In the middle of the summer at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, I swung by the No.
Cheap NFL Jerseys China . 48 transporter to check in with my close friend Scott Maxim, engine specialist for Hendrick Motorsports, around the same time practice was ending.Suddenly crew chief Chad Knaus whistled in followed by a few crew members, driver Jimmie Johnson trailing the group. They huddled at the front of their transporter. The atmosphere was tense and edgy, evident through the body language of the teams leader, Knaus.A few months later I made the same visit. It was Dover, Chase race No. 3, and this time the mood was relaxed, composed. While urgency was still present, there was no sense of panic in the camp.The contrast between the two Fridays was extreme, and it left an impression on me, enough that I mentioned to Knaus how impressive it was that he had kept this group from tearing itself apart in the midst of his and Johnsons longest winless streak together.Its obvious now that the six-time champs had rediscovered their magic, but I can honestly say, it wasnt obvious to me then.Ive always been quick to Identify Jimmie Johnson as the key to the No. 48 teams success. That comes from a basis of studying, evaluating and understanding drivers and their responsibilities. Its who I am. Its what Ive spent the majority of my life doing.Less obvious to me is the impact crew chiefs have, and thats not because I didnt experience their value as much, but rather I may not have appreciated it as much as I should have early in my career.That comes from having built, and maintained, my own race cars early in my career. It was an asset early because it put me ahead of my competitors, but became a liability late because I became less willing to experiment.The same effects may have hindered two of the best I ever competed against, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin. Wallace was more talented than the one title he has; he was worthy of three in my mind. And Martin was every bit his equal, but ended his career with none.These two drivers understood race cars as well as any in NASCAR ... at least for a while.But as the sport evolves, becomes more technical, drivers with deep race car knowledge become less open-minded than those who simply want to drive.Its why Jimmie Johnson is so unique, so disciplined. Johnson -- perhaps more than any driver I know -- understands his role, is consumed by it, and doesnt allow any outside noise to interfere with his responsibilities.A common practice for struggling drivers, particularly late in their career, is to reinvent themselves through a crew chief swap. The hope is that a new leader fosters new ideas, recreates an energy that had disappeared -- a spark if you will. Johnson and Knaus have resisted that practice, and I admire the hell out of what they have done because of their loyalty to one another.Chad brings the best out of Jimmie, he holds the passwords to the 48 teams files, and more than ever before, I believe Chad Knaus has demonstrated his value to the Hendrick organization.Ive observed and pondered the 48 team all year. Ive witnessed tension strong enough to cause an implosion. But it doesnt happen with this group. Its bond appears impenetrable.The Bottom LineJimmie Johnsons win last week is a game-changer for most Chase brackets. Few had the 48 in their Miami final four; it just didnt seem logical in early September.Johnson, as we sit today, is the only driver not having to worry about the consequences of playing Russian roulette next Sunday in Talladega. Thats an enormous mental advantage.The team has a clear advantage in prepping three cars for three races in the third round that represent Jimmie Johnsons second-, third- and fourth-best averages of all NASCAR tracks, and if thats not enough to convince you team 48 is destined for Homestead, this should be:No driver is immune from waning confidence; it causes an athlete to try harder, perhaps too hard, at the wrong time. Its effects lead to mistakes (like speeding on pit road on the final stop of the day) when you may have had the car to beat.Even with his confidence diminished some, Johnson is more dangerous than most. With his confidence peaking, the 48 teams only kryptonite comes in the form of mechanical issues.Johnson more than likely wins one of the three races in the third round, which positions him for that coveted seventh Sprint Cup title.I reached out to congratulate Johnson following his win, and in his response was something I found very profound.Keep in mind, I consider Johnson among the most humble human beings on the planet. He is proof you can be confident, be great, but not need to remind anyone of it.So I found it compelling at the end of our exchange when he declared this: More to come!Dare any of us doubt him?
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http://www.nflcheapjerseyschina.com/ . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. There have been many memorable comebacks in cricket. Headingley 1981, for example. Or Koltata 2001. Or the remarkable tale of Middlesexs Harry Lee, who, at the Battle of Fromelles in 1915, was captured by the Germans after spending three days bleeding and broken in no-mans land. He defied the doctors, and even a memorial service held by his nearest and dearest, and went on to play one Test during an injury crisis on the South Africa tour of 1930-31.By comparison, Englands comeback on day one in Dhaka seems pretty tame. But, after a wretched first three hours when it appeared they might be facing a vast first-innings score, they could feel pretty satisfied in restricting Bangladesh to a first-innings total of 220. Certainly when they were 171 for 1 and Englands bowlers were struggling to hit the cut strip, it seemed as if things would be much, much worse. To take the final nine wickets for the addition of just 49 runs did, at least, show some character.But impressive though the comeback was, encouraging though the bowling of Ben Stokes, in particular, continues to be, this was a performance that will not have left them quaking in India.If England bowl like this in India, they will be thrashed. They will not be able to afford a session as bad as the first one here and they will not be let back into the game as easily as Bangladesh allowed them back here. The India batting is too strong, too ruthless and too motivated to allow England to get away with such loose cricket.For England got away with it here. From the moment Imrul Kayes thrashed a Chris Woakes long-hop to point in the days third over, England benefited from loose Bangladesh batting. While Tamim Iqbal batted beautifully, the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Shuvagata Hom will reflect on their dismissals - wafting outside off stump - with little joy. Bangladesh may still have provided the defining innings of this game, but they will know they have risked letting England back into this game when they should have closed them out completely.There was some progress discernable for England. Moeen Ali, in particular, demonstrated that he had learned from his experience at Chittagong to claim the second five-wicket haul of his Test career. His Test bowling average dipped below 40 as a consequence.We already knew that, on such surfaces, he presented a terrific challenge to left-handed batsman. But none of his five victims in Chittagong was a right-hander and, given the India top-order is packed with them, that was a concern.Here, by bowling round the wicket, he maximised the benefit of any natural variation. He aimed at leg stump, brought the leg slip and short leg into play if the ball turned and the keeper and slip into play if it did not. And, most of all, he knew that, if the batsmen missed, he was in with a good chance of gaining an lbw decision.Moeen modestly admitted afterwards that he had not bowled an intentional arm-ball but, reasoning that if he didnt know which ones were going to spin and which ones were going to drift away, the batsmen had even less chance. In all, he claimed the wicket of three right-handers, though the wickets of the left-handers Tamim and Mominul Haque with deliveries that skidded on were perhaps the most satisfying.
Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys. It was just natural variation, he said. I dont feel I bowled great. I just tried to bowl tight, which I dont really do normally. I said to Cooky If Im not bowling maidens, just take me off. Its something I need to do better.I did all right. I dont really have much success as a spinner, but I think the pace I bowl helps and Im trying to be more consistent. Im nowhere near where I want to be as a spinner, but Im trying to be accurate and the 30 games Ive played have helped me a bit.Moeen also admitted that Stokes had been Englands main man. And it is true that Stokes had, once again, defied the slow surface to hurry batsmen with his strength and pace and defeat them with his control of reverse swing. To have hit Mushfiqur Rahim with a bouncer on such a surface was remarkable. Both Moeen and Tamim described him as brilliant and he now has a Test bowling average of 16.33 since January 10. He is no batsman who bowls; he is the real thing as an allrounder. India will have taken note, but perhaps also taken note of Englands over-reliance upon him.Perhaps they will not be so reliant in India. The last time England looked as hapless in the field as they did in the first session here was the Edgbaston Test of 2012 when Stuart Broad and James Anderson were rested. It might be optimistic to expect Anderson to play much of a part in India, but Broads absence was felt keenly here. There is no way he would have bowled with so little control.Moeen also revealed that the coach, Trevor Bayliss, urged the team to refocus when they came in at lunch.He just said that were going to have sessions like this in the winter and were going to have to get better at recognising it and understanding how to change it, Moeen said. He wasnt really angry. He was just a bit disappointed but he never shows when hes angry. He just made us focus a bit more on what we needed to do.And what they needed to do was bowl maidens. Or at least apply some control. Not until the 27th over bowled by spin, did any of Englands trio manage a maiden. It is no coincidence that, with both Stokes (who conceded only 13 from 11 admirably controlled overs) and Moeen bowling with impressive control, the wickets started to fall. It wont be so easy in India, but it did at least show the direction of travel they must take.None of that disguises the faults. It doesnt disguise the struggles of Zafar Ansari, who might be excused on the grounds of nerves, or Adil Rashid. And, most of all, it doesnt disguise the continuing struggles of the top order. So far this series, Englands third wicket has fallen on a score of 21, 28 and 42. They might get away with that in Bangladesh; they are most unlikely to do so in India. But, for now, it did just about keep them in this game.
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