LAS VEGAS -- Jimmie Johnson didnt need to see highlights of his seventh Sprint Cup championship celebration at Homestead-Miami Speedway to tug at his heart during the 2016 awards banquet Friday night.He has a pretty good idea of all that happened.In a certain way I guess I kind of lived it, so I have the fond memories, Johnson said. But I will go back and look at that stuff at some point. I really havent had any time to.For Johnson, it was more about what was said than what he saw during the ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas that celebrated his record-tying seventh Cup title and a season where he notched his 80th career win. With his name now alongside Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as far as number of championships, Johnson is a pro at giving the speeches and hearing people talk about him.But it seems that each year, the inflection in the voices of other drivers more and more show their deep respect.The respect that was paid to me through competitors -- theyve got to be tired to see my ass up on the stage, Johnson said after the ceremony. To have them say nice things and to know it was really coming from the heart and not just lip service was really cool.Driver after driver talked about Johnsons greatness. The lauding came from even others, including 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.This isnt just another night for our seven-time champion, Phelps said. He set records and now stands alongside two legends. But for him, its more than that. Its a personal glory and the reward for a lifetime of hard work. And for the rest of us, its the knowledge that we just watched the greatest driver that ever lived.Johnson didnt know Phelps -- a Gatorade endorser along with Johnson -- would come. Just 11 days earlier, Johnson had presented Phelps with an award at USA Swimmings annual event.That was a complete and total shock, Johnson said.If anyone should be used to pleasurable shocks, its Johnson. He got one nearly two weeks earlier at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In some ways, his victory in the season finale at Homestead was a shock as Johnson didnt have the strongest car but took advantage of a Carl Edwards-Joey Logano wreck and then a great restart in the waning laps.Before the banquet, Johnson had said he had not seen many highlights because he was just so busy. Through social media, he did have an idea of how it all went down.Obviously, I watched the first half of the crash [from behind], Johnson said. I saw a clip on Twitter where the 78 [of Martin Truex Jr.] was just raging on fire, which I didnt think was possible in todays world with our cars but thats really about all I saw.Johnson had seen - on Twitter - that Edwards had gone up on the Logano pit box to wish the team luck.I want to see -- I imagine Carl did an interview, Johnson said. I saw some footage where he walked up on the 22 box and shook their hand, the message being delivered to Joey himself.I thought that was really cool. It was so cool I sent Carl a text and just like, Man, way to handle yourself. Ive seen bits and pieces. I guess I havent been dying to see it because Ive seen enough through 140 characters and 18 seconds of Vine or whatever it ends up being, youve got to piece it together.After the banquet, Johnson said he was surprised to see just how hard a hit Edwards had in that accident.But the other highlights? It was soaking in the words, not the photos.That was insane, Johnson said. A lot of moments, it just kept building. ... It was a great experience.If there was any disappointment for Johnson, it was that host and Johnson friend Jay Mohr didnt rip on him. Mohr just gave Johnson a hug and said how much he liked him.As your friend, Im so proud of you, Mohr said.Johnson said he tried to egg on Mohr, but Mohr kept to the script.He can be really funny and is really funny, Johnson said. He chose a more emotional route and paid me a ton of respect, and I was like, You [wuss]. Tough it up and come after me. It is likely few will blame Mohr as much as Johnson. They know Johnson earned that hug.I just think its so refreshing to see someone that humble that thats good and doesnt have to be cocky, doesnt have to prove anything, team owner Rick Hendrick said of Johnson. He just goes out and does his job. Randy Moss Jersey . Hey!" 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Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said.MONTREAL -- After three consecutive tournament exits against low-ranked opponents, Roger Federer pulled out of next weeks Rogers Cup without giving a reason Friday. The owner of a record 17 Grand Slam titles did recently complain about a bad back, however. Federer, who turns 32 next Thursday, made the unusual move of participating in a pair of minor clay-court tournaments in the period between playing on Wimbledons grass and shifting to the North American summer hard-court season. A loss to 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round at the All England Club ended Federers streak of reaching the quarter-finals at 36 consecutive major tournaments. It also marked Federers earliest Grand Slam exit since 2003. Next came a semifinal loss on clay at Hamburg to 114th-ranked qualifier Federico Delbonis, followed by a defeat against 55th-ranked Daniel Brands in Federers opening match on clay at Gstaad, Switzerland. In addition to his bothersome back, a recurring issue, Federer was experimenting with a new, larger racket at those tournaments. Still, those results are not the sort Federer usually produces. This has been a tough season by his standards: He is 30-10 with one title in 2013. After Wimbledon, Federer tumbled to No. 5 in the ATP rankings, the first time in a decade hes been that low.dddddddddddd Missing Montreal limits his hard-court preparation for the U.S. Open, the years last Grand Slam tournament, which begins Aug. 26. "I am disappointed not to be playing in Montreal next week," Federer said in a statement released by the tournament, which starts Monday. "It is a great tournament with amazing fans. I look forward to competing there in the future." He won the Rogers Cup when it was played in Toronto in 2004 and 2006. Federer lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2007 final at Montreal. Federers withdrawal diminishes a Montreal field that already was missing No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and former top-10 player Mardy Fish. In addition, the tournament announced Friday that Viktor Troicki and Marin Cilic wont compete. Troicki was recently suspended for 18 months by the International Tennis Federation for failing to provide blood for a drug test. He is appealing that ruling. Cilic pulled out of Wimbledon, citing an injury; he reportedly is facing a doping suspension, but the ITF has not confirmed or denied whether that is true. Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Pablo Andujar of Spain were added to the Montreal field. ' ' '
