Ian J. Malone

Character-charged sci-fi with a shot of Rock & Roll!

Opinion

NASCAR President Malone unveils his 2022 Cup Schedule

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Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that while I’m most certainly (and proudly) a NASCAR old-schooler, I’m also not without a willingness to accept change so long as said changes make sense for the sport. What follows below are my thoughts on what a NASCAR Cup schedule should look like to grow the sport for future generations while still respecting its history, brand, and spirit to fans old and new.

First things first, if NASCAR is serious about growing the sport then the best possible thing to do IMHO would be to end the Cup season on Labor Day weekend. This achieves two major benefits:

  1. It moves the NASCAR playoffs, which are admittedly riveting, to a time on the sports calendar when mainstream fans and journalists have little else to watch beyond golf and baseball.
  2. It shifts Cup broadcasts out of the line of fire from football where they’re routinely bludgeoned in the ratings.

One immediate impact of this move would be a reduction in races, which the sanctioning body would have to recoup with mid-week races if it so desired (not part of the below schedule).

This shift would also create a dearth of NASCAR content from September through January, a hole that I’d fill by converting the Truck Series into a mostly regional property which runs its season in that time on the calendar (think XFL spring football but with any Cup or Xfinity series driver who opts to come race during their offseason).

Feel free to let me know what you guys think in the comments, or on social media.

AUTHROS’ NOTE: Dear NASCAR. Throw the handful of old-school fans you have left a bone and move the effing numbers back to center-door where they belong. We’ve already swallowed playoffs, stage racing, and an influx of new road courses, not to mention the proverbial “turd in the punch bowl” that is your move into political activism. Was leaving this one alone REALLY too much to ask? *smh*

President Malone’s 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule

 Sunday, February 12 at 2pm ET — The Clash from Daytona (50-lap exhibition race on Super Bowl Sunday featuring the 2021 stage winners)

Tuesday, February 14 — New Smyrna Speedway (exhibition race for charity)

Thursday, February 17 — Duel at Daytona

Sunday, February 20 — Daytona 500

Sunday, February 27 — Homestead

Sunday, March 6 — Sanoma

Sunday, March 13 — Fontana

Sunday, March 20 — Las Vegas

Sunday, March 27 — Phoenix

Sunday, April 3 — COTA 400 (stop calling it a Grand Prix. That’s generally an open wheel term, not a stock car term. Pretending otherwise make you look like a wannabe B series, which reflects poorly on everyone involved.)

Sunday, April 9 — Texas

Sunday, April 17 — EASTER BREAK

Sunday, April 24 — New Hampshire

Sunday, May 1 — Dover

Saturday, May 7 — Stafford Speedway

Sunday, May 15 — Pocono

Saturday, May 21 — All-Star night race from Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN (I’m not opposed to the football stadium/temp track concept. I just think it’s ludicrous to hold such an endeavor in L.A. where you’ll never have robust support for the event (see the XFL). By contrast, Knoxville resides squarely in the heart of SEC country, which should be a NASCAR priority. Plus, can you imagine the Volunteer Navy docking their boats outside the track for a massive tailgate on the river? Now THAT’S how you rock an all-star event!)

Sunday, May 29 — Charlotte Oval 300

Monday, May 30 — Charlotte Roval 300

(NOTE: A Memorial Day doubleheader honors the “600” legacy of the weekend while offering fans something fresh. Plus, let’s face it. Stage racing has destroyed this race as we know it.)

Sunday, June 5 — St. Louis

Sunday, June 12 — Kansas

Sunday, June 26 — Road America

Sunday, July 3 — Bristol Night Race (Independence Day weekend in the “Last Great Coliseum” would kick more ass than Brett Griffin on a three-day Fireball bender in Myrtle.)

Sunday, July 10 — Richmond

Sunday, July 17 — Talladega (regular season finale under brand new lights = INSANITY)

NASCAR Playoffs

(NOTE: As a reward for being the most consistent driver through 20+ points races, the regular season champion would receive an automatic transfer into the second round.)

Sunday, July 24 — Michigan

Sunday, July 31 — Cleveland 400 from Burke Lakefront Airport (NASCAR seems hellbent on running a street race, which is dumb anyway, but doing so in Chicago is pure lunacy. Cleveland, on the other hand, could be fertile ground for growing the fanbase, plus the wide-open space of running these cars on runways could, in theory, make for an interesting watch.)

Saturday, August 6 — Indianapolis Motor Speedway (The hope here is that by making Indy a cutoff race, it’ll make the on-track product more interesting… ON THE OVAL!)

Sunday, August 14 — Nashville Fairgrounds (NASCAR really needs this track.)

Sunday, August 21 — Atlanta

Saturday, August 27 — Martinsville (cutoff night race)

Sunday, September 4 — Darlington (crown your champ at the Southern 500)

IJM is worried about College Football

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Sitting at my desk, closing out the day with some sports-radio analysis of National Signing Day for college football. Remember when today meant something before the advent of the early signing period? I get why things have changed. But for me, it’s just one more nail in the coffin of the college football fan experience that I was raised with as a kid in the Deep South. Throw in all the turnover nowadays via the Transfer Portal, and I fear that CFB is becoming the NFL, which is to say, it’s a sport of mercenaries. There’s no loyalty to the colors or the community — or the program, in this instance. It’s all about “get me to the League or I’m out to someplace that will.”

 

I threw a party for the ages in 2002 when my Buccaneers went to the Super Bowl. This year, I’ll celebrate with frozen pizza and maybe some takeout wings because I honestly couldn’t be more indifferent about the outcome. If Tampa wins, great. If they don’t, whatever. Every one of those players still makes millions to play a game, and I’ll still be up at 4:30 am the next morning to work on my next novel. That’s not sour grapes. I just know my place on the ‘sports is a business’ totem pole.

 

In closing, I say all that to say this: I don’t want college football to become the NFL. I want to care about the program and university that I grew up with, the one that I gave four years of my life to between undergrad and grad school. I don’t want to be indifferent, and yet I’m afraid that’s exactly where this is headed.

 

Only time will tell, I suppose. In the meantime, there’s always college baseball.

 

GO NOLES!!!

IJM interviews NASCAR driver Corey Lajoie on The Dudes in Hyperspace Podcast

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Hey gang. Happy Friday!!! I know this isn’t writing related, but you know I’m a racing nut so naturally I had to share. 😉

NASCAR driver Corey Lajoie stopped by The Dudes in Hyperspace Podcast this week to discuss his career in racing and the trials of being a small-budget team competing against stock car titans like Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, and Joe Gibbs. Corey also weighs in on Kevin Harvick’s playoff collapse at Martinsville, his preferences for beer, burgers, and music at a grill-out, and casts his vote won who’d win a fight between Batman and Iron Man in The Two-Minute Drill.

We close the interview with a discussion of Corey’s favorite charity, Samaritan’s Feet, and the physical toll of driving a 500-mile race in 140-degree-heat on a driver.

Other Topics Discussed on this Episode

  • The Mandalorian premiere and Season 2 outlook
  • Florida/Georgia and Clemson/Notre Dame CFB predictions
  • Is Tampa the favorite in the NFC?
  • Favorite Sean Connery movies
  • Best Cold -Weather Beers during Fall
  • Should NASCAR’s playoff system be tweaked… again?

Where to find the show:

To learn more about Corey and his partners, visit https://coreylajoieracing.com/

To learn more about Samaritan’s Feet and their mission to provide shoes to kids and families around the world, visit https://www.samaritansfeet.org/

Have a great weekend, y’all!!!

Ian

PS – If you’re wondering which driver is getting my support in Sunday’s NASCAR title fight now that Harvick is out, stay tuned to social media.

Mako: The Motion Picture 2020

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Hey folks. In the spirit of The Mako Saga’s release through Theogony Books, and given that we’re now less than a month from the Detron City vice launch on Sept. 18, I thought it might be fun to dig back into the IJM News Desk archives and dust off an old favorite for updating.

Welcome to Mako: The Motion Picture 2.0!

Lots of people have asked me over the years who I’d task to shepherd a Mako film onto the screen, and the actors I’d love to see as part of that project. Well, I’ve given it some thought and here goes.

The following is my dream list for a Mako cast and crew. Let the games begin! 😊

AUTHOR’S NOTE: If you want to know what a Mako film would sound like, be sure to check out the Mako: The Soundtrack playlist on Spotify (free to listen after you download the app).

Director: Jon Favreau

So, has anyone reading this post NOT seen Iron Man or The Mandalorian?

If there were ever a director to nail a Mako movie, it’s Favreau. He just gets it. Beyond the fact that everyone’s favorite Swinger makes an awesome action piece, he’s also extremely adept at showcasing the unique charms and nuances of an ensemble cast. That’s a necessity in a Mako film.

Screenplay Writer: Dave Filoni

Those who listen to The Dudes in Hyperspace Podcast know how much respect I have for Dave Filoni. Put simply, the man is almost singlehandedly responsible for everything that is great about Star Wars in the post-prequel era. Star Wars: The Clone Wars? That’s a Filoni creation. Same with Star Wars: Rebels and several of the marquis episodes from The Mandalorian.

The bottom line for me is this: Filoni knows how to tell groundbreaking stories in the sci-fi/space opera genre with genuine weight and a real emphasis on characters relationships. Couple this with his connection to Favreau from their time together on The Mandalorian, and he’d make a phenomenal scribe for a Mako film.

CAST

(Actor’s real ages as of 2020 were not a factor in this post.)

Lee Summerston: Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) — I’ll admit it. I’m a total mark for Dean Winchester. Having conceded that, Ackles is the perfect choice for Lee. He looks the part, he knows his way around a sidearm in an action sequence, and he’s a Texan, which gives him the requisite “country boy swagger” one needs to stick the role. He also plays “conflicted” better than many give him credit — an important trait given the amount of time Lee spends in his own head.

Danny Tucker: Justin Hartley (This is Us) —I know Hartley from way back in the early-2000s for his work as the original Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on Smallville, and it’s that role that lands him the part of Danny Tucker in a Mako film. For starters, he’s got the look (blond, tan, lean build, good smile), though he also plays “strung out on the ragged edge” better than most. Couple that with his skills as a martial artist in an action sequence and Hartley’s my guy for Danny.

Evelyn “Mac” McKinsey: Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games) — In my initial post, I casted Rosario Dawson for the role of Mac, mostly for her work on Clerks 2. For the record, I still think she’d rock the part. Now, however, many years and many new Makoverse characters later, I need our favorite Night Nurse for a different role (more on that later).

This takes me back to the drawing board to the very actress who I modeled this character after to begin with — Elizabeth Banks, specifically the character she played in the Vince Papale biopic, Invincible.

Hint: Banks’s character in Invincible was a smartass, sports-loving bartender from New York with a take-no-prisoner’s attitude toward her customers and a love for running with the boys. Sound familiar?

Hamish Lunley: (Unknown Actor) — Honestly, I’ve racked my brain for years on this one, but to no avail. The truth is, Mako: The Motion Picture would require an actor every bit as unique as the Hamish character himself, and there’s just no one I know of in Hollywood right now who could fit that bill. So, I say we cast an unknown (from the theater ranks, perhaps?) and roll on.

Link Baxter: Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) — I challenge anybody to name one actor in the movie business, past or present, who plays “hot-headed, punk-ass good guy” better than Jesse Pinkman. Seriously, I’ll wait.

*taps toe while listening to the Jeopardy theme*

No one else would even read for this part if I could get Aaron Paul, period.

Dr. Madisyn Reynolds: Rachel McAdams (True Detective, Wedding Crashers) — McAdams has shown a lot of depth in her career, and as any Makoverse reader will attest, that’s key for playing Madisyn, a character who evolves quite a bit from book to book.

BONUS: McAdams looks great as a redhead.

Dr. Katie Summerston: Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) — Any chance to put Starbuck back in space is fine by me. However, my love of Ron Moore’s BSG reboot notwithstanding, Sackhoff would make an excellent Katie. She’s sassy and quick-witted, but she’s also a very cerebral actress who conveys a lot of confidence on-screen.

Katie is funny and charming, sure, but she’s also more than capable of taking command in a crisis when needed. Sackhoff does all of that and then some.

Chief Engineer Kris Wyatt: Connor Trinneer (Star Trek: Enterprise) — Mild-mannered gentleman with humble origins and the engineering IQ of a savant… Trip Tucker, maybe?

Trinneer would nail Kris Wyatt. Furthermore, it’d be nice to see him in more than a bit role outside of Enterprise.

ASC Fleet Admiral Markus Katahl: Dennis Haysbert (Major League) — Long before Haysbert was the spokesperson for All State, he was (and still is) a decorated actor. His portrayal of Jonas Blane in CBS’s The Unit was out-of-this-world good. Combine that with his physical stature and presence on-screen, and Haysbert would make a phenomenal Katahl.

Alystierian Commandant Alec Masterson: Ian McShane (Deadwood) — McShane is a world-class actor, no matter the medium. It was his portrayal of Al Swearengen, the sleazebag bar owner with the silver tongue in HBO’s Deadwood, however, that earns him the role of Mako’s top villain. Alec Masterson must ooze evil through every pore of his character, from the manner in which he carries himself physically to the way in which he annunciates his speech.

Simply put, Masterson should crawl up your skin like a disease. McShane would deliver that in spades.

Alystierian Chancellor Lucius Zier: Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs, Thor) — Do I seriously need to explain this one? He’s Anthony freaking Hopkins, y’all. Nobody does “noble patriarch” better.

Sgt. Major Keith Noll: David Ramsey (Arrow) — ‘John Diggle’ would kill as the hard-nosed, battle-hardened drill instructor for the Renegades.

Dr. Jon Reiser: Michael Shanks (Stargate: SG1) — In addition to the obvious fact that both characters are brilliant scientists who wear glasses, Jon Reiser and Daniel Jackson (Shanks’s SG1 character) have a lot in common, from their academic demeanor to their ability to drop a line on a dime.

Sgt. Nathan Briggs: Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order, Doctor Strange) — Bratt is a rangy actor who’s been in this business for a long time. Most know him as Detective Rey Curtis from Law & Order. However, it’s his role as ex-junkie-turned rehab superhero William Banks from A&E’s The Cleaner that lands him the Briggs role. That show ended long before its time.

Other notable cast members:

Les Reegan: A young Lou Diamond Phillips (Henry Standing Bear from Netflix’s Longmire)

Obadiah “Doc” Khard: Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth from Justice League)

Wade Shotzel: Michael Cudlitz (Abraham from The Walking Dead)

Remy Tanaka: Osric Chau (Kevin Tran from Supernatural)

Xayna Lorne: Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka Tano from The Mandalorian)

Auran President Rick Wylon: Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd from Grey’s Anatomy)

ASC Capt. Vince Ryan: Joe Flanigan (Col. John Shepherd from Stargate Atlantis)

Shannon “Layla” Baxter: Michelle Rodriguez (Letty from Fast and Furious)

Kendu-Tephala Rikanun: Jason Momoa (Aquaman)

Spiggy (voice): Sam Witwer (Darth Maul from Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

That’s gonna do it for now, gang. Take care, stay safe, and drop me a line on social media if you think somebody else deserves a shot at one of these roles.

Cheers,

IJM

IJM picks the 2020 NASCAR All Star race at Bristol

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To all my fellow geeks or sports lovers who AREN’T NASCAR fans… if you ever wanted to see why folks like me enjoy this sport, watch tonight’s Cup Series All-Star race on FS1. Coverage begins at 7 pm ET with the All Star Open (qualifier event where those drivers who didn’t make the main field try to race their way in) followed by the All Star race itself.

The event will be held for the first time on the historic Bristol Motor Speedway (a half-mile, high-banked “short track”) and will be contested for NO POINTS. That means drivers have every incentive to go all-out for the win because tonight’s results — for better or worse — don’t count toward their season-long chase for a title.

Translation: Expect TONS of action!!!

Ian’s Pick for the Win: Kevin “the Closer” Harvick from Bakersfield, CA, driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Ford (not a stretch for those who know the sport).

Ian’s Dark Horse Pick: Aric Almirola from Tampa, FL, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield’s “Vote for Bacon” Ford (he’s been hot lately).

Have a great night, y’all. I hope you enjoy the race!!!

Cheers,

Ian

IJM weighs in on antiheroes, the future of Superman

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“Watchmen” TV creator Damon Lindelof was asked in a recent interview what he thought a modern-day Superman film needed to look like in order to be successful at the box office. Basically, he gave the stock response about the myriad challenges of making a boy scout like Supers relevant in today’s age of antiheroes.

As a child of the 80s/90s and as a lifelong fan of this character, I always take umbrage with this assertion. Fact is, there are still legions of fans out there who want to root for the good guys simply because they’re that — good guys. Heck, I’m one of them.

Don’t get me wrong. I like a complex protagonist as much as the next consumer. I also like it when my characters learn things along the path of their journey. At the same time, it’s refreshing sometimes to follow characters who possess an innate understanding of right and wrong, and we as fans know they’ll never compromise that, no matter what the story throws at them.

Does that make characters like Superman vanilla or predictable? Maybe. Know what else is predictable, though? The bonafide awesomeness of my mom’s lasagna, and you can bet your hard-earned dollar that I’ll piledrive every ounce of that plate anytime it’s put down in front of me.

As an aside, Lindelof goes on to express his excitement over the idea of J.J. Abrams directing a Superman film now that the latter is a major player at Warner Brothers (a hot rumor lately).

I want to be clear here: I couldn’t care less about an Abrams-led Superman film. Sorry. Part of that has to do with the mess he helped make of Star Wars. Mostly, though, it’s because I read his script for “Superman: Flyby” back in the early 2000s, and again, as a lifelong fan of this character, I thought the liberties J.J. took with the mythology were way out of bounds (Jor-El did NOT commit suicide and Lex Luthor ISN’T a Kryptonian). 😕

Anywho, I read this story earlier on Twitter and it struck a chord. So, I thought I’d take a sec to chime in while I had a minute.

Cheers and stay safe, y’all. As always, feel free to hit me up on social media if you think I went wrong somewhere.

Ian

PS — Mega-bestselling scifi author Chris Kennedy and I had a great discussion about the subject of good guy characters versus antiheroes on the most recent episode of The Dudes in Hyperspace Podcast. Feel free to go back and give a listen then leave a review on your podcasting app once you’re done. We, the Dudes, REALLY appreciate those. 😉

NEW RELEASE: ‘Mako’ takes flight with Theogony Books

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I’m proud to announce that my debut novel, MAKO, has been officially re-released by Theogony Books, an imprint of Chris Kennedy Publishing. You can find the book on Amazon (ebook and paperback) as well as on Audible in audiobook form.

Story Synopsis:

It’s just a game…or is it?

On the heels of his divorce, down-and-out history professor Lee Summerston doesn’t have a lot going for him—a nowhere job at a third-rate college with kids who don’t care about anything except how to slide through class. All of that changes, though, when Lee leads a team of old friends to virtual glory as the first-ever group to beat Mako Assault, a revolutionary new game that has emerged from nowhere to take the Internet by storm.

As a reward for their achievement, the group is flown to meet the game’s mysterious designer and assist in developing the follow-on game Mako 2.0. But what they find when they get there is more than they’d expected…much more.

Mako’s intent was never to entertain its players. It was to train them.

An epic sci-fi thrill-ride of action, suspense, laughter, and romance, Mako is the story of five ordinary people who will have to rise to the challenge of extraordinary events, driven only by their faith in each other. If they can’t, the game will become very real to more than just themselves—the Earth itself may ultimately be at stake.

MAKO is the first book in THE AMKO SAGA. Books two and three will release this June and July respectively.

IJM on the Bucs’ new uniforms: “Welcome home.”

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For those who follow me on Twitter, you know that I’m a die-hard Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan and have been for decades. With that established, I am BEYOND THRILLED with the new uniforms that the team unveiled yesterday in preparation for the upcoming 2020 season.

Yes, part of that has to do with the EXTREMELY nostalgic look about the new threads (they’re pretty much carbon copied from our Super Bowl era). More than that, though, I love what these uniforms aren’t — hideously gaudy billboards meant for a generation raised on Xbox and Red Bull with numbers befitting a dollar store alarm clock.

I kid you not, people. I wanted to punch my own face every time I saw those ridiculous pieces of crap. Alas, I digress.

I know there were a lot of calls out there for Tampa to return to the cream-sicle duds of their rookie years, but I the early-2000s era was really the right way to go. That’s a time in franchise history that exuded success and professionalism, and frankly with that guy named Brady now under center, that’s kinda the image you’d hope the Bucs would wanna present for themselves once again.

Bottom Line: IJM approves of the Bucs’ new/old uniforms… bigtime.

Have a great day, y’all, and keep washing those hands!!!

Cheers,

Ian

(Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

IJM says “Stay Calm, Be Informed” on COVID-19

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I was asked by a friend what I’m doing to stay informed on #COVID19.

Tip 1. Avoid cable news at all costs (all of it).

Tip 2. Watch live White House/NIH briefings when possible to get everything in context.

Tip 3: Download a local news app to skim headlines and stay informed on your homefront.

Tip 4. Bookmark the crap out of https://coronavirus.gov and read up.

Tip 5: Follow the CDC, the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Disease, and NIH Director Francis Collins on Twitter.

One other thing. While it’s very true that COVID-19 is no run-of-the-mill flu and should thus be taken very seriously, it’s also not cause for the complete hysteria that’s gripped so many people in our country. This will pass, and we as a community will get through it. Here’s a great video from Dave Ramsey explaining why I feel this way.

Hope it helps, gang. Y’all stay safe out there and keep washing those hands. To borrow a line from Raiders of the Lost Ark, “our top men are working on this.”

Cheers,

Ian

IJM on the Indy 500 move, NASCAR/IndyCar Doubleheader

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HUGE news broke today in the world of North American Motorsports.

In response to COVID-19, the Indy 500 is being moved to Aug. 23, while the Indianapolis Grand Prix (typically run in the first week of May) is moving to the July 4th weekend where it will run as part of a doubleheader with NASCAR (click here for coverage from the India polis Star).

IJM on the 500

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway staff had no choice but to postpone the Indy 500. It was only a matter of time. Even if we, as a society, are somehow on the downhill slide of fighting this virus by Memorial Day — and that’s a big if — there’s no way they’d be able to pull together an event of this scale on that much of a truncated timetable. Logistically speaking, it’s just not possible.

Moving the 500 to late-summer was the only way to preserve the integrity of what this event is while caring for fan safety.

Having said all that, every sport has its nasty little community of trolls who dump on any sort of change in the name of dying on Tradition’s Hill. IndyCar is no different.

Don’t listen to those fans. They’re idiots.

IJM on the IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader

This is a ginormous story for A LOT of people… I’m just not one of them. it’s not that I dislike IndyCar. I really don’t. Heck, I used to be one of their biggest fans back in the early 2000s. Somewhere along the way, though, I simply fell out of love with that series, and it never came back.

These days, my time cup runneth over with everything from family obligations to day job duties and church stuff, plus writing, of course. That only leaves me so much time for sports. Thus,  if I’m to choose but one racing series to follow, it’s gonna be my bread and butter — NASCAR.

As for the doubleheader, I honestly don’t care who NASCAR partners with for its race weekends, July Fourth or otherwise. So long as the guys I root for each week are on the track at some point — i.e. Kevin Harvick, Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, etc. — then everything else is gravy in the Malone house.

The caveat…

Much like Alabama and Auburn fans or in-laws at a family reunion, NASCAR and open wheel fans haven’t always mixed well in a crowd (open wheel = wine and cheese, NASCAR = beer and pizza). Some think that’s changed over time, and maybe it has. Nevertheless, I’ll be interested to see what the fan reaction is when those two groups collide in the stands at Indy come Independence Day weekend.

Again, all of this is assuming that we’re back to racing by then, which I, for one, sincerely hope we are.

Think I’m going wrong in my analysis of this story? Track me down on Facebook or Twitter (@ianjmalone) and throw me your beef. Trust me. I can handle it. 😉

Stay safe, y’all.

Ian

(Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Star)

NASCAR: There’s still life in the old girl yet!

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Race fans were treated to a fantastic read this week from ESPN’s Ryan McGee about why there’s still plenty to love about NASCAR despite grumblings to the contrary.

I happen to agree with a lot of what the article says. There’s no shortage of changing coming down the chute for NASCAR, probably as soon as 2020. Rightfully so. Much about the sport has gone stale, from the schedule to the drivers and even the on-track product itself in some instances. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why fans like me fell in love with this series, and a lot of that spirit still exists. You’ve just got to beat through the weeds of pessimism and Twitter trolls s to find it.

Don’t let the trolls win, folks. Grab yourself a cold one and pull up a chair for Daytona this weekend. After all, it still is — and always will be — the Great American Race!

Cheers,

Ian

PS – Be sure to catch up with me tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 17) via Facebook Live at 2 pm EST on the IJM author page. I’ll drop updates about my future writing projects, as well as my predictions for the 500.

IJM previews the 2018 College Football opening weekend

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I typically couldn’t care less about rankings this time of year. But, for the purposes of discussion (and because it’s fun), let’s take a gander at yesterday’s first AP Poll.

Top 5 are as follows…

  1. Alabama
  2. Clemson
  3. Georgia
  4. Wisconsin
  5. Ohio State

No real surprises there. The only cavoite I’d add is OSU at 5. If by some miracle Urban loses his job (which, sadly, isn’t gonna happen), that whole program could nose-dive without its leader.

The top two on this list are absolutely frightening. Bama is Bama every season. The difference in this year and previous years, however, is that with Tua Tagovailoa under center, they can actually throw the football with a modicum of consistency. Combine that with their o-line, running game, and a defense that’s always stout under Saban, and the Tide may be tougher than ever in 2018.

Clemson, on the other hand, is just as frightening on account of their defensive line. I kid you not, out of the four starters, three if not all four will go in the first round of next year’s NFL Draft. Some are calling this the best defensive line IN HISTORY. That’s how good they are.

Other Takeaways from the poll:

FSU checks in at 19: Florida State came in at the same spot in the first Coaches Poll, and I’m good with that. We’re unproven with a first-year head coach and all new systems on both sides of the ball, plus we’re coming off a 6-loss season. People are right to doubt us.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If FUS ends the season at 9-3 — with this schedule, this offensive line, this linebacker corpse, and all this change — that’s a fantastic conclusion to year one of a new regime.

Note about the schedule: FSU plays four of the teams on this list in 2018 (VA Tech, Notre Dame, Miami, Clemson), plus NC State with Heisman candidate Ryan Finley on the road, Florida at home, and a mean Boston College team that many believe will cause issues for of a lot of teams this year.

No matter how you slice it, 2018 is gonna be a tough haul for the Noles.

Florida is MIA: It’s NOT a great… day to be a Florida Gator, and it hasn’t been for quite some time. I maintain that Ron Mullen was the right here in Gainesville, but dude better make an impact now because he’s getting his clock cleaned on the recruiting trail.

What a slate for opening weekend: Wives/girlfriends, please do the right thing and give your husbands/boyfriends a day pass to fly the couch for the entirety of opening day, September 1. There are some FANTASTIC matchups to start the season, and frankly they’ve earned it.

Let’s take a look…

  • Alabama vs. Louisville — I know Lamar Jackson is gone, but Sneaky B. Petrino is still one helluva coach on gameday. I’ll take Bama for the win but expect some Cardinal surprises along the way.
  • Michigan at Notre Dame — In what is undoubtedly a make or break year for Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines head to South Bend to open their season versus a great Fighting Irish defense. This one’s gonna be a war!
  • Auburn vs. Washington — Auburn returns a strong squad, and no one believes in the Pac 12. That said, both teams bring explosive offenses, which should make this one tons of fun to watch.
  • LSU vs. Miami — The Canes’ season will rise and fall on the arm of their Malik Rosier. Their defense is spectacular, but they got a lot of breaks last season. If they don’t get more production from the QB position, I think they’ll struggle. If Rosier or the kid behind him emerges, though, look for Miami to dominate the Coastal Division en route to the ACC title game.

In closing, I’d like to end this post with a “get off my lawn” rant on a trend that’s quickly (and alarmingly) becoming the norm in today’s college football.

Notice that of all the matchups above, only one (Michigan/ND) has an “at” in the listing. The others have a “versus.” That’s because the vs. matchups are all taking place at neutral sites.

I DO NOT approve of this. College football matchups are meant to be played on college campuses — period — unless they’re bowl matchups. I don’t give a flying rat turd in a handbasket about traveling to Atlanta, Dallas, or Orlando for a regular season CFB game. I just don’t. If FSU plays Texas, I want the Horns in Tallahassee and the Noles in Austin. Anything else is just an NFL game, light edition.

I get it. Big markets equal big money. I still don’t care.

Stop trying to turn college football into pro football, NCAA. Those of us who prefer the former do so for a reason. Stop screwing with it.

That’s all I’ve got for now, y’all. Feel free to weigh in via the comments below, and best of luck to your respective teams in 2018… unless, of course, your teams are Florida or Miami, in which case I hope you tank epically. ?

Cheers, and GO NOLES!!!

Ian