Johnson enjoying his place in NASCAR history

Autoracing Betting Lines

11/19/2008 - Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Days after capturing his third-consecutive Sprint Cup Series championship, Jimmie Johnson has returned to his home in North Carolina to relax and allow his record-tying accomplishment to finally sink in. Johnson, who finished 15th in last Sunday's season-ending race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, matched Cale Yarborough's 30-year-old record of three titles in a row.

For Johnson, winning the championship included more than just the Sprint Cup trophy presentation and post-race media obligations at Homestead.

"Left the track around midnight, with the obligation, post-race obligations and stuff like that," Johnson said. "And then went out with my guys, went to a bar and they had a big party to celebrate the year and saw a bunch of drivers and team folks there and all my guys were there as well. It's nice to celebrate with them for a while.

"And maybe an hour and a half of sleep and was up and at it and on a plane to Bristol, Connecticut, to do the Car Wash at ESPN Studios. That was pretty much all day (Monday). And made it into New York City by about 8:00. Got up again at 6:30 (Tuesday) and had a full day of media obligations."

While making numerous appearances on various ESPN shows and radio programs, Johnson was overwhelmed just how big his achievement had become.

"Two cool moments at ESPN," he said. "I walked in and the first person I saw in the hallway of ESPN was Mike Ditka and introduced myself to him and he said, 'I know who you are, champ, and, by the way, you are a dynasty.'

"And it just shocked me that he had been paying attention to NASCAR and seeing comments where I've mentioned I couldn't say where I placed, it wasn't my place to say that. That one caught me off guard. Cris Carter was in the hallway a little later that day and he walked up to me said, 'I don't really follow NASCAR, but winning three titles in anything, in a row, deserves a lot of respect.'"

In New York, Johnson was a guest on "Live with Regis and Kelly" and visited Rachael Ray on her daytime talk show as part of his "Champion Media Tour" this week.

Johnson also appears on the cover of the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.

With the exception of the Sprint Cup "Champion's Week" the first week in December in New York, Johnson has plenty of downtime for the remainder of the year.

"We're not testing until January," Johnson said. "So I can probably expand on some type of trip. My wife and I have been interested in Eastern Asia to explore and see Thailand and Bali and a bunch of areas we're interested in seeing. I don't know much about these areas, but I see them in the magazines and have heard from friends who have traveled. I can't pronounce them now, but I know I'll come home much more in tune with it all and enjoying the experience."

One thing Johnson is hoping to do before "Champion's Week" is speak to Yarborough, who became the first driver to win three-straight Cup titles from 1976-78.

"I've not spoken to him, and I'd love to," he said. "I guess I haven't had time to stop and think about any of it to come across that thought. But I would love to talk to him. I talked to him earlier in the year a couple of times, and he couldn't have been more gracious and excited for me. When I have a chance to speak to him, I'll be real happy about that."

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.