Thursday, December 20, 2007

Blah Blah Blah

- I know everyone is talking about it, so I'd better join in the bandwagon too. Brian Westbrook is definitely one of the smartest and most unselfish players in NFL. No other players in the league, I would say, are willing to sacrifice the chance to score an easy touchdown in order to secure his team's victory. Instead, he took a knee at the one-yard line to allow his team to run out the clock.

- Minnesota Vikings' coach Brad Childress doesn't look like an NFL head coach. His baldness and spectacles notwithstanding, his body language tells me that he isn't even a guy with confidence. I am not at all comfortable to see how he talks and interacts with his players. I would be extremely worried if I were the Vikings' owner Wilf. I would also put him in the coaches' box high in the stadium and let him talk to his players through the headsets. That would definitely make me, and him, more comfortable.

- Since Bobby Petrino's ignominious exit from the Atlanta Falcons, teams will be far less likely to pursue college coaches to lead their football teams. Instead, young NFL assistants have now become the red-hot commodities. Two of the hottest names at the moment are Josh McDaniels and Jason Garrett, offensive coordinators of the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys respectively. McDaniels has the upper hand right now as he knows when to rely on his running backs to win a football game. On the other hand, Garrett appears to have the Mike Martz mentality that he always prefers throwing the ball, regardless of the situation.

- Upset extraordinaire: A really extraordinary one. I'd bet $50 to see the Miami Dolphins to finish the season with a nice little three-game winning streak. And yes, that would mean a victory against the unbeaten Patriots at the frigid Foxboro.

- Quirky stats of the week: Todd Collins, who before last Sunday had not started an NFL game in 10 years, had fewer interceptions (0) than Tom Brady (1) and Tony Romo (3) last week. He also had the same number of touchdown passes (0) as the two star quarterbacks.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Churning out the Bits and Pieces

- While being a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan, I have to admit that although they will more than likely secure home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, they will not go very far. The reason? Too many breaks have gone in their way so far. From that crazy comeback at Buffalo (the on-side kick and the twice-taken 53-yard field goal) to that scare at Detroit (fumble after fumble but somehow managed to score the go-ahead touchdown with just 18 seconds left). Sometime somehow their luck will run out.

- I have a gut feeling that the New England Patriots will not go undefeated this season. It's true that they are sitting pretty at 13-0 with two cup cakes (3-10 New York Jets and the 0-13 Miami Dolphins) on their remaining schedule (plus the wildly inconsistent New York Giants). However, they will lose their bid for a perfect season not because of their own undoing. Instead, in a bid to keep annoying everyone, Pats' coach Bill Belichick will decide that he DOESN'T want a perfect season and will somehow allow the winless Dolphins to pick up their first win of the season on December 23.

- And speaking of the Patriots, could everyone please start rooting for the San Francisco 49ers for the final three games of the season? If the season ends today, the 49ers will have the second overall pick in next year's draft. However, the 49ers had traded that pick to the Patriots in order to trade up to draft offensive tackle Joe Staley in this year's draft. Well, who on earth would like to see the rich just getting richer? If the 49ers could win out their remaining games, it would relegate them somewhere down to fifth or sixth in the draft order. It won't mean anything to the 49ers, but it would mean the world for the Patriots-haters.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

12-0

The Baltimore Ravens came oh-so close to toppling the unbeaten New England Patriots earlier in the day. They had been leading for most of the game, but the Patriots converted two fourth-downs in their final drive (one of which was a gift by the Ravens for a holding penalty) and scored the deciding touchdown with just 44 seconds to go.

A quick look at the box score shows that the Ravens had been penalized 13 times for a staggering 100 yards in total. And when you consider their star safety Ed Reed intercepted a Tom Brady pass and returned it deep into the Patriots' territory, only fumbling the ball which was recovered by the Patriots late in the first half, you can really say that they had shot themselves in the foot.

A really gut-wrenching loss for the Ravens, and their frustration was epitomized by the penalty on linebacker Bart Scott, who threw a penalty flag into the stands after the Patriots' final score.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Things That I Hope Will Happen But Will Not Happen

- That the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the unbeaten New England Patriots on December 9 at Heinz Field, instead of playing the game at Foxboro. After witnessing the messy scrum between the Steelers and the Miami Dolphins, it appears that the only way for the Patriots to literally slip up and lose would be the intervention of force majeure. And Goodness only knows what will happen to the Patriots when a similar thunderstorm strikes again.

- That the Philadelphia Eagles playing in their throwback uniform every week. Since destroying the Detroit Lions 56-21 in their throwback uniform in Week 3 (where running back Brian Westbrook and wide receiver Kevin Curtis both gained over 200 total yards), the Eagles have been stuttering since then. Was that really the Eagles? Or was it the reincarnation of something great in the past?

- That the Eagles sticking with A.J. Feeley as their starting quarterback. Stepping in for the injured Donovan McNabb, Feeley was looking great against the Patriots, but he did throw three costly interceptions which allowed the Pats to preserve their unbeaten record. Nevertheless, Feeley was showing outstanding poise and willing to throw downfield, something McNabb dares not to as he has the tendency of checking down to his running backs way too quickly. People have been expecting a quarterback controversy between McNabb and second-round pick Kevin Kolb this season, but no one expects one involving Feeley.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Signs That I'm Not a Good Employee

Well, the Philadelphia Eagles, an unheard of 20-plus-point underdog, nearly pulled an upset over the unbeaten New England Patriots earlier this morning when they went down 28-31 in Foxborough.

While I'm still stuck in my office not being able to watch any footage, I have a hunch feeling that the Eagles had sent out their best cornerback, Lito Sheppard, to play one-on-one with Randy Moss, the main receiving threat of the Patriots.

The result? Despite a league-high 16 touchdowns so far this season, Moss was held to just four catches for around 40 yards and NO touchdown.

Teams playing against the Patriots have been playing so many zones this season and while a zone defense is designed to prevent huge gains, teams executing it improperly (e.g., safeties failing to cover the wide receivers let go by the cornerbacks) will get burnt deep repeatedly.

That's why they have to play man-to-man against the Patriots. While occasionally they may be able to break free for a long gain, at least there will be SOMEONE close to the receivers.

And with Moss beating so many cornerbacks on "jump ball" situations, why don't the cornerbacks give him a little cushion at the line of scrimmage in obvious jump ball situations, to prevent them from being pushed aside? Playing a little off will at least give them a running start AND a shot of getting in front of Moss to break up the pass.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Strange Decisions of the Week

On second and goal from the Denver Broncos' 4-yard line midway through the third quarter, Tennessee Titans' quarterback Vince Young scrambled around left end and apparently came up just short of the goal line.

Third and goal.

Young, having trouble finding an open receiver, tried to run it in. But he was pushed out of bounds way short of the goal line. Worse still, Young appeared to be winded from the play.

Fourth down.

Or was it?

Amazingly, Young's effort and suffering were all for naught as the third down play never happened. The reason? Broncos' head coach Mike Shanahan called a timeout just before the snap, as he had brought on the wrong personnel for the play. Funny though, as the wrong personnel was able to stop Young from scoring.

Now calling a timeout just before a play starts is not uncommon in football (more on that later). But this has completely different consequences.

TV replays showed that Young's outstretched right hand had apparently brought the ball across the plane of the goal line on the second down play, and thus a touchdown, instead of third down, should have been the call. But Titans' coach Jeff Fisher, in a moment of hesitation, didn't throw his red challenge flag before the third down play started. Once the next play starts, the previous one will become unchallengeable.

Luckily, his blushes were saved by Shanahan who, by calling a timeout, had stopped the third down play from starting. Now Fisher had all the time he needed to decide whether to appeal to the officials for a review. His reward was a touchdown for his team.

Speaking of calling a timeout just before a play starts, it was Shanahan who started the ridiculous practice of "icing the kicker" in September, when he called a timeout just before the Oakland Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski kicked a game-tying field goal in the final seconds. While Janikowski nailed the first one (which didn't count), the tactic worked to perfection as he missed the second try after returning from the timeout (which counted).

Since then, way too many coaches have been following suit and some commentators said that the only way for the shenanigans to stop, would be for a kicker to miss the first try (which doesn't count) but make the second one (which counts).

And in a case of poetic justice, the tactic came back and nearly haunted Shanahan as Rob Bironas, the Titans' kicker, badly hooked a 56-yarder at the end of the first half. But the play didn't count as Shanahan called a timeout just before the snap. Given a second chance, Bironas, who set a record of making eight field goals in a game earlier this season, didn't miss it and brought the Titans to within 10 points at the end of the half.

Luckily for Shanahan, his curious decisions didn't hurt his team which eventually emerged victorious 34-20. Otherwise someone may be calling for his head, as the AFC West this year is so wide open that a single bad call may be enough to ruin a team's season.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Question of the Week

In the closing seconds of the first half of the Monday night game between the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, why didn't the officials review whether the Titans' Bo Scaife made the catch deep into the Broncos' territory? The ruling on the field was that it was an incomplete pass, but TV replays showed that Scaife had more than likely made a spectacular catch. There was definitely enough doubt which warranted an official review. But it never came and the Titans had to settle for a field goal.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

San Diego Strangers

It was a strange game.

It was a game in which Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning, of all people, threw not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but SIX interceptions, three of which were hauled in by San Diego Chargers' cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who a week earlier set an unbeatable record by returning a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings.

In the second quarter, rookie linebacker Clint Session made an acrobatic interception by picking off a Philip Rivers' throw in the endzone just before the ball hit the ground, and returned it all the way inside the Chargers' 10-yard line. However, the play was called dead by an "inadvertent whistle" when one of the referees mistakenly saw that the ball had hit the ground and blew the whistle. So instead of having a First-and-10 inside the Chargers' 10-yard line, the Colts had to start at their own 20.

And if that is not strange enough, Adam Vinatieri, one of the best clutch kickers in history, missed two chip shot field goals at either halves of the game. Had he made either of those, the visiting Colts would have won the game, which finished 21-23 to the Chargers.

When the Colts came to within two points after once falling behind 0-23 with only 17 offensive players dressed and even losing star defensive end Dwight Freeney with a foot injury, you had a gut feeling that it was going to be Manning's and Vinatieri's time to shine again.

But strangely they didn't deliver.

With all the gifts from the Colts, the Chargers offense managed only a touchdown and a field goal the entire game on their own, as their passing and rushing offense were held to below 100 yards. Instead, they had to thank Darren Sproles, a diminutive return specialist who returned a kick-off and a punt for two of their three touchdowns.

While the Colts have lost two in a row after winning their first seven games, they should feel good about themselves for dominating the game in terms of yardage and getting oh-so close to an impressive comeback, despite the absence of Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark, the two key weapons for Manning.

While the Chargers may have won the game, they should not be over optimistic by regarding the win as the turning point of their disappointing season. They know that they were just being lucky as they had a hard time moving the ball, with LaDanian Tomlinson being literally a non-factor in the game.

A really strange game indeed.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

One Down and Two to Go

Nico Rosberg has been confirmed for the Williams team in 2008.

That means Lewis Hamilton's choice of drivers as his teammate next season is down by one, with only Adrian Sutil and Heikki Kovalainen still in the hunt.

McLaren's boss Ron Dennis is a shrewd businessman and he knows he ultimately wants Rosberg to partner Hamilton when the former's contract with Williams runs out after next season. So he's going to sign a stop-gap replacement for next season only.

And you'd expect that replacement to be a veteran, as it makes no sense to give an inexperienced driver only one year's time to develop.

And when it comes down to Pedro de la Rosa and Giancarlo Fisichella, Dennis would be wise to go with someone he is familiar with.

So mark my word: Pedro de la Rosa will be Hamilton's teammate for 2008.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

McLaren's Hot Seat

Who will be Lewis Hamilton's teammate at McLaren next season?

Hamilton recently named Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil and Heikki Kovalainen as the top three candidates for the seat vacated by Fernando Alonso. However, whether or not he named the names in a particular order is unclear.

Rosberg definitely has the pedigree and, more importantly, exceptional performance for the under-funded Williams team in the past two seasons. But Williams' boss Frank Williams, for whom Nico's dad Keke won the World Championship title in 1982, had repeatedly insisted that Nico will drive for them next season.

Kovalainen is yet another promising driver managed by Renault's boss Flavio Briatore. He started the season poorly and his performance had been lambasted by Briatore as being "rubbish". But he soon picked up the pace literally and finished the season seventh in the Championship standings, i.e., the best driver not driving for Ferrari, McLaren or BMW.

Sutil, though, is a dark horse. He impressed me with his aggressiveness while driving for Team Germany in A1GP in 2005, which won him a seat with then-Midland (now Spyker) team. His trump card though would be his close friendship with Hamilton, and they have known each other since their karting days years ago.

But will any of them be the lucky guy?

Given Fernando Alonso's hasty departure, and the fact that most of the top drivers are under contracts with other teams, McLaren is likely to be inclined (or forced?) towards finding a stop-gap replacement, and wait until the most ideal candidate to become a free agent in a year's time (or longer). And that driver will have to be a "team driver" who is more than happy to play second fiddle to Hamilton.

So my guess is that neither Rosberg, Sutil nor Kovalainen will get the nod, as these three hotshots are more or less the number one driver in their respective teams right now. Instead, the seat will go to someone who is less "ambitious" and has been regarded as a good teammate.

My money would be on either Pedro de la Rosa or Giancarlo Fisichella, both veterans of Formula One, as the lucky guy.

De la Rosa has been McLaren's test driver since 2005. When Juan Pablo Montoya decided that it was time to try his hands on NASCAR, de la Rosa stepped in admirably and scored an excellent second in Hungary in 2006. More importantly, he has a good relationship with Hamilton and would be a calming presence that the team sorely needs.

As for Fisichella, he has always been regarded as a smooth driver. However, his occasional lapses in concentration mean that he will never be a real threat for the title. Having won just two races for Renault during its glory years, will he get the chance to drive for a top team again? Remember, he was a doing a good job as Alonso's lieutenant with Renault, and he'll be more than grateful to remain in Formula One.

Stay tuned.

Monday, November 05, 2007

I'm Thinking of ...

It's time for my random thoughts again:

- While I admit that I am not a fan for either the New England Patriots or their head coach Bill Belichick, I am not buying the claim that they are piling up the score against their opponents, in particular the Washington Redskins last week when they were way in front in the final minutes. The Patriots went for it on fourth-and-one late in the game because they DIDN'T want to add another three points (via a field goal), and that they were expecting to be stopped and thus turn the ball over to the Redskins. Instead, the Redskins capitulated again and let in seven more points. If there is anyone to blame, it should be the Redskins' defensive unit.

- When will the saga of Kobe Bryant come to an end? Throughout the summer we have heard lots of rumours about Kobe being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers, while reversal of stance of both sides simply added fuel to the fire. But trading Kobe won't be easy. It's been reported that he would welcome a trade to the Chicago Bulls and to play with budding star Luol Deng, but the Lakers won't entertain any trade offer by the Bulls without Deng as one of the players to be sent in return. So my money is Kobe, despite his frosty relationship with the team management, will have no choice but to remain with the team throughout the season.

- Unlike Formula One, MotoGP allows riders to carry their own numbers. So while Formula One cars will carry numbers between 1 and 25 (without the unlucky 13) next season which is oh-so-boring, MotoGP riders can carry whatever two-digit number they want. That is why Valentino Rossi always has 46 as his racing number, and he loves the number (which was the racing number of his dad, Graziano Rossi) so much that didn't carry the number 1 reserved for the reigning World Champion. Now why doesn't Formula One do the same?

- Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is definitely a freak. On a team with a below-average quarterback and no other offensive threats, he managed to break the single-game rushing record by running for 296 yards on 30 carries against the San Diego Chargers, a team known for its staunch defense last season. It was only Peterson's eighth career NFL game and if they can sort out the quarterback position via the draft next year, the Vikings will definitely a strong team for years to come.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Alonso's Victory

Frankly, everyone saw it coming.

By winning the Brazilian Grand Prix, and with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso finishing seventh and second respectively, Kimi Raikkonen had emerged as the winner of this year's Formula One World Championship.

Before the race, Raikkonen was one of three drivers still in the hunt for the title, albeit with the slimmest of chances. The only way for him to win the title is to finish at least second, and hope that Hamilton and Alonso finishing way down the order.

In the end, the results were enough to propel him to the top of the championship, a position he has not taken since the third race of the season, with a single point. Hamilton and Alonso both have 109 points, but Hamilton is classified second due to count back of results.

With two races to go, Hamilton had a 12-point lead on Alonso, and 17-point lead on Raikkonen. All he had to do in the Chinese Grand Prix was to outscore both of them to secure his first title.

But when the team hesitated in bringing him in for a tyre change, he lost the race lead to Raikkonen and, worst still, spun while entering the pit. No points scored.

And before the final race, Hamilton's lead on Alonso and Raikkonen were 4 points and 7 points respectively. But when Alonso decided not to yield on the opening lap, Hamilton had to go off-track, and his excursion dropped him down to eighth. And when his gearbox stopped functioning properly on lap eight, he dropped all the way down to 18th, almost a minute behind the leading duo of Ferrari.

With Felipe Massa leading and Raikkonen in second place, it was not enough to secure Raikkonen's championship. And with all eyes on Ferrari on how to allow Raikkonen to take the lead without violating FIA's ban on team orders, Ferrari showed why it's one of the shrewdest teams in Formula One ever.

Their solution? Bringing in Massa earlier for fuel and let Raikkonen run with extremely low amount of fuel on a clear track. These extra "flying" laps were enough to give Raikkonen a 2-second lead when he rejoined the track after his second pit-stop.

And that was that.

As the Ferrari drivers and Jean Todt were celebrating on the podium, you would be surprised to see who appears to be the happiest guy out there.

Yes, the guy with the biggest smile is one Fernando Alonso Diaz.

Apparently for getting the job done.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

My Mind-boggling Brain Power

On March 22, I predicted that:

"1. Kimi Raikkonen will be this year's World Champion; and
2. Lewis Hamilton will win (at least) a race this season."

And on October 17, I wrote that:

"And in a tumultuous season for the McLaren team, it wouldn't be surprising to see its feuding drivers taking each other out, for Raikkonen to emerge with an improbable title."

Well, I never have any luck when my predictions hinge on money (i.e., gambling). But somehow I have nailed all of the above.

Perhaps I should consider a switch in my career ...

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Setting the Stage for McLaren's Demise?

For the diehard racing fans, the results of last Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix just couldn't be better.

Before the race, Lewis Hamilton was leading the Championship standings over Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen by 12 and 17 points respectively. To be crowned the World Champion, all he had to do was to finish the race in front of both of them.

And for those who hoped the title to be decided in the final round in Brazil, the best scenario would be for Raikkonen finishing ahead of Alonso, with Hamilton not scoring any point.

And boy their wishes did come true.

Hamilton started on pole, and was leading comfortably early on. For nearly an hour or so, he was the virtual World Champion on the track, and rumours started circulating in the paddocks that his disgruntled teammate Alonso will drive for another team in the next RACE, having failed to defend his title.

But disaster struck when Hamilton finally had to pit to replace his rapidly deteriorating rear tyres. In a virtuoso display of his exceptional talent, Hamilton has not made any mistake this season. But he finally did at the most inopportune moment. The rear tyres gave way just as he was negotiating the tight pitlane entrance, and he was stranded in the gravel trap.

And as has been written in the script, Raikkonen took this opportunity with both hands and scored his fifth victory of the season. Alonso was promptly second.

While Hamilton remains top of the standings with 107 points, Alonso is just four points behind with 103, and Raikkonen is third with 100. All three are in contention for this year's world title.

And in a tumultuous season for the McLaren team, it wouldn't be surprising to see its feuding drivers taking each other out, for Raikkonen to emerge with an improbable title.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Good Old Reilly

I have said before that Rick Reilly is one of my favourite writers. Meanwhile, I'm also fascinated by knuckleball pitchers in baseball. So when Reilly wrote about Tim Wakefield, the star knuckleball pitcher of the Boston Red Sox in the September 10 issue of Sports Illustrated, I just couldn't be happier. And surely enough, it's a wonderful piece of work. So I am taking the liberty to quote some of the most interesting paragraphs as follows.

"Catch as Catch Can

You say you're 41 years old and your fastball is slower than gums receding and your pitches are so wild people get hurt catching you?

Then you must be Tim Wakefield, the Red Sox righthander who gives every fettuccine-armed wannabe major league pitcher hope. His fastball is 75 mph. His curve takes 11 minutes to get home. Yet, through Sunday, he had 16 wins, and nobody in the big leagues had more ...

Wakefield's knuckler drops, doodles, flips and foozles. Some nights it does a Brazilian samba on the way to the plate. It doesn't spin, but it does just about everything else. It's like trying to hit an overcaffeinated moth.

"There are two theories on hitting a knuckleball," famed hitting instructor
Charlie Lau once said. "Unfortunately, neither of them works" ...

Actually, handling a knuckleball is easy, as former catch
Bob Uecker once pointed out: "Just wait till it stops rolling and pick it up."

The Red Sox have a guy on the roster -
Doug Mirabelli - whose only job is to catch Wakefield, which is like saying his only job is to fill the Grand Canyon with a slotted spoon. "It's a very empty feeling to think you're squeezing the ball and then to realize it's not in there," Mirabelli says. "You panic. You jump up and start to run, but you have no idea which way to go."

Nice guy, Mirabelli. Can't hit a lick, though - .232 lifetime. Boston traded him to
San Diego two years ago and gave the job to a hotshot hitter, Josh Bard. He lasted five starts with Wakefield, who went 1-4. Bard let more balls get by him than a blind goalie. The Red Sox had to go hat in hand to the Padres to get back Mirabelli for Bard; Mirabelli was hitting .182 in San Diego, and Boston still had to throw in a good reliever and 100 grand ...

In 2006, Boston signed
John Flaherty as a backup catcher. His first spring training game, he caught Wakefield. The next day he retired.

As for Wakefield, it doesn't look as if he'll ever retire. He missed a start with a bad back last Friday but his arm looks like it could go on forever. Knuckleball god
Hoyt Wilhelm threw the pitch until he was 49; Phil Niekro did it till he was 48. Asked if he might try to last until he's 50 - which would be his 24th season - Wakefield answers, "Why not?""

We the knuckleheads would definitely love to see Wakefield keep going and going strong. And I the Reilly lover would also definitely love to see him keep writing pieces as excellent as this one.

Which I believe he definitely will.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

They Said It

"He kicked the longest field goal in history, 106 yards. Hey, it was one for the record books."

- Said Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens on kicker Nick Folk, when the rookie twice nailed 53-yard field-goal as time expired to give the Cowboys an improbable 25-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills, after the Bills called a time-out just before he nailed the first one.

Sayonara, Abe!

Sadly, Norick Abe has passed away at the age of 32.

The three-time Moto GP race winner was killed when his scooter struck a truck in front of him which was doing an illegal U-turn on a highway.

Abe was probably the most easily recognisable rider of Moto GP. While bike riders give us an impression of being "outlawed" and "wild", Abe was the only rider who let his long hair flying out of his helmet untucked.

And he was unusually tall for a bike rider (and for a Japanese as well). You just couldn't help noticing him on the track.

Although he hasn't raced in Moto GP since the end of 2004, he remains active in the Japanese motorcycling scene, and is regarded as one of the best riders Japan has ever produced.

With the decline of Makoto Tamada and the constant underperformance of Shinya Nakano, the death of Abe, I fear, may be the final blow for Japanese riders in Moto GP.

Daijiro Kato was hailed as Japan's greatest hope when he won the 250cc World Championship in 2001. In 2002, he was promoted to Moto GP and promptly won the pole at the Pacific Grand Prix. Sadly, he was killed in the first race of 2003 at his home circuit in Suzuka.

With two of its best riders having passed away in a span of five years, Japan is now faced with the same predicament that Great Britain had some 30 years ago.

In a five-year span, Great Britain lost three of its most promising Formula One drivers in Roger Williamson, Tony Brise and Tom Pryce. It would take more than 10 years for another British driver, Nigel Mansell, to emerge as a constant front-runner.

RIP, Abe.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Ron Dennis' Miscalculation

The McLaren team is experiencing a mixed emotion.

On one hand, its rookie driver Lewis Hamilton is likely to become the first driver to win the Formula One Championship title in his rookie season. On the other, it has been fined $100 million and docked all the Constructor's points for its part in the spying scandal involving Ferrari.

And to rub salt into the wounds, its star driver Fernando Alonso is scarcely on speaking terms with team boss Ron Dennis because:

a) he hasn't got the support that he expects as the "Number One" driver;

b) he threatened to tip off the authority that confidential Ferrari data had been circulating in the team (Dennis, ever the shrewd tactician, immediately sensed trouble and informed the FIA about the data circulation in his team himself, resulting in the severe penalty); and

c) unlike Hamilton, he refused to testify for McLaren at the so-called "Spy-gate" hearing.

Alonso is pretty much a petulant prima donna with a spoiled kid mentality. Just like a kid, he always fights for what he wants while crying and yelling, and if he can't get it, he just vents his anger for no particular reason. I was astounded to see how he confronted Ferrari's Felipe Massa after the European Grand Prix, where he claimed that Massa deliberately ran him off track, a claim which an innocent bystander like me simply found puzzling.

I have always been a Ferrari hater, and when I saw how he confronted Massa at the time, I was sure that he must have a pretty good case. But when I found out what exactly had happened between the two, I had no choice but to side with Massa, and that was pretty much the beginning of my "resentment" towards the Spaniard.

Dennis' attempt to team up two extremely competent and competitive drivers has once again backfired. Like Prost and Senna, the tandem of Alonso and Hamilton is destined to have disastrous consequences. Little did he expect that it would cost his team all the Constructor's points they have been fighting so hard for, and a huge sum of money that could have been spent on car development.

It's a really costly error.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Random Random Thoughts

Don't feel like writing a long piece. Can only mutter some broken thoughts on the following issues:

- Cycling races can be boring, especially Tour races where in most of the stages, cyclists are just content to sit up and let some of the lesser knowns to take a stage victory here and there. But one-day racing is totally different. If you win, you will be crowned champion of that race, and so everyone is mounting attacks after attacks throughout the race. And last Sunday's World Championship held in Stuttgart was no exception, where countless attacks took place and in the end of this enthralling race, one-day specialist Paolo Bettini successfully retained his rainbow jersey.

- For Formula One junkies, two things come to their mind for racing at Japan's Fuji Speedway: Rain and chaos. After an absence of 30 years, Formula One returned to Mount Fuji last Sunday amidst, well you guessed it, rain and chaos. Due to torrential rain, the first 19 laps of the race was run with the safety car leading the field, and when the race finally started despite the condition being even worse than at the beginning, chaos were everywhere and the most notable victim was Fernando Alonso, who crashed heavily but luckily escaped injury. And in the ensuing safety car period, Sebastian Vettel crashed into the sister car of Mark Webber, ending all hopes of a likely but surprising podium finish or even victory for the duo. Lewis Hamilton survived all the chaos behind him (including a crash with Robert Kubica) and won his fourth race of the season, further extending his lead in the World Championship. If he outscores Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen this Sunday at Shanghai, he will be crowned World Champion with one race to spare.

- Speaking of Alonso, I expect him to leave McLaren at the end of this season, after just one tumultuous year at the Woking-based outfit. His frosty relationship with Hamilton and team boss Ron Dennis is no secret to anyone, and Renault has confirmed that an offer has been made to lure him back. My money is on Alonso returning to Renault replacing the overrated Giancarlo Fisichella, who will have a hard time in securing to Toyota seat vacated by Ralf Schumacher but will eventually succeed in doing so. Meanwhile, the much-coveted vacated seat at McLaren will be taken up by Nick Heidfeld.

- In American football, Osi Umenyiora (some pronounce it as "You-Are-Manure") of the New York Giants set a new team record for recording a whopping six sacks in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was constantly overpowering and outrunning Eagles tackle Winston Justice in the first half, and had recorded four sacks at the interval. Interestingly and foolishly, the Eagles decided not to give the poor Justice any help and just let him be a sitting duck (bring in an extra running back for pass protection, for Christ's sake!), and Umenyiora got two more sacks in the second half as a result. His six sacks in the game is only one shy of the all-time record held by the late great Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Capiros-San?

Loris Capirossi must be a Japanese in his former life.

Otherwise, there is no way to explain his inexplicable and surprising victory at the Moto GP race at Motegi last Sunday.

Capirossi has been struggling mightily throughout the season, and his performance has been overshadowed by his young Australian teammate Casey Stoner (who is and looks so young that he can easily be mistaken as a high school student), who has been in dominating form this season.

Before this season, Capirossi was the only one to have ridden a Ducati in a Moto GP victory (not counting Troy Bayliss' one-off performance at Valencia last year). But this season Stoner has scored eight wins (and counting), while Capirossi has only two podium finishes before Motegi.

And in Motegi, Capirossi finally out-qualified Stoner for the first time this season.

By the way, Capirossi won in Motegi in 2006 AND 2005.

In changing weather condition, Capirossi was among the first riders to switch to dry tyres which drastically improved his lap times. And when the front runners finally pitted halfway through, voila, Capirossi was in a commanding lead at Motegi for the third year running.

Who would have thought Capirossi would win a race this season?

But in truth, Motegi is the most suitable place for him to get a win, isn't it?

And by the way, did I mention Stoner has secured his first ever World Championship by finishing sixth in the race?

Friday, September 14, 2007

Spy-gates

A very interesting day in sports.

In NFL and Formula One, two of the most dominant teams in recent years, the New England Patriots and McLaren respectively, have both been found guilty for "spying," with the former being caught videotaping the signals given out by their opponent coaches in their game against the New York Jets, while the latter for being found in possession of a vital technical dossier of arch-rival Ferrari.

Their penalties:

The Patriots: Forfeiture of a first-round OR second-round plus third-round draft pick next year depending on whether the team goes to the playoff this year. Their coach, the eternally blunt and arrogant Bill Belichick, is fined USD$500,000, while the team itself is slapped with a USD$250,000 fine. (Details can be found here.)

McLaren: Being stripped of all Constructor's points for this season, and an enormous USD$100 million fine. That's right, USD$100 million. Eight zeroes after the digit one. (Details can be found here.)

I have never been a fan of Bill Belichick, who somehow has been universally regarded as a "Genius." However, he was a out and out disaster in his first coaching stint with the Cleveland Browns in the early 90s' (in terms of results AND media relations). While he may have lots of impressive ideas on the football field, the only good thing that he has done is drafting Tom Brady in the sixth-round of the draft in 1999 (you may also argue that luck plays into their hands when Drew Bledsoe's injury paved the way for Brady's truly unexpected stardom). With the outbreak of the scandal, many wonder if the emergence of the Patriots is a result of long-term spying, a crime which he has also been accused of when they visited the Green Bay Packers last year.

Interestingly, the two times their videotaping guy was found and expelled from the field happened when they were the away teams. You just have to wonder if this kind of spying is more widespread at their home field, where they are in charge of the on-field surveillance and security, thus allowing them to film literally whatever they want to.

While Belichick may be a winner even if there is no spying, his reputation will forever be tainted. His frosty relationship with the media doesn't help either and he will now be known as a cheater, just like Barry Bonds has been. Incidentally, ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd found a startling similarity between the two. For a start, their initials are both "BB" ...

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acted quickly to hand down the penalty. But by not suspending Belichick (or Beli-cheat, as Cowherd puts it) for at least two games, he seems to have let off the Patriots rather lightly.

And my gut feeling is, this is the final season for Belichick as the Patriots' head coach. With the addition of two players with serious character issues (signing Randy Moss and drafting Brandon Meriweather) this off-season, Belichick has deviated from his principle of keeping his hands off players with character issues. That, to me, is a clear signal that he wants to win it all this season, as he knows one way or the other he will not be around next season.

More on McLaren's mess later.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Fantastic Finale

Still on the topic of Indy Car Series ...

Among the major auto-racing series around the world, the Indy Car Series is the earliest to conclude its season this year, where Dario Franchitti emerged (barely) as the champion.

And what a dramatic finale it was.

With the margin between Scott Dixon and Franchitti being so minimal, whoever finished ahead of the other would be the champion. And at the restart with only two laps to go in the final race at the Chicagoland Speedway, Dixon and Franchitti were running one-two with every other driver at least a lap down.

Franchitti tried very hard to find a way through, but Dixon held on to his nerve and stayed in front. And with only half a lap to go, Dixon was still leading comfortably and Franchitti was all but consigned to defeat.

Then his luck changed.

Dixon and Franchitti last pitted for fuel simultaneously with some 40 laps to go. While Franchitti was still going strong, Dixon, with the chequered flag literally in sight, ran out of fuel.

Franchitti couldn't believe his luck as he drove by Dixon to claim his fourth victory of the season, and most importantly, the championship as well. Meanwhile, the despondent Dixon could only drag his car slowly across the line in second place.

It's been one heck of a season for Franchitti.

In May he won the prestigious Indianapolis 500 (shortened to 412.5 miles due to rain) for the first time. He then added to back-to-back wins in late June, while extending his lead in the championship to over 80 points.

Then luck deserted him, as he suffered two frightening high-speed flips in two separate races, and saw his lead vanish when his teammate Marco Andretti crashed into him at Sonoma.

But then in the final two races, he benefited from the fueling problem of his rivals (Buddy Rice in Detroit, and Dixon in Chicago) and reclaimed the lead he so deserved.

Which is not bad to a guy who's married to a Hollywood star.

Friday, September 07, 2007

The New Schumi?

In the heat of the moment, people will do stupid things.

And in the heat of the moment, people tend to think that other people are doing stupid things as well.

Remember Dario Franchitti, our poor old friend who had just lost his lead in the Indy Car Series because his teammate (who also happens to be his boss's son) crashed into him?

At the very next race at Belle Island in Detroit, Franchitti was once again the victim. This time, the culprit was Scott Dixon, the guy who had just overtaken him in the championship.

With just two laps to go in the race (shortened due to the time limit rule), Buddy Rice, Dixon and Franchitti were running a close second, third and fourth respectively behind Tony Kanaan. While it looked as though the race would finish in that order, Rice suddenly ran out of fuel and slowed down approaching turn 13. Dixon, sensing the kill, ducked to the inside and tried to overtake him. But they two collided. Rice, who had his suspension damaged, ran straight into the barriers and had to retire on the spot. Meanwhile, Dixon's car managed to make the turn but continued to spin.

With his car facing the wrong way, Dixon found Franchitti approaching and was ready to overtake him (in the race and the championship standings) through the gap between Dixon's rear and the barriers. Just as Franchitti was ready to pounce, Dixon's car somehow rolled backwards and collected Franchitti. In the end though, Franchitti was able to rejoin the race and was classified sixth, two places above Dixon and is now back to the top of the standings with just one race to go.

It was a most bizarre situation, reminiscent of some of Michael Schumacher's cheapest and dirtiest tricks. Michael Andretti, Franchitti's boss, called Dixon's antics a show of "poor sportsmanship." Kanaan, who would go on to win the race, claimed Dixon "did it on purpose."

However, Franchitti brushed them aside and simply regarded it as a racing accident. And naturally Dixon denied that he had done it on purpose.

Was it a mere accident? Did Dixon intentionally not slam on the brakes and let his car roll into the path of Franchitti?



You can be the judge.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

No More Vick-tory

The sorry saga of Michael Vick is finally near its conclusion.

In short, Police found dog breeding and mating devices (something called a "rape stand", among others) in a property owned by Vick, the Atlanta Falcons star quarterback. Disturbingly, dog carcasses have also been found in the property, with evidence suggesting that some of the dogs that have been especially bred for an underground and illegal dog-fighting ring, allegedly sponsored by Vick, have been executed in an inhumane manner (i.e., by hanging or drowning).

While vehemently denying his involvement at first, Vick saw his situation becoming bleaker and bleaker when a number of his "friends" decided to turn against him and entered into plea agreement with the authorities.

Seeing nowhere to go to, Vick finally and belatedly decided to enter a guilty plea to some of the lesser charges, and promised to co-operate fully with the authorities by revealing everything he knows about any offences committed (not limited to the offences above). His next destination? Possible jail time of one to two years, which will be decided in December by the trial judge who has a reputation of being "tough but fair."

A star athlete facing a long jail term? It's simply unheard of.

Vick has no one but himself to blame for his fall from grace. His initial denial shows how much he has underestimated the seriousness of the situation. His decision not to enter into a plea agreement with the authorities as early as possible is even more mind-boggling. Instead, he foolishly believed that his friends wouldn't turn against him and thus, unfortunately, became the easy prey for others involved and now has nowhere to go.

Good decision-making is arguably the most important quality of a successful quarterback. Judging by this incident alone, you just can't trust Vick as a leader for your team on the field anymore.

Not to say he can't be trusted as an honourable person either.

What's worse, Vick has been asked to return a huge portion of the signing bonuses to the Falcons, and has lost all his major sponsors.

While he might have won some big money from the dog-fighting ring, he now stands to lose somewhere close to $100 million thanks to his poor judgment, arrogance and stupidity.

Not to say this could also mean that his once-promising football career is over.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

His Father, Who Art in the Pitlane

It's a nightmare no one wants to have.

Imagine you are leading a car race by miles, and look certain to extend your lead in the championship.

Then with the win literally in sight, your teammate, a 20-year-old hothead, comes out of nowhere and collides with you. While you are lucky enough to survive the crash to continue, your car has sustained damage which makes it simply undriveable. You literally have to limp home and are overtaken by your main rival, who takes over the championship lead as a result.

Now if that is not bad enough, how about this? You simply can't vent your anger at that hothead. You just dare not touch, spank, hit or even yell at him.

Because he isn't just any no-name driver.

He is also the son of your team boss.

And spanking is best reserved for his father at home.

Dario Franchitti (also known as the husband of Hollywood star Ashley Judd) was looking to extend his minimal lead in the Indy Car Series at the Infineon Raceway with around 10 laps to go when teammate Marco Andretti, son of team boss Michael, exited the pitlane and refused to give way at the tight and twisty first and second corners. Franchitti had nowhere to go and could only slam the brake hard, and the resulting collision sent Marco out of the race.

Although Franchitti was able to continue, his front wing was damaged and he was never able to regain his pre-collision pace. Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves both overtook him, but thanks to the unselfish team play by his two other teammates Tony Kanaan and Danica Patrick, Franchitti was able to hang on to third place, but the brouhaha has cost him the lead in the championship to Dixon.

Next time you sign up for a team, Dario, remember to check whether the owner's son will be your teammate first.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

A Style-less Act

I am a huge Liverpool fan, and I hate anything bad happening to them.

So after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea, where referee Rob Styles awarded a penalty to the Blues for an innocuous "collision" on Florent Malouda to the surprise of everyone (including to the Blues players, to be fair), and apparently booked Michael Essien twice but not sending him off, I have only the following thing to say:

Fire Rob Styles and suspend him indefinitely.

Players who do not play well will lose their place in the starting line-up or even be released by the team (but somehow Titus Bramble is still plying his trade in the Premier League and, most amazingly, Jean-Alain Boumsong is starting for Juventus). But how about referees who have a bad game? They are only "suspended" for a week, and thereafter nothing will ever happen to them.

Please, Styles deserves his marching order. The below-par referees often steal the headlines where the players should rightfully belong.

Fire him now.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Becks in the Press

Normally I am not a literary critic. I'm just a guy who writes (albeit with great difficulties) on what I think, and seldom criticise other's writing.

But somehow I find ESPN's report, courtesy of the Associated Press, on David Beckham's first start for the Los Angeles Galaxy extremely amusing.

I'm going to quote it in its entirety here, with bold type and comments in brackets added by me:

"Beckham Starts and Scores First Goal for Galaxy

The English superstar started his first game for the Galaxy, scored his first goal on a free kick in the 27th minute and Los Angeles beat
D.C. United 2-0 in the SuperLiga semifinals.

Beckham also notched his first assist on the Galaxy's second goal. He sent a long pass to a streaking
Landon Donovan, who scored on a breakaway in the 47th minute for a 2-0 lead.

The Galaxy advanced to the Aug. 29 tournament final in Carson against Mexican club team
Pachuca, which tied Houston 2-2, but won 4-3 on penalty kicks.

The winning team earns $1 million, which the Galaxy could put toward paying Beckham's $6.5 million yearly salary.

(Okay, it's still doing fine here.)

Beckham also earned his first yellow card after fouling United's Jaime Moreno in the 18th minute. Beckham got fouled once in the first half, when he also took two corner kicks.

(Now counting the number of cautions and fouls of a player is okay. But come on, you even count the number of corner kicks Beckham has taken? What's next? The number of times he's spit?)

Fans cheered and women screamed as Beckham prepared to take a 26-yard free kick. After he connected inside the left post, he was mobbed by teammates. Goalkeeper Joe Cannon even scampered across more than half the field to join the celebration.

(Well this is beginning to get ridiculous. Why spend 41 words and an entire paragraph to write something on cheering, screaming and mobbing by fans and teammates? And a "26-yard free kick?" That's really new to me.)

Beckham waved to the crowd a couple times while blue, gold and white confetti fluttered through the air, reminiscent of the scene when he was introduced amid much fanfare July 13.

(So why not tell us how many times the crowd waved at him?)

He was stopped on a 28-yard free kick in the 58th minute, when United goalkeeper Troy Perkins leaped to the left and caught the ball.

(Now we even have a 28-yarder!)

In all, Beckham played 63 minutes. He clapped his hands above his head while turning in a circle to acknowledge the cheers before putting the captain's armband on Donovan and heading to the bench.

(Nice gesture. But again, can you tell us something we neither know nor expect?)

Beckham had played just 37 minutes in two previous games because of a nagging left ankle injury that didn't allow him to practice with the Galaxy for the first time until Tuesday.

The victory avenged the Galaxy's 1-0 loss to United last week in
Major League Soccer action, when Beckham made his league debut on the road.

He was named captain for Wednesday's match, a title previously held by Donovan. Beckham actively urged on his teammates, talking to them and waving his arms during play.

(Now you're telling me something I don't know. Why don't you tell us that he bent over and adjusted his socks, stood up, and showed a broad smile on his face?)

As the halftime whistle blew, Beckham bent over and adjusted his socks, then stood up, a broad smile on his face as he waved and walked off the field.

(Oops, I spoke too soon ...)

The game, which wasn't part of the Galaxy season ticket package, attracted an announced crowd of 17,223 in the 27,000-capacity stadium.

Galaxy midfielder
Cobi Jones, who is returning from a hip injury, entered in the 71st minute. The team was without defender Ante Jazic, midfielder Kelly Gray and forward Alan Gordon, who were all suspended after receiving yellow cards in each of their two previous SuperLiga games."

Well, the only thing I can say is, many could have written it much better than what the normally reliable AP offers us on this occasion.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Ref, You've Got a Problem

We all agree that the "elderly" has so much more experience that we have to respect them.

We all agree that we should consult the "elderly" when we have to make important decisions.

We all agree that we should love the "elderly."

But doesn't it annoy you when the fate of your favourite (fill in the blank here) team depends on some old and pot-belly guys with poor physique and eyesight?

Have you ever been disgusted by the clumsiness of these guys who are often too arrogant to listen to differing views?

Why are these guys always old enough to be our grandfathers?

Why isn't anyone in the same age as the players hired as a referee or umpire?

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Rumblings and Bumblings

Some early thoughts on the new Premiership season:

- West Ham's Bobby Zamora is a hard-working player. But that's about the only positive thing that I can say about him. This guy seems to panic whenever an opposing player is five feet away from him, and I just couldn't count the number of times he has given possession (as well as fouls) away. And he was the culprit who, for the umpteenth time in the game, gave away possession and allowed Manchester City's new signing Geovanni to put the icing on the cake for a 2-0 victory.

- The same can be said for Liverpool's Momo Sissoko. For some reason he always forgot his job was thwarting the opposition's attack instead of joining the attack. And his foolish decision to take a free-kick quickly in the dying seconds of the team's 2-1 victory at Aston Villa almost cost the Reds dear.

- Finally, there is a transfer that I am dying to see. Blackburn Rovers OUGHT TO sell Matt Derbyshire to the newly-promoted Derby County. The reason? Joining the Rams would make Derbyshire the first (and probably the only ever) player to have his name both at the back and front of his jersey.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Seven Filthy Six

Click here to witness the darkest moment in Major League Baseball's history.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Hungaroring-Gate

Fernando and Ron, cut the BS please.

That is the only thing I can say about the qualifying incident at the Hungarian Grand Prix involving Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Anyone with a right and clear mind who has watched the incident unfold live on TV will know that Hamilton was the victim of a selfish act by Alonso (and possibly his engineer), while Ron Dennis' explanation was simply far too weak to cover Alonso's backside, given his usually savvy PR skills.

And I am appalled to have witnessed the transformation of Alonso into yet another Michael Schumacher.

Friday, August 03, 2007

If Three is a Crowd, How about 18?

More thoughts on the Kevin Garnett trade:

Last time I checked, there are 18 players on the roster of the Minnesota Timberwolves (thanks to the addition of five players from the Boston Celtics). If I were Kevin McHale, the team's much-maligned General Manager, I would have been feverishly working on the phone at this very moment, trying to package some of the young and promising players for one or two disgruntled but proven veterans. (Read: Pau Gasol or Andrei Kirilenko?)

But the problem is, McHale seems to be having troubles making deals with anyone but the Celtics' Danny Ainge, his former teammate.

And it is going to be interesting to see how McHale deals with the biggest roster in the NBA right now.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Perhaps I Can See the Future

On June 29, I wrote:

"With the addition of Allen, and Paul Pierce still with the team, will the Boston Celtics become attractive enough for Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves? For a while the Phoenix Suns have been mentioned as the most likely destination for Garnett, who has said that he doesn't want to play for the Celtics. But that was before the addition of Allen. If I were Garnett, I would seriously re-consider my stance as with the line-up of Allen, Garnett and Pierce, the Celtics would have finally become a serious contender for the first time in ages, especially in the weaker Eastern Conference."

On July 31, Garnett was indeed traded to the Celtics for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff and two first-round draft picks.

And just like that, I have nailed it. For the first time ever, my prediction has come true.

It is time to celebrate for the Celtics, and for me too.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Vino in Vain

I was bitterly disappointed to see Alexandre Vinokourov thrown out of this year's Tour de France for blood doping.

He is one of the pre-race favourites, but a heavy crash early on seriously dented his hope of winning the race. And after a dismal day in the Alps, he fell outside the top 20 in the standings.

Undaunted, he bounced back and won the individual time trial in astonishing fashion, annihilating the rest of the field by minutes. Two days later, he won again on a solo breakaway in the Pyrenees.

I always like Vino, for his unbreakable spirits and being a good leader. I can never forget how grateful Antonio Colom was when Vino gifted him the victory in Stage 5 of this year's Dauphine Libere, when the pair worked so hard to escape from the rest of the field.

Sadly, Vino decided to take the risk, one which not only gets him expelled, but also his team, which was leading the team classification, also kicked out of the Tour.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Still Dreaming

Apparently Danica Patrick loves taking a nap just before the race gets going.

Her latest exploit: A slow moving car leading to the collision with Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti, with the latter flipping his car to boot, during the race in Mid-Ohio.

Patrick has been involved in similar accidents before, most notably the shunt in Iowa when she was still swerving her car sideways to warm up the tyres, even though others around her were all going in full throttle. The result: A multi-car shunt in which Kanaan was amazingly lucky not to collect a stationary car at full speed.

My advice to Danica: Get some sleep the night before a race.

Dream Debut

Believe it or not, Spyker driver Markus Winkelhock, on his Formula One debut, led the first few laps during the chaotic European Grand Prix, thanks to his team's shrewd decision to change into intermediate tyres just before the start.

All in all he led in six laps in total, and as soon as the safety car peeled off the track when the race finally resumed, he was gobbled up by the likes of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.

And although Winkelhock retired after 15 laps due to mechanical problems, his name is forever etched into the record books.

He has become the 153rd driver in Formula One history to have led a race.

And he is among just a handful of drivers to have done so on his debut.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Getting Away

Hey, I will be out of town from 12 to 19 July, and won't be able to have any new postings during this period. I will be back with more and stay tuned, please.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Adios, Dan!

Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN after 18 years.

I remember how much fun I had when I first watched ESPN in Hong Kong some 10 years ago, with Patrick and Keith Olbermann being the anchors of Sportscenter. They are as great a team as you will ever see.

I always like Patrick's easy-going but persuasive style, and love Olbermann's sharp wit and excellent humour.

I wish I could be as eloquent and articulate as they are. But I know I never will.

Soon after, Olbermann left ESPN and no tandem come close to what they did. Kenny Mayne is great with his dry humour and hysteric yelling, but that is just different. To me, Patrick seems to be Mayne's doctor in a psychiatric institution more than anything else.

That's why I was so happy to know that I can download the podcast of Patrick and Olbermann's The Big Show daily. After a day of hard and boring work, it is just so refreshing for me to listen to them arguing with and teasing one another.

Is Patrick really going to be the new host for The Price is Right as the rumours say? I'm not sure.

I just hope that some day, he will do an Olbermann-esque U-turn and team-up with Olbermann again for their great Big Show.

Boonen Botches As Steegmans Steals It

Somehow, I am addicted to (watching) cycling.

I love the flat stages where the sprinters sprinting like there is no tomorrow in often dangerous circumstances.

I love the climbing stages where all riders suffer and grimace all the way up the insurmountable hills.

I love the stunning scenery where people could just spend days after days there doing absolutely nothing, which is one of my all-time goals.

That's why I have been spending lots of times recently watching the Giro d'Italia, Dauphine Libere and Tour de France on TV.

Okay, back to the races.

The first couple of stages in the Tour are not exciting as expected, with all the big names preserving energy for the upcoming mountain stages. While the lesser-known have been mounting attacks after attacks, so far all of them have been reeled in and eaten up by the peloton eventually.

So the big crash some two kilometres before the end of stage two in Belgium is THE highlight of the Tour so far.

With barriers at the side of the road in the final kilometres (as per cycling rules), a fallen rider in front will give those behind nowhere to go. And that is exactly what had happened and, worse still, Fabian Cancellara, the maillot jaune, was also involved and could be seen favouring his left arm as he gingerly crossed the finish line. But the good news is, he looked okay during the trophy presentation afterwards.

(As per cycling rules, riders who have fallen within the final three kilometres will be credited with the same time as the group they were in at the time of crash. As all the riders were bunched up together when the crash happened, none of the riders will lose time as they will all be credited with the same finishing time.)

Only some 20-plus riders were lucky enough to be ahead of the crash and emerge unscathed. In the end Gert Steegmans won the stage, ahead of his team leader Tom Boonen, to give Belgium a rare one-two on home soil.

To me though, it looked like the result of a miscommunication by the two as Steegmans was supposed to lead out Boonen for the finish line. But Boonen somehow was unable to overtake Steegmans, while the latter did not slow down just enough for his team leader through.

They will say all the want about how proud they are to give Belgium a one-two on home soil. Well, who knows what will happen in their team truck?

Hate Father, Hate Son



If you (Tony Kanaan, in 7-Eleven overall) can't beat him (Sam Hornish Jr., in red Marlboro overall), beat up his dad (the white-hair guy in the middle of the skirmish).

Okay, to be fair to Kanaan, he didn't beat up the two Hornish-es. It was Hornish Sr. who came out of nowhere and gave Kanaan a good shove during a heated argument between the two drivers, after the race at Watkins Glen.

So answer me, what kind of guy needs his father to protect him during an argument?

Friday, July 06, 2007

What a Draw

I have always found soccer in South America interesting.

And the draw for the Copa America is even more interesting.

Since the tournament was expanded to 12 teams (with two invitees from other federations) in 1993, where the teams are divided into three groups of four, only once was Venezuela, the weakest team in South America, not in the same group as the host nation (1999).

1993
Host nation: Ecuador
Other teams in the same group as the host nation: Uruguay, USA, Venezuela
Host nation's results in the group: Won 3-Drawn 0-Lost 0

1995
Host nation: Uruguay
Other teams in the same group as the host nation: Mexico, Paraguay, Venezuela
Host nation's results in the group: W2-D1-L0

1997
Host nation: Bolivia
Other teams in the same group as the host nation: Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
Host nation's results in the group: W3-D0-L0

1999:
Host nation: Paraguay
Other teams in the same group as the host nation: Bolivia, Japan, Peru
Host nation's results in the group: W2-D1-L0

2002
Host nation: Colombia
Other teams in the same group as the host nation: Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela
Host nation's results in the group: W3-D0-L0

2004
Host nation: Peru
Other teams in the same group as the host nation: Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela
Host nation's results in the group: W1-D2-L0

2007
Host nation: Venezuela
Other teams in the same group as the host nation: Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay
Host nation's results in the group: W1-D2-L0

Well, I should probably have left out 2007 as Venezuela is the host nation. But incidentally, the three other teams in the group are some of the, if not the, weakest teams in South America at the moment.

The top two teams of each group, plus the two best third-placed teams, will all qualify for the second round. History tells us that four points from three matches will usually be good enough for qualification.

Let's see. If you can beat the hell out of Venezuela (which has only one win, in 1967, prior to this year's tournament), and then eke out a draw against either of the remaining teams, then you are through.

Now you can see why Venezuela is always in the same group as the host nation.

The question is: How does the host nation manage to team itself with Venezuela year after year, despite the supposedly and apparently fair draw process?

Soccer Math

If the price of a soccer player reflects its value and contribution to the team, then I don't (and won't ever) get this:

Thierry Henry: Sold from Arsenal to Barcelona for 16 million pounds.

Darren Bent: Sold from Charlton Athletic to Tottenham Hotspur for 16.5 million pounds.

Anyone who can explain to me why Bent is 500,000 quid more expensive than Henry deserves an OBE.

An Overpriced Buying Error, that is.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

The Marion Mess

There is a recent report that Marion Jones, once the fastest woman on earth, is broke.

Her multi-million dollar mansion has been foreclosed, and she now only has around US$2,000 at her disposal.

Once the diva in track and field, she could command a four-figure appearance fee in the events around the world.

Yet she eventually was involved in the banned substance scandal and while she has never been tested positive for banned substances, her reputation has forever been tarnished.

Jones going broke, I think, has more to do with her lifestyle than anything else. She would bask in the limelight and opt for the most lavish lifestyle, with an entourage so huge that would even make Mike Tyson humble. Like many before her, she found fame and fortune easily, but lost them all just as quickly.

Doesn't it sound like the effects of taking banned substances?

Personally I feel sorry for her. I once considered naming my child Marion (after Marion Barber though) Eventually, we opted for Daryl, after Daryl Johnston.

Luckily I didn't. Otherwise my child would definitely blame me for making such a poor decision.

Just like what the poor Marion Jones has been doing over the years.

Friday, June 29, 2007

More Draft Thoughts

- Portland Trail Blazers just had a monster of a draft. Look at some of the players they have ended up with after the conclusion of the draft: Rookies Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Josh McRoberts and Taurean Green (all first-round talent), as well as veterans Steve Francis (though likely to be released for cap reasons) and Channing Frye. Now that is one heck of a roster.

- Just when everyone thought that new Seattle Supersonics General Manager Sam Presti had the easiest job on earth (that is, picking either Oden or Kevin Durant whom the Trail Blazers didn't pick), he pulled off something remarkably impressive by trading for Jeff Green, the 5th pick of the draft. While he had to give up All-star veteran Ray Allen, by adding the young and promising Green, Presti has given himself leeway in deciding whether to re-sign Rashard Lewis.

- With the addition of Allen, and Paul Pierce still with the team, will the Boston Celtics become attractive enough for Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves? For a while the Phoenix Suns have been mentioned as the most likely destination for Garnett, who has said that he doesn't want to play for the Celtics. But that was before the addition of Allen. If I were Garnett, I would seriously re-consider my stance as with the line-up of Allen, Garnett and Pierce, the Celtics would have finally become a serious contender for the first time in ages, especially in the weaker Eastern Conference.

- Not surprisingly, the San Antonio Spurs have drafted a foreigner in the first round (hence I have won my bet, though no one betted against me). Tiago Splitter, what a great name for a ball player.

- For the record, an Almond (Morris) and a Strawberry (D.J.) have been drafted. Other draftees include Curry (JamesOn) and a Cook (Daequan).

How to Find a Manager?

Chris Coleman, the former manager of Fulham, is poised to become the new man-in-charge of Spanish side Real Sociedad.

When I first heard the news, I said, "WHAT?"

Coleman himself said that there are so many foreign managers in English soccer, so why don't become a foreign manager himself in Spain? I don't have the updated list with me, but other than Fabio Capello and some other managers from South America, there really aren't many foreign managers in Spanish soccer.

But why Coleman?

Well, you may argue that some of the foreign managers were no-names when they were first hired by the team. But can you name any manager who has achieved literally nothing before being hired by a foreign team, off the top of your head?

But of course, it doesn't hurt being a "prodigy" of legendary Welsh coach John Toshack, who has strong ties with Spanish soccer and has had three spells as the manager of Real Sociedad.

And looking like a Latin guy is definitely an advantage too.

Good luck, Chris.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Day Dreaming for the Draft

It is the office hour and I should have been working, but I just couldn't keep my mind off this year's NBA Draft, which will be held later this evening (US time).

The NBA Draft is relatively easier for the fans to follow as it only lasts for one day and has a user-friendly two rounds in total. But it also means that there are only a couple of impact players in each draft class, and the chances of finding a gem later in the draft is very slim.

It has been confirmed that the Portland Trail Blazers will select Ohio State center Greg Oden with the first pick. And barring any unimaginable incidents, Kevin Durant of Texas will go second to the Seattle Supersonics.

But it is so far not clear at all as to which player will go third. And we are not sure who will pick third either, because of the potential trade of Kevin Garnett that would give the Minnesota Timberwolves the third pick in the draft.

So far, nothing has happened just yet.

Some random thoughts on the draft:

- The Atlanta Hawks are rumoured to be unwilling to part with the afore-mentioned third pick in a three-team deal that would give them Amare Stoudemire. In that trade, the T'wolves would receive picks 3 and 11 from the Hawks, and some cap-friendly players from the Hawks as well as the Phoenix Suns. Garnett going to the Suns is one thing that is more than certain. But if Atlanta is unwilling to be the third team in the trade, how about finding another trading partner, like the Blazers (sending Oden to the T'wolves) or the Seattle Supersonics (sending Durant)?

- Teams in the top half of the draft should seriously consider drafting Chinese center Yi Jianlian. I am not a scout and I have no idea how good he is. But the words are he is a very good player with lots of potential. In terms of talent, Yi will be worthy of a top pick. And in terms of finances, that's simply a no-brainer. The team that drafts him will definitely reap the benefits of drafting a good player from China. Did you know that Yao Ming's jersey is one of the best (if not the best) sellers in NBA in the last couple of years?

- I'll bet you $100 that the San Antonio Spurs will draft someone from Europe. Wanna take that bet?

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Trading Garnett

There is a rumour that Kevin Garnett, my favourite NBA player, is going to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, mainly to make Kobe Bryant happy and hope that he would rescind his repeated trade requests.

Personally I don't want to see it happen. I want Garnett to go to the team he desperately wants to go to (the Phoenix Suns) and in return, allow the Minnesota Timberwolves to have some much-needed high draft choices (Boston Celtics' number 5?), great and promising players (the Suns' Amare Stoudemire or the Celtics' Al Jefferson) and lots of cap room (how about $20m?) to sign at least one very good player.

I just don't like Bryant. His selfishness and non-stop complaints are the main reasons why the Lakers have never won anything since he forced out Shaquille O'Neal in 2004. While he is arguably the best player in the NBA right now, his one-man crusade has and will not take his team very far.

Garnett though is the antithesis of Bryant. He has been playing for the T'wolves (in frigid Minnesota of all places) since being drafted out of high school in 1995. Long being hailed for his leadership quality, he seldom complains about his team's inexcusable inability to sign or trade for quality players (they even lost five first-round draft picks in that Joe Smith mess in 2000). He just goes out and plays hard every single night, and to watch him not being able to lead his team far into the post-season is heart-breaking for all true basketball fans.

So we understand why he wants out (though he never says so in public), and we all want to see him go to a good team (the Suns is fun to play and watch). As for Bryant, who cares? His incessant complaints have definitely soured his relationship with team owner Jerry Buss and General Manager Mitch Kupchak. And no one will be surprised to see him leave the Lakers after next season even with Garnett on board.

And would Garnett want to remain a Laker with Bryant gone? No way.

So please, don't trade Garnett to the Lakers. He may be an instant gate attraction for the Lakers, but it is also definitely a disaster in-the-making.