First, this should warm the hearts of Ferrari Fans everywhere....
SPA-FRANCORCHAPS, Belgium: McLaren Mercedes, the leading team in the Formula One world championship, was fined $100 million on Thursday and excluded from the constructors’ championship this season in the spying scandal that has plagued the sport all season.
The International Automobile Federation, the sport’s governing body, found the team guilty of cheating by using data obtained from Ferrari, its main rival, to improve its own car, the federation said in a statement issued after a hearing in Paris.
The team may continue to race in the series, however, and its two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who lead the series this season, will be allowed to keep their points and may continue to fight for the drivers’ title.
So is the $100 million fine paid back to Ferrari, because they got cheated upon? Or does this line the pockets of the FIA officials? Inquiring Minda Want To Know.
Over on our side of the Pond, here’s what happened to the New England Patriots and Coach Bill Belichick:
Calling Belichick’s strategy of videotaping defensive signals on the sideline of Sunday’s game against the Jets “a calculated and deliberate attempt” to break league rules, commissioner Roger Goodell announced .severe penalties against the coach and the franchise in a .letter to the Patriots Thursday night.
Goodell slammed the coach with a $500,000 fine, the maximum allowed, and stripped the Patriots of either a first-round pick in 2008 if they make the playoffs this season or a second- and third-rounder if they don’t. While saying he believed Patriots ownership was unaware of Belichick’s actions, Goodell also fined the club $250,000.
Cheating just doesn’t pay, folks...doesn’t matter which sport.
Posted by Macker at 03:42 MST | (0) Trackbacks