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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to Jim France fielding a car in NASCAR race, questions timing on pause
David Tucker / News-Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his thoughts on the report of NASCAR co-owner and CEO Jim France coming close to fielding a car in the Cup Series. On Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt questioned the timing of France putting a stop to fielding a car operated by Spire Motorsports.

“This idea of Jim France getting Spire to do this deal so he could run this driver, all of this has been probably worked on for a month, two months, maybe more,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “They were probably planning this, maybe they saw what went down at [IndyCar] and had second thoughts.

“I’m certain they saw what went down in Indy and thought, ‘Let’s rethink this. Should we do this? Should we not?’ I agree. It’s problematic at Indy at the level. It’s a tough thing to navigate where Penske is competing, but also the owner of the Series.”

Why Jim France squashed the plan to field a car in the NASCAR Cup Series

Earnhardt added: “The thing about Roger Penske is he has so much respect amongst the industry. This is not a great time in the industry for Jim with the lawsuit. Is this an issue if everybody, the industry leaders and the charter owners all thought everything was going perfectly? Would they mind then if Jim ran an open car with this guy through Spire? Probably not. That’s why Roger Penske has been able to get to this point at least without any issue.”

Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported last week that Jim France was near a deal to fund a car in an upcoming series race before backlash in the garage scrapped those plans. France was set to financially support an entry for the Cup road-course race in July at Sonoma Raceway. Jack Aitken was scheduled to be the driver.

Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson confirmed the plans but said France would not have fielded the car directly. It was intended to be a Spire entry staffed by Spire personnel.

“I didn’t really even think it was that big of a deal,” Dickerson said. “I didn’t even think it was that deep.” Gluck and Bianchi said that many in the garage were uncomfortable with the idea of competing against someone who also owned the series, as it could lead to a potential conflict of interest. France and NASCAR have not commented on the story.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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NFL

Matthew Stafford news highlights potential need for Rams

Matthew Stafford's latest injury raises concerns about the depth of the Los Angeles Rams' quarterback room. Stafford suffered a back injury last season, and it's bothering him again at training camp. Rams head coach Sean McVay said the medical concern will force the QB to miss five practices, but it's not season-ending. "He's been throwing, feeling good. It's not necessarily anything that's new. Something that he's dealt with before," the coach told the media. "Going into year 17, we were going to take a modified approach with him, kind of similar to what we did in the offseason program. And so we'll allow him to kind of just work off to the side, on his own, getting himself feeling as good as possible." Stafford's durability has already been waning. The 37-year-old QB missed eight games because of a spine injury and concussion during the 2022 season. The following season, he missed one game because of a right thumb injury. The Rams have a capable backup QB, Jimmy Garoppolo. He has a 43-21 starting record in the regular season in 11 years with the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Rams. Garoppolo, however, is injury-prone. He has battled foot, ankle, knee and shoulder issues over the course of his career. Rams QB Stetson Bennett — a fourth-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft — has yet to throw a pass in a regular-season game. Plenty of solid free-agent QBs are still available, including one-time Pro Bowler Carson Wentz. He would be a more trustworthy option than Bennett and already knows the Rams' system. The 2016 first-rounder played for the team during the 2023 season. The Rams hope to win their third Super Bowl after consecutive playoff appearances. Injuries at the most important position could derail their aspirations. McVay doesn't seem too concerned about Stafford's health, but L.A. should still consider adding another QB as a precaution.

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MLB

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Is Giants' Joe Schoen already having second thoughts about Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders decision?
NFL

Is Giants' Joe Schoen already having second thoughts about Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders decision?

The New York Giants were routinely linked with quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Giants ultimately traded back into the first round to select Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart at pick No. 25. For a piece published on Monday, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News revisited how Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll ended up with Dart instead of Sanders earlier this year. "Members of the Giants’ staff had fawned over Shedeur Sanders," Leonard wrote. "Giants brass had spent a lot more time with Sanders during the fall. Then, Daboll’s increased participation after the NFL season steered the process in a different direction." Sanders allegedly had a rough visit with Daboll ahead of the draft, and a report from early May revealed that "Sanders openly acknowledged during the predraft process that he didn't hit it off with Giants coaches." A different story claimed that Schoen "shifted his preference to Dart this spring as head coach Brian Daboll warmed to Dart as a player and person and Schoen rounded out his own evaluation" before the draft got underway. That said, Schoen raised some eyebrows when he said during a May interview that he knew the club would select Dart over Sanders as of "the week of the draft." Schoen also said the decision was the result of a "collaborative process." According to Leonard, those comments were seen by some as "not exactly a firm endorsement of a player standing out above the rest" as it pertains to the quarterbacks. "...Schoen’s lukewarm rhetoric and reluctance to stick his neck out about Dart caught the attention of some people around the league," Leonard added. "And it has put the rookie in a strange position: trying to validate support that almost sounds conditional." Meanwhile, Sanders fell to the draft's fifth round before the Cleveland Browns traded up to grab him at selection No. 144. As of Monday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Sanders (+870 odds) and Dart (+1060 odds) as significant betting underdogs to serve as Week 1 starters in September. Cleveland is expected to go with Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett for its regular-season opener, while Russell Wilson is on track to start for the Giants against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7. In short, fans may have to wait a long time to learn if Schoen has any buyer's remorse about possibly being talked into drafting Dart when Sanders was on the board.

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