CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jimmie Johnson believes NASCARs new champi

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jimmie Johnson believes NASCARs new championship format produced the correct champion and a Ryan Newman victory would have been tough to swallow for the sport.Johnson began the season as the six-time and defending champion, but he was eliminated from title contention in the revamped Chase for the Sprint Cup format. A 16-driver field was whittled down to four for Sundays finale, where Kevin Harvick beat Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano to claim his first title.I feel like Kevin winning was the right thing when you look at the winners and the dominant cars throughout the year, Johnson said Thursday.Harvick had to win the race to wrap up the title, and found himself in a late shootout with Newman for the victory. Newman, in his first season for Richard Childress Racing, advanced to the finale through consistency after a winless season.The Chase format this year was touted by NASCAR chairman Brian France as one that would put an emphasis on winning, and Harvick won three Chase races, including the final two. But, he nearly lost the title to Newman, who finished second in the finale. The highest-finishing driver Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway was guaranteed the title.Ryan had every right in the world to be the champion, the rules were laid out that way, said Johnson, who was eliminated after the second round, or the sixth of 10 races. But if (Newman) wins the championship, I think that would have been tough to swallow for the sport. Its not taking anything away from Childress or Ryan, they had an awesome year and collected a ton of points. Theres some danger for the sport with this format.Johnson said he discussed the new format with France at the start of the season. He believed, based on performance during the regular season, the finale should have been between Harvick, Team Penske drivers Logano and Brad Keselowski, and Jeff Gordon, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. Those four drivers combined for 12 wins in the first 26 races, and eight wins in the 10 Chase races.But Gordon and Keselowski were both eliminated after the third round, and Gordon last week called on NASCAR to set a separate points system for the Chase drivers. Gordon felt it was unfair for the Chase drivers to be scored against the entire 43-car field, and they should only be scored against the Chase drivers.Still, drivers have praised the new elimination system, with Newman saying the intensity of the sport has gone through the roof, because of the Chase. The high stakes produced drama on and off the track, including a pair of brawls in in the final seven races.The system is fine. Its exciting. Every race is exciting, Hamlin said. Theres not been one boring race. This is the best thing thats happened to this sport in a really long time.But Johnson said attendance and television ratings are the true measure. Although attendance was improved at many tracks this season, TV ratings were flat. The 10-race Chase drew an average of 4.41 million viewers for ESPN/ABC, and a 2.7 rating. Last season drew an average of 4.5 million viewers and a 2.8 rating.We need to do something to drive the viewership up, said Johnson, who supports heat races capped by a final A main-style race slotted into a television window.Maybe we qualify on Saturday and thats televised, and then run some heat races and a feature on Sunday, in a four-hour time window, he said. It sticks to our roots, sticks with what weve always had and done, gives some natural pauses for the show for the social element at the track. I think that would be a pretty entertaining format. Ben Banogu Colts Jersey . Ferrer will play Mikhail Youzhny on Sunday after he defeated Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-4 in an all-Russian semifinal. "Youzhny is a good player," Ferrer said. Rock Ya-Sin Womens Jersey . Bobrovsky posted a 2-0-1 record with a 1.58 goals-against average and .950 save percentage to help the Blue Jackets (35-26-6) gain five of a possible six points last week. He capped the week by making 32 saves and stopping 2-of-4 shootout attempts in a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. http://www.officialindianapoliscoltspro ... y/.Voegele will next play Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia, who saved 10 of 16 break points to defeat Annika Beck of Germany 7-6 (6), 6-4.Also, Marina Erakovic of New Zealand defeated eighth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Darius Leonard Womens Jersey . In five games last month, Billings led all scorers with 11 goals, 27 assists and 38 points as the Rock posted a 2-3 record. Devin Funchess Youth Jersey . The former world No. 1 Djokovic, who is the top seed here despite being ranked No. 2, snuck past 35-year-old Czech showman Radek Stepanek in four high- quality sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), on Centre Court. Djokovic appeared relieved when he converted on his first match point by swatting a cross-court forehand winner that just caught the line to end an affair that featured only two service breaks.BEREA, Ohio - His eyes filling with tears, Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins said he was moved to wear a T-shirt protesting shootings in Ohio out of fear something similar could one day happen to his 2-year-old son.Hawkins wore the black shirt during pre-game warmups and introductions Sunday before Cleveland hosted the Cincinnati Bengals. The messages read: Justice for Tamir Rice and John Crawford on the front and The Real Battle for Ohio on the back.The 12-year-old Rice died Nov. 22 after he was shot by a rookie officer investigating a complaint about the youngster, who was carrying a fake gun. Crawford, 22, was fatally shot Aug. 5 while holding an air-pellet rifle inside a Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio.I have a two-year-old little boy, that same two-year-old little boy everyone says was cute when I jokingly threw him out of the house earlier this year, Hawkins said. That little boy is my entire world and the number one reason for me wearing the T-shirt was the thought of what happened to Tamir Rice happening to my little Austin scares the living hell out of me.Hawkins spoke for six minutes Monday at his locker. He did not take any questions and said he wanted to address the situation after Cleveland police unionn president Jeff Follmer called his actions pathetic and told cleveland.ddddddddddddcom that Hawkins is disrespecting the police on a job that we had to do and make a split-second decision.The Browns say they respect the police and their players rights to protest.Hawkins said he was scared of a backlash, but chose to wear the shirt because deep down I felt like it was the right thing to do.I utterly respect and appreciate every police office that protects and serves all of us with honesty, integrity and the right way, he said. And I dont think those kind of officers should be offended by what I did.Hawkins said his mother raised him to respect law enforcement and he has family and close friends who are police officers. She also taught him to stand up for his beliefs.My heart was broken for the parents of Tamir and John Crawford, knowing they had to live that nightmare of a reality, he said. I made the conscious decision to wear the T-shirt. I felt like my heart was in the right place, Im at peace with it and those who disagree with me, this is America. Thats the point. Everyone has a right to their First Amendment rights.___AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '