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Djokovic drawn to play Australian Open as deportation threat looms | The Guardian Nigeria News

Tennis

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January 13, 2022

Djokovic drawn to play Australian Open as deportation threat looms | The Guardian Nigeria News

Novak Djokovic drew a first-round clash against a fellow Serb in the Australian Open on Thursday, taking a step closer to his dream of a record 21st Grand Slam despite a looming decision on his deportation.

The unvaccinated world number one, top seed and defending champion is looking to clinch a 10th title at Melbourne Park.

The 34-year-old tennis superstar was drawn to play Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.

But the openly vaccine-sceptic Djokovic’s championship hopes were in peril as Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke pondered whether to revoke his visa for a second time and throw him out of the country.

Hawke is considering using his powers to annul the visa, his spokesman has said, although “lengthy further submissions” from Djokovic’s legal team have delayed a decision.

In a lengthy press conference, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said no decision had yet been taken.

Djokovic flew into Melbourne airport on January 5 carrying a vaccine exemption because of a claimed positive PCR test result on December 16.

Border agents rejected his exemption, saying a recent infection was an insufficient justification, tore up his visa and placed him in a detention centre.

But Djokovic’s high-powered legal team overturned the visa decision in court on Monday on a procedural matter related to his airport interview.

Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper quoted an unnamed government source as saying that allowing Djokovic to stay in Australia without a Covid-19 vaccine would set a dangerous precedent.

The source was quoted as saying Morrison’s government was expected to act despite any international “backlash” because cancelling the visa would be line with Australia’s efforts to control the fast-spreading virus.

‘Drift on and on’
The government’s legal battle with Djokovic is politically charged in a country that has endured nearly two years of some of the toughest Covid-19 restrictions in the world, and in the run-up to May general elections.

“Australia has a policy of not allowing unvaccinated people into Australia. It is beyond my comprehension how we have got to this point,” Labor Party opposition leader Anthony Albanese said in an interview Thursday.

“How is it that Novak Djokovic was able to come here?”

As Covid-related hospitalisations rise in Melbourne, the Victorian state government said Thursday it would cap capacity at the Australian Open at 50 percent.

Spectators must be vaccinated or have a medical exemption.

Face masks will also be mandatory at the opening Grand Slam of the year except when eating or drinking, and those watching must socially distance while indoors.

The tournament starts Monday.

As the Omicron variant races through Australia’s population, Djokovic’s anti-vaccine stance has come under scrutiny.

The tennis ace described reports about his post-infection outings in Serbia as “misinformation” in an Instagram post Wednesday.

On the day of his claimed positive test in Serbia, he appeared at a ceremony to honour him with stamps bearing his image. The following day he attended a youth tennis event. He appeared at both apparently without a mask.

Djokovic said he only received the PCR test result after attending the children’s tennis event on December 17.

But he admitted that he also went ahead with an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe on December 18.

‘Error of judgement’
“On reflection, this was an error of judgement and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment,” Djokovic said.

The journalist who carried out the L’Equipe interview, Franck Ramella, said Djokovic’s representatives had told him not to ask about Covid-19 vaccinations.

The reporter said he had been unaware at the time of the interview that Djokovic was Covid-positive.

The tennis star also admitted to a mistake on his Australian travel declaration, in which a box was ticked indicating that he had not, or would not, travel in the 14 days before flying to Melbourne.

In fact, social media posts and reports show he flew from Serbia to Spain during that period.

Djokovic blamed his support team for this.

“My agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box about my previous travel before coming to Australia,” he said.

Leading immigration lawyer Christopher Levingston said the immigration minister could cancel Djokovic’s visa because the travel declaration was incorrectly completed.

But the minister may also act if he believes Djokovic may flout Australian public health orders, based on his failure to self-isolate in Serbia, he said.

Various options to appeal would be open for both Djokovic and the government, but at the end of the day, the immigration minister can exercise his personal power to cancel the visa, the lawyer said.

Ndombele dropped because of 'club line': Conte

Football

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January 13, 2022

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Tottenham manager Antonio Conte admitted he followed the “club line” after dropping Tanguy Ndombele for Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final defeat against Chelsea.

The post Ndombele dropped because of 'club line': Conte appeared first on The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News.

Yamamoto: I expect Honda will come back to F1

F1

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January 13, 2022

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Yamamoto: I expect Honda will come back to F1

Honda left Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season, having powered Max Verstappen to his maiden Drivers’ Title, but their motorsport boss Masashi Yamamoto expects the Japanese manufacturer to return to the sport some time in the future.

Honda have called it time on their F1 journey at the end of 2021, but it is not the first time they have done so, neither will it be the last time if Yamamoto’s claims turn out to be true.

However they leave on a high, as they have played an important role in helping Red Bull and Max Verstappen secure the Dutchman’s first ever F1 Drivers’ Crown.

Honda in and out of F1

Honda has been in and out of F1 numerous times now, with their first involvement being in the 1960’s as a constructor (1964-1968) before pulling out and re-joining the sport between 1983 and 1992 as engine suppliers to various teams such as Spirit, Williams, Lotus and most famously McLaren with whom they dominated between 1988 and 1991.

They left F1 again at the end of 1991 to re-emerge as a constructor in 2006 for three years (up to the end of the 2008), when they pulled out again due to the global economic crisis at the time, as their team principal back then Ross Brawn took over the team and renamed it Brawn GP for the 2009 F1 season, going on to win both titles that year, before Mercedes bought the team from 2010 onwards, rebuilding it into the juggernaut that dominated F1 ever since the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014.

McLaren’s Ron Dennis lured Honda back into F1 in 2015, with both parties hoping to recreate the success they previously enjoyed, but that didn’t materialize as they spent three barren seasons together, with a woefully down-on-power and unreliable Honda power-unit, and mediocre chassis from Woking leading to a divorce in 2017, after which Honda joined the Red Bull camp in 2018 with Toro Rosso and then Red Bull in 2019 after that.

The Red Bull-Honda relationship grew from strength to strength and culminated with Verstappen’s 2021 title triumph.

Honda might yet again return to F1

Asked by F1’s official website if another return was on the cards, Yamamoto said: “Personally I hope and expect Honda will come back to Formula 1.

“It depends on young people in Honda being passionate about motorsport and if they can convince senior management to come back. But history repeats, so I hope it can happen.”

Speaking of the challenges Honda operated under during the past few years, with Covid-19 raging all over the world, the Japanese said: “Even while having to deal with logistical difficulties, partly down to the Covid-19 pandemic, in this our last season, we have been fighting with very strong rivals and we came out on top of the Formula 1 world.

“This is due to all the hard work from all our engineers and mechanics, not just those at the racetrack. They never gave up, even in the most difficult times, and made numerous technological breakthroughs along the way.

Honda credits partners for success

“We were able to prove the validity and effectiveness of our technology and the abilities of our workforce,” he went on. “Of course, we could not have achieved these results without the major role played by our great partners, Red Bull Racing with whom we won the title and also Scuderia AlphaTauri, who welcomed us with an open mind, allowing us to move forward together after a difficult three years.

Despite their difficult relationship, Yamamoto gave McLaren credit saying: “We should not forget McLaren, with whom this era started back in 2015 and all the drivers who have worked with us, always putting maximum effort into achieving the best possible results.”

The Honda boss claimed that towards the end of their latest F1 tenure, the Japanese power unit bolted to the Red Bull and AlphaTauri F1 cars, was “almost equal to Mercedes”, which Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s 2021 F1 campaign proved accurate.

“We can say this project has been a success as we leave the sport having helped Max Verstappen win the Drivers’ World Championship,” Yamamoto concluded.

Despite leaving the sport officially at the end of 2021, Honda have provided the power unit with which Red Bull and AlphaTauri will race in 2022, with some Honda staff staying on a consultancy role with Red Bull Powertrains – the company Red Bull founded to handle the power-unit side of their F1 operations – for the medium term.

MAX VERSTAPPEN, WORLD CHAMPION! 🏆 #ThePowerOfDreams pic.twitter.com/dCZj6i7eIN

— Honda Racing F1 (@HondaRacingF1) December 12, 2021

NBA Power Rankings, Week 13

Basketball

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January 12, 2022

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Klay Thompson returned after 941 days away from the court. The Golden State Warriors Splash Brother, who hadn’t played in an NBA game since the 2019 Finals due to ACL and Achilles injuries, made his much-anticipated season debut with 17 points in 20 minutes during the Warriors’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

How dangerous are the Warriors now, as the co-owners of the league’s best record and bona fide title contenders return another offensive weapon?

Meanwhile, outside of San Francisco, the Memphis Grizzlies own the league’s longest active win streak. The Grizzlies’ run now sits at nine games thanks to a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, which included this epic block by Ja Morant.

In the East, the conference-leading Bulls saw their nine-game winning streak snapped Sunday to the Dallas Mavericks. The longest active streaks in the conference now belong to the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors, who each take a six-game run into the week.

See where all 30 teams stand now.

Note: Throughout the regular season, our panel (Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which teams are looking most like title contenders.

1. Golden State Warriors
2021-22 record: 30-9
Previous ranking: 1

After two and a half years, Klay Thompson is back. The former All-Star provided exactly the kind of jolt Steve Kerr & Co. were hoping to see in his return game Sunday night, scoring 17 points in 20 minutes in a win over the Cavs. The Warriors have to hope the good vibes can keep rolling this week during a tough four-game road stretch that includes games against the Grizzlies, Bucks and Bulls. — Friedell

2. Phoenix Suns
2021-22 record: 30-9
Previous ranking: 2

Since his return from a hamstring injury on Dec. 19, Devin Booker‘s field goal percentage has taken a dip. He’s shooting 40.8% overall in his past 11 games, but his 3-point percentage has gone up in that time. He was shooting 40.3% in his first 21 games and he’s up to 42.0% in his past 11. His 41.0% overall mark for the season would be a career high, besting his mark of 38.3% from 2017-18 and a big jump from the 34.0% he shot from deep last season. — Lopez

3. Chicago Bulls
2021-22 record: 26-11
Previous ranking: 3

The Bulls lost for the first time since Dec. 11 on Sunday night, snapping their nine-game streak. They are about to be tested this week, when they host two of the top teams in the NBA: First up is a matchup with the Nets on Wednesday night followed by a meeting with the Warriors on Friday. The Bulls are 2-0 against Brooklyn this season, but dropped their lone meeting with Golden State earlier in the season. — Collier

4. Utah Jazz
2021-22 record: 28-12
Previous ranking: 4

The Jazz had been the only team in the league that hadn’t been hit by COVID-19 this season, but Utah is in the midst of an outbreak with four players currently in health and safety protocols, including perennial All-Star center Rudy Gobert. Hassan Whiteside has thrived as Gobert’s backup, but the Jazz are 0-2 with Whiteside in the starting lineup, and Saturday’s loss in Indiana was an especially disappointing defensive performance. — MacMahon

5. Memphis Grizzlies
2021-22 record: 28-14
Previous ranking: 8

Nobody has played better than the Grizzlies over the past six weeks. Memphis has won 19 of 23, racking up the most wins in the league during that stretch, and has a net rating (plus-13.1) that is almost four points better than that of any other team. For all the flash of Ja Morant‘s many high-flying highlights, the foundation of the Grizzlies’ success has been the NBA’s stingiest defense in that six-week span (101.8 points per 100 possessions). — MacMahon

6. Milwaukee Bucks
2021-22 record: 26-16
Previous ranking: 5

If Milwaukee’s path back to the NBA Finals is likely to include another series with the Brooklyn Nets, then the Bucks have to be encouraged by their first two meetings this season. The Bucks are 2-0 against the Nets, with victories on opening night in Milwaukee and last week in Brooklyn. Winning by an average of 18 points per game is a reminder that the path to winning the Eastern Conference still goes through them. — Collier

7. Miami Heat
2021-22 record: 25-15
Previous ranking: 7

Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson combined for 60 points in Saturday’s win over the Suns, as Miami rattled off its second straight win to cap its West Coast swing. With Jimmy Butler still dealing with an ankle injury, the Heat have a nice break until Wednesday’s game against the Hawks to get in some rest and rehab. — Friedell

8. Brooklyn Nets
2021-22 record: 25-13
Previous ranking: 6

Brooklyn may have Kyrie Irving back, but something’s not right with the Nets. They’ve lost four of their past six, with only a big fourth-quarter comeback against Indiana and a near collapse against San Antonio separating them from a six-game losing streak. There’s obviously plenty of time to get it right, but this is not the version of the Nets the world expected to see this season. — Bontemps

9. Philadelphia 76ers
2021-22 record: 22-16
Previous ranking: 9

Philadelphia is 19-8 with Joel Embiid in the lineup this season, and 3-8 without him. With a month to go until the trade deadline, the question remains for the 76ers: Will Ben Simmons be traded by the deadline, giving Embiid some reinforcements for the stretch run and the playoffs, or will this saga drag on until the summer? — Bontemps

10. Dallas Mavericks
2021-22 record: 22-18
Previous ranking: 16

The Mavs’ season-best six-game win streak features convincing victories over the Warriors and Bulls. Dallas has held five of its six opponents under 100 points during the streak, when the Mavs are allowing only 93.0 points per game. Dallas has jumped to fifth in the league in defensive efficiency (107.1). — MacMahon

11. Cleveland Cavaliers
2021-22 record: 22-18
Previous ranking: 10

Cleveland lost for the fifth time in its past seven games in Klay Thompson’s return game for the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. New Cavs guard Rajon Rondo has made an immediate impact, however, averaging 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in his first two games with the franchise. — McMenamin

12. Denver Nuggets
2021-22 record: 20-18
Previous ranking: 11

The Nuggets won on Sunday for the fifth time in seven games, and Nikola Jokic continues his MVP tear. He has averaged 25.7 points and 16.7 rebounds in those seven games, despite defenses throwing everything they can at the MVP. The Nuggets are trading Bol Bol to Detroit for Rodney McGruder and could sign DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day soon to try to give Jokic a little more help. Denver’s next six games are against the Clippers twice, Blazers, Lakers, Jazz and Grizzlies, so they could learn more about where they stand in the West during this stretch. — Youngmisuk

13. Los Angeles Lakers
2021-22 record: 21-20
Previous ranking: 14

The Lakers won four in a row against four teams that are a combined 24 games under .500, then fell down by as many as 29 in Sunday’s loss to a Grizzlies team that’s 14 games over .500. With L.A. set to play a back-loaded schedule full of similarly tough opponents, Russell Westbrook was asked what the Lakers have to do to compete in those games. “I don’t have the answer to that one,” he said. — McMenamin

14. Toronto Raptors
2021-22 record: 20-17
Previous ranking: 18

That the Raptors, winners of six straight, are now three games over .500 when their best three players — Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam — have played only nine games together is a sign of their upside if they can keep their team healthy over the second half of the season. — Bontemps

15. Charlotte Hornets
2021-22 record: 21-19
Previous ranking: 13

Charlotte continues to prove that it can score with anybody — as evidenced by the 254 combined points scored in two straight wins over the Pistons and Bucks. In those wins, Terry Rozier tallied 44 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. The larger issue for the Hornets remains the same: Can they defend at a high enough level? Over their first four games this month, the group has given up an average of 118.5 points per game. — Friedell

16. Minnesota Timberwolves
2021-22 record: 20-20
Previous ranking: 19

Although Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell has posted a career-low shooting percentage from the field (39.3) and is shooting several points below his career average from 3 (33.7% compared to 35.8% in his career), Minnesota has undoubtedly benefited from having him on the floor this season, outscoring opponents by 16.7 points per 100 possessions with Russell on the floor. The Timberwolves are 17-12 when he plays and 2-8 this season when he sits. — Collier

17. LA Clippers
2021-22 record: 20-21
Previous ranking: 12

The Clippers spoiled Lou Williams‘ return and got a much-needed victory over the Hawks on Sunday. It halted some of the bleeding from a stretch in which the Clippers lost nine of 12 games. The Clippers are slowly getting some bodies back. Besides getting Tyronn Lue back on the bench from health and safety protocols last week, Ivica Zubac was cleared from protocols, while Nicolas Batum also was able to make his way back from injury. But with Paul George (elbow), Luke Kennard (protocols) and Isaiah Hartenstein (ankle) still out, Lue has his work cut out to keep the Clippers from sinking further out of the playoff race. — Youngmisuk

18. Washington Wizards
2021-22 record: 20-20
Previous ranking: 15

Washington continues to play .500 ball, but reinforcements are here. Rui Hachimura is finally back after missing nearly half the season due to personal reasons. Montrezl Harrell is out of health and safety protocols and Thomas Bryant is nearing a return. Kyle Kuzma also is playing some of the best basketball of his career, fresh off a 27-point, 22-rebound effort to help Washington win at Orlando. At 20-20, Washington hovers around a playoff spot (ninth in the East). — Youngmisuk

19. Boston Celtics
2021-22 record: 19-21
Previous ranking: 17

Boston continues to underwhelm and has been unable to get its offense going consistently no matter what combination of players has been available this season. One possible sign for optimism, however, is that the team has its core healthy for an extended stretch for the first time this season. — Bontemps

20. New York Knicks
2021-22 record: 19-21
Previous ranking: 21

New York has managed to go 7-5 in its past 12 games despite a rash of COVID-19 cases and injuries, including missing Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose for Saturday’s loss in Boston. For the Knicks to take any further steps forward, however, they’ll need RJ Barrett and Julius Randle to start shooting closer to what they did last season, when they were over 40% from 3-point range, as opposed to the low 30s they find themselves at this season. — Bontemps

21. Atlanta Hawks
2021-22 record: 17-22
Previous ranking: 20

On Jan. 3, Trae Young had 56 points and 14 assists in a loss to the Trail Blazers. His 14 assists were the most in any 55-plus-point game in NBA history. He also became the third-youngest player in NBA history (23 years, 106 days) to have a 50-point, 10-assist game, behind Kevin Porter (20 years, 360 days in 2001) and LeBron James (23 years, 66 days in 2008). — Lopez

22. San Antonio Spurs
2021-22 record: 15-24
Previous ranking: 22

Dejounte Murray missed five games for San Antonio due to the league’s health and safety protocols and reconditioning. As soon as he was back in the starting lineup, the Spurs snapped a four-game losing streak. In three games since his return, Murray is averaging 22.7 points, 11 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. — Lopez

23. Sacramento Kings
2021-22 record: 16-26
Previous ranking: 23

Sacramento dropped its fourth straight to fall 10 games below .500, getting blown out by Portland on Sunday. The Kings were 6-11 when head coach Luke Walton was fired and have gone 10-15 since. — McMenamin

24. Indiana Pacers
2021-22 record: 15-25
Previous ranking: 24

Lance Stephenson had a triumphant return to Indiana this week in his third career stint with the Pacers and first games with the franchise since 2018. In four games, he averaged 14.3 points and six assists on 55.8% shooting, including a 30-point game off the bench on Wednesday against Brooklyn, helping inject some life into Pacers fans with whom he long ago formed a special connection. — Collier

25. Portland Trail Blazers
2021-22 record: 15-24
Previous ranking: 25

Already without Damian Lillard (abdomen) and CJ McCollum, the Blazers lost Norman Powell to health and safety protocols. But Anfernee Simons scored 31 points to help Portland beat Sacramento and at least give the Blazers something to feel good about. Portland entered Sunday having lost 16 of its previous 21 games. After a home game against the Nets and a fresh Kyrie Irving, the Blazers hit the road for six straight. It will continue to be the Simons show if Lillard and McCollum don’t return anytime soon. — Youngmisuk

26. New Orleans Pelicans
2021-22 record: 14-25
Previous ranking: 26

Josh Hart has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games, the longest streak of his career. His previous high was nine, when he was with the Lakers, and his previous best with New Orleans was just four games. In those 12 games, Hart is averaging 15.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 55.4% from the field and 35.6% from deep. — Lopez

27. Oklahoma City Thunder
2021-22 record: 13-26
Previous ranking: 27

The Thunder are 0-for-2022, losing all four games in January, but rookie Josh Giddey has been quite a bright spot. Giddey is averaging 12.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists during the four-game losing streak. For the season, the teenager leads all rookies in assists (6.4 per game), is third in rebounds (7.5) and is eighth in scoring (11.1). — MacMahon

28. Houston Rockets
2021-22 record: 11-30
Previous ranking: 28

The Rockets are 3-14 since their stunning seven-game winning streak was snapped. Houston’s defense has been especially horrific during that span, as the Rockets have allowed 122.8 points per 100 possessions, the primary reason that 11 of the 14 losses have been by double-digit margins. — MacMahon

29. Detroit Pistons
2021-22 record: 8-30
Previous ranking: 30

A roller-coaster week for the Pistons began with an upset victory over the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, back-to-back blowout losses to Charlotte and Memphis by a combined 59 points, and a victory over the Magic in a matchup of the league’s two worst teams. — Collier

30. Orlando Magic
2021-22 record: 7-34
Previous ranking: 29

Orlando has lost nine in a row and is struggling to find any rhythm at all. A small bright spot? Gary Harris is averaging 20 points per game over his first five contests of 2022. — Friedell

Raptors’ six-game win streak ends against Phoenix

Sport News

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January 12, 2022

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Raptors’ six-game win streak ends against Phoenix

TORONTO – It took a good game by one of the league’s best teams, playing at full strength, to end Toronto’s six-game winning streak.

And that had the Raptors looking at the positives on Tuesday.

OG Anunoby had 25 points, and Pascal Siakam added 22, but the Raptors dropped a 99-95 decision to the league-leading Phoenix Suns, in a game that went down the final seconds.

“You just got to appreciate the fight, be proud of the fight,” said Fred VanVleet. “That was a really intense, tough game, That’s probably as good as it gets without a crowd in there. (The Suns) certainly raised their level, there’s a reason why they have the best record in the NBA, it’s because they play that way every night.

“I thought that we answered the call. I thought it was a good test for us.”

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Jae Crowder had 19 points, while Chris Paul had 15 points and 12 assists to top the Suns (31-9).

A day after he’d been named Eastern Conference player of the week for the first time in his career, VanVleet finished with 21 points. Chris Boucher hauled down a game-high 16 rebounds to go with 13 points for the Raptors (20-18), who were missing a pair of starters in rookie Scottie Barnes (knee soreness) and Gary Trent Jr. (ankle).

“Played ’em tough,” said coach Nick Nurse. “It was a physical game, kind of slow-paced and grinding, I thought they were definitely trying to out-physical us and we hung in there really good. I thought we handled it well, and actually played really physical ourselves.

“It could probably have gone either way, really.”

The game was so intense that Suns’ guard Devin Booker got angry at The Raptor mascot, the only fan in the building, in the dying seconds. The Raptor waved his arms and kicked a leg when Booker was at the free-throw line and the game still undecided. Booker threw his arms in the air in anger and complained loudly to the referee.

Djokovic admits 'errors' as he fights to avoid Australian deportation

Football

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January 12, 2022

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Novak Djokovic on Wednesday admitted “errors” in his travel papers and for not isolating after a claimed coronavirus infection, as he battled to stay in Australia and fight for a record 21st Grand Slam.

The post Djokovic admits 'errors' as he fights to avoid Australian deportation appeared first on The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News.

Johansson: Max takes Senna-Schumi playbook to whole new level

F1

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January 12, 2022

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Johansson: Max takes Senna-Schumi playbook to whole new level

Formel-1-Lewis-Hamilton-Max-Verstappen-Imola-GP

Now that the dust is fully settled on last year’s incident-packed Formula 1 World Championship, it is fair to say we witnessed dirty driving of the kind seldom seen before by both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as they duelled for the world championship title.

The season deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale was the entire season condensed, in a nutshell, namely dubious overtakes and appallingly officiating as Race Director Michael Masi and his men somehow turned what should have been F1’s race of the century into the farce of the century for reasons well told.

There were three types of reactions in the aftermath of that memorable night at Yas Marina: Max fans were ecstatic, and rightfully so, as the Red Bull ace thoroughly deserved the title; Hamilton fans were fuming and felt robbed while us neutrals watched on in bewilderment.

What is clear none of these two great drivers deserved ‘that’ finale and, of course, neither did F1 fans

Among those dismayed by what he witnessed that night was former F1 driver Stefan Johansson who fears for what lies ahead because the bar for the rules of engagement is now a notch or two lower, or it could be asked: are there any?

As the pioneers of the dark arts of racing – Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher – have now been usurped by Max, as well as Lewis albeit to a far lesser extent, with their dose of dubious tactics.

The evolution of this has Johansson concerned, he wrote on his personal blog: “The issue we have now on track is that Max has taken the Senna playbook and the Schumacher playbook to a whole new level.

“Generally, I think there’s a good code of conduct between the drivers. Most of the current crop of the new generation of drivers are racing very clean but hard, there’s been some really great battles this year but they’re not at the front and therefore it goes unnoticed for the most part.

“No one cares about the guys in fifth or sixth place,” lamented the Swede.

Johansson: I don’t have a lot of optimism for the changes from the officials

It was clear that Masi was overwhelmed by not only the magnitude of the feud between Red Bull and Mercedes, as well as their drivers who were crash-magnets far too often last season.

During the Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen went way beyond the borders of fairness with his defence of Hamilton’s charge which ended up as an astonishing victory from nowhere to first, but not before the Red Bull driver did all he could, and more, to prevent the Mercedes getting past him.

Unchecked and unpunished offences have simply lowered the bar of decency, which Johansson believes does not auger well for the sport: “I don’t have a lot of optimism for the changes from the officials.

“Every year decisions about driving standards and enforcement are getting worse, muddier and muddier with more grey areas. If Max can get away with what he’s gotten away with in certain cases this year, then like Leclerc said: Ok, fine. If that’s how we’re going to race, then that’s how we have to race.”

Not helping the cause of decent driving standards are tracks that do not punish mistakes, in fact in certain instances can even provide an advantage. Run-off areas that never end are used for ill-gotten gains when a wall or grass verge would end all shenanigans purely from a driver survival perspective.

Furthermore, there is a silly sense of invulnerability brought about by the ‘no consequences if I out-brake myself type of tracks’ which of course is deceiving as those big crashes at Silverstone and Monza testify.

Montreal’s Wall of Champions springs to mind!

Johansson believes track design and ‘safety’ is encouraging drivers to go beyond the call of duty, to dip into the dark arts as Verstappen and Hamilton did on occasions last season: “A lot of these incidents would automatically be avoided if they changed the design of the tracks and got rid of the huge run-off areas, we currently have on nearly all the tracks.

“This sanitization of the tracks has brought on more problems than the one’s they were trying to solve in the first place. It’s ironic that we don’t seem to have anywhere near the number of incidents in Monaco for example, where the track limit is basically the guardrail.

“If the drivers know where the limit is, they will obviously stay within that limit, because if you go past, it you will end up in the guardrail and your day is over. But when you have a runoff area the size of two football fields, and no clear rule of what is or is not allowed it becomes a complete joke.

“Seemingly it’s ok for anyone to go past the track limit on the starts, for example, likewise it seems ok to not even attempt to turn until you’re actually on the white line or even past it when you’re fighting for position.

“It’s then up to the guys in race control to decide what is right or wrong. It’s a horribly flawed system and there must be a way to avoid this going forward.”

Johansson: The way the tracks are currently designed is an open invitation for trouble

As for solutions to the problem Johansson suggested: “Anything except the asphalt that is currently used would be better in my opinion, whether it’s grass, gravel or anything that would actually slow the car down enough to force the driver to lift in order to get back on the track again, or risk damaging the car and he won’t be able to continue.

“80% of all the incidents race control has to get involved with at the moment would automatically be avoided. Drivers will always go to the limit of what is possible, and the way the tracks are currently designed is an open invitation for trouble.

“None of the drivers have a clear understanding of the rules, even less so the people in race control it seems. It’s frustrating and annoying for everyone involved and could be fixed very easily.

“Interestingly, we seem to have similar complaints from the MotoGP people now, where the large run-off areas have done nothing to solve the safety issues, if anything, it’s made it worse.

“I think it’s time for a drastic rethink of the track designs in general and especially the run-off areas that are currently being implemented,” added Johansson who started 79 Grands Prix, scoring twelve podiums but no wins. He drove for Shadow, Spirit, Tyrrell, Toleman, Ferrari, McLaren, Ligier, Onyx, AGS and Footwork.

Sportsbooks lose millions on Draymond Green’s early exit with calf injury

Basketball

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January 12, 2022

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Sportsbooks lose millions on Draymond Green’s early exit with calf injury

Draymond Green‘s seven-second performance Sunday sparked controversy in the betting community and caused one sportsbook to delay payouts until it investigated the flurry of prop bets that were placed right before tipoff.

Green experienced tightness in his lower calf while warming up but wanted to start in Golden State Warriors‘ home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday in honor of Klay Thompson’s return.

At 8:31 p.m. ET, the Warriors’ official public relations Twitter feed posted that Green would be on the court for tipoff but would not participate in the remainder of the game due to the calf issue. Thompson was playing in his first game since suffering an ACL injury in the 2019 NBA Finals.

The game tipped off at 8:40 p.m. Green played for seven seconds, committing a foul and leaving the game. He did not return and finished with 0 points, 0 rebounds and 0 assists.

As soon as the news broke of Green’s plan — The Athletic also tweeted the info around 8:31 p.m. — bettors hustled to get bets in on the under on, for example, Green’s total points (7.5), rebounds (8.5) and assists (8.5), before sportsbooks could pull the markets off the board. FanDuel removed Green props from its offerings within minutes of seeing The Athletic’s report.

“The Draymond Green situation was unique, but our trading team keeps an eye on the games and news reports,” Kevin Hennessy, director of publicity for FanDuel, told ESPN.

Other books weren’t as quick to react, and bettors took advantage.

Some bettors parlayed multiple wagers on Green, resulting in long odds and payouts of six figures. The liability on Green under props combined across sportsbooks climbed into the seven figures.

Several books, including FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM and PointsBet, promptly paid the under bets on Green as winners. DraftKings, however, held off paying while it reviewed the situation and tried to determine whether bets placed after the news of Green’s playing time were on a “known event,” which would violate house rules.

DraftKings released a statement Monday night saying bets on Green in the Cavaliers-Warriors game were “under review and bet settlements are currently on hold pending an investigation.”

On Tuesday, as uproar from bettors on social media intensified, DraftKings announced that it was grading Green under bets as winners and issuing cash refunds on any over bets.

“Customers will see settlement and crediting happening by the end of today,” a DraftKings spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday.

Industry sources estimated DraftKings paid out more than $1 million on the Green props, with payouts across the sports betting market believed to be in the multiple millions. The majority of the liability came from bets that were placed within the last 10 minutes before the game tipped off.

VanVleet, Siakam lead Raptors to 6th straight win

Sport News

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January 11, 2022

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VanVleet, Siakam lead Raptors to 6th straight win

TORONTO – Fred VanVleet stepped up again when needed for the Toronto Raptors.

With the game tied at 93-93 and the stubborn New Orleans Pelicans refusing to go away, VanVleet scored the Raptors’ next nine points — all three pointers, with Pascal Siakam assisting on two of them — en route to a 105-101 victory Sunday that extended the Raptors’ win streak to a season-high six games.

“We got ourselves in a situation where we needed him to make some big plays,” said Toronto coach Nick Nurse. “And obviously he made about three really huge ones in a row. Big shots man, big shots. Just a great will, will to win.”

VanVleet, who finished with 32 points, has averaged 31.2 points and 6.7 assists during the six-game win streak

“Man, he took Kyle Lowry’s spot now,” former Raptor Jonas Valanciunas, who finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds for the Pelicans, said of VanVleet. “He’s a captain, a court captain.

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“I think he’s playing at an all-star level. He’s proved that he can be a leader on the court and off the court.”

Siakam added 29 points for Toronto. He has averaged 23.7 points during the run of wins.

Leading by one at the half, the Raptors built that advantage to 10 at 79-69 in the third quarter. But New Orleans, as it had all game, answered with an 8-0 run — coupled with some aggressive defence — to trail 79-77 going into the fourth.

Siakam led Toronto with 13 points in the third with his seven straight points keeping the Raptors offence ticking to open the fourth. An 8-0 Toronto run also helped put some distance on the scoreboard.

A 7-0 New Orleans run cut the lead to 91-89. And Valanciunas, from under the basket, tied it at 93-93 with 3:50 remaining and the Pelicans outscoring Toronto 11-2.

Tom Watson accepts invite to join Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player as honorary starters at the Masters

Golf

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January 11, 2022

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Tom Watson accepts invite to join Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player as honorary starters at the Masters

Tom Watson, a two-time winner at Augusta National who ranks sixth all-time with victories in eight majors, will join Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as honorary starters at the Masters this year.

“I am honored that Tom has accepted our invitation,” Masters chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement on Tuesday. “I look forward to commemorating his love for the game and impact on the Masters with his millions of fans across the globe as he hits a tee shot alongside two of the tournament’s other all-time greats, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.”

Watson won green jackets in 1977 and 1981, as well as finishing runner-up three times. His 58 rounds under par at Augusta National rank second only to Nicklaus, and his 72.74 career scoring average on the course ranks fifth all-time.

“Augusta National in April is one of my favorite places to be,” Watson said in a statement. “With the many fond memories of both watching the Masters as a youngster and then competing in the tournament for so many years, I am greatly honored to join my friends and fellow competitors, Jack and Gary, as an honorary starter in this upcoming Masters.

“In both of my victories, Jack was on my heels. And when Gary won his third tournament in 1978, I was there to help him put on the green jacket. Moments like those stand out in my career.”

The Masters has had honorary starters since 1963, when Jock Hutchinson and Fred McLeod began the tradition. Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen, Ken Venturi, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer and Lee Elder also have participated in the role.

Elder, who broke down racial barriers as the first Black golfer to play in the Masters, joined Nicklaus and Player as honorary starters last year. He died in November at age 87.

The Masters begins April 7.