Here We Go Again ..... Snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As if last winter's records weren't enough, it looks like Biskit and I will be hunkering down for another tough winter here in the fine city of Chicago.

From Yahoo!: Private forecaster Accuweather.com said on Wednesday that heavy snow and extreme cold should be expected in the north central United States, especially in the Chicago area, in the coming winter.

The East Coast faces average to slightly above average snowfall during the winter of 2011-2012 as a Pacific La Nina again drives weather patterns across the United States.

"People in Chicago are going to want to move after this winter," Accuweather Long-Range Meteorologist Josh Nagelberg said in a statement.

Accuweather's forecast projects Chicago will again be hit by extreme cold weather and several blizzards, as it endured last winter when more than 50 inches fell on the city including a single storm that dropped 20 inches.

Read more here: http://news.yahoo.com/accuweather-forecasts-extreme-cold-winter-chicago-050227335.html

It's Been Awhile

The World of KK returns after a busy summer full of travel, moving (twice) and the usual work/life routine. Not much else new going on at the moment but I am enjoying my new apartment in Roscoe Village. It's a great and old neighborhood located on Chicago's north side, just a short walk to the Paulina 'L" stop and about 1.3 miles from the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Still plugging away for my man Harry on fantasy NASCAR but must admit, I haven't done as well as expected. I'm in 14th place overall right now, hope to crack the Top 8 by season's end. I've won two weeks which is more than I ever have but still, my goal was to win it all. Thankfully, the Pirates season ends Wednesday and that can't come soon enough. What started out as a fun and upstart team to watch turned into an old and crusty bunch of bums limping home after the break. Once again, a losing season is achieved and next year will be absolutely no different, if not worse. The rumors have already started about Andrew McCutchen being a tough sign. When/if that happens (him leaving/the Bucs making excuses as to why they didn't sign him), I'm done (well, at least I won't spend a dime to watch, attend or wear anything that will generate a dime for the Nutting regime). Frankly, I've been lied to enough and I lose more and more interest each year. I never thought I would ever say that. Until later....

Team Nationwide for Harry Goes Road Racing, Rolling 5

Team Nationwide for Harry hits its first road course under my tutelage this week at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Ca. I am not the biggest fan of these races but I do love the fact that you can and should always get five guys in the show for the week.

We left $18K on the table (leaving a chunk of cash is not uncommon when picking road racers) and went with the following:

Lineup:
no. 9 - Marcos Ambrose (30,000)
no. 24 - Jeff Gordon (35,000)
no. 42 - Juan Montoya (33,000)
no. 48 - Jimmie Johnson (41,000)
no. 51 - Boris Said (3,000)

I feel strongly that this lineup can yield a solid finish. They all made the show and here's where they will start:

no. 9 -- Marcos Ambrose -- 9th
no. 48 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 12th
no. 24 -- Jeff Gordon -- 13th
no. 42 -- Juan Montoya -- 17th
no. 51 -- Boris Said -- 30th

This post will be updated with post-race results.

Post-race results
Some late shenanigans by the no. 42 car of Juan Montoya cost Team Nationwide for Harry the win but still earned us a solid fourth-place finish this week.

We still had two drivers in the Top 5, and three in the Top 10 but the Montoya skirmishes along with an incident between Boris Said and Jeff Burton tarnished our dreams of a second win in three weeks.

Overall, Team Nationwide for Harry held at 17th overall but is well within striking distance of the Top 10 with a good finish.

Here is the final overall breakdown:

no. 24 -- Jeff Gordon -- 2nd
no. 9 -- Marcos Ambrose -- 5th
no. 48 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 7th
no. 42 -- Juan Montoya -- 22nd
no. 51 -- Boris Said -- 28th

We'll be back in action next week at Daytona for the Coke Zero 400.

Nationwide for Harry Rolling 5 at Michigan

Team Nationwide for Harry returns to the track this weekend at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 in Brooklyn, Michigan. Better news is, we're rolling five!

Here is who I took, why I took them and how they qualified:

16 -- Greg Biffle -- $34K -- The Biff is my man and Michigan has been good to him. Biffle has 10 top 10 finishes in 16 career starts at Brooklyn.
24 -- Jeff Gordon -- $34K -- I cannot drop the no. 24 after last week's win, the fact that he is only $34K and the fact that he has 18 top five finishes in 36 career starts at MIS.
46 -- JJ Yeley -- $5K -- Harry liked JJ and so do I, plus, he's affordable and almost a lock to qualify via speed. Note: Yeley is in.
48 -- Jimmie Johnson -- $42K -- JJ has never won here but is usually right at the top. I think he might get his first victory on Sunday.
99 -- Carl Edwards -- $44K -- I can't stand the prick but he's finished in the top 10 in 11 of his 13 career starts at MIS. Plus, he's on fire and due to bounce back strong after a rough ride last week.

Thus, I left $1K on the table. Qualifying results are as follows:

7 -- no. 16 Greg Biffle
21 -- no. 48 Jimmie Johnson
23 -- no. 99 Carl Edwards
31 -- no. 24 Jeff Gordon
34 -- no. 46 JJ Yeley

Note: This post will be updated with post-race results.

Post-race results:

A lineup I really liked turned in a below average day as team Nationwide for Harry had an off week, falling one spot to 16th overall on the year.

Here is how we finished:

no. 99 -- Carl Edwards -- 5th
no. 16 -- Greg Biffle -- 15th
no. 24 -- Jeff Gordon -- 17th
no. 48 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 27th
no. 46 -- JJ Yeley -- 39th

We'll be back in action next Sunday in Sonoma at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.

Dude, We Got One! Team Nationwide for Harry Wins!

I've taken a few weeks off from the blog due to some personal reasons and the fact that I moved. I'll be settled in my new apartment here in Chicago in July and am excited about that.

Now, for the big news: We Got One for Ya Harry!

After a season full of ups and downs, Team Nationwide for Harry finally took the checkered flag finishing FIRST at the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway.

A mid-pack strategy helped us bring home the win this week. Rather than taking a heavy hitter, we used this strategy:

4 - Kasey Kahne (31,000)
39 - Ryan Newman (35,000)
24 - Jeff Gordon (33,000)
42 - Juan Montoya (33,000)
31 - Jeff Burton (28,000)

Here's how they finished.

24 -- 1st
42 -- 7th
39 -- 9th
4 -- 12th
31 -- 20th

The win moved Team Nationwide for Harry up to 16th overall but man, it sure feels good to win a week for my pal. We'll try for two in a row next week at Michigan. Dude, we got one!

Rolling 5 at the Monster Mile

Team Nationwide for Harry is back rolling five drivers after rain washed out qualifying at the monster mile. That, my friends, is why you do your homework.

Here is who we have this week:

no. 48 -- Jimmie Johnson -- On the pole and expected to have a top finish. JJ has kicked ass here lately and will again Sunday.
no. 18 -- Kyle Busch -- Starts 7th and another one I expect to see a Top 5 finish from. The Rowdy vs. Harvick show will be interesting to watch as well. That said, this is a good track for his style.
no. 16 -- Greg Biffle -- Two weeks in a row on our squad and I believe Biffle (starting 12th) scores a Top 10 or higher again at a track he's seen lots of success at.
no. 17 -- Matt Kenseth -- Starts 24th but don't worry, this cat has owned this track and is a strong bet to stay with the lead pack all day.
no. 30 -- David Stremme -- Starts 40th. Plain and simple. We rolled the dice on this $2K driver. He's in and anything higher than 35 will be a bonus.

I ended up leaving $3K on the table preferring to take Stremme over higher priced 'cheap' drivers like Michael McDowell, Mike Skinner and Andy Lally. With the rain though, it didn't matter. Stremme is in.

I'll update this post after the race with what hopefully is a big week for Team Nationwide for Harry.

Post-race Update

Another win for Matt Kenseth at Dover and three Top 10 drivers made for a good day for Team Nationwide for Harry at the Monster Mile.

Kyle Busch finished 4th while Jimmie Johnson earned a 9th-place finish while leading the most laps.

Our cheap driver, David Stremme went out early, but he still got us points and Greg Biffle overcame an early issue to finish a respectable 19th.

For the week, Team Nationwide for Harry finished 5th overall and moved up 3 spots and into the Top 15 at no. 15.

The all-star race next week is not a part of GFR racing so we'll be back in action on May 29th in Charlotte from the always entertaining Coca-Cola 600.

Friends in Town, Darlington Recap

Busy week this week so I'll just offer a brief recap of how Team Nationwide for Harry fared at Darlington. For the first time since I took over, we only had four drivers as no. 71 Andy Lally failed to get in the show.

Here is how our remaining drivers finished up:

no. 16 -- Greg Biffle -- 8th
no. 18 -- Kyle Busch -- 11th
no. 24 -- Jeff Gordon -- 12th
no. 48 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 15th

A late wreck cost us a chance at three in the Top 10, but we finished with four in the Top 15 which would normally be good but not this week. Just getting that fifth car in the lineup would have had us in the Top 10 but we finished tied for 17th. Overall, we fell two spots to 18th but it's early and two good weeks puts us easily in the Top 10, the standings are that tight. We'll be ready for the monster mile at Dover next week.

NOTE: I had the pleasure of touring Julynn and Kennedy Stiff and Kelly Lee around Chicago on Saturday morning/afternoon. We enjoyed breakfast and took in Millenium and Grant Parks, Buckingham Fountain, the Lincoln statue and some shopping. Kennedy enjoyed riding the subway and buses. Thanks for the fun day ladies, look forward to seeing you soon! (The picture of Kennedy Stiff and Kelly Lee was taken at the Nike store in front of a giant Adrian Petersen mural, obviously in honor of Harry.)

Night Racing at Richmond

The Sprint Cup boys are back on the track this week at Richmond International Raceway for a night race under the lights.

Team Nationwide for Harry is looking to bounce back after a tough finish in Talladega. Things can get tricky on this 0.75 mile oval but we're primed for a chase for a victory.

Here is who I went with this week and why:

#18 -- Kyle Busch -- $41K -- Rowdy has kicked ass here lately including finishes of 1st and 2nd last year. He is our favorite to win this weekend.
#24 -- Jeff Gordon -- $35K -- What a great price for Gordon and we like his chances to run for a Top 5, and maybe even sneak a win. He was damn close last week.
#29 -- Kevin Harvick -- $40K -- Team Nationwide for Harry has been riding Harvick and we're doing it again. Expect a Top 10 or better from Harvick.
#33 -- Clint Bowyer -- $35K -- Is this his year? It's certainly looked like it so far. Bowyer has won here and consistently finishes in the Top 10.
#71 -- Andy Lally -- $7K -- We've also run the Lally train a few times this year and the youngster has produced for what is expected. An important note for this week, however, the #21 is NOT entered, so the #71 moves into a guaranteed starting spot. Team nationwide for Harry says that is $7K well spent.

Thus we spent $158K and left $2K on the table, but I'm quite pleased with this lineup and think it has a chance to win. Finally, we did not take Denny Hamlin this week, a favorite by many standards, well, because he is a bum and never comes through for us. Let's hope he finishes poorly this week as I'm guessing many other team will be riding with him.

Qualifying Update: We're rolling 5 again and I'm pretty happy with the breakdown after qualifying. Here's how Team Nationwide for Harry will line up:

No. 33 -- Clint Bowyer -- 3rd
No. 24 -- Jeff Gordon -- 6th
No. 29 -- Kevin Harvick -- 12th
No. 18 -- Kyle Busch -- 20th
No. 71 -- Andy Lally -- 41st

Post-Race Update
A crash at lap 300 took the wind out of the sails for Team Nationwide for Harry. The crash parked Jeff Gordon for the night and our chances at winning.

Here is our breakdown:

No. 18 -- Kyle Busch -- 1st
No. 33 -- Clint Bowyer -- 6th
No. 29 -- Kevin Harvick -- 12th
No. 71 -- Andy Lally -- 27th
No. 24 -- Jeff Gordon -- 39th

Thus, another great night for the rookie Lally. For the week, we finished 14th and fell one spot to 16th overall. On to the Lady in Black next week.

Tough Time at Talladega

Team Nationwide for Harry heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend as it looks to continue a good run of high finishes. These races are always a crapshoot as you must beware of 'the big one.' This week will be no different but at the end of the day, as Harry would say, let's 'get after it'.

Here is who I went with this week and why:

2 -- Brad Keselowski ($30K) -- Very affordable, solid on superspeedways and has won here before. Like him a lot as a sleeper pick.
11 -- Denny Hamlin ($36K) -- This bastard usually screws me every time I take him. That said, I'm rolling the dice again and he's kinda cheap.
22 -- Kurt Busch ($41K) -- Another driver who has not been good to me, but has owned this track lately. Expect a Top 5 from him.
29 -- Kevin Harvick ($40K) -- The consensus pick to win this week. I think he bounces back after an average finish last week.
46 -- Bill Elliott ($12K) -- 3 cars will go home this week, Awesome Bill won't be one of them. He'll get in on speed but can use the past champion's provisional if he needs to.

Thus I left $1K on the table out of the $160K salary cap. I would have strongly considered Dale Earnhardt Jr. had I another $1K and would have swapped him for Hamlin. But the above is who we're rolling with.

Team Nationwide for Harry currently sits 13th overall in Green Flag racing and can easily climb into the Top 10 with a solid week.

UPDATE: Qualifying
It wasn't the best day of qualifying for Team Nationwide for Harry but we did hit our goal of rolling five drivers in the field.

Unfortunately and quite surprisingly, we had to rely on the past champion's provisional to get our 5th car in the field but I'll take it.

Keeping things in perspective, this is a superspeedway so I'm not worried all that much about the qualifying results.

Here's where Team Nationwide for Harry will start:

6th -- Kurt Busch -- car no. 22
19th -- Brad Keselowski -- car no. 2
29th -- Denny Hamlin -- car no. 11
38th -- Kevin Harvick -- car no. 29
43rd -- Bill Elliott -- car no. 46

Post-Race Update
Past history definitely reared it's ugly head today leading to a disappointing 22nd place finish for Team Nationwide for Harry. The off week dropped us back two spots to 15th overall.

This will be the last time we take shitstain Denny Hamlin. Moreover, our dear friend Kurt Busch, who usually screws us, took care of our sleeper, Brad Keselowski, wrecking him early in the race. The 26th place finish by the no. 46 car of Bill Elliott/JJ Yeley was a nice surprise but meant little on an otherwise lousy day at the track.

Here is the final breakdown:

5th -- Kevin Harvick
18th -- Kurth Busch
23rd -- Denny Hamlin
26th -- Bill Elliott/JJ Yeley
33rd -- Brad Keselowski

The boys are off next week for the Easter holiday so we'll be racing again in two weeks on Saturday night at Richmond (April 30).

Nationwide for Harry Grabs 2nd, Jumps 5 Spots in League

This week's Sprint Cup race takes Team Nationwide for Harry to Texas Motor Speedway. This 1.5-mile oval is always quick and this weekend should be no different.

The strategy in Green Flag Racing (our fantasy league) always revolves around a $160K salary cap and the desire to get five drivers in the show.

Here is who I went with this week:

No. 16 Greg Biffle -- I like him and he's been good here. A bargain at $34K.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth -- My sleeper for a great finish/win this week, cost $39K.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick -- Red hot looking for 3 wins in a row. Harvick cost $41K.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson -- The champ is due and still 'affordable' at $41K.
No. 71 Andy Lally -- Young rookie and a gamble to get in at $5K.

Thus I spent the allotted 160K. Here is how the boys will start after qualifying (note, we're rolling 5 Harry!):

4th -- no. 17 Kenseth
6th -- no. 48 Johnson
9th -- no. 16 Biffle
29th -- no. 29 Harvick
43rd -- no. 71 Lally

Not too bad and hopefully Lally can stay clear of wrecks and finish 35th or higher. Updates to follow after the race Saturday night.
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Post-race Update

It was a solid run for Team Nationwide for Harry in Texas bringing home another 2nd place overall finish (second in three weeks) and mounting a charge up the standings from 18th overall to 13th. Our sleeper pick Matt Kenseth ended a 76-race drought, led the most laps and took the checkered flag.

It was also a solid run for two other drivers including Greg Biffle, finishing 5th and Jimmie Johnson, finishing 8th. Rounding out the team were Kevin Harvick, who struggled but worked to a 20th place finish and our cheap driver ($5K) Andy Lally, who exceeded expectations and drove to a 32nd place finish.

Team Nationwide for Harry Moving Up...Slowly

I took over a fantasy NASCAR team when one of my best friends, Harry Stiff Jr., passed away on March 17. Harry was a very astute racing fan and his team meant a lot to him so I have taken it upon myself to keep his legacy going.

Last week at Fontana, Team Nationwide for Harry had an impressive week moving up big time in GFR Racing.

I finished 2nd and moved Harry from 20th to 12th place overall.

I was excited and looked forward to this week's entry at the famed Martinsville short track. Well, this sport is tough and here's who I took and how they fared:

11 Denny Hamlin -- 12th (led 88 laps).
14 Tony Stewart -- had trouble all day and finished 34th and off the track.
33 Clint Bowyer -- Kicked ass early and finished 9th (led 91 laps).
48 Jimmie Johnson -- Another early charger who ended up finishing 11th (led 65 laps).
71 Hermie Sadler -- 'The Herminator' and a Harry favorite, this $4k driver far exceeded expectations and had a solid 28th place finish.

So to recap, that's finishes of 9, 11, 12, 28 and 34. The Stewart collapse will prevent Team Nationwide for Harry from improving and making up ground.

Still assessing the new scoring rules but this week proved disappointing. Team NFH finished 21st and dropped to 18th overall in the standings. We're still up two spots from where we started but not anywhere near where I want to be.

Harry once told me this phrase when I used the word if. Well, "If your uncle had tits, he'd be your aunt."

So, the KK 'if' scenario for the week was the fact that I wrestled with taking the no. 18 of Kyle Busch but elected to take Stewart. Busch finished 3rd.

Farewell to My Good Friend

What can you say about someone so unselfish, someone so giving and someone who is just one of the downright good guys? Lots and I plan on doing just that.

On March 17, 2011 my dear friend Harry Stiff passed away. First off, here is a guy named Harry Stiff. Thus, he's had to hear the jokes and snickers about that his entire life. How did he handle it? Like a champion and with class, dignity and great poise.

I met Harry in July of 2006 when I started at XOS. After an hour one-on-one meeting, I knew I had met a friend and XOS had a brilliant marketing mind. Almost immediately, we became lunch buddies, and anyone who knows Harry knows he likes his food. He liked it the way he liked it and was often critical when he didn't get it the way he wanted it. That made it all the more fun. As his blog can attest, the man knows quality food, how it should be presented and how it should taste. I'm so fortunate to have had the hundreds of dining occasions we had together.

As I got to know him better, we became even closer. An avid sports fan, his door was always open for a chat and he had a beer refrigerator that was often the most popular place after a hard day's work. Again, extreme unselfishness from this man, he simply wanted his friends and coworkers to have a good time. Harry is a collector of sports memorabilia much like me. I will never, ever forget the day he gave me a gift from his personal stash.

Harry attended the 2004 NFL Rookie of the Year banquet where the winner, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was honored. On a dozen or so tables, a silver football highlighting the event was used as a centerpiece. Harry snagged one and got Ben to sign it. One day I remarked upon noticing it that the day I got married, that would suffice as a gift. Harry immediately said, "Dude, you're the biggest damn Steelers fan I know, that's yours. Take it." After a little hesitation, I did just that. Who knows how much something like that is worth but now, it is a gift I will forever showcase and cherish. This is an example of vintage Harry Stiff. And moreover, he would have been 'all jammed up' if I had not taken it. Again, another Harry Stiff phrase that many of us have adopted as our own.

Many of you know that Harry is a huge NASCAR fan. Well, more of you should know he loved sharing the sport with his friends, often through generosity from his impressive network of contacts. I cannot tell you how many races we enjoyed in the NASCAR Fan Zone at Daytona. I can tell you this man got pit and garage passes for my Dad, brother and his girlfriend and a few friends, all of which were so appreciative, but all of which became friends of Harry's. And how could you not?

A year ago, I moved to Chicago. And who was there to help first in New Smyrna Beach, of course it was Harry. Moreover, he and I single handedly moved my apartment into my NSB condo a few years back. Again, this man is a friend who is always there, which isn't something that is easy to find. I was so excited not long after my move to Chicago when I heard Harry was coming to town for some business meetings. We were lucky to enjoy the NFL Draft again together as we had for the past three years. I can't remember exactly what happened, I believe it was a canceled flight, but his stay was extended and we watched the Penguins vs. Senators the next night in the NHL playoffs. Both nights we hit late night food spots, one of which Harry liked and one which was marginally average.

I took a vacation to Florida last September and was able to have dinner and beers with Harry and some other friends while watching a NASCAR race at the Ale House in Daytona Beach. That was the last time I will have ever seen my friend.

One thing I never took for granted was the friendship and we traded multiple e-mails, text and Twitter messages and spoke on the phone once a month. We both remarked that I was 1,200+ miles away but remained close or even closer than when I was there. Just this past Sunday Harry sent me a message telling me to 'Get After It" as he was following my check-ins at various Chicago bars. It was selection Sunday and he was so proud of his native Virginia and the many teams that qualified for the tournament this year. The last true recent Harry moment I had was a picture message he sent me on his phone. He was enjoying the festivities and scenery at Bike Week and wrote:

Bike Week at the Kick Start Saloon you cocksucker. Going down now!

No, Biker Billy is not with me.
Harry
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

And we always laughed at the above term just thinking how funny it was to hear people say it.

Needless to say, there was a picture I won't post but it was vintage Harry, just 'getting after it' and enjoying his life.

I could write a book about this man and it wouldn't do him justice. So, cherish this blessed soul and remember what he stood for (Taken from his Twitter page):

Just a guy trying to get after it and get things done. Love good food and ice cold beer.

In a nutshell, he was one of the best people I've ever met and my heart breaks thinking about this great man taken so soon from all of us. I take great comfort in knowing that God needed him and I have no doubt that Harry will be there to answer the call and he'll have a smile on his face doing it.

I will end this tribute to my friend with a heartfelt message I posted on his Facebook wall yesterday:

My heart is broken right now. I will miss you so very much and may God bless your wonderful daughter, wife, father and family. You were as good as it gets on so many levels and we can all only aspire to learn from all you've taught us. Farewell my friend, you'll never be far from our hearts.

The Legend of The Terrible Towel

Steelers fans, this video will send chills down your spine and tears from your eyes. Listen as Myron Cope, a Pittsburgh legend and sports icon, tells you how it all went down in what may be the last video he ever made before his death at the age of 78. We love you and miss you dearly, Myron but your memories will live on through 'Him' forever.

Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!