2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Social security and welfare
The indexation for pensions will be lowered from 2017 onwards, after it is linked to inflation rather than male average earnings. New funding for the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) ceased on 1 July 2014 with funding for tenanted NRAS properties continuing. The First Home Saver Accounts scheme will be abolished leading to savings of $134.3 million. Documents revealed in 2018 showed that the government was considering a social security measure for this budget which would cut off income support entirely for people under 30.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Infrastructure, transport and energy
The budget allocated significant funding for road infrastructure in western Sydney, including for the WestConnex motorway and for roads to Badgerys Creek Airport as well as significant funding for Melbourne's East West Link. There was also funding for two major road projects in South East Queensland – the final section of the upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway and the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Infrastructure, transport and energy
The budget reduced government support for renewable energy and climate change-related programs.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Education
The budget proposed to cut $4.7 billion of funding from higher education over four years. On average, the Commonwealth's contribution to the funding of university degrees was to be cut by 20%. From 2016, the interest rate charged on HECS debts, which had been linked to the consumer price index was to be charged at the same rate as government long-term borrowings. HECS debts would have to be repaid once an individual's income reaches $50,638. Universities were to be able to set their own fees for courses under a new deregulated fee system. Modelling conducted by Universities Australia indicates that the fee to study at an Australian university will on average double in cost.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Education
$245.3 million was to be spent on continuing the school chaplaincy program over four years.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Defence
Before the budget was released the Abbott Government announced Australia's biggest ever military purchase of 58 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II which are to be delivered in 2018.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Health
A controversial $7 co-payment to see a bulk billing doctor, receive x-rays and get a blood test was proposed to save $3.4 billion over five years, however $5 of it will go toward medical research. All 61 Medicare Locals—organisations established to plan and fund extra health services—are going to close. The Senate blocked passage of the medical co-payment, but approved the establishment of the Medical Research Future Fund in August 2015, with funding to be found through reduced health spending and the Health and Hospitals Fund, until a balance of $20bn is reached in 2020.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Community services and culture
Funding for the ABC and SBS is being cut by 1% leading to costs savings of $43.5 million. This is despite repeated comments by the Abbott Government that funding to the ABC would not be cut, which Abbott later said he regretted. The ABC's contract to operate the Australia Network was cancelled after its first year of a 10-year contract. The Australia Council for the Arts had its funding cut by around $30 million. Screen Australia is losing $38 million over four years.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Community services and culture
More than 150 programs, grants and activities designed to assist Indigenous Australians are being replaced by five broad-based programs with cuts to funding of $534 million aimed at reducing duplication and waste. The next three years of funding to the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples has been cancelled. Money was allocated to a school truancy officer program, extra police in remote communities and Indigenous teenage sexual health programs.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Community services and culture
Rural communities are expected to benefit from the introduction of the Green Army. The Green Army aims to provide training and experience in the environmental and heritage conservation fields for the unemployed aged 17–24 years. Funding for community Landcare grants has been reduced and replaced by the establishment of the National Landcare Program.


2014 Australian federal budget, Expenditure, Science
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is to see its budget cut by $AU114 million, forcing the closure of two historic radio telescopes.


2014 Australian federal budget, Opposition and crossbench response
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has expressed fierce opposition to the doctor co-payments, changes to the pension age and unemployment benefits as well as cuts to state funding and the fuel excise. Both the ALP and the Australian Greens opposed the move to a deregulated fee structure for university degrees on the basis that the quality of education will likely shift towards a person's capacity to pay. Jenny Macklin criticised changes to welfare for the unemployed saying that "The Prime Minister has completely deserted young Australians looking for work".


2014 Australian federal budget, Opposition and crossbench response
Clive Palmer dismissed the government's stated concern over sovereign debt claiming the budget was "based on lies". Senator Nick Xenophon described the budget as "mean, nasty and dumb". Independent MP Andrew Wilkie implored the opposition and crossbench MPs to go so far as to block supply in his opposition to the budget.


2014 Australian federal budget, Opposition and crossbench response
Following the second rejection of the budget measures by the Senate, Abbott has been challenged by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Clive Palmer to act upon a double dissolution trigger and request Governor-General Peter Cosgrove to dissolve both houses of Parliament or bring in a mini-budget.


2014 Australian federal budget, Critical reception
Even before the budget was delivered the Reserve Bank of Australia warned that a tightening of fiscal policy combined with a decline in resources construction projects would lead to an increase in the unemployment rate. Economist Ben Phillips described the budget as "very regressive overall". Economist Chris Richardson described the budget as the toughest since 1997. Welfare, community and disability groups rallied heavily against the budget. It was criticised because it places a higher burden on low income earners compared to the more wealthy. Analysis by ACOSS revealed the budget will hit low and middle-income households the hardest.


2014 Australian federal budget, Critical reception
Further analysis by the Treasury indicated that the budget would have disproportionately negative impact on low income households compared to wealthier ones. Chief Executive of the Council on the Ageing Ian Yates criticised changes to pension index arrangements claiming they would result in more pensioners falling below the poverty line. ACOSS was also highly critical of the cessation of payments for the first six months to unemployed people under 30. David Gonski criticised plans to limit school funding to CPI increases rather than a needs based funding model after 2017. The Australian Education Union criticised funding for chaplains in school saying the money could be spent on students with disabilities.


2014 Australian federal budget, Critical reception
One of the strongest criticisms of the budget is that it breaks numerous pre-election promises. In response to a loss in funding for hospitals and schools, premiers and chief ministers attended an emergency meeting in Sydney to discuss their response. Post-budget polls revealed a large decline in support for the government, with the opposition opening up various leads on the primary and two-party vote, better prime minister, and net satisfaction ratings. It was recorded as the worst-received Australian federal budget in polling history.


2014 Australian federal budget, Critical reception
Following the March in March protests two months earlier, on 18 May 2014 "tens of thousands" marched in capital cities protesting against the budget. A protest march organised by the Victorian Trades Hall Council attracted around 10,000 union members nearly a month after the budget was delivered.


2014 Australian federal budget, Critical reception
In July, 20,000 people were estimated to have marched in the "Bust the Budget" rally in Melbourne against the unfairness and inequity of the 2014 budget. Concurrent marches were held in Sydney, Canberra and Newcastle and many other centres across the country.


2014 Australian football code crowds
Australia is home to four professional football codes. This is a comprehensive list of crowd figures for Australian football codes in 2014. It includes several different competitions and matches from Australian rules football, rugby league, rugby union and soccer. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have teams represented in all four codes. Hobart and Darwin are Australia's only capital cities without a professional football team.


2014 Australian football code crowds, Included competitions, National competitions
Several football codes have national (domestic) competitions in Australia, the following are taken into consideration:


2014 Australian football code crowds, Included competitions, National competitions
Two of these leagues, specifically the NRL and A-League, have one club each in New Zealand, while only five of the fifteen Super Rugby franchises are located in Australia, with the other ten split evenly between New Zealand and South Africa. Attendance figures for non-Australian clubs are not taken into account in the figures on this page.


2014 Australian football code crowds, Included competitions, Other competitions
Other competitions, such as international and representative competitions, included are:


2014 Australian football code crowds, Included competitions, Other competitions
Note: For these competitions, only figures for games that take place in Australia are taken into account.


2014 Australian football code crowds, Included competitions, Non-competition games
Some non-competition matches (such as friendly and exhibition matches) are also included:


2014 Australian football code crowds, Attendances by league
Some codes have multiple competitions, several competitions are compared here.


2014 Australian football code crowds, Attendances by team
Total home attendances for domestic league competitions are listed here.


2014 Australian football code crowds, Attendances by match
Attendances for single matches are listed here. Note that not all matches are necessarily included.


2014 Australian football code crowds, Attendances by match, Representative competitions
These are matches that are part of a regular representative competition.


2014 Australian football code crowds, Attendances by match, Single matches
These are once-off matches, that aren't part of any regular league competition.


2014 Australian human powered vehicle season
The 2014 Australian human powered vehicle season began on the 28 February with the first round of the Victorian HPV Series at Casey Fields and concludes with the RACV Energy Breakthrough series at Maryborough, Victoria.


2014 Australian human powered vehicle season
Australia is the world leader in Human powered vehicle (Velomobile) racing.


2014 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2014 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix was the sixteenth round of the 2014 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It was held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Phillip Island on 19 October 2014.


2014 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix
In his 250th premier class start, Valentino Rossi took his second victory of the season, after benefitting from an accident for Marc Márquez, while he was leading the race. It was Rossi's sixth win at the circuit, after five successive wins from 2001 to 2005. Second place went to Rossi's teammate Jorge Lorenzo, while Tech 3's Bradley Smith finished in third place, recording his first premier class podium, after Ducati's Cal Crutchlow crashed out late on.


2014 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix
As a result, it was the first all-Yamaha podium since the 2008 French Grand Prix and the first time since the 2011 Australian Grand Prix where all three riders on the podium were of the same manufacturer. For the first time since the 2009 Dutch TT, both Repsol Honda riders failed to finish the race; further to Márquez's accident, Dani Pedrosa collided with Andrea Iannone, causing both riders to retire from the race. Karel Abraham, Stefan Bradl and Pol Espargaró also crashed out of the race, and only 14 of the 23 starters reached the finish.


2014 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix
In the support categories, Maverick Viñales took his third win of the season in Moto2, ahead of Thomas Lüthi and championship leader Esteve Rabat. In Moto3, Jack Miller took his fifth win of the season on home soil, in a photo finish; he finished just clear of Estrella Galicia 0,0 teammates Álex Márquez (the championship leader) and Álex Rins. The top six riders were covered by just under a quarter of a second at the finish.


2014 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round sixteen has concluded.


2014 Austrian Darts Open
The 2014 Austrian Darts Open was the fourth of eight PDC European Tour events on the 2014 PDC Pro Tour. The tournament took place at the Salzburgarena in Salzburg, Austria, between 20–22 June 2014. It featured a field of 48 players and £100,000 in prize money, with £20,000 going to the winner.


2014 Austrian Darts Open
Vincent van der Voort won his first European Tour title by defeating Jamie Caven 6–5 in the final.


2014 Austrian Darts Open, Qualification and format
The top 16 players from the  on 29 April 2014 automatically qualified for the event. The remaining 32 places went to players from three qualifying events - 20 from the UK Qualifier (held in Wigan on 2 May), eight from the European Qualifier and four from the Host Nation Qualifier (held at the venue the day before the event started). Michael van Gerwen withdrew on the morning before his second round match against Dean Winstanley due to an ankle injury. Winstanley received a bye through to the third round.


2014 Austrian Figure Skating Championships
The 2014 Austrian Figure Skating Championships (German: Österreichischen Staatsmeisterschaften im Eiskunstlauf 2014) took place between 18 and 21 December 2013 at the Eisarena Volksgarten in Salzburg. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing on the senior level. The results were used to choose the Austrian teams to the 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2014 World Championships, and the 2014 European Championships.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix
The 2014 Austrian Grand Prix (formally the Formula 1 Grosser Preis Von Österreich 2014) was a Formula One motor race held on 22 June 2014 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. It was the eighth round of the 2014 season and marked the 28th running of the Austrian Grand Prix and the 27th time it had been held as a round of the Formula One World Championship. It was the first Austrian Grand Prix held since 2003. The 71-lap race was won by Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg after starting from third position. His teammate Lewis Hamilton finished second with Valtteri Bottas third for the Williams team.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix
Felipe Massa started the race from pole position, his first since the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix and the last of his career. Massa had one previous participation in an Austrian Grand Prix, back in 2002, while from the last Austrian Grand Prix to be held before 2014, which was in 2003, only three drivers (Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, and Jenson Button) returned to drive in the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Background
The Grand Prix was contested by eleven teams, each of two drivers. The teams, also known as constructors, were Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren, Force India, Sauber, Toro Rosso, Williams, Marussia and Caterham. Tyre supplier Pirelli brought four different tyre compounds for the race; two dry compounds, the soft "primes" and the supersoft "options", and two wet-weather compounds, the intermediate and full wet. The drag reduction system (DRS) had two activation zones for the race; one was on the start/finish straight from the final to first corners, and the second on the straight between turns 2 and 3.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Background
Going into the race, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg led the Drivers' Championship with 140 points, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton on 118 points and Daniel Ricciardo on 79. Fernando Alonso was fourth on 69 points while Sebastian Vettel was fifth on 60 points. In the Constructors' Championship Mercedes were leading with 258 points and Red Bull were second on 139 points. Ferrari with 87 points and Force India with 77 points contended for third place, with McLaren fifth on 66 points. Mercedes had so far dominated the championship, winning six out of the previous seven races, with Ricciardo winning the Canadian Grand Prix. Championship competitor Kevin Magnussen had gained one second-place finish, while Jenson Button, Vettel (twice), Sergio Pérez and Alonso had achieved third place podium finishes.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Practice and qualifying
Nico Rosberg was the fastest in the first free practice session with a lap time of 1:11.295. Teammate Lewis Hamilton was the fastest in the second free practice session with a lap time of 1:09.542. Valtteri Bottas was the fastest in the third free practice session with a lap time of 1:09.848.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Practice and qualifying
Williams driver Felipe Massa became the first driver other than Hamilton and Rosberg to claim pole position in 2014 with a Q3 lap time of 1:08.759. He was joined on the front row by teammate Valtteri Bottas; it was the team's first front row lockout since Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher did so, at the 2003 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Practice and qualifying
Hamilton failed to post a time in Q3, ending up ninth on the grid after Sergio Pérez's penalty was applied. On his first flying lap in Q3 – having been 0.4 seconds faster than Bottas' provisional pole time of 1:08.846 through the first two sectors – Hamilton ran wide at the final corner and had his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits. On his second and final lap Hamilton locked his rear brakes under braking for turn 2 and spun. Sebastian Vettel failed to reach Q3, although his teammate Daniel Ricciardo did.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Race
At the start, Massa led the field into the first corner, with Rosberg passing Bottas, but being repassed the following straight. Hamilton gained five places on the first lap, after passing two cars on the run into the first corner and two further cars heading towards turn 2, before taking another spot from Fernando Alonso at turn 7. As a result, he ended the first lap only one position and 0.9 seconds behind his teammate, despite starting ninth. Sebastian Vettel once again suffered from technical problems, losing drive on the first lap and attempting to retire on lap two. However, his car then regained drive and he was able to continue, albeit a lap down. After damaging his front wing halfway through the race, he later retired from Red Bull Racing's home Grand Prix on lap 34.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Race
At the front, the Mercedes cars were able to pass the Williams cars by stopping earlier and undercutting them during the pitstop phases. Rosberg passed both Williams' during the first stops, and Hamilton took second position during the second round, despite suffering two slow pit stops. Sergio Pérez once again drove a good race with a different tyre strategy, only running the super soft compound for the last 16 laps and successfully challenging Kevin Magnussen for sixth place, despite starting sixteenth following a grid penalty.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Race
For much of the race both Mercedes cars had to manage overheating brake issues. On lap 55 Hamilton was held up by backmarkers, losing around a second. During the final laps, Hamilton was slowly gaining on teammate Rosberg, and despite having lost a total of 1.9 seconds to his teammate through slower pit stops he began the final lap 1.1 seconds behind. However, he was not close enough to his teammate to challenge him and backed off at the end of the lap. Rosberg took the chequered flag for his third win of the season.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
As a result of the race, Nico Rosberg extended his championship lead to 29 points, the largest it had been all season.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
Lewis Hamilton admitted he was frustrated by his slow pit stops, but said that second was still a "good result" considering his qualifying position.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
Fernando Alonso, who managed to finish closely behind Felipe Massa in the Williams and with a smaller gap to Mercedes than usual, later described the race as his best of the season so far.


2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
The race was a remarkable one for Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff, who in being a shareholder of both Mercedes and his former team Williams effectively held some ownership of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th placed cars in the race. This remarkable achievement was sweetened by it coming at the Austrian's home race.


2014 Auto Club 400
The 2014 Auto Club 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on March 23, 2014, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Contested over 206 laps on the 2 miles (3.2 km) asphalt D-shaped oval  – extended from 200 laps due to a green–white–checker finish – it was the fifth race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Kyle Busch won the race, his first win of the season, while Kyle Larson finished as the highest rookie in second, while Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five. Behind Larson, the top rookies in the race were Austin Dillon in 11th, and Cole Whitt in 18th.


2014 Auto Club 400, Previous week's race
Just as the field was being lined up to restart the Food City 500, rain started to fall once again. After 503 laps, a two-hour delay to start the race, a three-hour delay at the quarter mark and multiple rain showers, NASCAR called the end of the race and Carl Edwards took the victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. Edwards described his race as "awesome", after troubles on the previous day, stating that his car was "terrible on Saturday, so I'm just glad we turned it around".


2014 Auto Club 400, Previous week's race
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. scored his best career finish with a runner up spot, stating that he had "a lot of fun" and that his team was "just slowly working and getting better and better", as he continued to improve results in his first full season in the Sprint Cup. Aric Almirola also scored his best career finish, at the time of the race, in third place.


2014 Auto Club 400, Report, Background
The track, Auto Club Speedway, is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2 miles (3.2 km) long. The track's turns are banked from fourteen degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at eleven degrees. Unlike the front stretch, the backstraightaway is banked at three degrees. The track has a seating capacity of 92,100 people. The race consisted of 200 laps, equivalent to a race distance of 400 miles (640 km). The defending race winner was Kyle Busch.


2014 Auto Club 400, Report, Entry list
The entry list for the Auto Club 400 was released on Tuesday, March 18 at 1:49 p.m. Eastern time. Forty-three cars were entered for the race which meant no one would fail to qualify.


2014 Auto Club 400, Practice, First practice
Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 38.163 and a speed of 188.664 mph (303.625 km/h). Landon Cassill wrecked his primary car during the session and was forced to roll out the backup car. Because this change took place prior to qualifying, he did not have to start from the rear of the field.


2014 Auto Club 400, Qualifying
Matt Kenseth won the pole with a time of 38.438 and a speed of 187.315 mph (301.454 km/h). Kenseth praised the performance of his Joe Gibbs Racing team and their qualifying setup, stating that "they gave me the car and really all I did was not mess it up". Joining Kenseth on the front row was Brad Keselowski, who noted a change in tire performance compared to qualifying sessions earlier in the season.


2014 Auto Club 400, Qualifying
He stated that Auto Club Speedway was "probably the first qualifying effort where the cars have gone slower in the last round with the tire fall off playing a factor in that. So, each week is different as far as what it is going to take to make it through all three rounds. I think that is part of the interest and the challenge for us as teams and drivers".


2014 Auto Club 400, Qualifying
He also noted a potential for unpredictability, stating that there was an "infinite amount of variables and teams that can dial that in the best are the ones that will be up front. So far we have been able to do that which I think is a strong statement for our team". Jeff Gordon, who qualified sixth, stated that the tires were unpredictable, adding that "you're having to keep the same set of tires on the car and guess which direction it is going to go".


2014 Auto Club 400, Practice (post-qualifying), Second practice
Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 38.706 and a speed of 186.018 mph (299.367 km/h). Martin Truex, Jr. hit the wall in turn 1 after his car cut down the left-rear tire, and this necessitated the rolling out of his backup car. Because this was a post-qualifying change, he was forced to start from the rear.


2014 Auto Club 400, Practice (post-qualifying), Final practice
Brian Vickers was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 38.725 and a speed of 185.926 mph (299.219 km/h). Joey Logano hit the wall in turn 2 after cutting down the left-rear tire. Like Truex, he was forced to start at the rear. Logano put the issue down to a combination of air pressure and car setup.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, Driver change
The night before the race, Denny Hamlin went to the infield care center at Auto Club Speedway due to an irritation in his eye. The irritation continued overnight, and it was reported at the time that he had a sinus infection. After being referred to a local hospital, the cause of the irritation was discovered to be a small piece of metal in his eye. J. D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Hamlin would not start the race less than an hour before the start. Sam Hornish, Jr., who was on standby for Matt Kenseth in the previous day's Nationwide Series race, drove the No. 11 car in his place.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, First half, Start
The race started at 3:16 p.m. Eastern time with Kenseth leading the field to the green flag. He was passed by Brad Keselowski on the first lap. The first caution of the race flew on lap 19 after Kevin Harvick cut down his right-rear tire on the front stretch. Jeff Gordon exited pit road third, but was caught speeding and had to restart from the rear. David Ragan stayed out when Keselowski pitted to lead a lap before pitting. The race restarted on lap 24 with Keselowski leading the way, but Kyle Busch soon passed him for the lead.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, First half, Start
Keselowski retook the lead on lap 27, and held the lead until the second caution of the race flew on lap 43 after Dale Earnhardt, Jr. cut down the left-front tire and scraped the wall in Turn 1. Jimmie Johnson exited pit road first and assumed the lead for the restart on lap 48.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, First half, Start
The third caution of the race flew on lap 57 after Tony Stewart spun out exiting turn 2. Clint Bowyer stayed out when Johnson pitted, believing that the light at the entrance to pit road to be red. Gordon and Keselowski did likewise, but Bowyer and Gordon pitted the following lap. The race restarted on lap 61 and Johnson had no trouble passing Keselowski for the lead with four new tires.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, First half, Start
The fourth caution of the race flew on lap 70 after Brian Scott got into Aric Almirola and sent them both spinning into the infield grass just past the entrance of pit road. Almirola had to back off the throttle when his forward progress was interrupted by Hornish. Scott was moving to the top of the race track and was caught by surprise. Upon being released from the infield care center, Almirola frankly stated that Scott was "out there having fun because his daddy gets to pay for it". Ryan Newman stayed out and took the lead.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 75 and just like the previous restart, Kenseth had no trouble passing Newman with four new tires. Johnson retook the lead on lap 84, just before the fifth caution of the race flew on lap 86 after Parker Kligerman got loose and backed into the Turn 3 wall. Johnson and Kenseth swapped the lead on pit road, and Kenseth exited the leader. The race restarted on lap 91 and Johnson did not take long to pass Kenseth for the lead.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, Second half, Halfway
Gordon took the race lead for the first time on lap 106, holding the lead to the sixth caution of the race, which flew on lap 118 after Carl Edwards cut down his left-rear tire and spun out in turn 2. Kenseth won the race off pit road and assumed the lead for the restart on lap 123. Johnson took back the lead on lap 127. Harvick was running third when he had another cut tire, this time the left-rear, with 63 laps to go.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, Second half, Tire blowouts
Debris in turn 3 brought out the seventh caution of the race with 60 laps to go; Johnson and Gordon swapped the lead on pit road, but Johnson exited first, and the led the field to the restart, with 52 laps to go. The eighth caution of the race flew with 34 laps to go after David Gilliland rear-ended the wall in turn 4. Just like the previous pit cycle, Johnson and Gordon swapped the lead on pit road, and Johnson once again led off pit road, for the restart with 27 laps to go.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, Second half, Tire blowouts
With seven laps to go, Johnson cut down his left-front tire and Gordon took the lead. A number of cars started cutting down their tires including points leader Keselowski (right-rear), Marcos Ambrose (left-rear) and Bowyer who cut down his right-front tire; Bowyer spun out and brought out the ninth caution of the race with three laps to go, to cause a green–white–checker finish. Landon Cassill stayed out when Gordon pitted to assume the lead.


2014 Auto Club 400, Race, Second half, Finish
The race required only one attempt for the green–white–checker finish. Cassill did not put up a fight and Kurt Busch moved to the front. On the final lap, Kyle Busch passed his brother and held off a hard charging Kyle Larson to win the race. Upon exiting his car, Kyle Busch stated that the finish was exciting, and that "what do you expect when you have a green-white-checkered finish and everyone comes down pit road to put on four tires", believing the finish to be like something out of the movie Days of Thunder. After winning his first Nationwide Series race the previous day, Larson stated that it had "been a really good weekend" and that he had been battling "probably a 12th place car for most of the day".


2014 Auto GP Series
The 2014 Auto GP Series was the fifth year of the Auto GP, and the fifteenth season of the former Euroseries 3000. The championship began on 13 April in Marrakech, Morocco and finished on 19 October at the Autódromo do Estoril, after eight double-header rounds.


2014 Auto GP Series
Despite missing two rounds during the season, Euronova Racing driver Kimiya Sato was crowned champion, after winning six races over the course of the season. Sato won the championship by 14 points over Tamás Pál Kiss, who was a three-time race winner during the 2014 season. Super Nova International's Markus Pommer completed the championship top three in third position, 27 points in arrears of Pál Kiss, having won races in Marrakech and Monza.


2014 Auto GP Series
Aside from them, other drivers to win races were Andrea Roda at the Red Bull Ring, Kevin Giovesi, who won at Le Castellet and Monza, Shinya Michimi, who won the season's final race at Estoril, while Michela Cerruti became the first woman to win a race in the series, with a victory at Imola. In the teams' championship, Super Nova International fended off Virtuosi UK in a tight title race, with Super Nova prevailing by just six points.


2014 Auto GP Series, Race calendar and results
The provisional calendar for the 2014 season was released on 26 January 2014, with the series' definitive calendar released on 8 March 2014.


2014 Azadi march
The 2014 Azadi movement, also known as the tsunami march (Urdu: آزادی مارچ, lit. "freedom march"), was a protest march in Pakistan from 14 August to 17 December 2014. The march was organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, opposing Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif over claims of systematic election-rigging by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) in the 2013 general election that was later order for reelection and PTI won one out of three seats from the four claimed seats. Party leader Imran Khan announced plans for an August march from Lahore to Islamabad with a group of protesters in a PTI jalsa (demonstration) in Bahawalpur on 27 June 2014.


2014 Azadi march, Background
Following allegations of massive vote-rigging in the 2013 general election, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tentatively accepted the election results and demanded a probe of election fraud in four constituencies as a litmus test for the rest of the election. Government inaction led the PTI to organize several jalsas throughout Punjab, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political stronghold.


2014 Azadi march, Background
In August 2014, Khan said that for 14 months the PTI had tried to bring those responsible for the fraud to justice by legal means. Although the party produced a 2,100-page white paper with evidence of vote-rigging, no action was taken by the government. According to Khan, in any democracy its supreme court would have nullified the results and called for a new election. After former Election Commission of Pakistan additional secretary Afzal Khan also alleged fraud, the Supreme Court also took no action. The court required evidence to nullify the election and, without proof beyond Afzal Khan's allegations (which were eventually ruled incorrect), the petition was dismissed.


2014 Azadi march, Background
During the jalsas, Khan expressed disappointment at the lack of initiative by the country's judicial system and the treatment by the election commission of his charges. On 22 April 2014, the PTI announced the start of their anti-corruption movement.


2014 Azadi march, Organization
Khan had initially named his planned protest march the "Tsunami march", but he later changed its name to "Azadi march" (or "Freedom march") because its start date—14 August—coincided with Pakistan's 67th Independence Day. The PTI chairman called the march the final phase and defining moment of his party's protest of electoral rigging of the 2013 elections. He announced his plan to march with a million other protesters to the nation's capital in Islamabad to protest prime minister Nawaz Sharif's illegitimate government, prompting analysts to call the protest the "Million March". Khan assured the government that the march, culminating in a sit-in, would be peaceful.


2014 Azadi march, Organization
After Khan announced his plans, Islamic cleric Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri's Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) party also announced a similar march. The PAT named their march "Inqilab march" to avoid confusion with the PTI protest, and it was speculated that the marches might merge. Although Qadri initially refused to join Khan's protest and considered changing the date and venue of his march, he later announced that his march would proceed on the same day. The announcement of the informal alliance and parallel marches increased pressure on the PML-N government to restrict the parties.


2014 Azadi march, Organization
The protest caravan, numbering thousands, marched towards Islamabad along the Grand Trunk Road. Although Khan had warned the federal and Punjab governments to ensure the safety of the cavalcade, when PML-N workers threw stones at the caravan in Gujranwala and guns were allegedly fired PTI leaders expressed concern that PML-N workers were aided by the Punjab police.


2014 Azadi march, Organization
The march began at Zaman Park in Lahore on 14 August 2014, reaching Aabpara Chowk and D-Chowk in Islamabad. The protests quickly turned violent quickly, and Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri marched towards Parliament House and local news-channel offices late on 30 August. Geo alleged that the prostesters attacked their media outlet. It became apparent that the government used excessive force against the media, especially ARY News, Samaa TV, Express News, and Dunya News (known to be sympathetic to the opposition). Clashes led to violence by law-enforcement authorities. Violent clashes erupted in other cities, with as many as 13 protesters dead at the hands of police and several police officers injured.


2014 Azadi march, Organization
The army issued a statement calling for restraint by the police. Four senior police officers (three men and one woman) resigned from the Islamabad and Punjab police, alleging police brutality. The protesters neared the prime minister's residence, and pressure mounted on Sharif when the police (especially in Islamabad) seemed to openly defy the government order.


2014 Azadi march, Organization
On 17 December, Khan announced the cancellation of the protest in response to the Peshawar school attack: "Due to the situation in the country right now, we have decided to end our protests, decision had been made in light of the terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar ... the country need[s] national unity".


2014 Azadi march, Organization, Rallies
On 11 May 2014, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protest rally was planned in D-Chowk. In Faisalabad, Khan questioned Sharif's victory speech and announced a jalsa in Sialkot. In Sialkot, Khan criticised the judiciary's role in the election. On 27 June, a rally was held at Bahawalpur Stadium. Khan announced plans for the Azadi march, calling it the final phase of his protest against electoral fraud in the 2013 general election. He gave government a one-month dispensation (because of Ramadan) before opening an investigation of four constituencies, marked by his four jalsas.


2014 Azadi march, Organization, PTI–PAT coalition
As expected, Khan and Qadri neither merged their protest marches nor disavowed each other. On 10 August, Qadri announced that the Inqilab March (his party's march) would proceed in parallel with the PTI's Azadi march. Although the marches were organised on different routes, mirroring each other, it became apparent that the parties had similar objectives but different strategies.


2014 Azadi march, Organization, PTI–PAT coalition
The announcement of parallel marches by opposition parties gave rise to speculation about a possible PTI-PAT coalition. The party never clearly stipulated a formal coalition, but an informal agreement to support each other was reached. On 11 August, Qadri and Khan told the media that there would be two informally-allied marches supporting the dismissal of the Sharif government.


2014 Azadi march, Demands
Khan and the PTI had consistently asked the government to appoint tribunals and committees to investigate electoral fraud in four constituencies after the 2013 election. In making the demand, he reluctantly accepted the election results despite consistent ridicule by the PML-N government and its ministers.


2014 Azadi march, Demands
A year later, the government had made no headway and remained "hesitant in investigating the alleged rigging". On the other hand, Khan had consistently presented proof of electoral fraud in a number of constituencies. The PTI chairman accused caretaker Punjab chief minister Najam Sethi and former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry of facilitating fraud on behalf of the PML-N in the election.


2014 Azadi march, Demands
Because of the government's lack of initiative in investigating allegations of electoral fraud, Khan gave it one month to meet his demand; according to the chairman, he had "knocked [on] every door to find justice" in vain. At the PTI's Bahawalpur jalsa, Khan warned that if the government was inactive a million of his followers would march on Parliament. His primary four demands included investigation of how Sharif declared victory prior to the official results; the role of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary in the election; the roles played by the caretaker government particularly Najam Sethi; and electoral fraud in 90 constituencies.


2014 Azadi march, Demands
Over the next month, Khan's demand became more generalised and included the following: a transparent investigation into allegations of electoral fraud in the 2013 elections; judicial inquiries into the roles of persons named in electoral fraud, and reformation of the electoral process (for example, the introduction of electronic voting machines) and the Election Commission. After Khan presented his demands, the government further ridiculed him. This forced him to present the following ultimate demands: the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif; the replacement of the Sharif government by a caretaker government, and a call for snap elections after the establishment of a caretaker government.


2014 Azadi march, March
Although the Azadi march was due to begin at Khan's residence at Zaman Park in Lahore at 10 am on 14  August, it was delayed until 12:30 pm when the PTI chairman addressed the crowds outside his house. Moments later, the rally began marching towards Islamabad. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak left with a convoy of supporters from Peshawar for Islamabad. At 5:34 pm Khattak's convoy joined PTI cavalcades from Charsadda, Swabi and Nowshera on the motorway to Islamabad, reaching the provincial interchange at Attock at 6:23 pm and reaching Islamabad at 8:24 pm.


2014 Azadi march, March
Khan's rally inched its way through the city of Lahore at a snail's pace via the Mall Road, Faisal Chowk, Data Darbar, Bhatti Chowk, Azadi Chowk and Minar-e-Pakistan, Niazi Chowk, Ravi Bridge and Shahdrah, reaching the Grand Trunk Road leading to Islamabad. The delay resulted after the milestone destinations of Data Darbar, Bhatti Chowk, Azadi Chowk and Niazi Chowk were included in the rally route at a later time, after the march had begun.


2014 Azadi march, March
The rally reached its destination in Lahore at Shahdaran at about 1:15 am on 15 August, where the PTI chief addressed supporters at about 2:20 am. The procession took more than half a day to leave Lahore, and the PAT's parallel protest march had reached Gujranwala by then. At 3:18 am, the Inqilab march headed to Wazirabad and reached Kharian in Gujrat District at 6:55 am; the PTI rally reached Gujranwala at 7:15 am. At about 12:10 pm, PTI activists were pelted with stones by PML-N workers as they passed an area with a PML-N party office.


2014 Azadi march, March
The PTI convoy was on its way out of Gujranwala at the Sheranwala Bridge, and at least 4 PTI activists were injured. The ensuing riot was controlled by local police, and no PML-N worker was injured or arrested. The opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) condemned the PML-N workers identified in footage of the clash, and PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi held Prime Minister Sharif and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif responsible for the attack on the PTI cavalcade.


2014 Azadi march, March
The PTI convoy was again pelted with stones by PML-N workers at the Pindi bypass outside Gujranwala. The party posted pictures on Twitter of PML-N workers standing on a police van and throwing stones, alleging that the Gujranwala police were aware of the government workers' malicious intent. PML-N workers were prepared at the Rahwali Cantonment to intercept and pelt the PTI convoy, while PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira expressed concern that PML-N workers might attack the convoy if it proceeded through Ghakhar Mandi. About 2 kilometers outside Ghakhar Mandi, at 3:35 pm, police with Khan's convoy asked him to leave his "Azadi bus" and ride in a faster, bullet-proof Toyota Land Cruiser. PAT chief Qadri also advised Khan to avoid known PML-N strongholds.


2014 Azadi march, March
At 2:01 am on 16 August, the march reached its destination at the Zero Point in Islamabad. At about 2:52 am the PTI leadership began their Islamabad dharna (sit-in), where Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad addressed protesters. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak took the stage at 3:23 am to confirm the support of the "Pakhtoon nation" for Khan's march. Khattak's speech was followed by former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's speech at 3:42 am and the Javed Hashmi at 4 am, who called for the resignation of Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif from the federal and Punjab government.


2014 Azadi march, March
Khan took to the stage in heavy rain at 4:09 am, reiterating Hashmi's demands for the prime minister to resign. Khan said that his party's protests would continue until "Nawaz Sharif [resigns] and announces [new] elections". He ended his speech by promising to speak again at 3 pm. Khan left for his Bani Gala residence after the speech reportedly for ill health; many PTI protesters took Khan's departure negatively. Soon afterwards, many PTI followers went home and the number of protesters fell sharply during the night.


2014 Azadi march, March
The PML-N government alleged that Khan lacked concern for his workers, "[toiling] on streets faced by torrential rains all throughout the night". The PML-N told Khan that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak should not have abandoned his province, where 18 people died from heavy rain in Peshawar. At 3 pm, PTI protesters waited for Khan to make his scheduled speech; he addressed the media from his home at 6:30 pm, demanding the immediate resignation of Shahbaz Sharif as chief minister of Punjab. In his absence, Shah Mehmood Qureshi addressed the crowd at the rally venue and Pervez Khattak left for his province. Khan arrived at the venue at 7:30 pm, addressing the protesters at 7:44 pm and promising that he would spend the night with them.


2014 Azadi march, March
At 10:55 am on 17 August, federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan held a press conference and said that the "government is willing to listen to each and every constitutional demand of PTI and PAT". He added that he was amazed at Khan's demand for civil disobedience. At a meeting of PML-N leadership called by Sharif at the prime minister's residence, the party decided to reject Khan's demands as "illegal [and] unconstitutional".


2014 Azadi march, March
Ali Khan said at a press conference that the government "has decided as a goodwill gesture" to constitute two committees to negotiate with the PTI and the PAT. PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira called the committees "a good step", but expressed concern that "it has been done late". At 7:47 pm, Khan announced that he would deliver "the defining speech of his [political] career" and took the stage at 8:15 pm. Khan asked his followers to "kick off a civil disobedience campaign" and not pay taxes or utility bills, and gave the government two days to meet his demands. Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali immediately tweeted that "the law is clear"; if people did not pay their utility bills, they would not receive electricity.


2014 Azadi march, March
At 3:50 pm on 18 August, the Lahore High Court Bar Association submitted a petition to the Supreme Court against the marches and Khan's PTI-led civil-disobedience movement. The other opposition parties distanced themselves from Khan's civil-disobedience movement, and former president Asif Ali Zardari said that Khan was using "unconstitutional means to pursue his goals [to] threaten democracy".


2014 Azadi march, March
At 6:53 pm PTI vice-president Shah Mehmood Qureshi addressed the media after a meeting of the PTI core committee, saying that all PTI lawmakers had decided to resign from the National Assembly and the party decided to withdraw its representatives from the Punjab and Sindh assemblies. However, Qureshi stressed that PTI lawmakers in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly would only resign after talks with the party's coalition members in the provincial assembly. At 8:38 pm, Khan addressed the rally at the Kashmir Highway.


2014 Azadi march, March
About 8:54 pm, he announced that "he himself [would] lead the march towards [the] 'Red Zone'" at 6 pm the following day. The Red Zone in Islamabad houses the diplomatic enclave and embassies, Parliament, government offices and the presidential and prime ministerial palaces, which had been protected by police and blocked with shipping containers. The protesters numbered several hundred thousand.


2014 Azadi march, March
At 1:40 am on 19 August, PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced that he had received the resignation of all PTI members of the National Assembly. Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain asked Khan to reconsider his decision to enter the Red Zone, fearing that his party's march towards Parliament might lead to "confrontation" and "bloodshed". At 10:58 am, during the morning session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assembly, opposition members made a no-confidence motion against the PTI leader and KP chief minister Pervez Khattak.


2014 Azadi march, March
The motion was made after opposition members feared the dissolution of the KP assembly, although Khattak had earlier ruled out such a dissolution. However, the motion was signed by 46 MPAs and submitted to the speaker of the KP assembly. The PML-N leadership allowed PTI and PAT workers to protest "on express conditions that the Red Zone will not be breached". However, federal railways minister and PML-N member Khawaja Saad Rafique remained dismissive of the PTI's assurance that the march would be peaceful.


2014 Azadi march, March
Opposition leader and PPP member Khursheed Shah said that all parties were united for democracy and supported dialogue with PTI and PAT leaders. According to Shah, he had unsuccessfully tried to meet the leaders until 3 am the previous night. After a PTI core committee meeting, the party leadership decided "not to partake in any dialogue and to continue marching to the Red Zone". PPP chief and former president Asif Ali Zardari consultated other opposition parties, calling the PTI decision a bad omen.


2014 Azadi march, March
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan addressed the nation at 5:30 pm, announcing that the government was ready to recount votes in 20 constituencies. This negated his earlier statement that the PTI demands were beyond government control: "from four to 10 [constituencies] and then a complete audit of elections". He said that the PTI was unable to live up to its promise to gather a million people, and Khan did not stand by his word to "not [move] into the Red Zone". Nisar described the three tiers of security in the Red Zone: police, Ranger paramilitary forces and the armed forces. The first army contingent reached the Red Zone at 7:25 pm and took over security for the prime minister's house at 7:38 pm. The Islamabad police took up positions at the entrance to the barricaded zone.


2014 Azadi march, March
At about 8:38 pm, both rallies began moving toward the Red Zone. PTI workers drove cranes towards the shipping containers placed at the edge of the barricaded zone, and a state of emergency was declared at the PIMS and Polyclinic Hospital. As party workers removed blockades, the PML-N government advised security forces not to engage with the protesters. Federal information minister Pervez Rashid said, "We will not use force. They have brought innocent children with them."


2014 Azadi march, March
Responding to Khan's allegations that an army chief received a BMW automobile from Nawaz Sharif, ISPR director-general Asim Saleem Bajwa called the claims "baseless and unfounded" on 20 August. Bajwa said in an ISPR statement that the "building in the Red Zone are symbol[s] of state and being protected by [the] army therefore [their] sanctity must be respected", adding that the "situation requires patience, wisdom and sagacity from all stakeholders to resolve prevailing impasse through meaningful dialogue in larger national and public interest".


2014 Azadi march, March
At 12:38 am, the Parliament House lights were turned off and the Ministry of Law control room was taken over by the Pakistan Army. PTI protesters reached Parliament House about 3:30 am. Khan addressed the crowd, saying that "[he] will wait for [the prime minister's] resignation outside the parliament till the evening, after [which he] will march to Prime Minister House". The chairman announced that the sit-in would resume at 4 pm.


2014 Azadi march, March
At 12:48 pm, Sharif arrived in Islamabad to attend the National Assembly session in Parliament House as Qadri told his supporters to block the building's exits until Sharif resigned. No PTI, PML-Q or AML lawmakers attended the assembly session. Although the prime minister did not address the house, representatives of the opposition parties rallied their support for the Sharif government. With protesters outside the Supreme Court building, judges were reportedly trapped in the building.


2014 Azadi march, March
PTI protesters continued their sit-in on 24 August, while the second round of talks between the government and the party failed on the issue of Sharif's resignation. However, both parties agreed on another round of talks. The formation of a forward bloc in the PTI was rumoured, as differences on the calls for resignations reached the media. In an ARY News interview, former Election Commission additional secretary Muhammad Afzal Khan alleged that the 2013 general elections were rigged and the "peoples' mandate was stolen".


2014 Azadi march, March
According to Afzal Khan, Sharif "did not win the elections in a free and fair manner" chief election commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim "had shut his eyes on [issues of] rigging". He added that "judges were involved in fixing the vote", deliberately delaying the hearing of voter-fraud cases. Amongst the judges who facilitated rigging, Afzal Khan named former chief justices Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Tassaduq Hussain Jillani.


2014 Azadi march, March
The sit-in continued on 25 August, and the Supreme Court ordered the PAT and PTI to clear Constitution Avenue within 24 hours. Khan submitted a six-page reply to former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry's defamation notice. In his reply Khan noted that the former chief justice had opposed dictatorial general Pervez Musharraf before his 2009 restoration, and admitted that Khan may have chosen his words poorly. Election-commission member Riaz Kayani rebutted Khan's allegations of vote-rigging, adding that the chairman levelled false allegations for personal reasons.


2014 Azadi march, March
On 26 August, MQM leader Altaf Hussain warned about possible nationwide violence and a coup d'état. Khan announced that the protest would continue until Sharif's resignation. One day remained on Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri's 48-hour ultimatum to the government.


2014 Azadi march, March
The following day, Khan directed his counsel to withdraw the letter written in response to Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry's defamation notice. On 28 August, Nawaz Sharif's government asked COAS General Raheel Sharif to "facilitate" an end to the crisis. General Sharif invited Khan and Tahirul Qadri for talks; they met him at Army Headquarters Rawalpindi and presented their demands. The Pakistani constitution has no provision for military facilitation in a political crisis.


2014 Azadi march, March
Clashes broke out on 30 August, as protesters tried to march toward the prime minister's house. Although Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the protest would remain peaceful, protesters tried to force their way in. Police stepped back initially, but eventually began using tear gas. More than 500 people, including women, children, police officers and journalists, were injured. Protesters broke through the Parliament House fence, but the army prevented the building from being breached. Khan and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi blamed police use of chemical weapons for the Parliament House incident. Clashes were also reported in Lahore between PTI supporters and Punjab Police, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) announced a day of mourning in Karachi. MQM chief Altaf Hussain asked Sharif to resign.


2014 Azadi march, March
Clashes continued between protesters and police on 1 September. Protesters entered the Pakistan Secretariat and damaged vehicles. They broke through the gates, entered the Pakistan Television Corporation headquarters and ransacked it. PTV briefly went off air, and the PTI denied involvement. The Supreme Court offered to mediate after a fifth round of talks failed, and Nawaz Sharif met Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif. A meeting of army chiefs was held in Rawalpindi to discuss the situation.


2014 Azadi march, March
On 12 September, dozens of PTI and PAT workers were arrested in connection with the PTV and Parliament attacks. The following day, over 4,100 PTI and PAT workers were jailed on 14 days' judicial remand; 3,187 were PTI workers.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
When Khan's party celebrated one month of the Azadi dharna (sit-in), he announced the extension of protests to other cities. Karachi was the first destination, followed by Lahore and Multan. This extension was successful to pressure the government, which the PTI wanted.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
On 21 September, near Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi, a large crowd gathered to protest the Nawaz government. According to independent sources, the crowd exceeded 200,000 people (a high for the PTI and a failure for the Karachi-based MQM party). The demonstration illustrated PTI support across nationwide. The Express Tribune called the crowd a record, and reported Khan's announcement of a move to Lahore.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
On 28 September, the PTI held a demonstration at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. Demonstrators numbered about 250,000. The crowd threatened PML-N ambitions in Lahore, and was a victory for Khan's party. Addressing the protesters, Khan told them to prepare for elections and announced a visit to Multan. The jalsa blocked the Azadi interchange for several hours, and the Cabinet offered to begin talks with the PTI.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
— Imran Khan, before leaving his Islamabad home in Bani Gala for Mianwali


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
On 2 October, the PTI moved to Mianwali (Khan's hometown) for a large demonstration. At this jalsa, women participated in substantial numbers for the first time.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
After Eid al-Adha, the PTI's next stop was Multan. More than 150,000 people were estimated to have gathered for Khan's speech. Due to mismanagement, seven people were killed in a stampede after the speech; the management had deliberately closed the stadium gates, preventing the crowd from dispersing.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
On 17 October, the PTI visited Sargodha after the victory of a PTI-backed candidate in the Multan by-election. Like the previous rallies, a large number of people were present. Rally organisers learned from the Multan stampede, and only 25 passes were issued in Sargodha for the main stage.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
A week later, the PTI organized a rally at Zahoor Elahi Stadium in Gujrat. It was the last PTI jalsa before Muharram, and Khan announced two jalsas the week after Muharram.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
On 9 November, the PTI resumed its rallies in Rahim Yar Khan. Khan presented a solution to the political crisis, withdrawing his demand that the prime minister resign and suggesting the formation of a commission under the Supreme Court to investigate the alleged electoral fraud. The chairman suggested the inclusion of Inter-Services Intelligence and military intelligence members on the commission. According to Khan, the Islamabad sit-in would continue until an investigation is completed and he threatened to gather a million people in Islamabad on 30 November if a commission is not formed by then.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
The PTI organized three rallies in one week in Punjab cities: on 12 November in Nankana Sahib, on 15 November in Sahiwal and the following day in Jhelum. All three rallies drew large crowds, and Khan summoned all of Pakistan to Islamabad on 30 November because the time for change had come. At the Jhelum rally, unknown assailants fired on the PTI convoy on its way to a rally and at least eight PTI workers were injured. Khan visited the hospital to meet the injured workers.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
The PTI protests targeted the Pakistan Peoples Party stronghold of Larkana with a 21 November rally outside the city. According to rally organizers, the large number of demonstrators indicated that the people of Larkana wanted change. Khan announced that the PTI would not allow Sindh to be divided, and the Kalabagh Dam would not be built without the consent of the people of the province.


2014 Azadi march, Other protests
The party held its last rally before 30 November at Jinnah Stadium in Gujranwala, and a large crowd gathered. It was an upset for the PML-N, which had swept the PTI in the 2013 elections. Khan announced that he would present the evidence of vote-rigging at a press conference the following week. The chairman announced the end of the protest on security grounds after the Peshawar school attack.


2014 Azadi march, Government response
After Khan's announcement of a protest march, the government called the PTI chief's demand "undemocratic" and a ploy to "derail democracy". Awami National Party (ANP) provincial general secretary and former provincial minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain expressed concern that Khan's long march could endanger Pakistan's democracy; if the system were undermined, the PTI chairman would be responsible. After making many statements opposing the march, Arsalan Iftikhar (son of former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry) accused Khan of violating articles 62 and 63 of Pakistan's constitution by not disclosing the existence of his love child, Tyrian.


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Talks with opposition parties
Amidst concerns about the country's political system, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) sided primarily with the PML-N government to preserve Pakistan's democratic tradition. When the PPP and the PML-N appeared to form a coalition to thwart Khan's march on Islamabad, PPP chief and former president Asif Ali Zardari asked Nawaz Sharif to act like "an elected prime minister [and] not as a 'king'".


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Talks with opposition parties
On the other hand, government coalition parties such as the Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) (JUI-F) and Balochistan National Party (BNP) vowed to side with the PML-N on issues raised by Khan in his Bahawalpur speech. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Khan's political ally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also remained neutral and expressed a desire to "defuse tensions" between the PML-N and PTI. Altaf Hussain and his Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) sent a delegation to meet with the prime minister.


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Talks with opposition parties
JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman said that Khan's march was an effort to hide his party's failure to perform in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, and JI leader Siraj-ul-Haq (the PTI's ally in the provincial government) offered to facilitate talks between the PTI and the PML-N government. The PML-N developed a strong alliance with other parties in Parliament against the PTI protest march, comparable to the 1977 Pakistan National Alliance against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Planned Independence Day celebrations
The Sharif government organized a midnight event in Islamabad. Pervez Rashid, remembering the pre-1999 era when the government organised Independence Day celebrations in the nation's capital, revived the tradition to avoid a showdown with the PTI.


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Planned Independence Day celebrations
After Khan announced his plans for the Azadi march, the government responded by announcing their plans for an Independence Day celebration in D-Chowk, Islamabad. Citing security concerns, the government increased their efforts to curtail the protest movement. By announcing Independence Day celebrations (initially scheduled to last for two weeks) on the day of the protest march, the government had hoped to prevent further conflict by forcing the PTI to change the date of the protest. However, Khan remained adamant in scheduling his march on 14 August. According to the PTI leadership, the government plans were a delaying strategy to deadlock the two parties; this could lead to unnecessary aggression on the day of the protest.


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Operation Zarb-e-Azb and security concerns
PML-N leader and federal minister for planning and development Ahsan Iqbal called the Azadi march anarchy in disguise, criticising Khan for launching an unnecessary protest movement when the country was at war with North Waziristan terrorists in Operation Zarb-e-Azb. According to Iqbal, the PML-N had "no connection with Arsalan Iftikhar" and his case against the PTI chairman. Analysts criticised the Sharif government for delaying and discouraging the democratic right of a political party to protest. Pakistan's news media were divided on the march. Geo News called it Khan's wishful plan to become the country's next prime minister, but Khan and the PTI had begun a boycott of the channel several months earlier.


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Operation Zarb-e-Azb and security concerns
Khan's promise to gather a million protesters in Islamabad threatened the security apparatus of the nation's capital in the eyes of the government. The PML-N feared that such a huge crowd in Islamabad could lead to severe conflict and terrorist attacks. The government ordered the Capital Territory Police to stop any protesters from entering the city while the Independence Day celebrations were underway, thwarting any effort to reconcile with the PTI. Khan expressed concern about the government's plans, calling his party's protest march the final phase of the larger PTI anti-corruption struggle and a do-or-die situation for his party.


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Police crackdown
— Imran Khan, addressing Punjab police at a 3 August press conference


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Police crackdown
On 3 August 2014, the PTI's Islamabad wing alleged that law-enforcement agencies threatened several party workers before the Azadi march. The Islamabad police denied the allegations, saying that they only collected contact numbers as part of their standard operating procedure. After the alleged threats, Khan coordinated a press conference and warned that he would shut down the entire country if attempts were made to put him under house arrest. As the day of the march drew near, Punjab police "seized numerous motorcycles around the Minhajul Quran secretariat, which PAT workers were supposed to use on the day of the protest".


2014 Azadi march, Government response, Arrests of PAT and PTI workers
On 17 August, the newspaper Dawn published official statistics that as many as 2,520 PAT and PTI office-holders and activists were detained in 27 Punjab jails under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960 (section 3; 3-MPO). Under the law, a district coordination officer (DCO) has the power to detain a person they deem a threat to public order for a maximum of 30 days. In a 24 September interview, Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rasheed said that the government had decided not to use force against protesters sitting outside Parliament.


2014 Azadi march, International reaction
As the PAT and PTI chiefs announced their intention to walk into the Pakistani Parliament building, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a statement that the British government "strongly [supported] a democratic Pakistan and the use of democratic institutions to resolve political disputes". Hammond added that "[he] hope[s] that all parties in Pakistan can work together under the Constitution to peacefully resolve current political differences". According to a 31 August 2014 Financial Times article, demonstrators armed with wooden clubs and wire-cutters tried to storm Nawaz Sharif's official residence.


2014 Azadi march, International reaction
At least three people were reported killed and hundreds injured in clashes when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets and wielded batons. The article said that Pakistan's army generals are suspected by many elected politicians of encouraging Khan and Qadri's protests so they could exert greater influence on Sharif's government or depose him.


2014 Azadi march, International reaction
United States Department of State deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said that the U.S. government "[was] carefully monitoring the demonstrations in Islamabad". Harf added that the U.S. "urge[s] all sides to refrain from violence, exercise restraint, and respect the rule of law" with "all parties [working] together to resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue in a way that strengthens Pakistan’s democracy". In a later press briefing, she said: "Nawaz Sharif was elected and is prime minister. There is a government that was elected in place.


2014 Azadi march, International reaction
So while we’ve called on all sides to refrain from violence, we are monitoring the situation, but we will continue working with the Pakistanis". Harf reiterated, "There’s a path forward ... that’s peaceful. We know there’s a lot of space for political dialogue, but it has to remain peaceful".


2014 Azadi march, International reaction
When Sharif used Harf's statement as a U.S. endorsement of his premiership, Khan sent a message to the Obama administration to "mind its own politics as they had no right to meddle in Pakistan's domestic affairs", asking U.S. authorities how they could call Sharif a democratic prime minister when he came to power through a fraudulent electoral process.


2014 Azadi march, International reaction
Al Jazeera English reported on 31 Aug 2014 that police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the protesters; some fought back with wooden batons, and others threw stones and firebombs. According to the Qatari channel, the protesters had used vehicles to break down the boundary fence around the National Assembly and were occupying the building's grounds.


2014 Azadi march, Criticism, Internal criticism
Criticism of the march emerged within the PTI when three national parliamentarians and a majority of K–P Assembly members refused to resign. On 31 August 2014, PTI central president Javed Hashmi distanced himself from Khan and warned that the party would have to explain its decisions for decades to come if martial law was imposed in the country. According to Hashmi, Khan told him that he was compelled to march towards the prime minister's house.


2014 Azadi march, Criticism, Economic losses
By 31 August, the government claimed economic losses directly resulting from the sit-in of between Rs 500 million and Rs 800 million. On 26 September, an adviser to the prime minister said that the losses had reached $6 billion (Rs 610 billion).


2014 Azadi march, Criticism, School closings
Although educational institutions in Islamabad were due to open after the summer holidays on 11 August 2014, they were scheduled to remain closed until 24 August 2014. The opening date was later changed to 31 August 2014 to accommodate the ongoing protests, leading to losses in the education sector. Most government schools remained closed; 30,000 AJK and Punjab police were housed in public schools amidst fears that they would be used for a crackdown on sit-in participants.


2014 Azadi march, Criticism, Istehkam-e-Pakistan rallies
The ruling PML-N held Istehkam-e-Pakistan rallies in Gujranwala, Sargodha and Sahiwal. Enthusiastic workers carried portraits of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, national flags and party flags and chanted slogans in support of their leaders. The party held a historic Istehkam-e-Pakistan rally at Chairing Cross, Lahore, which was attended by thousands of enthusiastic workers. Big portraits of Quaid PML-N Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif were displayed at the stage. PML-N workers were carrying national flag, PML-N flags and posters of Nawaz Sharif. Hamza Shahbaz Sharif also made a speech against protesters demanding resignation of PM.


2014 Azadi march, Criticism, Dancing women
A few unsupported accusations of harassment of women were reported, and dancing at a PTI jalsa was criticised on social media. A petition was presented in Islamabad High Court with accusations of vulgarity against Azadi marchers. Justice Athar Minullah will hear the case.


2014 Azadi march, Go Nawaz Go
The march popularized the slogan "Go Nawaz Go", which was chanted by protesters.


2014 Azerbaijan Supercup
2014 Azerbaijan Supercup (Azerbaijani: Futbol üzrə Azərbaycan Superkuboku 2014) will be the 5th edition of the Azerbaijan Supercup since its establishment in 1992. The match will be contested between the 2013–14 Azerbaijan Premier League champions Qarabağ and the 2013–14 Azerbaijan Cup champions Neftchi Baku.


2014 BB&T Atlanta Open
The 2014 BB&T Atlanta Open was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 27th edition of the tournament, and part of the 2014 ATP World Tour. It took place at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, United States between 19 and 27 July 2014. It was the first men's event of the 2014 US Open Series.


2014 BB&T Atlanta Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 BB&T Atlanta Open, ATP doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2014 BB&T Atlanta Open – Doubles
Édouard Roger-Vasselin and Igor Sijsling were the defending champions, but chose not to participate. Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock won the title, defeating Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey in the final, 6–3, 5–7, [10–5].


2014 BB&T Atlanta Open – Singles
John Isner was the defending champion and successfully defended the title, defeating Dudi Sela in the final, 6–3, 6–4.


2014 BB&T Atlanta Open – Singles, Seeds
The top four seeds receive a bye into the second round.


2014 BBC Music Awards
The 2014 BBC Music Awards was the inaugural music award show, created out of the BBC's new strategy for music, BBC Music in 2014. The awards were held on 11 December 2014 at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, which would be the final event to be broadcast from the venue. The awards show was announced on 16 June 2014. The awards recognise the biggest and most exciting artists from the previous 12 months, as well as looking forward to new talent in 2015. A panel of judges decided the winners of each category, except 'Song of the Year', which was decided by the public.


2014 BBC Music Awards
Ed Sheeran, Pharrell Williams and Sam Smith all had two nominations apiece, with Williams winning two awards and Sheeran winning 'British Artist of the Year'.


2014 BBC Music Awards, Ratings
The show achieved a total of 4.17 million viewers, making it the fifth most watched programme of the night. The show received higher ratings than the 2014 BRIT Awards earlier in the year, which achieved 3.84 million viewers, the lowest ratings in its history.


2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
The 2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, took place on 14 December at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow. It was the 61st presentation of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. Awarded annually by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the main award honours an individual's British sporting achievement over the past year, with the winner selected by public vote from a ten-person shortlist. Lewis Hamilton won the main award.


2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
The event was presented by Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan.


2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, Basis of nominations
For 2014, the BBC introduced an expert panel who were asked to devise a shortlist that reflected UK sporting achievements on the national and/or international stage, represented the breadth and depth of UK sports and took into account "impact" within and beyond the sport or sporting achievement in question. The 2014 panel was announced on 22 October 2014. The panel members were:


2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, Nominees
The shortlist of ten contenders was announced during BBC One's The One Show on 24 November and on the BBC website. Early favourites for the award included Rory McIlroy and Lewis Hamilton.


2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, Other awards
In addition to the main award as "Sports Personality of the Year", several other awards were also announced:


2014 BBL Champions Cup
The 2014 BBL Champions Cup was a basketball game that was held on September 27, 2014. Basketball Bundesliga champions FC Bayern Munich faced off against BBL-Pokal winners Alba Berlin in the O2 World in Berlin.


2014 BBL-Pokal
The 2014 BBL-Pokal – officially 2014 Beko BBL-Pokal for sponsorship reasons – was the 47th season of the German Basketball Cup. The Final Four was held in Ulm, which gained ratiopharm Ulm automatic qualification. The other six participating teams were selected through the standings in the 2013–14 Basketball Bundesliga. ALBA Berlin defended their title.


2014 BBL-Pokal, Participants
The following six teams qualified based on their standings in the 2013–14 BBL.


2014 BBL-Pokal, Participants
Ratiopharm Ulm was qualified because the Final Four was played on their home court.


2014 BBVA Compass Bowl
The 2014 BBVA Compass Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on January 4, 2014 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The eighth edition of the BBVA Compass Bowl (which was originally called the Birmingham Bowl), it featured the Vanderbilt Commodores of the Southeastern Conference and the Houston Cougars of the American Athletic Conference. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. The game began at 12:00 p.m. CST and was telecast on ESPN. It was sponsored by the BBVA Compass banking company. Vanderbilt defeated Houston by a score of 41–24.


2014 BBVA Compass Bowl
Both the Commodores and the Cougars accepted their invitations after earning 8–4 records in their respective season schedules. This was the first BBVA Compass Bowl for both Vanderbilt and Houston, as well as the first time the schools had played each other in football.


2014 BBVA Compass Bowl, Teams, Vanderbilt
The Commodores continued their winning ways under third-year coach James Franklin, finishing the season 8–4 overall and 4–4 in conference play, which was good enough for fourth place in the SEC East. At season's end, they accepted an invitation to play in the game. This will be the first January bowl game for the Commodores. All previous bowl appearances for the school were in December games.


2014 BBVA Compass Bowl, Teams, Vanderbilt
Statistical leaders for the Commodores are Jerron Seymor, 144 rushes for 627 yards; Austyn Carta-Samuels, 193 passes for 2,268 yards for 11 touchdowns; Jordan Matthews, who caught 107 passes for 1,334 yards and 5 TDs; Kenny Ladler and Darreon Herring had 87 and 80 tackles respectively. This was their 4th bowl game in 6 years.


2014 BBVA Compass Bowl, Teams, Houston
The Cougars' first season as a member of the American Athletic Conference marked a return to their winning ways, seeing the team finishing 8–4 overall and 5–3 in conference play which was good for fourth in the conference. At season's end, they accepted the invitation to play in the game. Statistical leaders for the Cougars are Ryan Jackson, 137 rushes for 655 yards; John O'Kom, 239 passes for 2,889 yards for 26 touchdowns; Deontay Greenberry, who caught 76 passes for 1,106 yards and 10 TDs; Efrem Oliphant and Derrick Mathes had made 123 and 110 tackles respectively during the season.


2014 BC Lions season
The 2014 BC Lions season was the 57th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 61st overall. The Lions qualified for the playoffs for the 18th straight year. However, the team lost the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes by a score of 50–17.


2014 BC Lions season, Offseason, CFL Draft
The 2014 CFL Draft took place on May 13, 2014. The Lions had seven selections in the draft, losing their first round selection after they traded for Kevin Glenn. They also had another second round selection following last season's trade with Edmonton for Mike Reilly.


2014 BC Lions season, Post-season
The Lions clinched their 18th straight playoff berth with a week 18 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Their final position in the standings, however, wasn't decided until the final game of the regular season when the Saskatchewan Roughriders clinched third place with a win over the Edmonton Eskimos, keeping the Lions in fourth place. Qualifying with the crossover rule, the Lions played in the CFL East Division playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history and the most of any western club in CFL history.


2014 BCS National Championship Game
The 2014 Vizio BCS National Championship Game was the national championship game of the 2013 college football season, which took place on Monday, January 6, 2014. The game featured the Auburn Tigers and Florida State Seminoles. It was the 16th and last time the top two teams would automatically play for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title before the implementation of a four-team College Football Playoff system. The game was played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, kicking off at 8:30 p.m. ET.


2014 BCS National Championship Game
The game was hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the organizer of the annual Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game on New Year's Day. The winner of the game, Florida State, was presented with the American Football Coaches Association's "The Coaches' Trophy", valued at $30,000. Pre -game festivities began at 4:30 p.m. PT. Face values of tickets were $385 and $325 (end zone seats) with both teams receiving a total of 40,000 tickets.


2014 BCS National Championship Game
Starting immediately after the 2014 Rose Bowl Game, a fresh field was placed on top of the existing field. The field was laid on Thursday, and painting of the field began Friday. The field was completed Saturday in time for it to rest on Sunday for the game on Monday.


2014 BCS National Championship Game
Florida State scored first on a 35-yard field goal to take an early 3–0 lead. Auburn responded with a touchdown in the first quarter and two in the second to storm out to a 21–3 lead. After a successful punt fake, the Seminoles managed a touchdown late in the second quarter, making it a 21–10 game in Auburn's favor going into halftime. Both teams dominated on defense in the third quarter with the Seminoles hitting a field goal to cut Auburn's lead to eight. In the fourth quarter, Florida State scored a touchdown early to make it a one-point game.


2014 BCS National Championship Game
Auburn extended its lead to 24–20 on a field goal, but Florida State took the lead 27–24 when Levonte Whitfield took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Auburn then retook the lead 31–27 with 1:19 remaining in the game, but Florida State was able to respond, winning the game 34–31 with a Kelvin Benjamin touchdown with 13 seconds left on the clock.


2014 BCS National Championship Game
For their performances in the game, quarterback Jameis Winston and defensive back P. J. Williams were named the game's most valuable players.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams
Teams playing in this game were officially selected on Selection Sunday, December 8, 2013. They are the No. 1 and No. 2 nationally ranked teams in the final BCS standings. In the final BCS Standings, Florida State ended up ranked No. 1 and Auburn ended up ranked No. 2 . Auburn and Florida State have played 17 times before, with Auburn leading the series, 13–4. Their last meeting was in 1990 at Auburn, Auburn winning 20–17.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams
The teams were housed in Newport Beach, Orange County. They held practices at UC Irvine (Auburn) in Irvine, CA and Orange Coast College (Florida State) in Costa Mesa, CA. On game day, Auburn wore its white away jerseys and used the west bench while Florida State wore its dark home jerseys and used the east bench.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams, Auburn
The Auburn Tigers staged a large turnaround in 2013, improving from a 3–9 record in 2012 to a 12–1 record in 2013. Auburn was coached by Gus Malzahn, who was in his first season at Auburn. The Tigers began the season unranked and were picked to finish fifth in the SEC West in the SEC Media Poll. The Tigers won their first three games of the season, before losing to LSU 21–35. The Tigers then won the final eight games of the regular season to move to an 11–1 record and a SEC West division title.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams, Auburn
Auburn's regular season was capped off by two improbable victories: the Prayer at Jordan–Hare and the Kick Six (Chris Davis' game-winning touchdown with a 109-yard return of a missed 57-yard field goal attempt). In the 2013 SEC Championship Game, the Tigers defeated Missouri 59–42. It was with the improbable finishes and the single-season turnaround that the Auburn Tigers were dubbed "a team of destiny." After Auburn's victory over Missouri in the SEC Championship, #10 Michigan State defeated #2 Ohio State 34–24 in the 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game, keeping Ohio State out of the BCS Championship Game, while Auburn moved up to take Ohio State's spot.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams, Auburn
The Tigers led the nation in rushing (335.69 yards per game). Auburn's rushing attack was led by Tre Mason, who rushed for 1,621 yards and 22 touchdowns. Wide receiver Sammie Coates had 38 catches for 841 yards and seven touchdowns, which was good enough to rank him second in the nation on yards per reception (21.3). Quarterback Nick Marshall threw for 1,759 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. Marshall also ran for 1,023 yards and 11 touchdowns.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams, Auburn
Defensively, the Tigers were led by Dee Ford, who came into the game with 8.5 sacks. Auburn's defense as a whole had allowed 24.0 points per game in the season.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams, Florida State
Florida State entered the 2013 season ranked #11 in the AP Poll. Despite losing 11 starters to the 2013 NFL Draft, the Seminoles were dominant during the 2013 season, winning by an average of 42.3 points en route to a 13–0 record. FSU's closest game was a 48–34 victory over Boston College. FSU's offense averaged 53 points per game, while the defense allowed only 10.7 points per game. The Noles’ second closest game was a 27-point win over Miami. However, the Seminoles schedule was rather weak, and was ranked just #62 in the country by Jeff Sagarin even after the BCS championship game. The team was coached by Jimbo Fisher, who was in his fourth season at Florida State.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams, Florida State
Offensively, the Seminoles were led by Heisman Trophy winner, redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston, who turned 20 years old on game day. Winston completed 237 of 349 passes with 3,820 yards for 38 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The offense was also led by wide receivers Rashad Greene, Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin, who each had over 900 receiving yards. FSU's rushing attack was led by Devonta Freeman, who rushed for 943 yards. Roberto Aguayo lead the team in scoring with 147 points (perfect 90 PAT and 19 out of 20 field goal attempts).


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Teams, Florida State
Defensively, the Seminoles allowed 268.5 yards per game. Senior linebacker Telvin Smith led the team in tackles with 75, while safety Lamarcus Joyner led the team in sacks with 5.0.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary
The 2014 BCS National Championship Game kicked off at 8:30 p.m. EST at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. A crowd of 94,208 people attended the game. The game was televised by ESPN, with Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit as commentators. Other ESPN networks (including ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, and ESPN3) provided supplemental coverage with analysis and additional perspectives of the game, which the network branded as the BCS Megacast. An estimated 26,061,000 people watched the game on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS, for a combined Nielsen rating of 14.8.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary
The pregame singing of the national anthem was performed by John Legend.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, First quarter
The opening kickoff went for a touchback, thus Auburn began its opening drive at its 25-yard line. On a third and 7 situation, the Tigers had a chance to score first when Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall threw a pass to an open Ricardo Louis. Marshall's pass fell short, however, forcing the Tigers to punt the ball away to FSU. On the Seminoles' first drive of the game, Florida State was able to drive to Auburn's red zone. However, on a third and 8 situation at Auburn's 16-yard line, Jameis Winston was sacked by Nosa Eguae, forcing the Seminoles to settle for a 35-yard field goal from Roberto Aguayo to give the Seminoles a 3–0 lead.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, First quarter
The ensuing Auburn drive ended in a punt. However, the Tigers were able to down the punt at FSU's 2-yard line. Auburn's defense then forced a three-and-out, forcing the Seminoles to punt from the endzone. Auburn's Chris Davis returned the punt 22 yards to Florida State's 25-yard line. Taking advantage of the good field position, Auburn went up 7–3 on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Tre Mason. On the ensuing Florida State drive, the Seminoles stalled at their 26-yard line after Winston was sacked by Dee Ford. On the punt return, Auburn was called for a roughing the kicker penalty, giving FSU a first down at the Seminoles' 41-yard line.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
Florida State opened the second quarter with an incomplete pass to Rashad Greene, forcing the Seminoles to punt on fourth down. On the first play of Auburn's drive, Mason rushed for a 23-yard gain. On the next play, Auburn's Corey Grant was stopped for a three-yard loss. However, FSU received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, bring Auburn midfield. On the next play, Marshall connected to Melvin Ray for a 50-yard touchdown reception, giving Auburn a 14–3 lead. The next Florida State drive ended in a three-and-out, giving Auburn the ball back once again.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
Auburn was able to drive deep into Florida State territory. However, the Tigers came up empty after Cody Parkey missed a 33-yard field goal. Florida State did not hold on to the football long, however, when Winston fumbled at FSU's 27-yard line. Taking advantage of the turnover, Auburn went up 21–3 on a 4-yard touchdown run from Marshall.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
On the following Florida State drive, the Seminoles faced a fourth and 4 situation at its own 40-yard line. FSU went for a fake punt, which was successfully converted after Karlos Williams ran seven yards for a first down. Six plays later, facing a third and 7 situation at Auburn's 24-yard line, Winston ran 21 yards for a first down. On the next play, the Seminoles made it a 21–10 game on a 3-yard Devonta Freeman rushing touchdown. The game remained 21–10 going into the half.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Third quarter
Florida State received the opening kickoff of the second half. The Seminoles went three-and-out on their first drive of the quarter, forcing the Seminoles to punt. Auburn received the punt at its 37-yard line and drove to Florida State territory. On a third and 8 play at FSU's 36-yard line, the Tigers were called for a holding penalty. On the next play, Nick Marshall's pass fell incomplete, forcing the Tigers to punt. The Seminoles began their second drive of the quarter at their 9-yard line and drove to Auburn's 24-yard line. Florida State was unable to convert a third and 8 situation, however, forcing to the Seminoles to settle for a 41-yard field goal. The field goal was successful, making it a 21–13 game. The game remained 21–13 in Auburn's favor going into the fourth quarter.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Florida State opened the fourth quarter punting the ball away to Auburn. On the ensuing Auburn drive, P. J. Williams intercepted Nick Marshall at FSU's 40-yard line. Willams fumbled the interception, but the fumble was recovered by teammate Lamarcus Joyner. Taking advantage of the turnover, the Seminoles cut into the Tigers' lead on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Chad Abram. Florida State's Devonta Freeman was called for a taunting penalty, pushing Florida State 15-yards back on the conversion attempt. In turn, Seminoles had to settle for an extra point instead of a two-point conversion, cutting FSU's deficit to 21–20.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Auburn responded on its next drive with a 22-yard field goal from Cody Parkey to give Auburn a 24–20 lead with 4:42 remaining in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, FSU's Levonte Whitfield returned the kickoff 100 yards to give Florida State a 27–24 lead. Auburn retook the lead on a 37-yard rushing touchdown by Tre Mason to give Auburn a 31–27 lead with 1:19 remaining in the game. Levonte Whitfield received the kickoff again, but this time was only able to return the kickoff 17 yards to Florida State's 20-yard line.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Needing to go 80-yards for the win, Winston completed five of his first six passes of the drive, including a 49-yard pass to Rashad Greene, to take the Seminoles to Auburn's 5-yard line. After receiving a delay of game penalty, Florida State faced a third and 8 situation at Auburn's 10-yard line. On the next play, Winston's pass fell incomplete. However, Auburn's Chris Davis was called for a pass interference penalty in the endzone, giving FSU the ball at Auburn's 2-yard line.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
On the next play, Florida State took a 34–31 lead on a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds remaining in the game. Auburn had one more chance to win the game. On the final play of the game, Auburn attempted several laterals in an effort to reach the endzone. However, Tre Mason was tackled at Auburn's 37-yard line with no time remaining, giving Florida State the victory and the National Championship.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Game summary, Game notes
Florida State's deficit of 18-points was the largest ever overcome to win the BCS championship. FSU's win also ended the Southeastern Conference's seven-year winning streak in the national championship game. Texas was the last non-SEC school to win a National Championship (2006).


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Statistics
Quarterback Jameis Winston was named the game's offensive MVP. Winston completed 20 of his 35 passes for 2 touchdowns and 237 yards.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Statistics
Auburn outgained FSU 449–385 in total yards. Auburn was also more efficient in converting third downs, converting 10 of 18 opportunities. FSU only went 2 for 12 on third downs.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Statistics
Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall completed 14 of his 27 passes for 217 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Marshall also had 45 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown. Tre Mason was Auburn's leading rusher, rushing for 195 yards on 34 carries for 1 touchdown. Sammie Coates was Auburn's leading receiver, catching 4 passes for 61 yards.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Statistics
Florida State's leading rusher was Devonta Freeman, who rushed for 73 yards on 11 carries. Rashad Greene was the Seminole's leading receiver, catching 9 passes for 147 yards. Kelvin Benjamin was Florida State's second leading receiver, catching 4 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Statistics
By scoring 34 points in the game, Florida State set the all-time FBS record for scoring in a single season, with 723 points. The previous record was held by Oklahoma, who scored 716 points in 2008.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Aftermath
Florida State's victory earned it the 2014 BCS national championship and brought the Seminoles' season to an end with an undefeated 14–0 record. This was FSU's third national title in school history. With the loss, Auburn ended its season with a 12–2 record and a #2 ranking in the AP and Coaches polls.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Aftermath
The 2014 BCS National Championship Game has been described as a classic. One writer described the game as the "perfect ending for the BCS." The game's back-and-forth nature and dramatic finish merited such high praise for the game.


2014 BCS National Championship Game, Aftermath
Several players on each team announced that they would leave early to enter the 2014 NFL Draft. From Auburn, Greg Robinson and Tre Mason announced their intentions to leave early. From Florida State, Timmy Jernigan, James Wilder, Jr., Kelvin Benjamin and Devonta Freeman declared for the draft.


2014 BDO World Darts Championship
The 2014 Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship was the 37th World Championship organised by the British Darts Organisation, and the 29th staging at the Lakeside Country Club at Frimley Green.