I’m a die-hard hockey fan, have been since I was old enough to understand the game. The off season is the truest test of a fans’ dedication to their team. It seems like years before the puck will drop for the first preseason game. One can only bear so many grueling innings of Pirates baseball.On the bright side of things, no matter how much I try to avoid it, thinking about the Pittsburgh Penguins has become second nature to me. Call it obsessive, call it crazy, call it weird, call it whatever you want to call it, but I just can’t get hockey off my mind.It may be the combination of the best Penguins’ season since 1992 and knowing that there are so many uncertainties surrounding this off season that has my mind set on what will happen next.Regardless of the reasoning, I can’t seem to shake hockey from my mind.
September seems like it’s forever away, but I know that somehow it will be here before we know it.Until then, all that’s left to do is keep uttering “Let’s Go Pens” while playing NHL 08 on PS2, and keep tapping that WWGRD sign above the door every morning, hoping that Gary will give us just one more season.. With the CWS and the sweet smell of World Series excitement just a week away, many in Chapel Hill are trotting through the streets with something to smile about. Or do they?Not being able to get the job done in the two previous CWS Title games, the Heels are hungry for the gold and not just an on field agonizing view of the Beavers hoisting the trophy, AGAIN.With the strength of the pitching staff and the bats of Fedroff and others, the Heels are a heavy favorite to win it this year. And with the Beavers out of sight, why not?With Coach Mike Fox flawlessly herding his heels through the Regionals, as well as the entire season itself, many wonder what can stop theTar Heels this year.The Tar Heels will open up against the Baton Rouge Regional Champion and its host, the powerful LSU Tigers, on June 15th at 7pm on ESPN 2.LSU had a 20+ game win streak this season, which was snapped in regional play, and is loaded with speed and power behind and in front of the dish.. Just over twenty four hours after Lewis Hamilton snatched a spectacular pole from Robert Kubica, the Pole took full advantage of Hamilton’s shunt into Raikkonen by not only gathering the first win of his so far impressive career, but also going ahead in the drivers’ championship.The circuit has not been Ferrari’s favourite in recent times going by their impressive record. In the last ten seasons, 1999-2008, they’ve managed pole only thrice, in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and have won only four times, in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. So statistically the odds were heavily stacked up against them to qualify or to win.Also none of these qualifying or race results has been with the new regulations. This Saturday was no different from the recent past for the prancing horses.
They could only manage third and sixth after we witnessed Robert Kubica taking pole from Hamilton who stole it again in the dying moments of qualifying.Another variable in the equation this time was the track, which has started to break and give way especially at the hairpin. Drivers were given firm instructions to watch it at the apex of the hairpin. On race day Bernie Ecclestone’s response was on the lines of it’s the same for all drivers like rain or fog. No driver has any advantage.Fair enough, it was time for red lights to go out again.
Hamilton got off to a fantastic start with Kubica hot on his trail, but the biggest beneficiary of the start was Nico Rosberg, who surged ahead at the expense of Alonso.As the race began to unfold, Adrian Sutil, the most unfortunate driver of the season so far had to bring his car to a standstill after what looked like brake discs overheating, (later revealed as loss of gears). Safety car came in and tossed Hamilton’s advantage out of the window. Pitlane was closed and uncertainty prevailed everywhere.How much fuel does each one have? When will they pit? Now? Next lap? Three laps from now? There were questions cropping up all over the place. Once the safety car exitted, the pitlane became a hub of activity as the top three, Hamilton, Kubica and Raikkonen came in.Now what happened here changed the whole course of the race. Kubica and Raikkonen got out of their respective bay and accelerated towards the pitlane exit, coming to a stop waiting for the red light to go green. But Hamilton bolted out of his bay seconds later and ploughed straight into Raikkonen’s back, taking himself and the World Champion out of the race.Rightly to his name “Iceman” Raikkonen calmly pointed the red lights (now green) to Hamilton. For the first time in more than three seasons we now find Rubens Barrichello in the lead!He should have however taken a comfortable fourth but for his spin on lap 59.
