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BMW's Mario Theissen Anxious over 2010

Nov 3, 2009
Dr. Mario Theissen, who is admittedly one of favorites in the paddock, is growing anxious over the 2010 season as the transitional team is in limbo waiting for a non-existent 14th slot in the grid or a team to bow out of the series.

BMW’s final race this Sunday was a sad moment for anyone who is a fan, employee, or investor in the team. Honda, Bridgestone, and others may leave but BMW’s exit cuts to the core. Dr. Theissen said:

“Everybody says it’s very likely another team will go, that we are unlikely to have 14 teams ready for next year, maybe not even 13,” said Theissen. “But that’s all speculation at the moment. What we know is there’s no unanimous agreement on the 14th team, so another team pulling out is the easiest way (to be in F1) from our perspective.”

He added: “Naturally the backers are keen to have a decision soon because you can only sign driver and sponsor contracts when you have a place on the grid, so they are pushing, together with us.

“There is no clear deadline on this, but obviously it becomes more difficult day by day.

“I don’t think, though, we could leave it as late as mid-January. I hope it will be decided before the end of the year.”

With the fate of the team being hinged on an amended regulatory code allowing for a 14th team (which is being fought fiercely by Williams F1) or the demise of another team, there is some question as to just what exactly Dr. Theissen will do if they fail to secure a slot on the 2010 grid.

Autosport has a story in which Dr. Theissen says he is fine. Much of the rumor mill was ladled on by suggestion he was bereft of a job but as the proverbial “Norbert Haug” of BMW (less the Husky), I was miffed at those suggestions. Dr. Theissen is an intelligent guy and with BMW’s other motorsport initiatives, I can’t imagine him standing in a soup line any time soon.

“It’s open,” said Theissen about his future. “I certainly have the option to stay with BMW with the other racing programmes. But I deliberately pushed the decision out of my way until the final race, so I will decide in the coming weeks.

“But the top priority is to get a place on the grid for the team, and even after that I will think about my own future.”

Things I Just Don't Understand...

Nov 3, 2009

After Saturday, after App. State, after the 2008 season, you get tired, and sort of, used to losing. Which is really sad, and not the norm for Wolverines' fans. With that said, there are some things I just don't understand. Like:

  • Why is Mike Williams still the starting safety? How many big plays does it take to be taken off the field?
  • Why did Michigan have two walk on's starting on defense for the Illinois game? I would rather see four freshman making mistakes then walk on's.
  • Why hasn't Michigan developed more depth at linebacker, and in the defensive backfield? I know recruiting is an issue, but there has to be "fast" players elsewhere that could learn the position and contribute.
  • Why aren't they calling more roll outs for Tate? He likes to throw on the run, and the O line is having serious trouble pass protecting.
  • Why is the Freep running articles like this: Where might MSU go bowling? State is 4-5. Get to .500 before you start talking bowl games for goodness sake.

Also: I re-watched the goal line stand by Illinois and those Big Ten officials should be suspended . I think Carlos might have scored on 1st-and-3rd downs, and you can't tell that Minors elbow hit outside the goal line (there was a leg in the way of the video) that play should be called 10-out-of-10 times a touchdown. They didn't have any evidence to overturn that call, none.

I'm not saying Michigan wins the game with that touchdown, but if your going to review the Roundtree and Minor play, they needed to review at least one of Brown's runs. Terrible Big Ten, Terrible. If your going to suspend players, you better look in your own house as well.

2010 WR Rankings

Nov 2, 2009

26morejeremy

SeniorsPlayerHeightWeightSchool
1Brandon LeFall6’3”209LSU
2Mardy Gilyard6’0”185Cincinnati
3Jordan Shipley6’0”192Texas
4Jeremy Williams6’1”205Tulane
5Danario Alexander6’5”215Mizzou
6Eric Decker6’2”215Minnesota
7Bryan Anderson6’5”214Central Michigan
8Naaman Roosevelt6’0”187Buffalo
9Taylor Price6’1”196Ohio
10Chris McGaha6’1”199Arizona State
JuniorsPlayerHeightWeightSchool
1Golden Tate6’2”210Notre Dame
2Dez Bryant6’2”210Oklahoma State
3Arrelious Benn6’2”214Illinois
4Damian Williams6’1”190USC
5Dezmon Briscoe6’3”200Kansas

Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hülkenberg Sign For Williams

Nov 2, 2009

Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hülkenberg have finally been confirmed as the new Williams F1 drivers for 2010.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who hasn’t been on another planet for the last couple of months that the most experienced man in Formula 1 will be joining his sixth team after four years with the Honda/Brawn team. This gives him an opportunity to become the first driver to compete in over 300 races.

Hülkenberg—the current GP2 champion—has been involved with the Williams team from 2007, lapping quicker than the largely useless Kazuki Nakajima, and coming close to Nico Rosberg’s time in his first tests in F1.

Those results secured him a test drive for Williams in 2008, and subsequently 2009, as a shambolic year by Nakajima which saw him fail to win a single championship point. This paved the way for Hülkenberg to secure his first race seat in F1.

Nakajima’s teammate Nico Rosberg is believed to be heading to Brawn to partner world champion Jenson Button in a straight swap with Barrichello.

Frank Williams has a very good blend of experience and young talent in his team, with Hülkenberg tipped to be a future F1 world champion by a number of pundits after becoming champion of the Formula BMW Germany in 2005, A1 Grand Prix Series champion in 2006-07, Formula Three Euroseries champion in 2008, and now GP2 Series champion in 2009, with his manager Wili Weber comparing him to a young Michael Schumacher.

No pressure Nico.

If Cosworth can provide a quick, reliable engine to Williams for 2010. They have the drivers with the raw pace to mix it with Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, and Brawn. Even if Barrichello remains in F1 for just one more year, the benefits he can bring to the team, and Hülkenberg, are immense.

Season Preview '09-'10

Nov 1, 2009
The season is set to begin soon, so let's dive right into this. I'll get the cliches out of the way since you will hear them all year long: 'This team is young but talented'. It's not that I don't agree with that statement, it's just that I feel like it's an excuse for the fans. There will be some growing pains this season, make no mistake, but any long time Mason fan has to feel pretty good about our Patriots being prepared for Richmond this March.

What's different this season for Mason? Last year's team didn't have a whole lot of depth, and I think that might be the biggest change in this year's team. Redshirt freshman Kevin Foster could be playing three different positions this season and is a future starter in the making. He will have to shake off some rust from not playing in games last season but having him this year gives the bench a huge boost. Yes, most of the bench consists of freshmen players, but this year's class is arguably the most talented group to ever walk into Fairfax. Sherrod Wright and Johnny Williams can probably step in right away and provide a spark.

Will leadership be an issue this year? Make no mistake, Cam Long is ready to step up and lead this team. Long spent the summer at Chris Paul's Elite point guard camp and is poised for a big year. Both he and Birdsong played with some serious leaders during their careers at Mason and this year it's there turn. Both are not as outspoken as some this team's past leaders but they lead by example on the court. Pearson, Morrison, and Cornelius instantly become veteran guys this season and will have to be leaders as well to all the new guys. Also, let's not forget Larranaga is and always will be the team's biggest leader.

Biggest question mark? The biggest issue this season could be how this team comes together and if they can find an identity with all the young talent. How will the team respond to growing pains it might face? It will be interesting to see how Larranaga uses all the options on his squad, he will have to experiment a little bit early on. Another issue is if the squad is able to learn Larranaga's scramble defense right away. He has the horses to run it effectively this season but the freshmen could struggle to pick it up.

Class by Class Breakdown:

Freshmen:

Vertail Vaughans: The lefty point guard is quick and good in transition. He will need to work on his defense a little better to get minutes this season. Also not as strong a shooter as Whack or Hancock.

Rashad Whack: Larranaga says he's already equipped to help this team out on defense and that will help him earn playing time this year. A very good outside shooter, could remind some of Lamar Butler type player. Very smart and sound all around player.

Paris Bennett: Some think he will crack the starting lineup this year, I'm not gonna go there but he will be an important role player. He's ready to play because of the talent he played with at his high school and that will help his transition into the college level. He could get more playing time because he's really the team's only true small forward. Every team needs an unselfish guy like this, could remind some of Gabe Norwood.

Luke Hancock: Very athletic forward who has good shooting range, an extra year of prep school gives him that basketball savvy Coach L loves. What his role will be on this year's team is uncertain.

Sherrod Wright: A prolific scorer who can slash to the basket and hit the long range jumper. The knock on him is that he got away with some moves in high school that he won't be able to at this level. How will he adjust? I see him as the squad biggest offensive weapon off the bench but worry he could be erratic like Dre Smith was in his early years. But in the end he could be too talented to be kept on the bench for long.

Johnny Williams: Will probably see the most playing time of the freshmen this year. Amazing physique for a freshman, definitely has the bulk to bang with the bigger conference forwards. Plays very physical, something this team lacked last season and will hopefully dominant on the boards. Is a little bit better shooter than Morrison and has some great low post moves.

Kevin Foster (redshirt): The staff redshirting him last year could pay huge dividends down the road. It was a smart move because he was transitioning from the power forward spot to more of a small forward role. He's versatile enough to play three different positions it will be interesting to see where he plays most this year. Rebounds well enough to play in the front court and shoots well enough to play at the small forward or wing spot. He will be an integral part of Larranaga's attacking style of defense, could be very fun to watch and wouldn't be surprised if he cracks the starting lineup at some point in the season.

Sophomores:

Jimmy Nolan: Returning walk-on from last season, probably of the best three-point shooters on the team. A scout team player who will routinely help the 1st team prepare for it's next opponent.

Andre Cornelius: How he develops this season could be huge for the team's success. I really think Larranaga prefer him to run the point so Cam Long can play wing and be more of scoring threat. He had some hiccups last year bringing the ball up but showed flashes of brilliance all season long. Now that he's had a season to adjust to the college game I'm curious to see how he will use his speed this season. Probably the team's best straight up defender now that John Vaughan is gone, because of this he will be on the floor most of the season.

Ryan Pearson: Was the most consistent of the freshmen last season and has great touch around the basket. Looks as if he trimmed down a bit and we will see him more at the small forward spot. Not superb at any one thing but talented in many areas and his rebounding was key in games last season. Plays defense very well and that should keep him the starting lineup.

Mike Morrison: If he's not a fan favorite already he will be very soon. Looked powerful and dominant at certain moments last season. Plays aggressive around the rim after taking some time to adjust to the college game. He will end up being the go to guy inside at some point this season. Needs to work on his free-throw shooting but it still could be a breakout season for him.

Juniors:

Isaiah Tate: Has kind of been a disappoint thus far in my mind. Is one of the best three-point shooters on the team but struggles to create his own shot. Plays defense well enough to get playing time but the new talent that came him could leave him the odd man out in the guard rotation.

Cam Long: Hands down the team's most valuable player. Did it all last season as he led the team in scoring, assists, steals, and three-point percentage. There was a lot of games last season that I thought he should have shot the ball more, especially after watching his 24-point performance against VCU where he even dunked on Larry Sanders. A lot of this year's team success will rest on his shoulders, he will have to take the big shots this season and not hesitate. I would like to see Cornelius bring the ball up and set Long out on the wing but I'm not sure if that's how Larranaga sees it just yet.

Seniors:

Louis Birdsong: The teams lone senior is probably the teams best inside defender. He led the team in blocks and doesn't have trouble guarding bigger forwards. Has a good enough shooting range to play a little outside but won't consistently score from there. Does a lot of scoring inside by using his quickness to get by bigger players. Didn't see any improvement in his rebounding last year and I would have to wonder if his playing time will decrease of that this season. I always felt Birdsong was a bit of a tweener, not tough enough inside to play the power forward and not a good enough shooter to play small forward. Be that as it may Larranaga has said he will move to a perimeter forward role this season. I still think he will start because he's a senior but don't expect him to play more minutes than last year.

Projected Starting Line-up:

Cam Long
Andre Cornelius
Louis Birdsong
Ryan Pearson
Mike Morrison

Sixth Man: Kevin Foster

First Season Of MLB Network Report Card

Oct 31, 2009

The MLB Network made its debut on January 1 and has been providing great coverage of major league baseball ever since.

The MLB Network has been a success for the most part after going live on January 1, 2009.

They hit the ball out of the park with their presentation of the perfect game by Don Larsen Oct. 8 of 1956. The presence of Larsen and Yogi Berra in the studio as the game was being shown made it even more special as they related the events of that day to Bob Costas.

I would give the MLB Network a grade of B+ for their first season. They may need to make some minor changes for the 2010 season but overall they did a fine job of presenting major league baseball on the channel.

MLB Tonight has the best coverage of baseball ever seen on television on a nightly basis.

The panel which included a host and three analysts discussed in depth whatever the topic was that particular day.

Another plus for the network were the instructional sessions on the baseball diamond set up in the studios. A young player planning to be a professional baseball player would be wise to watch these major league players instruct them in a myriad of situations that arise on a baseball diamond.

My Favorite Panel

My favorite panel was when Barry Larkin, Joe Magrane, John Hart were the analysts and Victor Rojas was the host for the panel.

Larkin and Magrane provided insight from a player’s viewpoint while Hart gave the perspective of a baseball executive and Rojas did a fine job of letting the analysts do most of the talking.

Joe Magrane Added Humor

Magrane’s sense of humor was evident from his first appearance and to me his humor brightened up the show whenever he appeared.

I really liked all the analysts but those four were my favorites. Dan Plesac, Al Leiter, Mitch Williams also provided the viewpoint from former major league pitchers. Some of the other position players providing analysis were Billy Ripken, Sean Casey, Dave Valle, Tony Clark and Harold Reynolds who seemed to work overtime in the early days of the network.

Instant Coverage Of Breaking Stories

The best selling point of all was the coverage of the revelations of the Selena Roberts book which stated that Alex Rodriguez was on the list of players that had taken steroids in 2003.

Bob Costas was on the air shortly after the story broke and MLB followed the story to its conclusion when Rodriguez admitted he used steroids a few days later.

Minor Complaints

My complaints about the network are minor ones that could easily be fixed.

When they did a cut-in to a major league game they would for instance show a batter hitting with the bases loaded. Sometimes if a batter walked they would leave the coverage of that game and go on to another game leaving viewers wondering what had happened at the game with the bases still being loaded. They may be wise to follow the games as long as the bases remain loaded.

Too Many Old Games Being  Shown

There were too many old baseball games being shown during the day during the season. They could have had more coverage of that day’s events.

Watching old baseball games can be fun for about ten minutes but knowing who won the game makes a lot of viewers like me lose interest. It was interesting to see the pencil thin Barry Bonds of 1992 compared to the incredible hulk he became after using steroids.

My suggestion is that they present more shows about the players of the past with them being interviewed in their homes or in a television studio. It would be nice to know what Hall of Fame players thought about the players today.

The way it was during the season a baseball fan might not even turn the channel on till 6PM ET when MLB Tonight went on the air.

Network Needs More Diversified Programming

There needs to be more diversified programming to capture viewers during the day.

Another positive was the MLB Network coverage of baseball games giving viewers another option of which game to watch on the afternoons or nights they broadcast games. It was great to have Bob Costas in the broadcast booth again.

It would be nice if the MLB Network would present a program similar to the 30 For 30 programs on ESPN.

The programs would take a major event in baseball and then take a look back at that event and what was going on before the event and quotes from the principals in that event many years later if they are still alive.

Denny McLain Story

A great story would be a program about Denny McLain and how he went from the pinnacle of success in the 1968 season to his pitching in AA baseball a few years later. Other networks may have done programs about McLain’s story but the MLB Network is equipped to do an even better job.

It would be also interesting to know the background of how he came to be signed to his first major league contract and how it was to play for Ted Williams in Washington.

The program could show him playing the organ back in those days and how he recorded the album of his organ music with a photo of him on the album in his Detroit Tigers uniform.

And they could find out what it was like for him in prison all those years and how he seems to have straightened out his life now.

He has an interesting life story that could save a young player today from going down the same road which would make the show worthwhile from that standpoint alone…or take it one step further and inspire anyone in or out of baseball to avoid making the mistakes he made.

Summary: MLB Network can be proud of their first year as a 24 an hour baseball channel.

They have assembled a fine lineup of hosts and analysts that have done an outstanding job during the 2009 baseball season.

It will be an ongoing process as they fine tune their coverage of major league baseball but to me the MLB Network with a few minor exceptions has been a resounding success in their inaugural season.

Trade for Roy Williams looking like a colossal mistake for Cowboys

Oct 29, 2009
In baseball, everyone remembers bad trades like the 1990 deal where the Boston Red Sox traded future star Jeff Bagwell to the Houston Astros for aging setup man Larry Anderson. 
But the NFL has also seen its fair share of one-sided trades throughout the league’s 90-year existence. 
To name a few doozys that some fans will want to remember and some forget:
Cowboys trading running back Herschel Walker (along with one other player and picks) to the Vikings for four players and eight picks, including three first-rounders that led directly to Dallas winning three Super Bowls.
Colts trading future Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk to the St. Louis Rams for second- and fifth-round picks in the 1999 draft.
The Redskins trading underachieving defensive tackle Sean Gilbert to the Carolina Panthers for first round picks in 1999 and 2000.

But after the one-year anniversary and almost half of the 2009 season being completed, I am ready to add the infamous 2008 trade deadline deal that sent receiver Roy Williams from Detroit to Dallas to the “One-Sided NFL Trades” list.

The trade gave the Cowboys Williams (along with a seventh-round pick) while the Lions picked up a first-, a third- and a sixth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.  

At the time of the trade in October 2008, a lot of fans and media thought that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had swung a great deal for a possible No. 1 receiver and purchased some “T.O Insurance.”  But as the weeks on the NFL calendar pass, this trade is looking more like a colossal mistake by Dallas. 

Throughout the 2008 season, the Cowboys were growing tired of inconsistent, aging receiver and locker-room pariah Terrell Owens. So Williams looked like the perfect motivational tool and possible replacement wrapped up in a 6-foot-3, 215-pound package.  

The Cowboys beat out their NFC East division rival Philadelphia Eagles in the race to grab Williams and Jones even handed the perceived superstar a brand-new, five-year contract extension worth $45 million, including more than $20 million guaranteed. 

On his trade to Dallas, Williams, a Texas high school and college star, said, “I’m more happy to be a Dallas Cowboy than when I got my first bike.”  He added with a huge smile, “Going from 0-5 to 4-2, you can’t ask for anything better than that”.

It seemed like a great plan by the Cowboys to slowly acclimate Williams to their playbook and quarterback Tony Romo for the remainder of the 2008 season, then unleash him as their featured receiver in 2009, once Owens was jettisoned.  

But the 27-year-old former Texas Longhorn has proven to be an even bigger pain in the rear than Owens (averaged 78 catches, 1,196 yards and 13 touchdowns in three years with Dallas), because he has not produced on the field. 

Of course everyone tacked Williams’ pedestrian 2008 numbers (19 catches for 198 yards and one touchdown in 10 games and seven starts) and his being a non-factor while the Cowboys narrowly missed the playoffs to a steep learning curve. 

But after spending over a year with the Cowboys, including mini-camps, OTAs, training camp and practices, Williams looks worse than ever. 

He looks tentative in traffic, has dropped too many passes (just 12 catches on 30 targets — 40 percent catch-rate), looks uninterested at times and clearly has lost the confidence of a few of his teammates, namely Romo. 

Through six games, Williams has 12 catches for 230 yards and one touchdown, which is nowhere near a featured receiver’s production. 

In his defense, Williams has not been the same since being “blasted” over the middle (ribs) in the Cowboys 17-10 loss to Denver in Week 4.  But the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league and, surprisingly, for the Cowboys it has been formerly little known small-school receiver Miles Austin that has risen to the occasion of replacing T.O., not big-ticket receiver Williams (career numbers: 262 catches for 3,884 yards and 29 touchdowns over six years).

Austin has been one of the season’s best stories, rising from tiny Monmouth (NJ) College to make the NFL as a special teamer before finally getting his shot this season. 

The tall (6-foot-3) and fast (4.4 40-yard dash) receiver burst on the scene in a Week 6 win over the Chiefs, producing 10 catches for a franchise-record 250 yards and two touchdowns (both 50-yard-plus bombs). 

Austin saved the Cowboys’ hides with a 60-yard, tackle-breaking touchdown reception in overtime and became the 10th player in NFL history to record at least 10 catches, 250 yards and two touchdowns in a game. 

Austin then proved the Chiefs’ game was no fluke as he looked like the second coming of Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin in a Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons (best six catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns). 

Out of nowhere, Austin and his eye-popping numbers (21 catches for 502 yards, 23.9 yards-per-reception average and five touchdown) have moved former starter Patrick Crayton to the bench.  And almost everyone watching the Cowboys would agree that Austin, not Williams, is Romo’s No. 1 passing option.  (Heck, many would argue that Williams is behind tight ends Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett at this point.)

Hopefully, for the Cowboys’ sake, Williams is just having a tough time learning to be the go-to guy on a team that expects to win. 

But for now, this one-time Pro Bowl player (82 catches for 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns in 2006 for Detroit) is looking like he will never achieve that status again or be an impact player. 

This season, Williams’ production has slipped to averaging 2.4 receptions and 46 yards per game, which is astronomically down from his career highs of 5.6 and 81.9 in 2006.  

If Williams doesn’t turn it around soon, he will join former Cowboys trade flameout Joey Galloway in the Cowboys annals as another receiver that Jerry Jones traded for with high expectations, but got little in return.

 

Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award -winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

Posted in NFL Trades Tagged: Bad NFL Trades, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Football, Jerry Jones, Miles Austin, NFL, NFL Trades, Roy Williams, Sports

Nico Rosberg, Other F1 Drivers Seek Clarification from the FIA

Oct 29, 2009

F1 drivers are seeking clarification from the FIA’s Charlie Whiting regarding the increasing defensive driving tactics during races.

It seems that Toyota’s Jarno Trulli showed up at the Thursday FIA press conference with photos of his accident with Force India’s Adrian Sutil in Brazil two weeks ago to justify his actions. This prompted Sutil to ask Trulli during the conference if he is "blind." Nothing like a little dustup just prior to a grand prix weekend.

Brazil saw some aggressive driving by Brawn GP’s Jenson Button to claim the World Championship, but it also saw a few defensive maneuvers that created some accidents. Even world champ Button accused Toyota's Kamui Kobayashi (substituting for the injured Timo Glock) of being “all over in the braking zone” trying to defend his position.

Kobayashi was also accused of causing a dramatic accident of his fellow countryman Kazuki Nakajima of Williams F1. Then there was Red Bull's Mark Webber versus Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen incident that removed the Fin’s front wing as well as McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who nipped Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello’s rear tire, rendering his race finished.

Is it aggressive defense, dirty racing, or are we asking the FIA to create even a larger Nanny State with F1? Apparently outgoing Williams F1 driver Nico Rosberg feels it is too aggressive and was caused by the retired Ferrari ace Michael Schumacher...I guess Rosberg never saw a Senna/Prost battle or a Gilles Villenueve.

“Barrichello, Webber, and Kobayashi did exactly the same thing,” Rosberg said. “With Webber, Raikkonen lost his front wing, with Kobayashi, Nakajima had a massive off, which could have been much worse—you can really hurt yourself, marshals and others in that sort of accident.

“With Barrichello, Lewis ran into the back of his tyre. That was the third time—and it is not allowed to happen.

“It is Michael Schumacher who started this, like at Spa [in 2000], when Mika Hakkinen tried to overtake him and he ran him off the track. When the guy behind has made a decision [to pass] and the guy in front then moves over, it is very dangerous. You cannot do that.”

“That was the first time I remember it being a dangerous issue, so it needs to be looked at and clarified from my point of view. I will be mentioning it in the drivers’ briefing.”

“I am not saying anyone has done anything wrong [in Brazil], because there has not been a clarification about it, but the view of the drivers needs to be taken into account and we say it is very dangerous. Something needs to be changed.”

What do you think? Too aggressive? Nanny state? Somewhere in between? Leave your civil comment below and let’s discuss...me? I say we don’t need a nanny state.

Nico Rosberg Confirms He's Leaving Williams F1; Heidfeld Confident of Seat

Oct 29, 2009

The weekend at Abu Dhabi begins with an announcement about the end of Nico Rosberg’s tenure with the Williams F1 team.

Not that it comes as a surprise (and whoever might replace him?!), but Rosberg finally pulled the trigger publicly. The BBC is among those with the news today:

“It is my last race for Williams so it’s a bit strange,” he said, ahead of Sunday’s final 2009 race in Abu Dhabi.

“I’ve been with the team for five years,” added Rosberg.

“They’re the only team, I’ve worked with. [Team boss] Frank Williams, especially, [chief executive] Adam Parr, [technical director] Sam Michael, [co-owner] Patrick Head have really supported my career over these years and I’d like to say a very big thank you to them.

“There’s no reason why they can’t be as good as this year (next year). But I’m not sure they can win races at the moment, and I would like to win races.

“It’s been a good season because the team gave me a good car it was an opportunity to raise my share value and to find a winning car for next year.”

The BBC notes that Rosberg is expecting to end up at Brawn GP next year, and the story later refers to the possible switching of places between Rosberg and Rubens Barrichello, who is expected to end up at Williams (likely with rookie phenom Nico Hulkenberg).

What is interesting is that the BBC suggests Rosberg’s deal is more with Mercedes than Brawn: “The 24-year-old would not comment when asked to confirm that he had done a deal with Brawn’s engine supplier Mercedes, which had secured him a seat.”

That seems to me a new, and interesting, twist to driver contracts. [If my brain isn't firing all its synapses, please note it's 5:45 AM on the West Coast.] We’ve had drivers connected with sponsors and engine suppliers before, no doubt—Kaz Nakajima is our best current example—but in that case the engine supplier also ran a full factory team, Toyota, and neither of the teams were at the front of the grid.

Here we have the supplier of the season’s far-and-away best engine (enough so that the FIA wants Mercedes to dial the engine back from 11 to about 8, I think) getting a seat for a driver. And there was plenty of spots for it to choose from: There’s the open seat still at McLaren and I’m sure Vijay Mallya would have dumped Tonio Liuzzi for Nico.

I think it is that rash of “choice” that is what strikes me as different. Could we be seeing a turn toward a time when a driver’s best chance at securing a seat is working out a deal with a dominant engine supplier, which may have PR needs that are not in line with a team’s? [Right off the bat, we have the German tie-in between Mercedes and Rosberg, for instance.]

And what if the Cosworth engine surprises us all and turns out to be pretty strong? Would a driver without a spot in 2010 go to Cosworth midseason seeking either a replacement seat or to secure one for 2011? [I'm thinking of a certain former world champion.]

Now, maybe I am overstating things. But my gut reaction is there is a switch in power, potentially, here. Perhaps it is just the logical next step in the manufacturers losing their dominant role.

heidfeld70

In other news, Nick Heidfeld says he’s “pretty confident” he will have a seat on the 2010 grid, despite lacking a contract as he heads into the final weekend of the season.

For this, we turn to Autosport :

“I think it’s pretty certain that it’s going to be BMW Sauber’s last race. I hope Sauber will be here next year, and I’m pretty certain I will be here next year,” Heidfeld told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

“Obviously it’s special in terms of the emotions.”

When asked if he was confident he will be in F1 next year, he said: “Yes. Nothing’s signed yet. We are talking to a couple of teams and I won’t say more than that.”

The BMW Sauber driver admitted it would be a “huge pity” if the team was absent from the championship in 2010.

“Hopefully they will be, because obviously you can’t really regard it as a new team. I think Sauber will do a lot better than the other new teams in terms of how they will perform,” he added.

“I think that should be more important than having new teams in Formula 1. Obviously is good to bring new teams and more cars, but it would be a huge pity if the team was not there. It would be difficult to understand.”

And although Heidfeld concedes the staff is having a tough time, he reckons everybody in the team is still focused on doing a good job.

“I think everybody is able to focus on the job when they have to do it. It’s not an easy situation for a lot of the people not knowing what they will do next year, or if Sauber will do next year. But I think it doesn’t influence the work they do on track.”

It is no secret that most of us at F1B are fans of Nick Heidfeld, and that includes Grace who I think protests too much when it comes to Nick’s facial hair.

Unfortunately, Nick may end up at one of the new teams, where his experience and ability to develop a car will be valuable but his podiums—and record number of seconds without a victory—are perhaps a thing of the past.

But better to be on the F1 grid that not, right?

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Michigan Football Recruiting Blitz

Oct 27, 2009

It's been pretty quiet on the recruiting front lately; so I thought I would give everyone a quick update. As of today, Michigan has 19 verbal commitments for the 2010 class and one for the 2011 class. There remains some open questions (who won't be asked back for a fifth year, injuries, juniors in the NFL draft, etc) about how many kids Michigan can take in 2010 but a full class would be 25.

Michigan focused early on the offensive side of the ball and now will look for the remaining 5-6 spots on defense. Below is the recent depth chart on some key positions. The walk-on's are in red. (pretty easy to see where Michigan needs help)

As of October 26th:

SS
Jordan Kovacs
Jared Van Slyke

WLB
 Jonas Mouton
Kevin Leach
Brandon Smith (red shirt freshman, recruited as a safety)

FS
 Mike Williams
Vladimir Emilien (true freshman)

LCB
Donovan Warren
Teric Jones (true freshman)
Justin Turner (true freshman and will redshirt)

RCB
 Troy Woolfolk
Boubacar Cissoko
J.T. Floyd (redshirt freshman)

A couple of notes on the depth chart: Michigan has three walk on's on the above two deeps, Warren may take an early exit to the NFL next year, Teric Jones started spring ball as a running back, Mike Williams has struggled this year but Vlad has seen little time outside of DSU.

If your a top defensive back or safety recruit in the class of 2010 Michigan sure has a great opportunity for you to see the field very early as a freshman.

So with that out of the way. What is going on in the recruiting arena?

  • Cullen Christian a top DB out of Pittsburgh has had Michigan as his leader most of the year. After a trip to WVU this past weekend he feels everyone is pretty equal. He is planning to announce a couple days after his visit to A2 for the Ohio State game.The schools in the running with Michigan include: Pitt, WVU, and UCLA. This is a very high priority recruit for the Wolverines.
  • Tony Jefferson a 4 star saftety recruit out of California and current UCLA commit will take a visit to Ann Arbor for the Purdue game. Mgoblog's TomVH recently interviewed him: The coaches (from Michigan) have been talking to me for awhile now, and they've really turned up the intensity. That's part of why I'm taking a visit. I've been talking to coach Singletary and Rich Rodriguez. They've basically been telling me that I'm a priority for them, and they really want me."
    "I've been watching their games, and I really like the way they've been playing defense. I know at Michigan I could get a really good education, and always be fighting to play in a bowl game; I like that."
    "I have a really strong feeling towards Michigan. I get along really well with their staff, and Tate Forcier has been talking to me alot. He's a San Diego boy, and he's been telling me about how much he loves it."
  •  This would be a great win on the recruiting trail if Michigan could land Tony, but it still remains a stretch with UCLA and Florida probably his top 2.
  • Carvin Johnson a safety out of New Orleans visited Ann Arbor last Saturday and liked what he saw: “I just really enjoyed the people there. Coach Rod (Rich Rodriguez) and his staff were great,” Johnson said. “They are high up there because I enjoyed myself and feel like I fit in that environment with those people. I can see myself as a Wolverine.”
  • Calvin is not ranked by either service and is considered a "sleeper". He does have offers from Minnesota, Utah, Tulane, and Tulsa.
  • Running Back from Texas, Stephen Hopkins took his second visit to Ann Arbor this weekend and confirmed his commitment: “I liked everything again and am pretty happy with my decision,” Hopkins said following his visit. “I’m even more excited to get there now.”

Other News and Notes:

  • The Michigan-Purdue game start time on 11/7 is a noon kick on the Big Ten Network.
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