Danica, have at it and have a good time

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02/08/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR officials originally set the theme for this year's Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway last month when they told Sprint Cup Series drivers, "boys, have at it and have a good time." Officials said they were easing up on some on-track rules for drivers at Daytona to make racing more competitive and enjoyable for fans.

But after racing sensation Danica Patrick's announcement on Monday that her much-anticipated Nationwide Series debut has been bumped up one week earlier to Saturday's DRIVE4COPD 300 season-opener at Daytona, the main topic for Speedweeks now should be "girl, have at it."

Patrick initially was scheduled to make her Nationwide debut with JR Motorsports -- a team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- in the February 20 race at California, but her schedule now has changed due to her stellar performance in the ARCA event at Daytona this past weekend.

Yes. "Go Daddy Girl" quickly is moving up the ranks and playing with the big boys on the high banks of Daytona, and it should be an entertaining affair.

Patrick's readiness to make her foray into NASCAR's second-tier series at Daytona will be the subject of much debate from now until the green flag waves for the 300-mile event.

"I think it's quite the arena to run my first Nationwide race," Patrick said. "It's going to be a challenge."

Patrick looked impressive in her stock car racing debut with a sixth-place finish in the 80-lap ARCA event at Daytona. She held her pace and avoided a rash of accidents until former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr. tapped her front fender and put her into a spin on the frontstretch just past the halfway point. Patrick rallied in the closing laps to become the highest finishing female at Daytona since Shawna Robinson recorded a second-place run in the 1999 ARCA race.

"It was good at the beginning; we were just kind of hanging out, and there was a lot of [cautions] obviously," Patrick said. "The car seemed like it was sliding around a bit more, and it feels like I got bumped into [turns] one and two.

"Then I kind of slid up the track, and I was a little loose in the kink anyway, which probably could have been from bumping behind in two. I just couldn't hang on. I went up the track a little, and I just got shuffled back."

Patrick said she wants to race more at Daytona after enjoying her ARCA experience there.

However, making her Nationwide debut at Daytona instead of California might pose more of a challenge for her than expected. With more than a dozen Sprint Cup regulars, including Earnhardt Jr., entered in the 300-mile event, can she hold up in the draft and avoid running into trouble?

Earnhardt Jr. seems to think she can do it.

"I really don't have the urge to give her a bunch of advice," Earnhardt Jr. said. "She's a smart racecar driver and probably has a great game plan already built up in her head. She doesn't need to have people telling her what to do so that she starts second-guessing herself."

With her enormous popularity and wide marketability, Patrick has been a racing icon since she began her IndyCar rookie season in 2005. Not only does Patrick hold the record as the only female to win an IndyCar race, but she also has graced Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue the past two years and continues to serve as a GoDaddy.com spokesperson. The 27-year-old appeared in two commercials for the web hosting company during the Super Bowl. She will guest star on the CBS television hit drama "CSI: NY" on Wednesday.

Patrick has been the center of attention in NASCAR for quite some time, but her Nationwide debut at Daytona has now made "Danica-mania" even bigger.

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Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

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Problem with Bears?

Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.

"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."

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Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.

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