Button praises driver in gun escape
Formula One world champion Jenson Button hailed the swift actions of his police driver after being confronted by an armed gang in Sao Paulo. Button, his father John, manager Richard Goddard and trainer Mike Collier escaped unharmed following Saturday night's frightening attack that occurred on their return to their hotel after the qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix. The quartet managed to flee the machine-gun wielding assailants as their police protector used the armoured Mercedes he was driving to barge his way through several vehicles. "We were going back from the track and were outside a shanty town and moving slowly on a busy road," Button told the Mail on Sunday. "I saw a dog come out, which was very cute. The next thing I saw was a man with a gun. I said 'isn't that a gun?' and as soon as I said that, the driver angled the car and floored it. That's when we saw six men, all of them brandishing machine guns. "My driver was a legend. He bounced off about five cars. We were driving over the top of them. It was very scary. "I don't know whether they knew who it was they were ambushing. But I am glad I didn't have my girlfriend Jessica (Michibata) with me. She would have been terrified." Mr Goddard also praised the officer assigned to protect them, an action purposefully instigated by McLaren given the level of gun crime in Sao Paulo, one of South America's most violent cities. He said: "We were very lucky to have a police driver looking after us because he got us out of what could have been quite a frightening situation. "The real positive thing to take out of it is that we are all fine and we're all able to look back on it and see it for what it was. "Obviously from our perspective, luckily it wasn't a lot worse, and luckily the sharp actions of our police driver forcing his way through the traffic like he did was great."
Jenson Button in attempted car-jacking in Sao Paulo
The British driver was travelling back from the qualifying round of the Brazilian Grand Prix, in which he is competing today, when six men surrounded his black Mercedes B-Class, which is fitted with bullet-proof glass. He was with his father, John, his trainer, Mike Collier, and manager Richard Goddard and was travelling past the entrance to one of the city’s “favelas”, or shanty towns. “It was pretty terrifying,” Button said. “We were moving pretty slowly in traffic just outside when we pulled up outside the entrance to one of the favelas. I saw a dog and remarked 'Oh, cute dog’ when about six men came out. One of them appeared to be holding a truncheon. “Then I said 'hey, isn’t that a gun?’ and as soon as I said that our driver angled the car and just floored it. He was a complete legend. We bounced off about five cars. We were literally driving over the top of them. “It looked like we may have been targeted.” Button, 30, qualified in 11th position for today’s race, which is the penultimate competition of the season. Button is not expected to retain his title, which could be won today by Fernando Alonso. Brazil’s favelas are notoriously lawless and crime-ridden shanty towns which have grown up on the edge of the country’s major cities. The harsh life in the slums was depicted in the Oscar nominated 2002 film City of God.
Jenson Button, the defending Formula One World Champion, has described how he was threatened by men brandishing machine guns in an attempted car-jacking in Sao Paulo.
Sasha Vujacic and Maria Sharapova
Thursday, October 21, 2010
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Before Shannon Brown was re signed to a two year deal, there were talks about how the Lakers and Brown were close to a deal but that it was dependent on whether or not Sasha Vujacic could be traded so they could use that $5.4 million and give it to Brown. Well, fast forward to a couple days ago and the Lakers went ahead and signed Brown anyway to the tune of $2.2 million this year and a player option for next year at $2.4 million (Brown has the choice to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and re enter the market).
Now the Lakers are supposedly trying to trade Sasha and his horrible horrible contract because they are well over the luxury tax threshold and Jerry Buss, while he loves winning championships, would like to do so at a "reasonable" price.
Well too bad. You are stuck with Sasha Vujacic. Here's why
Like I said, the Lakers are well over the Luxury tax limit. They're on tap for around $94 million and they just signed their two 2nd round draft picks which will probably be around another $1 million. Now they need to shed money and the likely candidates are Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton. These two players have already become the Adam Morrison and Sun Yue of the 2010-2011 season and the season hasn't even started.
But contract-ually speaking, Sasha is more moveable than Luke. Sasha is in the last year of his contract (due $5.4 million) while Luke has three more seasons at $5.2 mil, $5.6 mil, and $6.1 mil respectively. Add to that Luke's bad back problems he had last season, he's just not a sought after player as of right now. I mean, who would want a player who costs a lot who's going to be injured.
So Sasha Vujacic is on the trading block.
Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki,WTA No. 1 ranking, sexy Sport Stars, Sexy tennis star,
Vera Zvonareva sexy tennis star
Vera Igorevna Zvonareva (pronunciation: VEH-ruh zvon-a-RYOH-vuh), born September 7, 1984, Moscow, Russia) is a professional tennis player from Russia. She was introduced to tennis at the age of six and turned professional in 2000. On August 9, 2004, she reached her career high ranking of No. 9 in the world. Zvonareva has won five WTA Tour singles titles, four WTA Tour doubles titles and two ITF Women's Circuit singles titles. In her first few years on the pro tour, she became known for her fragile psyche, often breaking down in tears during matches. Critics cited her unstable emotions as a reason why her results may have fallen short of her expectations. Her first Slam quarterfinal came at the 2003 French Open, defeating Venus Williams in the fourth round. Of her five singles titles, two have been at the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, Tennessee. Early Life Zvonareva was born September 7, 1984 in Moscow, Russia to Igor Zvonarev and Natalia Zvonareva. She was introduced to tennis at the age of six by her mother, although no other members of her family play the game. Career Zvonareva started to compete on the ITF Circuit in 1999, debuting at an ITF tournament in 2002 2002 was Zvonareva's first season in which she started to play more WTA-level events. She won her second ITF Circuit title in Naples, Florida, and then reached her first singles final on the WTA Tour at 2003 Zvonareva had a breakthrough season in 2003. She won the title in Bol, beating Conchita Martínez Granados in the final, and reaching three other semifinals (including Tier II Linz). At Roland Garros, she defeated third-ranked Venus Williams in the fourth round for her best career victory so far, but fell in the quarters to Nadia Petrova. Before beating Williams, she defeated tenth-ranked Anastasia Myskina in Berlin for her first Top 10 win. After her Roland Garros showing, she broke the Top 20. Out of seven Tier I events she contested, six ended in the quarterfinals. Her debut for the Russian Fed Cup team was in the World Group quarterfinals against Slovenia. 2004 Zvonareva won the first Grand Slam title of her career, winning the mixed doubles competition at the US Open. She won one singles title, in Zvonareva was rewarded with her best year-end ranking position, finishing No. 11 in the world. In August, she reached her career high of No. 9. Due to several withdrawals, Zvonareva was able to compete at the WTA Tour Championships, an event reserved for the top 8 players in the world. She was unable to win a match and exited at the round robin stage. 2006-07 In 2006, Zvonareva won her first regular doubles Grand Slam tournament in the US Open, partnering Nathalie Dechy of France. She obtained a second mixed doubles title at Wimbledon, in partnering Andy Ram of Israel. They defeated Americans Bob Bryan and Venus Williams 6–2, 6–3. She garnered some success in singles competition, winning two titles in a season for the first time in her career. This included her first tournament win on grass, at the DFS Classic in Birmingham, England. Her other title came in Cincinnati, where she played a nearly flawless match against Serena Williams in the semifinals, and beat Katarina Srebotnik in the final. The 2007 season produced a year of mixed fortunes for Zvonareva. At the 2007 Pacific Life Open, she stunned World No. 1 Maria Sharapova, who was the defending champion, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1 in the fourth round. It was her first ever victory over a reigning World No. 1; however, she fell in the next round to Chinese player Li Na. At her next tournament, the Family Circle Cup, she was forced to retire when playing Dinara Safina and down a set, due to a left wrist injury. This injury was to keep out of the European clay court season, the grass court season and most of the North American hardcourt season. On returning to the tour, she reached the third round of the U.S. Open, losing to Serena Williams. At the remaining tournaments on her schedule, she reached the quarterfinals or better at four out of five, with semifinal finishes coming in 2008 Zvonareva began 2008 with a run to the final of the Tier IV Moorilla International, where she had to pull out of the final against Eleni Daniilidou due to an ankle injury, which forced her to retire in her first round at the Australian Open against Ai Sugiyama, trailing 3–6, 1–1. However she played very well in source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vera Igorevna Zvonareva BiographyEarly Career
Australia will be without key duo Doug Bollinger and Mike Hussey for the third and final one-day international
Pace bowler Bollinger, who has missed the last two competitive matches, is struggling with a minor abdominal injury, while Hussey has been rested. Both players will now return home and rest ahead of a crunch Ashes series with England. Cricket Australia physio Kevin Sims said: "Doug reported some minor discomfort to his abdomen during his rehabilitation from a previous injury. "We do not think the new issue is serious however it will prevent him from achieving the workloads necessary for him to be available for selection in the third one-day match in Goa. "Therefore we have decided it is in his best interests to return to Australia for further assessment and to outline further rehabilitation. Doug's return-to-cricket date will be finalised following this assessment." The absence of both men leaves Australia facing an uphill battle if they are to square the ODI series 1-1 on Sunday.
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