F1 Goes Wet, Wet, Wet?

Defending Formula One world champion, Sebastian Vettel, appears to be all revved up as the man to beat in the 2011 season. Looking in ominous form, the Red Bull driver dominated the first two races of the campaign, and was on course to make it three wins out of three in the recent Chinese Grand Prix. Had it not been for a mercurial overtaking driving display from Lewis Hamilton, this feat may well have been achieved. Nevertheless, with a second place finish in the race, Vettel still leads the Drivers’ Championship, as his major title rivals look for improved performances and big points in the coming races.

Before the season spun into motion however, Vettel and the remaining competing teams have seen a number of impactful regulation changes being initiated by the sport’s officials. Featured new rulings have included a new tyre supplier, movable rear wings, and KERS technology returning to a car’s setup in boosting acceleration. Viewed as a purposeful shake-up, many fans hope this year’s campaign will equally be comparable to the 2010 championship, where the title chase went down to the final race.

This season’s build-up also heard mooted suggestions by F1 chief, Bernie Ecclestone, claiming that future championships could be staged under artificial wet weather conditions. In a bold move, Ecclestone openly sounded out an introduction of water sprinklers that would simulate rain on selected tracks. A scenario that he believes would help boost the sport’s profile, and gain new attention to Formula One as a whole.   

Such a controversial proposal has naturally divided opinion amongst many in and around the sport. There are those supportive of Ecclestone’s idea, and feel by creating a challenging situation for the drivers under wet conditions, the cars would need a greater degree of control when being driven. Circling the track at a slower pace, and overtaking being somewhat more creative in its execution, wet races is perceived as an attractive spectacle to onlookers. The setting would act as a leveller for the drivers, whilst lessening the sport’s overdependence on a team’s technical prowess.

However there are those who have branded the plan a non-starter, and should be retired to the pits. A volatile measure which would increase possible crashes and risk driver safety, and adversely dampen the excitement for fans as the cars would go so slow, the element of speed in motor racing would evaporate. Amongst this consensus includes many of today’s current drivers, of which features former F1 champ, Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who is currently Sebastian Vettel nearest challenger in the 2011 standings, dubbed the idea “a gimmick too far”.

Time will tell if Ecclestone does indeed get his wish. But in a sport where change and adjustments can occur at speed just like the cars featured, do not be surprised if ‘staged’ wet racing is soon an established aspect in Formula One events.

League of Nations

This weekend will see the NBA Playoffs begin, as the sixteen remaining teams from the Eastern and Western Conference, will all be eying the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Those who follow the sport will be looking for a gripping set of ties in the run-up to the NBA Finals. With the regular season drawing to a close, what were some of the key moments in a gruelling 82-game schedule that started last October?

One prominent feature of the season was the NBA becoming the third of North America’s popular big four sporting leagues, to stage competitive games in the UK. Major League Baseball remains the only entity not to dip its toe in this market, as London’s O2 Arena played host for a two game attraction, which pitted the New Jersey Nets against the Toronto Raptors. A venue which is no stranger to glamorous North American contests, the site has regularly staged pre-season exhibition matches featuring selected NBA teams since 2007, and in the same year, hosted a NHL regular season contest between the Anaheim Ducks and the LA Kings.

This year’s NBA attraction saw the New Jersey Nets win both matches against their Canadian rivals, as the second tie reached an exciting conclusion by going into triple overtime with a 137-136 for the Nets. In the midst of such a thrilling ending, in the main, the venture was graded as a positive success and a worthwhile project by the NBA. The encouraging enterprise the NBA showed in their London regular season series, and Wembley Stadium regularly playing host to NFL competitive match-ups for the last five years,  the precarious question will no doubt asked if or when the English Premier League will go abroad.

Past discussions have seen the league propose an internationally staged, ‘39^th game’ being mooted. All of which has resulted in such talk being panned by the potential clubs involved, and their respective fans. Some of the game’s influential officials in both FIFA and UEFA have claimed that they would block such a course of action, but is it really that bad a proposed move?

Perhaps in its concept, an additional game placed on an already busy football schedule is not the soundest suggestion, despite being just one game. The sport is already congested as it is. With a demanding club schedule as well as juggling international competitions, there are already calls that too much football is being played and today’s footballers need a set break during a campaign. Factoring the logistics of travelling to this additional fixture, would present a far from ideal scenario for both the clubs, and the anticipated home-based supporters that may wish to attend. Particularly for the latter, who pay large fees for their annual season tickets to watch their respective teams play.

However, there is some merit in taking the English Premier League global. The competition itself is recognised as the world’s most watched football league, and the most lucrative in terms of combined club revenues. Ranked as the top league in Europe, based on a coefficient system set by UEFA for club performances over a five year spell, the Premier League currently leads the way ahead of Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga.

With such an international appeal both commercially and publicly, those that govern the league would naturally want to explore avenues to further capitalise on its status, and progressively grow ahead of its rivals. After all, it was with this mindset that the Premier League was even initially formed. In braking away from the Football League which originally was founded in 1888, and by taking advantage of a lucrative television rights deal; it is arguable that the Premier League would have not achieved the success it enjoys today and since its creation in 1992.

In looking to go worldwide, rather than a one-off game, perhaps the English Premier League can follow the NBA’s suit. Why not stage a two game series for the featured teams over two consecutive match-days, and incorporate the games in to the regular 38-game season? This would lessen the difficulty for all those concerned in travelling long distances for one specific game, without additional fixtures being contested to a season’s program. 

In addition, it would retain the league’s long tradition of an equal amount of matches played both home and away, and would give the fans within the selected nation not one but two opportunities to see their favourite Premier League teams and stars. Not to mention look favourable from a financial perspective for the Premier League, as this seems to be the theme of sport rightly or wrongly.

Also in its execution, the Premier League could go one better than it the North American sporting counterparts, by proposing the entire 20 league clubs to compete in the internationally staged games. They can do this through a set window early in the season, over the course of the two suggested match-days mentioned. It would be a fairer proposition rather than selecting a predetermined set of teams to travel exclusively that the NBA, NHL and NFL currently follow.

No matter how orchestrated, yes maybe international league fixtures is a far-fetched scheme, and there is a strong thought the plan would really only benefit the league’s richer and perhaps more famed clubs. However, renowned as football’s ‘world’ league, maybe it is time the English Premier League gave its prized product a gift to the world.

Rooney Tunes

 

What a year it has been for Mr Wayne Rooney. Exactly this time last year the Manchester United and England talisman seemingly had the world at his feet. With every goal scored and consistent impressive displays, Rooney was firmly etching himself out of the departed Cristiano Ronaldo enormous shadow left at Old Trafford. Rooney was well on course to legitimately being recognised in his own right as one of the game’s elite players.

But at the quarter-final stage in the UEFA Champions League as United faced Bayern Munich in the first leg, Wayne’s world seemingly fell apart as he got injured towards the end of the game in a 2-1 defeat. An incident that pretty much saw Manchester United’s season crumble away as they ultimately failed to retain their Premier League title, and see their Champions League campaign eventually fail against Bayern Munich in the return leg.

Followed with a poor display at the World Cup for England and well-documented issues both on and of the pitch, this year once again Rooney is preparing for a Champions League quarter-final tie but this time against perennial rivals Chelsea. However, Rooney goes into the tie under what is becoming a regular feature this season under controversial circumstances, as he finds himself in hot water again. On this occasion, it is over his foul-mouthed rant through a television camera heard by millions of viewers over worldwide audience, during United’s dramatic turnaround against West Ham in the Premier League.

Despite a near instant statement of apology, the corridors of power at the FA clearly feel that this ‘outburst’ by Rooney was in breach of their rules of player conduct and have looked to charge the striker. A charge set by the FA for the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language. With a fine and more painful to his teammates a possible two-game ban pending, Rooney’s rant has come at the business-end of the season where United can ill-afford to do without the services of their prized asset at any point at this stage of the season. But is the FA charge too severe? In my opinion, I believe so.

I do not condone some of the wild and reckless behaviour that we see of some today’s footballers display on the pitch, and in certain situations off it too. Some of which I have commented on in the past and I do not fully endorse Rooney’s excessive celebrations, but I think we are encroaching a dangerous point of policing the game too much and filtering out any kind of emotion or passion within the sport.

Personally I quite like hearing or seeing the raw emotion that the players and managers display during a game, or once it has finished. More often than not we always hear the constituent drone of players particularly during interviews speaking in a lifeless fashion about a match, their opponents, and generally anything football related. I like to believe for the most part giving plaudits to their opponents is a genuine act of respect, but I find it refreshing to hear what players really feel about issues, both on and of the field.

Jamie Carragher comes to mind when in his autobiography book, he is known for stating that although he loved playing for England, Liverpool was and is always his first priority. An England defeat would never hurt as much as a defeat for Liverpool. Rather than the passive talk we always tend to hear, it was the first episode to my knowledge that a player just told it like it was regarding their thoughts on international football. 

His comments proved to confirm the growing consensus amongst fans, who have long thought that this notion may exist for many other players but not all representing their country at international level. Whether his comments were widely celebrated is debateable, but it helped with the communication link to supporters of his views and opinions as a professional sportsperson.   

Relating managers, I always like to hear the authentic thoughts and feelings when they feel aggrieved over a decision during a match, or remark on how a particular victory was achieved. Underlined especially when such individuals are asked to speak so soon after the game and emotions are slightly raw, naturally the response maybe raw and unpolished also. You cannot have a situation where the footballing authorities demand managers to talk to the media straight after the game, and indirectly ask them to address their fans and football public in a soft a flower-like tone when clearly that is not how they are feeling.

Obviously there is a fine line between expressive and excessive. Nevertheless there should be an element of understanding emotive situations by those that govern football. The FA and the Premier League should realise that the game that they help manage, is about passion and holds intense moments. These are two of the key components of competitive sport.

It is a shame that we have a situation where players cannot physically celebrate with their fans or cannot wave their shirts around when scoring a goal, without getting booked or indirectly being sent off for receiving a second yellow card for such an action. In my opinion it only compounds the established detachment between footballers and their fans.

With the exhaustive media coverage and broadcasters forever waxing lyrical about bringing sport ever closer to its admirers, you have to ask this question. If this drive was not in place by such media channels in the first instance, would the camera that Wayne Rooney swore at be apparent and practically in the penalty area where the whole occurrence took place? Is Rooney’s language any different to what we expect to hear from fans, players, managers, and sometimes officials during a game at a stadium?

If you are a regular football attendee at matches then this is not of any real shock. If the FA is charging him for using foul and abusive language, then they would be banning a number of players and managers all the time. So is it a case that he is being charged for using such language, or that he has been openly caught on television?

Yes the game was daytime viewing for those watching in the UK, and primetime programming for audiences in Asia, and clearly the FA and the Premier League want to be seen protecting their high-quality global product being associated with such an act. But a notable fine I feel would have been a suitable punishment.

Some may forward the recent event where Rooney went flying in with the premeditated intension to elbow Wigan player, James McCarthy that shockingly went unpunished. But with this latest incident, this could be a classic case of the ever-popular phrase football pundits like to use of “football decisions tending to even out during the course of the season”. Perhaps in an unconventional way Rooney’s misdemeanours have finally caught up with him.

However I do not think the FA are throwing the book at Rooney because he got away with that incident at the DW Stadium, and this is a way of disciplining him with that in mind. I would like to think they are judging the case on its own merits, but on this case alone I do think a ban is a bit extreme in itself.