Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Weekly Pull List: 11/30/2016

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on CBR.

BOOM! Studios
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers #9

Image
Saga #40

Marvel
Deadpool: Back in Black #4
Extraordinary X-Men #16
Guardians of the Galaxy #14
Inhumans vs. X-Men #0
Star Wars Annual #2


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Weekly Pull List: 11/23/2016

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on CBR.

Image
Chew #60

Marvel
All-New X-Men Annual #1
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
Civil War II #7
Deadpool Too Soon #2
Death of X #4
Marvel Tsum Tsum #4
Spider-Gwen #14
Star Wars #25
Star Wars: Han Solo #5
Venom #1

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Jimmie Johnson Wins at Homestead to Win 7th Championship

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Jimmie Johnson won his record-tying seventh Sprint Cup Series Championship on Sunday by winning the Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Johnson had to start last after his team was sent to the back for unapproved body modifications prior to the green flag.  Johnson avoided a late-race accident to move to the front, and he held off Kyle Larson and fellow Chase driver Joey Logano to win the race and the championship.
 
Sean Gardner (Getty Images)
“I didn’t think the race was unfolding for us like we needed to be the champs,” Johnson said.  “Some luck came our way and we were able to win the race and win the championship.”

Johnson said he didn’t think he would be able to win after running behind Logano, Busch and Carl Edwards most of the day, but that he was able to stay calm all day and was strong when it counted.

“I had this crazy calmness over myself all day long and leading into this,” Johnson said.  “Even with us running fifth, and the championship not looking like it was going to be there, I just felt something.”

Johnson is now tied with NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty with seven Sprint Cup Series championships.  Johnson said the record was something special to be a part of.
“It’s big…number seven has a special place in my heart,” Johnson said.  

Rick Hendrick, Johnson’s team owner, said he was excited to see one of his drivers stand among NASCAR’s elite.

“To see him tie Richard and Dale…it’s unbelievable,” Hendrick said.  “To do it through all these different formats has been so special.”

Unofficial results:
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Larson
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Joey Logano
5. Jamie McMurray
6. Kyle Busch
7. Matt Kenseth
8. AJ Allmendinger
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Michael McDowell
11. Chase Elliott
12. Austin Dillon
13. Kurt Busch
14. Paul Menard
15. Brian Scott
16. Alex Bowman
17. Greg Biffle
18. Casey Mears
19. Danica Patrick
20. Trevor Bayne
21. Landon Cassill
22. Tony Stewart
23. Clint Bowyer
24. Chris Buescher
25. Ryan Newman
26. Ryan Blaney
27. Matt DiBenedetto
28. Michael Annett
29. David Ragan
30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
31. Jeffrey Earnhardt
32. Reed Sorenson
33. Ty Dillon
34. Carl Edwards
35. Brad Keselowski
36. Martin Truex Jr.
37. Kasey Kahne
38. Regan Smith
39. Dylan Lupton
40. Aric Almirola

Sean Gardner (Getty Images)

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Weekly Pull List: 11/16/2016

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on CBR.

Image
Invincible #131

Marvel
Amazing Spider-Man #21
Carnage #14
Deadpool #22
Silk #14
Spider-Man #9
Thanos #1
Uncanny X-Men Annual #1

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Logano Wins at Phoenix, Will Fight for Sprint Cup Title

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Joey Logano won the Can-Am 500 from Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday afternoon to clinch his spot in the Championship Round next weekend at Homestead.

Logano came into the race needing a good finish to make the final round of the Chase, and the race was decided over two late restarts.  Logano took the lead on the final restart in overtime, and was able to get to victory lane.
 
Jonathan Ferrey (Getty Images)
Logano said the win was one of the biggest of his career.

“I’m speechless right now, I feel like I just won the Daytona 500 again,” Logano said.  “I never felt this good about a win before, and with so much on the line.”

Needing a finish no worse than second, Logano said his team stepped it up with the season on the line.

“Everyone brings their ‘A’ game when it comes to winning championships, and this team did it,” Logano said.  “We did exactly what we had to do; we get to go to Homestead to do the same thing.”

Over the final run of the race, it looked as if Matt Kenseth was going to win to clinch a spot in the final round.  But after a caution sent the race into overtime, contact with Alex Bowman sent Kenseth into the wall and out of the Chase.

Kenseth said he was disappointed his team couldn’t get it done.

“We had that race in control, even that last restart, and ended up giving it away,” Kenseth said.  “[Bowman] was laying way back on that restart…and I got out at the start/finish and it looked okay.”

“I got turned and was headed towards the fence.  I really don’t know what happened.”

On that late restart, Bowman threw a block on Kyle Busch, which sent Bowman’s car into Turn 1 with more speed than it could handle.  Busch said he didn’t mean for the contact to take out his teammate, and that he didn’t think Bowman would block him when he had such a big run.

“I got a little bit better restart than [Bowman] did, and I felt like I got a run on him,” Busch said.  “I got enough to the inside of him that if he chopped me he was going to get hit and wrecked, and that’s what happened.”

“It carried on into the 20 [of Kenseth], so I guess I essentially wrecked a teammate.”

Next weekend at Homestead, the Championship 4 will fight for the Sprint Cup Championship.  Logano, Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards will fight for the championship, and the top finishing driver will be crowned the champion. 

Unofficial results:
1. Joey Logano
2. Kyle Busch
3. Kyle Larson
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Kurt Busch
6. Alex Bowman
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Chase Elliott
10. Paul Menard
11. Jamie McMurray
12. Ryan Newman
13. Kasey Kahne
14. Brad Keselowski
15. Tony Stewart
16. Greg Biffle
17. AJ Allmendinger
18. Casey Mears
19. Carl Edwards
20. Landon Cassill
21. Matt Kenseth
22. Aric Almirola
23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
24. Clint Bowyer
25. Matt DiBenedetto
26. Michael Annett
27. Regan Smith
28. Trevor Bayne
29. Danica Patrick
30. Brian Scott
31. David Ragan
32. Chris Buescher
33. Jeffrey Earnhardt
34. Michael McDowell
35. DJ Kennington
36. Reed Sorenson
37. Gray Gaulding
38. Jimmie Johnson
39. Austin Dillon
40. Martin Truex Jr.

Robert Laberge (Getty Images)

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Weekly Pull List: 11/9/2016

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on CBR.

IDW
Back to the Future #14

Marvel
All-New X-Men #15
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1
Clone Conspiracy #2
Deadpool Back in Black #3
Gwenpool #8
Spider-Man Deadpool #11
Star Wars: Poe Dameron #8
Uncanny X-Men #15

Monday, November 7, 2016

Edwards Wins Wet AAA Texas 500

Originally written for CLNS Radio

Carl Edwards won the AAA Texas 500 from Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday night after rain ended the race with 40 laps to go.

Edwards raced Martin Truex Jr. over the final 100 laps for the lead, but it wasn’t until the final pit stop that Edwards was able to get out front.  Edwards’ team got him the lead, and he ran away from Truex and Joey Logano until the rain came.
 
Sarah Crabill (Getty Images)
Edwards said his team’s fast pit stop got him the victory.

“[Crew chief] Dave Rogers and the guys, they got me off pit road first and that’s what won it for us,” Edwards said.  “I’ve got an amazing group of guys; they work so well together.  My pit crew has worked really hard this year.”

Rain delayed the start of the race by almost five hours, changing it from a day race to a night race that promised to have major Chase implications.  Edwards came into the race needing a victory after finishing 36th at Martinsville one week ago.

“This was a test; we came in and knew what we had to do, and we performed the way we needed to,” Edwards said.  “I really believe we can do that at Homestead.”

“We’ve got a shot at the championship, and that’s all we wanted this year.nnI can’t wait to go to Homestead; it’s going to be a blast.”

Logano finished second after leading 178 of 293 laps.  Logano said the handle on his car went away in the middle of the race, but his team continued to work hard to give him a shot at the victory over the final run.

“We had a good restart there at the end, and started running down the 19 [of Edwards] that last two or three laps, and I thought we could get…back out front,” Logano said.  “It’d have been interesting to see if we’d gotten another 10 to 15 laps...but it is what it is.”

Unofficial results:
1. Carl Edwards
2. Joey Logano
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Chase Elliott
5. Kyle Busch
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Ryan Newman
11. Jimmie Johnson
12. Ryan Blaney
13. Alex Bowman
14. Brad Keselowski
15. Kyle Larson
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
17. AJ Allmendinger
18. Greg Biffle
19. Jamie McMurray
20. Kurt Busch
21. Chris Buescher
22. Aric Almirola
23. Michael McDowell
24. Danica Patrick
25. Clint Bowyer
26. Regan Smith
27. Brian Scott
28. Paul Menard
29. Landon Cassill
30. Trevor Bayne
31. Tony Stewart
32. Michael Annett
33. David Ragan
34. Jeffrey Earnhardt
35. Reed Sorenson
36. Joey Gase
37. Austin Dillon
38. Ryan Ellis
39. Casey Mears
40. Josh Wise

Jerry Markland (Getty Images)