NEWS » hon Maker will bring more depth and talent to the group.?We

AUSTIN, Texas -- With the promise of blue skies and some sizzling pop from Taylor Swift, the U.S. Grand Prix is back after all those worries about its demise.Theres even a gripping title chase on the track, too.The future of the race at the Circuit of the Americas was in question for months after the 2015 version was swamped by torrential rains that chased away crowds and nearly cost Formula One the entire weekend. The weather cleared just long enough for Lewis Hamilton to win in a wild finish and claim his third championship.Within days, race promoters warned they had taken a devastating financial hit and there were fears that the lone F1 race in the U.S. would move elsewhere.Yet here it is, and F1 is ready to ready to run in America for a fifth consecutive year, an important milestone for the series long-term survival in a nation where NASCAR remains king to motorsports fans.The race is on, said former Formula One champion Mario Andretti. This event is established and thats very important, and very good.After last years struggles saw fans slogging through ankle-deep mud, race organizers knew they needed some punch year to bring them back. The U.S. Grand Prix has seen declining attendance every year since its debut and saw a chunk of fans leeched away by the 2015 debut of the Mexican Grand Prix, which runs the week after the Austin race.Circuit of the Americas President Bobby Epstein, who admits the race was in great jeopardy in early 2016, reached for a pop star and got one of biggest when Swift signed on for a Saturday night show at the track after qualifying. A three-day general admission ticket gains entry to the racing, the Swift concert and a Sunday night post-race concert with Usher and The Roots.Its a move Epstein hopes will boost race weekend attendance, and be a window into Formula One for a new generation of fans who may not know much about racing. Last year, Elton John played the Sunday night after the race. If fans of Swift, Usher and The Roots decide to watch the race, everyone wins, Epstein said.Its a formula that will be closely watched by Formula Ones new ownership group, U.S.-based Liberty Media, which announced last month it would buy the series for $4.4 billion .What I hope to do with this is make an investment in the future of Formula One and bring out and audience that has never experienced an F1 event, which is more than a race, Epstein said. With Taylor Swift, it crosses into another, younger demographic. We think there will be 30,000-40,000 people who might not otherwise have come.A Swift spokeswoman declined comment.Epstein also threw in a weather guarantee for race weekend. Reserve seat tickets get a 105 percent refund if more than two inches of rain fall on race weekend. Forecasts predict rain Thursday and clear skies once practice starts Friday and through the weekend.On the track, Nico Rosberg has pushed Hamilton -- his Mercedes teammate and rival -- to the brink of desperation with a 33-point lead heading into the final four races. Hamilton won season titles in 2014 and 2015 but now faces a must-win scenario if he hopes to catch Rosberg over the final month of 2016.Hamilton wiped out a big deficit earlier in the season but Rosberg has been on a roll with four victories in the last five races. Hamilton has been exceptional in Austin, winning three times, including the last two when he passed Rosberg late both times.Ill be holding nothing back out there. First up, were back in the States, which is like a second home race for me these days. I love the country, the culture, the people and the track, Hamilton said.Hamilton has appeared to struggle with the prospect of losing the title this year. He was criticized for playing around with Snapchat on his phone during the official drivers news conference in Japan two weeks ago, then protested what he considered disrespectful media coverage by not speaking with reporters at the Mercedes briefing after qualifying.Rosberg, who cracked under the pressure of chasing Hamilton the previous two seasons, has been cool all year. He dominated the early part of the season and roared out of a slump after Hamilton surged to catch him.A year ago in Austin, Rosberg infamously threw a podium cap in Hamiltons face after Hamilton clinched the season title with the victory on the rain-slicked course.Last year this race obviously didnt work out so great for me, so I m looking forward to getting back out there and doing my best to get it right this time, Rosberg said. Cheap Houston Rockets Jerseys . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. 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Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Milwaukee BucksOverall: 72 Title track: T90 Ownership: 61 Coaching: 59 Players: 67 Fan relations: 72 Affordability: 38 Stadium experience: 113 Bang for the buck: 81 Change from last year: -7Last year, it all seemed to be going well for the Bucks after an impressive, 55-spot jump in these standings. But just when we thought it was headed for the top half, the team slipped back into old habits and dropped seven spots from last year. Under head coach Jason Kidd, the teams future remains cloudy, but the leadership on the team will have to step up if the Bucks want to compete against the best NBA franchises.Whats goodAlthough the Bucks remain in a rebuilding phase, fans can enjoy attending games for a low price and little hassle. With among the most affordable tickets in the game (ranging from $9 to $178) and ranking 38th in affordability, the BMO Harris Bradley Center should draw big enough crowds to create hype and help the Bucks to more wins this season. Of course, with ownership set to open a new arena in the next few years (which is sorely needed -- see that 113th-ranked stadium experience), whether ticket prices stay affordable remains to be seen. In the meantime, PR Director Mark Rosenberg says improvements are coming to the Bradley Center: In the past year weve opened three new club spaces and partnered with multiple local restaurants to expand our concessions offerings. Weve also upgraded our public in-arena wifi network, added in-seat ordering capability through our Bucks mobile app for merchandise, and invested heavily in customer service training programs for our ffrontline staff.ddddddddddddWhats badWhen the Bucks didnt make the playoffs last season, it didnt come as a shock to most fans (the Bucks got bounced in six in the first round in 2014-15). But there were signs of promise throughout the regular season: back-to-back wins over the Pacers and Timberwolves, not to mention victories over the Warriors and Cavaliers. Call us crazy, but it almost seems like this team has serious potential to break free from a 90th-place title track ranking this year. A few more wins would go a long way to helping that 83rd-place bang for the buck finish too.Whats newLast year, fans of Milwaukee embraced the young Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker and Greg Monroe increased optimism in the roster and gave fans hope for playoff contention and a long-lasting season. But after a 33-49 season and the teams 12th-place finish in the Eastern Conference, fans are growing less certain about the Bucks players and coaches. The roster lands at 67th overall (down 37 spots), so Kidd (down 40 spots to 59th) still has his sights set on rebuilding. In 2016-17, the Bucks hope new signee Matthew Dellavedova and top draft pick Thon Maker will bring more depth and talent to the group.?Were very excited about the