Renault Given Suspended Ban

Just a quick post (from my phone...how modern!) to discuss the verdict from the FIA World Council Meeting in Paris. In case you haven't heard, Renault have been given a suspended two-year ban while their former manager Flavio Briatore has been given an indefinite ban from all forms of motorsport, including driver management.

My buddy James, on his F1 Focus blog, argued that Renault should have been excluded from Formula One for race fixing and up until last week I probably would have agreed. They not only conspired against the merits of competition, but did so in a potentially dangerous fashion. However, the key figures in their conspiracy (namely Piquet, Briatore and Symonds) have all now left the team. Would there really be anything to gain from kicking them out? I think not.

Also, would Formula 1 be helped by banning Renault? Certainly not. In the last year we've seen the withdrawal of Honda and BMW and while fans aren't drawn to supporting the multi-ational manufacturers, the sport is helped in a commercial sense by their involvement. Business should not interfere with sport but there's little merit to punishing Renault when the 'brains' behind their plan have fallen on their swords. A fair balance has been struck, in my opinion.

As for Flavio...ciao. He may be enigmatic and a flamboyant presence, but anyone who conspired over this and other rumoured cheating scandals in the sport is no loss. We don't need him, and the sport will survive and thrive in the coming years, minus hospital ilk. It's time to close the door on 'crashgate' and move on.

Mayweather's Claims Not On The Money

Money, they say, can't buy you happiness and in the case of Floyd Mayweather, it can't buy you class either.

Pretty Boy Floyd ends his 21-month hiatus from the sport tonight, as he takes on Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but in terms of contrversy and, well, arrogance, it's been a typical Floyd week.

You'll remember that in the lead-up to his last fight, against Ricky Hatton in December 2007, Mayweather was brash and plain rude and despite a long absence from the sport, he's not changed his ways.

See what you make of these comments that he made this week:

"If you're rich, you're a rich n-----. If you're poor, you're a poor n-----. At the end of the day, they still look at me as a n-----."


"But I wouldn't change my life for nothing in the world. There's nothing like being young, black and rich. But there are certain things you think about. If Floyd Mayweather was white, I'd be the biggest athlete in America. The biggest, the biggest. I know that for a fact."

A fact?  Ha.

The truth is that Mayweather isn't even the biggest star in his own sport, nor does he deserve to be.  Sure, he fought in the biggest grossing fight in history against Oscar De La Hoya but it was the Golden Boy that really attracted the cash for that fight.  And while the hype surrounding Mayweather's clash with Hatton was unequalled (in my opinion) in this part of the world, the truth is that we were sucked in by the genial Mancunian and not Money Mayweather.

While race may be an issue for some people, it never has been for me and I don't believe that it is for most boxing fans.  We've loved fighters like Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard.  We gravitate towards great personalities, fighters who give us brilliant fights and fighters who go up against the best in the world.  Floyd does none of this.  As I've said already he's rude and any drama in his fights have been provided by the opponents, such as Hatton or Zab Judah.

The real issue for me however, for the self-proclaimed 'would-be-greatest-athlete-in-the-world', is that he doesn't fight the best.  Ever.  Hatton - a B-Level fighter with an A+ fanbase.  Judah - average.  De La Hoya, Gatti, Sharmba Mitchell - washed up, one and all.  For someone who has reigned in the 130lb - 145lb region for the past decade, the names of people like Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley (arguably) and Manny Pacquiao are all notbale absentees from his CV.  Indeed, Pacquaio is a the antithesis to Mayweather.  Where Money's avoided fighters, Manny has taken on all-comers...except Floyd.  He's also a modest and charitable man, while he's also given us plenty of action in the squared-circle.  They are direct opposites and the comparison is not good for Money.  The mere claim that he could in any way be a bigger athlete than the likes of Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or any one of about fifty athletes in various sports is laughable.

Money is an ironic nickname for Floyd.  As outlined by Kevin Mitchell, he's facing a stack of unpaid bills and pretty poor ticket sales for tonight's clash.  Mayweather's 2007 may have been the most profitable year for any boxer in the sport's history, but it looks like all that money burned a really large hole in his pocket.  Another bill's been added to the list after Floyd weighed in over the limit for the fight yesterday, a mistake that will cost him $600,000.  To pay these bills, he needs the fans on boards, but I'm willing to bet his pay-per-view sales tonight won't be overly impressive because, as I've said, he just doesn't attract fans of the sport.  I'll tune in, but I'm not expecting a classic.

It's just another Floyd fight against a weak opponent (Marquez is a blown up featherweight fighting, essentially, in the welterweight division) and despite Mayweather's claims, it's not half as good as he'd want us to believe.  Consider me one fan who sees through the hype.

SKY Shine With Champions League Coverage

Sorry for my brief silence.  I’ve been doing other things and to be honest I’ve also been struggling to think of anything to write about that’s not related to Darren Sutherland.  It’s really knocked the boxing community here in Ireland for six.

I guess the biggest story on a wider sporting scale this week is the return of the Champions League.  This year, more than ever with so many debutants, the group stages don’t seem overly appealing – I always feel that it is a competition that doesn’t truly get underway until the knockout stages.  Clashes such as Liverpool v Debrecen and FC Zurich v Real Madrid are unlikely to inspire anyone bar the most die-hard of fans, or at the very least the fans of the underdog.

I am, as I’ve no doubt mentioned on here before, a fan of Manchester United so I tuned in to a fair chunk of their game against Besiktas in Turkey last night.  TV3 have the rights back here in Ireland so, naturally, I watched it on SKY.  I was glad I did.

Their coverage is immense.  Now, the punditry was meh – Michel Salgado’s English made him a puzzling choice for the studio panel – and I am a fan of Martin Tyler and Andy Grey.  What I really enjoyed last night, however, was the technical elements of what I was watching.  I accept, now, that this may be old news to many of you reading but since I’ve literally never been at home on a Champions League evening in recent years, it was my first time watching all eight Champions League games at once.

To give you a brief overview of how the system works, when you press the eponymous red button you are presented with a choice of eight games (on a Tuesday that is.  ITV have first choice on Wednesday evenings from this season meaning there will be seven games to choose from tonight).  Naturally, I picked the United game but when there was a goal, a little banner flashed across the screen.  I press that little red button again and, lo and behold, I’m watching Guti score in Switzerland or Inzaghi poaching one against Marseille or whatever – it really is a stunning service.

Now what SKY are doing is not revolutionary – I know of at least one other provider in the States that does something similar on an NFL Sunday, while the BBC have been giving viewers the opportunity to choose between sports at the Olympics or matches at Wimbledon for a few years now.  Yet, I enjoyed last night and again tonight, though the service was marred by the aforementioned absence of one game, in this case Liverpool v Debrecen.

In a world (and a blog) where we sports fans love to give out about all sorts, I’m going to take this rare opportunity to tip my hat in the general direction of SKY and say thanks for the entertainment.  Now if only the same levels of commitment could be shown to other sports...

Shove up in the bed!

The Pumas are joining the Tri-Nations!

In a move that has been championed by many a rugby commentator and ex-player alike. The Argentinian Rugby team have been officially sanctioned to join the Tri-Nations where they will lock horns with current World Cup holders South Africa, New Zealand and Austrailia.

There are of course some key milestones to be agreed upon with SANZAR before they kick a ball in 2012. Most notably the commitment to get all the Argentine players available for the "Four Nations". This will be no small feat on its own - considering 16 of the current 30 on the squad play their club rugby in France, whose domestic season is one of the most gruelling and lengthy.

I believe we will see a large proportion of these players transfer to Super 14/15 clubs in the coming season or two.

No matter how it works itself out, it's a great decision for International Rugby as a whole and will add some extra bite to the Southern Hemisphere season.

One point to note, the Pumas are reknowned for their fiery and fierce pack play and quality scrummaging prowess. They will certainly put up a fight to the ever dominating Springboks, but how will the Wallabies feel when they are being mauled from one end of the pitch to another. The Aussies tried to have scrummaging and mauling taken out of Union already under the guise of "losing spectators interest", when really they were failing to produce quality front five players.

It might not be until 2012, but the Pumas joining the Tri-Nations will liven up the Southern Hemisphere's rugby calendar.

Darren Sutherland RIP

I've just heard the very, very tragic news about Darren Sutherland. 

I won't go into the details surrounding his untimely death - to be honest I don't have the stomach for it - but I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed watching the Dazzler perform in recent years.

He's a man who overcame a serious eye injury to get his career back on track.  His highlight, of course, was last summer when he won a Bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics.  Things were going well in his pro career - Sutherland had won his first four fights, all via knockout.  And then this.  So, so sad.

My thoughts are with his family and friends.  I commend them for their part in raising a genial gentleman and wish them the best through this devastating time.

Adebayor Aside, City Are Coming

It looks like Emmanuel Adebayor is set to be given a ban of up to six weeks for his actions in Saturday’s win over Arsenal. Rightly so, too, in my opinion. The striker is accused of stamping on former teammate Robin Van Persie – when slowed down it does seem that he kicked out at Van Persie’s head.



However, the incident that troubled me most was his goal celebration. Quite why he saw it fit to run the length of a pitch to taunt the Arsenal fans I don’t know, but this is just the sort of behaviour we’ve come to see from the striker. He showed himself to be childish and insolent in his final season at The Emirates and his lack of effort on the pitch was clear for all to see. Disappointing as his behaviour on Saturday may have been, it certainly was not surprising.

However, we need to take a moment to look at the broader picture here. While Mad-ebayor may have stolen the headlines on Sunday’s back pages, the truth is that something else is at play. We could just have a new world order on our hands when it comes to the Premier League.

City’s 4-2 win was impressive in a way that not even the score line can convey. They were clinical, and organised in a way that a galaxy of stars shouldn’t be. There was no Tevez, no Roninho and no Santa Cruz in the side on Saturday but nonetheless Hughes’ side bossed the game. De Jong marshalled the defensive midfield while Gareth Barry and Stephen Ireland did enough to upset Arsenal’s usual slick passing. Sure, Arsenal had more possession and more chances, but City took there’s. This was a team performance that belies the way in which they’ve risen to become a genuine power in football.

In my work as a newsreader, I often call City’s home ground ‘The Middle Eastlands’ in reference to the way in which the club’s Arab owners are bankrolling their tilt at Premier League glory. Yet Saturday’s team wasn’t an example of how money has changed their fortunes. Adebayor, Touré and Lescott aside, most of the players on show for The Citizens were of the solid and dependable sort. Their man of the match was Craig Bellamy (not that I ever thought I would call him dependable) and among their other players on show were the likes of Shay Given, Micah Richards, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne Bridge. All solid players, but none of them (with the possible exception of Given who was a relatively inexpensive purchase) are world-beaters. While the likes of Carlos Tevez and his reputed £47m transfer fee may grab the headlines, the quiet truth is that Hughes is quietly assembling a squad capable of breaking up the Big Four.

I am a Manchester United fan and thus should hate Manchester City and all who are partial to City but even I would welcome a much-needed change in the Premier League. And in a season when Liverpool and Arsenal are both struggling (even at this early stage), the truth is this could be the year that finally happens. I predict that we will see Manchester City play in the Champions League next season after they finish in the top four come May.

Can they maintain their impressive start and finish even higher than that? Probably not. I expect theit 100% start to end at Old Trafford on Sunday, but it won’t be an easy game for my Red Devils.

Fantastic Federer

He's one of the greatest tennis players of all time.  He's won more Grand Slams then you've had hot dinners, and he'll probably win another one in New York tonight.  He's reached a phenomenal 22 Grand Slam semi-finals in a row, arguably the greatest active streak in sports.

He says this is his "greatest ever shot".

NFL, Oh How We Missed Thee

Apologies for the recent silence. I’ve been on holidays. It was lovely.

So, the NFL is back. How we missed it. It’s been a summer where the world of American football has rarely been a quiet one. Between the comebacks of Brady, Vick and Favre and the indiscretions of Stallworth and Burress, the League has flexed it’s muscles as America’s premier sport – it’s creating headlines when it really shouldn’t.

However, now, on Week 1, all of that hardly matters as we’re now back in front of televisions, computers and mobile phones, watching one of the finest sports in the world.

For the record, I think this could be a vintage year in the NFL. Favre is spearheading a Vikings team that could be tough to beat – his games against the Packers will be a treat to watch. Tom Brady is making his return from the best part of a year out. He picked up a serious knee injury against my own Chiefs, meaning that he’s only played about one half of football since his New England Patriots lost in Super Bowl 42, and lost a potential perfect season.

We also have other interesting teams to watch. Can the Steelers repeat after their battling win over Tennessee in the season opener on Thursday? What about LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers? Is he still a force to be reckoned with in the backfield? Is Jay Cutler the answer at Quarterback in Chicago? Can Joe Flacco (Ravens) and Matt Ryan (Falcons) build on their impressive debut seasons or will they suffer from the sophomore slump? Who among this year’s Draft class will follow them as first-year sensations? There are so many questions and they’ll all be answered in the coming weeks.

For the record, I think it will be New England’s year. Over in the NFC, there’s no clear winner right now but Green Bay will be hard to beat, though I wonder about their schedule. Don’t underestimate San Diego, or the Jets or Seattle. It’s set to be an intriguing year, no doubt about it.

Yet all is not rosy in the NFL world. Labour strife beckons. The NFL must negotiate a new deal with the Players’ Union, and in a time where both sides are looking for bigger slices of a shrinking pie, this set of negotiations looks set to be long and difficult. Next year is all but certain to be the first uncapped year since 1993, while 2011 may be impacted by a strike. Such a stoppage is seen as more likely than not by many, far more informed people than I. While Favre, Vick and co. made headlines this summer, that’ll be nothing like what will happen should there be no football on the second weekend of September in 2011.

Enjoy this season football fans.  While you can.

Bye Bye Tyree

It wasn't a surprise, but I still felt that I had to note the news today that the New York Giants have decided to release David Tyree.  Never a remarkable receiver (in a statistical sense) Tyree will nonetheless be remembered by all fans for THAT play in their Super Bowl XLII.  Don't forget that Tyree caught a crucial Touchdown earlier on in the Giants' win over the Patriots (his first of the season) but how Tyree caught this long heave from Eli Manning...  I guess that's something only the football Gods will ever know.  I give you a play so memorable that it has it's own Wikipedia article, Manning to Tyree.

Stephen Ireland - A While Elephant, Not A Great White Hope

One of the most crucial games in Ireland’s qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup takes place on Saturday, but you’d hardly know it.  On paper, a trip to Nicosia for a clash with Cyprus should be more than winnable for Ireland.  Cyprus are ranked 73rd in the FIFA World Rankings, and they’ve only ever won 22 of their 176 competitive games.  However, any Ireland fan knows that this is no simple trip to a Mediterranean outpost.  One of those 22 wins was a humiliating 5-2 drubbing of Ireland in 2007, while Cyprus also held Ireland to a 1-1 draw at Croke Park later that year, a game the minnows should have won.

Those games, unfortunately, took place under the not-so-watchful eye of Stan so with Trap now in charge, surely Saturday’s game is an opportunity for revenge for those games and a chance to affirm Ireland as a rejuvenated football power.  Add to this a need for three points as Ireland continue their march towards second- or (perhaps) first-place in Group 8 and the importance of Saturday’s match is clear.  Someone should point that out to our national media because, when it comes to the Ireland National Football Team, there’s only been one story told this week.

Stephen Ireland.

The Cobh native is a curious case, to say the least.  He’s a man with dubious taste in cars, odd tattoos and a phenomenal natural talent for the beautiful game.  Robbed of the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year for the 2008-09 season, Ireland should be the talisman of Trapattoni’s midfield.  He’s a man who defied logic and outshone the likes of Robinho at the Middle Eastlands last season.  Indeed, Ireland was named as the club’s player of the year.  What could he do for his national side?  One wonders.

Yet Ireland doesn’t play for Ireland, and hasn’t done so since Grannygate.  A dubious exit, to say the least, but the underlying point is that this incident has robbed Irish fans of one of our finest talents in the position where we are most lacking, the centre of midfield.  On the pitch, we feel his loss – his presence would have been telling in the clashes with Bulgaria and Italy – but the lack of Stephen Ireland could hurt Ireland in an altogether different fashion come Saturday as it seems that he's proving to be a distraction.

Already, two players have spoken openly about his absence.  At least.  Journalists are persuing the Stephen Ireland angle, even though the player himself slammed shut the door on a possible return in an interview over the weekend.  He’s moved on, so why can’t we?  We miss Stephen Ireland, sure, but we have to let him go.  Trapattoni should draw a line under the entire affair, rule out bringing back Ireland for the remainder of this campaign at least, if not his entire tenure as manager, and most importantly tell his players not to comment on a man who's not a member of their team and does not want to be.  It's time that Trap and his players focus on Ireland and not Stephen.

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Edit:  It looks like Trap is an Almost Daily Sports Blog reader!!!