Injury puts damper on victory flip

A victory Sunday night by Carl Edwards in the Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway could snap a pair of streaks for the popular driver.

The Missouri native has not won a Cup race this year after finding Victory Lane nine times a year ago.

And a victory probably would stop his two-year run of celebrating Cup wins with a back flip off the door sill of his car.

Edwards' gymnastics mark is at risk because he broke his right foot playing Frisbee on Wednesday. But he assured sponsors, bosses and fans the injury will not affect his accelerator foot.

He even worked in a plug for sponsor Aflac, an insurance company.

"Even though I am not going to miss work, my Aflac policy has me covered," he said in a statement. "It's clear that no matter how big or small the accident is, Aflac is there for their policyholders."

Good thing Pfizer and Viagra left the sport and never backed Edwards.

• GUITAR HERO -- NASCAR star Kyle Busch was shocked at how much heat he took when he smashed a Gibson Les Paul guitar trophy after winning the Nationwide series race in June near Nashville, Tenn.

This week, however, the Durango High School graduate played a different tune when he gave $30,000 to the National Alliance for Public Education to be used toward the purchase of 150 guitars for several Nashville schools.

• MISSED OPPORTUNITY -- Las Vegas has been a stopping point for nearly every fledgling football league.

The Canadian Football League, Xtreme Football League and now the United Football League have picked Las Vegas for experiments.

None succeeded here, and it's a long shot that the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL will set attendance records for the two games they will play at Sam Boyd Stadium in October.

But a great opportunity for Las Vegas pro football to succeed slipped through someone's hands like a greased pole when Sin City was not included in the new 10-team Lingerie Football League, which opened play Friday.

No better way to fill seats than games involving women on the gridiron in short shorts, sports bras, shoulder and knee pads, helmets and cleats.

"I think it is eye candy, for one, but it is also football, and it is real," Kaley Tuning, wide receiver with the Miami Caliente, told Reuters. "I've seen people say it is a joke and it is degrading, and it makes me mad. We are real athletes."

This is the ultimate fantasy football league. Games are available at www.lflus.com for $7.95 each or $125 for all 20.

• HEAD CASE -- Experts at flying down snowy, icy slopes occasionally suffer head injuries. U.S. Alpine skier Cody Marshall, however, discovered a unique way to whack his noggin.

The 26-year-old returned to his home in Park City, Utah, this week after two months of hospitalization while he was treated for severe head trauma incurred when he wiped out while sliding down an escalator railing and fell between 20 and 30 feet.

He has not set a timetable to return to competition, but vows to wear a helmet whenever shopping.

COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL