Control the Uncontrollable

Howdy folks! Welcome in to the post-Dover blog! This week I will be discussing one of the hot-topic issues that has plagued the NASCAR garage throughout the 2018 season, uncontrolled tires. NASCAR has continued to show inconsistencies in officiating, and Sunday’s AAA 400 didn’t help their case. Like last week, you will see some fan opinions on this topic, and later I’ll give my take. In addition, I will be thinking out loud about how we can fix this issue moving forward.

First, let’s discuss the issue itself. NASCAR has mandated rules regarding tire control for years. With the goal of safety, NASCAR mandates teams control their 24-pound balls of rubber on pit-road. The rule has warm-hearted roots, creating a safer environment for crews on pit-road, but the modern officiating has created judgement call situations during races. This of course means, some calls will be right & some will be wrong.

Before we get too far, let me clear the air… I have no issues with judgment calls in sports, as long as they’re consistent. Whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, or racing, judgment calls will always exist, but for the sake of consistency, let’s do everything in our power to get these calls right.

As the rule stands, any tire must be within an arms length of a crew member. If this is not met, a tire is officially ‘uncontrolled’. So why am I barking up this tree? Simple. NASCAR continues to butcher (simple) judgment calls every week. In addition to missed calls, NASCAR has seemingly become too controlling of pit-stops. With tires simply sitting on the line of a pit box, unnecessary penalties are being called. Let’s look at some examples:

First, let’s talk inconsistency. Above you can see the controversy that took place at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this season. On the left, Ryan Blaney was called for an uncontrolled tire. This call was correct, as the tire circled was clearly out of arms length of any crew member. On the right, we see Harvick, who’s tire is arguably further away from a crew member… the problem? Blaney was called for a penalty, Harvick was not. NASCAR later stated they should have called a penalty on the No.4 team, but no further action was taken. If mistakes are going to be made, don’t let them be this obvious. Similar calls have come throughout the season.

Next, let’s look at what having too much control brings. In yesterday’s race multiple uncontrolled tire violations were called on teams who seemingly had control of their tires. Down below is a penalty called on Kyle Larson. If you look closely Larson’s team receives a pass-through-penalty because a tire is pushed aside by the front tire carrier so that they rear carrier can easily move the tire back to pit-wall. The tire was never technically ‘uncontrolled’ but by NASCAR’s definition was out of arms length. Take a look for yourself & tell me if you think this warranted a penalty:

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Week 4: Start ‘Em/Sit ‘Em

o did anyone outside of Buffalo see that game coming? Beside being totally off on selecting all the Vikings last week, our Start ‘Em/Sit ‘Em predictions were pretty solid. You can check out our Week 3 Result , but for now let’s jump right into Week 4 of Start ‘Em/Sit ‘Em!

As always you can follow us on Twitter and tweet us any of your lineup questions! 

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (Away at Atlanta Falcons)

We’re expecting another high-scoring game involving Atlanta this week as the Falcons will be without both starting safeties, Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen. Through three weeks the Falcons have the third-worst defense in the league and we fully expect Andy Dalton and Co. to take advantage down in the dome. Surprisingly, Dalton is the 12th highest scoring fantasy quarterback in 2018, and ripped a stout Ravens defense for four touchdowns and 26.6 fantasy points.

Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers (Home vs San Fransisco 49ers)

Rivers makers his return to our Start column this week in a very nice home matchup versus the 49ers. San Fransisco wasn’t great with Jimmy Garoppolo, and now that he’s lost for the season with a torn ACL it’s hard to see the 49ers doing anything positive this season. Already ranked 20th in offense DVOA and 25th in defense DVOA expect things to get a lot worse for the 49ers starting this week in Los Angeles.

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens (Home vs Pittsburgh Steelers)

We’re usually not huge Joe Flacco fans, but it’s hard to ignore the Ravens home matchup with the Steelers this week. Pittsburgh has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks while Baltimore is averaging 37 points a game at home in 2018. Flacco could be set for a nice week and should be available in most leagues.

*Week 3 QB Sleepers*

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (Away at Oakland Raiders): I’ll put this out there as a disclaimer, I wouldn’t actually start Mayfield unless you’re very desperate at quarterback. With that being said Baker goes into his first start in about as favorable way as possible, 10 days to prepare to play the second-worst defense in the league. The only way this could be more ideal is if the game was at home. I’d keep my eye on Mayfield this week as he may put up some points and be an interesting waiver wire pickup.

Case Keenum, Denver Broncos (Home vs Kansas City Chiefs): Last week we had Keenum as a hard Sit and couldn’t have been more correct, this week we’re thinking that he’ll have a bounce back week versus the league-worst Chief’s defense. Expect a high scoring game giving Keenum the chance to produce viable fantasy numbers.

QUARTERBACK – SIT ‘EM:

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (Home vs Cleveland Browns)

 

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Q&A with Performance Coach Ian Mack: Kane, Carrick & More!

Ian Mack is one of the fastest up-and-coming performance coaches in sports. This summer, he had the chance to work with Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane, as well as Toronto Maple Leafs defensemen Connor Carrick. In this Q&A, we delve into Kane, Carrick, Mack’s love for LeBron James and more!

Me: Tell us a little bit about your background. Who are some of the athletes you have worked with across all professional sports leagues?

Ian Mack: I’m originally from Syracuse, NY. I studied exercise physiology and biomechanics and have taught training and education. I’ve worked with everyone from Hollywood to hockey. From studio executives like Benny Medina, actors like Jonathan Bennett, and athletes including David Ross (MLB), Latavius Murray (NFL), Connor Carrick (NHL), Patrick Kane (NHL), and Rene Bourque (NHL), and teams like the Syracuse Men’s Basketball team, and the Canadian Olympic Men’s basketball team.

What was it like working with Patrick Kane? How driven was he this offseason?

Working with Pat was exciting, productive and a lot of work on all sides. He is an inspirational athlete who leads by example and never misses an opportunity to improve himself in any and every way. Pat’s drive was an 11 out of a 10 this offseason – unparalleled. It would be challenging to put into words how driven Pat currently is. Looking forward to the season so he can showcase.

For all young hockey players out there, what are a couple things they can do off the ice that can help improve their game?

In a general sense, they can strengthen their trunk with a focus on keeping their abs and glutes strong and working together. I would say they should be learning the technique of the movement being taught to you and propritizzing the quality of movement over weight.

If I needed to pick some exercise it would be fire hydrants and bird dogs.

Non-hockey related question: You expressed your admiration for athletes such as LeBron James and Russel Westbrook in a piece on the Athletic. What qualities make them so dominant and dynamic?

Lebron is a once in a lifetime athlete. I’ve never seen anyone that is his size that can move that well, who is as intelligent as he is and cares about other people the way he does. He’s an inspiration on and off the court. Hopefully more athletes are like him. It’s bigger than basketball.

You attended Darryl Belfry’s 88 Summit this summer, which in fact was named after Patrick Kane himself. Not only was Kane there, but also guys such as Auston Matthews, Claude Giroux, Dylan Larkin, and Charlie McAvoy. What was it like being around so many elite athletes, in an environment that was so open and collaborative?

Darryl hosted a great summit. Hopefully we can continue to have events like that for the players to continue to improve. Anytime you get really high level guys all in once space with their egos checked at the door it’s an amazing learning environment for all. And having Pat Kane show up and be Pat Kane was the most exciting part for me. I’m happy for him for how he’s feeling in his body and it was nice to see him execute it at a really high level in front of other guys in the league. And Dylan Larkin has some wheels.

One more basketball question: How impressed are you with Zion Williamson’s athleticism? Do you think he can reach the same level as James and Westbrook?

I saw Zion Williamson play when I saw Sammy Rautins and Simi Shittu last summer at a showcase. He looked very impressive. It’s always hard to project if someone is going to be a generational talent like James or Westbrook. But it looked like he had all the tools in the world to do that.