Among the major spectator sports, cycling is probably the most demanding and grueling regarding the riders' physical strength and stamina.
In what other sports do you see athletes pushing themselves to the limit day after day, for a period of up to three weeks? And what other sports requires the participants to climb endless and unforgiving mountains under the scorching heat?
Since its inception in 1903, Tour de France has been hit by a number of tragedies, allegations and scandals involving drugs.
In 1967, British star rider Tom Simpson collapsed while climbing the Mont Ventoux under intense sunshine. His rumoured last words, "Put me back on my bike", has made him a cult hero (or even martyr) among cycling fans which, sadly, obscures the fact that amphetamine was found in his body and jersey. His death has led to more stringent tests among cyclists since.
Unfortunately, many cyclists were and are still pushing their luck. In 1988, Spanish rider Pedro Delgado was tested positive for a masking agent during the Tour. Although the masking agent in question was banned by many major sports governing bodies, it was not listed as a banned substance by the Tour organiser. Eventually, Delgado escaped unpunished and promptly went on to win the Tour, a slap in the face for the Tour organiser.
In 1998, banned substances were found in a team car of the Festina team, leading to the expulsion of the entire Festina team. The raids by the local police which followed led first to the protest and then the withdrawal of six other teams, with the arrest of several top riders to boot.
In a sad twist to the tale, the winner of that year's Tour, Italy's Marco Pantani, was expelled from the Giro d'Italia the following year (he was miles ahead and was certain to win the Giro) due to an unusually high red blood cell count. Pantani never fully recovered from the fall from grace and, despite two stage wins in the Tour in 2000, eventually resorted to drugs use, and his untimely death from drug overdose in 2004 shocked the cycling world.
From 1999 to 2005, Lance Armstrong dominated the Tour de France by notching up seven consecutive victories. Although he has never failed any drug test, many remain skeptical over his dominance, following his miraculous recovery from the dreaded testicular cancer in the mid-90s'.
Shortly before this year's Tour, a number of top cyclists were involved in the latest scandal following the arrest of a Spanish doctor who, reportedly, had administered illegal doping for big names such as Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso, the top two favourites of this year's Tour. Following their expulsion, American Floyd Landis emerged as the winner, but he too was found to have an unusually high level of testosterone in his body, a sign of doping.
The results of Landis' "B" sample will be announced soon. However, it's highly unlikely for the "B" sample to be any different from "A" sample, meaning Landis will be stripped of his hard-earned title.
No matter how hard the organiser has done to remove doping from the sport, it always seems that the next doping scandal is just around the corner.
So why not allow all cyclists to be doped, and re-brand cycling as the sport showcasing the pinnacle of medical science?
Monday, July 31, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Bull Market
Don't ever underestimate the power of good advertising strategies.
Have you ever been amazed by the success of Red Bull?
In the days where it costs millions of dollars to run a Formula One team; where major car manufacturers are unwilling to continue to take part due to soaring costs; and where a number of teams have folded for not having secured enough advertising money, this sports drink giant manages to run TWO teams at the same time: Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso (meaning "Red Bull" in Italian).
I have never been a fan of extreme sports. Yet whenever they are broadcasted on television, I can guarantee that you will see a handful of gigantic Red Bull banners or balloons at the venue, and at least a couple of the front-running athletes sponsored by Red Bull.
In fact, it is the advertising at the extreme sports scenes which has made Red Bull hugely popular among the young people.
And like the motor-racing drivers, these Red Bull-sponsored extreme sports athletes all wear the same distinctive silver and blue helmet.
And because its major shareholder, Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian businessman who once claimed that he came up with the concoction at the bar of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong, is an avid flyer, you will also see lots of Red Bull advertising in flight shows and air racing events.
The success and popularity of the drink have enabled the company to expand into different sporting scenes in the coming years as well, like its foray into NASCAR with car-manufacturing giant Toyota as a major partner.
To find out why it is so popular, I bought a can and tasted it.
But I didn't like it.
Its strange flavour (imagine strawberry-flavoured cough syrup in a can) can only be matched by beer and alcoholic drinks (no, I don't drink them often). It just doesn't taste that natural to me.
Yet it has also given me a remarkable idea.
Why not re-package some of the Chinese traditional herbal teas currently on sale in Hong Kong, and advertise them in the extreme sports venues, just like what Red Bull has been doing so successfully?
If Mateschitz could become a billionaire thanks to this reddish-pink concoction, why couldn't I become the richest man on earth courtesy of the herbal tea?
I'd better start working on the phone now.
Have you ever been amazed by the success of Red Bull?
In the days where it costs millions of dollars to run a Formula One team; where major car manufacturers are unwilling to continue to take part due to soaring costs; and where a number of teams have folded for not having secured enough advertising money, this sports drink giant manages to run TWO teams at the same time: Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso (meaning "Red Bull" in Italian).
I have never been a fan of extreme sports. Yet whenever they are broadcasted on television, I can guarantee that you will see a handful of gigantic Red Bull banners or balloons at the venue, and at least a couple of the front-running athletes sponsored by Red Bull.
In fact, it is the advertising at the extreme sports scenes which has made Red Bull hugely popular among the young people.
And like the motor-racing drivers, these Red Bull-sponsored extreme sports athletes all wear the same distinctive silver and blue helmet.
And because its major shareholder, Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian businessman who once claimed that he came up with the concoction at the bar of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong, is an avid flyer, you will also see lots of Red Bull advertising in flight shows and air racing events.
The success and popularity of the drink have enabled the company to expand into different sporting scenes in the coming years as well, like its foray into NASCAR with car-manufacturing giant Toyota as a major partner.
To find out why it is so popular, I bought a can and tasted it.
But I didn't like it.
Its strange flavour (imagine strawberry-flavoured cough syrup in a can) can only be matched by beer and alcoholic drinks (no, I don't drink them often). It just doesn't taste that natural to me.
Yet it has also given me a remarkable idea.
Why not re-package some of the Chinese traditional herbal teas currently on sale in Hong Kong, and advertise them in the extreme sports venues, just like what Red Bull has been doing so successfully?
If Mateschitz could become a billionaire thanks to this reddish-pink concoction, why couldn't I become the richest man on earth courtesy of the herbal tea?
I'd better start working on the phone now.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
The Ultimate Sacrifice
When Fiorentina sat comfortably in second place during the turn of the year in the 1992/93 Italian Serie A season, no one could expect that they would drop all the way down to 16th and be relegated to Serie B at the end of the season.
What's more surprising to them, is that their start Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta would remain with the club in Serie B. And sure enough, Fiorentina's stay in Serie B lasted only one season, thanks to the prolific strike rate of "Batigol".
When Juventus is relegated to Serie B this year following the investigation of a match-fixing scandal, players like Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram all left the club in a hurry.
And in fact, manager Fabio Capello was the first one to leave the club, when he re-joined Real Madrid before any of their departure.
On the other hand though, Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved, stalwarts in their midfield, have vowed to remain with the team despite the relegation, hoping to emulate Batigol's feat by bringing Juventus back to Serie A in just one season.
For Batistuta, Del Piero and Nedved, the sacrifices behind their noble act is largely a financial one. But hey, they are rich and famous already, and the loss of exposure won't hurt them much actually.
Then you have Pat Tillman.
Tillman, a safety for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, turned down a lucrative offer to join the St. Louis Rams in 2002, and decided to enlist in the U.S. Army, shortly after the terrorist attacks on 11 September, 2001.
But in April 2004, he was shot and killed in Afghanistan while on duty. It later turned out that he was killed by a so-called "friendly fire". In other words, he was accidentally shot to death by his own guys.
Tillman turned his back against a million-dollar deal, hoping the serve the country he whole-heartedly loves. Yet tragically, his hopes were shattered and he paid the ultimate price.
ESPN recently ran an excellent piece on Tillman, which can be found here.
What's more surprising to them, is that their start Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta would remain with the club in Serie B. And sure enough, Fiorentina's stay in Serie B lasted only one season, thanks to the prolific strike rate of "Batigol".
When Juventus is relegated to Serie B this year following the investigation of a match-fixing scandal, players like Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram all left the club in a hurry.
And in fact, manager Fabio Capello was the first one to leave the club, when he re-joined Real Madrid before any of their departure.
On the other hand though, Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved, stalwarts in their midfield, have vowed to remain with the team despite the relegation, hoping to emulate Batigol's feat by bringing Juventus back to Serie A in just one season.
For Batistuta, Del Piero and Nedved, the sacrifices behind their noble act is largely a financial one. But hey, they are rich and famous already, and the loss of exposure won't hurt them much actually.
Then you have Pat Tillman.
Tillman, a safety for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, turned down a lucrative offer to join the St. Louis Rams in 2002, and decided to enlist in the U.S. Army, shortly after the terrorist attacks on 11 September, 2001.
But in April 2004, he was shot and killed in Afghanistan while on duty. It later turned out that he was killed by a so-called "friendly fire". In other words, he was accidentally shot to death by his own guys.
Tillman turned his back against a million-dollar deal, hoping the serve the country he whole-heartedly loves. Yet tragically, his hopes were shattered and he paid the ultimate price.
ESPN recently ran an excellent piece on Tillman, which can be found here.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
The Stripes Are Back
First, a confession.
I must admit that I am a huge Liverpool fan. And being a subscriber of its official newsletters, I received a mail earlier today, about a pre-order of their new jersey this year.
When I opened the mail and saw their new jersey, I simply couldn't contain my excitement.
The three stripes are finally back!
Being sponsored by Reebok for many years, Liverpool gave me a strange feeling - They are outsiders. To me, putting on my Reebok Liverpool jersey was like wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat to a rave party.
You just don't belong there.
I mean, when it comes to soccer, would you think of the Reebok brand?
No I wouldn't.
For many years, Adidas was the king of soccer. Since 1970, Adidas has been the official sponsor of the World Cup match balls, and its famous three-stripe brand has been made famous by a number of top clubs around the world, including Real Madrid, Milan and Bayern Munchen.
On the other hand, Nike has won over a lot of people's heart through its stylish design and successful marketing campaigns in recent years. The back-to-the-70s' design for the jerseys of a number of teams in this year's World Cup (Brazil and Netherlands, etc.) is, to many critics, one of the best ever. Many top clubs are sponsored by Nike, including Barcelona, Juventus, Arsenal and Manchester United.
And Reebok isn't even in the top three. Remember Italy, the team which won this year's World Cup? Switzerland, the only team not to have conceded any goals in the Finals? And Ghana, the team which could have given Brazil a real scare if their strikers could somehow shoot on goal? They all wore Pumas.
Liverpool has a long history with Adidas. Liverpool fans can never forget the "CROWN Paints" jersey and the "Candy" jerseys in the 80s' and early 90s', one of the most successful spells in the club's glorious history.
I'd better get one as soon as possible. But I have to lose some weight first.
I must admit that I am a huge Liverpool fan. And being a subscriber of its official newsletters, I received a mail earlier today, about a pre-order of their new jersey this year.
When I opened the mail and saw their new jersey, I simply couldn't contain my excitement.
The three stripes are finally back!
Being sponsored by Reebok for many years, Liverpool gave me a strange feeling - They are outsiders. To me, putting on my Reebok Liverpool jersey was like wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat to a rave party.
You just don't belong there.
I mean, when it comes to soccer, would you think of the Reebok brand?
No I wouldn't.
For many years, Adidas was the king of soccer. Since 1970, Adidas has been the official sponsor of the World Cup match balls, and its famous three-stripe brand has been made famous by a number of top clubs around the world, including Real Madrid, Milan and Bayern Munchen.
On the other hand, Nike has won over a lot of people's heart through its stylish design and successful marketing campaigns in recent years. The back-to-the-70s' design for the jerseys of a number of teams in this year's World Cup (Brazil and Netherlands, etc.) is, to many critics, one of the best ever. Many top clubs are sponsored by Nike, including Barcelona, Juventus, Arsenal and Manchester United.
And Reebok isn't even in the top three. Remember Italy, the team which won this year's World Cup? Switzerland, the only team not to have conceded any goals in the Finals? And Ghana, the team which could have given Brazil a real scare if their strikers could somehow shoot on goal? They all wore Pumas.
Liverpool has a long history with Adidas. Liverpool fans can never forget the "CROWN Paints" jersey and the "Candy" jerseys in the 80s' and early 90s', one of the most successful spells in the club's glorious history.
I'd better get one as soon as possible. But I have to lose some weight first.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Tour de Floyd
Hats off to Floyd Landis for winning this year's Tour de France.
With the retirement of seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, the exclusion of pre-race favourites Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich (last year's runners-up) for their involvement in a drug scandal, and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding yet another favourite Alexander Vinokourov (being with the wrong team at the wrong time - He was not involved in the scandal, but several of his team members were, which resulted in his team not having enough riders to start this year's Tour), this year's race is one of the most wide-open and unpredictable in recent years.
Thanks to Landis, a Pennsylvanian Mennonite, the yellow jersey remains in the United States for the eighth consecutive year.
This year's race saw 10 lead changes among seven riders, the most in many years, and the success of French riders who claimed three stage victories in total and a piece of the yellow jersey.
But the hero of the Tour is Landis.
This is a guy who is suffering from serious and painful arthritis in his hips who is scheduled for a hip replacement surgery shortly after the Tour.
And this is a guy who bounced back from a terrible day in the Alps when he lost over 10 minutes, to claim a glorious solo victory in the same treacherous mountains the very next day, when he reduced his time gap to the leader to a mere 30 seconds. In the end he managed to take over the lead in the final individual time trial by overtaking leader Oscar Pereiro.
And this came after he lost nearly 30 minutes to Pereiro in Stage 13, in farcical circumstances.
The final margin for his victory: 59 seconds.
59 seconds may appear to be a big margin, but in truth is nothing at all when you consider that the riders had spents nearly 100 hours on the saddle, and ridden for over 3,000 kilometres in France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
Unfortunately, whether Landis will defend his victory next year remains unknown. There is so much uncertainty surrounding hip replacement surgeries that no one can say anything for sure. Remember Bo Jackson?
Hopefully he will be back. This guy really deserves a shot to defend his title.
With the retirement of seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, the exclusion of pre-race favourites Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich (last year's runners-up) for their involvement in a drug scandal, and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding yet another favourite Alexander Vinokourov (being with the wrong team at the wrong time - He was not involved in the scandal, but several of his team members were, which resulted in his team not having enough riders to start this year's Tour), this year's race is one of the most wide-open and unpredictable in recent years.
Thanks to Landis, a Pennsylvanian Mennonite, the yellow jersey remains in the United States for the eighth consecutive year.
This year's race saw 10 lead changes among seven riders, the most in many years, and the success of French riders who claimed three stage victories in total and a piece of the yellow jersey.
But the hero of the Tour is Landis.
This is a guy who is suffering from serious and painful arthritis in his hips who is scheduled for a hip replacement surgery shortly after the Tour.
And this is a guy who bounced back from a terrible day in the Alps when he lost over 10 minutes, to claim a glorious solo victory in the same treacherous mountains the very next day, when he reduced his time gap to the leader to a mere 30 seconds. In the end he managed to take over the lead in the final individual time trial by overtaking leader Oscar Pereiro.
And this came after he lost nearly 30 minutes to Pereiro in Stage 13, in farcical circumstances.
The final margin for his victory: 59 seconds.
59 seconds may appear to be a big margin, but in truth is nothing at all when you consider that the riders had spents nearly 100 hours on the saddle, and ridden for over 3,000 kilometres in France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
Unfortunately, whether Landis will defend his victory next year remains unknown. There is so much uncertainty surrounding hip replacement surgeries that no one can say anything for sure. Remember Bo Jackson?
Hopefully he will be back. This guy really deserves a shot to defend his title.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Patience i$ a Virtue
Since the arrival of new owner Roman Abramovich and manager Jose Mourinho, Chelsea has become a force to be reckoned with.
Thanks to the deep pockets of Abramovich, as well as the shrewd tactics and gamesmanship of Mourinho, Chelsea has become the team to beat in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
Like a child in a candy shop, Mourinho always wants more. And this year, after the success of the Portuguese experiment, Chelsea has added Germany's captain Michael Ballack (free transfer), Cote d'Ivoire's Salomon Kalou (transfer fee undisclosed) and John Obi Mikel (16 million pounds), a young Nigerian midfielder who has shown a lot of promise, to his star-studded squad.
But the crown jewel of them all is Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko, bought from Milan at a staggering 30.8 million pounds, a record for the Premier League.
But is it money well spent?
Mourinho has been known as a quick-reacting and sharp-witted manager, who is not hesitant to make switches on the field when things aren't going well for the team. His decision to replace an ineffective Asier Del Horno with Damien Duff after just half an hour in the match against Portsmouth, has sparked the team to a comfortable victory.
And when Shevchenko revealed in early May that he might want to leave Milan, Mourinho and Chief Executive Peter Kenyon decided to act quickly by making an offer that Milan and Shevchenko could not reject. Eventually Shevchenko signed with Chelsea on May 31.
But weeks later, it was confirmed that Milan has also been involved in the match-fixing scandal, and would eventually be docked a massive 44 points and 15 points for the past season and this coming season respectively, and is banned from this year's Champions League as well.
Had Chelsea not acted THAT quickly but shown a little bit of patience, they may benefit from the expected player exodus from Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio and Milan. It would have cost Chelsea far less money to lure the star striker.
Don't get me wrong, Shevchenko has always been one of my favourites, and is worth every penny of whatever price they are willing to pay. But by reacting too quickly, Chelsea has, unwittingly and unwisely, raised the price for their target which Milan, now in all sorts of trouble, may now be willing to sell at a far lower price.
Abramovich is a rich man, and Mourinho is a man of great pride and respect. But I wonder whether such lavish spending would have any adverse effect on the team in the long run.
Thanks to the deep pockets of Abramovich, as well as the shrewd tactics and gamesmanship of Mourinho, Chelsea has become the team to beat in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
Like a child in a candy shop, Mourinho always wants more. And this year, after the success of the Portuguese experiment, Chelsea has added Germany's captain Michael Ballack (free transfer), Cote d'Ivoire's Salomon Kalou (transfer fee undisclosed) and John Obi Mikel (16 million pounds), a young Nigerian midfielder who has shown a lot of promise, to his star-studded squad.
But the crown jewel of them all is Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko, bought from Milan at a staggering 30.8 million pounds, a record for the Premier League.
But is it money well spent?
Mourinho has been known as a quick-reacting and sharp-witted manager, who is not hesitant to make switches on the field when things aren't going well for the team. His decision to replace an ineffective Asier Del Horno with Damien Duff after just half an hour in the match against Portsmouth, has sparked the team to a comfortable victory.
And when Shevchenko revealed in early May that he might want to leave Milan, Mourinho and Chief Executive Peter Kenyon decided to act quickly by making an offer that Milan and Shevchenko could not reject. Eventually Shevchenko signed with Chelsea on May 31.
But weeks later, it was confirmed that Milan has also been involved in the match-fixing scandal, and would eventually be docked a massive 44 points and 15 points for the past season and this coming season respectively, and is banned from this year's Champions League as well.
Had Chelsea not acted THAT quickly but shown a little bit of patience, they may benefit from the expected player exodus from Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio and Milan. It would have cost Chelsea far less money to lure the star striker.
Don't get me wrong, Shevchenko has always been one of my favourites, and is worth every penny of whatever price they are willing to pay. But by reacting too quickly, Chelsea has, unwittingly and unwisely, raised the price for their target which Milan, now in all sorts of trouble, may now be willing to sell at a far lower price.
Abramovich is a rich man, and Mourinho is a man of great pride and respect. But I wonder whether such lavish spending would have any adverse effect on the team in the long run.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
The Real McCoy
I am always annoyed by the local media who keeps referring Michael Schumacher as the "God of Drivers".
It's true that no other drivers have won (or will ever win) seven Formula One World Championship titles, and no other drivers have (or will ever) come close to his 88 (and counting) Formula One victories (the 20-plus other drivers in this year's Championship have a total of only 73 victories between them). His achievement in Formula One is truly amazing, and the precision and smoothness of his driving skills are out of this world.
(Meanwhile, he also has the acumen and fortune to be with the right team at the right time. The emergence of the Benetton team in the early and mid 90s' coincided with Schumacher's rise to stardom, and the sheer dominance of Ferrari in recent years has played a huge role in his success.)
Arguably he is the best driver in the current Formula One circuit (some say it's Fernando Alonso). He may also be the best Formula One driver ever. But the "God of Drivers"?
I don't think so.
The title should go to Sebastien Loeb, the reigning and two-time World Rally Champion.
Statistics-wise, Schumacher and Loeb share the same dominance in their respective championship. In 2004, Schumi won 12 of the first 13 races, 13 out of 18 in total. In 2005, Loeb became the first driver to win six consecutive rallies, and ten out of 16 in all.
However, Formula One is more about technology than driving skills. Driving aids, such as traction control, have made life much easier for the drivers. As Niki Lauda, the three-time Formula One World Champion has once famously put it, "Even a monkey could drive in today's Formula One cars."
What's more, in an attempt to make Formula One racing safer, efforts have been made to reduce the speed of Formula One cars, and many circuits have to be rebuilt by removing high-speed (and famous) corners and installing an abundance of run-off area. Consequently, many Formula One fans complain that Formula One racing has become too safe.
But can a monkey drive in a rally car?
Rallying is all about the drivers and their partnership with co-drivers. Car speed is not the key to success, as drivers have to drive on all sorts of surface, such as gravel, snow, tarmac and mud, with the smallest margin of error. A tiny miscue will result in their car turning to a side and, more seriously, tumbling into deep ravines and bursting into fire. The trees at the side of the road may look innocuous, but hitting them will often result in fatal consequences.
Schumi is undoubtedly a great driver, but Loeb is vastly underrated. We may not have the privilege to watch the rally action on local television, but if you have, I'm sure you will be impressed and amazed by the precision and guts shown in Loeb's driving. No matter what kind of surface it is, Loeb just keeps on winning and distancing himself from the rest of the field.
And when you look at the drivers who have been beaten by Loeb, their eyes all say the same thing, "How on earth did he go THAT fast?"
Sebastien Loeb, the worthy "God of Drivers" to me.
It's true that no other drivers have won (or will ever win) seven Formula One World Championship titles, and no other drivers have (or will ever) come close to his 88 (and counting) Formula One victories (the 20-plus other drivers in this year's Championship have a total of only 73 victories between them). His achievement in Formula One is truly amazing, and the precision and smoothness of his driving skills are out of this world.
(Meanwhile, he also has the acumen and fortune to be with the right team at the right time. The emergence of the Benetton team in the early and mid 90s' coincided with Schumacher's rise to stardom, and the sheer dominance of Ferrari in recent years has played a huge role in his success.)
Arguably he is the best driver in the current Formula One circuit (some say it's Fernando Alonso). He may also be the best Formula One driver ever. But the "God of Drivers"?
I don't think so.
The title should go to Sebastien Loeb, the reigning and two-time World Rally Champion.
Statistics-wise, Schumacher and Loeb share the same dominance in their respective championship. In 2004, Schumi won 12 of the first 13 races, 13 out of 18 in total. In 2005, Loeb became the first driver to win six consecutive rallies, and ten out of 16 in all.
However, Formula One is more about technology than driving skills. Driving aids, such as traction control, have made life much easier for the drivers. As Niki Lauda, the three-time Formula One World Champion has once famously put it, "Even a monkey could drive in today's Formula One cars."
What's more, in an attempt to make Formula One racing safer, efforts have been made to reduce the speed of Formula One cars, and many circuits have to be rebuilt by removing high-speed (and famous) corners and installing an abundance of run-off area. Consequently, many Formula One fans complain that Formula One racing has become too safe.
But can a monkey drive in a rally car?
Rallying is all about the drivers and their partnership with co-drivers. Car speed is not the key to success, as drivers have to drive on all sorts of surface, such as gravel, snow, tarmac and mud, with the smallest margin of error. A tiny miscue will result in their car turning to a side and, more seriously, tumbling into deep ravines and bursting into fire. The trees at the side of the road may look innocuous, but hitting them will often result in fatal consequences.
Schumi is undoubtedly a great driver, but Loeb is vastly underrated. We may not have the privilege to watch the rally action on local television, but if you have, I'm sure you will be impressed and amazed by the precision and guts shown in Loeb's driving. No matter what kind of surface it is, Loeb just keeps on winning and distancing himself from the rest of the field.
And when you look at the drivers who have been beaten by Loeb, their eyes all say the same thing, "How on earth did he go THAT fast?"
Sebastien Loeb, the worthy "God of Drivers" to me.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
"Twin Towers" for Liverpool
Since Michael Owen's departure to Real Madrid in 2004, Liverpool has been struggling to find a capable replacement.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Djibril Cisse, Luis Garcia, Fernando Morientes, Peter Crouch and Robbie Fowler have all been called upon (or re-called, as in the case of Fowler) to spearhead its attack. However, when you have your midfield general Steven Gerrard leading the team in scoring in the last two seasons, it's only fair to say that their performance has not been satisfactory.
And now with both Cisse and Morientes gone, manager Rafael Benitez is sure having a close eye on the striker market. And with Italian Serie A giants Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio having all been relegated to Serie B, and Milan facing points deduction this season, as a result of the match-fixing scandal, a mass exodus of players can be expected.
In fact, Benitez himself has admitted that he is interested in a couple of them, either buying them or having them play for Liverpool this coming season on loan. Among the strikers he has mentioned are David Trezeguet and Alberto Gilardino.
Both are all good players, but I hope Benitez would go for the radical.
Sign Luca Toni.
And partner him with Peter Crouch to form the first "Twin Towers" in English Premier League history.
You may not believe it, but Toni, a giant among the boys in the Italian squad, is in fact two inches SHORTER than Crouch. They both play in a similar style with excellent headers, as well as outstanding footwork and close control considering their height.
The gangly Crouch will likely never win any style points on the pitch, but he is very effective in Benitez's scheme: A long ball would be aimed for him, and he would either set up an on-coming striker or midfielder for goal, or go for goal himself. Given his height advantage, other teams often have to pay extra attention to him, which creates more room and scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Now imagine he has help in the aerial attack from Toni. Defenders would have a hard time picking their poison. And with the arrival of speedy wingers Craig Bellamy and Mark Gonzalez, Benitez knows which side of the bread is buttered on and we can expect more quality crosses to be played in from both sides of the pitch.
The pairing of "Twin Towers" worked wonders for former Houston Rockets Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon, as well as San Antonio Spurs David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Hopefully it will work for Liverpool too.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Djibril Cisse, Luis Garcia, Fernando Morientes, Peter Crouch and Robbie Fowler have all been called upon (or re-called, as in the case of Fowler) to spearhead its attack. However, when you have your midfield general Steven Gerrard leading the team in scoring in the last two seasons, it's only fair to say that their performance has not been satisfactory.
And now with both Cisse and Morientes gone, manager Rafael Benitez is sure having a close eye on the striker market. And with Italian Serie A giants Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio having all been relegated to Serie B, and Milan facing points deduction this season, as a result of the match-fixing scandal, a mass exodus of players can be expected.
In fact, Benitez himself has admitted that he is interested in a couple of them, either buying them or having them play for Liverpool this coming season on loan. Among the strikers he has mentioned are David Trezeguet and Alberto Gilardino.
Both are all good players, but I hope Benitez would go for the radical.
Sign Luca Toni.
And partner him with Peter Crouch to form the first "Twin Towers" in English Premier League history.
You may not believe it, but Toni, a giant among the boys in the Italian squad, is in fact two inches SHORTER than Crouch. They both play in a similar style with excellent headers, as well as outstanding footwork and close control considering their height.
The gangly Crouch will likely never win any style points on the pitch, but he is very effective in Benitez's scheme: A long ball would be aimed for him, and he would either set up an on-coming striker or midfielder for goal, or go for goal himself. Given his height advantage, other teams often have to pay extra attention to him, which creates more room and scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Now imagine he has help in the aerial attack from Toni. Defenders would have a hard time picking their poison. And with the arrival of speedy wingers Craig Bellamy and Mark Gonzalez, Benitez knows which side of the bread is buttered on and we can expect more quality crosses to be played in from both sides of the pitch.
The pairing of "Twin Towers" worked wonders for former Houston Rockets Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon, as well as San Antonio Spurs David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Hopefully it will work for Liverpool too.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Special Offer by Phonak
Something very strange happened in Stage 13 of this year's Tour de France.
Five riders broke away after only 21km in the 230km stage. Their breakaway turned out to be a winning one and in the end, Germany's Jens Voigt out-sprinted Spain's Oscar Pereiro Sio to win the stage. The third- and fourth-placed riders came home 40 seconds behind the leaders, while the fifth-placed rider was over six minutes back.
Then things got interesting.
It took exactly 29 minutes and 57 seconds after Voigt and Pereiro had finished the stage did we see the peloton cross the finish line in a bunch finish.
Since Spanish rider Jose Luis Viejo won a stage in the Tour de France in 1976 by 22 minutes and 50 seconds, only once had a winning breakaway won by that much of a margin. That was Stage 8 of the Tour de France 2001 when the winner, Erik Dekker, was 35 minutes and 54 seconds ahead of the peloton.
Only two riders were dropped by the peloton, evidence that the peloton was simply coasting and bathing in the sunshine. However, such cruising had cost Floyd Landis, the American rider of the Phonak team, his yellow jersey.
Pereiro, who started the day in 28th place, 28 minutes and 50 seconds behind Landis, had unexpectedly become the seventh rider to wear the maillot jaune in this year's Tour.
Riders often gain or lose minutes or even hours in mountain stages, when the peloton decides to saddle up and ride together at a very low speed. That way none of them will be disqualified for finishing the stage outside the time limit, as the organiser is highly unlikely to disqualify all of them.
However, Stage 13 is not a mountain stage, and its four fourth-category climbs are nothing when compared with the fearsome hors-category climbs. And a 30-minute gain in a relatively flat stage is almost unheard of.
The Phonak riders, who were riding at the front of the peloton during most of the race, were responsible for protecting the yellow jersey of their team leader, Landis, by controlling the pace. But they decided not to give chase and simply allowed the lead to grow, eventually handing over the yellow jersey to Pereiro.
They just blew it.
But what happened?
The obvious answer is to preserve energy for the upcoming grueling mountain stages. However, given that Pereiro was a member of the Phonak team from 2004 to 2005, some suspect that it may be a "gift" by the team by allowing him to don the yellow jersey.
Yet such generosity is likely to backfire, as Pereiro is capable of winning the Tour himself. Although he has lost minutes to Landis in the two individual time trials in this year's Tour, he finished 10th in both 2004 (16 minutes back) and 2005 (22 minutes back), and also won the Combativity award in 2005, after engineering a couple of winning breakaways. Incidentally, Landis finished 9th in last year's Tour, with a time gap of mere three minutes between Pereiro and himself.
The team manager of Phonak claimed that he was happy with the team's strategy. Yet many believe that it's a decision which will come back and haunt them.
Five riders broke away after only 21km in the 230km stage. Their breakaway turned out to be a winning one and in the end, Germany's Jens Voigt out-sprinted Spain's Oscar Pereiro Sio to win the stage. The third- and fourth-placed riders came home 40 seconds behind the leaders, while the fifth-placed rider was over six minutes back.
Then things got interesting.
It took exactly 29 minutes and 57 seconds after Voigt and Pereiro had finished the stage did we see the peloton cross the finish line in a bunch finish.
Since Spanish rider Jose Luis Viejo won a stage in the Tour de France in 1976 by 22 minutes and 50 seconds, only once had a winning breakaway won by that much of a margin. That was Stage 8 of the Tour de France 2001 when the winner, Erik Dekker, was 35 minutes and 54 seconds ahead of the peloton.
Only two riders were dropped by the peloton, evidence that the peloton was simply coasting and bathing in the sunshine. However, such cruising had cost Floyd Landis, the American rider of the Phonak team, his yellow jersey.
Pereiro, who started the day in 28th place, 28 minutes and 50 seconds behind Landis, had unexpectedly become the seventh rider to wear the maillot jaune in this year's Tour.
Riders often gain or lose minutes or even hours in mountain stages, when the peloton decides to saddle up and ride together at a very low speed. That way none of them will be disqualified for finishing the stage outside the time limit, as the organiser is highly unlikely to disqualify all of them.
However, Stage 13 is not a mountain stage, and its four fourth-category climbs are nothing when compared with the fearsome hors-category climbs. And a 30-minute gain in a relatively flat stage is almost unheard of.
The Phonak riders, who were riding at the front of the peloton during most of the race, were responsible for protecting the yellow jersey of their team leader, Landis, by controlling the pace. But they decided not to give chase and simply allowed the lead to grow, eventually handing over the yellow jersey to Pereiro.
They just blew it.
But what happened?
The obvious answer is to preserve energy for the upcoming grueling mountain stages. However, given that Pereiro was a member of the Phonak team from 2004 to 2005, some suspect that it may be a "gift" by the team by allowing him to don the yellow jersey.
Yet such generosity is likely to backfire, as Pereiro is capable of winning the Tour himself. Although he has lost minutes to Landis in the two individual time trials in this year's Tour, he finished 10th in both 2004 (16 minutes back) and 2005 (22 minutes back), and also won the Combativity award in 2005, after engineering a couple of winning breakaways. Incidentally, Landis finished 9th in last year's Tour, with a time gap of mere three minutes between Pereiro and himself.
The team manager of Phonak claimed that he was happy with the team's strategy. Yet many believe that it's a decision which will come back and haunt them.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Pushing the Wrong Button?
When Jenson Button finally notched up his maiden pole position in the San Marino Grand Prix in 2004, he carried the expectation of all British motor-racing fans as their next great hope.
When Button lost that year's Monaco Grand Prix by less than half a second to Jarno Trulli, many believed that it's just a matter of time before he scored his first ever victory in Formula One.
And when he negotiated a deal with Frank Williams to allow him to get out of the contract he has signed with the Williams team, and to remain in Honda after the 2005 season, and given Honda's huge financial backing, he was many people's bet as a World Champion in the making.
Fast forward to the French Grand Prix 2006 ...
Button, while still looking for his first victory in Formula One, qualified 19th (out of 22 cars) but did well enough to climb up to 11th, before retiring with mechanical problems. His teammate, Rubens Barrichello, didn't fare much better, as he qualified 13th and had to retire after only 19 laps.
Meanwhile, both Williams drivers qualified relatively better, with Nico Rosberg 9th fastest (although he was penalized for an engine change and lost 10 places on the grid) and Mark Webber starting in 10th. Both ran competitively but Webber spun off in spectacular fashion due to a tyre failure, while Rosberg finished the race in 14th.
While both Honda drivers have scored 16 points apiece so far, and the Williams drivers have only 10 points between them, it was the Williams cars which have caused a lot of surprises in most of the races this season, only to be foiled by mechanical and reliability issues. And had the team chosen a better pit strategy, many believed that Rosberg, who had already posted the fastest lap of the race, could have won this year's opener in Bahrain, on his Formula One debut as well.
Honda, with its huge financial and technological backing, was one of the pre-season favourites. Meanwhile Williams, which had lost its engine deal with BMW when the latter decided to set up a team on its own, was expected to struggle. While both teams were not doing particularly well this season so far, it's fair to say that Williams has exceeded the expectation of many.
Did Button make the correct choice to stay put? You make the call.
When Button lost that year's Monaco Grand Prix by less than half a second to Jarno Trulli, many believed that it's just a matter of time before he scored his first ever victory in Formula One.
And when he negotiated a deal with Frank Williams to allow him to get out of the contract he has signed with the Williams team, and to remain in Honda after the 2005 season, and given Honda's huge financial backing, he was many people's bet as a World Champion in the making.
Fast forward to the French Grand Prix 2006 ...
Button, while still looking for his first victory in Formula One, qualified 19th (out of 22 cars) but did well enough to climb up to 11th, before retiring with mechanical problems. His teammate, Rubens Barrichello, didn't fare much better, as he qualified 13th and had to retire after only 19 laps.
Meanwhile, both Williams drivers qualified relatively better, with Nico Rosberg 9th fastest (although he was penalized for an engine change and lost 10 places on the grid) and Mark Webber starting in 10th. Both ran competitively but Webber spun off in spectacular fashion due to a tyre failure, while Rosberg finished the race in 14th.
While both Honda drivers have scored 16 points apiece so far, and the Williams drivers have only 10 points between them, it was the Williams cars which have caused a lot of surprises in most of the races this season, only to be foiled by mechanical and reliability issues. And had the team chosen a better pit strategy, many believed that Rosberg, who had already posted the fastest lap of the race, could have won this year's opener in Bahrain, on his Formula One debut as well.
Honda, with its huge financial and technological backing, was one of the pre-season favourites. Meanwhile Williams, which had lost its engine deal with BMW when the latter decided to set up a team on its own, was expected to struggle. While both teams were not doing particularly well this season so far, it's fair to say that Williams has exceeded the expectation of many.
Did Button make the correct choice to stay put? You make the call.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
I Beg Your Pardon, Schumi?
Michael Schumacher, the seven-time Formula One World Champion, has once again shown us why he has gotten out of touch with the rest of the world.
When asked about Juan Pablo Montoya's departure to NASCAR a couple of days ago, he said, "What do you see in Nascar? What is exciting about it? I can't see it running around in ovals."
In other words, he thinks NASCAR is boring.
It's a well-known fact that the TV ratings of NASCAR has kept on increasing, while Formula One has to resort to some amusing gimmick to stop losing audience, like the two-day qualifying last year, and the three-part qualifying this year.
Motor-racing fans love cars overtaking or even touching each other. Throw in some spectacular crashes will make it an even better spectacle. In NASCAR, where 43 nearly identical cars running bumper-to-bumper for hundreds of laps on the ever-dangerous ovals, action-packed racing is a virtual guarantee. The use of restrictor plate on super speedways is an ingenious (and successful) way to reduce speed and to bunch up the cars.
Now what do we have in Formula One?
Apart from the so-called "pit strategies" and the meaningless scrap between the Midlands and Super Aguris, you seldom see any action Formula One races. And I wonder if Schumi indeed finds circulating the tracks alone, as in the case of oh so many races, THAT exciting at all.
Perhaps Schumi doesn't think NASCAR is boring. Perhaps it's just another way to diss Montoya, with whom he didn't see eye-to-eye, since the Columbian's arrival in Formula One in 2001.
When asked about Juan Pablo Montoya's departure to NASCAR a couple of days ago, he said, "What do you see in Nascar? What is exciting about it? I can't see it running around in ovals."
In other words, he thinks NASCAR is boring.
It's a well-known fact that the TV ratings of NASCAR has kept on increasing, while Formula One has to resort to some amusing gimmick to stop losing audience, like the two-day qualifying last year, and the three-part qualifying this year.
Motor-racing fans love cars overtaking or even touching each other. Throw in some spectacular crashes will make it an even better spectacle. In NASCAR, where 43 nearly identical cars running bumper-to-bumper for hundreds of laps on the ever-dangerous ovals, action-packed racing is a virtual guarantee. The use of restrictor plate on super speedways is an ingenious (and successful) way to reduce speed and to bunch up the cars.
Now what do we have in Formula One?
Apart from the so-called "pit strategies" and the meaningless scrap between the Midlands and Super Aguris, you seldom see any action Formula One races. And I wonder if Schumi indeed finds circulating the tracks alone, as in the case of oh so many races, THAT exciting at all.
Perhaps Schumi doesn't think NASCAR is boring. Perhaps it's just another way to diss Montoya, with whom he didn't see eye-to-eye, since the Columbian's arrival in Formula One in 2001.
Friday, July 14, 2006
World Cup Afterthoughts
The best goal of the tournament? Without doubt Fabio Grosso's 119th-minute opener against Germany in the semi-final. There may be a couple of more fiercely-struck shots in the tournament, like Torsten Frings' goal against Costa Rica, and more immaculately placed shots, like Joe Cole's lob against Sweden, yet when you take into the account its importance and the time it was scored, Grosso's left-footed curling shot was not only the best goal, but also the most important one.
...
Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo might have made history by saving three penalty kicks in the penalty shootout against England. Yet if you watch closely, you will see that in fact he is one of the luckiest guy in the world.
Like many other shot stoppers, including his opposite number on the day, England's Paul Robinson, Ricardo employed a left-right-left-right tactic in an attempt to save the penalties. Meanwhile, the England players (Frank Lampard, Owen Hargreaves, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher) decided to place their penalty kicks to Ricardo's left, right, left and right hand side, in that order, respectively. On the other hand though, despite employing the same tactic, Robinson didn't even touch the ball.
...
Speaking of Portugal, the "Most Entertaining Team" award winner ...
After they have scored in the 24th minute of their final Group D match against Mexico, they had scored exactly ONE goal (against the Netherlands in the round of 16) in the next 454 minutes (a spell of over 5 matches, including 30 minutes of extra-time against England), until they scored a consolation goal in the 88th minute in the third-place playoff against Germany.
To be fair, they conceded ONLY 5 goals during these 454 minutes (slightly less than a goal per match). But the last time I checked, only three other teams had scored one goal or less during the entire tournament:
Trinidad & Tobago (No goal scored)
Angola (1 goal scored)
Togo (1 goal scored)
And they all played three matches only.
And they all were eliminated in the group stage.
If that's the quality the most entertaining team should possess, why shouldn't Angola win the award? At least they have a player (Akwa) who tried desperately to score acrobatically match after match.
...
Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo might have made history by saving three penalty kicks in the penalty shootout against England. Yet if you watch closely, you will see that in fact he is one of the luckiest guy in the world.
Like many other shot stoppers, including his opposite number on the day, England's Paul Robinson, Ricardo employed a left-right-left-right tactic in an attempt to save the penalties. Meanwhile, the England players (Frank Lampard, Owen Hargreaves, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher) decided to place their penalty kicks to Ricardo's left, right, left and right hand side, in that order, respectively. On the other hand though, despite employing the same tactic, Robinson didn't even touch the ball.
...
Speaking of Portugal, the "Most Entertaining Team" award winner ...
After they have scored in the 24th minute of their final Group D match against Mexico, they had scored exactly ONE goal (against the Netherlands in the round of 16) in the next 454 minutes (a spell of over 5 matches, including 30 minutes of extra-time against England), until they scored a consolation goal in the 88th minute in the third-place playoff against Germany.
To be fair, they conceded ONLY 5 goals during these 454 minutes (slightly less than a goal per match). But the last time I checked, only three other teams had scored one goal or less during the entire tournament:
Trinidad & Tobago (No goal scored)
Angola (1 goal scored)
Togo (1 goal scored)
And they all played three matches only.
And they all were eliminated in the group stage.
If that's the quality the most entertaining team should possess, why shouldn't Angola win the award? At least they have a player (Akwa) who tried desperately to score acrobatically match after match.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Zidane and Materazzi (Oh No, Not Again!)
Everyone is talking about the incident between Zinedine Zidane and Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final. It has reached a level where you just can't avoid a discussion about it. So why not be a part of them?
Zidane must have thought that Materazzi's torso was one of the golden Teamgeist balls in play when he decided to head-butt (or "Zidane", a new word rumoured to be taken by the upcoming version of the Oxford English Dictionary) the Italian defender in the chest 10 minutes from the end. While Materazzi admitted that he did insult Zidane by saying something that "you will hear dozens of times" (e.g., Good day, good morning, good night, or bon jour, bon matin or bonsoir in French, etc.) and denied having called him a "terrorist" (by claiming his 10-month-old daughter is the only terrorist to him), Zidane has said in a TV interview that Materazzi insulted his mother and sister, and also confirmed that no "terrorist" insults have been uttered.
But what actually has been said?
So far, both players have remained mum on the specifics of the exchange which led to the eventual head-butt. But why?
If Zidane believes that what he heard warranted the head-butt, he could have told us what it is. Although he did reveal that it's an insult to his mother and sister, at least he should tell us roughly what the wording is, if not in detail. On the other hand, Materazzi's version of the story isn't a verbatim record at all.
So, it's likely that the "magic words" were something extremely embarrassing and serious to Zidane personally, which even a tough man like Materazzi dares not or finds inappropriate to tell us. And when you talk about something you hear "dozens of times" on a football pitch and something extremely embarrassing to a man, there is only one word you can think of:
(I'm too shy to write down what THAT word is ...)
So my two cents are: The nasty Materazzi poked fun with its condition and health, and to prove him wrong and to show how tough he (and it) actually is, Zidane used his bald noggin and solidly headed the defender onto the ground.
And man, that was one hell of a header.
Zidane must have thought that Materazzi's torso was one of the golden Teamgeist balls in play when he decided to head-butt (or "Zidane", a new word rumoured to be taken by the upcoming version of the Oxford English Dictionary) the Italian defender in the chest 10 minutes from the end. While Materazzi admitted that he did insult Zidane by saying something that "you will hear dozens of times" (e.g., Good day, good morning, good night, or bon jour, bon matin or bonsoir in French, etc.) and denied having called him a "terrorist" (by claiming his 10-month-old daughter is the only terrorist to him), Zidane has said in a TV interview that Materazzi insulted his mother and sister, and also confirmed that no "terrorist" insults have been uttered.
But what actually has been said?
So far, both players have remained mum on the specifics of the exchange which led to the eventual head-butt. But why?
If Zidane believes that what he heard warranted the head-butt, he could have told us what it is. Although he did reveal that it's an insult to his mother and sister, at least he should tell us roughly what the wording is, if not in detail. On the other hand, Materazzi's version of the story isn't a verbatim record at all.
So, it's likely that the "magic words" were something extremely embarrassing and serious to Zidane personally, which even a tough man like Materazzi dares not or finds inappropriate to tell us. And when you talk about something you hear "dozens of times" on a football pitch and something extremely embarrassing to a man, there is only one word you can think of:
(I'm too shy to write down what THAT word is ...)
So my two cents are: The nasty Materazzi poked fun with its condition and health, and to prove him wrong and to show how tough he (and it) actually is, Zidane used his bald noggin and solidly headed the defender onto the ground.
And man, that was one hell of a header.
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