To show that Formula One teams can agree on nothing, including how best to save costs, three teams participated in the season’s second young drivers test. This week saw Ferrari, Mercedes GP and Force India put some of their potential future drivers through their paces. The most intriguing news from the test is that the teams were testing new parts for the stretch run of this year’s championship. Continue reading
Sports
F1 Italian GP: Need For Speed
It wasn’t quite as perfect as what his teammate did last weekend but it was a victory from pole for Lewis Hamilton in the Italian Grand Prix. Lewis’ win could be considered all the more impressive because this weekend has seen Lewis’ name closely linked with a seat at Mercedes GP starting next season. The Tifosi had something to cheer for as Ferrari-powered cars finished second through fourth but were unable to match McLaren’s pace. Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: Italian Grand Prix
This week’s power rankings were a little more difficult to put together than usual. Hamilton and Grosjean wrecking five cars at the start of the race and completely changing the complexion of the Belgian Grand Prix makes it hard to figure out who are the hottest drivers coming out of F1’s summer break. However, based on qualifying and the 11 races that preceded Belgium, we have another ranking of the hottest drivers in F1 right now. With such a compressed end to the season, momentum is critical to a driver’s chances for the championship. The question is: Who has the momentum? Continue reading
Join The Lowdown Blog Football Pick’em Pool
After our fantasy pool filled up, we meant to open another one but slightly forgot. To make up for it, we’re opening up a more casual and less time-consuming football pick’em pool. All you have to do is join our pool on ESPN.com (link below) and pick the winner of each game. To make the barriers to entry even less, it’s a straight pick’em so you don’t have to worry about the spread.
Click here to join The Lowdown Blog NFL Pigskin Pick’em Pool.
F1 Belgian GP: Lights to Flag
While overtaking was plentiful in this year’s Belgian Grand Prix, there was one driver who was not passed all day. Jenson Button scored his first pole for McLaren this weekend and followed that up by scoring a win while leading all 44 laps of the race. While the race for the lead may not have been exciting, the fight for every other position was anything but dull. Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: Belgian Grand Prix
It’s been five weeks since the most recent race on the 2012 Formula One World Championship calendar. Before we last left you, Lewis Hamilton took the checkered flag at the Hungarian Grand Prix in a race that could hardly be described as a parade with some pit stop strategy-enabled passes. This week, the F1 season gets back underway with a return to the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. While Ferrari and Fernando Alonso looks strong, Red Bull are still a threat and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton is mounting a late season charge for the title. Continue reading
Join The Lowdown Blog Fantasy Football Pool
Are you ready for some football? The 2012 NFL season starts soon so we’re launching our second annual Lowdown Blog Fantasy Football Pool. The pool is hosted on ESPN.com and uses their scoring system. There are 16 spots in the league and it’s a public pool so anyone can join which means spaces will go quickly. Each team can start the ESPN default 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 Defence and 1 K.
NASCAR Nationwide Series at Montreal Wrapup
Since 2007, Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has played host to the only Canadian stop for NASCAR’s three national touring series. This year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race featured the usual hodgepodge of established stars, up-and-comers and road course ringers. Of course, Canada was well-represented with the likes of 1997 Formula One World Drivers’ Champion Jacques Villeneuve, Alex Tagliani, Ron Fellows, Patrick Carpentier and Andrew Ranger leading a Canadian contingent of 10 drivers.
So who took the checkered flag? We have a race recap, analysis, results and driver comments after the jump. Continue reading
What Happens To Olympic Venues After The Games? (Infographic)
The 2012 Olympics wrapped up last night with the closing ceremonies. To put on two weeks worth of the biggest spectacle in sports cost an estimated $15 billion for operating costs, the venues and infrastructure upgrades. As happens with all major sporting events where new arenas and stadia have been built, the question that arises after the event is what happens to the venues. Some cities have regular events and occupants of their venues. Other stadia stay empty most of the time.
So which are the most successful former Olympic stadia in the world and how good is the return on investment? To find out, we have a handy infographic. Continue reading
Brain Damage in the NFL (Infographic)
The one word that is becoming increasingly synonymous with the NFL is “concussion.” In June, more than 2,000 former players filed a lawsuit against the NFL claiming the league ignored the risks of head injuries as a result of playing in the NFL. In fact, a survey completed in 2000 showed that approximately 60% of NFL players have received at least one concussion. This probably isn’t the sort of thing that the NFL wants getting out there at the start of training camps. For this and more facts about head injuries in the NFL, we have a handy infographic for your perusal. Continue reading
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