Full Throttle

It has been suggested the phrase “it’s not over until the fat lady sings” was the brainchild of the San Antonio TV sports editor Dan Cook who famously used it during a televised basketball game.

It’s true origin is debatable. What’s not is its application to Jimmie Johnson’s dominating performance in the Arizona desert Sunday afternoon/early evening.

Kurt Busch said it best relating how the #48 blew past Edwards who was afead of his Dodge on a restart:

“I’m supposed to do the NASCAR thing and talk about my team and my sponsors, but he’s doing something pretty special. There was a restart with 94 or something laps to go when he was second behind Jamie McMurray. I was third, and the way that he went high, went low, and he was in the lead before you could snap your fingers, it was unbelievable to watch that type of display, and it’s something pretty special.”

No matter what was tossed JJ’s way, Kurt’s best finish (2nd) since the Daytona 500, a desert dust storm or a rare desert rain storm, nothing could keep him from victory lane.

With JJ only needing a 36th or better place finish next week one can easily hear some distant obese fat lady belting out an Aria.

The win also ensures a few more feet of MSM column space devoted to “Jimmie proofing” the Chase. Which isn’t all bad I suppose, it gives them less time to just make stuff up.

Johnson’s won 14 of the 49 races held during the five year history of the Chase, a tick over a 20% winning percentage. On the other hand, under the old points structure he would be 56 points in front of Edwards going to Homestead.

How do you “Jimmie proof” that? More to the point, how do you “Jimmie Proof” his 40 career victories when 26 of them are from the pre-Chase era?

Before I leave the subject of media, what the hell’s up with ABC?

ABC cut away from Sunday’s telecast with 34 laps to go so it could show America’s Funniest Home Videos.

Unaware of the east coast and mid-America network switch Rick Hendrick was asked what it says about NASCAR’s Chase?

“It doesn’t say very much,” Hendrick said. “I didn’t know that. That’s where my mother is [North Carolina]. I’m glad my phone went dead at the end of the race.”

After the switch fans missed three caution flags, including one involving A.J. Allmendinger, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon on lap 307 that set up a green-white-checkered flag finish.

Kenseth and Allmendinger would settle the score after the checkered waved when Kenseth turned into Allmendinger’s Dodge after the race was over. In addition, Tony Stewart walked over to Allmendinger to offer his “advice,” and another “Smoke Priceless Moment” was lost to most of the nation. (Let me take a moment to pray to the bootleg satellite Gods - AMEN! - ed)

“I thought it went dark and nobody could watch it,” Johnson said. “So the fact that it was on another television channel was better. It’s still somewhat on a prime channel, of course, on ABC, but to go to America’s Funniest Home Videos, that one hurts. I thought we have a lot of characters. Why do we need that show?”

Indeed, why do we need that show? But that’s a rant for another time and place.

UPDATE: Is it any surprise other media outlets are jumping on the bash ABC bandwagon? CBS Sportsline, the NY Post and NBC all carry Jenna Fryer’s AP story.

I wonder, did ESPN2’s parent network ESPN have an ulterior motive in pushing coverage to one of their affiliated channels?

Witness ESPN The Magazine. Their 2009 “Next Campaign” has started. One of the four athletes nominated for this years award is Joey Logano.

Probably not, but one never knows what’s in the “evil minds” of network bobbleheads.

UPDATE II: The dumb asses at ABC got what they deserved. Overnight ratings plunged 18 percent after ABC cut away from the closing laps of NASCAR’s race in Phoenix.

Overnight ratings for the race were 3.4, unchanged from last year, according to Nielsen data. So much for all the nattering nabobs who all claim in unison they have given up NASCAR forever.

“Forever” hasn’t been given the green flag I guess.