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HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- By Kyle Buschs standards, it has been a pretty quiet year.Sure, he got fined for blowing off media commitments after a disappointing Xfinity Series finish at Fontana, and he also incurred the wrath of NASCAR for destroying the rear fenders of his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with an over-the-top burnout after winning the spring Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.But for the most part, Busch has been a model of decorum throughout 2016. He didnt (publicly) pitch a fuss when his JGR teammate Carl Edwards moved him to steal a Cup win at Richmond, and he was contrite after accidentally knocking teammate Matt Kenseth out of the NASCAR Chase playoffs last weekend at Phoenix.The most controversy he has generated has come from his continued desire to compete in NASCARs lower ranks, where he won 10 times in 16 Xfinity Series starts while also taking two of the three Camping World Truck Series races he ran.Even though Busch hasnt often make waves in the Cup series, he put together a rock-solid regular season with four race wins and a dozen top-5s. Now hes right back where he was a year ago: among the four drivers competing for the Sprint Cup championship in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.Last November, Busch defeated Kevin Harvick in a straight fight at Homestead to win his first Cup series championship, and he believes he is poised to repeat that result on Sunday evening even though he hasnt recently tested at the title-deciding venue.I went there last year without testing and we did pretty well, so its all about the preparation and the things that our team does behind the scenes, as well as just executing on race day, Busch said.Its nice to be able to look back on what you did, and being able to do it before, you can kind of try to follow the same format of what happened, he added. But the three other guys are different and the race cars are different this year, and the tracks going to be one more year worn out than it was last year. Out of all the variables, it doesnt seem like there are that many constants.Adam Stevens, crew chief for the No. 18 Toyota, is confident about the teams chances.Im excited to go back down there, Stevens said. I feel like we really had a great weekend down there last year. Theres no reason why we cant go do that again.Buschs formula for making it to the championship final is similar to the one he used last year. He hasnt won a race since taking his second consecutive Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis in late July, but he has snatched six top-5 finishes in the Chase. His average Chase finish is 7.3 despite intentionally running at the back to wind up 30th at Talladega.By finishing in the top 10 in eight of the nine Chase races, capped by that hectic run to second place at Phoenix, Busch has positioned himself to score rare back-to-back Cup series crowns.Aside from Johnsons run of five consecutive titles from 2006 to 2010, the only other drivers in the past 30 years to claim back-to-back Cup trophies are Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip.We havent showed our strength here in a few weeks, but weve showed consistency, Busch said after the race at Phoenix. We always talk about in this sport how top-10s lead to top-5s and top-5s lead to wins. Eventually were going to keep finishing in the top five and we just had three top-5s in a row.After racing Gordon for the championship in 2015, Busch downplayed the notion that beating six-time titlist Jimmie Johnson for this years honor would be any more meaningful.Edwards and Joey Logano are the other two championship finalists.I dont think Jimmie being in the final four makes it any more significant than Carl or Joey, Busch said. I think theyre all really good. Jimmie has been a six-time champion, but he hasnt done it in this format.You might also look at how guys have run in the past at Homestead, and it seems like Carl is probably one of the best on that, Busch continued. Joey has finished real well there the last few years also. This group is certainly way high up there as far as being challenging to race, and thats why I feel like it could honestly be any guys race.Busch is also content with Homestead as the venue for the championship finale. The 1.5-mile oval is a similar length to other intermediate ovals, but with a markedly different symmetrical layout.I think Homestead is one of the better tracks for us to have the last race at, he said. Youd much rather go there to a place where its kind of wide, where tires fall off and where you can race people from the bottom of the track all the way to the top of the track versus going to a place like Phoenix or Loudon, where its really hard to pass and hard to get the guy in front of you, with not too many racing grooves.With Gordon retired (again) and Tony Stewart calling it quits as a driver after Sundays race, Johnson could be NASCARs only multiple Cup champion in the field next year.Unless Busch repeats as champion, that is. At 31, in the prime of his career, he knows its important for the sport to have legacy stars for future generations to measure up to. And he knows that winning consecutive Cup titles would guarantee that kind of long-term status.You look at these younger-generation drivers that come in and youve got to stack yourself up against somebody, Busch said. I got to stack myself up against Jeff Gordon, against guys late in their career like Dale Jarrett, and Ive raced against guys like Tony Stewart and Jimmie -- a lot of guys who have been champion.Although I never raced against the likes of Richard Petty or David Pearson or guys that were champions before my time, you certainly get to understand how good they were in their day and how important they are to the sport even though you never got a chance to race them yourself. Custom Ozzie Smith Jersey .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. 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PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby is back on the ice, but he wont be in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup on Thursday when they begin their defense of the Stanley Cup.Crosby, the Penguins captain and arguably the NHLs best player, participated in some of the teams practice Wednesday, but his latest concussion will keep him out of the season opener against the rival Washington Capitals.Its a game Crosby certainly didnt want to miss -- the Penguins will raise their fourth Stanley Cup banner during pregame ceremonies at PPG Paints Arena. Then again, the ultra-competitive Crosby doesnt like missing a game for any reason.Especially for this reason -- a concussion, the same dreaded injury that caused him to miss big chunks of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, when Crosby was at his statistical and competitive best.Its a game you want to be part of but, at the same time, I think Ive spent more than enough time being in this situation, Crosby said after practicing Wednesday in a yellow no-contact jersey. I think you understand you have to be patient, you have to listen to your body. If youre ready, youre ready. If not, then you dont take any chances -- and give yourself a lot better chance of not having it happen again if you treat it the right way.The Penguins started the 2011-12 season without Crosby, going 11-6-3 before he returned briefly only to be diagnosed with a concussion yet again. As center Evgeni Malkin said, We know how to play without Sid.But there are signs this layoff might not be as long as those during Crosbys past concussion issues.Crosbys latest concussion diagnosis was on Monday, but the superstar skated Tuesday and took part in drills Wednesday.Im always happy when Im on the ice, Crosby said.And coach Mike Sullivan is hinting Crosbys time off might not be lengthy.As they (injured players) make progress, you add to the intensity of their workouts and see how they respond, Sullivan said. As players respond the right way, you can take it to the next level. Thats the process weve gone through here with Sid.The Capitals, of course, know what they must do to reach the next level, and thats get past the Penguins.Washinggton easily was the NHLs best regular-season team in 2015-16, accumulating 120 points -- 11 more than any team in the league, and 16 more than Pittsburgh.dddddddddddd But the Capitals lost three of five to the Penguins during the season, and then were eliminated by them in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals -- the seventh in eight series theyve lost to Pittsburgh.We have no bitterness toward Pittsburgh, Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Braden Holtby said. They earned it, they earned the Stanley Cup. Any bitterness is toward us, how we didnt perform well enough to beat them.On Thursday, Holtby said, the Capitals cant be thinking about what happened last year but rather what they need to do this year.Were going in to play our game and get two points to start off the season, he said.But while Penguins stars Crosby and Malkin now have two Stanley Cup rings, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has yet to play in the finals -- and the Penguins are a big reason why.I dont think we played bad, every game was a close game, Ovechkin said. But we didnt get it done last year.Every year were in the same position: We think this is the year. I think it is time to not talk, it is time to move forward.Both teams are largely unchanged from 2015-16, a rarity during the free agency era in which clubs often undergo extensive roster alterations from season to season.The soon-to-be 40-year-old Matt Cullen will replace Crosby on the Penguins top line with left wing Conor Sheary and right wing Patric Hornqvist.You cant replace Sid. Its a group effort, to fill holes and play effectively while hes out.The Penguins also will be without Stanley Cup-winning goalie Matt Murray, who broke a hand during the World Cup. Hell be replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury, who lost his starting job to Murray late last season after sustaining his second concussion of the season.Fleury, who was in net when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, will start his 11th consecutive season opener for Pittsburgh, and his 12th in 13 seasons. ' ' '