Depending on how exciting the beginnings of the NBA’s conference finals are, you might hear a lot this weekend about Kyle Larson attempting the “double.” What does this mean? He’s planning to run the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. How? With the aid of wings. (It’d be so much cooler if he drove the IndyCar down to North Carolina.)
Larson did a trial run of sorts this weekend, but the idea is that after the 500, he’ll helicopter from the Brickyard to the airport, from which he’ll fly by private jet to Charlotte, where he’ll then helicopter to Charlotte Motor Speedway. 1,100 miles of racing, plus warmup laps and any overtime. Another five hundred miles of travel in the middle.
Larson would not be the first to pull this off. John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Kurt Busch all attempted it and successfully started the second race, with Stewart the only one to finish both, coming in sixth at Indy and third at Charlotte in 2001. What makes Larson special is that he’s a legitimate threat to win both. He’s currently third or fourth in Indy 500 odds, and while some of that’s probably a premium coming from the hype, he’s still got roughly a ten percent shot at it, starting fifth on the grid. He’s around fifteen percent for the Coke 600, checking in as the favorite there. The probability is tiny. But it isn’t zero.
You don’t have to like Kyle Larson, and this next part isn’t trying to push you in that direction. But. There aren’t a lot of ways for American drivers to prove they’re the world’s best. Globally, that title usually is given to an F1 guy because it’s the global series. Given the variety of driving Larson does, though—dirt tracks, stock cars, now open wheel—he’s had a legitimate claim to it for the last few years. If he does well on Sunday in both races while F1 holds its parade around Monaco, that claim is going to be a lot harder to dispute.
(By the way, Ken Griffey Jr.’s gonna be in the pace car on Sunday at Indy. Great celebrity to do it. All-American guy.)
Stenhouse v. Busch
If Larson doesn’t do well? Maybe there’ll be a fight!
NASCAR’s All-Star Race last night stunk, as is its habit. The event is contrived. Every NASCAR race is an all-star race. This one was especially disappointing because NASCAR said, “Hey, we figured out how to fix short-track racing after accidentally ruining it when we switched to this new car,” and then the drivers went out there and found they still couldn’t pass, even with the gimmicky tire.
But, Kyle Busch thought Ricky Stenhouse Jr. pushed him into the wall early on, and Stenhouse (rightfully, judging by the tape) disagreed, and the result was one of the best sports fights in recent memory. Here’s a good angle. Here’s another one. The fireworks in the background really add some atmosphere.
Timberwolves Is Such a Cool Name
I think the sports media world has covered how fun the Timberwolves’ win was last night. I think we’ve hit it from enough angles. Two more, though, just in case:
First, the state of Minnesota’s official tourism department turned Anthony Edwards’s invitation to Charles Barkley* into a marketing campaign.**
Second, we don’t talk enough about how great of a nickname Timberwolves is.
It’s regional.
It’s badass.
It’s convenient to turn into a mascot and a logo.
There’s a push in society these days to make new sports names sound as much like MLS teams as possible. Timberwolves is a reminder to us of what we can do that isn’t depressingly lame. Other Big Four nicknames of this quality:
- Colorado Avalanche
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Dolphins
- Seattle Mariners
Honorable mention: Diamondbacks, Bulls, Devils (native to New Jersey), Steelers
Even among these four or eight, I don’t think any but Mariners and Dolphins comes close to Timberwolves. Elite naming.
*Charles Barkley has been to Minnesota. Five years ago, for the Final Four. Here’s a video of him dancing there.
**Shoutout to St. Paul’s tourism department chiming in with a fire emoji in the replies.
Joe Kelly’s Shoulder
I haven’t seen anything about Joe Kelly coming off the IL soon, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t coming off the IL soon. He’s eligible tomorrow, and it’s very possible the Dodgers haven’t told us because they want to make the Diamondbacks cower in fear.
Etc.
College basketball, with a focus on the NIT:
- Mississippi State extended Chris Jans, which is relevant to us because Mississippi State is so frequently in the vicinity of the NIT. We’ve wondered on this site whether Jans has any baggage from all of New Mexico State’s scandals in his wake, but he continues to look clean, to the extent that we really think he is clean, at least on that front. With NIL closing off the usual front, that probably means he’s clean overall. Why do we talk about this? Because we’re curious how slimy you need to be to win in the SEC.
- Thank you to Murph, the reader who sent us this 2010 NPR article about nuns playing basketball. Why did Murph send this to us? Because Sister Joan of Arc is Sundance Wicks’s sister.
Chicago:
- I don’t know what’s happening with the Cubs’ middle infield either, but I learned this weekend that Miles Mastrobuoni is bald, and I was shaken. This is mean, but it made his face make more sense.
Burnley and the Ottawa Senators:
- No drama from Burnley in the finale. Chris Wood scored right away, then Chris Wood scored again, and Chris Wood doesn’t play for Burnley anymore, so that was a bad thing. Ended up losing 2–1. Offseason’s on. I did appreciate the moment they gave Jack Cork the armband during his last appearance.
- Hockey worlds are still happening. Brady Tkachuk scored a hat trick, but it was against Kazakhstan, so everyone just yelled MY WIFE afterwards instead of throwing hats.
Austin FC:
- Austin beat Kansas City on Saturday. I wonder if anyone called it the Barbecue Bowl.
