Vikings 20, Giants 19

Vikings rally past Giants to snag their first NFC North title
Associated Press - From NFL.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The New York Giants already were comfortably in the playoffs. However, there was nothing comfortable about the Minnesota Vikings' situation, let alone their entire season.

With plenty of practice in dealing with drama, the Vikings rallied past the resting Giants for a 20-19 victory Sunday afternoon to qualify for the postseason for the first time in four years.

"They had to earn it, as it should be, and that makes it that much sweeter," Minnesota coach Brad Childress said.

Ryan Longwell's 50-yard field goal as time expired gave the Vikings their first division title since 2000, rendering Chicago's game at Houston moot in the NFC North race. The Bears lost to the Texans 31-24 anyway, but this was the way the Vikings (10-6) were determined to go into the playoffs. They didn't want to back into their first NFC North championship since the league realigned six years ago.

"It wouldn't have felt the same if we won the division by default," Minnesota left guard Steve Hutchinson said.

The Vikings will host the Philadelphia Eagles in a first-round playoff game at 4:30 p.m. ET next Sunday.

Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was benched after two losses to open the season, the offense struggled into October, star middle linebacker E.J. Henderson was lost for the season to a foot injury, and the Vikings took a 3-4 record into their bye week. But they rebounded by winning five of their final six games and, despite last week's fumble-laden loss to the Atlanta Falcons and the Bears' overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers, they still had control of the tiebreaker -- and their fate.

The Giants (12-4) gave the Vikings a break well before the game started by beating the Carolina Panthers last week to clinch the top seed and gain home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Derrick Ward, who fueled last week's win over the Panthers, gave the Giants two 1,000-yard rushers -- only the fourth such running back tandem in NFL history -- by finishing with 77 yards on 15 carries. Brandon Jacobs got there earlier this month. The last set of teammates to do that in the same season was Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner of the Cleveland Browns in 1985.

The Giants put four starters on the inactive list: Jacobs (knee), tight end Kevin Boss (ankle), cornerback Aaron Ross (concussion) and nose tackle Barry Cofield (knee). Quarterback Eli Manning was joined on the sideline by a steady stream of other regulars during the second half. When Jackson found a wide-open Bernard Berrian for a 54-yard touchdown pass to cut New York's lead to two points midway through the fourth quarter, it was a third-string cornerback -- Terrell Thomas -- who fell down trying to cover him.

"They're a very talented team, and we knew coming in they were going to give us everything they had," said Domenik Hixon, who caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from David Carr to give the Giants a 16-10 edge in the third quarter.

Really, it was the Giants who gave the Vikings all they could handle despite a bunch of backups on the field and a clearly conservative offensive strategy in the second half.

"We always talk about improvement and how important improvement is. That's the way to improve right there, under game conditions," New York coach Tom Coughlin said.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29775&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG17

Giants 34, Panthers 28 F/OT

Giants beat Panthers in OT, wrap up top seed in NFC

Associated Press - From NFL.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The NFC road to the Super Bowl will run through the Meadowlands because the New York Giants did what they had to do against frigid, swirling wind -- run the ball.

Derrick Ward ran for career-best 215 yards and set up Brandon Jacobs' winning 2-yard touchdown run with 9:57 left in overtime and the Super Bowl champion Giants re-established themselves as the team to beat by earning the NFC's top seed for the postseason with a thrilling 34-28 comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.

"It's great for our fans to be able to play here at Giants Stadium," quarterback Eli Manning said after the Giants (12-3) snapped a two-game losing streak by rushing for a season-high 301 yards. "You never know what the weather is going to be like here. We're used to playing in those cold and windy games and I would like to think we would have the advantage in some of those. I think it will be fun playing the games at home."

The fans who braved the numbing wind chill has plenty of fun watching this one. They tossed snowballs onto the field earlier and threw it like confetti when Jacobs won the game.

"The last two weeks we've been disgraceful running the ball," said Ward, whose total was the fourth highest in Giants' history. "We've had our doubters, that we hit our peak in the past. We knew that we could run the ball. That's what the New York Giants are. We run the ball."

New York had clinched a first-round bye earlier in the day when Atlanta beat Minnesota, then added the icing on this frosty night by beating Carolina (11-4) in the winner-take-all game for the NFC's top seed.

"The only message we sent tonight is that team is getting that swagger back that we had last year at the end of the season," middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "They're going to fight for 60 minutes, overtime, cold weather, being down. To keep fighting, that's what I'm most proud of."

New York forced the overtime when Jacobs plowed into the end zone from a yard out, and Manning hit Domenik Hixon on a slant pattern for the tying 2-point conversion with 3:21 to play.

Jacobs, who was sidelined in last week's loss to Dallas with a knee injury, finished with three short touchdown runs, and Manning and Kevin Boss combined on a 4-yard touchdown pass as the Giants showed that the cold and wind was to their liking.

The loss spoiled a record-tying, four-touchdown performance by Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, who gave Carolina a 28-20 lead with a 30-yard TD run 2 minutes into the final quarter. He also scored on runs of 13, 5 and 1 yards.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29759&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG16&override=true

Cowboys 20, Giants 8

Cowboys lean on defense to stifle Manning, Giants
Associated Press - From NFL.com

IRVING, Texas -- After all he and the Dallas Cowboys went through the last week, Tony Romo was one clutch play from the ultimate peacemaker: a victory.

And, for that clutch play, he threw to good pal Jason Witten.

This time, Terrell Owens was fine with that.

Witten gained 11 yards on a third-and-9 play late in the fourth quarter, keeping the New York Giants from getting the ball back with time to pull off a comeback. Then rookie Tashard Choice followed with a 38-yard touchdown run, and the Cowboys beat the Giants 20-8 on Sunday night to help their playoff chances and, perhaps, ensure at least one week's worth of locker-room harmony.

"It was just something we had to deal with," said Owens, no stranger to controversy. "We just stuck together. We knew what was important, and that was the game today."

While the soap-opera offense receives all the attention, the defense is doing much of the work in keeping the Cowboys (9-5) in the playoff hunt.

DeMarcus Ware sacked Eli Manning on New York's first snap, and the pressure never stopped. Ware finished with three sacks, upping his NFL-leading total to 19, and Dallas rang up a season-high eight. It was the unit's third straight game with at least five.

Cornerback Terence Newman, involved in his own tiff this week, intercepted two passes, and the Cowboys kept New York (11-3) without a touchdown for the first time since November 2004.

The Giants locked up the NFC East title last Sunday, but they have lost consecutive games for the first time since starting 0-2 last season. Both losses have come since star wide receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg and was lost for the season. Yet New York can flush it all away by winning its next game, at home Sunday night against Carolina in a matchup that will decide the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

"I'm disappointed, a little frustrated, but not concerned," said Manning, who was 18-of-34 passing for 191 yards with two interceptions. "We have to get back to playing good football. We'll have our hands full. The defense is playing well, but offensively, we're not doing our part."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29750&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG15&override=true

Eagles 20, Giants 14

Eagles jump back into playoff race by upsetting Giants

Associated Press - From NFL.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook and the desperate Philadelphia Eagles proved more of a headache for the New York Giants than all the chaos surrounding Plaxico Burress.

Westbrook ran 30 yards for a touchdown, caught another 40-yarder from McNabb, and the Eagles limited the Giants to 211 total yards in a 20-14 victory Sunday that ended the Super Bowl champions' seven-game winning streak and momentarily prevented them from clinching the NFC East.

"I just think we kind of beat them," said Eagles tight end L.J. Smith, who has six catches for 44 yards. "It's tough to say. That's one of those: 'How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll?' Who knows if the distractions hurt them and helped us? I don't know."

The statistics were all Philadelphia (7-5-1).

McNabb finished 19-of-30 for 191 yards on a windy day that the Eagles controlled the ball for almost 35 minutes. Westbrook was the workhorse, gaining 131 yards on a season-high 33 carries and catching six passes for 72 yards. The defense limited New York's league-leading rushing game to 88 yards.

"This was a big win," Westbrook said after the Eagles won their second straight game. "But we're in a position now where we have to win them all."

The Giants (11-2) won the division title anyway, when Pittsburgh beat Dallas later Sunday.
However, this is going to remembered as the game the Super Bowl champions came up empty on offense and defense after a week of scrutiny and media hype following the suspension of Burress for the rest of the season in a wake of nightclub shooting.

It also didn't help that there is an ongoing investigation into the role of middle linebacker Antonio Pierce in the aftermath of the incident in which Burress shot himself.

"It's a great story," defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said. "I'm glad you can use it, but it's a dead issue with us."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin also downplayed the distraction theory.

"We didn't play well," he said. 'We didn't play the way we had been playing. We're a better football team than that. As far as all those other things go, that's all speculation."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29727&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG14

From Hero To Zero

BAMBINO: The rise to fame is long and takes exruciatingly hard work to get there. The fall from grace is quick, the landing is hard, and the recovery is virtually non-existent. Plaxico Burress did just that with his boneheaded decision to carry an un-licensed loaded pistol into an NYC nightclub and then have it go off accidentally and hit him in the thigh.

I still cannot believe someone can be that stupid, especially after what transpired last season for Burress. He forever put himself into Giants' lore with is game winning catch in SB XLII, then puts himself into Giants' infamy with a variety of issues this season culminating with the gun incident.

Plax has no respect for his coaches, his team, and the fans with his selfish behavior. Now, the Giants placed him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List which in essence is a suspension without pay. I hope the Giants legally can void his contract and get his dumb-ass away from the Football Giants.

Lawrence Taylor, who practiced self destructive behavior during his down-time, never came close to this type of stuff. LT was loved by his team mates, coaches, and fans. We loved LT, because when Sunday came, he was ready to play and played with fury and passion despite his partying. Not that I, as a fan, didn't love Plaxico's contributions to last year's title, his laziness and constant bickering with Coach Coughlin, a coach who galvanized this team to a championship, was unacceptable to me.

Well, the Giants are deep at WR and I feel they can win without this cancer. The sooner he's away from Big Blue permanently, the better. Sorry Plax, but you stepped over the line too many times this year. Time to go.

Giants 23, Redskins 7

Giants sweep Redskins, fortify control of NFC East

Associated Press - From NFL.com

LANDOVER, Md. -- The New York Giants have shoved every distraction aside, including a shooting incident involving their star receiver, to become as dominant as, say, a Chicago Bulls team with Michael Jordan.

Perhaps that's no coincidence.

At one of the first meetings of training camp, coach Tom Coughlin discussed the 1991-92 Bulls as a team for the Giants to emulate in the bid to repeat as Super Bowl champions. That was the first season that MJ won a back-to-back, and the Giants remained solidly on pace to keep up with His Airness after Sunday's 23-7 victory over the Washington Redskins.

"That really kind of set our whole season going and focused in the right direction," receiver Amani Toomer said. "And we've been answering every call ever since."

Added defensive end Justin Tuck: "Maybe everybody wants to have something to do with Michael Jordan."

Jordan would certainly approve of the 11-1 record, as well as the way the Giants aren't letting anything -- on or off the field -- get in the way. Two days after Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself at a Manhattan nightclub, the Men in Blue braved a dreary mid-Atlantic rain to hold Clinton Portis to a season-low 22 yards and produce Eli Manning's first 300-yard game of the season.

"We can't fly yet," Tuck said. "But on the football field, we're playing pretty well. Obviously you try your best to stay grounded and stay humble about it, but right now we're playing good football."

Burress' injuries are not serious, but he is expected to deal with a criminal charge over the shooting, his latest misstep in a season of fines and suspension. Coach Tom Coughlin said he addressed the team concerning Burress -- then it was back to football.

"Come Sunday, 1 o'clock, when the whistle's blowing in between those lines, and you're in the stadium, that's the only focus you've got," said linebacker Antonio Pierce, who reportedly was with Burress at the time of the shooting. "That's the only thing this team ever does is focus on our opponent and the challenge that's at hand. We had a lot of challenges obviously going into this game."

The Giants have won seven straight, including six in a row against teams with winning records, and have a three-game lead over the second-place Dallas Cowboys with four to play. They completed a sweep of the Redskins by manhandling them in the major statistical categories, including total yards (404-320) and time of possession (35:44-24:16).

They set the tone on the game's first drive, accepting the Redskins' dare to throw the ball in the bad weather. With Washington bracing for the run and playing a pressing man-to-man defense, Manning threw for 68 on the drive, capped when Toomer beat Fred Smoot one-on-one down the right sideline for a 40-yard touchdown.

"When a team presses you, they're kind of disrespecting you as a receiving corps," Toomer said, "so to get a big play like that early kind of lets them know we're not afraid of them -- and we'll go right at you."

The Redskins (7-5) never recovered because they don't have the offense to do so. They've lost three of four -- with all three losses at home and scored only four touchdowns combined in the four games. After a 6-2 start, they now trail Dallas in the wild-card race.

No one epitomized the Redskins' mood better than coach Jim Zorn, whose day was already rolling downhill when he watched his team fail to stop the Giants' first extra point -- even though the holder bobbled the ball badly.

"To have the holder be able to drop the ball, look up, reset the ball, and have them kick it through was very upsetting. Shouldn't have happened," Zorn said. "That kind of set me off, and I started whining about everything. I was on everybody. I was even on myself."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29714&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG13

Giants 37, Cardinals 29

Manning leads Giants in desert again, this time taking down Cards

Associated Press - From NFL.com

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Eli Manning insists he never flashed back to his previous game in Glendale. Everyone who watched him Sunday must have.

Manning threw for three touchdowns in his return to the scene of his Super Bowl MVP performance and the New York Giants beat Arizona 37-29 to snap the Cardinals' seven-game home winning streak.

"It's just a totally different feel, it's just a different time," Manning said. "You never really compared it to the last time we were here. We knew we'd have a tough contest with Arizona."

Defensive end Justin Tuck, though, admitted to "a little deja vu."

"Once you got back out here, you see the field and this stadium looking like a space ship, you start to think about that night and how it felt," he said.

With starting running back Brandon Jacobs out with a knee injury, the Giants took to the air to win their sixth in a row. Manning completed 26 of 33 for 240 yards with no interceptions as the Giants moved to 10-1, tied for the best record in the NFL.

"He just continues to do whatever has to be done to win a game," New York coach Tom Coughlin said.

Kurt Warner, under fierce pressure most of the afternoon, was 32-for-52 for 351 yards and a touchdown for Arizona (7-4). He was intercepted once and fumbled once, both leading to Giants touchdowns.

"They're a good defense and we matched up with them very well and went toe to toe with them for 60 minutes," Warner said. "Of course, you never want to go away a loser and that part is disappointing. I think you leave from this game and move ahead. If we eliminate some of the mistakes we can play with anybody in the league."

Besides the turnovers, the Cardinals allowed two long kickoff returns to set up scores.
"Whenever you can put our offense in that type of field position, it's a great thing," Tuck said, "especially with the weapons that we have."

On the field where they upset New England in last season's Super Bowl, the Giants (10-1) took the lead late in the first half and never relinquished it.

"That's a well-coached football team with a tremendous amount of depth that doesn't make many mistakes," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "To me that was the key today. We just made too many mistakes."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29700&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG12&override=true

Giants 30, Ravens 10

Ravens unable to stop Giants' fierce rushing attack
Associated Press - From NFL.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants needed only two plays to show they could run the ball against Ray Lewis and the NFL's stingiest rushing defense.

Of course, the one that set the stage was a busted play.

Brandon Jacobs set up the first of his two short touchdown runs by bouncing to the outside for a tone-setting 36-yard ramble and the Giants (9-1) amassed more than 200 yards rushing for the third straight game in a 30-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

"You tell me," Jacobs said when asked if his run down the left sideline set the tone for the game. "I think it did right away. The guys knew right away we could run the ball on these guys. It's not impossible."

Running against the Ravens (6-4) had been impossible for everyone else for the first nine games. They led the league, yielding an average of 65.4 yards, and no individual had rushed for 100 yards in any of the past 28 games against them.

Jacobs might have gotten there had he not tweaked a knee in the first half. He finished with 73 yards on 11 carries, but he had only two carries after halftime.

The one that will be remembered came on the second play from scrimmage. Jacobs took a handoff toward the right guard and found the hole stacked with four Ravens. So he improvised. He reversed to the left and outrun the backside containment and went down the sideline.

Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce called the play a game changer.

"It showed them that they could run the ball," Pryce said. "When you do that against our defense, you have some confidence. It makes things easier. The way it happened was a fluke when we had him, but he bounced and went all the way to the other side. You don't think that a big back can run that fast, but he does."

The Giants finished with 207 yards rushing against a defense that had not given up more than 76 yards to any opponent this season. The last time an opponent got more than 100 yards was Seattle, which ran for 144 on Dec. 23, 2007.

"They have a great defense, a great front, great linebackers with a lot of experience," Giants offensive tackle David Diehl said. "You watch film and you see teams get frustrated by only making 2 or 3 yards or getting tackled for a loss. The great thing is, we just stuck to our game plan. We knew that if we just kept pounding away that eventually they were going to crack."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29681&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG11

Giants 36, Eagles 31

Giants solidify hold on NFC East with win at Philadelphia

Associated Press - from NFL.com

PHILADELPHIA -- If there was any doubt the New York Giants rule the NFC East, the Super Bowl champions erased it Sunday night.
Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes,

Brandon Jacobs had two TD runs and the Giants held on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 36-31 and further distance themselves from the pack in the NFL's toughest division.

The Eagles had the ball at their own 45 with 1:55 left, but Brian Westbrook was stopped by Chase Blackburn on fourth-and-1.

"It was exhilarating," Blackburn said of the clinching tackle.

The Giants (8-1) are two games ahead of the Washington Redskins and three in front of the Eagles (5-4) and Dallas Cowboys. New York is 3-0 against its division rivals, but has only one other win against an opponent with a winning record.

"It's great to win here," coach Tom Coughlin said. "It reinforces everything we believe about team, supporting each other and finding a way to win the game."

Two close calls went in their favor in the second half.

Jacobs lost the ball at the goal line on his 2-yard TD run that made it 36-24. The Eagles challenged, but officials upheld the play.

The Giants went ahead 27-24 two plays after a reversed call gave them a first down at the Eagles' 3. Manning's 17-yard pass to Kevin Boss on third-and-10 was initially ruled illegal because he appeared to release the ball from beyond the line of scrimmage. Replays showed Manning's back foot was behind the line, and Jacobs ran in from the 3 for the go-ahead score.

"I think the way the rule is written, it was worth taking a shot at it," said Manning, who urged Coughlin to challenge the call. "If you have one toe on the line of scrimmage, then it's a legal pass. I thought it was worth the risk."

The Eagles were surprised the play was overturned.

"I don't know what they were looking at," defensive tackle Mike Patterson said.

Donovan McNabb had three TD passes for the Eagles, but the Giants shut down Westbrook.
McNabb's 2-yard TD toss to Kevin Curtis on fourth down cut it to 36-31 with 5:30 left.

The defense stopped the Giants on the ensuing possession and the Eagles took over at their 14 with 3:14 and one timeout remaining. But they couldn't put together a winning drive.

Westbrook was stuffed on two straight plays after McNabb's 7-yard scramble set up a third-and-3 near midfield. McNabb didn't seem to agree with the playcalling on Philadelphia's final two plays.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29670&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG10

Hail To The Chief!!!

BAMBINO: Well, the American people have spoken. President Elect Obama was not my choice but I will support him and give him the benefit of the doubt. I refuse to do what the unwashed Kool-Aid left did to George W. Bush. My love for my country means more to me than my dislike for one man.

Barack Obama is a unique story in American history and he is to be respected, although I already hear Sean Hannity ripping him apart. I love Hannity but his sour grapes are a little too much to bear. Obama ran a supberb campaign and beat John McCain fair and square. He is my president and stand behind him until he proves to me otherwise.

God Bless America!!!!

Election 2008

BAMBINO: Well, after 2 years of hyperbole and political rhetoric, we will cast our votes. One of these gentlemen pictured will lead our great nation. I prefer it to be John McCain (I voted for him this morning). I am a conservative and believe that Senator McCain comes close to the values that I hold dear. Barack Obama is the antithesis of a conservative, but I do believe if he is elected, he will govern from the center and not the left.

Other races that I am interested in is for the 13th Congressional District of NY. This is the only Republican district in New York City and was held since 1997 by disgraced House Member Vito Fosella. I was a long time supporter of Mr. Fossella but his conduct in the end was unacceptable. Robert Straniere is running in his place for the GOP against heavily funded Democratic NY City Councilman Michael McMahon. McMahon is a conservative democrat and a gentleman, but he endorsed Senator Obama for president and is towing the DNC line. Based on that, I cannot vote for him.

My wife and I will be tuning in to FOX News around 8pm to watch the returns. It should be fun.

McCain/Palin 2008

Giants 35, Cowboys 14

Giants seize control early, drop Cowboys to last place in NFC East

Associated Press - From NFL.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Halfway through the season, it's safe to say the Super Bowl champion New York Giants are the team to beat in the NFC, and the injury ravaged Dallas Cowboys -- the preseason favorite -- will need to make a run after their bye just to make the postseason.

Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes, Brandon Jacobs rushed for 117 yards and a score and the Giants defense took advantage of the continued absence of the injured Tony Romo to intercept three passes in a 35-14 victory on Sunday.

"When a football team comes in here and it is kind of depleted as far as injuries go, you don't want to give them any sunlight," said Giants defensive end Justin Tuck. "You don't want to give them any light whatsoever."

In winning their five straight at home, the Giants (7-1) were in control from start in opening a three-game lead over the defending NFC East champion Cowboys (5-4) in the division.

"It was important for us to win the game and be 2-0 in our division," Giants middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "When we were 4-0, somebody asked me about an undefeated season. I just think about being undefeated in our division. That's 6-0. That's the most important record to us. This is another step toward that."

The loss was the third in four games for Dallas, which fell into last place in the division behind Washington (6-2) and Philadelphia (5-3), not something anyone expected from the team many considered the favorite to win the NFC.

However, nobody expected the Cowboys to lose Romo for three games with a broken pinkie or to have safety Roy Williams and punter Mat McBriar lost to season-ending injuries.

"We still have seven games left and we need to go on a run," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones smiled when asked if the goal was to simply make the playoffs.

"If you give me the playoffs and not worry about the division, I'll take it," Jones said after the game, adding the return of Romo after the bye will only fix one of the many things wrong with his team.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29653&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG9&override=true

Brazilian GP: Massa Wins Race but Hamilton Wins Title by One Point in Frantic Finish at Interlagos!!!!

BAMBINO: Wow, what a finish to another great F1 season. Lewis Hamilton avoided disaster by passing Timo Glock on the final turn to finish 5th thus securing the Driver's Championship. Hamilton, on Intermediates in the drizzle, was passed by Vettel, also on Intermediates, and was in 6th going into the final few turns. Felipe Massa already won the race and thought he had won the Championship, but Timo Glock, running on slicks, could not hold off Lewis across the finish line. A heartbreak for Massa and Ferrari, but jubilation and triumph for Lewis Hamilton and McLaren.

I myself do not like Hamilton because he drives for McLaren. With that said, I think he is a fabulous driver and a deserved World Champion. I tip my Ferrari cap to him on his Driver's Title. Well done Chap!

Ferrari did win the Constructor's Championship, but clearly they were feeling the blues over not winning the Driver's Title. I am sure they will rue the engine failure of Massa's F2008 in Hungary on the penultimate lap and the fuel rig mishap in Singapore. Those were valuable points lost. Oh well, that's racing. All in all, it was a great race and a great season. Congrats again to Lewis Hamilton and McLaren.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/081102195327.shtml

Giants 21, Steelers 14

Giants use late fourth-quarter comeback to down Steelers

Associated Press - From NFL.com

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers, stretched thin by injuries and their own mistakes, repeatedly kept the New York Giants out of their end zone. A game the Steelers were controlling turned dramatically when they couldn't stay out of that end zone themselves.

Eli Manning threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss with 3:11 remaining for the Giants' only touchdown after they tied it several minutes before on a bizarre safety.

Emergency snapper James Harrison snapped the ball out of the end zone to give New York the pivotal two points, and the Giants rallied to beat Pittsburgh for a 21-14 victory Sunday in a matchup of division leaders.

The resilient Steelers (5-2), playing with backups all over the field, tried to make up for Ben Roethlisberger's four interceptions and five sacks by turning two big-play scores into a 14-12 lead they preserved with a goal-line stand midway through the fourth quarter.

The Super Bowl champion Giants (6-1) tied it with 6:48 remaining when Pro Bowl linebacker Harrison, playing center due to long snapper Greg Warren's torn anterior cruciate ligament, snapped the ball over punter Mitch Berger's head.

"Nobody has two long snappers on their team; what you have are emergency snappers," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "James Harrison is regarded as the lead candidate. We got some snaps on the sideline and we felt comfortable.... We just weren't able to get it done. That was the first game I have been involved in that we didn't have a snapper."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin knew Pittsburgh was without a snapper, saying, "That's why we brought the pressure. I don't know if it disturbed them, but the snap was high."

The snapping predicament came shortly after the Steelers, already playing without injured left tackle Marvel Smith, left guard Kendall Simmons, running back Willie Parker and cornerback Bryant McFadden and suspended wide receiver Santonio Holmes, lost safety Ryan Clark (dislocated right shoulder) during the physical game.

"I was nervous about snapping for the first time in a game," Harrison said. "But my feeling was that even if I shot it over his head, we still had a chance to stop them."

John Carney kicked four field goals for New York, hitting from 26, 35, 25 and 24 -- an indication of how many times the Giants threatened but couldn't get into the end zone against the NFL's top-ranked defense until Boss scored.

"You want situations where they kind of have you in a corner and you have to come out swinging," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. "Obviously, we responded pretty well. ... Guys really understand what it takes to win in situations like this."

Manning, held in check most of the game while going 19-of-32 for 199 yards, finally took advantage of the tiring and depleted Steelers defense by finding Steve Smith for 25 yards to the 25 on the decisive drive.

Brandon Jacobs followed with an 8-yard run, and Manning hit Plaxico Burress for 8 yards ahead of Derrick Ward's 7-yard run. The TD pass to Boss came on a second-and-2 play.

"Things weren't going well at times and it's easy to get frustrated, but we didn't," Manning said. "We hung in there tough and found a way to win. Getting frustrated is not going to fix anything. Sometimes you've got to take the field goals and hope that the defense will keep playing tough."

The Steelers had won their previous nine home games against NFC teams, and Roethlisberger (13-of-29, 189 yards) had been 13-3 against the conference, but Pittsburgh couldn't hold on despite getting two big-play touchdowns from backups.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29641&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG8

Giants 29, 49'ers 17

Giants use dominating defense to hold off struggling 49ers

Associated Press

- from NFL.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Who cares that the New York Giants' run on the road is over? The Super Bowl champions are winning at home this season.

Brandon Jacobs ran for two touchdowns, Eli Manning threw for one, Michael Johnson had two interceptions and the Giants managed to make fewer mistakes than the woeful San Francisco 49ers in a 29-17 victory on Sunday in a sloppily played game.

The victory was the fourth straight at home for the Giants (5-1) -- one more than they had last season -- and it sent the 49ers (2-5) to their fourth straight loss.

"Last year I don't want to say we didn't want to come home and play," said defensive end Justin Tuck, who had two sacks. "But we felt more comfortable on the road."
Not this year.

"It's fun to win here when you get fans like this behind you," added defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who had a key fumble recovery. "They really understand the game and they love it. It gives you an added incentive that makes it important to us."

While the fans had a lot to cheer about, this game wasn't pretty for either team, especially San Francisco, which turned over the ball three times, allowed six sacks, a safety and had 13 penalties for 134 yards. Combined it handed New York 19 points.

The problem for San Francisco is that the season is slipping away quickly.

"We've got to turn this thing around," center Eric Heitmann said. "I think everyone on the team feels this isn't the same team (5-11) we had last year. This is a different team, a much better team. This is a team that should not be 2-5. The character on this team will do everything to turn this around, and it starts right now with Seattle coming up."

The Giants had their ugly moments, too. On the verge of building a 17-point lead late in the third quarter, Manny Lawson blocked John Carney's field-goal attempt and Nate Clements returned it 74 yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 24-17.

Carney atoned moments later with a 48-yard field goal, and the defense iced the game with a sack that led to a safety when receiver Josh Morgan kicked the ball out of his end zone.

"We're happy to be at 5-and-1," said Manning, who was 16-of-31 for 161 yards. "We've played some outstanding games, offensively and defensively. Today our defense played well. That's football and you're going to go through all sorts of situations. It's all about finding ways to win, to gut it out. That's what we did."

New York never trailed in rebounding from a loss in Cleveland on Monday night that ended its 11-game road winning streak, 12 including the Super Bowl win over New England.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29623&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG7

Chinese GP: Hamilton One Step Closer to Title in Dominating Win in Shanghai!!!

Lewis Hamilton completely dominated the 56-lap Chinese Grand Prix to inch closer to the world championship on a day when Ferrari and Felipe Massa simply had no answer to the pace of the leading McLaren Mercedes. Heading to the season finale in Brazil, Hamilton leads the championship by seven points from Massa who was this afternoon gifted second position by Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton launched into the lead from pole position and quickly established a three second lead from the chasing Raikkonen. Running third, Massa dropped away to 15 seconds behind Hamilton by the first round of pit stops, a gap that the McLaren driver would manage to the chequered flag...

Hamilton’s fifth victory of the season at Shanghai International Circuit also marks the fifth straight winner at this venue. As Hamilton celebrates his most dominant win of the season, Ferrari can only look back on this even and admit they simply did not have the pace with the F2008 package. The silver-lining is that extend the lead from McLaren in the constructors’ championship to 11 points.

"The team have done a phenomenal job really preparing the car and making steps forward," beamed Hamilton. "We came here and the car felt fantastic all weekend and I owe so much to the guys not just at the track but back home. They have done a phenomenal job and the car is really a dream to drive."

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/081019103923.shtml

FINAL RESULTS:

1) Lewis Hamilton - McLaren -Mercedes

2) Felipe Massa - Ferrari

3) Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

4) Fernando Alonso -Renault

5) Nick Heidfeld - BMW

6) Robert Kubica - BMW

7) Timo Glock - Toyota

8) Nelson Piquet Jr - Renault

DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP:

1) Lewis Hamilton - 94

2) Felipe Massa - 87

CONSTRUCTOR'S CHAMPIONSHIP:

1) Scuderia Ferrari - 156

2) McLaren - Mercedes - 145

Japanese GP: Alonso Wins Second in a Row as Championship Race Tightens at Fuji!!!

BAMBINO: I didn't see the race because it was on at an un-Godly hour, but I did see race highlights. Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton made moves against one another with Massa punting Hamilton off a chicane resulting in Massa getting a drive-through penalty.

The punt benefitted Massa as he was able to finish 2 points ahead of Hamilton closing within 5 points of the Driver's Championship with two to go.

FINAL RESULTS:

1) Fernando Alonso - Renault

2) Robert Kubica - BMW

3) Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

4) Nelson Piquet Jr - Renault

5) Jarno Trulli - Toyota

6) Sebastien Vettel - Scuderia Toro Rosso - Ferrari

7) Felipe Massa - Ferrari

8) Mark Webber - Red Bull - Renault

Browns 35, Giants 14

Browns knock Giants from the ranks of the undefeated

Associated Press - from NFL.com

CLEVELAND -- Through weeks of frustration, injuries and a near-quarterback change, the Cleveland Browns never lost hope in this season.

On Monday night, they may have saved it.

With quarterback Derek Anderson outplaying Eli Manning, Braylon Edwards making big catches and Eric Wright returning an interception 94 yards for a touchdown, the Browns won on Monday night for the first time since 1993, ending New York's 11-game road winning streak with a 35-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champions.

Anderson, whose job was in serious jeopardy and may have been down to one more loss, threw one of his two touchdown passes to Edwards, who announced his team's return to the NFL's prime-time weekday slot by performing a cartwheel and back flip during pregame introductions and then making the Giants look foolish.

In their first four games, the Browns (2-3) had shown no signs of living up to high expectations following a 10-6 season. They had dropped their first two games at home and had only a triumph over winless Cincinnati so far in 2008.

Now, they've got something to brag about.

"This is us," Anderson said. "These were the guys who made plays all last season."
Anderson finished 18-for-29 for 310 yards, Edwards caught five passes for a career-high 154 yards and Jamal Lewis scored on a 4-yard run for the Browns, who handed the Giants (4-1) their first loss, leaving the Tennessee Titans as the NFL's only unbeaten team.

Manning was picked off three times and the Giants, so dominant through their first four games, were roughed up by the Browns.

In the closing minutes, Browns fans chanted "Over-rated" at the high-profile New Yorkers.
Aside from some more silly penalties, the Browns were superior to the Giants, who had reeled off 11 straight wins -- 12 counting the Super Bowl -- outside of New Jersey since Week 1 last season. But Manning was not himself and New York, which embarrassed Cleveland during the exhibition season, missed an opportunity to open a two-game lead in the brutal NFC East.

"I threw three interceptions," Manning said. "That's unacceptable. That's not the way we win games. You're going to lose a game every once in a while, but we don't like the way we played. That's what's disappointing."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29616&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG6

Giants 44, Seahawks 6

Giants score on first six possessions in blowout win over Seahawks, from NFL.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants are this year's New England Patriots -- so far.

In a nearly flawless performance, Eli Manning threw two touchdowns, Brandon Jacobs ran for two more and the unbeaten Giants scored on their first five possessions in a 44-6 victory that embarrassed the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The win was the eighth straight for the Giants (4-0) dating to last year's playoffs, and it gave the Super Bowl champions their best start since 1990, when they posted a 13-3 record and also won the NFL title. The Giants rolled up 523 yards in total offense, their most since collecting 524 yards against Green Bay on Jan. 6, 2002, and limited Seattle to 187.

"You want to win every game," Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "That's not very realistic. It's only happened twice in the NFL, teams went to the postseason undefeated. If we can go undefeated in the division, that could be the best undefeated record we could have."

When pressed about a comparison with last year's Patriots, whose only blemish was their Super Bowl loss to the Giants, Pierce downplayed the unbeaten record.

"We're one of the top five, 10 teams in the league," he said in self-deprecating manner. "Some other guys have better special teams, better name players, better coaches, a lot of things. We're just one of the teams that is lucky to get to 4-0."

Not only did the Giants get to 4-0, but they did so with leading receiver Plaxico Burress suspended for a game for missing a team activity on Sept. 22.

They even did it after a bye week. New York had been 4-15 in post-bye week games.
"We have been kind of soft after our bye week but we knew we had to come out here and play ball, because this team beat us pretty badly the last two times we played them," said Jacobs, who rushed for 136 yards on 15 carries.

For the Seahawks, this was another dreadful trip east. They are 1-6 in their last seven cross-country flights and are 3-8 in their last eight road games overall.

Making matters worse for the four-time defending NFC West champions, they are now 1-3, their worst start since 2002.

"Well, that was a good, old-fashioned, you know what," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "I believe we are a better football team than that, but the Giants really took it to us."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29595&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG5

Singapore GP: Alonso shines in the lights to take the win in 1st ever night Grand Prix!!!!!

The cards fall for Fernando Alonso! From F1-Live.com

The first ever Formula One night race saw Fernando Alonso take a stunning victory from 15th position on the grid on a day when a safety car and pit errors turned the tables in favour of the former champion and the Renault team.

Ironically, the fuel pressure failure on Alonso’s R28 in qualifying yesterday - combined with the antics of team-mate Nelson Piquet, forced a risky strategy and a timely safety car respectively that gave the former champion the chance he grasped to claim his 20th Grand Prix win.

The 61-lap race saw Felipe Massa dominate the opening laps of the race, pulling away from championship rival Lewis Hamilton with some ease to enjoy a comfortable four second advantage. That advantage was swiftly turned into a massive deficit after Nelson Piquet planted his Renault firmly in the wall and brought out the first safety car period of the race.

While the unfortunate Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg were forced to pit whilst the safety car was on track and the pit lane closed, Massa, Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and the other front runner were able to wait for the pits to open before they all stopped together for that critical first stop.

Not for the first time this year there was a big error from the Ferrari team. Massa received the signal to leave the pit, only to find the fuel hose still attached, crew in the way and the ever unfortunate Adrian Sutil motoring serenely down the pit lane. Massa came to a halt at the end of the pit lane having narrowly avoided the Force India and waited on the team to come and collect the fuel hose before he could continue.

That put Massa to the back of the field and the subsequent drive through penalty for a dangerous release (remarkably similar to Valencia where he received a fine only) effectively ended his race. The Brazilian would take the chequered flag in 13th position and lose ground in the title race.

Alonso meanwhile had opted to take the soft tyre for an aggressive first stint on low fuel and had pitted ahead of the safety car. This vaulted him up to fourth position on track behind two drivers who had yet to pit at all and Rosberg who was soon to take a stop and go penalty for pitting while the pits were closed.

The race played out and Alonso duly took the lead, controlled the pace and took the chequered flag ahead of Rosberg who despite the penalty, finished just three seconds behind the race winner. Rosberg was perhaps fortunate that he was able to pull a large advantage at the restart of the race, thus nullifying to a large extent his drive through penalty.

FINAL RESULTS:

1) Fernando Alonso - Renault

2) Nico Rosberg - Williams - Toyota

3) Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - Mercedes

4) Timo Glock - Toyota

5) Sebastien Vettel - Scuderia Toro Rosso - Ferrari

6) Nick Heidfeld - BMW

7) David Coulthard - Red Bull - Renault

8) Kaz Nakajima - Williams - Toyota

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP:

1) Lewis Hamilton - 84

2) Felipe Massa - 77

3) Robert Kubica - 64

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP:

1) McLaren - 135

2) Ferrari - 134

3) BMW - 120

Giants 26, Bengals 23 F/OT

From NFL.com

Carney's field goal in OT lifts Giants over Bengals

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants are off to their best start since 2000, thanks in large part to a little tiptoeing in overtime by Amani Toomer and the sure leg of 44-year-old John Carney.

Carney kicked a 22-yard field goal with 8:39 left in the extra session after Toomer danced the sideline on a 31-yard reception, and the Super Bowl champions overcame a strong effort by the winless Cincinnati Bengals for a 26-23 victory on Sunday.

"My message today was ... it ended up being really the power of the will," coach Tom Coughlin said. "It wasn't our best game, by any means, but we hung in there, we kept battling and scrapping, and in what was not our best game, we found a way to win against a good football team."

The play that set up Carney's fourth field goal was the long pass from Eli Manning to Toomer down the left sideline on a third-and-10 from the Bengals 38.

It was difficult to tell whether Toomer got both feet in bounds. The Giants hustled to the line of scrimmage and handed the ball to Derrick Ward for a 3-yard run to the Bengals 4, precluding a video review.

"I couldn't tell," Toomer said when asked if he was in bounds. "I just got as many feet down as I could."

Toomer is one of the best in the league at getting both feet down, said Manning, who hit 26 of 43 passes for 289 yards.

Coughlin said that the umpire moved off the ball so the Giants knew that the replay official had allowed the play to stand.

The Bengals wanted referee Jeff Triplette to review the play. He could not do it in overtime unless asked by the replay official.

"I don't know if that was a completion or not," said Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who had 12 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. "But yeah, man, you have to review that. It's too close. I don't know. I was on the side. I thought it was an incompletion, obviously. But yeah, it was close.

"I thought they would review it; they didn't. It was a catch. They won."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the replay official looked at the play and ruled it legal. Aiello said the official would have prevented the ball from being snapped if he had any doubts.
Carney, who was signed before the season to fill in for the injured Lawrence Tynes, has hit all nine of his field goal attempts this season.

"I realize at this point in my career and this opportunity, I am a relief pitcher and when my job is done I will go back to the bullpen and hope for another opportunity somewhere around the league," Carney said.

Brandon Jacobs scored on 1-yard run and Manning threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss to seemingly give New York a 23-20 victory with 1:50 to play.

But the Bengals (0-3) drove 71 yards and got a 21-yard field goal from Shayne Graham on the final play of regulation.

There were three scores in the final 4:39. A 17-yard pass from Carson Palmer to Houshmandzadeh gave Cincinnati a 20-16 advantage. Then the Giants went 68 yards in nine plays to retake the lead.

But Palmer drove the Bengals again, hitting Houshmandzadeh on passes of 20, 8, 16 and 9 yards to set up Graham's tying field goal.

Graham also kicked field goals of 22 and 30 yards for the Bengals, who are 0-3 for the first time since 2003, coach Marvin Lewis' first season. Chris Perry, who rushed for 74 yards on 20 carries, also scored on a 25-yard run.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29565&displayPage=tab_gamecenter&season=2008&week=REG3&override=true

Giants 41, Rams 13

From NFL.com

ST. LOUIS -- Justin Tuck swatted Marc Bulger's pass out of the air, plucked it from his shoulder pad, and then had time to take in the scenery en route to the end zone. His 41-yard interception return in the fourth quarter was one of several big plays by the New York Giants' defense in another stifling effort.

"I looked at the Jumbotron and saw I had enough room to slow down," Tuck said. "I don't need to sprint into the end zone. I like to act like I've been there."

The defense spent the entire afternoon in the Rams' backfield, sacking Marc Bulger six times while limiting St. Louis to a fluke touchdown in a 41-13 victory on Sunday.

"Hopefully, this is the start of big things to come," Tuck said. "Six today, but we had the opportunity to have more. You know, you're never satisfied."

Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes, sparking an offense that got one touchdown in the opener with a 97-yard drive in the third quarter. Much of the scoring was window dressing in the Giants' 12th straight victory away from home, a run that includes their Super Bowl victory last February.

The Giants (2-0) have not lost a road game since their opener last season and set an NFL single-season record with 11 straight wins away from home in 2007.

The Rams (0-2) came up with another dud in their home opener, which also served as a tribute to late owner Georgia Frontiere, and are 3-for-24 on third-down conversions in their first two games.

"Our quarterback can't be a pinata," tight end Randy McMichael said. "We've got to give him time."

Coach Scott Linehan fielded only one question in his postgame news conference, prefaced by a lengthy diatribe critical of his team's shortcomings and pointing out the offense has yet to play a down inside the 20. He did note that, unlike in the opening 38-3 blowout loss at Philadelphia, the Rams were in the game until the last half of the fourth quarter.

"The bottom line is we can't expect to win games playing the way we're playing," Linehan said. "We didn't finish, and they did."

Tuck added a pair of sacks and Fred Robbins also had two sacks for the Giants, who got to the quarterback only once in their opening 16-7 victory over the Redskins.

The Rams' 3-13 season in 2007 repelled fans. The last two home games, against the Packers and Steelers, had nearly as many visiting fans. The Rams briefly won back a restless fan base when Torry Holt scored on a 45-yard pass while flat on his back on a ball twice deflected by safety Kenny Phillips.

But the Giants immediately answered with an 82-yard drive capped when Ahmad Bradshaw was untouched on a 16-yard swing pass that made it 27-13 with 7:18 to go. Tuck's return came after he deflected Bulger's pass, and Bradshaw added a 31-yard run to cap a 21-point fourth quarter.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29550&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG2

Italian GP: History is made at Rain Soaked Monza as Vettel takes his first GP win!

From F1-Live.com

Sebastian Vettel made history this afternoon at the Italian Grand Prix as he dominated the 53-lap event taking the chequered flag 12 seconds ahead of Heikki Kovalainen. In doing so, Vettel becomes the youngest Grand Prix winner in the history of the sport and launches the Toro Rosso Ferrari team ahead of both Williams Toyota and Red Bull Renault in the constructors’ championship.

It was a flawless drive from the young German racer from the pole position in tricky conditions once again. The race started behind the safety car but even at the end of the first racing lap, Vettel had pulled a two second advantage over Kovalainen in the McLaren Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton aside, Vettel never looked like anything other than a race winner.

Heikki Kovalainen was never a contender for the race win which will be a concern for the Finn on a day when he had a great chance of securing his first win on merit. Like Vettel he used a standard two stop strategy switching from full wet tyres to intermediate tyres for his final stint.

Robert Kubica drove a smart race from 11th position to finish third, just eight seconds behind Kovalainen. The BMW Sauber driver made great use of a one stop strategy to vault ahead of those stopping twice and unlike some, had enough fuel to ensure that his one and only stop was at the optimum time for the switch from wet to intermediate tyres.

Fernando Alonso ran a similar strategy to Kubica and was the second driver today to change to the intermediate rubber as the circuit started to dry from the mid-way point. It was another excellent run from the former champion as he took the chequered flag, less than four seconds behind Kubica.

Nick Heidfeld also has a strong run in the second BMW Sauber, but lost ground to Kubica at the start and then drove a strong race and managed to fend off a sustained attack to finish in fifth position.

Felipe Massa started sixth and finished in the same position on a more traditional two-stop strategy. Massa’s undoing was the timing of his pit stops that dropped him behind the one-stopping Heidfeld, a position he would not be able to recover from. The Brazilian will not be too unhappy with the result however, as he takes another small nibble out of Lewis Hamilton’s championship lead.

Starting 15th, Hamilton had it all to do and the McLaren driver came very close to making it a major upset this afternoon at Monza. Hamilton took enough fuel on board ahead of the race to go the distance with one stop. However he did not take enough fuel to choose the ideal time for that stop. With the circuit drying, Hamilton pitted ahead of some of the other one-stoppers and took a second set of full wet tyres. Had the rain continued, he would have been able to challenge Vettel for the victory. As it was, Hamilton had to make an unscheduled stop to take on the intermediate tyres and he would finish in seventh position.

FINAL RESULTS:

1) Sebastien Vettel - Scuderia Toro Rosso - Ferrari

2) Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren - Mercedes

3) Robert Kubica - BMW

4) Fernando Alonso - Renault

5) Nick Heidfeld - BMW

6) Felipe Massa - Ferrari

7) Lewis Hamilton - McLaren -Mercedes

8) Mark Webber - Red Bull - Renault

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP:

1) Lewis Hamilton - 78

2) Felipe Massa - 77

3) Robert Kubica - 64

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP:

1) Ferrari - 134

2) McLaren - 129

3) BMW - 117

Belgian GP: Controversy at Spa as Hamilton is penalized, handing Massa the win!

From F1-Live.com

t was a most dramatic day in the Ardennes once again and this time the action extended beyond the chequered flag. Rain ahead of the 44-lap Belgian Grand Prix and then in the final stages of the race turned the 13th round of the world championship on its head and effectively ended Kimi Raikkonen’s championship hopes. Lewis Hamilton slithered across the line to record what was to be his ninth victory of his career. However, this being Formula One, there would be a few more twists and turns before nightfall at Spa Francorchamps and Felipe Massa was later handed the race win by the race stewards.

It was Raikkonen who made the best of the tricky conditions on the first lap to move from fourth position on the grid to take the race lead at the start of the second lap as pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton spun his McLaren Mercedes at La Source.

Raikkonen took control of the race but was unable to shake Hamilton with the gap fluctuating between two seconds and six seconds throughout the bulk of the race. The turning point - in terms of racing - came three laps from home as light rain began to fall and immediately Raikkonen was forced to back off allowing Hamilton to close right in and challenge for the lead into the final turn with just over two laps remaining.

Hamilton attempted the pass around the outside of the right-left turn – formerly the ‘bus stop’ - but with no room as Raikkonen took his normal racing line, Hamilton was forced off track before rejoining on the main straight. Not deterred, Hamilton pounced and made a clean pass on the Ferrari driver into La Source.

This is the move that would later cost the McLaren driver the race victory as it was determined that he had in fact gained an advantage over his Ferrari rival on the run to the first turn.

With the rains now falling harder and the race just a lap and a half from its conclusion, Hamilton and Raikkonen pushed as hard as they dared in the conditions but both were forced to take avoiding action as Nico Rosberg’s Williams Toyota spun and rejoined in front of them. Hamilton took to the grass and rejoined while Raikkonen had a quick spin before resuming.

Seconds later Raikkonen lost the Ferrari for a second and final time and spun into the retaining wall on the approach to the final turn. Hamilton slithered around the final lap to take the chequered flag ahead of Felipe Massa . It was a sensational final few laps of the race only soured by the post race penalties.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/080907153323.shtml


FINAL RESULTS:

1) Felipe Massa - Ferrari

2) Nick Heidfeld - BMW

3) Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - Mercedes

4) Fernando Alonso - Renault

5) Sebastien Vettel - Scuderia Toro Rosso - Ferrari

6) Robert Kubica - BMW

7) Sebastien Bourdais - Scuderia Toro Rosso - Ferrari

8) Mark Webber - Red Bull - Renault

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP:

1) Lewis Hamilton - 76

2) Felipe Massa - 74

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP:

1) Ferrari - 131

2) McLaren - 119

3) BMW - 107

Giants 16, Redskins 7

From NFL.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants won the Super Bowl with defense and they kicked off defense of that title with more of the same.

Playing without Pro Bowl linemen Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, New York limited the new-look Washington Redskins to 11 first downs and 209 total yards and gave indications that these Giants are back for another run in a 16-7 victory that ushered in the NFL season Thursday night.

"We played well and it's no surprise to us," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "We feel like we got capable guys and we held them to very few yards other than the two-minute situations where they got most of their yardage. We are confident in our defense and feel like if we stick with the scheme we'll have success all year."

Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress and the rest of the offense that started the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots also came up big in spoiling the debut of Redskins coach Jim Zorn and his West Coast offense.

Manning capped a game-opening 84-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run and recently signed John Carney kicked three field goals as the Giants scored on their first four possessions in posting a rare home win. They won their final 10 road games en route to capturing their third Super Bowl, but they were 3-5 at home, losing the last four games.

The win capped a fun-filled opening night for Giants fans, who saw the retired Strahan hold up the Lombardi Trophy just minutes before the opening kickoff.

"It was a great opening to the season," said Manning, who completed 19 of 35 passes for 216 yards and an interception. "There was a lot of emotion, a lot of excitement. You could feel it in the crowd. It was great to see Michael holding the trophy.

"It was a great crowd. They were fired up. It was good to play well at home and to win a game at home. It's been a while."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29528&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG1

European GP: Massa dominant in Valencia

From F1-Live.com

Felipe Massa took the chequered flag first at the end of the 57-lap European Grand Prix, but at the time the Brazilian and the Ferrari team were under investigation by the FIA and it was not until some time after the race it became clear exactly who the winner of the 12th round of the championship even was.

The moment in question – and for debate - came as Massa exited his pit box following his second pit stop on lap 38 as he was released into the path of Adrian Sutil who was already coming down the pit lane. It was a close situation and it was certainly unnecessary from Massa who had dominated the Grand Prix from the pole position and was under no real pressure from behind.

The FIA duly placed Massa under investigation and then announced that any penalty would be imposed after the race. That is most unusual as the normal practice is for a driver to receive a drive through penalty within a few minutes of the incident in question. Massa’s did not need to worry much though as he was later simply fined and there was no other penalty.

Regardless of this incident, Massa dominated the race from the pole position and at no time looked under any serious pressure from Lewis Hamilton who shadowed Massa across the line six seconds behind. Hamilton retains the championship lead with 70 points, while Massa moves second in the championship race with 64.


FINAL RESULTS:

1) Felipe Massa - Ferrari

2) Lewis Hamilton - McLaren -Mercedes

3) Robert Kubics - BMW

4) Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren - Mercedes

5) Jarno Trulli - Toyota

6) Sebastien Vettel - Scuderia Toro Rosso - Ferrari

7) Timo Glock - Toyota

8) Nico Rosberg - Williams - Toyota