NFL The Power Players- Week 1

So Week 1 has been and gone along with some amazing plays, surprising results and unforgettable moments by some of the greatest athletes on the planet. But if you could make a dream team of the week filling each position with any player from any team, who would you pick? I have listed my dream team of the week for the opening week in the NFL below, feel free to share yours in the comments.
The team is based on-
4 offensive players
4 defensive players

Followed by my top 5 teams of the week.


Quarterback- Peyton Manning 
Team- Broncos
Yards-462
Touchdown passes-7
Pass completion- 27-42
Passer rating 141.1 

There was simply no better man to run an offence this weekend. Even more astounding, these statistics were recorded against the 2012 superbowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens. Manning lead his team to a more than impressive victory and has made a big statement that he wants to go all the way this season. 


Running Back- LeSean McCoy
Team- Eagles
Yards-184
Carries-34
Touchdowns-1
Average- 5.9

Shady McCoy returned to the field with a bang last night in Washington aiding the Eagles to beat the divisional champions 33-27. The new Chip Kelly offence suits both LeSean and Mike Vick so well as it is based around high tempo, short passes and runs. McCoy showed us exactly how dangerous this new College style offence is as he carried for 184 yards, constantly breaking through the Redskins defense who simply could not contain him. If you need a running back for your fantasy team this season, this is your guy!

Wide Receiver- Anquan Boldin

Team- 49ers
Receptions-13
Yards-208
Touchdowns-1

What a way to debut for a new team, Anquan Boldin helped Colin Kaepernick defeat the Green Bay Packers in what was simply an amazing matchup. Boldin and Kaepernick have a lot of chemistry and can easily be compared to the likes of Brady and Gronkowski. Boldin could be set for a big first season at San Francisco.


Tight End- Jared Cook
Team- Rams
Receptions-7
Yards-141
Touchdowns-2

For the first time in years, the Rams go 1-0 in their season opener. A lot of this was down to the performance of tight end Jared Cook who did exactly what a Tight End should be doing and picking up big yards when all receivers are locked down. Jared was exceptional bringing in two touchdowns. He looked very athletic right from the get go with a massive 47 yard catch and looked like superman when he scored his first of the day flying over the pylon. 



Outside Linebacker- Justin Houston
Team- Chiefs
Tackles-5
Sacks-3
Forced Fumbles-0

The Chiefs started their 2013 campaign the right way with a win over the Jaguars and a lot of that came down to some brilliant defensive work. Linebacker Justin Houston sacked the Quarterback 3 times along with making 5 tackles. Not only does this put him at the top of the scoreboard for most sacks in the league but it sends a clear message that the 24 year old means business.


Safety- LaRon Landry
Team-Colts
Tackles-15
Sacks-0
Forced Fumbles-0

LaRon was simply outstanding last night, the colts were good on offence scoring in 3 of the 4 quarters but it was Landry who did all the damage on Defense, preventing any attack that came his way with a massive 15 tackles against the Oakland Raiders. He was quick, decisive and more importantly didn't give away any silly penalties. A very mature and steady mindset is needed to play the Safety position, and LaRon is at the top of his game.



Defensive Back- Dimitri Patterson
Team- Dolphins
Sacks-0
Interceptions-2
Interception yards-2
Tackles-2

Ex Eagle Dimitri Patterson's 7th season in the NFL got underway this weekend and to mark such an occasion, the Defensive back made two interceptions and became the heart of the Dolphins defense. The line came alive after the first but as soon as Dimitri made the second Interception it was clear that the defense was more than fired up and ready to get the ball back in their control. The end result, a 23-10 victory.



Corner Back- Charles Tillman 
Team- Bears
Sacks-0
Interceptions-2
Interception yards-41
Tackles-7

Possibly the most up and down game of the weekend came from 11 season veteran Charles Tillman. From 2 interceptions and a 41 yard return one minute to an entire defensive series spent on the sidelines to get hydrated. The team had nothing but praise for Charles but it is difficult to ignore the troubles he had holding off Green who had 9 receptions for 162 yards with 2 touchdowns. But overall, the 7 tackles he made along with two big interceptions meant that he played a vital role in the Bears opening game.


POWER 5 TEAMS OF THE WEEK

1. Denver Broncos

2. New Orleans Saints

3. Kansas City Chiefs

4. Philadelphia Eagles

5. San Francisco 49ers

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The great Pirelli Ponder:- Are the 2013 tires a blessing or a curse?

The opening five races in the 2013 Formula One season have been and gone and instead of the fans talking about the Red Bull Supremacy or how Lotus have been the underdogs and could be dark horses for the championship taking a total of 5 podiums and one victory , they are talking about something a little more serious. The life of the Pirelli tires.

This has been the main talking point of the championship since the very first round with drivers, team bosses and fans alike all up in arms about how limited this years rubber is proving to be. The tires degrade so quickly and most drivers had to perfect a 4 stop strategy this past weekend in Spain.

In my opinion Pirelli have got this completely wrong. In an attempt to make the racing more exciting and add another factor into the championship, they have changed it from “racing” to a tire management game. If Pirelli want to gain a lot of publicity and show how durable their road tires are, this is not the way to go about it. People are complaining after around 5-10 laps that the tires have completely gone and this should not be happening in any form of racing let alone Formula One. If this was Formula 3 and it was making the drivers stop halfway into a race then that would add another level of excitement and unpredictability. But with races on the calendar up to 70 laps long this is not the right home for them.

Paul Hembery said Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya "was very demanding on the tyres because of the unique characteristics of this circuit.” One key phrase to take note of there, “Unique characteristics”. If this was the case then why has it happened at EVERY race on the calendar so far? If anything, the Circuit de Catalunya is normally quite easy on tire wear in comparison to some of the tracks on the calendar.

In Pirelli’s defence the idea did not originate from their own company and they politely agreed to it to make F1 more exciting. If you find cars pitting in after 6 laps of racing exciting then you will love the opening half of the season so far. But if like me you want to see drivers race until there is nothing left on the tires and to leave every bit of energy out on the tarmac, doing the best they can to make a move then this season may not be the best to show your best friend why F1 is your favorite sport.

Hembery also added in an interview to the BBC "Unless you all want us to give Red Bull the tires to win the championship. It's pretty clear. If we did that, there would be one team that would benefit and it would be them. “

Again this is a fair point and everyone knows that the Red Bull is ridiculously quick but it is a much closer playing field this year. You can to an extent push the tires in qualifying more than you can in the race due to the lack of life in them and we have seen Mercedes looking extremely competitive, Ferrari taking two victories and Lotus being the most consistent team on the track. But is this down the tires or just to the mid field teams making up a lot of ground on the front runners during the post and pre season?

The way I see it is Formula One Is a marathon and the drivers are the runners. How boring would a marathon be if they couldn’t run at full speed because every mile or two they need to change their shoes because the sole has come loose? The answer is pretty obvious as it is no longer a race. It’s who can perfect their strategy and tire management and that is not what Formula One is about.

F1 is THE pinnacle of motorsport, a place where the best of the best do battle all over the world in breath taking moments which cannot be rivaled by any other series. But we are seeing less and less of that each race these Pirelli’s fail to last over 10 laps. The drivers aren't racing as the word suggests but nursing the tires and treating it like a different sport entirely.It’s up to Pirelli to make a tire that degrades faster but still leaves the driver able to race in every sense of the word. Until then though, we may not truly know who is the fastest man on the circuit.

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The Jenkins Judgement- Endurance Racing

14th April 2013, the day that my eyes were opened properly to a brand new form of Motorsport. Now like many motorsport fans I tune in to Le Mans when possible but was never a die hard endurance racing fan. I preferred the shorter sprint races like you see in the BTCC or Formula 3. But Simraceway had organised for me to go up to Silverstone for the opening round of the World Endurance Championship. 

  I was extremely excited as not only would this be my first time at the home of British Motorsport but I was also able to meet the Radio Le Mans team and one of my commentary inspirations John Hindhaugh along with Jonny Palmer who I had previously worked with on the BARC finals at Thruxton. This was an amazing experience as I was allowed inside the booth whilst the live broadcast was taking place, seeing just how much work goes into it.

Me interviewing Anthony Davidson at Silverstone

That accompanied with the chance to conduct an interview with Anthony Davidson meant that this was one of the best weekends I had ever had. But on to the racing.

I don't think anything quite matched the adrenaline and tension of seeing over 30 cars slowly leave their grid slots to begin the formation lap. 6 hours of hard and strategic racing were about to get underway and I couldn't wait. The roar of the crowd and the silence of the mechanics as they nervously await the start of the race and hearing the roar of the engines slowly get louder as the cars circulated their way to the Club chicane. This is the World Endurance Championship.The sound was just remarkable as the green flag flew and the four categories of sports cars separated out and began their individual race.

One factor that makes these races so tense is traffic. A term used frequently in Formula One to describe slower cars more than a lap down who have to yield to the leaders. The World Endurance Championship makes Formula One look like a lonely country road when it comes to traffic. After just four laps or so the LMP1's were already navigating their way past the GTE-AM's and it was just incredible. With the class still fiercely competing and fighting for positions the LMP1 drivers had to be so nimble when overtaking.

The sheer distance of the event is also what makes it stand out. 6 hours of racing means that you get such a different driving style to what you would perhaps see in Formula One or a similar open wheel series. It's very close and competitive but also conservative. You don't see drivers going for moves unless they are absolutely sure they can make it stick.

Strategy is also crucial when it comes to the WEC. Tires that can last more than one stint with a single driver provide a major advantage to the team that equips them. However with each driver having a different driving style and attacking corners in sometimes a completely unique way it truly is a gamble to make these tires

last if the second driver is on worn tires. They could give at any moment and punctures are seen quite often. Another factor which makes endurance racing truly spectacular to watch.

It's no wonder that car manufacturers such as Audi take such pride in their victories throughout the several endurance series they compete in and of course multiple Le Mans wins. Where a team finish is as much down to the driver as it is to the car. If you are pushing a car to its absolute limits for 6 hours with a few pit stop breaks it needs to be the best it can be. If a car can be better than every other competing manufacturer out there and avoid mechanical problems then it truly deserves its spot at the top of the podium. "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" is an old saying that certainly backs up this point as Audi have had Mr McNish voice a few adverts regarding new technology in their road cars.

Another reason why I enjoyed it so much is down to the fact that I took a shine to the LMP1 team Rebellion Racing. Not only did the car sound so incredible it sent chills down my spine every time it accelerated down the main straight but it is a pure underdog team. It isn't a manufacturer like Audi or Toyota they are a privateer team. Meaning that they don't have the funds or technology to compete with the Manufacturer teams.

Bearing that in mind, they were only a couple of seconds off of the pace that the two leading LMP1 teams were setting which is a remarkable feat. Both cars finished behind one another and achieved the same result at the 6 hours of Spa this past weekend with the gap if anything a little closer to the big boys. As many of you will know I am a massive Lotus F1 fan and have been since a young age (although back then it was because Benneton had a nice livery) so I have followed them through all of the highs and lows. The Lotus powered Lola counterpart in the WEC could be another reason as to why I like them. The livery is almost identical and one of their drivers is German Ex-F1 star Nick Heidfeld who ironically used to drive for Lotus.

The team also have a “big announcement” to make that has been delayed. Now this could be anything from a new driver to a car upgrade or something as simple as Gary the mechanic is celebrating his 32^nd birthday, who knows!

Needless to say I was very impressed with the World Endurance Championship and everything about it. It takes all of the emotion and excitement from the shorter races and adds factors like unpredictable weather which could turn a race upside down, the sense of despair when a mechanical breakdown occurs or when your favourite driver spins into the gravel. Not to mention the tension of not knowing what is going to happen as the law of physics take their toll on some of the greatest sports cars this generation.

Not only that but to seal the deal, a 6 hour race came down to the final few laps with Allan McNish storming to victory in his Audi. The British fans went crazy and it really was an amazing feeling to be part of such a passionate fanbase on an occasion that truly deserved to be celebrated.

 I was very impressed with the opening two rounds of the World Endurance Championship and really cannot wait for the 24 Hours Of Le Mans. If you haven't watched an endurance race yet due not having the time or being skeptical

I would highly recommend you to do so, you will not be disappointed.

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