-and-down from a tough lie in a bunker on the 72nd hole to secure the one-stroke win over Phil Mickelson. The left-hander had to earn his second career PGA win against an experienced group of competitors all making a push, but did so with consistency. He led the field in greens in regulation and only carded one bogey during the final round.

Paul Casey -- The Englishman called Sunday at the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions "one of the toughest battles I've ever had." On paper, Casey ended the day in the same position he started it -- first -- but he did so by surviving 23 final-round lead changes to win his first tournament in 20 months. If not for Mickelson finishing second in San Diego, Casey would have moved into the top five of the world rankings. Instead, he moved up three spots to 6th.

Golf Rulebook -- PGA commissioner Tim Finchem spoke out about the recent rules violations that were reported by television viewers and led to disqualification for Camilo Villegas and Padraig Harrington. Finchem, speaking from the Farmers Insurance Open, said he wants a thorough review of the rules to decide whether there is a better way to punish players that aren't aware of their violation. He'll meet with the USGA executive committee next week and has also asked the European Tour to join him in examining the rule.

Sunday at Torrey Pines -- The PGA was hoping for an exciting finish when Tiger Woods announced he would make his 2011 debut at Torrey Pines alongside Phil Mickelson -- and they got it, despite Woods struggling efforts on the course. With the top of the leaderboard filled with some of the top players on Tour and super-rookie Jhonattan Vegas, the level of competition bordered on majoresque on Sunday. Nick Watney went out early and set the tone with a 28 on the front nine and the leaders followed. On a day in which only 11 of the 79 players broke 70, six of those came from the top 6 finishers, and that provided an incredible finish.

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Anthony Paolucci -- Playing on a sponsor's exemption, the 18-year-old amateur finished T29 at the Farmers with a score of 3 under. The 2010 Rolex Junior Player of the Year didn't shoot a round over par and ended two strokes better than Woods. Paolucci is a high school senior down the road from Torrey Pines at La Jolla Country Day -- he said his father just sent an email with his resume to event organizers, which led to him receiving an invite. The future looks bright for the country's top-ranked junior, who helped lead the US to a Junior Ryder Cup victory last fall and will enroll at USC later this year.

Phil Mickelson -- Lefty looks to have his game in order and confidence back after a second-place finish at the Farmers. All eyes were on him and Woods this week to see if they could put their recent struggles behind them at a course they both love, and Mickelson responded. While he wasn't tremendous off the tee, he flashed his accuracy and touch around the greens by hitting 76.4 percent of greens in regulation (T2), averaging 28.5 putts per round (T19), and totaling 22 birdies on the week (T2). Nothing showed the confidence he has in his game like his approach at the 72nd hole. Needing an eagle from the fairway to tie Watson, Mickelson had his caddy Bones tend the flag from 72 yards out, then missed holing it by about 15 inches.

Back to the Range

Tiger Woods -- A lot of question marks remain for Woods after he opened the year with a T44 finish on a course he has dominated over his career. His game just isn't there right now. The former world No. 1 averaged nearly two putts per green in regulation (63rd in the field) and hit more than 50 percent of the fairways off the tee in only one round. The most disappointing aspect of Woods' game this week was the way he finished. He entered the weekend at 6-under but played horrible by his standards on Saturday and Sunday -- finishing over par in both rounds, tallying nine bogeys to just four pars and a total of nine 5s on the final-round scorecard.

Hugo Chavez -- The Venezuelan president has been in the news this week following the victory by rookie Jhonattan Vegas at the Bob Hope Classic. Chavez spoke out defending his stance on golf, which has been attacked after closing multiple courses around the country and threatening to seize others. In a statewide speech Wednesday, Chavez said, "I'm not an enemy of golf, or any sport. I've simply criticized that a group of rich people in Caracas have a bunch of golf courses next to slums falling off of hills." Vegas has said since he qualified for the Tour that he wanted to bring more golf awareness to his native country. With a win and a T3, he's done that much quicker than expected and left Chavez to revisit his golf stance.

Colin Montgomerie -- The Scot took center stage at this week's European Tour event as the course he designed was on display in Bahrain. Feedback, however, was not encouraging. It took less than 24 hours for outspoken Twitter-holic Ian Poulter to make a comment: "Simply the worst greens I have ever seen and I'm not joking. They are embarrassing," he wrote on Twitter. "Apparently the Architect wanted to make a statement with the greens. He did that alright - they are sh*t." That architect is Montgomerie, but to his credit, he handled the criticism pretty well. The European Ryder Cup captain's week ended with Paul Casey, who he controversially left off the team, hoisting the trophy on his course.

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Report: Alexei Ramirez Gets New 4-Year Deal From White Sox

February 1 2011 Last updated at 10:01 AM ET

The White Sox are set at shortstop through at least the middle of the decade after they reportedly agreed to a four-year extension with Alexei Ramirez.

The deal, worth $32.5 million, also includes a team option for a fifth season at $10 million, according to El Nuevo Herald. Ramirez already was under contract for $2.75 million in 2011, the final year of the original deal he signed with the White Sox in 2008 after coming over from Cuba.

Ramirez has been a steady producer for Ozzie Guillen's club since he arrived in the majors. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2008 as a second baseman, then moved to shortstop the following season. He won the Silver Slugger at shortstop in 2010 after hitting .282 with 18 homers and 70 RBI.

The 29-year-old is even more valuable defensively. His UZR of 10.8 last season was the best among AL shortstops and trailed only Brendan Ryan's 11.5 overall.

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