With a one-two finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, the white cars let it be known that they intend to be players for the 2008 Constructor's Championship as well as the Driver's Championship. There will be no waiting for the future, the future is now.
Sure, it can be argued that the main reason for the BMW-Sauber sweep (and David Coulthard's podium finish) was the pit lane mishap which knocked Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren-Mercedes out of the race. More about that incident in a minute, but first, I don't think it can be denied that BMW-Sauber are for real and have a realistic chance of winning a title. But until a white car defeats the two elite teams in a straight up fight for the win, there will certainly be some doubters - but not me.
I'm a believer, and in fact, I'll go one step further and predict that before the season is done Robert Kubica or Nick Heidfeld will notch another victory and they'll do it in a "fair" fight over Ferrari and McLaren. My guess would be the night race in Singapore, but that really is just a guess at this point. That also raises the question about the hierarchy at BMW - is Heidfeld still considered the team leader or has Kubica assumed that role with his incredible start and monumental first victory? I doubt anything has changed in that regard, but Heidfeld is certainly being outpaced by his younger Polish teammate.
Looking ahead to this weekend's French GP at Circuit de Nevers in Magny-Cours, the favorites have to be Raikkonen and Massa of Ferrari. The red cars traditionally run very strong at Magny-Cours, and Raikkonen upheld that tradition last season by posting the victory. McLaren's best hope for victory will ride with Heikki Kovalainen since Lewis Hamilton has been given a 10-spot grid penalty for his role in the pit lane crunch in Canada.
Yeah, about that crunch.
In Monaco, Raikkonen slammed his Ferrari F2008 into the back of Adrian Sutil's Force India machine, knocking both cars out of the race. That raised the dander of some F1 fans, and there was a call for apologies or penalties or fines or something. There would be no apology from Ferrari (that I'm aware of) nor would there be any penalties or fines levied against Ferrari or Raikkonen by the FIA. I'm still bummed about the crash at Monaco, but I stand by the Kimster. It was a racing accident, and I didn't think (and still don't think) any apologies or penalties were necessary.
In Canada, Lewis Hamilton slammed his McLaren MP4-23 into the back of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari F2008, knocking both cars out of the race. Little bit different situation as the accident occurred while Raikkonen was stopped at the pit lane exit waiting for the light to turn green. Why was the light red? I can only assume that the pit exit was closed as the Safety Car (and whatever cars that hadn't pitted) passed by on the track, therefore trying to prevent any collisions between cars leaving pit lane and those still out on the track. That's the only reason I can think of as to why the light was red.
The 10-spot grid penalty seems harsh to me. Just as before, I look at the event as a racing accident, and I don't think McLaren owe Ferrari an apology nor do I think Hamilton's actions warranted a penalty (certainly not 10 positions on the starting grid in France!). Naturally, Scuderia Ferrari whined about the incident, and that's to be expected, but to me it was just unfortunate that Raikkonen was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hey, that's racing.
The Iceman didn't whine about what happened, to my knowledge he's just said it was a bad break, and he's putting it in the past. I've said it before and I'll say it again here, I'm not a Ferrari fan, I'm a Raikkonen fan - he just happens to drive for the Scuderia. I think you can tell that I don't like whining in racing and I don't really believe in bringing down penalties for things that happen during a race. #### happens in racing, deal with it and move on.
Anyways, the races in Montreal are usually pretty crazy and the 2008 Canadian GP was no different. The hairpin provided some of the wildest racing and some of the most exciting passing we've seen all season, such as Massa's double pass late in the race or Piquet's bizarrely aggressive dives.
Magny-Cours is not known for crazy races, and in fact, overtaking is usually fairly scarce at the Circuit de Nevers (should we call it Never-Never Land?). Sorry, that was bad wasn't it. Not to say overtaking can't be done there, just that it's extremely difficult, which doesn't bode well for Mr Hamilton in the silver car. In contrast, BMW-Sauber have shown they can qualify very well, but will that be enough to hold off the Ferrari's in a straight up fight? Probably not, but as we've seen if the red cars have troubles or reliability issues, the white cars are ready to pounce.
With three teams legitimately contending for the Constructor's Championship and five pilots legitimately contending for the Driver's Championship, 2008 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting F1 season.
Top Five in Driver's Championship after 7 of 18 rounds
Robert Kubica BMW-Sauber 42 pts
Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 38
Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari 38
Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari 35
Nick Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 28
Top Five in Constructor's Championship after 7 of 18 rounds
I say no, no, no, and no. Sure there is a certain amount of skill in each activity, but there is a certain amount of skill in peeing my name into a snow drift - but I have yet to sign a lucrative contract for my snow peeing skills. I wonder if there are such organized events in Minnesota ... or maybe Canada? I should check into that. I imagine that would be a somewhat male dominated sport, but you never know, there might be some very nimble female competitors.
Bowling is the process of rolling a black ball of about 15 or 16 pounds in weight at some stationary wooden pins, although the ball doesn't necessarily have to be black. Knock all the pins over and you get a strike, but if you don't knock all those pins down have no fear, we'll send your 16 pound ball back to you and you get another roll at those pins still standing. You need only be capable of walking from your seat (and alcoholic beverage of your choice) to the place where your ball awaits you.
Just so you're official, we'll make you wear these 50's style wingtip shoes while you're present at the ball rolling place.
That's not a sport, that's Happy Hour. I enjoy bowling, but I can't in good conscience label my drunken times at the local bowling alley as "sporting events".
Bass Fishing is (as the name fittingly suggests) fishing for bass. Again, you're required to perform very little movement on your own. Simply motor your boat to a nice secluded spot on the lake, river, pond, fjord, ocean, or whatever body of water you happen to be inhabiting, and put the little metal hook in the water, and .... wait. At that point it's sort of basically up to the fish to do the rest of the work, although you will be required to turn the little #### on your fishing pole to bring a fish in. As with bowling, you may partake of your alcoholic beverage of choice while you wait, and it helps to have a radio so you can listen to actual sporting events as they happen. Be aware that there are Boat Cops lurking out there, so know when to say when, or have a designated boat driver with you. Just ask Cedric Benson. A three hour tour?
That's not a sport, that's a prelude to Gilligan's Island or something out of Deliverance. I also enjoy fishing, but again that's just an excuse to drink too many cold beers, it's not a sporting event.
Ping Pong is an Olympic sport?! Who decided that? I bet it can be traced back to the Chinese. After all, they even name themselves Ping and Pong and Hu. They possess a cultural advantage to excel at Ping Pong, but I doubt very seriously we can consider smacking that little white wiffleball around a green table as a sporting event. I understand that there is some hand/eye coordination involved, and I'll admit that's respectable. But let's be honest there's quite a bit of hand/eye coordination involved with swatting a fly as well, isn't there? And masquerading Ping Pong as "Table Tennis" isn't fooling anyone.
That's not a sport, that's recess in junior high school during the winter months. I haven't played Ping Pong in many years, but I suspect that I could pretty much pick up the game right where I left off.
Golf comes dangerously close to a leisure game as well, but I'll let golf slide because there is alot of walking involved - at least there is movement. On the downside, whatever sporting benefits golf gains from having Tiger Woods as an athlete/competitior, those benefits are canceled out by the exploits of John Daly. Golf is on the fine line between sport and not-a-sport.
Badminton? If badminton is a sport then should Lawn Darts or Horseshoes also be considered sports? It's a conundrum, for sure. Where do we draw that line? How about dog racing? Or horse racing for that matter? Must the athletes be human for it to be considered a sport? I'm not sure.
Is hunting a sport? Once upon a time it was about survival, but not so much anymore. If we do it just because we can, is that considered a sport?
Professional wrestling? Hahah, I kinda laughed a little as I typed that. If pro wrestling is a sport then so is body building and/or teaching a 5th grade class.
Lastly, we come to billiards, or pool as you and I commonly call it. That's not a sport, that's a Friday Night at the local bar. Pool is marbles for adults, with sticks, and beers, and loud music. And it's great.
I've tried several times to form a comment over on jbroomy's blog about the Monaco GP and each time I try to contain myself within a character limit I only come up with gibberish. So when faced with gibberish commentary, naturally I decided to turn it into a blog entry. Some Coors Light has also helped the gibberish process along too.
First off, I'm bummed that Adrian Sutil of Force India did not get the race result that he fully deserved. He had posted an inspired drive to that point at Monaco, there is no denying that, especially when you look at the fact that he completely outclassed his veteran teammate Giancarlo Fisichella. And I'm sure the prying eyes of F1 did not miss that drive by Sutil. Fisi is no slouch. For a young driver trying desperately to make a name for himself, I fully understand Sutil's anguish regarding the accident.
But it was just that. A racing accident.
Let's not use this as an opportunity to belittle and attack Raikkonen as if he were some reckless and incompetent hack behind the wheel. I understand that he has made some haters across the F1 fan landscape, and that's cool. I have my hates too. I can't stand Fernando Alonso. Can't stand the guy. Every time he did those goofy little animal-impression dances after a GP win, I went into a tirade about how much I hated the guy. My friends that witnessed some of those beautiful tirades thought they were laugh out loud funny occasions. I didn't see the humor, but hey, we each have our quirks.
I watched the crash at Monaco that jbroomy has highlighted. I saw Raikkonen get bad loose under acceleration on a wet track and start swapping. I mean bad swapping, like really nasty swapping. Three swaps maybe four, but Raikkonen kept the car off the walls ... at Monaco. Off the walls at Monaco while being out of control is not a/n {expletive of jbroomy's choice} driver, that's not a car breaker, that's a car saver. A driver worthy of a World Championship title and a race seat at Scuderia Ferrari and a Ferrari car that has number 1 stenciled on it.
The argument being, "Well, if Kimi was so great he shouldn't have been out of control in the first place."
Amen. I agree. He shouldn't have been out of control, but doesn't that go with racing? He did make that mistake under acceleration, and as pro racers do, he saved it. If the track had been clear leading into the chicane, Kimi would've had a "moment" and he would've corrected and gone about his business of chasing down Sutil (which he was doing). Sutil was in front of the faster Ferrari by racing clean and smooth and being mistake free, and I love that about Sutil's drive.
I don't think Ferrari owe Force India or Adrian Sutil an apology for anything. I genuinely don't. If Sutil and Force India are that sensitive, well, Formula 1 is probably not the place for them.
Should I go into the times that Kimi Raikkonen has been screwed? A rear wing flying off? Anyone remember that? How exactly was that Kimi breaking the car?
But you don't hear Raikkonen complaining. That's the kicker right there. The dude that has every right to whine about bad luck doesn't do that (at least to my knowledge). The Iceman just continues to go about his business of driving an F1 car as best he can, which in my humble opinion is pretty damn good. I tend to think that being an F1 Champion takes some talent.
I admit that I sound like a crazed Raikkonen fan, and yeah, I am a crazed Raikkonen fan.
Pick a driver and cheer very loudly, or pick a team and cheer very loudly. That's a big part of being a race fan. I've followed Raikkonen from Sauber to McLaren to Ferrari and will follow him to the point that he calls it quits, and believe me I know when to #### at the Iceman for driving like a ####. Monaco was not one those times.
Memorial Day honors those that have lost their lives in our nation's service. The spiritual and symbolic center for this holiday weekend is at Arlington National Cemetary and the Tomb of the Unknowns as the Honor Guard sentinel walks the mat, pacing out 21 steps then turning and marching back 21 steps. Rain or shine, night or day. And the changing of the guard is something every American should witness at least once. Honor all of our veterans and our men and women currently serving our nation by just taking a quiet moment out of your weekend to say a little prayer of thanks to them.
This weekend is also known for racing, most traditionally the Indy 500, but also Nascar's 600 mile marathon at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Throw in the glitzy crown jewel of the F1 season (the Monaco GP) to start Sunday off in style and you've got quite a racing line-up there. Plus the added bonus of having Monday off from work as a recovery day. As I sit here at my Dell home computer, anxiously looking forward to watching the races with friends and to drinking too much beer and to burning various meats on a Coleman grille, I can't help but also reflect back on some racing history as well.
It's good to stop and remember.
Racing is inherantly a dangerous sport, always has been, always will be. It's just the nature of the beast. Everyone involved realizes that, the drivers, the track officials, and the fans. I'm amazed at how far safety in motorsports has advanced, but the danger from pushing vehicles to go faster and faster, closer and closer to the absolute limit will never completely be eliminated. Engineers design and build cars that test the technological boundaries, and race drivers take those cars right to the edge of the precipice. And sometimes beyond.
Ayrton Senna. My all-time favorite Formula 1 driver was killed on May 1, 1994, at the San Marino GP in Imola. That was a dark day, in fact, that entire Grand Prix seemed cursed. During qualifying Rubens Barrichello was injured in a crash, and then during a practice session Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger was killed when his car slammed into a wall. Then finally during the race, Senna was leading but being pushed by a young German driver named Michael Schumacher when in the Tamburello corner of the Imola circuit Senna's car went airborne and struck the outer barrier of the track.
Something like that happens so fast. In an instant, and you blink. Did I just see that? Some crashes just have a bad look to them, I can't really describe it, but maybe it's from watching enough racing and seeing enough crashes or maybe as humans we just have a natural understanding of physics that some crashes you know to disregard and some you know to hold your breath. Because that instant can have long effects.
Track officials later found a folded red and white Austrian flag in the cockpit of Senna's car. Apparently he was planning to wave it as a victory flag in tribute to Ratzenberger.
Senna is still my favorite driver for many reasons but mainly because the dude was almost psychotically driven to win and he had plenty of talent to go with that passion. That combination certainly made him alot of enemies in his day too. His days at McLaren-Honda were obviously the most memorable of his career, and the interesting part of it was that McLaren didn't give him team leader status. McLaren was an equal opportunity team, there was not a team leader and a support driver - there were two team drivers. Anyone that witnessed the incredible 1988 season and the bitter rivalry between Senna and Prost can vouch for that. People that argue Michael Schumacher is the greatest F1 driver of all-time should consider the fact that during his days at Ferrari, Schumi had everything slanted in his favor, while during most of his days at McLaren, Senna had to fight for every pole position, every fastest lap, and every GP victory.
Dale Earnhardt. Sometimes nicknames just don't seem to make sense, while other times nicknames just embody a person's image perfectly. The man that was basically the image of the Nascar Winston Cup Series became known to even those of us who didn't regularly follow Nascar as "The Intimidator". That right there is a race driver's nickname, and it was only fitting that at the pinnacle of his career, the 3 car was painted in black. Like the old western movie in which the bad guy wore that signature black hat.
Dale Sr played that part perfectly too.
Similar to what made me a fan of Senna, I liked the attitude of Earnhardt. He had that aura about him. For me he was Nascar. I didn't watch many Nascar races other than the big ones (Daytona, Talladega, the Brickyard, etc.), but when I tuned in most often it was because of him. Earnhardt's career was intertwined with Daytona, and when he (finally) managed to win one in 1998, it was just one of those feelgood moments in motorsports. Dude deserved it very badly, and it was very cool to see him get to victory lane at that event.
Then on Feb 18, 2001, on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Earnhardt's car speared the concrete wall of Turn 4. He was most likely killed instantly. I did happen to be watching when that crash happened, and unlike Senna's crash I honestly don't remember initially thinking that it was too bad. I suppose the fact that there was a dash to the line for the win going on while Earnhardt hit the wall might've been a distraction from the wreck. The replay isolation on the 3 car showed just how severe that impact really was, and in many ways I truly believe that crash and the loss of Nascar's icon led to great advancements in safety throughout stock car racing.
And that's probably the best tribute that racing can give to these two icons. Just keep racing, and just keep improving for the future.
I know that's an odd pairing: Ayrton Senna and Dale Earnhardt. But as I was thinking and remembering about past drivers that we've lost, those two names immediately came to mind. For sure, two very different people, but yet very similar in many ways. I also thought of the story of Bill Vukovich who was killed May 30, 1955, in a crash during the Indianapolis 500. Of course I wasn't around to see that crash, but naturally I've done my fair share of reading about the history of American racing. Anyone who has read about the history of the Indy 500 has no doubt read about Vukovich, who has been called by racers of that era, "the greatest driver in American motorsports history".
But there's no sense in me just reposting the Wikipedia entry about him, so I'll let you research all of that for yourself.
Yeah, we all hate Illinois Na zis and we all love Wrigley Field. "We" being Cubs fans of course. And right now as a Cubs fan, I'm beginning to get downright giggly excited about this version of the North Siders and the hopes and dreams of what might lay ahead for this team.
What has me so giddy is that the temperature has been very cool for springtime, and yet, the team is spraying hits and scoring runs like ... like ... aw hell, I don't know what it's like but I know I'm loving it! And when the temperature warms up, I can only think that the offense will be even more potent.
Combine that with a respectable starting rotation (led by Big Z) and a bullpen (led by Carlos Marmol) that appears to be settling in nicely, and the future looks very bright.
Now, before any Illinois Na zi preachers can begin their internet sermons about the history of the team, let me say that I understand it is still basically very early in the season. Besides, this is the Chicago Cubs, my beloved Cubs, we're talking about. There will be rough seas ahead, it's a Law of Nature, just like when there is a full moon the crazies will come out at night. Everyone knows this.
Illinois Na zis are out there, and some of them even pretend to be Cubs fans. To these "fans" that recommend being cautious and curbing my enthusiasm and waiting to see what happens, I say, "Kiss my ####." I live for these rare times when the team is actually doing well and I actually have something to cheer about. And I will enjoy every moment of it, just as the dude that survived AA savors every sip of that first cold beer as he falls off the wagon.
I've suffered enough and had my heart broken enough, and that just makes the good times all the more worthy of celebrating. I'm not saying this is "The Year" nor am I making any predictions of greatness for this team. I'm simply saying the fans should enjoy the fun, every drunken and misguided minute of it. The main thing I enjoy about this team is just that, it's a team. There is great depth and each game it seems as if a different player is stepping up and making a big play at a crucial moment.
Sure, there are tweaks here and there I'd like to see, such as I'd like to see Theriot leading off and Soriano batting second. Or Reed Johnson leading off. I don't like Soriano's weak OBP, and getting on-base is what batting in the lead off spot is alll about. Not swinging for the fence with every at-bat.
But hey, Lou Pa is the manager and Lou Pa likes Soriano hitting lead off. So Soriano is hitting lead off, and I'm left writing a blog b!tching that Soriano should not be hitting lead off. I've never managed a Major League team before and most MLB games that I've attended I've gotten so drunk that I've forgotten more than I can remember about those games. So it's quite possible that Lou might just know what he's doing.
One strange question mark has been the defense. The relatively high number of errors and unearned runs have really got me scratching my head, but looking at the fielders the Cubs have I've got to believe that the nagging defensive problems will slowly disappear. The defense is just too good to struggle like this for an entire season.
On the flip side, a great positive has been Kosuke Fukudome. The dude just doesn't seem to have any weaknesses in his game, and day after day, he just goes out and gets the job done. I'm only wondering here, but it has occurred to me that Fukudome's workmanlike attitude has had a tremendous effect on the team. It's possible that I'm exaggerating for effect, but I certainly feel that he's had a positive influence on overall team discipline.
**Film capture from Blues Brothers Central website
Blogger's Note: This Cubs blog is dedicated to myself only, and no one else. Not another goddam soul. That's right, only my own insufferable wit and my own intolerable writing are responsible for this Cubs blog.
And I take full credit. For myself.
Well, actually, I would like to dedicate this Cubs blog to my parents because without them I could not be here to write this great Cubs blog. Can't forget the folks. But that's it. Just me and my folks and no one else.
Okay, upon further consideration if I'm going to dedicate this Cubs blog to my folks then I've got to also dedicate this Cubs blog to my two older siblings, Lisa and Eric. And I guess my sister's husband Dan and my niece Sarah and my nephew John. Them too. So there you have it, just me, my folks, Lisa, Eric, Dan, Sarah, and John. And not another person in the world.
Uhm, that's not right either. I have to give a shout out to my drinking buddies Cheese, Scuba, Pheebs, Lenny, Schmitty, my neighbor Christine, my rec league basketball team, my friend Lisa W, and all of the goobers at work. Basically all the people that promise to read my blogs, but never do. So even though none of you will ever read this Cubs blog, I dedicate this Cubs blog to you.
But really, that's it this time. I mean it. This Cubs blog shall not be dedicated to another freakin person!
Here's the thing. I have to at least mention the other bloggers. All of them, every single blogger out there who has inspired me to write this wonderful and terrific Cubs blog. This Cubs blog is dedicated to all bloggers everywhere, both big and small, both short and tall. There are too many to name by name and in fact I don't even know them, but this is dedicated to them anyways.
Seriously, that's all. No more dedications. You know, I think maybe all of the Cubs fans everywhere should have this Cubs blog dedicated to them, because I like Cubs fans. Hell, I am a Cubs fan ... and ... and .... oh god I need another beer.
Are BMW-Sauber for real? As Formula 1 comes out of the three week break and heads to Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix, BMW sit atop the Constructor's Championship with a one point lead over the surging Scuderia Ferrari. Everything that I've seen and read has certainly reinforced the idea that BMW have continued to improve their game, and most notably the team were on pace with the red cars in Bahrain.
In the desert three weeks ago, Polish driver Bob Kubica qualified his BMW F1.08 in the pole position (yes, a Pole on pole), and despite struggling during the opening laps and allowing both of the red cars to get past him, he stayed on the radar screens of the two front running Ferrari's. Teammate Nick Heidfeld brought his F1.08 home in 4th place, and all in all, it was a strong weekend for BMW Sauber.
But do they have enough to take the fight to Ferrari? Staying in contact with the Ferrari's is one thing, but defeating the Ferrari's .... well, that's something else.
In Bahrain, the outfit from Maranello finally showed the championship form that most were expecting from them. After two disastrous rounds to open the season, Felipe Massa finally screwed his head on straight and got down to business. For Phil, the season opener in Australia and the following Malaysian Grand Prix yielded a whopping total of zero championship points. That's not so good. Bahrain proved to be much kinder to Ferrari, with Massa taking the checkers, well ahead of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen. At one point during the middle portion of the race, the two cars were trading fastest lap times, but eventually Raikkonen backed off for whatever reasons, allowing Massa to cruise to a relatively comfortable victory.
It's a little ironic that Massa has had a very Raikkonen-like start to his season. Race results for Felipe = engine failure (0 pts); spin (0 pts); win (10 pts). That's the type of results that Kimi usually puts up. Either take the win or get a DNF.
Speaking of the Iceman, he's done enough to still be considered the favorite for the Driver's Title (he leads BMW's Nick Heidfeld by 3 points), and he is possibly showing some patience as a driver. In the not-so-distant past, Kimi's mode and modus operandi, his central kick, was just to win at all cost, and honestly it appeared as if he wasn't aware they actually gave out points for finishing in second place. While he has been far from what I would call dominant at the start of 2008, I like what I see from the Iceman. Have no fear though, Kimi will probably not run away with the title, I believe he will keep things interesting.
That win at all cost attitude is probably why I'm a big fan of Raikkonen.
At this point, only 3 races out of 18 have been completed, and I'm sure the Kimster has many thrills and spills yet to accomplish, so stay tuned. Massa will have his moments as well, and Ferrari must be at least a little satisfied with the early pace of the new F2008, although reliability might still be a little shaky for the once bulletproof Ferrari cars (especially after the calamity of a two engine failure at Albert Park).
As for the third team of the Big Three, McLaren-Mercedes squandered a strong start to the season at Albert Park. Hamilton took the victory in Australia and new teammate Heikki Kovalainen brought his shiny new ride home in a respectable 5th place, and McLaren looked ready to put the debacle that was the 2007 season behind them.
Oh, not so fast.
McLaren is quickly becoming known for Mickey Mouse goofiness and a knack for drawing the wrath of race officials everywhere. Case in point, both McLarens were penalized in Malaysia for impeding the progress of BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Renault's Fernando Alonso during Q3 qualifying. Their crime? Not moving off the racing line quickly enough while other drivers were on a hot lap. Their punishment? Both McLarens were docked five positions on the starting grid for their rudeness. The question with Hamilton has been can he challenge for the win when starting back in the grid? So far, the answer has been 'no'. Hamilton's five F1 victories have all come from pole position, and in the past we've seen that he's prone to make mistakes when starting further back in the pack. So a five grid penalty was a big deal for him.
For a racing team that has been traditionally known for its precision and professionalism, McLaren-Mercedes in more recent times appear to be operated by the Marx Brothers. In 2007, a car that was at times very dominant yielded no driver's title, and a goofy spy scandal ("StepneyGate") forfeited all constructor's points for the season. Is 2008 going to be more of the same slapstick from the silver cars? We'll see, but it has not exactly been a fantastic start for McLaren.
As Formula 1 rolls into Spain, what should be of more concern to Ferrari is BMW Sauber's continued improvement and not the comedic drama of Team ... M-I-C .. K-E-Y .. M-O-U-S-E .. er, I mean Team McLaren. The Spanish GP will be interesting to see if BMW will defeat Ferrari in a straight up fight, or if Ferrari will begin to assert the dominance that we've been expecting. McLaren are by no means drowning, but they better start swimming in the right direction.
Top Five in Driver's Championship after 3 of 18 rounds
Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari 19 pts
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 16
Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 14
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 14
Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 14
Top Five in Constructor's Championship after 3 of 18 rounds
This entry is basically just a picture blog more than anything. For whatever reasons, I usually save my ticket stubs when I attend various sporting events. I'm not really sure why. Trying desperately to preserve the past? Possibly. Trying desperately to remember the good times? Absolutely.
I'll confess too that I'm a photo album junkie. Although I'm not a particularly good photographer, I've always loved still photos that capture a moment in time.
Anyways, I've got all of those saved old (and new) ticket stubs in a desk drawer, and the other night I shuffled thru them and was really surprised at all the memories that came flooding back. For the most part I could remember quite a bit about each event that the various tickets represented. Who I went with. Some of the highs and lows. Who won and who lost.
Here's a sampling of some of the ticket stubs that I've got rat-holed away in that desk drawer:
I've got alot more racing tickets than anything, but I tried to scan in a sampling of the different sporting events that I've been to over the years. There's some pretty cool moments in sports buried in there.
Such as the Bulls vs Pacers pre-season game at the Peoria Civic Center. That game was among the first that Michael Jordan played with the Bulls during his rookie season. He had a short contract holdout, and joined the team a few games into the pre-season. I remember that he didn't even start in that game against the Pacers!
Also caught a Bulls vs Hawks game at Chicago Stadium during Jordan's rookie season.
Of course there's an Arizona vs ASU football game in there too.
A Blackhawks playoff game. And a Blackhawks game during a strike-shortened season.
Notice the Hawaii vs UCF game. That's a true sign of a sports addict when while vacationing in Honolulu, you look up a football game to go to.
Cubs vs White Sox at Comiskey.
Bears vs Packers MNF game (at the Univ of Illinois).
I have friends that live in Seattle, so whenever I trek out to see them, we always catch a Mariners game and then the Washougal MX National.
There's even a College Baseball regional in there. I went with some buddies to watch one of their younger brothers play (for the Nebraska Cornhuskers). I'm not a big fan of aluminum bats, but the games were alot of fun to watch.
Sad part of this whole walk down memory lane was ... I could not find a single ticket stub from Wrigley. I've been to a few Cubs games at the Friendly Confines over the years, and somehow I didn't manage to save a single ticket stub!
Whew, too much Old Style at those games I guess. That's alright, this is the year that the Cubs win it all, and so I'll just have to save a ticket stub from this championship season!
Welcome foosball fans to another loud and boisterous tavern in Smalltown, Illinois, located just up I-39 from the greater Bloomington Area. Tonight's competition thus far has been a very sloppy but entertaining match pitting Team Red (denoted by the bloodred jerseys) against Team Blue (denoted by the shaded ominous blue jerseys).
Eternal adversaries to one another in the Foosball Arena here at this Smalltown tavern.
As we prepare to rejoin the action once again, the rather annoying uniformity of the players should be documented. To a man, both teams in the arena are comprised entirely of identical caucasian players, all with identical light brown hair, all sporting identical haircuts, and all of identical height and build. Almost like they are all caucasian clones. Which is a bit strange because our foosball game tonight is set in a tavern with the latino name of "La Villa Tequila".
Just one of life's ironies I guess.
At any rate, the players of Team Red and Team Blue continue to impressively display the rigid discipline of their trade as they remain at military-like attention and in tight formation. All lines and creases, completely squared away. There are no numbers on the jerseys, no individuality whatsoever, both squads are completely committed to the team concept.
And away we go as the pockmarked white ball flies into the arena from a hole in the west sidewall!
There is mass confusion amongst both teams, as the white ball ricochets wildly through the regimental lines and careens loudly from wall to wall in the arena. But as always, even thru the most chaotic sequences of action, the team lines remain in strict formation, moving and spinning together!
Control of the white ball is a calamity of errors punctuated by profanity and laughter from the respective Coaches. But the players never break rank, never utter a word of malcontent, never even change their facial expression. Impressive indeed.
Finally after a cascading series of whiffs and violent spins by various lines, the goaltender of Team Blue gets control of the white ball by tightly pinning it to the shiny green playing surface. And then in a somewhat gentle motion he passes it forward to his next line of defensive backs.
It should be noted that during the melee, Team Blue very nearly scored an own goal.
Twice.
With newfound tenderness Team Blue deftly creeps the white ball forward to its massive front row of attackers. They are quite an imposing sight, moving slowly in perfect synchronization from side to side. Looking for the slightest opening to exploit. Like a coiled cat ready to spring into action. Their uniform hair is still perfect, not at all disheveled from the wild antics performed just moments ago.
Team Red's front line mirrors the Blue dance at midfield ....
.... And we pause for station identification, as the hot girl in tight pants is bending over the nearby pool table to line up her shot. All the foosball officials and fans agree, Miss Tight Pants is a complete hottie. That's it sweetie, just take your time, there's no rush. She shoots. And yay, she makes it. That's great, she has very nice form, and she certainly has good skill with a stick and balls ....
The front line of Team Red defenders return to stalking the front line of Team Blue attackers.
Suddenly in an eruption of superb execution, the entire front line of Team Blue spins and fires as a single entity. The white ball clacks loudly off the north wall of the arena just missing the goal hole! Team Red's goaltender is frantic.
But the white ball rebounds so violently off the wall that it banks off a backline Red player and into the goal hole!
GOOOOooooOOooooOooooAaaaaaLLL!!
What a sight! I swear, the Team Red defender never even reacted! He just stood there! Or, well, to be more accurate he just hovered there. It seems that the players are so light on their feet that they never even touch the playing surface. Amazing.
Uh-oh, there seems to be some confusion here at Foosball Arena. We may have a controversy brewing here, as it now appears as if no one has been keeping score with the little beads at either end of the arena. We have no idea who is winning! This is a complete outrage!
.... And we now pause as the lovely hot girl is bending over the pool table again. She has the undivided attention of Foosball Arena, but unfortunately Foosball Arena has the rather intense attention of a muscular dude shooting pool with Miss Hot Pants. Dude is wearing what appears to be a mechanic's shirt with the name "Tiny" stitched in script over the shirt pocket.
A large dude named Tiny? Just another one of life's ironies I guess. And at this moment Tiny does not look happy with Foosball Arena ....
The trio of Jerryd Bayless, Chase Budinger, and Jordan Hill are an incredible nucleus for the 07-08 Wildcats, but beyond that .... well, things get a little bit cloudy when you look beyond those dudes.
Senior Jawann McClellan is just not having the type of senior season that many of us thought (and hoped) that he would. On Saturday against Stanford, he really struggled to find any type of a role in the offense, and quite honestly, he almost completely disappeared. Thankfully, late in the game he came up with a very big three pointer that was part of a run that allowed the UofA to take the game down to the wire. Ultimately, things didn't work out, and Stanford squeaked out a 67-66 victory at the McKale Center.
Sophomore Nic Wise has shown alot of improvement this season, and he's been valuable at the point guard position. With the UA lineup so thin (they practically have no bench to speak of), his recent injury has put even more pressure on Jerryd Bayless. Based on what I've read, Wise may be back in time for the NCAA tourney or possibly even the Pac-10 tourney. He dropped alot of weight during the offseason, which I've got to believe will help him get back to the court relatively quickly.
Freshman Jamelle Horne has really contributed in his first season, and his immediate future looks very bright as he continues to improve. Bret Brielmaier has had a nagging injury (shoulder?) that just won't seem to heal for some reason. Since the 'Cats are so thin along the frontline, his absence has also had a major impact.
I'm an Arizona grad living in the midwest, and so naturally whenever the 'Cats are on tv here and I get to watch the team with my own eyes, I treat it as a blessing. And last Saturday, the Arizona vs Stanford game was televised nationally, so I got to watch every minute of that one.
Some thoughts about the Stanford game and the season thus far ....
What does Coach O'Neill have against a zone? Look, I'm a true believer in man-to-man as the base defense so I love that part, but I also like to see the team mix up their defenses. Don't let an offense get comfortable (i.e. don't let Stanford get comfortable just posting up the Lopez twins!). Foul trouble is the Achilles Heel of a thin team, and a good way to hide someone in foul trouble is to spend some time in a zone. To go one step further, if the player in foul trouble is a power forward or a center, a zone press can even protect them further (provided you've got guards that can apply pressure). With Nic Wise out, I can fully understand not pressing, heck, Bayless pretty much has to play every minute of each game. But mix up defenses a bit and maybe Jordan Hill's foul trouble might have been avoided or at least played thru - instead, he fouled out and really was never a factor in the game.
I'm just shaking my head why Coach doesn't mix in some 1-3-1 halfcourt traps or even a matchup 2-3 zone every now and then.
Jerryd Bayless can become an outstanding point guard. If he chooses to. I've read and heard many people claiming that JB is a SG and not a PG, and I disagree with that. He's really a point guard that looks for his shot first, and yeah that's not good but it ain't all bad either. Am I the only one noticing that Jerryd just doesn't seem to look like his listed 6'3" height? I've never met the kid in person, but he sure as heck looks like 6'0" maybe 6'1". Against Stanford he ran the point quite well I thought. But on occasion Arizona's offense became a Mickey-Mouse high pick and roll with the big guys not even understanding how to set a real pick, but that's a blog for another day I think.
I've always played point guard so I was watching JB very closely to see how he handled things as the "quarterback". He has scoring talent, without a doubt, but he certainly could get his teammates more involved. Look at Jawann McClellan, JB almost nearly alienated poor Jawann. Sure, Jawann is struggling, but a good point guard will get a player involved in the offense, and if I'm not mistaken, the big three ball that McClellan nailed was all set up by a dribble drive and dish by Bayless.
No doubt, I'm biased. I think the most important player on the court for a team is the point guard. In many ways I believe that a team will take on the personality of its coach, and I think the same can be said that a team will follow the lead of its point guard.
The interesting thing here is that the UofA has another top point guard recruit coming in next season (Brandon Jennings), and if Bayless decides to stay in school (which I hope he does), they could make up a very lethal backcourt. I've always liked having a lineup in which the two guard could also work as the point guard. I think that's such a huge advantage (particularly breaking a press or in the transition game). As an Arizona fan, I certainly hope to see those two in the same backcourt next season, but many of the so-called "experts" project that Bayless will jump to the NBA.
We'll see.
Chase Budinger is tough to figure out. I really want to write positive stuff about Chase here, but in all honesty I really am just confused. The dude shows flashes of brilliance, and then mysteriously he just disappears for long stretches of the game. At times he drives strong and rebounds strong, and then mysteriously he'll play soft for long stretches of the game. What the heck? Chase has all the talent in the world (every bit as much talent as Jerryd), but for whatever reason he just doesn't seem to have a killer instinct. I don't want to bash Chase because I'm always pulling for him to play to his potential, but honestly if I was his teammate I'd probably really get in his face and try to fire him up. Or strangle him.
Chase should return to school for another year, but again, I've read that he's likely to turn pro. I think that would be a mistake. I don't deny that he has the talent and the size to play in the NBA, but he just doesn't seem ready from a mental toughness aspect. Oh well, I played intramural basketball and pick-up games during my stay at the UofA, so it's not like I can really talk about being ready for the NBA.
This week the 'Cats are up in Seattle for a clash with the surging Huskies, and then an important face-off with the Wash St Cougars. Every game becomes more and more important as the season winds down, and that magical "20 win" season looms out there. If the 'Cats win 20, they're a lock for the NCAA tourney .... but if they don't finish strong, well, the Pac-10 is not a pleasant place to be this year if you don't bring your "A" game every game.
In the beginning, there was no television or intrawebs. The sports fan enjoyed seeing sports in person, and the people rejoiced. But somewhere along the way technology consumed the sports fan, and the scourge known as the "media expert" somehow became the voice of the sports fan's experience. And the people were sad.
Sure, I'm as guilty as the next sports fan when it comes to being lazy and choosing the couch potato route instead of getting my pasty white butt out to the game, or race, or whatever sporting event. Look, I live in a house constructed of balsa wood so you won't see me casting stones at other sports fans or fueling the flames of debate.
No, no, my fragile environment cannot withstand that. My messages are very positive in nature.
Watching a sporting event in person is what being a sports fan is all about. Let's never forget that. Sure, watching the Super Bowl at home (or at a party) is a great thing, and quite honestly, getting a cold beer from my fridge is a helluva lot easier than standing in line doing the pee-pee dance whilst I wait for nacho stand Bobby Ricky to draft foamy beer into little plastic cups.
NCAA football and NFL games have a certain affinity for television, I won't deny that. With high-def tv in my living room, I get to see in great detail the bewildered look on Eli Manning's face just as if he were next to my stereo trying to understand the lyrics to a Jane's Addiction song. To some extent baseball works on tv too, but not quite as well as football. The crack of a wooden bat resounding thru the park is still the stuff of great memories, and a trip to Wrigley Field should be a required experience for every sports fan. You go to Wrigley and you get drunk on Old Style, that's just a law. I have a buddy that likes to go kung-fu fighting over at the Cubby Bear after a Cubs game, but hey, that's a story for him to tell, not me.
Here are my two favorite sports to witness live and uncensored ....
MOTOCROSS
No, I'm not talking about the prissy stadium Supercross version of motocross, which is designed to be marketable and digestable for the masses on their flat screen. I'm talking about the true outdoor nationals - real motocross. Middle of the summer, with enough heat and humidity that some of the less vital organs in your body dry up and shut down without you even noticing. Heat index so high that marathoners from Kenya would say, "That's just ridiculous!" AMA motocross in the midwest is raced in these conditions.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Being a fan of motocross takes that type of dedication and attending a race is really not for the whiny or the weak. I'll speak from experience here because over the years I've attended the Red Bud National MX event (near Buchanon, MI) maybe 11 or 12 times. Forgive me for not remembering an exact count, but there has been alot of alcohol involved and many brain cells have perished taking their precious memories with them.
I only have a slight understanding of what it's like for the pro riders. Two motos, each 30 minutes plus two laps while pushing the pace to your personal limit. Not to mention that most of the privateer dudes have to qualify to make those main event motos by running laps in the early part of the day.
For anyone that has attempted to race motocross at any level (like me), you realize how tough this sport is.
HOCKEY
Straight up, I have never competed in this sport and to some extent the true intricacies of the game elude me, but I love watching hockey in person. Always have, always will. To put it plainly and simply, television just can't do this sport justice. Not even close. The speed of the players, the violence of the hits, and the crash of the boards are all lost on the television audience. I remember a network trying to highlight the puck and put all sorts of special effects on the screen to liven the game for tv, but of course that just failed miserably.
Trust me, to truly be appreciated, the NHL must be seen in person.
I've seen a handful of Blackhawks games, and each experience has been tremendous to me. And I even have to qualify that statement ~ all of my experiences have been at the United Center, I never did catch a Blackhawk game at Chicago Stadium. By those that I've talked with, a Blackhawk game at Chicago Stadium back in the day was comparable to a religious experience, like an epiphany.
Getting drunk with my buddies and screaming "Snap his neck!" at the top of our lungs is certainly pleasant and all, but usually that's when we're in the nosebleed sections. Let me say though, all joking aside, the top of the arena seats are where the very knowledgeable fans can be found. Those are the dudes you enjoy listening to during the game, and their comments are things of poetic profane beauty.
But when I've had the great blessing to be in very choice seats for a Blackhawk game, oh man, the sport has really mesmerized me. The skill of the players is incredible, and the vicious speed at which the game is played just made me truly appreciate the sport.
I'm not going to carry on like I understand some grand strategy in hockey or even that I fully comprehend the sport, because I don't. Without a doubt I can say that each time I've attended a Blackhawks game it was well worth every penny that I spent at the United Center.
After all, in this day and age of capitalism gone wild that seems to be the really true measure of a sport's value.
Ah yes, the proverbial "morning after". Time to begin the recovery from another night of living the sports highlife. The life of a sports fanatic is not for the weak of constitution or the faint of heart, because along with the highest of the highs the highlife is littered with heartbreaks and heartaches like a minefield. We sports fans must pick ourselves up off the floor more often than a one-legged drunk guy at a discotech.
And falling flat on our face is all a part of living and dying with our team.
Get a group of sports fans together at a local bar and the gathering quickly turns into a roundtable of comparing old scars. Like back in the day when motocross magazines would have photos of some dude wadding it up real bad under a bold print caption "Crash and Burn", we love to share our pain with others of our kind, and there is some sort of therapy in sharing those past wounds.
Helpful tip: it is sometimes better to have a song like "Moving in Stereo" by The Cars or some other psychedelic tune playing in the background when reading my blog entries.
You see this relatively fresh scar on my ego? Yeah, that's from the Bears losing to the Colts in Super Bowl XLI. Rex Grossman's late pick six to seal the game for the Colts cut me real deep. I'd like to expand further on this scar but it's still a little tender.
This hole in my heart? I got that from the Cubbies historic collapse in the '03 NLCS. Oh man, that one darn near killed me. Forget Bartman, if Alex Gonzalez doesn't boot that grounder, then Mark Prior and the Cubs get out of that disastrous inning. That entire Game 6 nightmare at Wrigley is gonna haunt me for the rest of my days.
Busted up psyche and broken fortitude? All happened during the Arizona Wildcats 2000-01 basketball season. All the emotional drama that the team and the fans went thru with player injuries and Coach Olson losing Bobbi to cancer and then the team fighting and clawing to get to the Final Four and then to the championship game .... only to lose to freakin' Duke! Ugh! It wasn't supposed to turn out like that.
Cuts on my mental health? Basketball again. The '92-'93 Arizona Wildcats easily won the Pac-10 finishing 24-3 overall for the regular season and securing a 2 seed in the West Regional for March Madness. Then the Wildcats promptly marched out in the first round and lost to 15th seeded Santa Clara. I would spend the next four days wandering around campus muttering to myself and getting in arguments with pigeons. I'm really not sure but I think I flunked two exams in that period as well. Although I can't entirely blame the basketball team for those.
My crushed confidence? Oh that happened with the '93 UofA football team. 1993 was a tough year. Arizona has (to this day) never sent a team to the Rose Bowl, but with the stifling Desert Swarm defense of that '93 team everything was smelling like Roses all season long. Finally, the tipping point came in the next to last regular season game against Cal in Berkeley. Win that game and a trip to Pasadena was practically secured. The game began with a gloriously dominant first half in which the UofA built a 20-0 lead. No way in hell anyone scores 21 unanswered against the vaunted Desert Swarm defense! Rose Bowl here we come baby! What followed was something directly out of a Stephen King book. The Cal Bears did not score 21 unanswered points, they scored 24 unanswered points, and ruined everything by a score of 24-20. And I crumpled like a squashed beer can.
The burn scars upon my soul? Those are from the '84 Cubs. Sad to say but those childhood wounds never completely heal, you know. I remember my tears after that awful moment when the Padres eliminated my beloved Cubbies in Game 5. The hurt from that is like it all happened yesterday.
I would guess that all sports fans have similar scars, and we can each relate to those wounds. It's like a rite of passage every fan must make.
Old saying is "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." That's no lie right there.
Testing for the upcoming F1 season has gotten under way in places like Jerez and Valencia, and the early results have been interesting. Ferrari have looked strong with the new F2008 as have McLaren's new MP4-23 and BMW's new F1.08. Of course testing is not racing, but all indicators are that the strong teams from 07 are off to a strong start for 08.
Some of the new cars have been unveiled in January while some have yet to be launched, but the official driver line-ups are set. Here are some thoughts about who will be racing with which team in 2008 ....
Scuderia Ferrari (car no's 1,2): Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa
Defending champ and entering his second season with the Maranello outfit, the Iceman seems to be the early favorite of the pundits for the Driver's title, and since topping the charts for Day 3 of the test session at Valencia, the Kimster looks to be in good form. However, teammate Phil Massa will have something to say about who's the favorite for that Driver's title. Massa has steadily improved over the last two seasons, and I'd expect that trend to continue for him. But when push comes to shove, I count myself as a Raikkonen fan, and I anticipate that Kimi will emerge as the champ again.
BMW Sauber (car no's 3,4): Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica
When BMW left Williams, it was a puzzler. Turns out they knew what they were doing. Turns out BMW was ready to operate their own F1 team, and purchasing Sauber (with their new wind tunnel facility) proved to be a good move. After a respectable 07 the prospects for Heidfeld and Kubica look very good in 08. Quietly lurking just below the radar, Nick has his best opportunity for F1 victories and a considerable point total. Last year was a bumpy ride for ol' Bob Kubica, especially that yard sale he left behind in the Canadian GP. Bob will continue to push the pace, but I still look at Heidfeld as the clear team leader at BMW.
Renault (car no's 5,6): Fernando Alonso, Nelson Piquet Jr.
The prodigal son returns. Which begs the question, should Fred have ever left Renault? It's tough to say, but it seems like a good move for him to return to the team that helped him win back-to-back titles. Alonso is undeniably good at working with his engineers and developing the car throughout the season. Renault will need every bit of that skill. Is Piquet Junior ready for F1 racing? I'm not sure. He did spend last season as a test driver, so that will certainly help. For me, I felt that Renault made a big blunder by releasing Heikki Kovalainen.
Williams Toyota (car no's 7,8): Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima
The tradition rich Williams F1 team has fallen on difficult times the past few seasons, and they enter 08 with questions looming. Nico Rosberg has quickly risen to team leader status, and while he has shown moments of talent, there remain doubts about his true ability, as well as his dedication and toughness. Like Piquet Jr, Nico is the son of a former F1 great, and naturally that makes some people wonder how much his last name has helped him. Of course, there's one surefire way to quiet the critics, and that's to post results at the races. Kaz Nakajima is also a question mark, but obviously a race seat with Williams is a great opportunity for him. Time will tell what he makes of that opportunity.
Red Bull Renault (car no's 9,10): David Coulthard, Mark Webber
Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey was brought onboard to develop a winning car, and if progress is going to happen, well, it had better start happening in 08. Two veteran pilots at the controls in DC and Webbo, so it is fair to say expectations are understandably high. Believe me, I've had those expectations of Team Red Bull before, and hopefully this time we can believe the hype. Let's just say, I'm looking at RBR with "cautious optimism".
Toyota (car no's 11,12): Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock
Oh boy. Toyota released Ralf Schumacher and his hefty contract. Good move. But then with an empty race seat they went out and got .... Timo Glock? Really? Nothing against Timo, he's a very capable F1 driver, but then again, he's not going to go out and do anything special either. He's consistent and proven, which is nice. Same with Jarno, he's a solid F1 driver, but somewhat less than inspiring. There may be improvement with the new TF108, but a top notch racer in the cockpit is still needed to get results out on the track. Or how about taking a chance on a young aggressive driver? All in all, I'm still shaking my head at Toyota's F1 operation.
STR Ferrari (car no's 14,15): Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastian Vettel
Any driver line-up of Sebastien & Sebastian is peculiar enough, but when one Seabass (Bourdais) is a veteran racer making his second F1 attempt and the other Seabass (Vettel) is in his first full F1 season and looks like he's about 15 years old, it's like a comedy routine that almost writes itself. Okay, who's up first? Seabass. And who's second? Seabass. Wait, so who's first? Seabass. I thought he was second! heh heh. But no laughing matter, Vettel has talent and I'll bet good money that other teams are alertly watching how the young German handles 08. Toyota, are you paying attention? Bourdais left Champ Car domination to pursue his F1 dreams once more, and I can't help but worry that he's made a mistake by doing so.
Aerodynamic miscalculations apparently plagued Honda in 07. With the rise of British wonderboy Lewis Hamilton, some of the luster has worn off Jenson. Once upon a time he was hailed as the Brit who would be F1 King, but a single lonely GP win does not make one royalty. Poor career moves have also hampered his development, but the arrival of Ross Brawn (he of past Ferrari glory) has brought new hope to Honda. Rubes is still a fan favorite, and always will be, even if his best days are behind him. Honda can't do any worse than 07, can they?
Super Aguri Honda (car no's 18,19): Takuma Sato, Anthony Davidson
Actually last season was quite a step in the right direction for the Super Best Friends. Taku's banzai pass on Alonso at the Canadian GP was a thrilling sight, and Ant's collision with a ground hog (at Canada as well?) was oddly amusing. Look for more of the same in 2008 - not collisions with ground hogs, but rather I mean the continued improvement by Honda's "support" team. In particular, Ant seems poised to have a very good season, and hopefully he'll find his way into the points at several GP's.
Force India (car no's 20,21): Adrian Sutil, Giancarlo Fisichella
Jordan --> Midland --> Spyker --> Force India. Well, it's been a bizarre journey, but things finally seem a bit settled with the current team owners. Fisi has seen his F1 career take a step backwards in going from Renault to Force India, and it will be interesting to see how he reacts. Can he fight and claw and wring the most out of a questionable car? Or will he simply go thru the motions and circulate the tracks far from the sharp end of the field? Sutil is mired in the mystery that all young drivers saddled with inferior equipment must battle, what sort of true potential does he possess? This "new" team will need every bit of the Force, because they are far from becoming Jedi just yet.
McLaren Mercedes (car no's 22,23): Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen
Following a historic rookie season Hamilton has been locked up by McLaren to 2012, but he's still got much maturing to do. Gone is Alonso, after he and Lewis fought like spoiled children on and off the track. Enter Heikki as the new teammate, which is good for Lewis and good for McLaren. But the loss of Fred's abilities with car development will definitely be felt. Will McLaren's past gremlins return? Were those old gremlins more attributable to Raikkonen than the car?
I don't know about all that, but what I do know is that Kimi Raikkonen will be driving a red car with #1 on it, while in 2008 the silver cars will have #22 and #23 on them.
Scuderia Ferrari's entry for the 2008 F1 season. Even sitting still it looks fast.
I'm a mechanical engineer and sci-fi geek by nature, and I love sports. Once upon a time I played some sports and was pretty good at them, but somewhere along the line I found I could actually make good money in the engineering business. So now I will write about sports and my goofy thoughts about them. Somewhere in these ramblings there might be some value for someone. I'm not sure.
