Obama's Comments Could Help Boost NASCAR

NASCAR has taken a hit from the economic downturn, but the sport gets a huge vote of confidence from President Obama yesterday, as he calls participation in the sport "about as good advertising as you can get" for beleaguered U.S. automakers. During a great PR opportunity for the sport, Obama hosts several drivers on the White House lawn and encourages manufacturers to remain in the sport. Obama: "If somebody's excited about NASCAR, that means they're excited about cars." ESPN's Marty Smith calls Obama's comments an "unbelievable endorsement" for the sport. The support comes at a crucial time -- the sport sees a rare bit of good news as ratings for the Sprint Cup Carfax 400 are up over last year, but estimated attendance for Cup events this season is down 8.7%.

Four Down & Goal 
NBC's two-year NFL rights extension lines up major TV contracts to expire after '13 season; all "SNF" to be streamed again this year.

Declaration Of Sentiments
Handful of media groups, including APSE, send letter of protest to SEC about new media policy.

Complete Game 
Nationals to award Mike Rizzo full-time GM role as he continues to rebuild the organization.

Sister Act 
Serena and Venus Williams bring some youth to Stephen Ross' growing list of Dolphins investors.

Virtual Reality 
YouTube co-Founder Chad Hurley joins US F1 as its primary backer ahead of team's 2010 debut.

An Intimidating Presence
Two amusement parks in Southeast unveiling roller coasters with Dale Earnhardt marks.

The Fox & The Hounds 
Jay Glazer peeved at how ESPN handled his scoop on Favre; Vikings tickets continue to become more popular.

The Big Copycat?
Does Shaq's reality show seem a little too much like one proposed by a former teammate?