F1 drivers team reversals in 2010

Expect more drama in F1 races in 2010 with new faces in different F1 teams. Are Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya set to race again in F1 next season?

Nope..

It is just that the current F1 teams will have different drivers for their cars in 2010. Team Williams will announce on Monday that it will be introducing new drivers for their new Cosworth-powered cars in 2010. It might be Rubens Barrichello of Team Brawn will be joining the team. Speculations were raised that the Brazilian will drive for the team next season after his stint with Brawn GP. Joining Barrichello at Williams will be Nico Hulkenberg, a 22-year old German currently driving for GP2. Williams driver Nico Rosberg announced that this season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be his final race with the team. He is set to join one of the Mercedes-powered team of either McLaren or Brawn.

Rober Kubica has turned down offers from Toyota and instead joined Renault. Toyota has been making offers to other drivers like Kimi Raikonnen but unsuccessful with their attempts. Their current drivers, Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli, announced that they were likely to leave the team.

It will be another wild and bumpy finished for F1 teams in season 2010.

Celtics dethrone King LeBron and Shaq in NBA opening night

Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics bested the Cleveland Cavaliers on NBA opening night with a 95-89 win on one of the NBA's most hyped games of the season. Both teams paraded their new recruits and got both positive and negative results of their new acquisition.

New Celts Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels played a well-complemented game with their new team, thus, giving Boston a new sense of swagger in their quest for another Boston championship. Wallace contributed 12 points in the frontcourt and Daniels backstopped Rajon Rondo with 7 points and 2 assists.

Kevin Garnett returned to his old form with a 13 markers, 10 caroms and 3 block shots in a 33- minute all around play after sidelined last season with a knee injury. KG is back and he means serious business. Pierce led the Celtics with with 23 points and Ray Allen contributed 16 points for a balanced offensive game for the Celts.

Shaq and the Cleveland Cavaliers have to make major adjustments on both offensive and defensive end of the court. The combination of the Big Aristotle and Zydraunas Ilgauskas on the floor was not a good option for the Cavs. The Cavs lacks outside shooting missing the service of Delonte West. However, LeBron James is the greatest performer of the night with almost a triple double performance of 38 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, and four blocked shots.

The Celtics are back on track for an NBA championship run with a win over a perennial rival in the Eastern Conference. They look good with their new acquisitions even if the Celts are the older team. The Cavaliers will have to make all the necessary adjustments at this early stage of the season if they are serious with their NBA championship bid, if not it will still be a King James one-man show.

Burger King's Arboleda banned in the 35th PBA season

Wynne Arboleda, the pesky pointguard of Burger King Whoppers in the PBA, is barred from playing in the 35th PBA season after mauling a courtside fan during a game between Smart Gilas NT and Burger King. The suspension came after Comm. Sonny Barrios meted him the heaviest sanction the PBA has given to its professional players.

Arboleda's suspension will lose him 2.73 million pesos in salary and bonuses for the rest of the season. He will not be able to play in other leagues since he has a live contract with Burger King. He will also be barred from watching live PBA games during his suspension period. The Snatcher, his PBA monicker, is already 33 years old and will have a difficult time to earn his spot with the team next season. There were talks that the player might have been traded prior to this fracas to Red Bull Barako.

The PBA Commissioner's Office also released a press statement that PBA players whom will have the same gravity of offense made during the course of their careers will be banned for life from the professional league.

Arboleda's victim, Alain Katigbak, is set to file criminal and moral damages against the cager in court.

Burger King Whopper’s Wynne Arboleda mauls a courtside fan

Burger King Whopper’s pointguard Wynne Arboleda is not a basketball player! He should be in the weight division of prominent boxers Manny Pacquioa, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Juan Miguel Marquez. Did I say pointguard? How come we are talking about the gladiators of boxing?

Last night’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) game (Oct 16) between Burger King Whoppers and Smart Gilas National Team is in for the records of Philippine basketball. It was an ugly incident involving Arboleda and a PBA patron in a one-sided brawl. It is a case of a professional player losing his cool after incurring two flagrant fouls on his opponents and heckled afterward.

Arboleda, one of PBA’s most pesky and physical defender, punched a PBA fan named Alain Katigbak in the face with his knuckles and elbow. He was also seen planting a kick in the midsection of the fan who’s watching in the sidelines. The fan suffered abrasions and lumps on his face.

The altercation started when Arboleda was called for a flagrant foul on Gilas’ player Mac Baracael. He gave the young kid a football tackle which downed the young Gilas on all fours. After that, he was heckled by Mr. Katigbak which could have irked the PBA player. He was restrained by security men and referees from inflicting additional blows to the fan.

But does Arboleda have the right to punch and kick a paying patron? This incident reminds me of LA Laker’s Ron Artest case when he was still playing for Indiana Pacers. He also mauled an NBA fan up the bleachers. Artest was suspended for 25 games as imposed by the NBA’s commissioner.

Burger Kings’ Arboleda is a professional player and must have kept his cool under those circumstances. Yes, tempers were very high but still he should have behaved like a professional one. Basketball players with this kind of attitude must be penalized and counseled. If they can hurt fans, what will a rookie professional team like Smart Gilas expect from this lousy player? We all know that basketball has lots of physical contacts but players should understand the extent of their actions. They should avoid unnecessary actions which could injure or impair players’ lives. Younger players emulate these professional PBA players and should avoid such kind of ugly confrontations with fans.

PBA player Arboleda could face stiff sanctions for his conduct. It could suspend him for the rest of the season or ban him from playing in the PBA. Assaulting someone is a criminal act. He could be imprisoned for that demeanor which is beyond the PBA’s authority.

He could ask Manny Pacquioa on how it is playing in front of a rowdy crowd of hecklers. Professional boxers are more expose to this kind of fanatics’ behavior but still they keep their cool. I think even professional boxing authorities will not accept Wynne Arboleda to play as a professional boxer based on the merits of his present squabble.

Basketball is not a boxing match. If he does not want to be heckled, then he plays chess instead.

Boston Celtics trashed the Toronto Raptors in NBA preseason game

Paul Pierce lead the Boston Celtics with 17 points to trashed the Toronto Raptors, 106-90, in their preseason game at XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut.

It was also a sort of homecoming for Ray Allen who used to play for UConn at this center. His former UConn coach Jim Calhoun is in attendance to watch the game. Ray Allen scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, and feeds four assists.

Kevin Garnett was also in his element by scoring 16 points to offset Raptor's Chris Bosh 21 points. Garnett received an alley-oop play for a dunk from Rajon Rondo with 5:12 to play in the first quarter. The Boston Celtics bench and coaching staff have an anxious moment late in the 2nd quarter when Garnett was hit on the right calf off a Bosh steal. He smacked on the floor holding his knees. He stayed in the game after that moment.

For more actions of the game, watch this video:





Video courtesy of NBA.com

Vince Carter: Magic’s missing spell?

After Orlando Magic lost its second franchise NBA Finals to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, they added Vince Carter to their lineup in a trade with the New Jersey Nets in the off-season. Vinsanity’s addition to the Magic’s roster gave it another go-to-guy scorer after losing Hedo Turkoglu to free agency. Will Carter spellbinds other team to help the Magic win its first NBA championship?

Carter is a proven scorer and a 8-time All Star selection member. In 2000, along with Tracy McGrady, they gave the Toronto Raptors its first playoff appearance but were eliminated by the New York Knicks. He also guided the New Jersey Nets to a playoff berth in 2006 and lost to eventual NBA champion Miami Heat. There is no doubt about Carter’s ability to score and leadership, however, different injuries has slowed him from being one of the most exciting and explosive players of the NBA.

Vinsanity has a better offensive repertoire compared to Turkoglu but more inferior on defense. However, his addition to the Magic’s roster will give it an almost All Star cast of Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, and Dwight Howard. This is a very young All Star team which can match up any NBA team.

Carter’s leadership is questionable during the playoffs. He was able to help his previous teams achieve some feats in the regular season. Does he lack maturity leading his teams to playoff games? He is an even better flyer, dunker, and scorer than Michael Jordan. This former Tar Heel lacks Jordan’s swagger and poise during playoff games.

The Eastern Conference teams have made its presence felt by making blockbuster trades and player signings in the free agency. The Boston Celtics has added another veteran All Star player in Rasheed Wallace and as well as the return of Kevin Garnett from knee injury. LeBron James has another future Hall of Fame in Shaquille O’Neal to give the Cavaliers a formidable lineup especially in the frontcourt. The Magic eliminated the Cavs with the domination of Dwight Howard in the paint. The Toronto Raptors made some trades and signed European-breed NBA players to complement Chris Bosh for an NBA Finals stint. The competition is getting harder in the East. The Orlando Magic has a young and talented roster for this upcoming NBA season.

In last Wednesday preseason game with the Miami Heat, Carter had 8 points on 2 for 11 in the field and three assists in 22 minutes of play for his new team. Carter made 19 points in beating the Houston Rockets 113-104 on Friday night to give the Magic a 3-0 record in the preseason.

The NBA season has not started yet but Carter made an excellent impression to his new team. Will Vinsanity spell a difference in Orlando’s return to the NBA Finals?

Tweets no more in NBA

The NBA has issued a new guideline to disallow the use of Twitter and other social media sites during the games. Players, team officials, and staff are prohibited to use their cellphones and other communication devices 45 minutes before the game until such the their responsibilities are finished. The memo includes halftime break.

The NBA has more than 1.4 million followers on Twitter alone. Many NBA players such as Charlie Villanueva, Shaquille O'Neal and others tweets before games and during halftime breaks to give unsolicited statements.

However, the policy does not include penalties for violations of the rule and teams permitted to establish their own policies on team practices and other activities.