Allgemein » the pocket starts to crumble.If youre getting hit from

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Tony Stewart slid out of his car in a NASCAR race for the final time and was swarmed by cameras, friends and rivals who wanted a piece of the retired champion.Jeff Gordon, another retired great, walked over to make the loosest of plans for their free time.Were gonna have fun, Gordon said.Damn right we are, Stewart replied.Stewarts final NASCAR race was pure fun -- and even a bit emotional for the notoriously gruff driver known as Smoke. But for all the accolades heaped and R-rated tales spun this week, Stewart made it clear he was simply a race car driver at heart to the end.I didnt think of anything else other than just racing the race, Stewart said.Stewart finished 22nd on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the finish a mere footnote that capped a two-decade career stuffed with controversy and championships. He walked off with final memento: Jimmie Johnson gave his race helmet to Stewart moments after he won his seventh NASCAR championship.The gesture was the ultimate sign of respect toward a guy known as the ultimate pure driver.This is probably the biggest honor you can have as a driver, to get a guy that just won his seventh championship, to get his helmet like that, Stewart said.Earlier, Stewart sounded at peace heading into his final NASCAR race.Guys, its been a hell of a ride for 18 years, he said over the radio. Lets go out here and have one more good day.Hes had plenty of great ones through the years.Stewart had steeled his emotions in the lead-up to his final start and kept distractions at bay and close friends nearby before the race.His No. 14 Chevrolet was barricaded and protected by armed police officers before the season finale. His race car was essentially sitting in Turn 4, well away from the rest of the field. A banner flew nearby to tell fans where they could get a glimpse of the three-time Cup series champion.Its time. Lets go. Im ready, Stewart said.Stewart was feted with tributes all weekend by fellow drivers, fans, colleagues and every person who felt connected to him in even the smallest ways. He shed the gruff, prickly mood and became an almost happy-go-lucky guy. Stewart, clean-shaven, was all smiles as he posed for photo after photo, and hugged or wrapped his arm around crew members, and even the troops.Homestead saluted Stewart with a coordinated Thank you, Tony! yell from the grandstands as the photo ops stayed on schedule.My last photo with the boys, a Chevy employee shrieked.Gordon stopped by for a quick chat with Stewart. A year ago, Gordon was mobbed by so many fans that he struggled to get to his car before the finale.IndyCar driver Marco Andretti lingered near Stewarts car, and three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves called Smoke one of racings greatest drivers. Joe Gibbs, Stewarts former car owner, hugged Stewart on pit road after the race.NASCAR added a ceremonial pace lap with Stewart leading the field before the race. There was a Ford truck that flew a Thank you, Smoke. 14 banner in front of him.His Chevrolet -- with dates of each of his 49 career wins etched into the paint scheme on the bumper -- took a lap down pit road, and Stewart slapped hands with crew members for all NASCAR teams.It made me think back to the moment when Dale Senior won the Daytona 500, Stewart said.NASCAR vice chairman Mike Helton thanked Stewart for the character and passion you brought to NASCAR all throughout your career.Stewarts career was given the highlight reel treatment in the pre-race drivers meeting with a colorful video of his biggest wins, playful banter and snippy one-liners. NASCAR drivers and crew members gave Stewart a rousing standing ovation. Stewart eventually stood and smiled, waiving in acknowledgment at the outpouring of affection.Stewart is just retiring from NASCAR driving. He has an ownership stake in Stewart-Haas Racing and will continue to race all over the country next year at the grassroots level. He may not be done yet poking NASCARs leaders.You understand, we still invite owners to the haulers sometimes, too, Helton quipped.Stewarts helmet was a weathered throwback that looked as if it had been hanging in a barn on his Indiana farm for decades. It appeared rusted, said Smoke. Unlimited Speed, and was a gritty symbol of one of the last true racers. The hood of Stewarts No. 14 Chevrolet is emblazoned with photos from his championship years next to the slogan Always a Racer, Forever a Champion.Stewart has yet to have his final ride.Hell go off-road riding Monday during his annual ATV trip.But when is his next official race?Stay tuned, he said, smiling. It wont be long.---More AP auto racing: www.racing.ap.orgCheap Dodgers Jerseys . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. Dodgers Jerseys 2019 .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/ . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Gary Sheffield Dodgers Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. Dodgers Jerseys 2020 . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.DAVIE, Fla. -- Steel Tannehill doesnt care whether the Miami Dolphins win or lose, which makes his dad glad.The Dolphins are 1-4 and fans have been booing their quarterback, but at the end of the day, Ryan Tannehill can count on a warm welcome from his 2+-month-old son.Hes like a better version of a dog, Tannehill said with a laugh Wednesday. Everyone knows there have been some tough times here. Its always nice to be able to go home, even if its late, and get a smile before bed. It caps the day in a nice way.While 2016 is far from a total loss for Tannehill, thanks to the birth of his first child, things have gone downhill lately. He was expected to have a breakout year under a new coach, quarterback guru Adam Gase, but instead the offense has been awful and the Dolphins appear destined to miss the playoffs for the eighth season in a row.Tannehill has been the QB since his rookie year in 2012, and with his record at 30-39, fans are losing patience. They chanted for backup Matt Moore during Sundays dismal loss to Tennessee .Moore predicted Tannehill will weather the situation.Our guy is strong inside and out, Moore said. We understand how it is, and how it needs to be.While teammates remain supportive of Tannehill, the locker room mood is strained. If not for a missed field goal by Cleveland on the final play of regulation in Week 3, the Dolphins would be the NFLs only winless team, and theyre a touchdown underdog at home Sunday against Pittsburgh.Its tough, Tannehill said. Were nowhere near where we thought we were going to be. Thats the reality. We have one real option -- to keep working and find a way to win games.Gase is willing to shake things up. On Tuesday he released offensive linemen Billy Turner and Dallas Thomas after they played poorly as emergency starters against the Titans.But Gase has publiccly said Tannehill is his quarterback for the rest of the season, and has been encouraging in private.ddddddddddddHe says to stay the course, keep doing everything I can to play the way Im supposed to play, and good things will happen, Tannehill said.If the season goes south, this might be Tannehills final season in Miami, because his salary is scheduled to nearly double to $18 million in 2017.Thats so far away right now, Gase said. I know everybody wants to rush to judgment. I mean, were five games in.Its difficult to envision a turnaround, however, unless the Dolphins solve their perennial problem with blocking. The running game has been nonexistent, and Tannehill endured six sacks by the Titans to increase his career total to 201, most in the NFL since 2012.He was hit several other times but didnt rank the pounding as the worst he has taken in a game.Ive had a few rough ones, he said. Hopefully we can get the ball out and not have as many hits.Critics say Tannehill holds the ball too long and is slow to react when the pocket starts to crumble.If youre getting hit from behind, its tough to move at that point, he said. But I need to be able to escape the pocket some.So far this season, his only refuge is at home.Game notesBack at practice after missing the Titans game were RB Arian Foster (hamstring and groin), G Laremy Tunsil (ankle), T Branden Albert (illness) and LB Jelani Jenkins (groin). TE Jordan Cameron (concussion), S Xavien Howard (knee) and S Reshad Jones (groin) were out.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve-Wine. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/steven-wine ' ' '