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Formula 1 in 2013: Fastest cars

The 2013 season is underway for Formula 1 racing and there have been some changes from last year.

In the 2012 season RedBull won everything again but only by the smallest margins. Kimi Raikkonen had a strong season in his welcome back and Lewis Hamilton was really close to winning another title, closer than people have thought and if you take into consideration some accidents he had plus team f*ups then he might have been the 2012 World Drivers Champion.

Fernando Alonso almost won and he did this on a bad car that the team struggled with all season. That just shows how great of a driver he is. 

In 2013 one of the biggest changes is Lewis Hamilton drivers for team Mercedes, which is a team that has struggled in the past few years. With the move we now see McLaren struggling to score points and this also comes as the team launched a new car and are struggling to get the most out of it, similar to Ferrari last season. Lewis Hamilton is no doubt one of the best drivers in the sport so he is already helping Mercedes and McLaren are struggling with Button as the #1 guy with a young Sergio Perez struggling to show he is worthy of being their driver.

RedBulls are fast as expected and this isn't a surprise. Team Lotus are doing not bad and they seem to have a consistent yet fast car.

So the teams and drivers that will do the most in 2013?

Ferrari: Alonso & Massa
RedBull Racing: Vettel & Webber
Mercedes: Hamilton & Rosberg
Lotus: Raikkonen & Grosjean

The popular McLaren team most likely won't do better than these 4. That means your champion for the 2013 season is going to be either one of the big 4: Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel or Raikkonen.  

Matt Cooke cuts Erik Karlsson was it intentional?

Matt Cooke is considered one of the dirtiest players currently playing in the NHL. He recently cut Norris trophy winner Erik Karlsson and ended his season in 2013. Was this hit intention?

Matt Cooke denies it but he has to if he wants to avoid any suspensions which of course would cost him a lot of money. If you watch the reply of the video his leg comes up high on Karlsson's leg and drivers forward. There is no reason for this forward thursting motion unless you wanted to drive your skate blade in that direction. If this was just an accidental play it would happen more often but it doesn't. Just look at the balance of Matt Cooke and you can clearly see that he has to exert a lot of energy to get his leg in that position and also to thrust it forward. You can see at the end he kicks downward which isn't used to balance himself at all, he has his weight on his right skate and his center of gravity is near his right leg. At any point his body doesn't move forward.

So how could Brendan Shanahan not catch this? If this was any player other than Matt Cooke then it is probably a hockey play and an accident. Matt Cooke has played his entire NHL career going after players. All you have to do is watch all of his videos and it is a surprise that this player is still in the league. 

Matt Cooke deserves to be suspended for his play on Karlsson. Just see what all the hockey news networks have to say about this and if this wasn't Matt Cooke then the story is about the accident. Since it does feature Matt Cooke, hockey analysts are going to ask, did Matt Cooke intentionally do this?

 

The video speaks for itself. Cooke gets his skate up yet he is fully balance on his right skate, he quickly slams his skate into Karlsson's leg. This is a careless play and he probably wanted to hurt Karlsson but didn't mean to hurt him so bad as to end his season. Watch Cooke speak about the play and his body language looks to be a mixture of guilty with a hint of embarrassment. Dear NHL if you want fans to come back to the game, get rid of losers like Matt Cooke. He isn't a good hockey player and he has spent his career injuring others and talented players that fans actually want to do. Good luck finding any good videos of Cooke doing any hits or scoring nice goals. Search for Matt Cooke into google or youtube and look at the suggestions that come up: dirty player, 10 dirty NHL players, Matt Cooke elbow and now we can add skate laceration. Heck look at his history of cheap shot videos, there is one of him kicking his skate towards a goalie's head.

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Preview

So many things are going right for Barcelona FC this season that even a strong team like Atletico Madrid has tough odds against them for a victory or a tie.  Most bookmakers have Atletico at 10 to 1 odds to win and 6 to 1 odds to tie. Practically 25% return on investment if you pick Barcelona for the win but against a team like Atletico Madrid, that might not be a smart idea but you can expect many punters to bet hard on Barca. That is the Barcelona Atletico Madrid betting odds are 1.25 for Barcelona to win. 

What is going right for Barcelona this season?  Almost everything.  Their arch rivals Real Madrid FC have lost a few games this season and it has allowed Barca a chance to make a huge lead, possibly large enough that they might have already won La Liga this season!  Lionel Messi has set the world record for most goals in a calendar season beating out Gerd Mueller with 86 goals and a few games remaining to increase that lead. Messi is just unstoppable and he is set to win his 4th Fifa player of the year, which is also a record. That goes to show how good the 25 year old Argentine star is.  Possibly the best footballer to have ever played the game.

Oh and Barcelona have played 15 games so far this season winning 14 games and drawing one in the Spanish Primera Division. This is the best start in La Liga history beating a few records, one that was previously set by Real Madrid. The team is nearly perfect and Messi has been scoring 1 to 2 goals a game and that's not to take anything away from his all star team, every player is capable of scoring.  There is no other team like Barcelona right now.

Enough about Barcelona. Atletico Madrid are no slouches either. In 15 games they have 37 points, 5 more than Real Madrid and they rely heavily on Radamel Falcao who is an amazing striker and is nominated for the 2012 Puskas award for best goal of the year. 

Barcelona have a goals differential of 33 while Atl Madrid have a differential of 22. This should prove to be a match worth just as much entertainment as el Clasico!

US Grand Prix 2012

The US Grand prix 2012 in Austin Texas could be the track of the year and why not.  The design of it is being well praised by many of the drivers and it appears to be a track designed first for the drivers which should keep the fans happy as well. 

McLaren driver Jenson Button has already stated that 'the track will be epic'. You can read more about what some of the drivers have to say about the new track and the return for F1 racing in the United States after a 5 year hiatus. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20272806

The odds are already out on which drivers will win the race and this is a really tough one to pick. Kimi Raikkonen won the last race and Vettel had a chance to win as well, actually Hamilton looked like he was going to win it so when you factor in the above. The drivers that could win the next race could be either McLaren, either RedBull, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. You can get the latest odds from f1-bettings.com for the US grand prix here:

http://f1-bettings.com/f1-news/united-states-prix-2012-betting-tips-odds/

This race could be won by whomever has the fastest car and as of late that has been normally the RedBulls.  If Vettel can pull off another pole position this might be his chance to try to secure more points against Fernando Alonso. 

There are many Formula 1 racing fans in the United States but they haven't had an F1 race in 5 years. Racing in American is different as they have many of their own leagues including Nascar and the IndyCar series is different but most racing fans around the world acknowledge F1 as the pinnacle of motorsport racing. 

F1 fans and F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone are hoping that Vettel doesn't win the title in the US grand prix so that the Brazilian Grand Prix still means something and gets the maximum ratings. What would setup the best Brazilian GP season finale is if Alonso wins the next grand prix while Vettel scores some points and evens the score to make it a competitive race. 

Will Sebastian Vettel join Fernando Alonso at Ferrari?

Two of the best drivers in the world almost seem destined to join the same team but will this actually happen and will it work out? 

Sebastian Vettel has won the last 2 world drivers championships while Alonso hasn't won a title in many years but is still considered a content for this season and is always a threat. 

So it was announced that Ferrari will sign Vettel in 2014 when his contract with RedBull perhaps will either expire or rather that Vettel will be given the chance to leave the team and pursue another one. Certainly Vettel could only drive for a few teams and that will only be top teams based on his history of winning and the fact that he is still relatively young in his career.

However it seems Fernando Alonso might not be happy with this and perhaps doesn't want Vettel as his teammate. This could jeopardize Alonso's status as the #1 driver for Ferrari and maybe he fears that Vettel might get preferential treatment as the main guy. Certainly both drivers classify as top drivers but will 2 work out well on the same team?

History Repeating ... in Formula 1

As history has shown, it hasn't worked out when the best drivers partner up on the same team. On paper it sounds like a great idea but the history has shown that this isn't the case and it seems to cause more problems for everyone, the team and the 2 drivers. So maybe Alonso is aware of this and wants a strong teammate but doesn't want someone that would beat him and have to compete against his teammate for a chance to win. 

Who knows if McLaren would be out of the running but they did sign Sergio Perez to be their new driver for 2013 but it is unknown if they would be willing to walk away from him after a single season. So far we have Mark Webber retiring most likely in 2014 and Felipe Massa was signed on for an extra year at Ferrari. Not to mention Michael Schumacher is retiring at the end of the 2012 season so things are certainly looking interesting for all the drivers.

Who knows, maybe Kimi Raikkonen still has more to offer as a driver and although his Lotus car has done well the whole season for reliability, he is a big name and certainly there is room for him at RedBull should Vettel decide to join one of the most historic teams in Formula 1 racing history.

 

The most valuable diamonds

The most valuable diamonds

When a man buys his engagement ring, the old saying is that it should be worth two month’s salary. Meaning this item of jewellery – possibly the most expensive a man will ever buy – costs thousands of dollars. But this sum pales in comparison to some of those on show as the most expensive. Often these rare, flawless diamonds can sell for many millions – recent examples have been two record breaking purchases by London jeweller Lawrence Graff. Firstly, Graff purchased and renamed the blue hued Wittelsbach-Graff diamond, which he purchased in 2008 for a staggering US$24.3 million. But then, afterwards, he shattered this record with the purchase of a pink diamond, renamed “The Graff Pink” for an astounding US$46.2 million.

Yet Graff does not own the diamonds considered the most valuable, and this is not just due to their size. In the Tower of London, set into the crown of Queen Elizabeth – the mother of the current Queen of England – is the almost mythical Koh-i-Noor, or ‘Mountain of Light’ in Persian. This diamond was once the largest in the world, and in its current cut, weighs in at a magnificent 105 carats. This diamond, however pure and expensive it is, however, is often greeted with disappointment. In an effort to increase its brilliance, Prince Albert of England undertook to re-cut the stone in 1852. The weight was dramatically reduced from 186 carats to its current 105.

It is not only the weight of a diamond that makes it most valuable, however. In fact, it could be argued that it is almost secondary. It is, instead, the stones brilliance and purity which sets it apart. The largest faceted diamond in the world is The Golden Jubilee, the 545.67 carat diamond found in South Africa, which pales in size to the largest rough, quality diamond ever found, the Cullinan diamond, weighing an astounding 3,106.75 carats. The diamond was cut into 9 separate precious stones.

The most important thing, however, is that a diamond is flawless. This means that it must have no flaw inside the stone, detectable by any means. Most diamonds bought for engagement rings and the like are far from flawless, but they contain such tiny imprecisions that the naked eye or even a magnifying glass cannot pick them out. With the cut diamonds, it is also most important to shape the diamond so that the light reflects and shines back through, making a diamond brilliant. The color of the diamonds is also of great importance. For non ‘fancy’ colored diamonds, the clearer the color the better, with the colorless diamonds being of greatest value.

All in all, there are diamonds out there that you can buy for your beloved. They can be set into a beautiful ring, and are worth thousands of dollars. If you have the money to spend, though, there are these millionaire diamonds out there that are simply stunning.

Just for laughs see what this girl does to her $9000 engagement ring. Makes you think maybe I'll have the cheaper ring next time you talk to your diamond buyer.

Sergio Perez predictions 2012

Sergio Perez F1 driver is hot

2012 prediction: 6th place in drivers championship

After a stellar performance in the second round of the 2012 Formula One season, young Mexican driver Sergio Perez has made many sit up and take notice. When Perez scored his first second place finish at the 2012 Malaysian GP he confirmed that he is one of the hottest new drivers in F1. Throughout his fledgling career he has proven himself a consistent and talented driver and he may be set to truly break into the top flight of the sport.

Sergio's career, like those of many other F1 drivers, began in karting where he won no less than five championships. In 2004, at the age of 14, he found himself promoted to single-seater racing in the Skip Barber National Championship. A year later he found himself in Europe, racing in the Formula BMW ADAC series and making an immediate impact with podium finishes. Over the next few years he moved around various European championships, turning in impressive performances while he climbed his way up the ranks, finally earning recognition from the world of F1 in 2010.

With an impressive second place championship finish in GP2 in 2010, Perez was given a chance to test for BMW Sauber. His performance earned him a seat for the 2011 season and straight away he made an impact, finishing seventh in his first ever race. Due to technical problems with the car, however, he was stripped of the result and disqualified. Throughout the rest of the season Perez performed well, qualifying consistently at the back of the mid-field and usually gaining several positions by the end of the race. His best result was another seventh place and by the end of the season he was 16th overall with 14 points.

In 2012 he retained his drive at Sauber, and as a member of the Ferrari young drivers academy is poised to one day drive for the Ferrari team. Already this season he has impressed by coming from 22nd on the grid in Australia to finish 8th and coming from 9th in Malaysia to finish 2nd. It has taken him just two races in 2012 to earn 22 points and outscore his 2011 performance. If Sergio can continue to perform well it is very likely that before long that he will be behind the wheel of a Ferrari car, replacing Felipe Massa who has been disappointing so far this season.

Thanks to f1-bettings.com for the Sergio Perez sketch.

Peyton Manning set to join Broncos

Manning is due to finalise contract details with the Denver Broncos soon, paving the way for Tim Tebow to be traded, although to where we do not know.

Manning, voted the NFL player of the decade for the 2000’s by Fox Sports and Sports Illustrated, was released by Indiana Colts at the end of a 2011 season that he missed through injury.  He has been in ongoing contract negotiations with several parties, including the San Francisco 49ers and the Tennessee Titans, but it seems that he will now sign for the Broncos, after signalling his intent to vice President of football operations, John Elway.

Interestingly, Manning will replace Tim Tebow, who will be traded elsewhere.  Tebow has gained unprecedented attention not only due to his dual-threat as a quarterback, but for his frequesnt demonstrations of religious devotion and unorthodox skill-set.  Many teams will look to get their hands on Tebow, yet Broncos feel that they are on their way to replicating the successes they had with John Elway at quarterback.  Elway won 2 Super Bowls, leading the team to three others, and was statistically the second most prolific passer in NFL history.

Colorado governor John Hickenlooper thinks that this Elway/Manning link up should persuade Tebow to stay where he is:  "He's a young man, right? And a year or two of working under John Elway and Peyton Manning, you know, I'm not sure any other quarterbacks around the country get that opportunity,"

The Broncos will hope that the signing of Manning will propel them to the Superbowl in 2013, after they fell one game short last time around - losing 45-10 to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Playoffs.  Interestingly, it was Peytons brother, Eli Manning, who won the Superbowl with the New York Giants, setting a new record with 9 consecutive completions at the start of the game.  The Broncos will be hoping that it’s the older brothers turn to win the Superbowl next season.

F1 2012 predictions: Hamilton will win drivers championship

Our prediction for the 2012 Formula 1 season is F1 driver Lewis Hamilton will win the drivers championship and block out Vettel from a 3-peat.

Why are we so confident that Hamilton will come to life this season and dethrone Seb Vettel? We have many reasons.

Hamilton overcomes troubles in 2011

Lewis was dating Nicole Scherzinger and they were breaking up and it seemed Lewis wanted her out of the picture to focus on work. He seemed to have done better towards the end of the season with her out of the picture. The irony is rumors are they are seen as back together but who knows if she will be a 'distraction' for the season. 

New car MP4-27

If you haven't seen the new car it looks good but truth is all F1 cars look good. Both drivers Button and Hamilton have said the new car is better this year and it should be more competitive to help them catch the leaders. If the drivers are that good then it will be more about skill and less about a car advantage.

No more Exhaust Blown Diffuser advantage for Vettel

Vettel is a great driver but his car was just too powerful and in 2011 the competition said they just don't have a car as fast as the Red Bull Racing one. The result was Vettel winning most of the pole positions, starting the race at the front and winning most of the races fairly handily. The advantage RBR had last year was the use of EBDs. This year they are banned and that means all the teams should have a similar car making it the most competitive season ever. Expect the last race of the season to determine the world champion for 2012. 

We think Vettel's dominance will end this season because not only is everyone wanting him to lose but Bernie Ecclestone says he would prefer to see the season be more competitive and Vettel's dominance to end. Another winner might make the ratings go through the roof. 

Fifa considering lifting hijab ban. Should religion be allowed in football?

First it was Qatar getting the world cup in 2022 now it appears that one of the FIFA vice presidents thinks it is time to remove the hijab ban. 

Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, a FIFA vice president thinks it should be removed because there are safe ways to wear the hijab. You can find more about the article in thestar article here.

The problem is for some countries this is religion being pushed on other people. What is next, other countries taking advantage of this head gear allowance and people will be able to wear beanies and say this is their religion like saying they are Pastafarians for the religion the flying spaghetti monster. 

In France the hijab-veil has been banned and certainly if a game was in France they wouldn't be able to wear the hijab because they would be breaking the law. 

Apparantly the ban has already been in place for 5 years. The game of football is a world sport and it shouldn't be used as a tool to promote politics or religion and FIFA has their own rules about having politicians interfere with the national football clubs. Clearly this is a big conflict of interest and one has to wonder if money is involved in these decisions. 

In France which is starting to become a more muslim country the veil is already starting to divide the population.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13031397