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Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda says half of the Formula One grid are putting themselves forward for Nico Rosbergs vacant seat next year. Orlando Cepeda Jersey .In a surprise announcement on Friday, the reigning champion retired from the sport with immediate effect, leaving Mercedes facing the huge task of replacing him over the winter. Team boss Toto Wolff said the search for Lewis Hamiltons new teammate would start on Monday, but with 18 of the best drivers in the world already under contract for 2017 it is unlikely to be a straightforward process.Nevertheless, Lauda let slip that many of the current F1 drivers had already been in touch with him to talk about the situation.Practically half of Formula One and maybe more, he told Gazzetta dello Sport. I am constantly taking calls.Mercedes has one obvious choice already under contract in Pascal Wehrlein, who drove his debut season for Manor this year and has frequently tested next years tyres with the team. But Lauda hinted that Mercedes might want someone with more experience.Hiring a youngster is a risk and we dont know how strong they would be, he added.Lauda admitted the situation had taken him by surprise.I took it badly. I was not expecting it. Nobody in Mercedes imagined he could say enough. At first I didnt believe him.Nico, I told him. Are you pulling my leg? Is it a joke? But he seriously said it was all true. Truly incredible. Chris Martin Jersey .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Anthony Swarzak Braves Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. https:///...n-jersey-braves.html .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. When I daydream about the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series, the first images that come to mind are of joy. Fans hugging each other in the bleachers at Wrigley Field, singing Go Cubs Go, throwing hats in the air and openly weeping. People pouring out of the bars in Wrigleyville to party in the streets until well after the sun has come up. The grand old marquee flashing CUBS WIN!! CUBS WIN!! over and over again.But then Im struck by how much sadness sneaks its way in. A second set of images always follows close behind: the smiling faces of Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, two of the greatest Cubs players -- now both deceased -- there ever were, two of the most loyal fans the franchise will ever see. I never met Santo, but often listened to him call Cubs games on the radio. His groans of disappointment and yelps of approval made you feel like you were watching a ballgame with your grandfather, not listening to the call of a future Hall of Famer.I knew Ernie a bit. For years, he always promised to officiate the marriage of my now-husband and me, an offer he made to quite a few people. He once said it was because as he got older, he wanted to go to as many weddings as he did funerals. In his final years, his mind wasnt always nimble, but he was still just as effortlessly affable, with a smile and a spirit that filled a room. Its gutting to know well never see what that smile would look like after the final out of a Cubs World Series win.And its not just the Cubs we all know. Many Cubs fans have a personal story. Jamie Baker, a 39-year-old Cubs fan from Lake Villa, Illinois, watched the Cubs ultimately ill-fated postseason run in 2003.We had two friends that had died in a car accident, he says. While none of us verbally said it during the Cubs run, wheen they eventually lost, I turned to one of their brothers. Cheap Braves Jerseys. He hugged me, crying, while uttering, I really thought [my brother] Danny was helping them win it all.Nearly every living Cubs fan has a Danny, Ernie or Ron -- a grandfather, grandmother, parent, sibling, spouse or friend who didnt make it quite long enough. When the stars finally align for the North Siders, and we all get what Cubs fans waited more than a century for, it will be more complicated than any championship celebration that came before it. There will be incredible joy, yes; the kind of joy thats equal parts elation and relief, which leaves you feeling both full and weightless at the same time. But with that joy will also be tremendous sadness. Im sure of it.The climb up the proverbial mountain has been so arduous, its hard to imagine what awaits us on the other side. Oh sure -- itll be worth the wait. Well re-watch the final moments of the win until weve memorized every pitch, every out, every smile and hug. Well fill the streets of Chicago for historys biggest championship parade and wait as long as we can to wash the champagne out of our clothes. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Joe Maddon, Theo Epstein and the rest of the guys will be all but knighted in the city of Chicago, never to pay for a beer again.But then what? Who are the Cubs -- and Cubs fans -- if not the worlds most famous lovable losers? From Johnny to Jay to Jimmy, the most consistent monologue fodder for late night hosts has been the endlessly failing Chicago Cubs. When your identity is so deeply tied to losing, who are you when you win?I hope this is the year we find out. ' ' '