Formula One heads to its second race of the season this weekend in Malaysia with the reigning champion team threatening to withdraw from the sport, the result of the first race still under protest, and race promoters in revolt over the sound of the cars. The off-track strife has obscured the sporting promise provided by the season opener in Australia. The race in Melbourne defied those naysayers worried about the reliability of the new V6 turbo engines by having 15 finishers and a welcome shake-up to the sports pecking order; Sebastian Vettel out of the race early, Mercedes winning but with lingering engine concerns, and McLaren and even Williams back in the fight. However the sports apparent eagerness to attach a cloud to every silver lining was on show again immediately after the checkered flag fell at Albert Park. Second-place finisher Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified from his home race for exceeding the new limits on fuel flow, and his Red Bull team immediately appealed, blaming the problem on a malfunction of the FIA-approved sensor fitted to each car. The appeal will be held on April 14, after the third race in Bahrain. Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz raised the stakes further by saying such disputes will be of more importance than money when it comes to deciding whether the energy drink maker stays in the sport beyond the short term. "The question is not so much whether it makes economic sense but the reasons would be to do with sportsmanship, political influence, and so on," Mateschitz said in an interview with Austrian newspaper Kurier. "In these issues there is a clear limit to what we can accept." The other political spat emerging out of the first race was over the sound, or lack of sound, made by the new engines. Compared to the high-pitched roar of the old V8 engines, the new powertrains produced a muted purr. The outgoing chief of the Australian Grand Prix, Ron Walker, even threatened to sue for breach of contract and said the engine sound will be a major talking point at a scheduled meeting of grand prix promoters next month. Walker is a strong ally of F1s commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone, who has always opposed the cleaner, greener engines and has used the issue as a wedge in his ongoing wrestle with the FIA for control of the sport. With F1s political heavyweights preoccupied by looming fights in courtrooms and boardrooms, the sports fans will be more concerned with the on-track battle which resumes at Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur, this weekend. Mercedes is again the favourite, with Nico Rosberg having won comfortably in Australia. His fastest lap of the race was with a relatively heavy fuel load in the early stages, indicating he had plenty of speed in reserve had he needed it. Fellow Mercedes-powered team Williams looks the major threat on the race pace it showed in Melbourne, which was obscured by Felipe Massa being taken out at the first corner and Valtteri Bottas losing a wheel when he clipped a wall, costing him the likely podium finish. McLaren, which had its worst season in decades in 2013, is the surprise constructors championship leader after rookie Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button were promoted to second and third respectively by Ricciardos disqualification. But the teams trackside chief Eric Boullier acknowledged that was flattering. "Its true that Mercedes and Williams have some pace, maybe between half and three quarters of a second quicker than the rest of the field," Boullier said. Ferrari had a mediocre performance in Melbourne and technical director James Allison agreed that "we have our work cut out to improve our car in order to compete on equal terms with the Mercedes team." Mercedes technical principal Paddy Lowe hinted that the teams advantage could be even more pronounced in Malaysia. "Sepang is a permanent race track which is generally a lot more differentiating of the cars; particularly with regard to aerodynamics," Lowe said. "As always, reliability and endurance will be crucial, but we believe this venue will provide a more accurate representation of the relative pace between teams." There will be a sombre note to the race in Sepang, as it is a short distance from Kuala Lumpurs airport, from where the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines plane this month took off on a flight which authorities now say resulted in it crashing into the ocean, killing all on board Adidas Human Race ελλαδα . - After a back-and-forth battle throughout the season, Alex Guenette has earned the 2013 rookie of the year award for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 by just one point over Ryley Seibert. Adidas NMD R2 ανδρικα . The 18-time champions, who havent won the title since 1990, moved two points behind Arsenal after the leaders were stunned 6-3 at Manchester City on Saturday. Defending champion Manchester United trails Arsenal by 10 points after winning 3-0 at Aston Villa to avoid a third successive league loss. http://www.nmdgreece.com/adidas-nmd-r1-greece/i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i.html . Sami Salo scored two goals as the Canucks overcame a hat-trick from Edmonton Oiler rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to win 4-3 in NHL action Saturday. Adidas NMD R2 Ελλαδα . The Canadian Football Leagues all-time passing leader said he has not made a final decision, but he will discuss his future with Montreal Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall on the weekend. Adidas Falcon ελλαδα . Today, he looks at the offensive line. 1. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (OT, McGill) You Should Know: Over the course of his university career, Duvernay-Tardifs commitments to medical school and the family business frequently limited him to one practice per week, yet he was still the Metras Trophy winner as the Top Lineman in CIS football in 2013.SURREY, B.C. - B.C. Lions coach Mike Benevides had plenty to smile about Monday after his team returned from a big win in Toronto. But some of his players wont share his mood next weekend. Even after strong performances against the Argonauts, some Lions are in danger of losing their starting or roster spots when B.C. (5-3) hosts the Saskatchewan Roughriders at home on Sunday. Kick returner/running back Tim Brown appears to be a likely casualty after he racked up 168 return yards as the Lions posted their third straight win. With starting tailback Andrew Harris expected to return from an ankle injury, Benevides said Brown only has a "50-50" chance of staying in the lineup due to the balancing act required under the CFLs Canadian and import player ratio. "Id love to keep him on, but its a challenge from a roster-number point of view," said Benevides. Brown, a 26-year-old Stockton, Calif., native who is in his fourth CFL season, returned one punt for 70 yards and another for 69, setting up a touchdown and a field goal, against the Argos. He played only his second game of the season after spending most of the campaign on the practice roster. Benevides said he has struggled to keep Brown on the active roster, but its too difficult to sacrifice an import elsewhere on offence or defence to keep him in the mix. The coach says he hopes Harris, sidelined in a victory over Hamilton on Aug. 8, will return after showing signs of progress in his recovery early last week before taking time off to mend. "With running backs, you never want to risk (a premature return), because (the ankle) is so important to what they do," said Benevides. Veteran running back Stefan Logan, who rushed for 145 yards on 19 carries and gained another 49 on receptions against Toronto, will also be affected by the return of Harris. Logan appears headed back to a back-up role behind Harris, who leads the league in combined yards with 781 and ranks second in rushing (410). Changes also loom on the B.C. defence as cornerback Dante Marsh gets ready to return to the starting lineup after missing the game in Toronto due to a hamstring injury. "Its pretty good," said Marsh. "I feel like I should be able to play this week." Marsh, a 33-year-old Oakland, Calif., native who is in his 11th season with the Lions, missed his first game in four years. The one-time CFL all-star and four-time West Division all-star said he wanted to be smart and give his body a chance to rest. Rookie Ronnie Yell returned an interception for a touchdown in Maarshs place in the short-side cornerback spot.dddddddddddd If Marsh returns, Yell is likely to move back to his wide-side cornerback spot. Rookie T.J. Lee, who played his first CFL game in Yells usual wide-side spot, faces a return to the practice roster. Marsh said the play of the rookies against Toronto speak well of B.C.s roster depth, but their development is more about the future than the present. "Right now, thats my time," said Marsh. According to Benevides, this is also the time for Kevin Glenn to remain the starting quarterback. Although nominal No. 1 Travis Lulay, recuperating from off-season shoulder surgery, saw his first game action at various times against the Argos, Glenn will start against Saskatchewan — provided that he is healthy. Glenn, who played against Toronto despite a thigh contusion suffered a week earlier, was limping as the team returned to its Surrey practice facility. "Hes winning games for us right now, and hes the one thats healthy, so hes the one thats played the most," said Benevides. "Its unfair to put all that play time on (Lulay) right now." Benevides slotted Lulay in during the first quarter, second quarter and at the end of the game in Toronto as part of his recovery process and plans to do the same against Saskatchewan. "I dont care what peoples ideas or ideals are — we have to get him in," said Benevides. However, Benevides will feel less urgency about getting other injured players back in the lineup if he feels that a return could hamper their long-term recovery hopes. "With the bye coming a week after, Im not going to push it," he said. Notes — The Lions cancelled a rundown Monday and will have a day off Tuesday before returning to practice on Wednesday. ... Defensive back Josh Johnson remains out with a knee injury. … Import offensive tackle Andre Ramsey, who suffered an ankle injury in the first game of the season that caused considerable lineup juggling, is eligible to return from the six-game injured list, but he is also caught in the ratio crunch. Ramsey has actually over-stayed his time on the six-game injured list, but he is allowed to do so under league rules. … Offensive lineman Jovan Oliafoye said he and line mate Hunter Steward, who both stand six-foot-six and weigh more than 300 pounds, had to "slide through" a relatively narrow opening after they were stuck in a Toronto hotel elevator on game day. "It wasnt the best of room, but there was enough room," said Oliafoye. ' ' '
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