As a fierce typhoon was bearing down on Japan and the Suzuka circuit another massive storm erupted in the paddock that made Qualifying for a race that may or may not happen on Sunday seem like an afterthought. Come with me below the fold to find out all the major doings from Japan… Continue reading
OK, four weeks into another injury riddled and genuinely odd (albeit wildly entertaining) NFL season, and we’re starting to get an idea about contenders and pretenders. Today, I would like to focus on the New York teams and their respective division races.
NFC East
The New York football Giants looked dismal in weeks 1 and 2, and I truly thought it may be a lost season for Big Blue. Surely, it would be the season that finally ushered curmudgeonly Tom Coughlin out the door (is it me, or does this guy belong in a trash can on Sesame Street?…but I digress). Instead, the offense of new OC Ben McAdoo is really starting to click…to the tune of 75 points in it’s last two games. It’s a testament to Coughlin that he was able to introduce a new system with a gaggle of new players and get the ship righted after just 2 weeks. Kudos to you Oscar the Grouch.
To my eye, this division is going to come down to the G-Men and the Cowboys, but when it’s crunch time, who do you trust? Eli Manning’s got a couple of rings. Tony Romo has got a couple of the most egregious playoff meltdowns in NFL history. So go Big Blue!
The Eagles are enigmatic. Defensive Coordinators seem to have caught up to Chip Kelly’s hurry-up offense and even a defensive and special teams performance for the ages weren’t enough to get Philly past the Niners last week.
As for Washington, they’ll be lucky to win 6 games with Cousin’s behind center.
AFC East
Things are not so rosy for the co-tenants of MetLife stadium. In fact, if you listen to the New York media, the sky is falling all around HC Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik. I, for one, don’t share their dire perspective. There are a couple of reasons for NYJ fans not to lose heart.
The mighty New England Patriots are 2-2, and they’ve won those two games by scheme alone. The talent level is way off this year, and we’re starting to see that even Tom Brady can’t do anything without the Offensive Line that gave him hours to sit back and pick defenses apart.
Miami has some talent, but is riddled with inconsistency. Without a real playoff push, this could be the end for Jerry Philbin.
The Bills are also in a bit of disarray. They just benched sophomore phenom EJ Manuel and got journeyman Kyle Orton out of mothballs to try to right the ship, but even with some more consistent QB play, the Bills are not a playoff team.
I suppose this is my long-winded way of saying that the first quarter of the season is in the books, and the Giants are poised to make a great push for the division title. A week 5 win in San Diego (a city traditionally kind the visiting Jets), could be a great deodorant for the Jets and moreover for beleaguered signal caller, Geno Smith!
Enjoy the games and feel free to start or join a pool at TheOfficePool.com
Pix from the always excellent GrandPrix247.com
The title pursuit may have found its turning point on a hot & humid race night in Singapore as Mercedes teammates and archrivals Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg experienced diametrically opposite fates at the hands of the racing gods. While Hamilton started from Pole and was sprinted away from the field to rack up a relatively stress-free victory under the lights, Rosberg’s Silver Arrow suffered a terminal failure due to a broken steering column wiring lume and was unable to start the race even as his team desperately tried to fix the problem on the grid and in the pits. So with the car’s steering wheel unable to handle its many intricate tasks properly Rosberg was forced to retire and possibly hope that Hamilton ran into similar troubles. It didn’t happen and as Hamilton sailed away flawlessly into the night and on towards victory, the Englishman also wrested the overall Drivers’ points lead away from his despondent German teammate. With luck now seeming to have deserted Rosberg and swung to Hamilton in the last several races and Hamilton having pushed through his own rough patches to recapture the edge in the mental battle with superb results the last two races, it could well be Singapore that we point to as the decisive moment in the 2014 Championship. But with five contests left there is still time for Rosberg to dust himself off and take the fight to the now supremely confident Hamilton… provided he has no more mechanical DNFs.
Finishing behind Hamilton were the two Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo who took advantage of Rosberg’s absence and the RB10’s excellent handling on the tight street circuit to storm the podium. It was Vettel’s best finish of the season and only the third time the 4-time World Champion has finished in front of his junior teammate. Ferrari performed decently the week after their big team shake up with Fernando Alonso capturing 4th and Kimi Raikkonen taking 8th to earn valuable Constructors’ points, while Williams had a mixed result with Felipe Massa a strong 5th after nursing his tires effectively but Valtteri Bottas out of the points in 11th. Outgoing Scuderia Torro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne made his case to stay in F1 with a very impressive 6th place finish and the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg sandwiched Raikkonen in 7th and 9th respectively. Kevin Magnussen grabbed the last point for McLaren with a gutsy drive that saw the young Dane battling severe cockpit overheating problems leaving him unable to utilize the boiling hot drinks bottle and with burns that were treated after the race.
Top 10 finishers & times here:
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 60 | 2:00:04.795 | 1 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 60 | +13.5 secs | 4 | 18 |
| 3 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 60 | +14.2 secs | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 60 | +15.3 secs | 5 | 12 |
| 5 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 60 | +42.1 secs | 6 | 10 |
| 6 | 25 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR-Renault | 60 | +56.8 secs | 12 | 8 |
| 7 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India-Mercedes | 60 | +59.0 secs | 15 | 6 |
| 8 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 60 | +60.6 secs | 7 | 4 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 60 | +61.6 secs | 13 | 2 |
| 10 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren-Mercedes | 60 | +62.2 secs | 9 | 1 |
Complete results for the Singapore Grand Prix available at Formula1.com.
With the next race 2 weeks away at the storied Suzuka track in Japan, team Mercedes should have just enough time to banish all gremlins and insure that the Drivers’ Championship is decided on merit and not reliability issues. We’ll find out together the weekend of October 5th at spectacular Suzuka!
It was truly last man standing Saturday under the enchanting lights of the Singapore street circuit as Englishman Lewis Hamilton pipped his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg by a very Bondian .007 seconds to take Pole for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Even as it seemed that first the Williams of Felipe Massa and then the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo had done enough to grab the top spot, the Silver Arrows surged in the dying seconds of Q3 as they have so frequently this season. Ricciardo was left with the consolation of 3rd position on the race grid, while Massa was pushed down to 6th when the other Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel took 4th and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso grabbed 5th.
It made for a strong day for the Scuderia a week after long-time leader Luca Di Montezemolo got the sack by Fiat-Chrysler chairman Sergio Marchionne with the big boss also taking over Ferrari’s race operations. If not for software issues that brought Kimi Raikkonen’s Q3 session to a premature end Ferrari’s resurgent day might have been even better. With the tight Singapore street circuit favoring downforce and handling over top line speed, as well as almost always featuring a Safety Car period due to shunts, it could be Red Bull’s or Ferrari’s chance to upend Mercedes’ seemingly inevitable script of weekly victory.
Rounding out the top 10 were Massa’s young Williams’ teammate Valtteri Bottas in 8th, McLaren’s rookie Kevin Magnussen out-qualifying veteran teammate Jenson Button again for 9th and Torro Rosso’s 20-year-old Russian sensation Daniil Kvyat grabbing 10th.
Top 10 Quali results:
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:46.921 | 1:46.287 | 1:45.681 | 17 |
| 2 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:47.244 | 1:45.825 | 1:45.688 | 19 |
| 3 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:47.488 | 1:46.493 | 1:45.854 | 12 |
| 4 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:47.476 | 1:46.586 | 1:45.902 | 15 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:46.889 | 1:46.328 | 1:45.907 | 16 |
| 6 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 1:47.615 | 1:46.472 | 1:46.000 | 20 |
| 7 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:46.685 | 1:46.359 | 1:46.170 | 14 |
| 8 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams-Mercedes | 1:47.196 | 1:46.622 | 1:46.187 | 18 |
| 9 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:47.976 | 1:46.700 | 1:46.250 | 18 |
| 10 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | STR-Renault | 1:47.656 | 1:46.926 | 1:47.362 | 21 |
Full Qualifying results via Formula1.com.
Live coverage of tomorrow’s night race at the beautifully lit Marina Bay Street Circuit, one of the most visually captivating and physically demanding on the schedule, begins tomorrow at 7:30am Eastern on NBCSports.
We’re now two weeks into the new NFL season, and to date, there have been far more headlines devoted to the off-field missteps of several star players than the action between the sidelines. I, for one, am a purist, and while I have my opinions about Mr. Rice and Mr. Peterson, I much prefer to focus on the early season trends and keeping my eyes on the prize (specifically another weekly pick ’em title come season’s end).
To that end, let’s see what’s happened in the first two weeks of the season, shall we.
Now, if you look back to my first post, you will notice the one (almost unfair) piece of advice that I gave.
“Pick lots of underdogs in the first three or four weeks of the season, as they do have a tendency to cover.”
If you look at week two, here were the four largest spreads:
Denver -12.5 vs. Kansas City
Green Bay -9.5 vs. New York Jets
San Francisco – 7.5 vs. Chicago
New Orleans -6.5 vs. Cleveland
I’m guessing that I don’t need to tell you that all four dogs covered the spread and two teams won outright (should have been three).
This trend will continue into weeks 3 and 4, but as the season wears on, big favorites are more and more likely to cover, so take advantage of it while you still can.
Here’s another piece of advice that doesn’t have an expiration date. One trend that will not fade is home dogs within the division. They tend to cover all year round. If you need and example, look no further than the Miami Dolphins. The Fins were a huge dog at home and beat the Pats in week one, only to lose as a favorite on the road in Buffalo week 2.
As for the action on the field so far, it’s been terrifically enjoyable. Injuries to established stars have provided opportunities for some young players, and they have not disappointed….especially the young receivers (Watkins, Cooks, et al). My favorite play thus far was the karate kick by Antonio Brown in week one (pictured above). Not since Necessary Roughness and The Replacements have I seen such a blatant disregard of the rules, or such a violent kick to the neck/chest area. A close second is the resurgence of yet another Antonio, Antonio “I-ain’t-done-yet” Gates, who had three touchdowns in week two (one of which was utterly spectacular). It’s great to see a true hall-of-famer still competing at the highest level.
So, make sure you keep to your plan. Have a strategy and stick with it….you will find yourself near the top come December.
-DB
.
(Pictures via the excellent GrandPrix24-7.com)
After yet another stroke of misfortune for Mercedes’ driver Lewis Hamilton at the start of the Italian Grand Prix it would have been easy for the Englishman to play it conservative and cede victory to Nico Rosberg, his teammate and archrival for the Drivers’ Championship. But “conservative” has never been in Hamilton’s vocabulary. Facing an electronic problem to start the race at the spectacularly fast Monza circuit that pushed Hamilton from Pole to 4th in the space of an eye blink, the feisty former champion fought his way back to harass Rosberg until it was the German who blinked. Directly after both had stopped for their one and only tire change, Rosberg was still leading the race on lap 29 but locked up his tires for the second time while breaking for the first chicane. Rather than flat-spotting them he again took the slow runoff route and this time Hamilton was close enough to pounce and take command of the race. Hamilton never looked back and still had plenty of rubber and fuel at the end to hold off Rosberg by over 3 seconds. After his unforced error it would now seem to be Rosberg’s turn to have a moment of doubt as to whether he can hold on to his most cherished dream, to be crowned World Champion of F1. One thing is for certain: Hamilton will keep on coming to grab another Championship no matter what fate throws his way. He’s already had a season’s worth of bad luck with 6 rounds left to be run and he is still a mere 22 points behind Rosberg overall lead. The current points leader had better buckle up and toughen up if he wants to be crowned champion because Hamilton looks to have regained the upper hand in the mental war between the two contenders.
Felipe Massa came home a distant 3rd for Williams. The veteran Brazilian, who saw so much success and heartbreak when he was a driver for Ferrari, was warmly cheered by the fans after his strong if unspectacular drive for the last spot on the Podium. His young Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas had good run after a poor start from 3rd on the grid forced him to fight with several drivers, most notably McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen, to regain positions. Bottas was able to fight his way to 4th and in doing so lifted Williams, whose disastrous 2013 campaign seems like nothing but a bad dream now, over Ferrari for 3rd place in the Constructors’ Championship. Not at all coincidentally, it was announced that both drivers will be retained by Williams Martini racing for 2015, completing a very ecstatic weekend at Monza for the team.
At the other end of the spectrum, the great Scuderia Ferrari had an awful day at their home Grand Prix, which is just a pleasant ride on the autostrade from home base in Maranello. Continue reading
Qualifying for the last European Grand Prix at the fabled Monza track was completed earlier today. Come with me below the fold to see who starts on Pole tomorrow… Continue reading
NFL Football is BACK with the defending Champion Seahawks and storied franchise Green Bay kicking things off for real in less than a week. I know that I’ll be joining multiple football pools of various types (NFL Fantasy, NFL Survivor, 40-Plus, etc.), but I’m most excited about my first love, the good old weekly pick em vs. the spread pool. I’ve been doing them and running them for over 25 years, and I’ve finished in the Top 3 in no fewer than ten of those years. If you think that’s lucky, I’m here to tell you….luck has little to do with it.
In fairness, I wrote a computer program back in 1992 to help me do my picks, and yes….if I were more of a gambler, I would likely be a rich man by now, but I’ve NEVER finished below 52% for a season, and that’s better than most handicappers. How do I do it? I have a system, and while I can’t share my program with the world, I’m perfectly willing to share with you the logic behind it.
So, without further ado, here are 5 tips that will help you win your NFL Weekly Pick ‘Em Pool in 2014.
Have a System
Now not everyone is as geeky as I am, so I’m not expecting you to write a computer program, but if you want to have success, you need to have a system. Some people take all dogs, some flip a coin (don’t laugh…you’re all but guaranteed at least close to 50%, and statistically most players end up below that line). I based my system on trending based on match ups (within the division, in conference, out of conference, etc.) and programmed my system to weight the teams accordingly.
Be Consistent
Winning a week or even two in a season is great, and depending on how much your buy in is, that could pay for your entries for a couple of years. That said, winning the whole enchilada is where the big bucks come in, and a regular season championship could finance your pool habit for the rest of your life. Once you have a system, STICK WITH IT…don’t let one sub-par week throw you. The second you start going based on hunches or inconsistent systems, you’re dead!
Talk Smack
Normally, I’m not a big proponent of trash talking. I never do it on the court or the softball diamond, but in the world of your pool…it can be essential. Continue reading
We’re very happy to announce that a new man has joined our little enterprise here. He goes by the handle Dick Bonneville and with admittedly perfect timing for the fast approaching NFL season, he’ll be covering the Pro Football beat with a special emphasis on weekly matchup spreads, as well as whatever else tickles his fancy. As one of the resident experts over at TheOfficePool.com, he’s a good man to listen to when it comes to your Sunday lineups or pick ’ems. So a warm welcome to the MFL team, Mr. Bonneville, and a toast to your pigskin prognostications. We certainly feel like dancing in the end zone at having another well-rounded chap to help carry the rock.
Apologies but due to logistical difficulties I was not able to file my report on the Belgian Grand Prix until now. But here’s what went down on Sunday in the Ardennes at Spa-Francorchamps…
The echoes of Senna-Prost grew a little bit stronger Sunday at Spa as Mercedes teammates and Championship contenders Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton clashed early on lap 2, damaging Rosberg’s front wing but catastrophically puncturing Hamilton’s right rear far from the pits. The Englishman, who had been ahead as Rosberg tried an inside move when tire and wing came together, then had to limp home as his tire delaminated and began buggy whipping his bodywork for nearly 4 miles. While his Silver Arrow was able to continue it put him so far back in the pack that eventually the team retired the car in order to save the engine for future use, earning Hamilton zero Drivers’ points after starting from 2nd on the grid. Rosberg, who had won the Pole in wet conditions on Saturday, was able to soldier on despite an off sequence pit stop for a front wing change, showing great pace as the race wound down and coming home in second place and with a tidy 18 Championship points. Afterwards, the acrimony between the teammates was palpable with claims by Hamilton that Rosberg had stuck his nose in deliberately to “prove a point” and Rosberg putting it all down to a racing incident but certainly not apologizing. Mercedes team management was less than thrilled with the loss of Constructors’ points from the clash and vowed to give both drivers a stern talking to. But then again, it’s racing not a Sunday drive in the forest so these things happen between intense competitors and any ill will generated by them only serves to spice up the Championship going forward, especially with Mercedes running away with it. I say keep it up, lads!
Almost lost in all that controversy was another outstanding performance by Red Bull junior driver Daniel Ricciardo, who took advantage of the Mercedes infighting to run away to victory. Continue reading