That’s despite missing out on winning the first race of the season.

Fernando Alonso is feeling confident this 2011 F1 season. He may have lost out on his third drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi after a strategic blunder, but he and the Scuderia have enjoyed a good winter and if pre-season testing is anything to go by, Ferrari should again be right at the front of the pack and battling it out with Red Bull for ultimate honours.

”Finally, the moment has arrived! I was so impatient to get to the first race and the postponement of the Bahrain Grand Prix made the wait even longer,” Fernando Alonso wrote in his pre-event blog on the official Ferrari website before the season kicked off in Melbourne.

”Yes, it did give the engineers more time to prepare and it meant the work could be done with less haste, but for us drivers, and I think the same applies to all my colleagues, the desire to go racing again is very strong.”

Alonso said his sole objective in 2011 was to win the world championship for Ferrari after watching the title slip from his grasp in the final round of last year’s campaign at Abu Dhabi.

”I think if you race for Ferrari then there is no other goal than fighting for the world championship, that is the history of Ferrari, the power of…”

Ugh. Looks like this is the year when every major sporting league in North America goes haywire.

Jason Kidd, who is now 38, is already one of the NBA’s senior citizen class. If the Dallas Mavericks point guard has his wish, he’ll play two more seasons after the 2011 NBA basketball season, until he’s 40 and retire as a reserve. Kidd just isn’t sure he’ll get his wish.

If the NBA enters a lockout and the 2011-12 season is canceled, one of the NBA’s all-time greatest players said he’ll likely retire. With just a month left before the playoffs start, Jason Kidd doesn’t know if his playing days will be over by the end of June.

“This could be it because it would be hard to come back after a lockout,” the Dallas Mavericks guard told Yahoo! Sports. “I would probably move on and join the next chapter of what I would be doing in life. But I hope that isn’t the case where it just ended without having one more season.”

Some of the league’s other elder statesmen will be facing similar decisions. Shaquille O’Neal (39), Steve Nash (36), Tim Duncan (turns 35 in April) and Kevin Garnett (35 on Saturday) will each have a year left on their contracts that could be wiped out by a season-long lockout. Grant Hill (38) will be a free agent this summer.

Garnett has hinted he could be done if the lockout cancels next season while O’Neal told Yahoo! Sports in an e-mail he’ll likely try to keep playing. Regardless, the NBA could be waving farewell to a generation of stars sooner than expected.

Kidd admits he could be facing a dilemma. His strong relationship with…

But I have a feeling the result will be more of the same. Sorry.

In case you didn’t know, LeBron James will once again pay his old team a visit this Tuesday as the Miami Heat take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. This will be their second meeting of the2011 NBA basketball season.

So what’s new for the Cleveland Cavaliers that makes them different from the team the Miami Heat clobbered back in December 2? Mo Williams, Jamario Moon, Anderson Varejao, and Antawn Jamison.

None of those players will be in a Cavaliers uniform Tuesday when LeBron James and his Miami Heat come to The Q. All of them were when James returned for his first game in Cleveland after “The Decision” to sign with the Heat.

All of them played with LeBron James the year before, and each one was left behind when he opted to sign with Miami in the off-season. Only three players on the active roster – Daniel Gibson, Anthony Parker and J.J. Hickson – ever played with James. The others? They have heard the reasons why they should be even more motivated to secure their 15th win of the season against Miami, but even Cavaliers coach Byron Scott didn’t experience the pain that would lead to more…

This means only good things for the sport.

While Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are still trying to mess up each other from their Ferrari and McLaren machines respectively, it seems their teammates are getting in on the act as well after the first race of the 2011 F1 season.

Yes, Felipe Massa of Ferrari and McLaren driver Jenson Button were engaged in a very spirited battle at the recently held 2011 F1 Australian Grand Prix. In case you missed it, here’s what happened.

Jenson Button reckons Ferrari may have deliberately pitted Felipe Massa so that the stewards would have no choice but to penalise the McLaren driver. Button and Massa were involved in an exciting battle in the first 14 laps of Sunday’s Australian GP as the Brit found himself stuck behind the Ferrari after on the opening lap.

And once behind Felipe Massa, Button could do little to pass despite having KERS and the added boost of his adjustable front wing. In fact, the battle between the two was so close at times that it appeared as if Button’s front wing would disappear under Massa’s rear.

The Brit finally did pass Massa, however, he did so off the track, which meant he had to give the position back or risk a penalty.

And with Button refusing to yield, the stewards confirmed that an investigation would take place into the incident. Moments later, Ferrari pitted Massa, leaving the stewards with no option but to hand the McLaren driver a…

Can Schumi back it up?

Michael Schumacher has warned his rivals to expect the real deal this 2011 F1 season, insisting that he will have “no one to blame” but himself if he does not perform.

It has been a tough 12 months for Michael Schumacher, the most successful driver of all time, last year. Having been lured back into Formula One after three years on the sidelines by the prospect of driving for the new Mercedes works team under the stewardship of his former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, the hype last year was huge.

An eighth world title was a distinct possibility, we were told. In the event the car bombed and even the battle for intra-team honours was an embarrassment as Schumacher was routinely pummelled by his young compatriot Nico Rosberg.

The German is adamant it will be different this time around.

“It’s clear to me why 2010 didn’t work out,” Schumacher said. “And it is clear to me why 2011 can work out. At least to be back on the podium consistently. Though the target remains the same: to win the world championship.”

Schumacher’s optimism is not shared by everyone. Most pundits, including legendary British driver Sir Stirling Moss, believe the 42 year-old should have quit while he was ahead.

“Yes, I have been a very lucky person,” he said, sarcastically…

Baseball fans are probably salivating right about now.

The first pitch of America’s national pastime comes next Thursday as the 2011 MLB baseball season begins. As usual, Bodog has some of the best gaming options for baseball betting.

This year, they offer players a Diamond Diehards promotion. Simply put, place at least a $10 wager on the same team of your choice each week of the season and potentially earn a bonus at the All-Star Break and at the end of the regular season, as well as a free World Series bet.

Are you a fan of the Boston Red Sox? By adding Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford this offseason, Boston looks like the team to beat in the American League.

We also have the New York Yankees. They missed out on Cliff Lee but still appear poised to make the postseason for the 16th time in the past 17 seasons.

Maybe you are a National League fan. Is this finally the year for the Chicago Cubs to reward their loyal fans and end a 103-year World Series drought? Maybe you dig the Philadelphia Phillies? They added Cliff Lee to form the best rotation in baseball. No wonder they are Bodog’s favorites to win a second World Series in four years.

Of course, you don’t want to sleep on the San Francisco Giants. Many people did last year and the Giants went on to win the franchise’s first Fall Classic since moving to the West Coast.

No matter which team you follow, it pays to bet on Bodog…

Yep, finally, F1 racing is back.

The 2011 F1 season kicks off this weekend as the maiden race of the F1 calendar returns to Melbourne in Australia, just like the good ol’ days, since they can’t have it in Bahrain with the civil unrest going on in those parts.

Two weeks later than planned due to the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the 2011 F1 Australian Grand Prix kicks off the brand new year this Sunday, March 27, at Albert Park in Melbourne.

This circuit is a difficult one with bumpy hard braking zones as fast straights quickly turn into slow corners. Tire wear is therefore likely to be high. Still, the start is often exciting as the cars jostle for position in the first tight corner. Such a tight circuit also increases the chance of accidents and of the safety car being needed, creating another opportunity for cars to go for a quick tire change.

This is more important this year as the new tire supplier for this year will be Pirelli, who haven’t been in Formula One for twenty years. Only eleven sets of dry weather tyres will be allowed during a race weekend as opposed to fourteen last season. The softer compound Pirelli tyres could cause problems as they have already been shown to degrade quicker than the Bridgestone.

In case you were wondering, Jenson Button won the race last year after…

The new Formula One season is already in gear.

After a thrilling 2010 full of drama and suspense, Formula One is expected to deliver more of the same this 2011 F1 season with five crowned drivers’ champions in the field.

The loss of the original season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix due to unrest in the island kingdom has turned the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this season’s maiden race, a switch that could presage a roller-coaster ride into the unknown.

The addition of a maiden Indian Grand Prix, in Delhi in October, is sure to stretch resources of the teams, the drivers and everyone else involved. That will ensure that the team/driver crowned champion at the end of the year will not only be fast, but also durable, fit and well-funded.

The season stretches from the warm days and cool nights of the Victorian autumn to a later-than-ever finale in steaming Sao Paulo, for the Brazilian Grand Prix, on November 27.

In between, the championship takes the flying F1 circus through its normal stops before the ‘European’ season, which ends in Italy in September, and then into a tense and dense itinerary that takes in Singapore, Japan, Korea, India and Abu Dhabi before it all ends at Interlagos.

It is the latest finish in modern times.

“It will be a major test for all of us,” said Christian Horner, the man who guided Red Bull to the double of constructors and drivers titles last year. “This is going to be a very, very long season”.

The new season sees the introduction of ‘moveable rear wings’, a feature…

Yep, because Chad Ochocinco will try to play a different kind of football during the NFL lockout.

Never short on publicity-grabbing ideas, the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver is set for a four-day tryout with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer. That means, my boy will still be playing football even if the 2011 NFL football season don’t see the light of day.

The club said that after the tryout, it would determine whether to extend the trial period. “We’re always searching for players who can help our team and bringing in new talent,” Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes said.

“We know that Chad is an exceptional athlete and that he loves the sport of soccer, and he did play a lot when he was younger. We’re excited to see how his skills will translate once he arrives next week and begins training with our team.”

In case you didn’t know, Chad Ochocinco started playing soccer at age 4 but chose to focus on football in high school. “Due to the NFL lockout, I’m excited to be able to follow my childhood dream of playing for a Major League Soccer team,” Ochocinco said.

The reality TV star is friends with such big names in soccer as Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. In January, Ochocinco visited Ronaldo, Kaka and the rest of Real Madrid’s squad and was introduced to manager Jose Mourinho.

He has said he uses a soccer ball to warm up for…

Despite the fact that there are quite a few issues Vettel and the rest of Red Bull should be worried about.

The 2011 F1 season will begin this weekend in Melbourne, Australia. Initially scheduled for Bahrain, Albert Park will once again host the very first race of the F1 calendar due to the political turmoil in Bahrain.

And coming to the 2011 F1 Australian Grand Prix, there are some issues that Red Bull are concerned about. Some even say that the defending constructors champions won’t be competitive as they were last season because of the new rules the FIA has imposed for this campaign.

Despite that, defending world champion Sebastian Vettel has dismissed fears that Red Bull could struggle to come to grips with the new regulations. Many believe that Red Bull will find it difficult to hit the ground running this season due to the return KERS, the introduction of moveable rear wings and change in tyre supplier.

Although he admits it’s tough to judge how good your rivals will be, Vettel says there is no uncertainty in the Red Bull camp regarding the rule changes.

“There is uncertainty maybe to know where you are compared to the others certainly,” he told Autosport.

“We’ve never had that before – when you would have played with just the typical things like fuel loads.”

“This time some people brought their [aerodynamic] packages earlier…”