There's no doubt 2008 will be the year Lewis Hamilton is crowned Formula 1 world champion.
As a rookie last year he was one point - indeed one agonising slip in the wet - away from a sensational drivers' title.
Still just 23, he has outclassed the veterans and outperformed the current and past world champions.
His mastery in the rain was highlighted yet again at Silverstone (in July 2008) and the rain is when true champions step up to the plate to show their brilliance.
Now, after a midseason hiccup he is looking so in control, so dominant, so unflinchable that you just cannot see any other driver going to nose to nose with him.
He has the skill, he has the coolness under pressure, he has the passing manoeuvres. No-one else comes close. He has Ayrton Senna's confidence with out the arrogance, he has Alain Prost's cleverness without the crooked nose.
In fact, it is difficult to understand exactly why he failed to lift the drivers' title last season. His team-mate last season Fernando Alonso, who at the time was world champion, was made to look variously stupid, bitter, petty and bewildered as he was frequently embarrassed by the young Brit.
Probably it was only McLaren's insistence on equality between both their drivers which cost either one of them the title - both were one point behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen after the decisive final race. There will be no such cock-ups this year at McLaren.
Heikki Kovalainen conveniently moved over to let Hamilton past at Hockenheim on Sunday as the new championship leader blitzed his way from fifth to first after a poor pit-stop strategy decision by his bosses.
Team orders are banned in Formula 1 - perhaps the most stupid rule in sport - but there can be no complaints from independent observers, such was the ease that Hamilton pulled off moves to pass Felipe Massa and Nelson Piquet Jnr in the final few laps.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Garry Cook joins Manchester City
Manchester City have appointed Garry Cook as executive chairman with the brief to turn the club into a Premier League superpower.
Thanks for all the messages, support and advice but , sadly, I am not the Garry Cook who is joining Manchester City Football Club.
I can confirm I have been to Maine Road several times to interview players, report on matches and see Sunderland get hammered. I have also been to the City of Manchester Stadium, though that was to see U2 (they played a 1-2-1 formation).
This Garry Cook who shares with me the ability to spell his first name with two 'r's is a Birmingham City supporter who has been working for Nike in America. Good luck to him.
Thanks for all the messages, support and advice but , sadly, I am not the Garry Cook who is joining Manchester City Football Club.
I can confirm I have been to Maine Road several times to interview players, report on matches and see Sunderland get hammered. I have also been to the City of Manchester Stadium, though that was to see U2 (they played a 1-2-1 formation).
This Garry Cook who shares with me the ability to spell his first name with two 'r's is a Birmingham City supporter who has been working for Nike in America. Good luck to him.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Zenit St Petersburg 2, Rangers 0, City of Manchester –10
There were 100,000 Rangers fans in Manchester on Wednesday night for the UEFA Cup Final.
I’ll start again.
There were 150,000 Rangers fans in Manchester on Wednesday night for the UEFA Cup Final.
No, I’ll try it again.
There were 200,000 Rangers fans in Manchester on Wednesday night for the UEFA Cup Final.
It doesn’t really matter how many fans crammed into Manchester on Wednesday night. There were a lot of them, they didn’t have tickets, one of the screens broke down, some of the fans started a riot.
Interesting fact: Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium capacity is 50,000. So, at least 150,000 Rangers fans in Manchester were not regular visitors to Ibrox. Were they really Rangers fans?
Did these fans bring shame on to Rangers Football Club and Scottish football? Probably. Can you blame Rangers Football Club for the riots? Definitely not.
In a generous estimate, a cross section of the 200,000 Rangers fans in Manchester represents a (largely male) cross-section of British society.
There would have been quite a few fairly intelligent people in there, and quite a few fairly unintelligent people in there. And the problem is, you just can’t legislate for mass stupidity.
Politcians have to pussy-foot around when they are talking about chavs, scummers, dickheads and slobs for fear of bad press. But the reality is this section of society makes up an unhealthy proportion of the British demographic. Everyone knows it exists, but you’re not allowed to say it.
It’s these mindless morons and yobbo’s who caused the trouble in Manchester because they were drunk (no excuse) are thick (no excuse) and don’t think about the way they are behaving (no excuse). See Jeremy Kyle and you’ll see these people. They have no connection to Rangers, they are everywhere.
What’s the solution? I don’t think there is one. Invite them round, be as hospitable as you can. And pray your TV doesn’t pack in.
I’ll start again.
There were 150,000 Rangers fans in Manchester on Wednesday night for the UEFA Cup Final.
No, I’ll try it again.
There were 200,000 Rangers fans in Manchester on Wednesday night for the UEFA Cup Final.
It doesn’t really matter how many fans crammed into Manchester on Wednesday night. There were a lot of them, they didn’t have tickets, one of the screens broke down, some of the fans started a riot.
Interesting fact: Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium capacity is 50,000. So, at least 150,000 Rangers fans in Manchester were not regular visitors to Ibrox. Were they really Rangers fans?
Did these fans bring shame on to Rangers Football Club and Scottish football? Probably. Can you blame Rangers Football Club for the riots? Definitely not.
In a generous estimate, a cross section of the 200,000 Rangers fans in Manchester represents a (largely male) cross-section of British society.
There would have been quite a few fairly intelligent people in there, and quite a few fairly unintelligent people in there. And the problem is, you just can’t legislate for mass stupidity.
Politcians have to pussy-foot around when they are talking about chavs, scummers, dickheads and slobs for fear of bad press. But the reality is this section of society makes up an unhealthy proportion of the British demographic. Everyone knows it exists, but you’re not allowed to say it.
It’s these mindless morons and yobbo’s who caused the trouble in Manchester because they were drunk (no excuse) are thick (no excuse) and don’t think about the way they are behaving (no excuse). See Jeremy Kyle and you’ll see these people. They have no connection to Rangers, they are everywhere.
What’s the solution? I don’t think there is one. Invite them round, be as hospitable as you can. And pray your TV doesn’t pack in.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard, standing alone in the penalty area, waiting to take his penalty against Liverpool.
It was the second-half of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final and I’ve seen nothing like it before.
Lampard, an England international and Chelsea’s talismanic midfielder, was playing in one of the most high-pressure games of his career just days after his mother Pat died.
Scoring a goal, from a typical late surge into the box, would have been so much easier. Having time to think about everything that is going on off the field as he waited for the referees whistle to take the penalty was probably the hardest thing this player has ever had to do on a football pitch.
Lampard is one of the most composed finishers in the British Premier League. His penalty was dispatched with typical precision. It was only then that his composure disintegrated.
He immediately ran to the corner flag to his left, pulled off his black armband and kissed it as he collapsed to the ground in an emotional heap. By now, the tears were flowing.
His team-mates swamped him. By the time he eventually got to his feet, his head nestled in Didier Drogba’s chest, the tears were still flowing.
He kissed his armband again and pointed up to the sky with both hands. He blew kisses to his dad, Frank Snr who was watching in the stand.
It was one of the most heart-rendering moments I’ve ever witnessed in a sporting arena.
I watched it live from my hotel room in Tobago. But at that moment I felt like I was alongside Frank Lampard, sharing his grief. I think everyone watching felt the same.
Lampard has had some unfair abuse from England fans over the past few seasons. His mum can rest in peace now with the fact that he now has the respect of the nation.
It was the second-half of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final and I’ve seen nothing like it before.
Lampard, an England international and Chelsea’s talismanic midfielder, was playing in one of the most high-pressure games of his career just days after his mother Pat died.
Scoring a goal, from a typical late surge into the box, would have been so much easier. Having time to think about everything that is going on off the field as he waited for the referees whistle to take the penalty was probably the hardest thing this player has ever had to do on a football pitch.
Lampard is one of the most composed finishers in the British Premier League. His penalty was dispatched with typical precision. It was only then that his composure disintegrated.
He immediately ran to the corner flag to his left, pulled off his black armband and kissed it as he collapsed to the ground in an emotional heap. By now, the tears were flowing.
His team-mates swamped him. By the time he eventually got to his feet, his head nestled in Didier Drogba’s chest, the tears were still flowing.
He kissed his armband again and pointed up to the sky with both hands. He blew kisses to his dad, Frank Snr who was watching in the stand.
It was one of the most heart-rendering moments I’ve ever witnessed in a sporting arena.
I watched it live from my hotel room in Tobago. But at that moment I felt like I was alongside Frank Lampard, sharing his grief. I think everyone watching felt the same.
Lampard has had some unfair abuse from England fans over the past few seasons. His mum can rest in peace now with the fact that he now has the respect of the nation.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Kidknapped!
If what I was about to discuss happened in Britain, there would be wall-to-wall TV coverage, TalkSPORT's Jon Gaunt's apoplectic voice would get even more high-pitched and the Daily Mail would reduce it's carrier bag campaign from nine pages a day to eight so they could report it.
The question is: Should it be any less of a news story just because the incident ha staken place in Honduras rather than Hartlepool?
Here goes: Wigan's Wilson Palacios is playing Premier League football despit the kidnapping of his 15-year-old brother Edwin Rene.
The kinknappers are holding Edwin in the hope of getting money out of Palacios, 23.
It's a shocker, but as Wigan boss Steve Bruce says: "His brother is still kidnapped -it apparently happens quite often in Honduras ñ but the family are in contact with him. And one thing is for certain they are tough people.
"We're hoping it can be resolved quickly, but it shows you everything about the kid that he can still produce a performance like the one he had against City. It is a delight to work with people like him- I wish I had a few more like him."
I'm sure Edwin Rene's kidnappers are hoping the same. Sounds like it's a lucrative business in Honduras.
The question is: Should it be any less of a news story just because the incident ha staken place in Honduras rather than Hartlepool?
Here goes: Wigan's Wilson Palacios is playing Premier League football despit the kidnapping of his 15-year-old brother Edwin Rene.
The kinknappers are holding Edwin in the hope of getting money out of Palacios, 23.
It's a shocker, but as Wigan boss Steve Bruce says: "His brother is still kidnapped -it apparently happens quite often in Honduras ñ but the family are in contact with him. And one thing is for certain they are tough people.
"We're hoping it can be resolved quickly, but it shows you everything about the kid that he can still produce a performance like the one he had against City. It is a delight to work with people like him- I wish I had a few more like him."
I'm sure Edwin Rene's kidnappers are hoping the same. Sounds like it's a lucrative business in Honduras.
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