-- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passe

WATKINS GLEN, NY -- Everyone danced around the subject Friday when Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his first media appearance since he was sidelined from NASCAR competition four weeks ago by a concussion.What? You didnt say the word! he joked.Of course the word the Sprint Cup Series star was referring to was the R-word -- retirement. And given Earnhardts history of concussions, stepping away from competition is something that may be forced upon him sooner rather than later.Traumatic brain injuries are a hot topic in the sports world, and doctors are taking the issue extremely seriously. As Junior said Friday, The doctors wont let me race. This is not my decision, but its the right decision and I trust what my doctors are telling me.But then again, Earnhardt did make the decision to seek out those doctors when he realized that something wasnt right in his head.Thats a brave move in a sport renowned as a bravery contest, where drivers are expected to demonstrate their toughness on and off the track.Dale Jr. had a hell of a role model in that regard. His father Dale Earnhardt was known as Ironhead as much for his ability to shrug off injuries from wrecking as he was for his aggressive racing.By putting himself in the position to be sat down by doctors, Earnhardt Jr. did something his old man would probably have never done, and thats a measure of how far he has stepped out of that hugely intimidating shadow.Of course, Junior also likely never figured he was going to miss at least five races, and in all likelihood, the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup. While he is in daily conversation with his doctors, his concussion symptoms are only evaluated every two to four weeks. There is still no guarantee that he will be ready to return to the No. 88 Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway in late August, or anytime this season.Or at all, for that matter.But Earnhardt insists that just like reporters didnt bring up the R-word in his Friday news conference at Watkins Glen, neither have his doctors. Their full focus is on his recovery and a return to his normal life.That is not the conversation your doctor is going to have with you when he is trying to get you right, Earnhardt said. You are just worrying about getting normal. You go in there and you see your doctor and all you and him talk about and all he cares about is fixing you.He doesnt care about my racing or whatever I do as a profession. He is just trying to fix what is wrong with me. Thats his job -- hes not a counselor or a psychologist.And that is not the conversation you are going to have in the middle of treatment with someone who is suffering or someone who is going through that process, he added. The conversations I have had with him is that he believes we are going to fix it. He believes that he can make me stronger and that I will be able to pick up where I left off.Earnhardt is a man given to curiosity, always learning. He spent a lot of time over the past few years researching his family history, even traveling to Germany to do it.He has studied the many varieties of concussions, picking the brains of his doctors. Even before his latest injury, he pledged to donate his brain to researchers studying chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.Dale Jr. watched his father die in a racing accident, and he seems to have a realistic grasp of his own mortality. That, along with the memory of what he endured when recovering from a concussion that caused him to miss two races in 2012, adds into why he wasnt afraid to speak up this time when he knew something wasnt right.Having the courage to admit something was wrong may ultimately enhance his own legacy.Its really hard, as a driver, to say that youve got a problem because you basically put yourself out there to be pulled out of the car, he said. But man, your quality of life is so important. Your health beyond your driving career is so important. If you plan on having a family, or have a family already, those things are going to be a priority. There are so many reasons to do the right thing and go ahead and get the help you need and get back in the car when youre healthy.I feel like it would be even harder, the younger you are, when youre trying to get a career going and just trying to make a living driving cars, he added. Being in the situation Im in now, having ran for so long, maybe it wasnt as challenging or as hard a decision to make, to make the right choice. But if I was 21 and just getting started or very young, it would be so hard to make that decision.With 26 career Sprint Cup race wins and a 13-year reign as NASCARs Most Popular Driver, Earnhardt can be proud of what he has achieved, even if he never takes another green flag. JR Motorsports is solidly established as a top Xfinity Series team, so Earnhardt will have plenty to keep him occupied in racing when he stops driving.There is little reason to believe that this concussion will force him into retirement, but a Sprint Cup field without its most popular driver is something that Earnhardt, his fan base and NASCAR are eventually going to have to prepare for.Hes almost 42, and while he and team owner Rick Hendrick have talked about extending their contract beyond 2017, the next contract would likely be Earnhardts last.Everyone would like him to be able to go out with a happy retirement tour like Jeff Gordons, but I suspect most folks would rather have Earnhardt step away from racing on his own terms (for the most part) rather than put himself and his competitors in unnecessary danger.Especially Earnhardt himself -- whether or not he is ultimately the one who makes the decision. Zapatillas Baratas España Online . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. Zapatillas España Baratas . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. http://www.barataszapatillas.es/ . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. Zapatillas Baratas Outlet . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Zapatillas Baratas Outlet España . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. TULSA, Okla. -- James Flanders, who rushed for 197 yards, broke into the end zone from the 4 in overtime as Tulsa charged back to beat Cincinnati 40-37 on Friday night.Tulsa had trailed throughout the game until Redford Jones nailed a 22-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game at 34 and send it into the extra period.Cincinnati, which led 31-21 going into the fourth quarter, took the lead in overtime when Josh Pasley made a 33-yard field goal. Tulsa quickly responded with Flanders winning touchdown.ddddddddddddane Evans threw for 305 yards and three scores for Tulsa (9-3, 6-2 American Conference). Keevan Lucas caught eight passes for 120 yards and a score.Hayden Moore led Cincinnati (4-8, 1-7), throwing for 371 yards and three touchdowns. Moore was also on the receiving end of a scoring pass as he passed back to Tyler Cogswell who then passed to Moore. ' ' '