Still stuck in first gear when it comes to all things NASCAR..

Before discussing Michael Crabtree, the upcoming weekend in College Basketball and which NFL quarterback I compare to the current cast of Saturday Night Live...

NASCAR Nation – A smart blogger would probably try to pander to you folks with a shiny new post about his or her detailed thoughts on the first race in the Sprint Cup Series, otherwise known as “The Great American Race”, the Daytona 500, regardless of whether he is a gear head or not. That’s just not my style.

I fall into the category of sports fans that simply do not grasp, understand or are not engaged in the world or auto racing, though I have given it more than a college try. I even have a NASCAR Fantasy League championship on my hypothetical gaming resume (though I have to say it would be on the second page, somewhere below my Fantasy PGA Golf title, but ahead of my 2008 American Idol Pool co-championship. Yes, I have a problem).

Truth is, I can enjoy and even at times, understand the actual racing (though for a detailed analysis of the big race, you will want to check out our Daytona preview). I mean, who does not find a tight race, with cars going three and four wide coming around the final turns, to be rather electrifying. We can all relate to being two lanes over on the highway with our exit fast approaching and trying to pass that car that just…won’t...get…out of our way.

No, it is all that behind the scenes action that takes place in pits, over the walls and in the garages that clogs up my brain engine. Coming from a guy that has never changed his own oil, that revelation might not be a shock.

With all that said, I am jumping in with both feet this year and picking sides (ok, lets be realistic and say I’m hoping on one foot for now, but if I nail the winner this week, I’ll be strutting around town in a shirt loaded with my drivers various sponsors on it. Heck, my cell phone provider is Sprint. Does that already make me part of the “nation”?). Therefore, after two hours of prep work, which included watching ESPN and Googling “NASCAR Odds”, I have decided which two drivers I will be on board with this season.

First, coming up on the outside is Greg Biffle, who won twice last year and has a previous win on the Daytona track. However, what is my true rationale for liking the #16 car? He could not have been nicer when I interviewed him last year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he and other drivers were meeting with the troops.

Hey, personal interaction goes a long way when it comes to making picks (I once drafted former MLB pitcher Woody Williams simply because the previous season, after a brief pre-game interview, we had a 10-minute conversation about the upcoming fantasy football season and he seemed to like my take. The half-dozen wins he got me was worth it. I often assume it is just that type of interaction that causes Dan Snyder to acquire overvalue the likes of Adam Archuleta, Brandon Lloyd and Devin Thomas.

(Whoops, I jumped the gun on a future column where I bash my beloved Redskins and their Napoleonic owner. The faithful might say um, Ben, free agency and the draft are still weeks away. How do you know what the future holds for the Burgundy and Gold? My response; like a horror movie freak who has watched all the Friday the 13^th flicks, I know the ending is usually disturbing and predictable. Anyway…)

As for the other driver on team Benny Backseat Driver – who will also double as my Daytona 500 pick to win - I am going with none other than the Speed Racer clone, the surprisingly effective occasional guest host on “Live with Regis and Kelly”, the “Rainbow Warrior” himself: Jeff Gordon. His qualifying race win may not count in the Sprint Cup standings, but it was his first win of any kind since he rode into victory lane at Lowe’s Motor Speedway 16 months ago and building momentum for any team or athlete can be sometimes be half the battle. Besides, it is kind of fun picking the underdog, at least in terms of overall fan affection and recent on the track action results. That much I get. 

Weekend at Bennie’s – What I will be focusing in between updating my Facebook status (Ben is finishing his daily blog and then will take a nap)

- Who is in and who is out for next week’s NFL combine. Among the early notables rumored to be a no-show includes Georgia QB Matthew Stafford, projected by many to be the overall #1 pick. This story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution gives the former Bulldog star a gentle nudge, suggesting it is in his long-term best interest ($$$) to post in Indianapolis. Considering I think the talented but erratic Stafford is anything but a lock to be a long-time NFL starter, I think doing whatever it takes to maximize this initial contract is the way to go.

- Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree will attend the combine, but will not run for the stopwatch crowd, which of course sets off all the “is he too slow” rumors. Rams and Seahawks fans, don't panic. The player projected in many mock drafts (I would say it is about a 50-50 split among the ones I have read as to whether the former Red Raider star is selected with the second or fourth pick) is plenty fast enough. As this Fort Worth Star-Telegram story discusses, Crabtree simply makes plays. I will take a player who is tagged with a Larry Fitzgerald comparison any day.

- Here is the official list of those invited to the combine. My favorite names: Sam Houston State QB Rhett Bomar, Marshall WR Darius Passmore and yes, LSU DT Marlon Favorite.

- Another big weekend of college basketball, with the NCAA Tourney getting ever so closer on the calendar, starting with an odd Friday night Big East clash (I’m calling for WVU to upset #13 ranked Villanova on Friday the 13^th with the Cats are coming off a big home win over Marquette). Other teams that could use a win over a ranked opponent to improve their chances of reaching the big dance include Georgetown (yes, they win at rival #23 Syracuse and get off the bubble for the moment) and Florida State (no, even though #7 Wake Forest is scuffling. The Demon Deacons will show up against the Seminoles).

Arizona should be a projected dancer in most brackets following a 5-game winning streak. That run will end at home against #11 UCLA, who needs a win to keep up in the Pac-10 after a second straight loss to Arizona State on Thursday.