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While the 2024 NASCAR season concluded almost a month ago, fans have had more than their share of racing news with the 23XI Racing-Front Row antitrust lawsuit against the governing body and Silly Season moves seemingly happening on a daily basis across one of the three national touring series.
On Friday, Jordan Anderson Racing produced the latest headlines with the announcement of its two-driver roster for the Xfinity Series in 2025 and how it will include veteran and returning driver Jeb Burton, as well as Blaine Perkins, who drove for RSS Racing last year.
That news confirmed Parker Retzlaff would not be returning to the No. 31 car next year for a third season with the team.
Burton appeared as a guest on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and talked about coming back for another year with JAR and his personal expectations. He also got candid and discussed what happened to Retzlaff.
“You know, Parker Retzlaff was a great teammate,” Burton said. “Me and him got along. Wish him the best in his future. The reason Parker's not coming back — has nothing to do with Blaine. It has nothing to do with him. Our sport takes funding and we've all been there. I told Parker a couple of weeks ago that keep his head held high and he'll find something.
@JebBurtonRacing shared reason @Parker79p isn't returning next year as his teammate is due to funding and candidly spoke of his own similar experiences and the "dark place" it can be. pic.twitter.com/97pdyWSYZH
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) December 6, 2024
“He's only 21 years old, right? I've been in the same spot that Parker's in right now and it can be a dark place, but he's 21 years old and he's gonna have a good future. So he's a good little race car driver as well.”
NASCAR is fun and entertaining to the fans but at the end of the day, it's a business that's powered by sponsors. The drivers understand that. Retzlaff knew that and like so many others before him has become another casualty of the system.
More must-reads:
- NASCAR Championship Race preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines
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- The 'NFL passer rating leaders' quiz
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Rick Hendrick Sets the Record Straight on Hendrick Motorsports’ 2025 Season Full of Highs and Lows
Dolphins quickly become NFL's most hopeless situation
There are a lot of teams in the NFL that are already out of the playoff race this season and facing long roads back to contention. There might not be a single franchise that is facing a grimmer, bleaker situation than the Miami Dolphins. The franchise has not won a playoff game in 26 years, the longest ongoing drought in the NFL, and it is going to continue this season. They have mostly been mediocre in recent years only qualified for the playoffs just four times in the past 23 years. They have had no recent success, are having no current success, and do not seem likely to have success anytime soon in the future. Whatever momentum and shine they may have had from last week's big win over the Atlanta Falcons was completely erased on Thursday night in an embarrassing performance against the Baltimore Ravens in a 28-6 defeat. There were zero positives to take away from it, and it is hard to see where a quick fix comes from. The Ravens beat the Dolphins, and the Dolphins beat themselves Coming out of halftime on Thursday night, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said they were playing against two teams in the first half, referencing the fact they had several self-inflicted mistakes that helped cost them points, stall drives and give points to Baltimore. They had long drives on offense get bogged down by penalties, forcing them to settle for field goal attempts. They fumbled deep in their own territory to set the Ravens up for their first touchdown of the game, and then turned the ball over two other times later in the game. That is a losing recipe against almost any team in football, and especially against a team that is quarterbacked by Lamar Jackson. But that's only part of the problem for Miami, and it's largely only related to this game. The big picture problem is far more concerning. Tua Tagovailoa is not the answer Tagovailoa is far from the only problem in Miami right now. It's just not a good roster overall. But he also does not seem to be part of the solution, especially with a $53M salary cap number. The Dolphins are paying him like one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks — and one of its elite players — and they are not getting anything close to that level of play. He threw his league-leading 11th interception of the season on Thursday, and just looked like a quarterback that had no answers for anything. He lacks elite arm strength, and everything regarding the Dolphins offense is built around timing, their ability for the first read of their offense to get open, and his ability to hit it. When things do not work perfectly, the offense has zero chance to function. It has not worked. Tagovailoa's regression as a quarterback, combined with a gigantic contract that might quickly becoming one of the NFL's biggest albatross deals, is a big reason why this situation feels so grim. It is one thing to not have a quarterback. It is another thing entirely to invest in the wrong quarterback and be stuck with them and have almost no way out from it. Eventually head coach Mike McDaniel and probably general manager Chris Grier are going to be dismissed, and it will not be unfair given the roster and team they have built. Whoever comes in to replace them is going to have a mostly bare cupboard to restock with one of the NFL's worst contracts at its most important position. At least if you are the New York Jets or New Orleans Saints you can start over this offseason with a new quarterback. It seems almost impossible for the Dolphins to do that.
Cowboys WR George Pickens has telling response to question about contract
George Pickens is having an outstanding first season with the Dallas Cowboys, and the career-best pace has come at a time when he is preparing for potential free agency. Is it possible the star wide receiver could sign an extension before he gets to that point? Pickens says that is up to his boss. Pickens, who was drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, is in the final season of his rookie contract. He was asked on Thursday if he would consider signing a new deal with the Cowboys before he becomes a free agent after the season. He had a noteworthy response. "That’s kinda up to what (Jerry Jones) wants to do. All I can do is perform at my best," Pickens said. George Pickens has earned No. 1 wideout money Pickens has 685 receiving yards through the first eight weeks of the season, which ranks third in the NFL. His six touchdown catches are already the most of his four-year career. CeeDee Lamb missed several games this season with an ankle injury, and Pickens showed during that time that he is more than capable of being the featured wideout in a quality offense. That should go a long way toward setting his market, whether he re-signs with the Cowboys or becomes a free agent. With Lamb making an average of $34M per year, the Cowboys probably cannot afford to keep Pickens. For now, the 24-year-old is at least giving off the impression that he is open to the possibility. He also suggested recently that money is not the most important thing to him with his next contract, which could keep Dallas in the running.
Three wild quotes from Louisiana governor Jeff Landry that could wreck LSU head-coaching search
For three days, the LSU Tigers had the most appealing head-coaching opening in college football. That changed Wednesday, when first-term Louisiana governor Jeff Landry (R) opened his mouth. Below are three absurd statements from Landry that should make prospective candidates run in the other direction instead of considering becoming the next LSU head coach. 1. Who's in charge? What Landry said: "No, I can tell you right now [athletic director] Scott Woodward is not selecting our next coach. Maybe we'll let President Trump pick it." Reaction: What should terrify candidates the most is how unorganized the search for head coach is at the top, creating a trickle-down effect that could permeate throughout the program. With an embattled AD — who has since been fired — plus the university looking for its next president, LSU's next head coach has no way of knowing what administration he'll be answering to. That uncertainty is no way to attract elite candidates. 2. Pot, meet kettle What Landry said about hiring the next football coach at LSU: "We're gonna make sure that he's compensated properly, and we're gonna put metrics on it because I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill." Reaction: One of three programs with three national titles this century (joining Alabama and Ohio State), LSU has higher expectations for its football team than at most FBS programs. Landry's comments raise questions about how much time the Tigers will give their next head coach to construct a winner. What kind of metrics will be in place? It's normal for coaches to earn raises with conference or national championships, but what happens if Kelly's successor doesn't have the same immediate success he did, leading the team to the SEC title game and coaching a Heisman winner (Jayden Daniels) in his first two seasons? "I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country" is also a rich statement from a man whose state was ranked 46th of 50 states in education and last for economy by U.S. News World Report. 3. Politicians should stay out of sports What Landry said: "All I care about is what the taxpayers are going to be on the hook [for]." Reaction: Is it too much to ask that our elected officials know how things work? Landry was asked why LSU officials met with him at the governor's mansion before Kelly's firing, and his reasoning was nonsensical. Coaching buyouts, including Kelly's, are often paid through boosters with money to burn, not taxpayers. WDSU-New Orleans reporter Travers Mackel wrote on Monday that one private donor will foot the majority of Kelly's buyout. "Zero public money set aside for education, salaries or scholarships will be used," Mackel wrote. Landry's meddling in Kelly's firing is more than just concern for Louisiana taxpayers. "In the absence of a permanent president [at LSU], the governor has grabbed authority over key decisions," Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger wrote earlier this week. (A search for a new university president is in the final stages, according to The Advocate.) Politicians have no reason to get involved with college coaching decisions. Where does their influence end? What if the best available candidate doesn't share Landry's leanings? It's ridiculous to even have to consider. Well, everywhere but at LSU.
'TNF' takeaways: Lamar Jackson dazzles in return as Ravens humiliate Dolphins
The Baltimore Ravens dominated the Miami Dolphins in a 28-6 rout on "Thursday Night Football" as quarterback Lamar Jackson shined in his return from injury. Here are four takeaways from the first NFL game of Week 9: Lamar Jackson returns in style You would never know that Jackson had not played since Week 4 judging by his incredible performance on Thursday night. He wasted no time getting started with this fourth-down strike to tight end Mark Andrews in the opening quarter and capped his four-TD night with a nine-yard connection to wide receiver Rashod Bateman late in the third quarter. His 18 total TD passes against the Dolphins are the second-most all-time in five games vs. one opponent, only behind George Blanda's 21 against the New York Titans. After going 18-of-23 for 204 yards and four TDs, Jackson now has 14 passing TDs and only one interception in five games. If he stays healthy, this Ravens team will be difficult to slow down in the second half of the season. Mike McDaniel's seat keeps getting hotter It keeps getting worse for the Dolphins head coach after Thursday's latest dud. Miami had 332 yards of offense, but went 0-for-3 in the red zone and committed three turnovers, including a brutal one in their own territory in the first quarter. During a pregame segment on Prime Video, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was asked what McDaniel's future looks like in Miami and said his job status is "firmly up in the air." While he said he did not "see anything imminent" from owner Stephen Ross, it will come down to how the players respond going forward. Although he signed an extension prior to last season and is under contract through 2028, a 2-7 record and another blowout loss is doing nothing to help McDaniel's case at the moment. Kyle Hamilton spearheads strong defensive performance from Ravens The Ravens entered the night allowing the third-most points per game (30 PPG), but Thursday night was a much different story. The All-Pro safety Hamilton may have not had the most tackles on the team, but his impact was certainly felt with six total tackles and one tackle for loss. He was more impressive than the stats show, especially at creating pressure on Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and keeping Miami from having any success between the tackles. In the first quarter alone, Hamilton did not even line up as a safety in his first 15 snaps and still only gave up one yard rushing on four carries, opposed to 31 yards on three carries away from him, per Next Gen Stats. For a team that has struggled defensively, they need more of what they got on Thursday night if they are going to claw their way back into the AFC North conversation. Don't count the Ravens out yet It was not that long ago that Baltimore was 1-5 and staring at a wasted season. After back-to-back wins, an improving 3-5 record and a sloppy AFC North in which the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) are the only team above .500, the Ravens are firmly in the hunt. In fact, FanDuel currently lists them as the favorites (-145) to win the division as of Thursday night. The defense still needs to prove itself against stiffer competition, but if Jackson continues to ball out, the Ravens could complete a remarkable turnaround and mix up the AFC playoff picture.
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