Silverstone and Bernie Ecclestone

Every year, in November and December, Bernie Ecclestone starts criticising the Silverstone circuit in terms of its suitability for F1. Every year, he casts doubt as to whether that year’s race will go ahead, and screws more concessions out of the UK and the BRDC. Every year, the race is finally confirmed and goes ahead in the summer. Bernie, a skilful businessman who has made vast amounts of money and has used that to be pictured looking up at lots of tall and not-so-tall beautiful women, just has it in for his own nation staging a GP. He would get far more money if the race was held in Indonesia, or Nigeria, or Saudi Arabia, or India, or Korea, each of which would pay handsomely for the privilege of holding the race, but at the expense of the traditional fan, the traditions of F1 and, lets face it, having a home race for most of the teams.

So every year we get the same drivel and criticism from Bernie, and every year he gets more out of the organisers. I’d say someone ought to stand up to him, but there are far too many “short” jokes there…

26 November 1970

In Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, 1.5 inches (38.1mm) of rain fall in a minute, the heaviest rainfall ever on record

Great quotes from the BBC

"There is a no-smoking policy in all parts of the Layer Road ground. Anyone who is caught smoking will be taken away, strapped to an electric chair and electrocuted until they are dead. Thank you."

Colchester announcer at half-time in the Leicester game

"No disrespect to Adam Smith. He clearly created a great piece of work studying the rise of industry and commercial development in Europe and making the case for free markets - but come on, I'm the first ever Scottish fighter to win both the British and European super-featherweight titles."

Boxer Alex Arthur on hearing that he wasn't chosen to feature on the new £20 note

Q: 'What would you be if you weren't a footballer?'
Crouch: 'A virgin'.

Peter Crouch on Soccer AM

Jim Bloody Rosenthal

At least he's not doing F1 any more, but he knows nothing about rugby and is the cheesiest presenter in the world:

(stolen from the BBC website):

“Last week, when Arsenal faced Slavia Prague, it was seven. For Liverpool tonight, it was eight. When Chelsea went to Schalke in Germany, it was NEIN."

Jim Rosenthal stakes his claim for corniest quote of the season on Champions League highlights.

CD cases

Why are albums being released in flimsy cardboard cases these days? The new ones from The Eagles and Bruce Springsteen come in a cardboard case only which can easily get damaged or have the CD sliding out if it. I'm all for reducing pacakging and using environmentally friendly materils, but this is taking it too far. Packaging, by its nature, should at the very least, protect the product inside. Cardboard cases don't.

What Can You Say?

I couldn't find London on a map if they didn't have the names of the countries. I swear to God. I don't know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I know (Washington Redskins linebacker) London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That's the closest thing I know to London. He's black, so I'm sure he's not from London. I'm sure that's a coincidental name."

Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder ahead of the clash with the New York Giants at Wembley.

(from the BBC website)

Wantage

Unintersting fact of the day:

10% of the female members of the House of Lords are old girls of St. Mary’s School, Wantage