Danica Looks Ahead After 8th-Place Daytona Finish

Danica Patrick failed to win the Daytona 500 Sunday. The Chicago Bulls failed to win a road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. “Argo” won for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The movie’s director, Ben Affleck, failed to be nominated for an Oscar.

Danica Patrick has driving skills, among other attributes.

‎”It doesn’t matter how you get knocked down in life, because it happens,” Affleck said in his acceptance speech as an “Argo” producer. “All that matters is that you’ve gotta get up.”

Affleck’s words are applicable — whether we’re talking Hollywood, sports or life in general.

An event — be it the Oscars, Daytona 500, a basketball game or anything else — is just that: an event. It is not the totality of what a person is or will be. Unless you happen to be that person and decide to make that event the totality of your being (hint: not a great way to go through life).

* Pole-sitter Patrick, the first female to hold the No. 1 spot, became the first woman to lead the Daytona 500. She even was in third place on the final lap before she faded to finish eighth. Patrick can take something positive away from her effort and still realize improvement is possible. “I know I’ll do better next time,” she said.

“I would imagine pretty much anyone would be kicking themselves about what they coulda, shoulda have done to give themselves an opportunity to win. I think that’s what I was feeling today, was uncertainty as to how I was going to accomplish that.”

* Speaking of improving, the Bulls will have the chance to do precisely that with a home game Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. About the best you can say about the Bulls’ showing Sunday in their 102-72 loss in which they shot 29 29 percent from the field? Well, Luol Deng played only 30 minutes and center Joakim Noah 33. In the grand scheme of things, it’s more important for them to have sufficient rest.

* Speaking of resting, New York Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson broke his right forearm when he was hit by a pitch Sunday and is expected to be sidelined for about 10 weeks. The Chicago native’s bad break could be fortuitous for the Cubs — if they somehow can deal left fielder Alfonso Soriano to the Yankees, the ballclub that he broke into the big leagues with (and, yes, some of us know a preposition is not the sort of word to end a sentence with). Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer becomes the leading contender for executive of the year if he can pull off that trade.

* With a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Chicago Blackhawks improved to 15-0-3, extending the NHL record for a season-opening, point-scoring streak. Can we simply fast-forward through the rest of the season — assuming the Hawks might even lose a game here or there — and have them in the Stanley Cup Finals?

Some Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue video seems a reasonable way to start the week (or anything else):

Speaking of the Oscars (OK, we were a little while ago), three of the evening’s most memorable moments featured singers. Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey and Adele. In case you missed (or would like to see their performances again), here you go with some video:

And then there was Jennifer Lawrence tripping on her way to accept her “Best Actress” Oscar. She recovered nicely.

OK, a random non-gratuitous video for those who have come to expect such things (and we hate to disappoint anyone out there in cyberspace):

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