Lombardi Trophy

Instant Super Bowl fan reaction: Lombardi Trophy is finally coming home!

The first half of Super Bowl XLV was completely dominated by the Green Bay Packers. The Packers scored two touchdowns within 24 seconds of each other, the second of which came on the heels of Roethlisberger's first interception of the game. The Packers continued to produce points out of turnovers throughout the entire game. The Steelers turned the ball over two times in the first half with two interceptions. At the end of the first half, the score was 21-10 and it looked like Green Bay had this one all wrapped up.

Every penalty of the first half went against The Steelers. At the beginning of the second half, suddenly the Packers racked up 3 penalties in the first 3 minutes of the third quarter. One of those penalties was a personal foul on Green Bay. The officials seemed to think that the Green Bay player touched the facemask of the Steelers player. I tend to disagree and think it was the other way around, but the Steelers got their payback near the end of the game when they got a personal foul on the kick return. The Packers got a second personal foul when Williams retaliated against Steelers players trying to push him into the ball on a kick return. ( Read Lombardi Trophy more... )

Green Bay Packers Parade: Lombardi Trophy Returns Home On Monday

Feb 6, 2011 - For the fourth time in the franchise's history, and the first time since 1996, the Green Bay Packers will bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown, USA. The Super Bowl XLV winners are schedule to return home early Monday afternoon, and the city of Green Bay is ready to welcome home their Packers.

When the Packers touchdown after their flight from Dallas, they'll travel in a motorcade from Austin Straubel airport to Lambeau Field. The route is expected to take them on 172 Eastbound from the airport to Packerland Drive, North on Packerland to Hazelwood, East ondraft Hazelwood/Lombardi to Lambeau Field, with road closures starting around 1:15 p.m. local time.

With large crowds expected, officials have designated three different zones in which fans can gather: "It is the recommendation of the Green Bay Police Department that fans gather at Lambeau Field or in the vicinity." ( Read Lombardi Trophy more... )

Roger Staubach Presents The Vince Lombardi Trophy; 5 Trophy Facts

Who had the honor of handing the Vince Lombardi trophy (aka The Super Bowl trophy) over to the Green Bay Packers tonight? Roger Staubach was the lucky guy. And who is Roger Staubach?

Roger is the executive chairman of Chicago-based commercial real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. If you’re a football fan, you’ll also know that he was the quarterback who led the Dallas Cowboys to victories in Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII.

An interesting fact? Staubach actually picked the Packers to win! “You can mark my word: The Packers will prevail.” Although Staubach lost Super Bowls X and XIII to the Steelers in the 1970s, he had this to say about his pick: “I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh,” he says. “But the numbers don’t lie. The Lombardi Trophy is going back to TitleTown USA.” ( Read Lombardi Trophy more... )

Lombardi Trophy Comes Home

In a fitting end to a season marked by adversity, the Green Bay Packers overcame game-ending injuries to key players and outlasted the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to win Super Bowl XLV and bring the Lombardi trophy home.

It was an amazing game from the start.

The Packers dominated the first half, scoring two times in 24 seconds off Steelers turnovers to take a 21-10 lead at the half. Ben Roethlisberger looked lost and the Steelers defense was on its heels most of the time as Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers sliced through defenders and tossed two of his three touchdowns to Jordy Nelson (stud of the game) and Greg Jennings.

Green Bay’s defense also came up big with two picks of Roethlisberger, one returned for a touchdown by Nick Collins. ( Read Lombardi Trophy more... )

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Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson Honors His Dad by Winning Big at the Farmers Insurance Open

Bubba Watson is swinging with the big boys!

The golfer has been on quite the run for the past year first winning the 2010 Travellers Championship then coming in second at the 2010 PGA Championship. Now Bubba Watson has won the first big PGA event of the year at the Farmers Insurance Open. ( Read Bubba Watson more... )

What they said: Bubba Watson

Q. What did you hit in on 18?

BUBBA WATSON: I hit a 7-iron. A perfect 7-iron, perfect distance. Just tried to fly it on the front. As long as we put it on the front, we were fine because it should bounce up there. It bounced up there pretty nice, and actually flew farther than we expected it to. But I knew it came off the club face good when I hit it.

Q. What happened on the green? What did Rickie say to you about dinner?

BUBBA WATSON: Rickie said he's buying dinner. ( Read Bubba Watson more... )

Farmers Insurance Open: Bubba Watson Wins By One Shot Over Phil Mickelson

The first PGA TOUR event of the year featuring both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson is done. And yet it's Bubba Watson who has claimed the Farmers Insurance Open.

Watson used his prodigious length off the tee to put himself in favorable positions all day — he used a pitching wedge for a second shot to the green on one par 5 — and birdied all four of the par 5s on the Torrey Pines course. He added two other birdies and a bogey for a five-under 67 in his final round. ( Read Bubba Watson more... )

Tiger Woods Lagging, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson Leading Farmers Insurance Open

Phil Mickelson remains tied for the lead in the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at 12-under, though he’s been joined by Bubba Watson after a slip by Bill Haas. Tiger Woods fell to a tie for 33rd by shooting a pair of bogeys on his front nine. Woods is 3-under with five holes to go at Torrey Pines.

Mickelson followed a bogey on hole three with a birdie on hole four, while Watson has shot four pars plus a birdie on hole three. ( Read Bubba Watson more... )

Richard Mille RM 038 "Bubba Watson" Watch

Richard Mille really swings to win - and the brand has long realized that good strategic partnerships are great for business. Brands like Rolex and Tag Heuer have long since proved that working with golfers is a good idea. Richard Mille now finds the right man for them. Speaking with Mr.

Mille himself, you learn that in choosing people to work with, taking into consideration their personality and demeanor is as important as their performance. Choosing to place a watch on Bubba Watson had a lot to do with Richard's respect for the self-taught Floridian golfer. Large in stature and with a congenial Southern nickname, Mr. Watson was a good choice. ( Read Bubba Watson more... )

Watson makes progress at Torrey Pines, tied for third with Mahan

Bubba Watson’s first tee shot ever in a tournament at Torrey Pines was a loud duck-hook into the Torreys between the first and third holes on the North.

Watson rallied that year, 2007, and tied for fourth. In his other three tournaments here, Watson has a tie for seventh, a tie for 47th and one missed cut, last year. But after three rounds this year, Watson is tied for third with Hunter Mahan at 11-under at the Farmers Insurance Open. ( Read Bubba Watson more... )

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Julia Goerges

Julia Goerges vs Maria Sharapova Live (Australian Open)

Founded in 1905, the Australian Open has become one of the four major tennis tournaments of the ATP calendar and the first Grand Slam of the year. The event is played on outdoor hard courts (Plexicushion) and has a total prize money of around 23,140,000 Australian dollars. This year’s money prizes should be 3% higher that in 2010. ( Readmore... )

Ana Ivanovic vs Julia Goerges 2009 AO Highlights

Ana Ivanovic vs Julia Goerges 2009 Australian Open First Round Highlights.Ana didn't play as well as she could,i would say Julia played very well but made a lot of stupid errors, as you can see in this video Julia can hit some stunning winners.Ana was never gonna lose this though even on a slump. ( Readmore... )

Watch Australian Open Tennis 2011║ Julia Goerges vs Maria Sharapova live Streaming Online Women’s Singles Match on PC

Watch Julia Goerges vs Maria Sharapova live stream Online tv link on pc today of Australian Open. There will be a lot of excitation waiting for the Tennis viewers because of the previous highly competition.This stardust exclusive Match will be held in between Julia Goerges vs Maria Sharapova. Don't be upset if you aren't still tuned with the channels, just click here and we will provide you 100% quality software to Watch all the Australian Open Matches this season. ( Readmore... )

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Penn State Football Schedule 2010: Nittany Lions Enjoy Bye Week Today

It hasn't been quite the season that Joe Paterno and his Penn State Nittany Lions would have liked.

Penn State is currently 3-3, including an 0-2 mark in Big 10 games.

Losses to conference rivals Iowa and Illinois in the last two weeks have not provided Penn State much confidence as it heads into the meat of its schedule, not did a Week 2 loss to then No. 1 Alabama.

If Penn State is not able to turn things around, we will surely hear the calls for Paterno's head once again.

With a November 13th date looming against top-ranked Ohio State, and a regular season-ending game against No. 13 Michigan State, Penn State won't get any more breaks.

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5,000 runners embark on Baltimore Marathon 2010

Alfonsi Yatich is favorite amongst men in Baltimore Marathon.

The 10th annual Under Armour Baltimore Marathon 2010 has begun in the favorable cool temperature and nice sunny weather for the runners. The starting line of Baltimore Marathon was crossed by nearly 5,000 runners at Russell and Camden Streets at 8:01 am, Saturday.

The runners are all set to get on the 26.2-mile course of Baltimore Marathon that will take a twisting route through city neighborhoods. This year's Baltimore Marathon route is same as the previous year.

Event organizers have successfully sold all four of its races, and are expecting a huge record of 22,281 runners from 25 countries and all over the U.S. to run the streets in Baltimore Marathon before the finish line gets crosses by the winner at approximately 3 pm.

Among the favorites on the men's side in Baltimore Marathon, Kenyan runners Alfonsi Yatich and Julius Keter are on the top. 26-year-old Alfonsi Yatich won the race last year and Keter, 21, is the record holder in 2008 Baltimore Marathon by finishing in 2:11:56.

The prize money for the winners of men and women in Baltimore Marathon is $23,000 for first place, while the record-breaking performances will receive up to $2,500.

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Gymnast Yuri van Gelder denies he is using cocaine again

Top gymnast Yuri van Gelder on Thursday issued a statement denying that he has used cocaine since his discharge from an addiction clinic in Scotland.

Ring specialist Van Gelder was put out of the Dutch gymnastics team earlier this week for 'health reasons'. Later, officials from the gymnastics association said he had been using cocaine again.

Van Gelder was suspended from competition for a year after admitting to a cocaine problem in 2009.

No relapse

In the statement, Van Gelder said he had withdrawn from the World Cup competition because of the pressure. And in order to prevent a relapse, he had decided to pull out.

'Since my discharge I have not used any drugs or cocaine,' the statement said.

'The two-year recovery period... has been harder than I had estimated at times, and the past few weeks were a low point.'

'What is being said now in the media is a scandal,' Van Gelder said.

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Sweden Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Mark Van Bommel Stays On The Ground For Every Little Thing

Ibrahimovic was clearly unhappy with Van Bommel due to his forceful tackling and behaviour...

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was visibly upset with Mark van Bommel during a Euro 2012 qualifier on Tuesday when the Netherlands were 4-1 victors in Amsterdam.

The two players were seen arguing as they walked off the field, a video which you can view by clicking here. The Swede has criticised the Bayern Munich enforcer, claiming he uses excessive force in his tackles, but then milks the situation when he is fouled.
"Van Bommel always goes in hard, but then stays on the ground for every little foul he suffers," he reportedly said, according to MilanNews.

In related news, The German club are upset with the Dutch FA and could take legal action for allowing Van Bommel to feature in that match when he was carrying an injury.

The Netherlands are a perfect 4-0-0 in Group E, while Sweden have six points from three matches.

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Ivan Bogdanov led action in which USA Embassy was set on fire

The leader of hooligans in Genoa is Ivan Bogdanov (30). In Serbia numerous criminal chargers were raised against him for attacks on policemen, causing of injuries, selling of drugs and similar.

He is also suspected to have been among those who led the action in which the USA Embassy was set on fire, ‘Blic’ learns.

According to findings by the investigation bodies, Bogdanov is one of the leaders of the extremist football fans’ group of the Red Star FC called ‘Ultras Boys’. He is also a member of the extremist ‘Movement 1389’.

In criminal charges it is written that Bogdanov is not employed and that he works from time to time as a member of security but it is not said at which company.
Kosovo ‘defender’.

He was arrested many times and the police have filed against him five criminal charges until so far. He took part in violent protests in Belgrade on several occasions – after proclamation of independence of Kosovo in 2004 and protest against arrest of Radovan Karadzic in 2008. He also forced the Red Star FC football players to wear shirts with the inscription ‘Justice for Uros’, a young hooligan who seriously injured a policeman during football match and was initially sentence to ten years in prison.

October 5

The ‘Ultras Boys’ are actually led by Marko Vuckovic Mare who took part in breaking of a police cordon in front of the federal Parliament and demolishing of the building of the national television on October 5, 2000. At that time he denied to have had participated in looting and destruction. He claimed to have only ‘disarmed policemen and gave them wearing ‘Otpor’ T-shirts in order to protect them from lynching by citizens.

At the moment in Serbia there are between two and three thousands of violent fans always on stand by with full equipment (masks, baseball sticks, knives, guns) waiting command from their leader.

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Sachin Tendulkar: The Master Blaster impresses Aussies with his Double bonanza in the ongoing …

Sachin Tendulkar, the man with the biggest blast from his bat, is someone who is recognized the world over by almost every sports person under the Sun, however, his great cricketing abilities never cease to make even the most coveted of cricketers most awestruck as his feats on the field are almost like a dream for most aspiring or even established cricketers. Thus, this time, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, with an amazing scorecard of 214 runs, the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, has been lauded as most amazing by the Australian cricketers, and also the former wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist.
The master blaster has impressed the Aussies with his double bonanza in the ongoing series. According to news reports, Adam Gilchrist has expressed his complete awe at Sachin’s durability and has gone on to say that the triple double centuries might get him to be hungrier for more runs, and therefore try to reach the triple century in the years to come. The Aussie cricket maestro has gone on to praise Sachin‘s hunger, saying that the player in Sachin has continued to make him play at the highest level. He also mentioned that the quality of a champion is true longevity, and Sachin has done it for the last 21 years, in a nation which is crazy about the game.

Gilchrist has also said that the cricketing master has shown his ability to evolve and have the great capacity to change his game as the years have gone by. Gilchrist is just at a loss of words, saying that what is there left for Sachin to achieve? Probably meaning that he has achieved everything that a cricketer might ever aspire to achieve in his life.

However, the bottom-line for the master blaster was that he will, and probably will remain hungry for more runs, and to achieve the triple century in his future test series, which will leave the world awestruck once again!

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Fantasy Basketball: The Dwight Howard Roto Dilemma

There isn’t another player who is as divisive across different scoring formats as Dwight Howard. He can be justified as high as third overall in head-to-head leagues, and can go as low as the fifth round when you switch over to a roto format. There have been a lot of ideas floated on how to build around Howard in roto leagues, many involving compensating for his free-throw percentage in subsequent rounds. Any strategy that causes you to sacrifice overall value for the sake of targeting specific categories cannot be an optimal one though, so I would avoid this at all costs.

One approach to dealing with Howard that hasn’t been talked about nearly enough and warrants strong consideration involves punting. The premise of punting a category (or two) in a rotisserie league may sound absurd on face value given how we consistently preach balance, but under the right circumstances it can be an extremely effective weapon with a high success rate. I’ll start out with a more general explanation that gets at the rationale behind a roto punt strategy, and then get into more specifics as we move on.

Its effectiveness depends on several factors that include your draft position, the quality of your opponents, and the number of managers in your league. As a whole, they will dictate whether a punt roto strategy is right for you.

Draft position – because a punting approach only works with a certain faction of players, your draft position is crucial in determining whether or not you have a realistic shot at landing the players needed to successfully implement this strategy.

Quality of opponents – the more competitive your league is, the more viable this strategy becomes. When you put together a group of high-caliber managers that tend to use similar rankings and implement comparable strategies, you’ll likely end up with a lot of teams bunched close together in the standings. This creates a window of opportunity where you can exploit these overlapping/redundant philosophies, and a low score in a single category (or two) has less of an impact in a tightly-bunched league.

Number of managers – the more managers in your league, the more punting makes sense. The talent pool available to each team is fairly limited in deeper leagues, making it harder to build a team that is strong across all nine categories. Punting is actually the optimal play here because it allows you to maximize value and avoid spreading yourself too thin.

The justification for punting in a roto league is a matter of point distribution. Applying a head-to-head mindset here, say you punt two categories to be dominant in four categories. Translate that to a 12-team roto league and you have two “1’s” and four “12’s” for a total of 50 points. That leaves three categories where you can average an “8” to get to 74 points, which should be enough to win a competitive roto league where most teams will be tightly bunched around the league average of 58.5 points.

Now this is easier said then done, and like I previously stated, its effectiveness depends on whether the circumstances allow for it.

When you examine the greatest single categorical deficiencies out there, the majority of them fall under three categories: field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and turnovers. The biggest categorical deficiency out there is Dwight Howard’s free-throw percentage, which comes in at an obscene 5.44 standard deviations below average. The next 12 largest categorical deficiencies from last season’s top-156 were:

Brandon Jennings – field-goal percentage (-2.91 standard deviations)
Monta Ellis – turnovers (-2.70)
Ben Wallace – free-throw percentage (-2.56)
Gilbert Arenas – turnovers (-2.51)
Steve Nash – turnovers (-2.49)
Josh Smith – free-throw percentage (-2.44)
Gilbert Arenas – field-goal percentage (-2.28)
LeBron James – turnovers (-2.25)
Emeka Okafor – free-throw percentage (-2.13)
Trevor Ariza – field-goal percentage (-2.08)
Dwight Howard – turnovers (-2.07)
Deron Williams – turnovers (-2.04)

Based on the data above, Dwight Howard clearly emerges as the ideal centerpiece to implement such a strategy with two of the 12 largest categorical negatives. Want to know the best part? He won’t be drafted in the first two, maybe three, rounds of most competitive roto leagues. I’ve seen him out there in the fifth round of drafts. Most owners simply aren’t in a position to account for his dreadful free-throw percentage impact. In a roto league, he is about the only guy out there who will single-handedly dictate your team’s makeup and build.

So how do you go about doing this thing? I would only recommend taking Howard and going with the punt approach if you land a top-three pick and can pair him with Kevin Durant(notes) (despite his positive FT% impact), Chris Paul(notes), and LeBron James. Those are about the only three players who have the strong multi-category positives necessary to make such a strategy worth it. In this case you would obviously be punting free-throw percentage and turnovers. Here’s a brief (and realistic) guide on which players you should target at each stage of the draft, with their ADP’s included:

Round 1: Kevin Durant (1.2), Chris Paul (2.8), LeBron James (3.0)

Rounds 2-3: Dwight Howard (11.3), Andre Iguodala(notes) (24.1), Al Jefferson(notes) (27.0), Monta Ellis (31.4), Tyreke Evans(notes) (31.5), Nene Hilario(notes) (38.3)

Rounds 4-5: Derrick Rose(notes) (30.4), Russell Westbrook(notes) (37.3), Marc Gasol(notes) (42.9), Darren Collison(notes) (44.5), Stephen Jackson(notes) (48.2)

Rounds 6-7: Baron Davis(notes) (58.0), Gilbert Arenas (60.1), Chris Kaman(notes) (69.7), Blake Griffin(notes) (73.3), Trevor Ariza (78.1)

Rounds 8-9: Tony Parker(notes) (92.4), Tyrus Thomas(notes) (93.4), Emeka Okafor (98.2), Andris Biedrins(notes) (100.7)

It should be noted that these ADP numbers include h2h leagues, where Howard is typically taken much earlier than his average. That should be enough to get you well on your way. The biggest plus about this whole strategy is that no one can stop you from doing it. The vast majority of those players I listed above are a lot less valuable in a nine-category roto format where owners have to be conscientious about their major inefficiencies. Your chances of landing these targets are quite high, even if the other owners begin to catch on to what you are doing.

One last thing I would add is that you should never punt more than two categories in a roto format. You would need to finish with “12’s” in all of the other six categories just to hit that 74-76 point range that should net you a championship. I believe that the most optimal implementation of this roto punt strategy is the two-category system I outlined above where Howard is the centerpiece, but it could certainly be effective if you choose to just punt one category (e.g. turnovers) instead.

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Photo via Getty Images

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McCoy has opportunity to STEEL the show

The Texas Longhorns will honor Colt McCoy in 2 weeks with making him the last Longhorn to ever wear #12 for the burnt orange.
Texas announced yesterday that Colt McCoy will be the 6th Longhorn to have his jersey retired after the college standout won more games as a starter (45) than any college quarterback in the history of the NCAA. McCoy also won 3 player of the year awards during his 4 years as a starter at UT.

McCoy will begin his starting QB career in the NFL much like he did in college football; with a lot of doubts.

McCoy will reportedly receive the start for the Browns this Sunday after Wallace and Delhomme fell to injury. McCoy will have a real chance to prove a lot of the nay sayers wrong if he can make some throws when called upon, and avoid any critical mistakes.

Basically he will have to revert back to his mentality in 2006 when he was forced to follow in the legendary footsteps of Vince Young.

McCoy would be wise to call his Longhorn buddy Vince Young to get some advice on the Steelers. Young could probably tell McCoy that they're one mean elite defense.

Vince Young's game V the Steelers this season is the only blemish on the quarterbacks stat sheet. Young went 7/10 66yds 0tds & the only 2 interceptions he has thrown this season. Young's performance was so bad, that Titans coach Jeff Fisher was forced to bench Young to avoid seeing him seriously injured.

If McCoy can manage to defeat the Steelers, he could build the foundation for a real future in the NFL. But that will not be an easy task, because the Steelers defense is a lot better than the Big 12 defenses McCoy faced during his 4yrs on the 40 acres of UT.

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Cliff Lee to Pitch Against Yankees in Game 3; Could He Join Them in Offseason?

While 32-year-old Cliff Lee is set to face the New York Yankees at the new Yankee Stadium in Game 3 of the ALCS, there's still plenty of talk that the veteran lefty could join the Bronx Bombers this offseason.

See, Lee, a combined 12-9 with a 3.18 ERA between the Mariners and Rangers, is a free agent following this season. Jon Heyman of SI.com has reported that Lee will likely be looking for a contract similar to the one the Yankees offered fellow lefty CC Sabathia two years ago: seven years at $161 million.

Of course, how Lee fares in Game 3—and potentially beyond—could play a major role in whether or not he gets CC-level money.

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OzRacingWrap 2010 Bathurst preview

Australia's two biggest football codes have both just celebrated their Grand Finals. In the case of the AFL, twice. For V8 Supercars this weekend sees their Grand Final held, with the running of the Super Cheap Bathurst 1000. It is save to say there can be no draw here, so the teams won't have to worry about coming back next week!Bathurst is the main event on the Australian v8 calendar and no one even attempts to say this is just another round of the Championship. The Mountain is the one bit of road every racer, including quite a few overseas drivers, want to conquer. However that pull of the Mountain means this race in particular is two races in one. There is the stand alone quest for the Peter Brock Trophey and there is the ongoing Championship fight and points on the line. By no means do those two goals always line up.

Thankfully for race fans, on the whole the drivers would rather risk it all for the Bathurst win than take the safety first option of the Championship points. That does change if the win is out of reach and then the drivers will focus on ensuring they come away with the best points all possible, until then though the fierce desire to win will hold sway.

This year sees a new rule banning teammates from racing with each other. It means all teams need to use part time drivers and makes the Championship chase a more pure fight. By and large the rule has been welcomed, especially by the midfield teams who struggled to match the front running cars when say a Lowndes and a Whincup combined. Often running only one car, they had no full time second driver and for many years have resorted to part timers. Many see the change giving them a real shot at Victory.

Jason Bright for one is happy with the change “I hate to say it, but I’ve been here on a number of occasions when, looking at the driver pairings we were up against, it was always going to be a big challenge to get a win. On some of those occasions we had a better run than we could have expected.

"Now that you're not allowed to team up your lead drivers it's certainly the best opportunity that I've had since 2006 with Frosty and before that since 1998. The pace of the car is certainly as good as any car in the field and we're still improving."

Perhaps the best known co-driver is David Brabham who will join Alex Davison in driving the Irwin Racing Falcon, fresh from his second American Le Mans Series title with Patron Highcroft Racing. The Le Mans winner is certainly not looking to just make up the numbers “My goal was to get in the top ten at Phillip Island, this was the first step, the next step is to get on the podium at Bathurst,” said IRWIN Racing’s David Brabham.
“At Phillip Island I had to focus a lot on myself and not worry about what was happening around me and just plug away at it. 

“The thing I took away from that weekend was confidence, which I’ll take with me to Bathurst.”

He also feels he has settled quicker into the car this time “I don’t think it’s actually taken me that long to feel comfortable again, which is really good, this comes from the support of everyone at IRWIN Racing,” said Brabham. 

“The transition (from sportscars) has been fast, it was just a quick question of me working on myself to be honest. 

“It was just prior to the (Phillip Island) race that I felt ‘yeah I can now contribute to the team’ in terms of my pace and feedback. 

“We started to make some set-up changes based on what I was saying and we had a pretty good race car, I was pleased that what I was saying had some accuracy to it.”

Though it is at the front end of the field, where the title fight is on in earnest that the biggest gain or indeed the biggest loss could be made this weekend. The Championship leader James Courtney is certainly not about to let the title fight impact him chasing the win "Bathurst is the biggest race in V8 Supercars so you don't hold back for anything," said the Jim Beam Racing Ford Falcon driver.

"The championship is also very important for different reasons, but I'm not going to Bathurst just to cruise around and protect my lead in the points.

"I'm going there to win. I've been on the podium three times (from five starts) at Bathurst, but never on the top step, and that's something I want to change!

"It's hard to split which is the most important between Bathurst or the championship. If you win either it's a great year, but if you win both it's a fantastic year!"

It is a big weekend for Dick Johnson Racing as they commerate the 30 year anniversary of the famous rock incident. With the support of proud partner Jim Beam, Dick Johnson has handpicked three original donators, all of whom donated (or have a connection to loved ones who donated) their hard earned cash and pocket money following the accident which grabbed the attention of the entire nation, to treat them to the ultimate Bathurst VIP experience.

As a way to personally thank the donators for their generous support shown thirty years ago, the VIP experience will include money-can’t-buy opportunities such as a meet and greet with Jim Beam Racing, a tour of their a pit garage, corporate hospitality (Paddock Club) tickets, a helicopter ride over Bathurst and the iconic Mt Panorama, and the chance to get on the track in a Safety Car Ride.

“The guests we have invited represent the thousands of people who donated money off their own backs to get Dick Johnson Racing back on the track the following year and to win Bathurst and the Championship Series . As my special guests for the weekend, we’ll be able to give them an experience they’ll never forget and to show them the very best of what Bathurst has to offer”, says Johnson, who is still humbled by the experience 30 years ago.

Courtney's main title rival Team Vodafones Jamie Whincup is likewise focused on the win after for him a disappointing Phillip Island race “We’ve got high expectations of the endurance races but it didn’t start the way we would have liked.” Whincup said.

“We’ve had four weeks between events to work on the car. The front bumper bar was bashing around a fair bit so the guys have changed the front end of the car.

“We’re going into the biggest race of the year and we need to drive as quickly as we did at Phillip Island because we want a solid result. Everything’s looking good so we’re going to go hard and see what happens.”

Indeed his big threat comes from the same garage where Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife are fresh from their L&H 500 win "Coming away with a win at Phillip Island obviously gives us great motivation for Bathurst and for Mark and I to be able to work together again is absolutely sensational,” Lowndes said.

“Testing gave opportunity to work on the car. We’ve run all the Bathurst drive line through it now and it’s feeling great.”

Semi-retired Skaife said a decade has changed nothing for the pair and he believes they will only improve at Bathurst.

“Driving together at L&H 500 was great and it didn’t really seem like anything had changed, besides a few more grey hairs,” Skaife laughed.

“Bathurst is a much bigger event but we are confident, between us we have won the race nine times, so we’re both looking forward to it.”

Another Ford driver in with a great shot at Victory is the man currently third in the Championship Mark Winterbottom, who will team up with Luke Youlden in the Ford Performance racing Falcon “It sounds like a cliché but I don’t think I’ve ever looked so forward to a Bathurst 1000,” Frosty said.

“This year feels really different … we’re heading into the weekend on a high, great momentum … everything is coming together at the right time so everyone’s pretty pumped,” he added.

Meanwhile the official Holden team Toll Holden Racing, will be looking for a improved effort from Phillip Island where both cars struggled. The defending winners from 20090 are turning the clock back with both cars to run in 1990 retro-livery. Garth Tander is looking forward to defending the crown “I consider driving for Holden’s official factory team a great honour and I am quite proud that we will be defending our Bathurst crown while celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beginning of HRT’s winning heritage,” Tander said.

“It is a fitting tribute – the cars look fantastic, the driving suits and team uniforms are retro cool and I know our fans will love it.”

Of course Bathurst being Bathurst, the winner could come from anywhere. The Mountain provides a gruelling test of man and machine and the best laid plans can come apart in the blink of a eye. Russell Ingall for one was making it clear at a press event earlier in the week that the predicted weather and the change to the drivers pairings, may see a wildcard winner. Ingall of course hopes that he and co-dirver Paul Morris are just the men to do it. One this is for sure the Enforcer and the Dude won't take a step backwards and will either "…win it or bin it…" as Ingall joked with the press.

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10 Amazing Skate Parks from Around the World

Skating, inline blading and BMX biking are enjoyed by people from every country in the world. Skate parks are like playgrounds to skaters, and fans of the sport are always on the lookout for the biggest, wildest, craziest courses to conquer! From America’s West Coast to City of France, skate parks come in all styles and each offers its own unique twist. Here are the world’s ten largest and most well-known skate parks!SkateLab, Atlantic Beach Florida





(images via skatelab)

Part indoor, part outdoor, the Atlantic Beach Skate Lab is a cornucopia of rails, verts, ramps and jumps. Unlike many strictly outdoor parks, weather does not affect your experience, as the inside area is just as expansive and enjoyable as the outdoor sector. As one of the most expansive skate parks on the east coast, riders from the southern states can enjoy total skating merriment!


Black Pearl Skate Park, Cayman Islands





(images via skateboardpark, concretedisciples)

Located in the gorgeous Cayman Islands, Black Pearl is the world’s largest outdoor concrete skate park. This massive park covers over 52,000 square feet and features courses for beginner, intermediate and expert skaters. Not big into skating? Located right next to the skate park is the world’s largest wave pool, producing a constant 11 foot swell to surf until your heart is content!

Louisville Extreme Park







(images via skateboardparks, louisvilleextremepark)

Boasting a 24 foot full pipe, Extreme Park never falls short of its name! This enormous concrete playground spans 40,000 square feet and ranks as one of the largest skate parks in the nation. Among the unique features of the park are its hours of operation. The park is actually open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing skating, biking or inline bliss on demand!


SMP Skatepark, Shanghai China




(images via smpskatepark, vitalbmx)

SMP Skate Park is an enormous outdoor spans 44,936 square feet and represents China’s largest skate park. Each year SMP holds an international skate competition known as “The Showdown.” If you’re a skater, its hard to think of a more fitting place to compete. Not a skater, not a problem! Enjoy the activities from a 12,300 square foot viewing deck and plaza!


Marseille Skatepark, France





(images via mareseilleskatepark, allosurf)

An urban skatepark covered in graffiti art work, Marseilles skate park is both beautiful and expansive. As France’s largest outdoor skate park, skaters from all over europe stop by to grind on the various painted bowls and verts. It’s unique style sets Marseilles apart from other parks around the world and offers a new experience unlike the usual terrain of outdoor parks.


Stoke Plaza, Stoke-On-Trent, England



(images via sketchyskateboarding)

Stoke Plaza is England’s premiere skate park, spanning 34,000 square feet. The park cost over $500,000 to create and features a unique design. If you don’t want to partake in the skating, there are quite a few designated “safe zones” where bystanders can hang out and observe!


VANS Skatepark, California





This enormous indoor/outdoor skate park was created by Vans Shoe Company, a prominent skating shoe brand. Made for inline skating and skateboarding, the slick wood allows for a smooth and controlled ride through the course’s ramps, rails and verts. Outside, riders can delight in concrete bowls and pools covering over 20,000 square feet of skateable area.


Kona Skate Park, Jacksonville, Florida




(images via flickr, skateboardpark)

The world-famous Kona skate park offers one of the world’s most unique skating experiences. Smooth, pastel colored concrete has helped make Kona a favorite among professionals and hobbyists, and has earned it a spot in several popular skating video games. New to the world of skating? No problem! Kona USA offers a skate camp with professional instructions to have you skating like a pro in no time!


Amazing Square Skate Park, Japan



(image via biglobe, willyharbs)

Amazing Square is a Japanese monster of a skate park! Featuring all the amenities of a good park, including a massive half pipe, the park is open 24 hours a day for total skating rapture! Enjoy street skating courses, rails, stairs and more as you skate around Tokyo’s most memorable park.


Lake Cunningham Regional Skate Park, California






(image via sjparks, skateparks)

Quite possibly one of the most unique skate parks, LCRSP is in a league all its own! Riders enjoy a 70 foot long, 22 foot wide full pipe, bowls, pools, thimbles, cradles, a mega wall and a street course! Spectators can watch the action for free but must sign a waiver at the door. Bikers can join in the fun and make use of the course, however the pools are off limits!

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