captain if he had become an unrestricted free agent on Frid

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Federated Auto Parts 400 certainly didnt provide a brilliant showcase for the upcoming NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup.The 407-lapper Saturday evening at Richmond International Raceway was supposed to be a dramatic build-up for NASCARs elimination-style playoffs but instead served as a tedious, four-hour demonstration of Toyota dominance.Martin Truex Jr. tried to make things exciting, driving the fastest car through the field from 27th place to contend for the win following a pit-lane speeding penalty. But the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Camry fell short, finishing third behind winner Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson.A race-record 16 cautions slowed the average speed to 85.778 mph, the kind of pace Im hoping to achieve for the drive back home to Indianapolis on Sunday.The highlight of the long evening was a no-holds-barred interview from Ryan Newman after he was eliminated from Chase contention when his fellow Hoosier,?Tony Stewart, triggered the most damaging of the nights many wrecks.Hamlin, who won for the third time this year for Joe Gibbs Racing and entered the Chase as the No. 3 seed, was far less colorful in his postrace remarks.The native of Chesterfield, Virginia, was clearly delighted to have triumphed for the third time at what he considers his home track.Its awesome, Hamlin said. Ive won at home before and every one is better than the next, especially going into the Chase. Any time you can win going into the Chase, it really gives you a huge momentum boost. We were already on a roll, it seems, over the last two months and this just caps it off.This is as peaky as you can get going into the Chase.With none of the 10 tracks in the Chase resembling Richmonds fast 3/4-mile bullring, Saturdays result by itself cant be used as a predictor moving forward.But headed by defending Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, Toyota drivers hold five of the top seven seeds for the Chase.Between the four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers and Truex, who drives for the affiliated Furniture Row Racing team, Toyotas won 13 of the 26 regular-season races and led more than half of all laps.Still, JGRs Hamlin refuses to call himself or any of his fellow Toyota drivers a favorite for the 10-race Chase.I think any one of these guys can get going, Hamlin said. You dont know what they have at the shop waiting to come racing. So I think its really hard to figure out whats going to happen.Chevrolet driver Larson has really stepped up his game over the past month or so, and obviously the No. 4 (2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick)?has great speed week in and week out in his Chevy.Until you get to Chicago and see how the first race goes, to me, thats the barometer of where were really at, Hamlin added. But I like our chances at this point.Truex has led more laps than any other driver in 2016 and posted a pair of race wins. But once again Saturday, he watched a race slip out of his hands.Despite his disappointment in finishing third, Truex said hes feeling good about the upcoming playoffs.Our chances are as good as anybodys, Truex said. I dont think anybody has got a leg up on us, for sure. Weve got fast cars and smart people. The cars have been fast all year long, weve shown that. Weve got to do our job and be consistent like weve done for the past couple weeks, and hopefully we can keep that up.Weve got a lot of confidence, and I think thats really important. We feel like weve got a really good shot at it.With the Toyotas dominating at the front and the many cautions limiting excitement to a minimum, it was up to Newman and Stewart to spice up things.They got together with 37 laps remaining, sweeping in six other cars and bringing out a 21-minute red flag. Newman said that Stewart intentionally drove into him before later launching into an extraordinary verbal attack.I guess he thought he was in a Sprint Car again -- didnt know how to control his anger, Newman said. He should be retired the way he drives. Its just ridiculous.I dont think there was any reason other than him just being bipolar and having anger issues. Google Tony Stewart; youll see all kinds of things hes done. Look it up. YouTube and everything else. Quite the guy.Said Stewart: Hes right. That was the third time he had driven into me tonight. How many times does a guy get a free pass before youve had enough of it? Three times? Thats two more times than I normally let somebody run into me.If Richmond was generally a boring race, does that mean NASCAR fans are in for a boring Chase? Not necessarily. Team Penske features a strong two-car attack for Ford, while Chevrolet hopes that Hendrick Motorsports can regain its championship-winning form.I think there are so many well-prepared cars, and this is going to be a battle, said winning team owner Joe Gibbs. Theres no way you can pick a favorite right now because its a series of three-race playoffs. In the past, Denny has been knocked out and Kyle has been knocked out. You cant afford a bad race. Youve got to be consistent, but you also have got to be on your game and race extremely hard.Its the greatest reality show going. Cheap Shoes NZ .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Shoes NZ Nike . U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield in Manhattan agreed that lawyers on both sides could make their formal requests by Nov. 8. A hearing is scheduled for a day earlier. Jordan Siev, a lawyer for Rodriguez, wrote in a joint letter to the judge from lawyers on both sides that MLB lawyers planned to ask that the lawsuit be dismissed. https://www.shoesnzonline.com/ . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Shoes NZ Outlet . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Shoes NZ From China . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. TAMPA, Fla. -- Loyalty, respect and the potential to win for years to come kept Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay.The Lightning captain said Thursday that he followed his heart in re-signing with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2008 rather than testing free agency, where he likely would have commanded much more than the $68 million hes due to earn over the next eight seasons.Some people when theyre in this position chase, obviously, the most money possible, the two-time NHL scoring champion said during a conference call.For me, I realize the situation and understood that there could have been some money left out there. But for me, thats not what its all about. Its about going to an organization that I was comfortable with, and something that gave me the best chance to win in my mind, Stamkos added.It was a very tough decision. It truly was. I cant sit here and say this past week has been fun. ... It was pretty stressful, to be honest. Im glad its over with.A person with direct knowledge of how the contract is structured said Stamkos will make $9.5 million in each of the first five years of the deal, then $7.5 million in 2021-22 and $6.5 million in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because those details have not been revealed.Stamkos, who helped the Lightning reach the Eastern Conference final three times in eight seasons, cited his relationship with owner Jeff Vinik, his respect for general manager Steve Yzerman and the coaching staff, as well as a talented nucleus of players built to win for years as significant factors in his decision.Tampa Bay lost to Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, then made it back to the Eastern Conference final this year before falling to Pittsburgh in seven games.Stamkos is the teams biggest star, but hardly a one-man show on a roster also featuring defenseman Victor Hedman, young forwards Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn, and goalie Ben Bishop.My intention all along was to hopefully work something out with Tampa. Its been a great eight years that Ive been here. ... This team is on the verge of hopefully competing for Stanley Cups for years to come, the four-time All-Star said. With me being a captain, and being the leader of that team, I felt kind of in my heart that was always the plaace I wanted to stay.ddddddddddddtamkos has won the Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHLs top scorer twice, including 2011-12, when he had a career-best 60. Hes had 40-plus goals in a season four times and had a shot at doing it again this year before being sidelined in April by surgery to treat a blood clot discovered near his right collarbone.The injury kept him out of the lineup until Tampa Bays 2-1 loss to the Penguins in Game 7 of the East final.Yzerman announced the deal Wednesday night, saying he believes the 26-year-old center is entering the prime of his career and that his best years are ahead of him.Stamkos willingness to accept less money than he figured to be offered by potential suitors in free agency provides the Lightning with some flexibility in trying to keep the teams core intact in coming seasons.Were trying to put as competitive a team on the ice (as possible) and we asked Stammer, will you work us on this? This is what were trying to do. Were trying to be the best team we possibly can be, Yzerman said.Stamkos hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings were among the teams expected to make a run at the Tampa Bay captain if he had become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.I think Tampa gives me the best chance to win and be successful moving forward, Stamkos said.Obviously being there the past eight years and knowing what to expect, knowing what we have going forward with the core group of guys we have plays into the decision, he added. And for me, it was just following your heart and being loyal to an organization that has brought me up and made me the player and the person I am today.Stamkos, who has 312 goals, agreed with Yzermans assessment that hes yet to peak as player.A lot of people are going base your performance on statistics and goals and points, but I can say 100 percent that Im a better player in all areas than I was when I first entered the league, Stamkos said.Theres still lots of room to grow as a player, to get better, he added. As long as youre willing to put the work in, theres no reason why it shouldnt happen.---AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., contributed to this report. ' ' '