From bad boy to “Oh, boy!”
It’s all about The Chase, the top 10 NASCAR drivers battling to the wire. Barring a multi-car crash or a temper tantrum, Tony Stewart should be officially and finally crowned champion of the NASCAR Nextel Cup series after the season’s last race, the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2 p.m. Sunday, KUSA-Channel 9).
Stewart only has to finish ninth or better on Sunday to wrap up his second NASCAR championship.
Stewart, whose career path, until this year, was studded with potholes of rants against the media and other drivers, has been a model of good behavior. And consistency. He has posted five wins, 17 top-5 finishes and 25 top-10 finishes. His average finish in 35 Nextel races has been 9.77.
Among his rivals, only Jimmie Johnson (52 points behind) and Carl Edwards (87 points down) have a realistic chance of overtaking Stewart.
In the greens
You can’t keep a good billionaire down.
Just three weeks after Hurricane Wilma tore through West Palm Beach, Fla., Trump International Golf Club is groomed and ready for the LPGA ADT Championship, last tournament on the women’s circuit, starting today.
Felled trees, torn-up greens and damaged foliage have been repaired.
First-round pairings include No. 1 Annika Sorenstam and No. 2 Paula Creamer (1 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday, Golf Channel, Comcast cable channel 69). The final round airs Sunday (11 a.m., KMGH-Channel 7).
Boys of winter
Need a baseball fix?
Fans who just didn’t get enough of the national pastime this summer can tune in to ESPN Deportes, the Spanish-language version of TV-sports giant ESPN, and watch play-by-play of the Dominican League.
Leones del Escogido and Tigres del Licey meet at 2 p.m. Sunday with Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal as analyst.
ESPN Deportes (Comcast digital cable) carries 30 Dominican League games on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons.
Around the dial
College football game of the week: No. 8 Alabama takes on No. 11 Auburn. The latter is a seven-point favorite (1:30 p.m. Saturday, KCNC-Channel 4) … ESPN and the National Hot Rod Association have signed a seven-year television contract extension through 2013 … The Walt Disney World Florida Classic, pitting Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, two predominantly black colleges, will be televised nationally for the first time in the game’s 26-year history (1:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU, available on college campuses) … Quotable: “For the second year in a row, it’s all come down to the last weekend undecided, and that’s exciting, not just for the fans, but for the competitors as well.” – NASCAR driver Ken Schrader.
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
