Bob Barnard Track Engineering

It seems that the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, and his coach, knew nothing about Jerry Brown, the intoxicated center who killed his friend, being on the sideline at the recent game until they saw him there. Lucky he was not suited up and playing I guess? Is their security so lax that this can happen, and are they saying they would not have let it happen if they knew? He has their full support after all.

Meanwhile, over at COTA the first complaints about traffic and noise are being heard. Welcome to the world of owning a race track. Reminds me of Phillip Island. "Can't we just have the Grand Prix?"

I have decided that to keep my readers entertained I will digress to sports other than motor racing. I have played a fair few in my time and seen even more. I grew up in England so I am an avid soccer fan, supporting Tottenham heaven help me. Since when did soccer become an arm wrestling contest? Whether it is going up to head a ball with elbows flying, holding on to shirts and arm, wrestling each other at a corner or free kick, or just generally fending players off, I have never seen so much arm being used. And if they are both doing it that's OK it seems, and if you do not try hard enough then it is equally OK to be pushed over according to most commentators. Why not give all of those with their hands on someone a yellow card at the first corner or free kick, that should stop it for the rest of the game. It was nice to see Fellaini of Everton receiving a three match ban for that cynical head butt, after looking around to make sure the Ref was not looking. The camera was though, and full marks for the other player for not retaliating.

On the subject of bans, an NFL player was recently given a four game ban for PED's. Performance enhancing drugs. Compare that to the persecution Lance Armstrong is receiving. I for one am still waiting to hear what this "most comprehensive doping system" consisted of, what drugs were involved, and how did they evade the constant and irregular testing? Once I have some evidence, not just charges, then I will decide for myself. And in the end if he only beat other athletes doing the same thing, then were his results not still worthy? I have never smoked, let alone taken a drug, so I in no way condone this, but neither do I accept all that I hear on face value. There is much more to this we do not know.

The Statesman, the Austin daily paper, revealed Thursday that the COTA has applied for more assistance from the Texas slush fund for events. The State paid out $29.3 m for the F1 race it is disclosed, and now they are asking for another $5 m to cover costs associated with the MotoGP, V8Supercars, ALMS and WEC races scheduled for 2013. I always wondered how these events were going to help COTA pay for building the facility as it costs money to bring them, just like F1, but on a lesser scale. And the audience is even less certain, not many Mexicans racing in these classes, and not many Americans either. There are two other MotoGP races in the US next year, so apart from novelty value why would you go to COTA. The MotoGP group inspected the track a week or so ago and expressed their doubts about it for motorcycles. If you look at most MotoGP tracks these days they feature long sweeping corners, not the stop-start type currently fashionable in F1. I can see that Texas will end up footing the bill for this facility in much the same fashion as Nurburgring is being bailed out.

While still in Texas and talking of sport, let me digress and express my disgust at seeing the Dallas Cowboys Center, Josh Brent, on the field with the team during yesterday's match after killing his buddy and fellow Cowboy Jerry Brown while driving drunk at 2:30 am the day before a game! Number one why is he bailed? Would most of us get this treatment. Then why is the team "supporting" him? Being out drunk at 2:30am the day before a game should be enough for the coach to bench him, let alone killing someone, and that someone being another player! What does he have to do to not get their support? The New Orleans Saints management were not allowed in the stadium until the NFL gave them special permission after their part in paying their thugs to injure other players in the course of a game. Why would other players even want to play with those guys again? But here we have someone who has killed another player wandering around on the sideline! Is this behaviour so endemic that it is acceptable? We have a litany of on and off field "incidents" like the unfortunate one at the Kansa City Chiefs, and I could go on. It is now reported that the Players Federation provides a service for drunk players to be given a ride home for $85 a time! Is the stress of earning all that money too much for them?