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A lucky champion? An undeserved champion? Or a worthy champion? As Nico Rosberg prepares for match point in Brazil, where he can wrap up the 2016 drivers title with victory, is it time to reconsider the Germans candidature for Formula 1 immortality?Theres no denying Rosbergs CV has imperfections. Conspicuous by its absence is an overtaking move on his Mercedes team-mate - and solitary title rival - Lewis Hamilton. Hes beaten Hamilton off the line on a few occasions this year but those spurts to the first corner owe more to computer software than driver skill. And hes had a lot of luck - or, to be more accurate, Hamilton has had a lot of bad luck. But the fortunes of fate play a part in every sport. If an asterisk was put alongside every champion who enjoyed good luck the rollcall would look like an item of morse code.Nobody, not even Nico or his most committed supporters, is saying he is a faster driver than Hamilton or the best in F1. But is it fair to argue that if Nico does win the title, either in Brazil or Abu Dhabi, it would be fair reward, fair enough, and good fare for Formula 1?Here are seven reasons why Rosberg would be a worthy winner of this years title - if he wins it... It would be a triumph from adversityBarely a year ago, Rosberg looked a broken man - and a broken driver. Whats remarkable about his 2016 title push is that it began less than a week after his lowest moment: Cap spat at the US GP when his mistake allowed Hamilton through to wrap up the title.The following Sunday, displaying admirable fortitude and resilience, Rosberg bounced back with victory in Mexico - the first of seven successive victories for the German. Since the pain in defeat in Austin weve all seen a changed Nico, says an admiring Damon Hill.Whatever your opinion of Rosberg the driver, its impossible not to be impressed by his tenacity. Hes been more consistent than Hamilton Rosberg doesnt have Hamiltons pace. He doesnt have Hamiltons skill at overtaking. And he doesnt have his team-mates capacity to ignite a weekend from the mundane to Box Office entertainment. But neither has Rosberg self-destructed in the manner of Hamilton in Baku, when Lewis crashed into a wall during qualifying, or in Suzuka where Lewis distractions were well snapped and well documented. Rosberg has instead been a model of consistency. His one poor performance occurred on race day in Monaco and his only race-day mistakes, when tangling with Hamilton twice in Spain and Austria and with Max Verstappen in Germany, are open to alternative description.In qualifying, he has scarcely put a wheel off line all year - as testified by the fact he has qualified on the front-row for every single race. As Wolff remarked after the Japanese GP: If you want to be a world champion, you have to minimise mistakes, and thats what Nico is doing. Hell have won it his wayRosberg surprised reporters at the start of 2016 by scoffing at suggestions he needed to get his elbows out and play dirty to prevail over Hamilton. Apparently unconvinced that Mr Nasty would work, Rosberg instead opted to be Mr Nice for 2016. As early as April, his disarming description of Hamilton as the benchmark had become a familiar refrain.Nicos self-discipline has been taken to new levels this year, said Wolff last month. He wouldnt even read a news article that is bad for him because it would annoy him. He just hides everything away that might distract.In the testosterone-driven world of the F1 grid, where the DNA of every driver is built on an unyielding conviction they are uniquely special, Rosbergs self-denial and modesty makes for an unusual approach. But by enabling him to simply focus entirely on his own performances without fretting about any of his team-mates superiorities, its one which has worked for him.To repeat what we wrote in September: Nico doesnt have Hamiltons pace but he has resolve, defiance and a capacity for clear thinking which is standing him in good stead against the occasional torpedo from his team-mate. Hanging in there isnt a motif legends are written around but its an approach which is working for Nico, a driver whose greatest strength is his acceptance of his weaknesses. Hes done the hard yardsBeen there, worked it, deserved to win it?As Martin Brundle recently noted: Nico joined Mercedes when they werent successful; he has worked hard and been integral to their development.In other words, hes done the hard yards at Mercedes, shown loyalty and commitment, and seen the good times and bad at Brackley. Does it therefore follow he deserves to reap the rewards? F1 needs a new championBetween them, Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have won the last six drivers world championships and all-but one of the last eight.Regardles of whether Nico is worthy or not, F1 could do with a new champ as a buffer against accusations of predictability. At times this season Rosberg has been exceptionalWhile hes perhaps never hit the heights Hamilton has been capable of scaling throughout his career, a cluster of Rosbergs performances this year have been truly outstanding. Some of his drives have been impeccable, says Hill. Former Mercedes boss Ross Brawn thinks Nico Rosbergs preparation off the track has given him the edge on Lewis Hamilton this year. In China, Nico won by almost forty seconds and had the edge over his team-mate long before Hamilton was scuppered by an engine failure at the start of Q3. In Singapore, his qualifying lap was the best of his career as he out-paced Hamilton by over half a second - the largest such defeat Rosberg has inflicted on Hamilton during their four years together. This is his yearRosberg has never been better and in all probability, given that he is already 31, has been at the absolute peak of his powers in 2016. After Singapore, Wolff said that is the best Nico Rosberg I have ever seen and only Hamilton seems unconvinced Rosberg has raised his game. If he does win the championship this season, it would be fitting he does so in a season when hes actually driven like a champion. And thens the importance of the final act to consider.If Rosberg does win the championship in Brazil then, barring an aberration or a car failure for his team-mate, hell win it in the most worthy way possible: with a race victory.In that scenario, a champion drive for a championship, would anyone really argue he doesnt deserve it?Can Nico Rosberg clinch the title at Interlagos? Watch the Brazilian GP live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday, the race begins at 4pm; Watch the whole race weekend with a NOW TV week pass - £10.99, no contract Air Max 90 The Starry Sky Black . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Discount Air Max 90 . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. http://www.outletairmax90cheap.com/outlet-air-max-90-white-cheap-411.html . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. Wholesale Air Max 90 Black . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Cheap Air Max 90 Womens . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. SAN DIEGO -- Jake Arrieta might be starting a late-season push for an NL Cy Young Award. Hes done it before.Arrieta threw eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball to become the NLs first 16-game winner and Kris Bryant and Addison Russell homered, lifting the Chicago Cubs over the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Tuesday night.The story line is Jake, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. He hardly ever lost the plate and his fastball command kept getting better as the game progressed. That was really reminiscent of last year.Arrieta (16-5) allowed a single to Alex Dickerson in the second and Christian Bethancourts double in the eighth. The defending NL Cy Young winner has two no-hitters in the past year, including one while he went 11-0 with an 0.41 ERA over his final 12 starts last season.Its hard to replicate what he did last year, Maddon said. He just nailed it. So if he gets hot over these last couple of weeks you could see more of what you just saw tonight.The Padres brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but Aroldis Chapman got the last two outs for his 28th save after Felix Pena was charged with three runs.I was mad at Joe for taking me out, Arrieta said. But at the same time he said, `remember last year? Lets conserve some things for October and late September. That is our game plan.We want to be as strong and dominant as we can be but still in the back of our mind that is that late September, early October, mid-October, is really the most important thing for the ball club. Could I have finished the game? Yes. But does it play in our favor to maybe conserve that for later? Yes.Bryants 33rd home run tied him with Colorados Nolan Arenado for the NL lead.Russell smacked his fifth homer in five games, a two-run shot that put the Cubs ahead 4-0 in the fifth.Arrieta won for the fourth straight start. He had six strikeouts and three walks.The major league-leading Cubs are 21-5 in their last 26 games and 35 games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 25, 2008.Chicago has scored at least three runs in 22 straight games and has hit aa minimum of two home runs in each of its last seven outings.ddddddddddddChristian Friedrich (4-10) lost his eighth consecutive decision. He lasted 5 1/3 innings, giving up five runs and seven hits. He walked four and struck out two.Bryant got his second RBI in the sixth when his sacrifice fly scored Arrieta, who was aboard on a one-out triple.In the Cubs three-run fifth, Ben Zobrist stroked a run-scoring double which preceded Russells long fly. Zobrist had three hits.I definitely made some bad pitches, Friedrich said. It kind of got away from me.Bryant, who won the Golden Spikes Award at the University of San Diego, hit his second home run in two games in the third. His one-out blast put the Cubs ahead 1-0.The Padres blew several chances early.Travis Jankowski was picked off third in the first, and Arrieta, who is 27-5 since the beginning of last August, wiggled from jams in the next two innings thanks to two double plays, the first of three for the Cubs.The pickoff at third was rather large and the double plays, those are demoralizing for the other side, Maddon said.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: RHP John Lackey (right shoulder strain) is progressing with his throwing program and will have a bullpen session this weekend in Los Angeles.Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (right shoulder strain) will have a 45-pitch outing on Thursday for Class A Lake Elsinore. Ross was the Padres opening day starter and hasnt pitched since.UP NEXTCubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (11-7, 21.6) has 16 straight starts in which hes allowed three runs or fewer, the longest streak in the majors this season. Hes 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA in four starts against the Padres. Hendricks has won all but three road games this year.Padres: Paul Clemens (2-2, 4.82), who was claimed off waivers last month, worked five innings in his last outing on Thursday but didnt figure in the decision. He surrendered three runs on eight hits and three walks to the Arizona Diamondbacks. ' ' '