Pirate Galaxy » The New Zealand Rugby Union has formed a new collective ag

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Tony Stewart admits he faces a very steep, uphill battle to avoid elimination Sunday from the Chase for the Sprint Cup at Dover International Speedway.But he also readily admits that theres only so much he can do, and the frustration that a driver plays only so much -- or so little -- of a role in a sport that has become increasingly reliant on engineering is one of the reasons he will retire from Cup racing after this season.When we come off the truck [on Friday], we fight the same thing for three days and theres nothing I can do to fix it, Stewart told reporters Wednesday during a NASCAR-mandated media tour as part of his Chase obligations. Thats whats so frustrating for me as a driver. That is part of why Im ready to do something different is because I cant make a difference anymore.I cant do different things with my feet and different things with my hands and run a different line and fix the problem. I used to be able to do that. I cant do that anymore. You just get so frustrated you cant see straight.The three-time Cup champion joked about trying to not get suspended for his final eight races if he said too much, acknowledging he is exhausted from trying to play a role of outspoken veteran in a sport where he believes the drivers are often afraid to share their feelings.You can only beat the drum for so long and it can only fall on deaf ears for so long before you finally say, The people that need to make it better cant make it better, Stewart said.Stewart, 45, said Ive had my fill of fighting the fight as the driver to draw attention to issues of the way the sport operates.Theres 39 of these guys that 99 out of 100 times wont say a thing about it to [the media] or NASCAR or anybody else, and Im the one guy that most of the time will go, Man, this is a bad thing to talk about and I shouldnt talk about it, but Ill get pissed off enough to talk about it, Stewart said.Because I believe its worth talking about, and its worth addressing and its worth it at times when youre not getting their attention, youre like, OK, now Ive got to go a different way to get their attention to do something about it. That normally is when I get slapped on the hand with a fine.That doesnt mean Stewart is dreading the next eight weeks. He is 11 points out of the current Chase cutoff heading into Dover, a 1-mile concrete track where he has struggled in recent years.Ive got to go out and do the best I can with what Ive got, he said. Hopefully its good enough. If its not, its not. ... Right now, Im in a large, dark room and dont know where the wall is, let alone the light switch [to flip to run well].While Stewart plans to retire from Cup racing, he said he has told his sprint-car team management to be ready for him to run 40-50 races next season. He will have to wait until February to race because he will have screws taken out of his back -- he missed the first eight Cup races this year after suffering a broken back in a hard landing while driving a dune buggy -- in December. He said his first race next year will be on pavement and will be in someone elses equipment, but he wouldnt reveal more than that.Im going to enjoy these last eight weeks, no matter what happens this weekend, he said. Am I going to be upset if I dont make it to the next round? Yeah, absolutely. Thats natural. Thats what a competitor should be like.But if we dont, its not the end of my year. I have got seven more weeks after this weekend to go and do the best I can, try to get another win and try to finish on a high note. Fake Vans Store . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. Fake Vans Shoes . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. http://www.fakevans.com/ . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Fake Vans For Sale .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Wholesale Fake Vans . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. The New Zealand Rugby Union has formed a new collective agreement with its Players Association which will see an additional NZ$70m (￡39.9m) allocated to its player payment pool over the next three years.The deal means the NZRU has increased financial muscle to keep its best talent in New Zealand and reports suggest it could see top All Blacks for the first time earning in excess of NZ$1m a year on salary alone.The increase in funds -- the pool is up from NZ$121m (￡69m) to $NZ191m (￡109m)-- is partly down to the revenue set to be generated by the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.Were delighted to have concluded this important piece of work, NZRU CEO Steve Tew said. We believe that our partnership with players continues to be a critical factor in the success of New Zealand Rugby at all levels of the game.And we recognise that that close relationship is part of our competitive advantage.In a highly competitive global market, we cant compete purely oon money.dddddddddddd For us, the difference has to be in the environment we offer and the strength of our support for players to have the lifestyle they want.This new deal further enhances that while the overall increased and expanded investment across a number of areas, means that our packages are increasingly competitive.This agreement has been developed on the back of some very hard work. I personally want to thank the players, our provincial union partners and the collective negotiation team for their work and commitment to ensuring rugby can continue to inspire and unify New Zealand communities.All Blacks stars Ben Smith, Israel Dagg and Aaron Cruden all have contracts with the NZRU which expire in 2017. They are attracting plenty of attention from Europe but the increase in funds could tempt them to stay in New Zealand. ' ' '