>>Football is great with the power house teams having a rough year and the usually weaker teams coming into their own. Is it the end of the dynasties in football?
Interesting to see Portsmouth in the Premier Division this year, and with David Seaman in goal. Pushing 40 and retired from the national squad, he's still good enough to 'mix it' with the top home teams. Everyone in Hampshire is looking forward eagerly to the first Southampton-Pompey derby for many a year, in December. Southampton last won the FA Cup (and indeed, made it to the Cup Final) in 1976 and we hoped this year would be 'our year' again, but sadly it wasn't to be. It will be interesting to see how Manchester United make out this season without David Beckham. Chelsea should make interesting viewing this year, with the ?70 million that the manager has spent on players. He has the money to invest to see whether the Premiership title or FA Cup can be bought!
As for motorsports, it's the first season for a very long time where the F1 Drivers Championship has gone to the wire and won't be decided until the final race in Suzuka next Sunday. It would be great to see Kimmi Raikonnen take the title from Michael Schumacher but with Schumi only needing one point (eighth place) and Kimmi not to win I think he's looking at the title. Nice to see the teams like Renault and even Sauber doing well this year. The playing field has certainly been levelled somewhat by the new points system and regulations. Probably the best and most entertaining season since Nigel Mansell went 'wheel to wheel' with Ayrton Senna all those years ago. Jaques Villeneuve has got to go though! He's doing BAR no favours at all and his playboy image can no longer be kept up by his performance. He had his time with Williams, and won a Drivers and Constructors Championship for them, but he really hasn't done much to speak of for the last three or four seasons.
As usual however, there have been downsides. Certainly as far as the British tennis hopes go, Tim Henman has produced yet another string of mediocre performances. No major titles yet again. The fans were right behind him at Wimbledon with the usual crowds on 'Henman Hill' and 'Henmania' exceeding even it's previous standards, but to no avail. Somehow the fact that he's the top British player made no difference yet again...and personally I don't think he'll ever be good enough to beat the best tennis players from Australia and the US.
But yes....not a bad year all in all!
