Associated Press
The NASCAR notebook …
LONG POND, Pa. — Forget green, yellow and checkered.
Could Carl Edwards’ primary color have been gold — as in a gold medal at the Olympics?
Uh, no.
While Edwards loves to nail his signature backflip after each NASCAR victory, he does have the aid of a stock car to serve as his stand in for a balance beam.
He’ll stick to flips at Victory Lane instead of medal stands.
“I need a race car out there to jump off to do any gymnastics,” Edwards said. “I have been watching, and it has been really neat to watch.”
Could there ever be a day where “start your engines” is heard — on tape delay, of course — at the Olympics?
Hey, if pros such as LeBron James and Serena Williams can compete in the Olympics, why not throw the world’s best drivers out there every four years?
“I don’t know if the world is ready for a bunch of race car drivers in the Olympics,” Edwards said with a laugh. “I don’t know if Bob Costas could explain some of the things we do or say.”
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PHILLY FAN: Denny Hamlin has become Philadelphia’s two-sport star.
Hamlin was invited last season by coach Doug Collins to address the Philadelphia 76ers during their playoff run and played a game of HORSE with guards Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner.
Hamlin recently stopped by Philadelphia Eagles training camp and played catch with quarterback Michael Vick. Forget racing for the Sprint Cup championship. There were almost more nerves trying to catch a simple pass than there are gearing up to drive 400 miles at Pocono.
Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson hollered “Don’t miss it!” as Vick had Hamlin go deep.
“It was pretty cool,” Hamlin said. “I tried kicking a field goal and I thought that 30 yards would be simply a chip shot and we had to move way in and I still didn’t make it. I found something that I’m pretty bad at.”
Hamlin said Vick is an athlete he’s always admired.
Maybe next year Hamlin can try and sneak a wrist shot past Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov or take some cuts off Phillies ace Cole Hamels.
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SMOKE SAID IT: Long one of the most maligned tracks in Sprint Cup, Pocono Raceway has made needed upgrades over the last few years that left drivers raving about the new look at the triangle track.
Well, most drivers.
Asked what he liked best and least about Pocono, defending champion Tony Stewart was his typical blunt self.
“The thing I look forward to the most is getting on the helicopter to leave,” he said. “The thing I look forward to the least is getting off the plane when I get here.”
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NICKNAMES: The UFC on Fox card Saturday night featured fighters nicknamed “The Truth,” “Shogun,” “The Dragon,” and “Darth.”
Somehow, the “Rainbow Warrior,” might not have worked in the octagon.
“I don’t think so,” Jeff Gordon said, laughing. “You better kick some (rear) if you’ve got that name. The difference is, they come up with their names. I didn’t come up with that one.”
These days, Gordon goes by, “four time.” It’s a fitting handle for the four-time Cup champion.
“I like that one,” he said.
Gordon turned 41 on Saturday.