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October 31, 2005
Photo of the Day - Abandoned Vermont
Addison, Vermont, 2005. In honor of Halloween this is probably the creepiest photo that I have of anything this side of the Paulinskill Viaduct which isn't really all that spooky unless one believes all the tall tales about the place. I never did find out anything about why and for how long this house had been abandoned.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)
Red Sox Will Need a New General Manager
I'm a little surprised by this because there were reports over the past few days that Epstein was paused to re-sign with the Boston Red Sox as their manager for $1.5 million a year for three years. But today Epstein decided that he didn't want to return to the Red Sox and in fact he might take a year off from baseball. I wonder what led him to that conclusion and whether he feels burned out? He's only 31 but Epstein was working in a high-profile market, for the 2004 World Series Champions and there is a tremendous amount of pressure both externally and internally to perform. I think Epstein is very intelligent and had a good approach to a difficult job so his loss could be costly to the Red Sox.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)
What Would They Think?
Anyone from NYYFans.com knows that Curt Schilling lurks and occasionally posts at Gehrig38 on our fan forum as well as at Sons of Sam Horn and in a couple of other places. It's been said many times that Steve Park and Brendan Gaughan read Steve Park Central frequently. Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick, Brendan Gaughan and other drivers sometimes read and post on the fan forums on their own sites. So the question of what these folks think when they read what fans post on forums on in blogs is frequently an issue, usually in the form of "Gasp! What would driver X think if they read that!?" So I'm wondering really what do they think when they read fan forums? What would they think if they happened to come across my blog?
First of all, I don't think it's too likely that any driver or player spends as much time on fan forums as some fans seem to think that they do, with the possible exception of Curt. A quick read here and there but how much time do drivers and players really have to sit there and read everything that fans say about them? How much do they even care anyway about what fans think? Afterall, our opinions are often formulated on less than complete information about any given situation. That said, I'd like to think that players and drivers understand that we are posting from a fan's point of view and that our opinions are no less valid or worthy just because we've never been behind the wheel of a race car or at-bat against a tough pitcher. My guess is that there are times that they are curious about how they are perceived by the fans. I would hope that the majority of players and drivers respect the right of their fans to express their opinions on a full range of topics both pro and con. I hope that they understand that fans aren't always going to agree with everything that happens. As I'm fond of saying this world would be a very boring place if everyone agreed. I'm quite sure that on any given team and in the garage area not everyone agrees so I don't think the fans have to agree all the time with the team, players and drivers that they are fans of.
So when I post on Michael Waltrip's forum or Steve Park Central the vast majority of time I don't hold back or censor myself out of fear of what Michael, Steve or Brendan might think of what I'm posting. That doesn't mean that I bash or name-call - I'm very against posting in anything but a respectul manner and name-calling really bothers me. But I am outspoken and I'm not always a rah-rah cheerleader about everything that happens. I speak my mind everywhere else, why should I have to change the way I am? That implies that speaking one's mind is so offensive to those people that I shouldn't be doing it. And just exactly what is so offensive about giving honest opinions anyway? I didn't like the way Orleans Racing handled Steve Park's release and I have no problem saying that, even if Brendan might and probably did read it. Fact is to a lot of fans it didn't feel right no matter what all parties have said. I'm quite sure that Brendan has read a lot worse than me wondering what the real story was behind Steve's release when that story seemed to change on a daily basis. I would hope that he has thicker skin than to let one fan's insignificant opinion bother him.
It is possible, though unlikely, that some of these folks could have read this blog since a link to this place is usually in my sig file on the forums that I post in. I say unlikely because I doubt that anyone of significance cares what I think about much of anything. I'm just one voice in a vast sea of fans, many of whom are much more vocal than I am when it comes to their fandom. And let's face it while 99% of the time I'm extremely positive about both Michael and Steve as well as most of the other drivers and players that I like, I'm not the type of fan who usually gushes or only writes about how wonderful everything and everyone is. I'm sure that most of the drivers and players would rather read the more rah-rah comments than someone like me rambling on about what they think. But this blog exists for me to discuss all sorts of topics and if I only restricted myself to talking about how great Steve, Michael, Mike Mussina, Alex Rodriquez and others are then I don't think it would be very interesting for myself or anyone else. But above all this blog isn't written to get anyone's attention. Sometimes I get the feeling that some post on fan forums or create blogs trying to get certain people's attention but I'm writing this blog to satisfy myself, no one else.
However, if I'm being honest I do have to admit that I've written a few entries that I've later removed from public view down the road. This is particularly true after I started posting on Michael's site, just on the very remote and unlikely chance that he wanders by here. I'd guess that I've never said anything here or elsewhere the slightest bit critical of Michael but there are one or two comments about others that he knows, specifically other drivers that he might be friendly with or folks at DEI, that I did feel uncomfortable with. Most likely it wouldn't even phase him to read what I wrote because as I've said previously I stay away from name-calling and bashing so in comparision to what a lot of other fans say what I wrote was probably extremely mild. Still, I figured with those one or two items it was best to err on the side of caution just in case. I almost never post here with what Michael or anyone else might think if they read it because again, odds are they aren't and this is for me not them, but I'm also sensitive to the fact that you never do fully know who is reading what, when. I guess in some ways that means that I do care to some degree what Michael and those around him think, which isn't necessarily a good thing since Michael is a stranger, but I guess that comes with the territory of being a fan - sometimes you do care what your favorite driver or player might think about some things.
Maybe some of us care more than others. I guess my expectations are that Michael, Steve, A-Rod and all the other players and drivers respect the fans right to express our opinions which may be different than theirs. In fact I think I'd be more than a little disappointed if I found out that some of these folks think that all the fans are no-nothing idiots who should just shut the hell up unless they're talking about how wonderful their favorite drivers or players are. I'm not an expert on anything but I'd like to think that I know a little about a lot of things and I'm not an idiot. So that gives me the confidence to speak my mind because I'm hoping that there is some measure of respect, understanding and acknowledgement that sometimes fans do know what they're talking about and have valid opinions. But sometimes it seems like a lot of fans are so afraid of what driver X or player Y might think that they're afraid to give much stronger of an opinion than "Derek Jeter is awesome!" or "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Rules!"
However, I do think it's also possible for some fans to go too far in the other direction. For example, Michael Waltrip fans hate DEI and have taken to ripping DEI on his site every chance they get. When I say ripping I don't just mean harsh words I mean name-calling and personal insults directed towards Richie Gilmore and outright bashing as if driving for DEI was the worst thing that ever happened to Michael. That makes me uncomfortable given that he might be reading some of what is being posted. While I'm sure Michael has heard and read it all we have no idea who Michael might be friends with at DEI, nor was his entire time at DEI awful in spite of having to deal with some issues. I think there's no problem with fans being critical and having hard words for DEI or anyone else but when it comes to calling someone a name, that seems excessive since again, we really don't know who Michael likes and doesn't like at DEI, nor do we really know how he truly feels about everything that went down at DEI. It hasn't always been easy for him there but he did get those four wins, he did get to work with Tony Eury, Jr. this season which I think he very much enjoyed and there's also the connection to Dale Earnhardt, Sr. So it's at those times such as when someone is ripping his crew chief. to shreds that I do wonder - what the heck is he thinking if he reads this? He, like all the other drivers, probably appreciates the passion of the fans and loves that there are so many fans that will support him so strongly. Likewise, while I was critical of Orleans Racing when Steve was released some of what other said was really over-the-top to me. We are all devoted fans of Steve but he isn't a friend or relative to most of us, just a driver we passionately cheer for. The urge to lash into people that harshly sometimes makes me uncomfortable in some situations.
I guess we'll never really know what these folks think when they read fan's opinions. None of the drivers or players can say openly that they think their fans are morons. Maybe that's what they think of all of us. Or maybe not. I just hope they respect the fan's right to say what we think, just as we respect their right to their own emotions, opinions and beliefs. I would never in a thousand years expect my favorite drivers and players to think or believe exactly the same as I do so I hope that they are also tolerant of the diversity of their fans and their opinions.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)
Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield Win Silver Slugger Awards
A-Rod Wins Eighth Silver Slugger Award
The Silver Slugger awards were announced earlier today and both Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield are among the winners. The award is voted on by major league managers and coaches who consider offensive statistics as well as a player's offensive value. With how outstanding A-Rod and Sheffield both were this season at the plate it's no suprise that they won this award. While A-Rod is among my favorite players, I don't care for Sheffield. But I sure do appreciate everything he does for the Yankees at the plate and he is a big part of why they were able to get to the post-season this year. I have my fingers crossed that this won't be the only award that A-Rod collects this off-season - the AL MVP award will be announced in a few more weeks.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)
Real Estate Prices Soaring in Las Vegas
Even Houses in Previously Undesirable Areas Go For Big Bucks
One thing that Jim and I noted when we were in Las Vegas in January was that there was a huge amount of construction on new houses and condominiums both in Las Vegas and throughout the surrounding area. So it's no suprise to read that Las Vegas is experiencing a real estate boom. There are 93 new luxury condominium projects either planned or under construction currently and I'm sure there are any number of other projects, both housing and non-housing related that are planned for the area as well. Las Vegas is undergoing a tremendous amount of growth and since there isn't that much land in the most desirable areas, near the Strip, those properties that are even remotely close are going for huge amounts of money. The increased development of areas close to, but not directly on, the Strip will probably end up meaning that even areas that for years were full of crime and prostitution will undergo a transformation in the future. There are a lot of people who probably stand to make a tremendous amount of money in the years to come in the Las Vegas area, including some homeowners who bought their houses for a lot less than they're worth now.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
This Needs To Be Said...
I guess some fans think that it doesn't matter how they treat each other or what they do. But after a while it eventually ends up reflecting on the driver, player or team that they're a fan of and not in a good way. I'm just going to come right out and say it - Steve Park's fans, all of them, mean the world to him by all appearances, and it's very unfortunate that some of what goes on makes more than a few people very uncomfortable as fans of his and about fans of his. Before anyone freaks out and assumes I'm talking about them, I'm not. I'm talking about the general tone of things of late rather than anyone specific. There's a lot of wonderful fans and terrific ways that fans show their support of Steve. It's the non-so-wonderful things that go on and those things draw just as much attention as the positive things.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2005
Photo of the Day - Aruba
Aruba. October, 2005. On the wild side.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)
Why Do Racers Pull Over to Let Another Driver Lead a Lap?
Friendly Tactics: Nascar Racers Let Friends, Teammates Go By
Here's something that I don't quite understand. Racers are always talking about how competitive it is on the track and how no one really has any friends on the track once the race starts. That would led me to think that no driver would ever pull over for another driver and let them pass for position or lead laps as a favor. So why does it keep happening? Today, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. pulled over so his good friend Tony Stewart could get five bonus points for leading a lap, then quickly retook the lead. Much later in the race Carl Edwards who went on to win, appeared to do the same for Matt Kenseth, though he was discouraged from talking about it by Jack Roush and his crew chief, Bob Osbourne. It boggles my mind that this happened twice in today's race. I think bonus points and positions should be earned via hard racing, not because one driver let another driver pass him by. In the case of Tony Stewart who is leading the Championship chase right now those five bonus points could end up being important if the next three races don't go too well for him but do go well for Jimmie Johnson. And that's not the way I want to see a Championship decided.
So what's to stop teammates from pulling over to let their teammates go by not just to lead the race but just to get by for position? I'm sure it happens. Yes, if the teammate trying to pass has a better car than the other that's one thing. And I think that teammates should race each other carefully and smart. A driver might give a non-teammate a harder time about getting by than a teammate. But to just pull over and let another driver go by, even if it's just for one lap, that just doesn't sit well with me. I want to see hard racing, whether it's between teammates, friends or drivers who hate each other. I want to see drivers battling each other for the lead, fighting for position and putting on a good show. Pulling over to let someone go by isn't hard racing. I guess it's an unspoken agreement between the drivers that they will do this under certain circumstances and they all have no problem with it but as a fan I wish it wasn't happening, or at least not this often.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:29 PM | Comments (0)
I Don't Go to Movies Anymore...
I was reading an article in Entertainment Weekly earlier tonight about how attendance and revenue from movies is way, way down. The movie industry has all sorts of excuses as to why that is but I think one of the biggest reasons was never touched upon in the article - going to a movie in a theater is not as fun as it once was. Jim loves movies so we rent DVDs all the time but we haven't been to see a movie in a theater since July and that was probably the first or second time that we had been to a movie theater all year. It's because the cost of tickets continutes to rise while the enjoyment factor of seeing a movie in the theater continues to decrease. Parking is always bad at the mega-theaters, the cost of soda and popcorn has gotten ridiculous but worst of all is the behavior of our fellow movie goers. Cell phones aren't turned off and ring constantly, people talk loudly throughout the entire movie, parents don't stop their kids from running around and kicking the back of our seats during the movie, in essence no one seems to have any consideration what-so-ever for anyone around them. That's not just a problem in movie theaters of course but why should we spend the money on a movie to see it in the theater when we can wait a couple of months and see it on DVD at home where we won't have to deal with any of those problems? We have a big-screen TV with a great sound system, it's a lot cheaper to rent the DVD and there's no seat-kicking, ringing cell phones or loud talking. Not to mention we can pause the movie to use the bathroom or get a snack. I'm guessing that our reasons for not going to the movies much anymore are probably similar to that of a lot of other people. So the traditional movie industry could be in a wee bit of trouble.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:12 PM | Comments (0)
Government Investigates Sale of MREs on Ebay
I guess I'm missing why there is so much outrage about the sale of MREs on Ebay. Yes, it would be wrong for people to take MREs that hungry people in the Gulf Coast could be eating and selling them for a profit on Ebay. But what if someone has MREs that they aren't going to use and don't have anyone to give them to? In addition, how do you prove that someone was handed a MRE as part of the hurricane relief and didn't just pick them up via a military supplies store? I'm not interested in MREs in the slightest so it seems silly to me that some people would pay big money for them on Ebay but people will collect anything so I suppose there are MRE collectors out there. But what really gets me is that the government is investigating these sales but when Ebay asked the government to let them know what law was being broken by the sale, presumably so they could have reason to pull the auctions, no one ever got back to them! Is this all talk because the government is afraid of how it would look if they didn't look into the MREs being put up for auction? Or is there truly a law which bans their sale for profit?
Posted by silverdsl at 06:09 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Waltrip Finishes 11th at Atlanta!
Perhaps it wasn't quite the top ten they were surely looking for but overall it was a great day for Michael Waltrip and the #15 team as they battled their way to an 11th place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. What makes today's 11th place finish so outstanding is that Michael started this race in 37th place but by the end of the race had gained 26 places! What makes that even more impressive is that it seemed as if Michael wasn't all that satisfied with the way the car was in quite a few spots during this race and some sort of miscue in the pits caused them to lose seven or so spots while they were running in the top fifteen. But as has been the case throughout this entire season Michael and the #15 team never gave up and their reward was an 11th place finish. I wish Michael would get a little more attention sometimes for the times when he races his way through the field to get himself a good finish. He really is very underrated. If it were Jimmie Johnson or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. who had started 37th and worked his way up nearly to the top ten it would have been mentioned for sure, but when it's Michael it barely gets a mention. I know it's not a top five or a win but for a team that has had so much bad luck this really was a good day for them. http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/For a chance the bad luck monkey stayed away from the #15 team. While the day wasn't perfect, there were no blown tires, no mechanical failures and no getting caught up in other people's wrecks.
What impresses me is that in spite of the fact that they all know that at the end of the season not only is Michael going to another organization but the #15 team will only be part-time, I'm not getting the sense that is weighing on their minds. It seems to me that everyone from driver to crew chief to pit crew members are continuing to go about their jobs as usual and give 100% to get the best finish possible. They are still talking about getting things right despite there only being three races left in the season. A lot of fans have come to hate everything about DEI, including Michael's crew, but I've really been impressed with what they've done this season and how well Michael has seemed to work with them. As I've said before, I hope that when he goes to Bill Davis Racing he has a crew chief that believes in him as much as Tony Eury, Jr. did and a crew that worked as hard as the #15 team did. I'm sure how many times good runs have been ruined by things out of his own hands has worn on Michael as the season has gone on so he's probably at least partially looking forward to the season ending. But at least outwardly he's doing a good job of keeping his spirits up, offering feedback to Gibson about how they might get the car better during races and making sure to compliment his crew in interviews and over the radio post-race.
Carl Edwards won this race and it's always fun to see him do a backflip to celebrate. It does make me the slightest bit nervous that one of these days he's going to make a mistake and crack his head open. How crazy would that be - he risks his life racing around a track at 200 miles an hour yet injures himself doing a backflip? But thus far all his backflips have been successful and the fans certainly love it as they love any show of enthusiasm. Carl can definitely race and I think he's got a lot more wins ahead of him. I go back and forth on "Cousin" Carl. I appreciate his enthusiasm, how talented he is behind the wheel and how great he is with the fans. But it seems as if he doesn't hesitate to run other drivers over on the track and I'm not sure that I like that kind of approach. It's like Carl seems to think that he can do whatever he wants behind the wheel but if he smiles big enough and apologizes loud enough that all will be forgiven. But if he's involved in too many incidents he might find himself in Jimmie Johnson's shoes which isn't a very good place to be as many fans don't think too highly of Jimmie after his involvement in several big incidents this season.
It's looking like the Championship is Tony Stewart's to lose. Jimmie Johnson isn't too far behind but unless Tony finishes poorly in the last three races which I think is unlikely I think he's going to be the 2005 Champion. I'm not a huge fan of Tony's but I've been extremely impressed with the way he's raced the second half of the season so he definitely would deserve it. Three Chase contenders were pretty much eliminated today - Rusty Wallace, Kurt Busch and Jeremy Mayfield who all experienced problems. It would have been kind of cool if Rusty had been able to win the Championship in his final season (maybe) in Cup. I'm not sure if Mayfield will be a contender next season but I suspect that Kurt has a few more Championship runs left even after he goes to Penske so much to a lot of fans chagrin he could still repeat as Champion even if it's not this year.
So next week the Truck, Busch and Cup series head to Texas Motor Speedway. Hopefully it will be a great race weekend for both Steve Park and Michael Waltrip!
Posted by silverdsl at 05:20 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Abandoned Aruba
Aruba. October, 2005. Lots of interesting abandoned buildings in Aruba.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:41 AM | Comments (0)
Manny Ramirez: Trade Me!
Not the First Time He's Wanted to Be Traded
For the fourth straight season Manny Ramirez has asked the Boston Red Sox to trade him. In fact he said that he won't be showing up to spring training unless it's with a new team. The Red Sox go through this at least once every season with Manny, sometimes twice and I'm guessing they're getting pretty sick of it. Manny's an outstanding hitter who is very productive for the Red Sox so I'm sure they're willing to put up with a lot more from him than they might from other players but when players start threatening to refuse to report to spring training maybe it's time to cut the cord. The only problem is that Manny is still owed $57 million on the eight year deal that he signed with the Red Sox back in 2000. There aren't that many teams that can take on that kind of salary unless the Red Sox are willing to pick up a significant amount of it. On top of that Manny is a 10/5 player meaning that he's been in the majors ten years, five of which are wiith the same team. So he has the right to refuse any trade that the Red Sox might want to make unless it's to a team he wants to go to.
Often people will excuse the things that Manny does as "Manny being Manny." And there is a degree of truth to that in which clearly Manny has a different thought process than some other people does and his behavior reflects that. So there has to be some tolerance for that. But I don't think that means that everything that Manny does should be excused. He voluntarily signed the contract with the Red Sox and I think it's ridiculous that he's asked for a trade every year except the first year that he's been with the team. If he doesn't like playing for the Red Sox so much that he wants a trade why did he sign with them in the first place? Oh yeah, they were the team willing to pony up the $160 million that he wanted.
Some Yankee fans would love to see Manny in pinstripes but I think "Manny being Manny" would be an extremely bad fit in the Bronx. The media scrutiny of Manny would be even more intense in New York than in Boston and I'm not sure that Manny's eccentricies would fit in well in the conservative Yankee clubhouse. So while I have no complaints about the Yankees looking to add another awesome hitter, I think that no matter how much they might be tempted they need to stay away from Manny.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2005
Steve Park Involved in Scary Wreck at Atlanta
Coincidentally when I was in T.J. Maxx shopping this afternoon, I suddenly felt a huge sense of dread in relation to this race. So bad that I wanted to rush home and make sure that nothing bad had happened at the track today. But I never in my wildest dreams expected things to turn out the way that they did for Steve Park. After qualifying ninth for this afternoon's truck race at Atlanta in the #67 South Padre Island Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing Steve must have had extremely high hopes for how he might finish today. If I had been him I would have had dreams of being in Victory Lane dancing through my head. Unfortunately those hopes were dashed on lap one in a very frightening way. I'm extremely glad that I was still in the car listening to the race on XM rather than watching it on TV because I probably would have passed out if I saw it live. To say that I'm astonished and heart-broken at the way things turned out for Steve is an extreme understatement. He was so happy and excited about the opportunity that Bill Davis had given him and to have this race end so quickly and violently had to have been an awful feeling.
Drivers say they don't get scared on the track but that kind of a extremely hard wreck which results in a fire has to create a few anxious moments. If not for Steve than certainly for his girlfriend and other friends and family at the track who at first have no idea if Steve has been injured or not. As fans of Steve we also worry until we know he's okay but those who know him well had to be even more terrified at first. When I watched the recording of the race later on, the first thought of Michael Waltrip, who was in the Speed booth, was whether Steve was okay - luckily there was footage of Steve scrambling out of his truck under his own power after the wreck but how would Michael have continued to do the broadcast if he didn't know for sure if his good friend was okay or not? How scary did it have to be for Steve's girlfriend until she got to the in-field care center and saw for herself that Steve was okay? We take for granted that the drivers will be fine after wrecks because there have been so many safety advances the past few years and we have gotten used to drivers climbing out of their cars and trucks after huge wrecks. But as Steve knows full well, not every wreck ends with the driver walking away uninjured.
Many fans are angry at Tim Fedewa and think that he has no place on the track. I'm no fan of Fedewa myself but I doubt that he intended on causing a bad wreck which red-flagged the race on lap one. No driver goes out there intending on wrecking another driver unless they are looking to retaliate for some past injustice and that's certainly not the case here. Circumstances just came together in way that resulted in a horrific wreck that luckily none of the drivers involved were injured in. I'm just as upset as anyone else that the day ended so quickly for Steve but I find it difficult to hate Fedewa for what happened. Every driver makes mistakes that leads to wrecks, sometimes bad ones. Yes, there are some drivers who seem to be involved in more incidents than others but there isn't a single driver out there that hasn't unintentionally caused a wreck at one time or another. Everything unfolds so quickly that sometimes things just come together in a way that spells unavoidable disaster. What I feel is extreme disappointment that Steve had such an awesome truck and was unable to show what he could do with it and extreme relief that he walked away from a wreck that he could have been injured in.
Brendan Gaughan finished 15th and Scott Lynch finished 25th, not exactly an impressive day for Orleans Racing. Even though the race ended prematurely for Steve, it was very obvious that the #67 was a much better truck all weekend than the #62 or the #77 for that matter. That really speaks volumes about Orleans Racing that Steve got a stronger truck from Bill Davis Racing for this one race than he would have gotten from the organization he raced for all season. The deal to run the truck came together at the last minute, it was the fourth truck BDR was running in the race and the crew was made up of a mix of personal friends of Steve's and some of Michael Waltrip's Busch crew so one might not expect the truck to be very competitive. But he was fast in practice, qualified extremely well and probably would have finished well had he not been wrecked on the first lap. Imagine if Steve had found victory lane in his first race for BDR? I'd say he would have a ride with Toyota in the bag! But a celebration in victory lane was not to be thanks to the lap one wreck.
That's what gets me the most - lap one! He was wrecked on lap one! It's never good when a driver wrecks but when it's just after the race starts it's even worse. Steve has to have the worst luck of any driver not named Michael Waltrip. Seriously, how many times has Steve been optimistic about a race or had a good run going only to see it, sometimes literally, go up in smoke? How does a driver keep their spirits high when they have to deal with so many problems? How do they enjoy themselves at the track when they have to feel like someting bad might and usually does happen at any time? And all of it out of his hands - he can't control what Jack Sprague or Tim Fedewa does, he can't stop himself from skidding across the track, he can't prevent Mike Bliss or Eric Norris from hitting him. By the time Steve realized that Fedewa was coming down on him was probably about the same time he started spinning and careening across the track. All that hard work by so many people to get that truck on the track, all for nothing.
One driver who was taking some flack over at SPC for reasons I can't quite understand was Eric Norris. Yes, he slammed into Steve and Mike as they were wrecking but it seemed to me that he was an innocent victim who had no place to go. Norris was used as an example of why the truck series is bad because there are so many inexperienced drivers like Norris who have no business being in one of the highest levels in Nascar. The only thing is that Norris isn't that inexperienced. He's been racing in the truck series since 1997 and has made 17 starts. That's not a lot but he has definitely been in a truck before. Not only that but he's had a few top fifteen finishes, including a 12th place finish earlier this season in Texas. That's not bad for a driver who races so sporatically. In addition, drivers have to get experience somewhere and I'd rather see them race in the trucks for a while than get thrown into Busch or Cup before they're truly ready. I think a lot of young drivers are getting rushed up these days but I'd rather see them spend some time in the truck series like Todd Kluever. Beyond all of that it's not only the inexperienced drivers who cause wrecks - there are countless wrecks on every level that are caused by veterans. Anyone can make a mistake no matter their level of experience on the track. But unless I missed something I don't think Norris is at all at fault for the wreck today.
Next week Steve races at Texas and I hope that things turn out much better for him. Not only will he presumably be racing in front of people representing his sponsor but he'll also be trying to impress owners who might give him a ride for 2006. I hope that he can put some of that out of his mind and just go out and have some fun. If the truck that he had today is any indication next week's race could be a lot of fun indeed because Steve could very well spend much of the race up front if he's not wrecked like he was this week.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)
Scott Wimmer Learns the Bad News... By Mail?
Thought He Would Be Back at BDR in 2006
There has to be something big that isn't public knowledge regarding Scott Wimmer's release from Bill Davis Racing. Because not only has he been released just two weeks after it was announced that he would definitely be back in the #22 in 2006, he was informed of that piece of most unwelcome news not in person but via a letter in the mail. I've heard of other occasions in which drivers have been told that they've been released by mail and I can't understand why that happens unless there's some sort of legal reason or the organization fears a face-to-face meeting. Wimmer has been with BDR since 2001 and it seems to me that he deserves some measure of respect to hear the news that he would need to look for a new ride for next season directly from someone at BDR. I would be pretty angry if I was told that I was being fired in such a seemingly callous manner and I think Wimmer has a right to be upset.
As I've said previously, I'm extremely happy that BDR has given rides to Michael Waltrip as well as Steve Park and in Michael's case especially I am very much looking forward to seeing what he can do at BDR. I'm very optimistic that BDR is going to be a positive move for Michael and that it would be for Steve if he ended up with a full-time ride there. However, I am a little concerned about some of their practices given the Wimmer situation and some of what was said by Ward Burton when he left the organization. Michael is intelligent and savvy when it comes to business and his career so I don't think he would join a questionable organization. Not to mention bringing NAPA with him gives him some security. I've also always heard that Bill and Gail Davis are great people. So I'm going to just chalk all of this up to that there are things going on behind the scenes that I don't know about that would make all of this both look better and make more sense if I knew the full story.
Both myself and many others have been wondering what changed in the past two week to prompt BDR to release Wimmer. I can think of a few scenarios. Something major happened with Wimmer that made BDR unwilling to keep him in the car. I think a lot goes on that the fans never hear about but something big enough to make BDR want to release Wimmer would probably be difficult to keep completely under wraps, especially since Wimmer has already gotten in trouble once thanks to the DUI/hiding under his bed incident. There's also the possibility that CAT put pressure on for a driver change but I would think that they were in the loop two weeks ago when BDR said that they were keeping Wimmer. So the other possiblity is that BDR became aware that there were going to be some drivers available that they might want to put into the #22 more than Wimmer. The obvious answer as to who is Steve Park, especially since it was said during Speed's broadcast that Davis would like to be able to give Steve a ride of some kind in the future. Good for Steve or another driver, bad for Wimmer.
I guess this is the way in business sometimes, not to mention life. Not everything is fair, not everything seems right, not everything has a happy ending for everyone. I just hope being with Bill Davis Racing works out as well as possible for Michael and Steve, however long Steve may be there for.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)
I've Got a Thoughtful Husband!
I love the ocean and anything that reminds me of the ocean. I also love Swarovski Crystal. So there's nothing better than a combination of the two. I've long admired a few pieces in Swarovski Crystal's exotic fish collection. So today Jim bought me this starfish from the collection:
It's beautiful and I love it!
Posted by silverdsl at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2005
In the News: Michael Waltrip (10/28)
So the truck and Cup series return to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. I don't know how Michael Waltrip and the #15 team keep their spirits so high considering how much bad luck has befallen them week after week. They'd especially like a strong finish this weekend since a number of their sponsors, NAPA, Coke and Aarons's, are headquartered in Atlanta. They've got chassis #37 with them this weekend that last raced in Dover and finished 13th so hopefully they can at least duplicate that finish, if not do even better.
In practice one they were 29th and in practice two they were 31st which isn't great. But I've found that sometimes practice speeds can be decieving because there's no way of knowing what each individual team might be working on. And in fact in practice two Michael thought that the car was "awesome" and that he was very satisfied with it. So hopefully that bodes well for Sunday!
Posted by silverdsl at 04:58 PM | Comments (0)
Another Potential Steroids Scandal Looming?
There's a rumor making the rounds that an outfielder from an American League team that played in the post-season tested positive for steroids and that the test results will be announced once the appeals process is completed. This would be huge news if it were true, especially if it turned out that the player in question was a member of the World Series winning White Sox. I would hate to see their or any championship tainted by steroids.
Of course speculation is running wild about which player this might be but there's only one problem. The sourcing on this seems a little iffy. First of all, the initial item was a blind item in
So in two weeks we could be talking about yet another huge baseball scandal. Or we could be talking about nothing even related to steroids. Only time will tell if there's anything to this rumor.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2005
Photo of the Day - Fishing in Ogunquit
Ogunquit, Maine, July, 2005. Fishing at sunrise.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)
On Being a Female Sports Fan
I really hate when male fans assume that all female fans are only fans of a particular driver or player because of the way that person looks because some female fans find him attractive. That makes it seem as if all female fans are superficial and often comments follow about the lack of knowledge that those female fans have about the sport. I don't make my choices about which drivers or players to follow on the basis of the way that they look - I'm primarily interested in what they do behind the wheel or on the field. I'd be a liar if I said that there were no drivers or players that I found attractive or that there aren't factors other than performance that effect who I'm a fan of but I resent the assumption that because some female fans enjoy commenting on an athlete's looks that is the only thing that all of us are interested in. That's why I almost always avoid threads on message boards that involve discussions about what players or drivers are attractive. As soon as a female fan makes one comment even in jest, it's often remembered and held against them. Then down the road there will be a serious discussion on racing or baseball and that comment will be used against the female fan in an attempt to prove that they know nothing about the topic at hand.
If it sounds like I'm worked up it's because I am. I saw a comment of this nature today and it really bothered me. I like Steve Park because he's a great race car driver, is very fan-friendly, has an outstanding attitude and is from Long Island originally. I like Michael Waltrip because he's a very talented driver who is very underrated, he makes me laugh, he's incredibly fan-friendly and he's very involved in charitable efforts. I like David Cone because he was an outstanding Cy Young pitcher who was a leader in the clubhouse and always spoke his mind. I like Mike Mussina because he's a terrific pitcher who is also very fan-friendly. I like Tino Martinez because he was once a solid hitter who helped the Yankees get four championships. But more than that, I'd like to think that I know a thing or two about the game of baseball as well as about racing. I might not be stats oriented and I might not be a technical expert but I'm not an idiot either.
Maybe it's a jealousy thing in that some male fans wish that they had as many females fawning over them as some players and drivers do. But I also think that some male fans believe in some very outdated stereotypes about women in that they think that women aren't ever truly interested in sports except as a way to meet men. Which is laughable since I know just as many female fans of the major sports as I do male fans and they sometimes know far more about the sport and the athletes that are involved than some of the male fans. When I collected baseball cards I used to be asked if I was buying them for my father or boyfriend because a lot of people couldn't believe that a woman would want to collect baseball cards. Meanwhile my father hates sports and I have no brothers so my interest in sports was developed completely on my own when I was young. And until Jim all the men I dated had far less of an interest in sports than I did. So no, I was never buying baseball cards for anyone other than myself.
The sad thing is that there's absolutely nothing that I can do about these kinds of attitudes except vent about it here. There are always going to be male fans who leap to assumptions about female fans. I shouldn't even let it bother me. But sometimes I wonder if the male fans think things like this then what do some of the players and drivers think?
Posted by silverdsl at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)
Slugger Labbe Released From Evernham Motorsports
Rumored to Be Looking For New Job
I'm completely mystified by this but then I've been extremely perplexed by a lot of what Slugger Labbe has done and said over the past year or so. Under Slugger's direction Jeremy Mayfield made it into the Chase for the Championship and while he's not been impressive recently it seems strange to me to fire a crew chief with four races to go in the season when technically their driver is still a Championship contender. I've seen some talk that it was said on XM that Slugger asked for his release so he could look for a new job and I ask a similar question to what I was just wondering about - why would a crew chief in the Chase for the Championship give up on his team and driver with just four races to go? Then again it's not like this is the first time that Slugger has given up on his team. Last season he gave up on Michael Waltrip and the #15 team, quitting as Michael's crew chief with perhaps five or six races left. What was incredible about that situation is that I was under the impression that for much of the time they worked together Michael and Slugger got along well but apparently when they parted ways it wasn't on good terms and I have no idea how things got that bad. Eventually Slugger left DEI and had harsh words for the way they operate then had even harsher words for Michael. Very odd the way that things have played out with Slugger.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)
Ancient Indian Burial Site Found in Long Island Park
Coastal storms often cause an incredible amount of damage which is a bad thing but occasionally erosion can be a good thing. How? When it uncovers a previously unknown ancient Indian burial site on a river bank near the Peconic River in Indian Island Country Park. A park supervisor found the bones and artifacts which were turned over to a variety of experts for inspection.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)
Brian Cashman Will Remain Yankees General Manager
It's not been officially announced yet since Major League Baseball frowns on teams making annoucements until after the World Series is over, but apparently Brian Cashman has signed a three-year deal worth $5 million to remain as general manager of the New York Yankees. I've got to admit that I'm surprised. I had thought that when Cashman reportedly started getting emotional when asked about his future with the team after the Yankees were eliminated that was a sure sign that he had decided not to return. Maybe he just had something in his contact lense. At any rate, Cashman will be back and I'm very happy about that. I think he does a very good job as the Yankees general manager and since he's been with the organization for so long he is excellent at navigating the unique challenges that come with working for the Yankees.
The open question of course is how much freedom Cashman will have to make decisions. One problem that he's always had to deal with is the influence of various others in the organization on George Steinbrenner as well as Steinbrenner's insistance on having the final say. If the Tampa faction has less control and Cashman and Joe Torre have more of a say in the decision-making process I think the Yankees will be better off. But only time will tell if that will actually happen.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)
White Sox Win the World Series!
Congratulations to all the Chicago White Sox fans out there! The White Sox absolutely dominated the Astros, sweeping them in four straight games to win the World Series for the first time in 88 years. The White Sox hadn't played in a world series since 1959 and the post-season exploit they were best known for was Shoeless Joe Jackson's team who threw the 1919 series. But no more. Now the White Sox will be known as 2005 World Series Champions and their fans should be proud. Yankee fans are probably a bit bitter this morning since Jose Contreras, who was unable to pitch effectively in New York, was a key part of the White Sox success. But that's just the way things work sometimes - a player might have success with one team but not with another. Some parts of Contreras' life have been extremely difficult so I'm happy for him and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez that they were part of the White Sox championship team. It's just a shame that the White Sox didn't win last night's game at home. But I'm guessing that there will be enough celebrating in Chicago for days to some to make up for that.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:15 AM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2005
In the News: Michael Waltrip (10/26)
So I'm listening to an interview on XM with Mike Brown, general manager of Bill Davis Racing in relation to BDR's release of Scott Wimmer and Claire B. Lang asked him whether they were going to have two full time teams in 2006. Brown says yes, that they will have the #22 Caterpillar as well as the #55 Napa, which spills the beans on a bit of news that many Michael Waltrip fans were waiting anxiously to know - what his car number will be next season. It was widely assumed that it would be #23 which BDR has used for their second car a few times this season. But Michael has previously mentioned a fondness for those double numbers and his cars at Michael Waltrip Racing are the #99 and #00. So it's not suprising that they would opt for #55.
There is a connection to the #23 though as 2+3=5. There's a lot of symbolism behind the #5 and it means many things in many cultures. But five is commonly associated with being the number of the center, as it is the center of the nine numbers. It is therefore symbolic of harmony and balance and is often used to symbolize the human body, order and perfection and sometimes the will of god. I couldn't possibly go through all the different things that five has come to symbolize and some I wouldn't want to mention anyway as in a few cultures it is an unlucky number. But in other cultures it is a good number and occassionally a lucky number. The center, harmony and perfection are themes that come up often so I'll go with those and say that 55 will be a good number for Michael.
There was also a brief mention that Best Western is going to hold an auction for a pizza party for 25 people with pizza delivered by Michael in his race car. All proceeds would benefit hurricane Kartrina victims. That sounds like something I might be interested in bidding on, though I'm sure it will go for far more money than I'm willing to bid but when I checked I can't find anything on it on the Best Western site or in their auction listings on Ebay but I'll have to keep an eye out for it. Gee, I wonder if the pizza Michael would be delivering would be Domino's?
Posted by silverdsl at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day
Aruba, October, 2005.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)
Scott Wimmer Out of the #22 at Bill Davis Racing
Could This Be a Potential Ride For Steve Park?
On October 6 the general manager of Bill Davis Racing said that Scott Wimmer would definitely be in the #22 in 2006. Fast-forward twenty days and it's been announced that Wimmer and Bill Davis Racing will be parting ways. I think this is extremely unfortunate for Scott because not all that long ago he was under the impression that he had a ride for next season and was looking forward to being a teammate to Michael Waltrip, suddenly he has to find a new ride. It's things like this that make it very difficult for me to believe what anyone in this sport says. This is the same organization that said in no uncertain terms that they were absolutely not having any talks with Michael for 2006, only to sign him a month later. Now I very much appreciate everything that BDR is doing for Michael, Steve Park and I'm very excited to see what both of my favorite drivers will be able to do in BDR prepared equipment. However, I find it troubling how easily things are denied or announced in this sport and then the opposite happens.
Yes, it's business and I can certainly understand that performance was an issue and they had to improve on what the #22 has done the past two years. So I'm not surprised that they released Scott. But why announce just a few weeks ago that he would definitely be in the car in 2006? Yes, things can change very quickly in this sport but it still doesn't sit quite right with me. Surely they had to have some idea at that point that they might want to replace him, just as surely in August I would find it hard to believe that there were absolutely no discussion, even in the most casual way, between Michael and BDR about the possibility of working together in the future, especially since at that time BDR was helping Michael prepare MWR cup cars. I'm sure I've said it before but I'll say it again - from a PR/image management standpoint there are three problems you have when you choose not to tell the truth. First, the truth often comes out eventually; second, the media you lie to resent it and it might effect how they cover you or deal with you in the future and three, it can make your product/client/organization look bad. Of course PR is all about spin that is simply unavoidable. But there is a difference between spin and announcing one thing, then turning around and doing the opposite. I just find it troubling even though I understand that it happens all the time and understand some of the reasons.
So the next question is who will be the new driver of the #22? Of course Steve Park fans are naturally suspecting that it will be him since he's teaming up with BDR to run the next two truck races. I think he will certainly be considered for the #22, especially if things go well the next two weeks. In a lot of ways that would be like a dream come true for me to have my two favorite drivers be teammates again!! I think they would both love to be reunited in the same organization as well so I really hope that happens. Another possibility is for Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner or BIll Lester to move up into the #22 from one of the BDR truck rides and then Steve could step into one of their vacated trucks. That would also be wonderful! The BDR trucks with Toyota power seem to be strong trucks that would allow Steve to be competitive on a regular basis. The #22 car is an adequate car but it's not exactly lit up the track this season and while some of that may be due to Scott, I suspect a lot of that is due to the challenges that BDR faces due to being a one-team organization with no factory support. For a change I'd like to see Steve in a ride that is at least fairly competitive right off the bat. Still, BDR would be a good organization for Steve to end up with.
Then there's also all the other drivers from outside the organization who are looking for rides. Dave Blaney has raced for BDR previously so he has some connections there and he will need a new ride for 2006 now that Clint Bowyer will be taking his ride at Richard Childress Racing. And as the GM from BDR said in an XM interview earlier this afternoon, aside from considering the "usual" candidates whose names have been mentioned in silly season, they expect that they might get calls from guys who they don't expect once they learn the ride is open. Could Bobby LaBonte be giving them a ring? He's been rumored to be talking to every other team with an open ride though Joe Gibbs Racing insists that with three years left on his contract he's not going anywhere. Yeah, right. Since when do contracts mean anything in this sport? But the bottom line is that I don't think it's a given that Steve will get this ride even though he's probably a strong candidate. What's good for Steve is that according to the BDR GM they asked Michael for his opinions on various drivers that they are considering since he races against them every week. I would guess that he would give Steve a positive review!
So it appears that silly season is in high-gear and things could get a lot more interesting before all the pieces fall into place.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
Another One Bites the Dust
K-Rock To Go All-Talk After Howard Stern Leaves
There goes another radio station I enjoyed listening to. Once Howard Stern leaves January 3, K-Rock which currently plays rock will go to an all-talk format, at least during the week when I usually listen to the radio. Of course the bigger news for most people is who will be replacing Stern once he goes over to Sirius Satellite Radio but since my Stern phase is long over it doesn't really matter much to me. But in case any of my readers here haven't heard and do care Stern will be replaced by several different hosts, depending on the market that each particular station is in. In the New York area where I am his replacement will be David Lee Roth which seems like a curious choice but I've heard that he's done a good job as a fill-in host. Adam Carolla will be the host in Los Angeles. But back to K-Rock itself, while I don't listen all the time by any means, it is in my rotation of stations to switch to while I'm in the car to see if they're playing anything I like. And often they are. But soon I will have to remove K-Rock from my pre-sets just like I've removed all the other stations that have changed format. Sometimes it seems like stations don't stick to any one format for long these days. Which is why I'm glad I have XM with it's 100 channels of commercial-free music in all sorts of genres that don't change too often.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)
Steve Park to the #67 Truck for Bill Davis Racing
Yesterday Steve Park did an interview with Claire B. Lang on XM in which he confirmed that he will be in the #67 Toyota truck for Bill Davis Racing for two races, this weekend in Atlanta and then in Texas, with South Padre Island as the sponsor. Apparently they were going to keep it under wraps longer but Claire heard the rumor and called Steve to confirm and after he got permission he spilled the beans on the air. Personally, I'm surprised it took that long for the news to come out considering it's seemed like he's been telling more than a few people that he was going to end up in a Toyota. In any event this is outstanding news! Steve sounded extremely happy, perhaps more so than I've heard him sound since he won early in the season at Fontana. So it was really good to hear that excitement in his voice! Which means that I am really looking forward to him being behind the wheel of one of those Toyotas! Steve said that he's still looking for a ride for 2006 but this could potentially open up some more doors for him. I'd love to see him in a Toyota in the truck series full time.
During the interview Steve thanked a number of people for their help including Michael Waltrip Racing. From what he was saying it sounded like perhaps some of Michael's people were helping prepare the truck but Steve was, as usual, talking kind of fast so it was hard to tell exactly what he meant. But in any event my impression was that Michael had a hand in some way in making this happen and if so that is awesome! It really makes me smile to think of Michael helping his friend but I would expect no less since that's the kind of thing that Michael has done in the past for some of his other friends. That's a quality that I very much admire about Michael - how he helps other people and does nice things for them when he can. It's funny because some fans of Steve hold a grudge against Michael for not being more vocal in his support of Steve after he was released from DEI, despite Michael being in a difficult position caught between the company he worked for and his good friend. Steve is also friends with Bill and Gail Davis so I imagine their fondness for him also played a role. Steve is extremely lucky to have friends like the Davis's and Michael who are supportive of him and willing to help him out when he needs it.
Back when Steve made his return to the modified series earlier this month, I said that I wished that he would have more opportunities to race just for fun rather than having to worry about points. Well, that's exactly what this opportunity is. Since it's a late entry the #67 won't be eligible for points so Steve has a bit less pressure on his shoulders. Yes, he wants to race well for his sponsor and to make a good impression on anyone who might be considering him for a ride in 2006, but I think it's potentially a situation where Steve can go into it with a slightly different approach than he was when he was in the #62. Particularly if the truck is competitive. Most of the trucks that Bill Davis Racing fields seem to be fairly good so I think Steve is really going to enjoy being behind the wheel of a Toyota. The only issue that Steve faces is that he's going to have to qualify for this race on time since he won't be able to get in on points. That puts a lot of pressure on him for qualifying but hopefully things will go well and he will race up front in Atlanta!
What's interesting and perhaps a bit ironic is that Steve did something very similar to what Scott Lynch did in relation to the #62. South Padre Island was one of Steve's sponsors with the #62 so it appears he took them with him when he left Orleans Racing. Being able to bring sponsorship with him for those two races is probably what got him into the #67, just as Scott bringing sponsorship got him into the #62 for the rest of the season. What I'm wondering about is whether South Padre Island was slated to be the primary sponsor on the #62 truck for the race in Texas prior to Steve being released as they had been earlier in the season. I would assume not otherwise Orleans Racing wouldn't be talking about a lack of outside funding leading to them having to pull the #62 off the track since clearly an outside sponsor brings in money. Still, it's interesting that they went with Steve to Bill Davis Racing so readily, if money was such a big problem at Orleans Racing why weren't they approached to sponsor the #62 for at least the race in Texas?
I should also mention that some fans aren't looking too kindly at Scott for taking Steve's place in the #62. Fans often seem to hold a grudge against the person who takes their favorite driver's seat in a ride they're released from. But I have no ill will towards Scott. He saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. This is an extremely difficult sport to break into and young drivers can't pass up those kinds of chances. The one drawback to the way that Scott ended up in the ride is that there is some stigma attached to when it seems like a driver buys a ride via their family paying whatever money is needed to get them into that ride. That makes some people feel that the driver isn't getting the ride on their own merits but rather because they have money to pay their way. My feeling is that no team is going to put someone behind the wheel that doesn't belong there regardless of how much money or sponsorship they might bring to the table but in some people's minds Scott might have an uphill battle to fight that perception. Particularly after this past weekend's race where it seemed as if he was in the midst of several incidents. I think some fans take joy out of seeing him struggle but I don't wish tough times on anyone. I don't think Steve had it easy in the #62 truck this season and Scott might not either for the remaining four races.
In any event, I'm extremely happy for Steve that he's going to be back on the track for the next two races! I'm not going to get my hopes up too high since everything has come together so quickly that it might be difficult to make this truck as competitive as they'd like it to be. But I'd be happy with solid runs to make Steve feel good about himself and about his prospects for the future. I hope he enjoys himself and has a lot of fun racing in Atlanta and Texas!
Posted by silverdsl at 08:08 AM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2005
Photo of the Day - Cactus
Aruba, October, 2005.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)
In the News: Michael Waltrip (10/25)
According to Tony Gibson, Michael Waltrip's crew chief, what was so unfortunate in Martinsville was that they had a good car that handled well and only needed air pressure changes. Until the final of three wrecks, all not of Michael's doing, which knocked the tow out. The #15 team is hoping for a turn around in their luck at Atlanta this weekend and I am as well. I'd love to see Michael in victory lane of course but any finish in the top ten would make me extremely happy. He's certainly capable of it - I have no doubt that he's not given up on finishing out the season well, but the car he's given has to be good. I believe primary sponsor NAPA is based in Atlanta so they'll surely have a lot of representatives on hand and will be hoping for a fine finish as well.
This past weekend Michael was on the cover of USA Weekend, a suppliment found in many newspapers, along with Greg Biffle. Inside Michael and Greg, who it turns out is Michael's neighbor in Sherrill's Ford, discuss some of their favorite old cars that they have including Michael's '73 Caddy Eldorado that his father bought in Owensboro, Kentucky, Michael's hometown, and has been since restored. Another is the second car he ever owned, a 1981 Z28 Camaro, that his wife Buffy got back for him for his 40th birthday. I've heard that naturally Michael has quite a few other cars and also a Harley Davidson - it would be interesting to see him take a spin on that!
Posted by silverdsl at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)
Craig Biggio's Wife Slapped by White Sox Fan at World Series Game Two
Of course this incident doesn't mean that all White Sox fans are incapable of good behavior but there was at least one fan at World Series game two who doesn't understand the meaning of appropriate behavior. While details are sketchy as to exactly how the incident transpired Astros second baseman Craig Biggio's wife, Patty, had her hair pulled and was slapped by a male While Sox fan. That's appalling. I have no idea if this fan knew he was assaulting Biggio's wife but regardless there's no excuse for that kind of behavior. No matter what team she was cheering for. No matter what she was saying. No excuse what-so-ever. Note that I called it an assault, despite the fact that a criminal complaint wasn't filed, probably because the Biggios and the two teams wanted it to go away. Any type of physical altercation of that type is an assault in my book, whether there's charges filed or not.
I've complained about bad fan behavior countless times in this space so I'm not naive enough to think that was the only incident during the World Series in which one fan went after another or otherwise acted inappropriately. This one happened to involve a player's wife so it's going to get more publicity. But incidents like this are an embarassment and give all fans a bad name.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:07 PM | Comments (0)
More Interesting Photos
I can't believe after mentioning the Giambi/Chacon/Pavano webshots photos last night there's a new batch of photos of a major league baseball player getting down with some young hotties making the rounds. I'm not even going to bother to link to these photos or name the player. It's not a Yankee and I stumbled upon a whole bunch of links which indicates you can find photos like these for at least one player from every team. A lot of them are pretty innocent, just a bunch of people having a good time in a bar. Some are more suggestive with women hanging all over the players. In a perfect world no one would jump to any conclusions about what's going on but this isn't a perfect world. And it especially is going to raise questions when the players in question are married and even more so if they have young kids. As I've said before I don't expect any player to be a saint - they drink, they have sex with many women, some of whom might not be a significant other, some may even use drugs. If the average person can party and have a good time, then so can athletes. Not to mention everyone makes mistakes. But in the sports world image matters.
The problem is that even if the photos are completely innocent many fans will assume that they aren't and a player's image becomes tarnished. So what? Well, two things happen. First of all fans are more likely to believe other rumors they hear and also connect poor performances on the field to the possiblity that the player was partying the night before. There's a rumor circulating about Mike Mussina that I'm not going to repeat because it's likely to be completely false but some fans seem to believe it and attribute his poor performance in the post-season to what he might have been doing in California. And why are they so willing to believe this rumor about Mussina? Because he posed for those unfortunate photos in Toronto. I adore Mussina and he's my favorite Yankee but he did damage to his reputation and image that will likely not be so easy to fix.
Here's the thing - as I said the photos might be completely innocent but the reality is that people will make judgements on the basis of what they see and jump to conclusions that may be very incorrect. Is it right? No. But that's the reality of the way the world works and it's even more so for those in the public eye. That's not to say that people who are well-known can't have a good time or pose for photos with fans but if they have anything to lose they need to use caution. I would guess that most major league baseball players feel they don't have much to lose. In fact a lot of them probably don't give two hoots about what the fans think. However, if the players want the fans to continue to support them and the team, unfortunately some of this does matter. The fans are who cheer for the team and spend money on tickets and merchandise.
It especially matters for Nascar drivers where image is everything and that's why I'd guess we see far fewer of these kinds of photos with those guys because they are more conscious of why it might not be a good idea. And for the drivers there can be consequences. Sponsors are extremely demanding and unless a guy is driving for a beer company where certain behaviors are likely more acceptable, they don't want someone representing their brand or product who might embarass them or connect them with some sort of negative behavior. My understanding is that most of the drivers have some sort of morality code as well in their contracts. I've never heard of that morality code being used as a reason to release a driver but that doesn't mean that it hasn't happened and it just hasn't been made public knowledge or that it couldn't happen in the future if such a clause actually exists.
It's simply the way of the world that we are judged by who we choose to associate with, our appearance and the way that we dress, as well as for other superficial reasons. And as unfair as it may be sometimes our behavior has to adjust accordingly. So athletes should take all the photos they want with fans but consider the circumstances under which they're posing and remember that any photo can appear on the internet at any time. An argument can be made that the people who take the photos shouldn't make them publically viewable. But there are always choices. No one holds a gun to the heads of the married players and forces them to take photos that show them licking whipped cream off an attractive woman in a bar. No one forces them to take a bunch of young women up to their hotel room or back to their house and pose for photos as they're partying with them. Or at the very least if they're going to pose for photos while they're partying make them more along the lines of the Giambi/Chacon/Pavano ones rather than the Mussina ones.
Why do I keep discussing this topic some might wonder? Because I'm simply amazed by the sheer amount of these photos that are continuing to pop up.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)
Call of the Sea
"I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying."
From "Sea-Fever" by John Masefield (1878-1967).
Posted by silverdsl at 09:47 AM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2005
Civil Rights Pioneer Rose Parks Dead at Age 92
Refusal To Give Up Bus Seat Sparked Civil Rights Movement
In 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man inspite of Jim Crow laws that required her to do so. She was arrested which led to the Montgomery Bus boycott organized by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. That was the start of the modern civil rights movement which culminated in the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act, which banned racial discrimination in public accommodations. It is essential that people stand up for what they believe in even if they are the lone voice of dissent, even if it's difficult, even if it seems useless. Sometimes what seems insignificant turns out being important. Such was the case with Rose Parks who never imagined that refusing to give up her seat on a bus would lead to the Civil Rights movement.
R.I.P. Rosa Parks.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Cool Clouds
Aruba, October, 2005. Sunrise and sunset in Aruba brought some very beautiful sights. And some amazing cloud formations such as this one which also featured a rainbow.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)
Random Thoughts On Random Thoughts
Item: Even a race in which Michael Waltrip was involved in multiple incidents on the track couldn't salvage Inside Nextel Cup. It's not that Michael isn't making insightful contributions to the discussions or that he's not funny. It's just not the same as it used to be. The show continues to be stiff and less spontaneous than it used to be. It's really sad to see what was once one of my favorite shows, that I considered must-see TV, turn into what it is now.
Item: MIchael Waltrip is twenty years older than Brian Vickers who just turned 22 today. That's pretty incredible. Michael has been racing in Nascar almost as long as Brian has been alive. That should say something to all those who feel that Michael should be replaced on INC. In a sad commentary on "young" Mr. Vickers he often seems less hip and youthful than Michael. Loosen up a little Brian! I've heard that he's a very nice guy with a great sense of humor but somehow it doesn't seem to translate on camera.
Item: It was speculated that Steve Park would be in DW's #12 truck this weekend at Atlanta but Joey Miller is in that truck. . Steve's been telling folks that he'll be in a truck in Atlanta so presumably it will be a late entry and he won't be racing for points since thus far he's not listed on the official entry list.
Item: There's quite a bit of rain coming down tonight and it's going to be a hell of a commute tomorrow since I have an hour+ each way to and from work. But that inconvienence pales in comparision to what the people in the Cancun area and in South Florida have had to deal with. Heavy rain or hurricane? I'll take the heavy rain thanks.
Item: Apparently Janet Jackson has a secret daughter . I wonder if she lets her daughter be around her brother Michael unsupervised. Oh wait, she's not a young boy.
Item: It takes a really long time to resize, touch up and organize close to a thousand photos. It may be two months from now before I have all my Aruba photos done.
Item: Coincidence? I think not.
Item: Another round of photos of Yankee players partying with young women have turned up on webshots. This time the players in question are Jason Giambi, Shawn Chacon and Carl Pavano. Actually, these photos really aren't any big deal in comparison to the Mussina photos. Really they're nothing more than fans posing for some photos with players. What they do beyond that is their business. Still in general these folks need to be conscious that photos they take with fans are going to end up on the internet and if the captions reflect that they had the women up in their hotel room for a party fans will talk. Sometimes I think the players should confiscate all cameras before they allow their guests into a party! Unfortunately even when something is perfectly innocent there are often times when someone, even someone in the public eye, is judged by the company they keep and what appears to be happening even if that's not what's really happening.
Item: Sometimes I would rather not be right.
Item: The TV show The Medium isn't very good. Most TV shows aren't all that great these days. Watching the first season of Arrested Developement does remind me how good that show is.
Item: I wish I got to watch The Simpsons more often.
Item: The media aren't all evil. In fact they serve a necessary purpose. Sometimes they're overly aggressive, sometimes they're intrusive, sometimes they're overly harsh, sometimes they're wrong. But sometimes they ensure that stories are told that need to be told.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:35 PM | Comments (0)
Did the #62 Team Give Up on Steve Park?
Martinsville Race Gives Orleans Racing Something to Build On
Post-race reports are mostly just spin and this one from Orleans Racing in relation to Scott Lynch's first race in the #62 is no different. It's amusing how happy go lucky this article is considering Lynch's day was dismal to say the least. But what really caught my attention, as well as that of a few other fans is this quote by Charlie Wilson the crew chief of the #62:
“I think the guys are really pumped up now and you’ll see a little different attitude just with a different face in the seat. They really worked their butts off."
It's possible that this is just an unfortunate choice of words or a quote taken out of context but on the surface Wilson appears to be saying that the #62 team had a different attitude with Steve Park behind the wheel of the #62 and that the team wasn't as pumped up to be working with Steve as they are with Scott. Were they not working their asses off in other races when Steve was with the team? I always assume unless I hear otherwise that every team, regardless of talent level, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of whether they are a tiny team that has little chance of seeing Victory Lane or a huge team that is competitive every week, regardless of whether the team likes their driver or each other, regardless of whether they are a new team or a veteran team, that every team member from driver to crew chief to over-the-wall crew gives 100% effort at all times towards giving their driver the best chance at success possible. That's because not only do the results on the track reflect on a driver but they also reflect on the team and their organization. I would think that all the teams take great pride in what they do and want to do the best job that they possible can at all times. So it would be extremely disappointing to find out that the #62 team was giving less than 100% effort while they were working with Steve.
Yes, it was a very rough season for the #62 team. After the win at Fontana they probably had extremely high hopes about where the season would go and when things didn't go that way it had to be disheartening. Being mired outside the top fifteen in points and having to deal with bad luck and problems almost every race isn't good for team morale. However, there is still much to be working towards such as getting wins and getting themselves into the top fifteen in points even if they are well out of the championship fight. The season isn't over until the last race and it pays to work as hard as possible right to the very end.
That's one thing that I admire about Michael Waltrip and the #15 team. There appears to be no quit in that team. Just like the #62 team they've had rotten luck in the form of mechanical problems, cut tires and getting wrecked by others. But at no time have I ever gotten the sense that the #15 team has ever given up on Michael or each other. This past race at Martinsville is a great example of that. Three times Michael was caught up in incidents not of his own doing. And each time his crew worked extremely hard to get him back out on the track as quickly as possible. And Michael battled his way back through the field in an attempt to gain back the track position he lost in each incident. Even after the third incident that trapped them two laps down the team was still trying various things to make the car better and they were still talking about whether there were any other cars on their lap that they might be able to race for position.
Now it's quite possible that the #62 team was exactly like this in each and every race as well. I've never listened to them on the radio so in all fairness I can't say for sure. But back at IRP when his team ran him out of gas, he stalled on pit road and only one crew member showed up to help push him into his pit, one does have to wonder. And the comments from Charlie Wilson make me wonder even more. A few people have mentioned that Steve has seemed to be lacking in enthusiasm on the radio this season. Others have said that's always been the way he is over the radio so that doesn't mean anything. So again, without having heard him myself it's hard to say for sure. But it seems to me that taking the possibility that Steve wasn't as optimistic about his truck as some other drivers might be about theirs and Charlie talking about the team getting more pumped up with a different driver it seems like it's possible that the relationship between Steve and his team might have started to get stale and sour a bit.
Now I'm sure that if asked all parties would deny that. Anything the slightest bit negative in Nascar is almost always put through the spin cycle so completely that what emerges on the other end bares little resemblance to what the reality of the situation is. Just look at Brendan Gaughan, someone who I had always been under the impression is one of the most up-front people in this sport, something that I've always found to be extremely refreshing, even though I didn't always agree with all of his opinions. But each time that he speaks on Steve Park's release from Orleans Racing or why Scott Lynch is in the truck the story is different. So in all likelihood if there were any internal problems with the #62 team we'll never know about it. But it's comments like the one above make me wonder yet again what was really going on behind the scenes, not just with Steve's release but with the #62 team as a whole this season.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)
Whoa Nellie, I think I just saw a pig fly by!!
Posted by silverdsl at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2005
Photo of the Day - Flamingos!
Renaissance Island, Aruba, October, 2005. Renaissiance Island was the private island that our hotel in Aruba had. It was great because after a short boat ride we found ourselves on an uncrowded island with beautiful beaches. I very much enjoyed spending time there in one of the hammocks there. Besides lots of amenities like food, there was plenty of wildlife there as well such as iguanas and a number of flamingos. I've never been so close to flamingos before and they were pretty neat to see. They wouldn't let you get right next to them but they were obviously used to the presence of humans. I think they must have also gotten fed by some visitors since they would walk around as if they were looking for handouts. They also seemed to enjoy napping in this particular spot on the beach - maybe the water on their feet helped cool them off.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)
Yes, I Am a Former Soap Opera Watcher
I'm not ashamed to admit that I used to watch soap operas all the time. I think it first started because my grandmother watched her "soaps" every day and then whenever I was home sick from school my mother, who normally discouraged me from watching much TV, would let me watch the daytime soaps while I was sick in bed. Then during middle school and high school when I came home from school I would watch them. So for years, through college and afterwards I watched All My Children and General Hospital, as well as the GH spinoff, Port Charles when that was on. Since I wasn't home during the day when I got older, I would record the shows and then watch them when I came home. That was always a good way of watching because I could fast-forward the boring parts.
But eventually the storylines got so ridiculous and repetitive that I couldn't take it anymore. I was fast-forwarding through everything it seemed. Characters that I had enjoyed watching for years were either written off the show completely or written in ways that were impossible for me to take. On GH I became uncomfortable with the violence level, the glorification of criminals and what occassionally appeared to be a lack of respect for some of the female characters. So I stopped watching two or three years ago. I still occassionally check out various websites and magazines so I can keep up with what's going on but I don't have much interest in sitting in front of the TV and watching anymore. But recently it came to my attention that my favorite soap actress, Kimberly McCullough, who played my favorite character on GH, Robin Scorpio, would be returning to the show this month. And for a while I debated watching again, at least a few episodes. Then I realized that I don't think I can stomach what GH has become even with McCullough back on the show. Maybe if she gets back together with Jason Morgan/Quartermaine. But until then I think I will stay an ex-viewer.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
Donald Trump Gets $1.5 Million to Speak at Real Estate Wealth Expo
I'm stunned that the Learning Annex is willing to pay $1.5 million, or $25,000 a minute, to Donald Trump for him to give a one hour lecture at their Real Estate Wealth Expo. That's a crazy amount of money! Given that Trump will also be speaking at seven other Learning Annex events Trump will make an astonishing $12 million from seven hours of work! Yes, Trump has been a huge success in real estate but is his advice worth $1.5 million? Attendees paid from $49 to $499 to go to the Expo and those prices aren't that outrageous considering there were other high profile speakers such as Tony Robbins and Barbara Corcoran. It just seems like perhaps Trump's speaker's fee is a tad bit inflated by his popularity from "The Apprentice." One thing's for sure - the Learning Annex must do exceptionally well with their events if they can afford Trump's fees.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)
Yet Another Tough Day for Michael Waltrip; Finishes 27th at Martinsville
Let me start with what went right today - Jeff Gordon won!! I'm not as much of a fan of Jeff's as I am of Michael or Steve Park but I've always liked Jeff. He's an outstanding driver and he does a significant amount of work to raise money for charity. So I'm extremely happy that he won today! I'm sure more than a few fans will talk about some conspiracy in which Nascar allowed Jeff to win on the anniversary of the Hendrick tragedy. Rubbish. I find it very unlikely that Nascar would take advantage of that kind of a tragedy that touched so many people to give Jeff a win for a feel-good story. Jeff won today because he had a great car and his crew chief, Steve LeTarte, made good calls in the pits. It's hard to believe that this is the fourth race that he's won but he didn't make the Chase for the Championship and he's only 15th in the points. With that many wins it really seems like he should be in the midst of the Chase but instead this season is a huge disappointment for his team. But this win today had to feel very good for Jeff and the entire #24 team.
What didn't go right was virtually anything for the #15 team all weekend from wrecking the primary car in practice to not qualifying well. I really can't understand when Michael is going to get a break but it apparently won't be this season. What really upsets me is that it appears that other drivers think nothing of running Michael right over when they want to get by him. Maybe they know that unless they're Jeff Green he normally doesn't retaliate so they figure they can get away with it. But it's unbelievable that twice today MIchael got run over and spun, thus ruining any chance of a decent finish for him. What really boggles my mind is that the first time Kurt Busch got a one-lap penalty for rough driving for spinning Michael but the second time when Carl Edwards spun him, it was apparently okay with Nascar because they did nothing. Nor did they penalize any other driver for rough driving in spite of the fact that there appeared to be a few other incidents which looked a little questionable. Now at a short track there's going to be lots of beating and banging so Nascar can't be handing out penalties every time a driver gets bumped or shoved out of the way. But it seems to me that there were a few incidents that might have warrented a little more action. Kurt deserved a rough driving penalty but if I were him I'd be extremely displeased that I got punished and others weren't for doing the same thing.
The other thing that I didn't quite understand is that over Michael's radio he asked Joey, his spotter something about why he was being so quiet and if it had anything to do with someone blaming him for Michael getting wrecked last week in Charlotte when it was Jamie's fault. Joey said "Ding, ding, ding" so I guess someone did have something to say to him. What I can't figure out is how that debacle could in any way, shape or form be Joey's fault. He can try to guide Michael on the track but he has no control over how Michael reacts to what he says or what Jamie does. Sometimes in spite of everyone's best efforts things are still going to go wrong. That was just one of those incidents where to me there isn't anyone that can really be blamed. Michael and Jamie just got together. If there's blame to be placed it's on Nascar for putting so much pressure on Tony Gibson that he felt that he had to make Michael pit which put him in the position to tangle with Jamie. It's always seemed to me that Joey is an outstanding spotter who gets along with Michael extremely well. I will miss hearing him on Michael's radio when Michael joins Bill Davis Racing and I think Michael will miss him as well. Unfortunately since Joey is also a pilot at DEI it's highly unlikely that he will move over to BDR with Michael.
There's only four races left this season - Atlanta, Texas, Pheonix and Homestead. Nothing would make me happier than to see Michael have outstanding finishes in each of those last four races. I don't know if that will happen because I don't know what DEI might have planned as far as what they might want the #15 team to do in terms of R&D but I really hope that Michael is given excellent cars for the last races. Then, with a little luck on his side maybe we'll even get to see him in Victory Lane...
Posted by silverdsl at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 22, 2005
Ricky Craven Wins at Martinsville!!
Whoo-hooo! Ricky Craven just won the truck race at Martinsville and that's a very sweet sight to see! I've always liked Craven since he's another driver from the Northeast, Maine to be specific. He ended up in the truck series driving for Roush Racing after parting ways with Cal Wells and the #32 Tide ride now driven by Bobby Hamilton, Jr. At the beginning of the season Ricky was doing great and it seemed like he might be a championship contender but they had a string of dreadful luck which really ruined their season completely and dropped them significantly in the points. Then Ricky announced that he would not be back with Roush in 2006. So things weren't really going too well for the team or for Ricky. Until today. Good pit strategy put Ricky out front and it kept him out front. Simply outstanding to see Ricky in victory lane!
Ricky's no stranger to winning at Martinsville as his last Nascar win came at this track in 2001. So he knows how to get around this track and he proved it today. With this win I believe Ricky becomes the 15th driver to win in all three series in Nascar. Awesome! Congratulations to Ricky and his entire team!
Posted by silverdsl at 03:18 PM | Comments (0)
A Few Additional Items on Steve Park and Orleans Racing
Item: Someone has said that Brendan Gaughan stated that Orleans Racing intended on renting out their equipment which has happened with Scott Lynch now sitting in the #62. I can't verify what it was exactly that Brendan said as I haven't seen this myself and it's possibly something that Brendan said on the members only message board on his website. However, if this is accurate I can't understand why Orleans Racing would insist at first that they were going to park the #62 for the rest of the season if they planned on renting it out which they did in fact do.
Item: Apparently Steve Park will have a new truck ride by Atlanta and he also told Bob Dilner on Speed that in about a month he thought he would have something for 2006. Both very good things and I hope that he ends up in rides that he will be happy in. It would be awesome to see him land in a competitive ride as soon as next week! Apparently though he didn't need to be out of a ride to find a new ride for 2006 after all. I said the other day that no driver ever wants to not be racing and if Steve found himself a new truck ride to finish the season in, or at least run a few of the races in, then I would guess that in spite of how much he talked of being released as a positive he didn't really want to be off the track.
Item: Lynch Mob Motorsports isn't the primary sponsor of the #62 this week. Orleans Racing remains on the truck, with Scott Lynch's name above the door. Perhaps there wasn't time to change the decals. Perhaps the Lynches only gave enough money to be an associate sponsor and a smaller decal is somewhere on the truck. Perhaps the #62 will have a different paint scheme next week and the rest of the season reflecting the new sponsor. Or perhaps Lynch Mob Motorsports aren't really a sponsor, it's simply a case of what many fans are already refering to is as - Lynch buying the ride and referring to them as a sponsor is a way of prettying things up.
Item: Brendan said in his interview before today's race in Martinsville that Orleans Racing will be sticking with Dodge next season in spite of the fact that Dodge will be reducing their support. Apparently Orleans has been affiliated with Dodge for a significant amount of time so I can see why they would want to stick with them, especially since they aren't leaving the truck series all together, just reducing what they will be providing to the teams. However, since Orleans Racing has indicated that they had to remove Steve from the #62 and plan on not running more than one truck in 2006 due to financial reasons related to Dodge pulling their support, I would have thought that they would want to explore their options when it comes to other manufacturers who might provide them with more financial support.
Item: As always despite expressing my displeasure at what went down with Steve and Orleans Racing here and elsewhere in the end what's most important is that Steve ends up happy, no matter who he's racing for. He's an adult who can take care of himself and will make the choices that he feels are best for himself and his future success. No matter what, I will always support and believe in Steve and I hope his future will hold a lot more trips to Victory Lane.
Item: I do appreciate the opportunity that Orleans Racing gave to Steve in 2004 and how much they believed in him. In 2004 he was able to finish in the top ten in points which was awesome! Obviously Steve and Brendan have also developed a personal relationship which is also a good thing. However, as any regular reader of this blog knows, I have not been pleased with the way Steve's season in the #62 has gone. Way too many mechanical problems, pit problems and trucks that wouldn't go. Also, from the start of the season I was concerned about what the return of Brendan to Orleans would mean for Steve and it's not meant good things in my opinion. So my unease with Orleans Racing is certainly not a new thing and it's not just because Steve was released this week.
That doesn't mean that I hate Brendan or Michael Gaughan. I don't know them, don't know the full story of what went down with anything and I have no idea who actually made the final decision that Steve would be out of the #62 prior to the end of the season. However, I think I have the right to express my concerns and opinions about how this situation was handled based on the information that's available to me. I'm just talking about the way I, a lowly little fan, see things - I could be right, I could be wrong but it's my right to speak my mind, just as it's Brendan's right to speak his mind something he does on a regular basis. No one at Orleans Racing, nor Steve, nor anyone else of significance cares about what I think and no one is forced to read what I write.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:13 PM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2005
Bobby LaBonte To Leave Joe Gibbs Racing?
From Jayski's: Labonte to the #42? Hearing Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy, is the top candidate to replace Jamie McMurray in the #42 Texaco-Havoline Dodge at Chip Ganassi Racing, which would allow #97-Kurt Busch to drive the #2 in 2006 and McMurray to head to Roush Racing and drive the #97. Both McMurray and Busch signed deals to go to those teams in 2007 and both are trying to get out of their contract to run with their new teams in 2006.(10-21-2005)
There are a lot of rumors that have been circulating during the second half of the season that Bobby LaBonte wants to leave Joe Gibbs Racing and has been shopping himself. I'm not sure what his contract situation is but I had thought he was still under contract for at least another year so I chalked most of those rumors up to people assuming that LaBonte would want out of Gibbs because 2005 has been a disappointing season for the former Cup champion. But lately LaBonte's name has popped up in two rumors, one that connects him to Petty Enterprises and the above rumor that puts him in the #42, which would then allow Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray to get out of their contracts and move to their new teams. I think if there's a choice, as much as I like Kyle Petty, I think that LaBonte is more likely to head to the #42. Robbie Loomis going back to Petty Enterprises should improve their fortunes somewhat but sponsorship for a second car is still up in the air so it's possible they may only be a one-car organization in 2006 with Kyle Petty behind the wheel of that car. In addition, the #42 is likely to be a more competitive car than any of the Petty cars in '06.
So what happens if LaBonte is still under contract to Gibbs? I guess there will be a buyout of some kind. But what will he be doing really? Is deciding to find himself a new team while he's already under contract to another team quitting on his current team? Now I'm guessing that if LaBonte still has time remaining on his contract with Gibbs but finds himself a new team, no one will blink an eye. This is Bobby LaBonte, a man who is popular with the fans and well-regarded by his peers. And in reality when teams think nothing of releasing a driver under contract for any reason, at any time, it's every man for himself. LaBonte has to take care of himself just as the organizations most certainly take care of themselves, all in the name of good business. But shouldn't contracts mean something?
Posted by silverdsl at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
Ryan Moore Released by DEI
From BGNRacing.com: Ryan Moore has been released by DEI stemming from his actions from the Busch North Series' Lime Rock race weekend. Moore was penalized for hitting another competitor's car and for failing to follow the directive of an official. He was scheduled to run the Busch race in Homestead for the DEI and a part-time schedule in 2006. (10-21-05)
This is an interesting item. As noted above Ryan Moore was a developmental driver for DEI who has been running some Busch races for them and was expected to continue to do the same in 2006. Until he got himself into big trouble at Lime Rock which resulted in a fine and being suspended from racing through October 31. Now he's lost what could have been the opportunity of a lifetime for him. I'd guess that there has to be more to the story than just that Moore was released because of the Lime Rock incident. Granted I don't know the specifics of that incident other than it involved Moore retaliating against another driver post-race. But you don't see Kasey Kahne, Dale Jarrett or any number of other drivers who have retalitated against another driver this season getting released. I would guess that once Paul Menard moves into Cup if that happens as expected in 2007, then DEI will need to find themselves another Busch driver.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Hire Larry Bowa as Third Base Coach
Larry Bowa has a tremendous amount of experience, coaching and otherwise in baseball so he will surely be an asset to the Yankees. But he's also been known to rub players the wrong way which was a problem for him when he was the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. So while he might be better than Luis Sojo at judging when players should be sent from third to home without getting thrown out, I have to wonder how he's going to work out in the clubhouse. Apparently Joe Torre is who recruited him in the first place so I trust that Torre knows what he's doing in that regard but I'm still a little leery of how things will work out with him in terms of his relationships with the players.
No word yet on what this means for Sojo. He is extremely popular with the players, as well as with the fans so it's possible he could stick around in another capacity. Only time will tell.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:55 PM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2005
In the News: Michael Waltrip (10/20)
Unfortunately it's been a bit slow lately in terms of news items on Michael Waltrip. It's almost strange really considering how he was involved with the events this past weekend at Charlotte that caused so much controversy. But there's not been much. In any event the pre-race report for Martinsville, notes that although the finishes for the #15 team have been dismal in the past few races, they've actually run well before bad luck has bit them. That's been the worst part of this season for Michael I think. He's gotten some really outstanding cars, particularly earlier in the season, that have allowed him to show just exactly how good he is behind the wheel. Unfortunately in quite a few races something completely out of his hands has happened to ruin things. I'm hoping for much better luck in Martinsville!
Posted by silverdsl at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)
Blue Man Group
The Blue Man Group is fairly well known for their theatrical productions which appear in six different cities around the world including Las Vegas and New York. Jim and I almost went to see them in Las Vegas but opted not to because we knew we could go to a show in New York any time so we decided to go see something that we couldn't see close to home. In any event we never ended up going to see a Blue Man Group show and now I really want to because I've been listening to them quite frequently since we got back from Aruba. Jim discovered their music first and by him playing their album, "The Complex" in the car is how I got hooked. They have another album "Audio" which is good as well. Fans of good percussion work would definitely like their music but overall there's something about the sound that's very unique.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)
Joe Girardi to Manage the Florida Marlins
This is outstanding for Joe Girardi but a loss for the New York Yankees. Girardi has always been a favorite of mine dating back to the years when he was an active player catching for the Yankees. Some might be wondering why a player who didn't put up stellar stats is among my favorites. Aside from the fact that he was a terrific catcher, though he certainly wasn't impressive with the bat, Girardi is extremely intelligent and has a tremendous approach to the game. In addition, he is a big reason in my opinion why Jorge Posada developed into the player that he is since Girardi mentored him while they were both active players for the Yankees. This season Girardi joined the Yankees coaching staff as the bench coach. I can't say for sure how much Girardi influenced Joe Torre but I'm sure he was an asset to the team.
Now Girardi heads to the Florida Marlins for his first managerial job. He said,
"I believe I was born to manage. People asking about not having managed, but as a catcher I believe you manage every day you're on the field. I was the type of player who had to do the little things to win."
There definitely is something about Girardi that does make you think that he's suited for being a manager. And catching does involve some of the same skills since he always had pitchers to work with and yes, manage. I wish Girardi nothing but the best and much success with the Marlins!
Posted by silverdsl at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)
October 19, 2005
What's the Truth?: Scott Lynch In #62 Truck
As the days pass and more is revealed about the totality of what's going on at Orleans Racing it doesn't get any prettier. As fans we are expected to swallow all sorts of excuses and stories from all the involved parties any time there's an incident, parting of the ways or any kind of unpleasant or ugliness that needs to be dealt with. The drivers, the teams and their spokespeople are masters at saying the "right" things that are designed to calm fans who are irate. It's in all parties best interest to pretend that every parting is a amicable one, that every incident is resolved by the next race and that all drivers and owners are all buddy-buddy with each other. Fans like happy endings and for everything to be all "flowers and rainbows" for their favorite drivers. The reality is that we are often fed PR bullshit that is carefully phrased spin that frequently omits important information so all parties can try and make themselves look as good as possible. I suppose I'm even more suspicious than other fans of what gets said because I worked in public relations so I've seen how the game is played.
Maybe I should just accept all the excuses from Orleans Racing or the happy-happy talk from Steve Park yesterday in his XM interview. But I'm having a hard time doing that. Yeah, it's great that Steve was so optimistic yesterday but let's face it - what choice does he have? He can't go on the air and cuss out Orleans Racing, particularly since I have no doubt he still has good personal relationships with people there. And he certainly can't curl up in a ball and give up on himself because then he's not going to get far when it comes to looking for a new ride. Likewise, Orleans Racing isn't going to say anything other than carefully worded statements that are little more than hollow excuses for throwing Steve out the door prematurely. Ironically, Brendan Gaughan has spoken previously about his unwillingness to completely toe the corporate line that was required of him in Cup. Well, it seems to me that he's doing a wonderful job of that as general manager of Orleans Racing.
Yesterday, Steve asked fans to understand that racing is a business and that this was a good business decision. I think I have a fairly good understanding about how the business of racing functions so in light of that I can understand completely why Orleans Racing might not be able to run two truck teams in 2006 given the lack of a primary sponsor and since Dodge will be withdrawing their factory support. Nascar is an expensive sport on any level and in spite of the significant amount of available funds that the Gaughan family has from their casino businesses I also understand that they can't pump an endless amount of money out of their own pockets into Orleans Racing. I also understand that since Brendan is the team owner's son, as well as general manager, he will always get preferential treatment at Orleans. However, what I've been trying to wrap my mind around for the past few days is the decision to take Steve out of the #62 with five races to go in the season. I have an extremely hard time believing that Orleans Racing couldn't afford to race the #62 for the last five races of the season when they had been fielding it without a primary sponsor for the last year and a half. What changed recently?
Apparently what changed is that Scott Lynch approached the Gaughans with some sponsorship in the form of Lynch Mob Motorsports which will now make it possible for the #62 to finish out the season, with Scott as the driver naturally. Of course Orleans Racing is falling all over themselves saying that this is an "11th hour" deal. But I'm highly skeptical of that claim. What's most damning is the appearance of the #62 truck on the official entry list for Martinsville on Monday. Teams are required to submit paperwork to Nascar by a certain date, and I think it must be send via snail mail, in order to be officially entered in each race. If they fail to submit their paperwork by that date then they don't get owner's points and I think the driver doesn't get points either. So I ask - if this deal just came together yesterday for Scott to be in the #62, if Michael Gaughan was dead set on parking the #62 for the rest of the season, how is it that the #62 appeared on the entry list for Martinsville on Monday?
Why else would they have released Steve if not for wanting to put Scott in the #62? Steve talked yesterday at length about how wonderful it is that he's been released because he will now be able to look for a new opportunity for 2006. How everyone thought he was locked in to Orleans Racing so no one knew to contact him about opportunities. How now he can make and recieve phone calls to find himself a new ride. Well, Steve I ask you this - how is it that every other driver who needs a new ride for the following season finds a way to do that while still remaining in their current rides? Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Sterling Marlin, and Michael Waltrip are just a few of the drivers who managed to do it. In some cases they announced that they were parting ways with their current teams to make it known that their services were available but Kurt and Jamie didn't even have to do that. Neither do all the other drivers whose names are mentioned as looking for new teams - word gets out because the drivers make it known through the "network" that they're available. On top of that Jeff Burton recently said in an XM interview that drivers, even ones with contracts with their present teams, are contacted on a regular basis by other teams to see whether there's any interest in changing rides. So my apologies to you Steve, but I find the idea that it was impossible for you to find a new ride without getting released to be extremely hard to believe.
Finding a new ride, just like finding a new job, is all about selling one's self. Some might say that makes it even more important to be racing those last five races so he can impress potential new owners with what he can do behind the wheel. Though as we've seen all season long it's not like Orleans Racing has really given him the resources to showcase his true driving abilities. But I find it hard to believe that any racer would be happy about not racing. I simply can't buy that knowing what I know about the passion for racing that flows through their veins. Perhaps the explanation is that Steve has a new ride lined up for the remainder of this season. He did say that he would be at Martinsville so perhaps a ride will turn up for him in time to race there even if it's not for points. Or maybe something will be put together for the last four races of the season. But I fail to see the benefit to Steve in being off the track.
I have no idea where the truth lies in relation to what actually went down between Steve and Orleans Racing. I also have no idea who is to blame. So I'm not going to rip into anyone any harder than I have here. I'm not privvy to the inside details about anything so I could be wrong just as much as I could be right. After all, who am I but a fan? But I will say this - I don't appreciate it when folks treat the fans like idiots. We aren't. One of the first lessons I ever learned in PR is that lying is always a bad idea. It might seem like it's a good idea at first to try to fudge the truth to make your client, organization or yourself look better. Sometimes you get away with it, but often you get caught, even if it's not right away, and then you end up looking worse than if you had just told the truth in the first place. Maybe it's just because of my personal experiences but I value truth telling and people who have the courage to be up-front. I understand that it's not always possible and I don't expect it. But sometimes you get exposed to things that test your tolerance level and that really leave a bad taste in your mouth and this situation is one of those times.
Jayski's is reporting that Steve could get a ride from his buddy Jeff Wyler at Wyler Racing. He would then be a teammate to Jack Sprague. Jeff would be extremely supportive of Steve given their friendship and it would be very good to be associated with Toyota given the way they take care of their drivers as well the potential for other opportunities in other series. However, in the short term that could be going right back into a similar situation to what he experienced at Orleans Racing. Wyler Racing is extremely new and I wonder how well they would be able to successfully field two competitive trucks. Of course if they were able to do it and Orleans couldn't well, that would speak to just how bad the problems are in that organization.
Of course this is the problem with getting too attached to any driver, player, team, ride or organization. Steve is right. In the end it's all about business and the bottom line. Everyone is going to do what they think is best for themselves and what increases their chances for success. But inevitably people are going to let you down. Whether it's the Yankees for not re-signing Andy Pettitte or Orleans Racing for releasing Steve. Or maybe you have a negative encounter with a favorite player. It seems that we fans set ourselves up for disappointment by virtue of how passionate we are in our fandom. When Steve went to Orleans Racing many fans immediately became fans of Brendan and the organization as well. People supported Brendan and Orleans just as much as they did Steve. So discovering that in the end, yeah, it's just business, just like it is at every other organization doesn't sit too well. You see the thing is, just because something is "good business" doesn't make it right.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
Hell No, He Won't Go!
Considering the $13 million still remaining on his contract it's not very surprising to hear that Joe Torre has decided to stay on as manager of the New York Yankees. Torre flew down to Tampa to meet with Randy Levine, the Yankees President; Steve Swindel, the Yankees General Partner and George Steinbrenner - I assume no one needs an explanation as to who he is! Torre said that the good feelings he got after that meeting is what prompted him to stay on. My reaction to this bit of news - ho-hum. The New York area media have been holding a daily vigil waiting for Torre to break his silence and announce whether he'd be walking away from the Yankees with two years left on his contract. I just couldn't see it happening. There's the money but I also don't feel like Torre is the type to break a contract with a team that he's had so much success with and has had a relatively good relationship with.
What's more interesting is that the Yankees decided not to let the press conference be broadcast live. According to RIck Cerrone, the Yankees spokesman, the reasoning was that it wasn't an announcement of major news and he didn't want to further encourage the circus-like atmosphere that already exists. It is true that Torre didn't announce anything of much significance. But what if he was going to? Perhaps that was the Yankees fear. Maybe they didn't fully know what Torre was going to say and didn't want a national audience to have immediate access to it. It just seems curious, even though the entire transcript of his press conference is now available to anyone who wants to see it.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
Former Yankee Felix Heredia Test Postive For Steroids
Played Just Three Games For the Mets in 2005
Felix Heredia spent the majority of the season on the disabled list but that didn't stop him from testing positive for steroids. Heredia appeared in just three games for the Mets in April before being diagnosed with a sprained thumb and then an aneurysm in his left shoulder. The natural question is whether Heredia's positive test resulted from something he was taking in relation to his medical problems though I would assume that if that were the case he would appeal and his case would be heard by some sort of panel such as what happened with Rafael Palmeiro.
What gets me is that previously it was commonly thought that pitchers didn't receive any benefits from performance enhancers like steroids so they didn't use them. But to date six pitchers have tested positive for steroids as compared to five hitters. So apparently there must be some benefit for pitchers if all the pitchers caught so far were willing to risk a suspension to take them. In Heredia's case he should be asking his supplier for a refund because he was awful for the Yankees and unimpressive for the Mets in the limited time he was with that team.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2005
I'm Still Not Buying....
Steve Park gave a very up-beat interview on XM today to Claire B. Lang. In it he asked fans to be understanding that racing is a business and this is just good business by Orleans Racing and Mr. Gaughan.
Apparently the #62 isn't parked after all. Scott Lynch will be the truck at Martinsville and the rest of the season since he came up with some sponsorship. 11th hour my ass.
Just because it's business and it makes sense doesn't make it right.
More to come...
Posted by silverdsl at 11:26 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - California Lighthouse
California Lighthouse, Aruba. September, 2005.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)
Hideki Matsui Wants Joe Torre Back
Torre's Plans Will Effect Matsui's Contract Negotiations
I think it's essential for the Yankees to re-sign Hideki Matsui. Very quietly he's an offensive force in the Yankees lineup, putting up solid numbers and he's decent in the outfield as well. If he were to leave the Yankees I think he would leave a huge hole that might not be as easy to fill as some might think. In addition, from the Yankees point of view, Matsui brings in a huge amount of revenue and attention from the Far East since he's Japanese and has an extremely loyal and large following in his home country. I think the Yankees do want him back but he might want more money and a longer contract than they're willing to pay. Those type of things often can be worked out as long as each side is willing to compromise.
However, there's one other problem that the Yankees have to deal with. Matsui said in reference to Joe Torre,
"I want Joe to stay as Yankees manager. I respect him not only as the manager but also as a human being. I feel very comfortable playing baseball under Joe. Yes, it will be one of the factors when I think about my new contract. Of course, it is important who the manager is."
It's an unknown as to exactly what the Yankees plans are regarding Joe Torre moving forward. He still has a contract for the next two years but his relationship with George Steinbrenner has gotten significantly rockier than it has been in the past. In addition, one of his trusted confidants, Mel Stottlemyre is definitely leaving and another close advisor, Joe Girardi may also leave to manage the Devil Rays or Marlins. So Torre may decide to step down early or the Yankees may decide to fire him, though that $13 million remains on Torre's contract means that both sides may have second thoughts about severing ties at this point. But the bottom line is that if the Yankees don't retain Torre's services they may have trouble keeping Matsui. And that would be something that could really hurt the team.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:05 AM | Comments (0)
Yankees After Leo Mazzone To Be Pitching Coach
Given Permission by Braves to Interview Him
I'd be beside myself with happiness if the New York Yankees were able to pry Leo Mazzone away from the Atlanta Braves as the next pitching coach. Mazzone is an exceptional pitching coach, having revitalized a few pitcher's careers and guided countless others. Under his watch nine different pitchers have won at least 20 games in a season. However, Mazzone has been the pitching coach of the Braves since 1990 and it seems to me that the Yankees are going to have to make him a very significant offer to entice him to leave an organization where he's probably very happy and where he's had so much success. Especially considering on his way out Mel Stottlemyre said that he might not recommend the job to any of his potential replacements if they called him for his opinion on whether they should take the job. So the Yankees are going to have to assure Mazzone or any other possible candidates that they won't experience the same problems that Stottlemyre had to deal with.
Another person the Yankees are supposedly interested in is Don Cooper, who is the White Sox pitching coach. Gee, I wonder why? The White Sox pitching staff pitched four complete games on their way to beating the Aneheim Angels in the American League Championship Series. That's impressive on it's own. But what probably got the Yankees attention in the first place was that under Cooper's guidance Jose Contreras has pitched significantly better with the White Sox than he did with the Yankees, particularly over the past few months. The thing is, I wonder how much of that is due to Cooper and how much is due to Contreras being more comfortable in Chicago than in New York. Apparently in Chicago Contreras has at least one good friend on the team, something that didn't seem to be the case when he was with the Yankees. In addition, in Chicago there is less of a media focus than in New York and he's further removed from having to worry about some of the issues with his family that were surely on his mind when he was a Yankee. But overall Cooper would be another good candidate, though now that the White Sox are headed to the World Series he might not be so inclined to leave a team that's having so much success.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)
It appears there may be something to that karma thing after all.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2005
Photo of the Day - Steve Park
The Joint, Hard Rock Cafe, Las Vegas, NV. January, 2005. Me with Steve Park at the Hootie and the Blowfish concert as part of the Operation Marathon festivities.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)
I'm Not Buying What Orleans Racing is Selling
Steve Park Released from Orleans Racing
Apparently the sugar-coating was on the part of Steve Park's people since the official press release from Orleans Racing says exactly what this is in no uncertain terms - Steve has been released from Orleans Racing effective immediately. The release says:
"Orleans Racing was prompted by its indecision regarding their 2006 program and rather than keep Park from exploring other available options the decision was made to free Park from his obligations with the team for the remainder of the year."
Later in the release there's a quote from Michael Gaughan which says all the right things about Steve as well as,
"Steve’s a great competitor and with so many terrific rides available we wanted to let him explore his options for 2006 before the end of the season..."
Please don't insult our intelligence. There is absolutely no reason why Steve couldn't both explore his options for 2006 and finish out the season in the #62. Unless Steve has something lined up starting the next race in Martinsville and I tend to doubt he does on the basis of the little that was said on his site, then he could do what ever other driver who is looking for a new ride does - put out feelers while at the same time finishing out their obligations for their current team. DEI didn't release Michael Waltrip when they mutually announced a parting of the ways, RCR didn't release Dave Blaney when it was announced this past weekend that Clint Bowyer would be in his ride in 2006, Haas-CNC didn't release Mike Bliss when they decided to go in another direction next season and Chip Ganassi didn't throw Sterling Marlin out the door prematurely when it was decided that David Stremme would take over his ride. And make no mistake all of those organizations could have released those drivers early so they too could "explore their options for 2006" but none of them choose to do what Orleans Racing decided to do.
I have no illusions that drivers, teams or anyone else tells the complete truth all the time when they say something publically. I'd like that to be the case because honesty is something that is personally important to me but I used to work in public relations and still dabble in it occasionally. I know how the game works. But there's a difference between spin and untruths. And while I hope I'm wrong I feel like there's some untruths being told here. First of all, the statement on Steve Park's site gives a different reason for his release and states that Michael Gaughan is pulling the truck for the remainder of the season due to Dodge withdrawing their support. However, the above statement from Orleans Racing makes no mention of Dodge and instead indicates that Orleans wants to give Steve the opportunity to find a ride for 2006, something that again, we all know could happen at the same time Steve finishes the remaining five races of 2005.
Obviously not everyone is on the same page about this and that's unfortunate because it makes it hard to know what the truth is. When Michael Waltrip and DEI decided to part ways all sides handled things exactly right. There was one story given and they all stuck to it. I have no doubt that there was plenty that happened behind the scenes and plenty that wasn't revealed publically with Michael leaving DEI. But no one made each other look silly by making statements that claimed different reasons for why there was a parting of the ways. But it's not surprising given some of what we've seen in the past. Even recently the post-race release about Las Vegas
failed to mention one important fact - Steve's night was ended because his engine blew. Spin it all you want but omitting important facts that everyone knew about anyway, well, that just doesn't sit quite right with me. Because now I have no clue about whether there's some important facts being omitted from the statement about Steve's release.
So what's the real story about why Steve was released? Unfortunately it's likely that we'll never know unless Brendan Gaughan who is usually pretty outspoken and up-front decides to let something slip or Steve shocks me and has more to say down the road. It's possible that Dodge played a role, it's possible that the uncertainity for all parties for 2006 played a role, but I'd guess that there's more to the story. Because releasing Steve prior to the end of the season when there's so few races left simply doesn't make sense to me. There has to be other reasons why Orleans did this now. Maybe more will be revealed down the road, maybe we'll just have to read between the lines when other things happen, maybe we'll never know anything else about what went down. But I have no doubt that there is more to this than what the statement on Steve's site and the Orleans Racing press release is telling us.
My fear is that Steve is going to disappear for the next few months. Now it's his business what he chooses to do but it concerns me because making sure your name stays on everyone's lips and that you market yourself to some degree does matter in this sport. Steve has seemed less and less willing to have anything to do with the media the more time that passes and I can't blame him considering some of what was said about him after his accident. But he also does very few appearances outside the track and those won't be happening now that he has no team. In addition, Steve's website is rarely updated. Big deal? Yeah, it's a big deal when the fan forum on Steve Park Central and even this blog are a better source of information about even the basics like Steve's results in races than his own website. Even his own fan club doesn't do much in terms of disseminating information - there's no newsletter, no emails, no fan forum on his website, no fan club meeting, all things that fan clubs commonly do. The people who have been best informed, some might say the only people who are informed, about what Steve is up to are those who talk to him at the track. Bottom line is that it's sometimes impossible to know anything about Steve or what's going on with him. And that was when he had a ride. So if no one knows what he's doing, if no one hears from him for months at a time, if fans who aren't die-hard Steve Park fans forget who he is, then the decision makers in the garage area are going to forget who he is and what assets he can bring to a team.
And let's be clear Steve does have plenty of assets that he can bring to a team. Most importantly he's shown that he can race up front and win when he's given a strong car or truck. He's incredibly fan-friendly and as a result has a very large fan following who will support any team he races for. He would also represent any sponsor well. So why has Steve been released by two out of the three organizations he's been with and didn't have his services renewed with the third? That's a big mystery to me because it simply doesn't make much sense to me. Being released from Orleans makes the least sense of all to me because he won a race for them this season, has made the most of poor trucks and has done everything that's been asked of him. Meanwhile Orleans hasn't really held up their end of the bargain considering they said that they would make every effort to make the #62 into a championship team and they couldn't even race well enough to be a top ten team.
What gets me is that this is what I had feared for Michael Waltrip. From the start of the season I felt that Michael wouldn't be back with DEI in 2006. So I worried that once that decision was made final and particularly if he wasn't in the Chase for the Champsionship DEI would release him before the end of the season and put Shane Hmiel or Martin Truex, Jr. in. Hmiel tested positive for drugs and apparently DEI wants Truex to run for rookie of the year in 2006 so that thankfully made the likelihood of that happening remote, if it was even something that DEI was considering in the first place. I just never thought this would happen to Steve. The Gaughans have always spoken so highly of Steve and it's always been said what a classy organization they are. Well, I don't think Orleans handled this in a classy or an appropriate way. Being released is just a nicer way of saying getting fired. And I hate that for Steve. Let him finish out the season in his ride, let him keep his diginity and not have to have being released again be on his resume. Steve deserves far better.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)
Confirmed: Steve Park Parked for Remainder of 2005
From Steve-Park.com:
Due to recent cut backs in factory support from Dodge; Mr. Gaughan and Orleans Racing have decided to sideline the #62 Orleans Dodge for the remainder of the 2005 Craftsman Truck Series season.Steve will keep the website updated as far as his plans for the 2006 season, once they are finalized. Steve will also like to thank all of the fans for your past and continued support.
Thank you,Steve Park Motorsports
First and foremost I feel absolutely horrible for Steve. If there's one thing worse than racing a non-competitive truck as he's had to do so many times this season it's not being able to race at all. This also has to hurt considering what a good personal relationship he has with the Gaughans to have the rug pulled out from under him in terms of his professional relationship with them. They can phrase it any way they choose but Steve has just been released. And that doesn't sit well with me. I simply can't understand why it was necessary to pull the truck off the track before the end of the season. That boggles my mind. I had heard talk that perhaps Orleans would only run one team next season and that would just be Brendan Gaughan's #77 but why did this have to happen now?
On Jayski's it says that this is related to Dodge money and frankly Michael Gaughan complaining about a lack of available funding causing him to do this is laughable. This is a man who pulls in $16-17 million yearly just from operating the slots at McCarron airport in Las Vegas and has no shortage of money coming in from his casino businesses. Yes, you don't pour an endless amount of money into running two truck teams without getting much back but to pull the #62 when there are five or six races left in the season? I'm having a hard time understanding how it could be that the financial means weren't there to keep running the #62 for the remainder of the season. Especially since as far as I know Dodge was going to be pulling their support starting next season. However, if finances did play into this decision it shows why not having a primary sponsor on the #62 was absolutely deadly, as I've harped on all season long.
Prior to the start of this season I expressed concerns about Brendan being both General Manager at Orleans Racing and also driving the #77. It appears those concerns were justified. I felt that it would be difficult for Orleans to run two teams successfully and I worried that if there were choices to be made that Brendan's team would get preference. He is the owner's son after all. That seems to be exactly the way things have played out. Brendan's team had the primary sponsor, got the new crew chief to turned that team from an also-ran into a contender for wins and in more than half the races that Brendan has raced he's finished better than Steve. This in spite of the fact that prior to the start of the season Brendan said that Steve's #62 team was the priority and that they were going to do everything they could to get Steve a Championship. Well, they failed miserably at that.
Yes, Steve did win at Fontana in February and for that I will always be grateful to Orleans Racing for making it possible for Steve to get back to Victory Lane and quiet some of the doubters who still insisted on viewing him as damaged goods. But otherwise this season has been an utter disaster for Steve and the #62 team. Race after race was filled with mechanical issues, set-up problems, trucks that just wouldn't go and pit problems. Seemingly every single race featured some sort of problem that Steve had to overcome. Which meant that in spite of that wonderful win early on, he was mired in 17th in the points. Steve is a much better driver than that but no driver could do much with what he was given. And that's always been my issue with Orleans Racing - none of the problems ever seemed to be addressed in a definitive way that would allow the #62 team to be more competitive. And I found that attitude very troubling considering the #62 team was supposed to be a championship contender and Orleans Racing is supposed to be one of the better organizations in the truck series.
So what does Steve do next? Well, based on the statement on Steve's site it sounds like he's focusing on 2006 rather than looking for another ride to finish out 2005. Maybe he'll make spot starts for someone - I'd love to see Michael Waltrip put him in a car for a race or two just for fun - but my guess is that Steve is more likely to just use the extra time to ride around on his motorcycle and figure out what he wants to do in 2006. And personally, this may upset a few people, but I think he needs to give some serious thought to what his future in racing holds, if he hasn't already. The fact of the matter is that the way of the Nascar car world is that the emphasis is on youth and Steve isn't in the most desirable age bracket anymore. Ideally I would like to see him in a quality ride in 2006 in any series but I'm not sure the going is going to be so easy for him when it comes to looking for a new ride.
I'll probably have more to say on this later and over the next few days but for now I'll just close this out by saying as I've said before that above all, no matter where life takes him, I just want Steve to be happy. And whether he's racing or not I will continue to support and believe in him.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:35 PM | Comments (0)
No Traffic Lights But There is a 700 Mile Wi-Fi Cloud
Biggest Wi-Fi Cloud is in Rural Oregon
The area around Hermiston, Oregon is extremely rural with no large cities and a whole lot of nothing. Nothing but a large wi-fi cloud which blankets 700 square miles. Many cities have wanted to create similar wi-fi clouds to make it possible for people and companies to use laptops and tap into the internet wirelessly from anywhere within that particular city but not many have been successful due to politics and I would guess economic issues. However, thanks to a man who immigrated from Iran with a vision, three counties in rural Oregon can connect to the internet from wherever they are under the wi-fi cloud. It's free for the general public to use it but the profit comes in because city and local government agencies, as well as large companies, pay to use the cloud and some specialized services that they provide. The agencies that it really benefits are law enforcement and also the area's Emergency Management Services as there's a large stockpile of chemical weapons from the Cold War in the area. With the wi-fi cloud if there's a situation involving the stockpile large amounts of information can be transmitted quickly between agencies.
I wish that there were more wi-fi clouds, particularly in large cities or popular vacation destinations, because it would be cool to be able to go on vacation and not have to worry about being able to find a connection for my laptop or have to search for a internet cafe.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:22 AM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2005
Photo of the Day - Butterfly
Aruba, September, 2005. While we were in Aruba we visited a neat little butterfly farm where they import butterfly larvae from around the world. Eventually the larvae turn into some of the most beautiful butterflies I've ever seen.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
C.C. DeVille of Poison to Appear in Next Season of "The Surreal Life"
New Season Will Air in January
Fresh off an arrest for domestic violence and a stint in rehab, C.C. Deville, the guitarist from Poison will be one of the participants on the next season of The Surreal Life. On one hand I can see why the producers wanted him for the show because he's an absolute nut. He's wild and crazy all the time. But on the other hand given his long history of drug abuse and some of his recent issues I'm not sure that things will work out with his participation on the show in quite the way that the producers might like. Should make for interesting watching.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:47 PM | Comments (0)
One Long Island Town Cancels the Prom
Can't Ban Post-Prom Parties? Ban the Prom
When I was in high school, almost fifteen years ago, the post-prom festitivites consisted of sleeping over at someone's house or renting motel rooms to party in. Now a days, after the prom kids head for houses they've rented in the Hamptons or go on booze cruises. In addition, the costs for attending a prom have gotten outrageous, sometimes as much as $1,000 a person. Many high schools have tried to discourage the extravagance that goes along with the proms, both to make the costs more reasonable but also because of liability issues that might arise from knowing that students are running off to the Hamptons for post-prom partying. Failing in those attempts, the administrators at Kellenberg Memorial High School, a Roman Catholic school, in Uniondale, New York on Long Island have decided to cancel the prom.
It seems extreme but from their viewpoint it makes a lot of sense, especially considering that it is a religious school where they are presumably trying to teach the students strong moral values and beliefs. Holding an event that results in underage drinking, sexcapades and maybe even drug use can't sit well with them. So I can see why they might feel like they have no other choice. It's a shame for the students though, particularly those who never took part in the Hamptons parties or booze cruises. Those students are being punished for the sins of their peers.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:17 PM | Comments (0)
Tourists Return to New Orleans
New Orleans To Officially Re-Open to Tourists January 1
On one hand the survival and revival of New Orleans is very much dependent on tourism but on the other hand it seems too soon for tourists to be returning to New Orleans. Just this morning I was reading about the massive piles of garbage, much of it toxic that's lying all over the city, not to mention how much remains to be cleaned up and fixed. So it seems to me despite the fact that much of the French Quarter that's so popular with tourists was spared and is beginning to reopen, it might be a little premature for people to put New Orleans at the top of their list of places to visit on vacation. I think there's a sensitivity factor to keep in mind, not just the practicalities of much of the city still being devestated by the effects of the hurricane. There are countless people in New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast who are still struggling to put their lives back together. That's not something that should be part of a tourist side-show. There will be a time for tourists to return to New Orleans and they will be welcomed with open arms but I think that time might be a few months from now at the earliest.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)
Revisiting Last Night's Mess
This morning now that I've had more time to think about this I think one thing that I find most upsetting is the safety issues that were presented by the drivers having to race when at any time they could suffer a blown tire which could result in a serious wreck. Thankfully safer barriers and other safety advances make racing safer than it was a few years ago but the possibility of a serious injury is still there. Just ask Mark Green who suffered a concussion in the Busch race on Friday night. After the race a few of the drivers said that they were racing at 85% because they were afraid to go all out and risk disaster. That's not real racing. That's ridiculous. Everyone knew under what conditions the drivers would be racing last night and they had to go out there anyway. Some might say it's their job but I say that when the drivers can't fully do their jobs because they're afraid of what the consequences might be then that's a problem. I don't want to see my favorite driver, Michael Waltrip, or any other driver have to make a visit to the hospital because they were forced to race under unsafe conditions. Michael said that fans should write letters to protest and I agree. As fans we shouldn't want to see our drivers endure even riskier conditions than they normally have to for our entertainment.
Let me be clear about one other thing - as I said last night I'm extremely upset that Michael had a chance to win last night and that was ruined. However, the continued ire directed towards Tony Gibson, his crew chief and DEI is perplexing to me. Apparently Nascar looked at the tire pressures that the #15 team was running, saw that there were too low as per what they had directed the teams to do earlier and ordered Gibson to force Michael to come in for a pit stop. Failing to comply would have resulted in a loss of points and my guess would be possibly other penalties. What is Gibson supposed to do in that situation? Nascar is the sanctioning body who calls all the shots, telling them to fuck off is a very unwise choice no matter how much his driver might want to stay out on the track and not make the changes. And let's say Michael did stay out - I would guess that he might have ran the risk of being black-flagged. Not to mention there's the ever-present risk of a tire blowing anyway. I fail to see what the upside of staying out would have been in the long run given what Nascar was enforcing - either way their fine run would have been stolen from them.
I think there have been occasions in which DEI has not treated Michael the way that they should have. I don't think he's always gotten the equipment, resources and personnel that would give him the best chance of success. He's also not always been surrounded by people who believed in him though I think that this season he was given a lot more of it than previously - Tony Eury, Jr. was outstanding for Michael and gave him some of the best cars he's ever driven. I also think that DEI has some serious flaws in their organizational philosophy and until they address those issues they will continue to struggle in comparision to some other organizations. However, the one thing that I can't believe is that anyone at DEI would intentionallly sabotage one of their drivers mid-race. I'm quite sure that Tony Gibson and the rest of the #15 team takes great pride in what they do. Sabotaging Michael is also sabotaging themselves and their company and I don't buy that being acceptable to DEI or to those individuals for that matter.
Michael didn't want to pit and made his feelings known quite clearly over the radio on that issue. But I don't think his silence afterwards was because he was angry with his team. I think that was because he was angry with Nascar and didn't want to say anything over the radio that would get him in trouble with the powers-that-be. Yeah, occasionally expressing some unhappiness with a decision is okay but flatout ripping Nascar over the radio is not wise. After the wreck Joey the spotter made a comment like "Thank you Nascar" in reference to the changes that the team was forced to make. Someone then was heard telling them not to comment on it over the radio and that was the right thing to say. The last thing the team needs is to get penalized or put themselves in a position where they anger Nascar and find themselves having a harder time getting through inspection or otherwise being harassed.
So what happeneds next season at Lowe's? Humpy Wheeler said prior to the race that he's going to repave the track. However, over his radio Michael didn't seem to think that would help much, in fact he felt that it might make matters worse. That's a huge shame. I've always looked forward to watching races at Lowe's despite Jimmie Johnson's recent dominance there. But beyond that Michael has raced exceptionally well there recently and I want this track to continue to be a track where he can contend for wins rather than have to worry about just surviving the race.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Jimmie Johnson
Pocono, PA, July, 2005. I figured I would take another break from posting Aruba photos and post one of the winner of tonight's race - Jimmie Johnson. He's won the past four races at Lowe's and tonight rallied from having to start at the back due to an engine change, not to mention some mid-race issues, to win. I'm sure the conspiracy theorists will be out in full force with all sorts of theories about how Nascar fixed the race to give the win to Jimmie at the track bearing his sponsor's name. But I don't see how a race like we saw tonight, or any race for that matter, can be fixed. Manipulated? Perhaps. Fixed. No.
At any rate, this photo was taken during driver introductions. As the drivers walked up the ramp towards the stage there were a few people waiting to get them to sign various items. I assume this was either for the track or for a charity.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:19 AM | Comments (0)
Abandoned Namibia
It's highly unlikely that I'll ever visit Namibia which is a shame given my love of abandoned places. Kolmanskop in Namibia was once an active town with a casino and well-known theater. More than that was the diamond deposits in the area. Between 1911 and 1914 five million carats of diamonds were found in the Kolmanskop area. Unfortunately water became scarce and by 1956 the diamonds were pretty scarce too. So the town was abandoned and the desert began to take over. Today the town features sand dunes in some of the buildings and it looks like a pretty interesting place to do some photography.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:07 AM | Comments (0)
October 15, 2005
Another Race Ruined for Michael Waltrip
As far as the sporting world goes there's nothing I'd like to see more than the Yankees win another World Series and Michael Waltrip in Victory Lane again. To see Michael get out of that car, with a huge smile on his face, give a triumphant victory lane speech, thanking all his sponsors of course, then celebrate with his family and team, had been something that I've hoped would happen with everything I have all season long. A few hours ago I was starting to think that I might see that tonight but once again it was not to be.
Yet again Michael Waltrip has another fine finish stolen from him. I'm so upset for Michael, this man deserves so much better than he's gotten this season. I think it's a good thing that I drank a rum and coke earlier to help me deal with my nervousness at watching this race otherwise I might not be so calm in writing this entry. Michael has never won on a non-restrictor plate track and ever since I saw him race his ass off in last year's All-Star race to finish 4th, then follow it up with a 2nd place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 the next week I've been convinced that a win for him at Charlotte is in the cards. In the spring Michael was running in the top ten when he was wrecked by his own teammate so it didn't happen then. And I've got to be honest, with the way the #15 has run lately, heading into this weekend despite how well he's run at this track, I didn't think Michael would have much of a shot this weekend either.
But I was wrong. Michael definitely had a shot at the win tonight. He started 32nd but he didn't stay there for long. It was obvious that Michael had an outstanding car, perhaps one of the best he's had for a few months, so good that he was able to lead 30 laps. I was starting to feel really good about Michael's chances for winning only there was one problem - all the drivers worst fears heading into this race were becoming reality. This race featured constant blown tires which spelled disaster for any number of drivers. So I was holding my breath, hoping that somehow Michael would escape the problems that were plaguing everyone else, especially since as per his radio, he wasn't experiencing the same tire issues. But inevitably as has happened so many times this season, bad luck found Michael once more.
I don't know if I can even call it bad luck since it seems like it was pretty predictable. Due to all the blown tires Nascar had started mandating the tire pressures that the teams could run. So with Michael in the lead he was forced to come in to change tires and get his tire pressures in line with what Nascar wanted, which was very different than what they had been running all night. Michael was extremely unhappy about this and didn't want to come in. I think he knew what the result was going to be in terms of how it was going to effect his car. And unfortunately he was right. Returning to the track in 10th place he first scraped the wall then blew a tire sending him into Jamie McMurray resulting in a multi-car wreck and a totaled car.
I'm absolutely heart-broken for Michael. I have absolutely no doubt that he could have won tonight if Nascar hadn't forced his team to make those tire pressure changes. This man has raced his heart out all season and has very little to show for it. Michael should have several wins this season and instead he has ruined race after ruined race and wrecked car after wrecked car. Through no fault of his own. No driver can win when they have to deal with constant blown tires, getting wrecked by others and mechanical problems.
Some are blaming Tony Gibson for what happened but what choice did they have? Even if they didn't pit there they would have had to pit eventually and make the air pressure change. That's why Michael didn't want to pit because he knew that they would have to make the change and what the result would be. But there was absolutely no choice but to comply with Nascar or they would have been penalized. The change wasn't made because Gibson and DEI wanted to sabatoge Michael it's because what Nascar told them to do. Be upset with Nascar, be upset with Humpty Wheeler for the changes to the track, but I can't understand how a blown tire of whatever actually happened to Michael is the fault of Tony Gibson or DEI. No one wants Michael to win a race more than me. No one believes in his ability to win races more than me, no one wants to see him get a non-restrictor plate win more than me. But in spite of that I can't place the blame on Michael's team - a team that I am quite sure wants to get him a win as much as he wants to win.
Maybe it's because I stood there in the #15 pit at Pocono and saw the team work from up close. They worked hard and gave 110% effort towards doing everything in their power to put Michael in contention for the win, which he was until he was wrecked by Greg Biffle. Granted Tony Gibson was the car chief, not the crew chief at that point but the team is just about the same now as it was then. And even though the season is winding down and Michael will be leaving DEI at the conclusion of the season, I have no doubt that the team wants to be in Victory Lane celebrating a win now just as much as they did at the beginning of the season. That's harder to achieve since DEI has made the #15 the R&D team to get information that might be useful for next season but when they know they have a good car like they did tonight there is no doubt in my mind they work just as hard to get Michael a win as they were that day in July. The results on the track reflect on his team as much as they reflect on Michael and I can't imagine any team deliberately and knowingly doing something to hurt their driver's chances to win a race.
May Martinsville bring a better result for Michael and the #15 team.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:22 PM | Comments (0)
Mike Bliss Out of the #0 In Spite of Handshake Deal on New Contract
From Speed via Jayski's: UPDATE 3: Mike Bliss said Saturday night that two weeks ago he reached an verbal agreement on a contract extension to return as driver for the #0 NetZero/Bestbuy Chevy. On Tuesday, the former Truck Series Champion was shocked to learn he was being let go. “Two weeks ago it was a done deal,” Bliss said. “I was going to run the Cup car, and it was a handshake and another contract.” Bliss said he still doesn’t know why he was let go, but likely will return to the truck series, where he took the title three seasons ago. “I feel like I can do this over here. You hate leaving, but it’s not my decision, of course. I don’t want to leave here like I’ve failed, because I’ve always won in everything I’ve ever been in, and I feel like we’re so close here.”(Speed Channel)(10-15-2005)
There had been rumors circulating that Bliss would be out of the #0 for quite some time. So in that regard it's not that surprising that he won't be back in the #0, as I mentioned in the previous entry. However, what is a little surprising and disappointing is that apparently Bliss and Haas CNC Racing had actually worked out a new contract and as recently as two weeks ago Bliss was under the impression that he would definitely be back in the #0. Yes, obviously nothing was signed yet but to completely work out a new contract with Bliss then tell him he's out for 2006 doesn't give me a very good feeling about Haas CNC. It's one thing to negotiate and then go in another direction or to weigh various options and possiblities. But to tell a driver that it's a done deal that he's back in the ride and shake hands on a new contract, then inform him they changed their minds doesn't sit too well with me. Sadly, I'm sure this kind of thing happens more often than we know.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)
Clint Bowyer in the #07 in 2006
There had been some talk about Sterling Marlin possibly replacing Dave Blaney in the #07 at RCR a few months ago but once that died down I figured Blaney was safe. But as it turns out Blaney is definitely out in 2006 - he will be replaced by Clint Bowyer who is currently second in Busch series points. In addition, sponsor Jack Daniels re-signed with RCR though 2009 and I wouldn't be surprised if they had a hand in the driver change. With Bowyer racing well in Busch it seems like a natural progression for him to move up to Cup but I'm sure that Jack Daniels probably was anxious to get a younger driver in their ride as well. So bringing up Bowyer could have been a condition for re-signing.
What happens to Blaney from here? Unfortunately for Blaney, he's 43 and he's never won a race in Cup. So while he's a former World of Outlaw champion and likely a much better racer than the #07 has allowed him to show, he doesn't fit the profile of who many teams are looking to sign. Now that Mike Bliss found out that his services aren't wanted in the #0 for 2006, that's a possibility and Blaney's name could also find it's way into the mix for the new Hall of Fame racing team. But I think Blaney might not find it easy going when it comes to securing a new ride, particularly one as competitive as he might like.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:11 PM | Comments (0)
Have Some Spare Cash and Looking for a Little Adventure?
A Concierge For Once-in-a-Lifetime Trips
What do you get someone who has everything as a gift? What does someone like Cynthia Rodriguez get her husband Alex for his birthday? After all, he has the financial means to get himself anything he wants. Well, Bluefish is a company that can arrange over-the-top trips and experiences such as a ride in a supersonic jet, a seat at the Oscars or the opportunity to live out a James Bond fantasy. I've got no idea what A-Rod's wife might get her husband as a present but Bluefish specializes in catering to those who are rich who might be looking for a little adventure. Of course none of this comes cheap. The James Bond adventure cost $75,000 for a week. So the average person isn't going to use the services of Bluefish. But I'd guess that they do an extremely healthy business for those who have some money to burn. From the sounds of it they can make just about anything possible as well.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:59 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2005
In the News: Michael Waltrip (10/14)
Michael Waltrip will be starting 32nd in tomorrow night's UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Since this is a track where I've been very impressed with the way Michael has raced in the past normally I would be very optimistic about how he'd fare in spite of the way he qualified especially since he said that he was happy with the way the car was handling. However, since the #15 team is currently serving as R&D for DEI the cars that Michael has been given haven't exactly been steller. So I have to be honest and say that I'm not feeling too good about this race, particularly given the concerns that many of the drivers, including Michael, have expressed about the track surface. So I'll be hoping for the best because Michael is certainly capable of contending for a win at this track with the right car, but I'm not going to get my hopes up too high for tomrrow night. It will be very interesting to see how David Reutimann, who qualified 26th, does in a Michael Waltrip Racing car.
Unfortunately once again Michael will have to miss a Busch race that he attempted to qualify for. He was 42nd out of 47 cars that attempted to qualify for the Dollar General 300 tonight. Apparently the problems started right from the beginning on the Busch side as he brushed the wall during Busch practice on Thursday. That makes the fourth or fifth Busch race this season that they've failed to qualify for and the season overall has to be a huge disappointment since the results when he has made races haven't been great. 2005 has featured any number of mechanical and setup problems and only three top tens in comparison to 2004 which featured a win, three top fives and nine top tens.
It's essential for Michael to get his Busch program in order and I have no doubt that he's working hard to do that. Even if he doesn't align himself with Toyota in 2007, Michael has said that he wants to field a Cup car full-time for himself at some point. To do that he's got to have a successful Busch program because that will provide the foundation for a strong Cup program. He's said that he wants to field a Busch series car for the full schedule in 2006 and I don't know whether that means for himself or whether someone else will be behind the wheel for some races. Racing the full Busch season could be a good thing because it could help the team build some consistancy or it could be a bad thing if it stretches thing resources even further. Regardless I have no doubt that the situation with his Busch program troubles Michael as much as it troubles his fans and I'm sure he will do everything in his power to straighten things out.
The only thing is that Michael faces the same problems that every other owner faces. It's incredibly expensive to field a competive car on any level and hard for single-car teams to be very successful. Michael has the benefit of having a lot of financial resources available to him as well as having a tremendous amount of support from some excellent sponsors. However, having those sponsors brings added pressure because it can't make them happy to have the cars they sponsor miss races. So he not only wants his Busch car to make races and get good results for himself but also to make the sponsors happy. Being a car owner is difficult as it is, but I think it's even more difficult for Michael and the others in his position who are both car owners and Cup drivers since both jobs carry a tremendous amount of pressure and responsibility.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:52 PM | Comments (0)
DEI to Keep #15
This is another item from when I was away so I'm weighing in a wee bit late on this issue. But apparently Michael Waltrip said in an interview that he was going to go to Teresa Earnhardt and request that DEI gives up the #15 so he could use it over at Bill Davis Racing in 2006. I didn't hear Michael's actual comments being that I was in Aruba so I can't say how serious he was when he said it or what his reasoning was behind why he wanted to take the #15 with him. However, apparently DEI was less than pleased to hear that Michael wanted the #15. In an interview with Claire B. Lang, Richie Gilmore said:
"That number will stay with DEI. Yes we appreciate the time we've had with NAPA and with Michael (Waltrip) but just because Michael was there for five years in that car I don't see where he deserves that number. He was in the No. 30. Go get that."
Naturally many fans have been up in arms on both sides of this issue. Fans of Michael think that he should be allowed to take the #15 with him and that this is just one more way that DEI is screwing him. They also take exception to Gilmore's comment about the #30, though it's possible Gilmore was just referring to another number Michael used in the past that is currently held by RCR but not being used. Those who don't care for Michael think he has a lot of nerve for daring to request the number and that it's an insult to DEI and Dale Sr.
For selfish reasons I would have liked to have seen Michael keep the #15 since I spent a significant amount of time creating a detailed piece of artwork that incorporated the #15 that I had him sign last year. But in the end, other than to Michael who may have personal reasons for wanting to drive certain car numbers, does the number that he uses really matter?
To me it doesn't. My favorite number is 24. But I think it's highly unlikely that Hendrick is going to hand over #24 to Michael. So after that I don't have too much preference if he can't keep the #15. #23 is a good number, close to 24 and it was also the number of former Yankee great Don Mattingly. Since that was also Michael Jordan's number there's a lot of greatness in that number. But I'd be just as happy with #22 if BDR decided to make a switch with he and Scott Wimmer. I'd also be happy with just about any other number - #69 anyone? That number would be highly amusing, though I'm not sure who has it or whether Nascar would allow it to be used if no one has it given what it's come to refer to. Seriously, unless one believes in numerology, and I have to admit that I do find certain things related to numbers interesting, such as the numbers involved when Steve Park won at Fontana, I'm not sure it makes too much of a difference what car number Michael is in for 2006 and beyond. We'll be buying all new merchandise regardless of whether his car number stays the same or is different.
What I find ridiculous the idea that requesting the number from DEI means that Michael is selfish or a jerk. Just like how Richie Gilmore explained that the number is important to DEI because of Dale Earnhardt, perhaps that's why the number might have some significance to Michael as well. Sometimes I think some forget how close Michael and Dale, Sr. were and how much it had to mean to Michael to be put in that car by his dear friend. Not to mention how effected Michael was when Dale died. People don't forget someone who is close to them after they pass away and sometimes even the smallest of things can take on added importance for sentimental reasons related to that person and their passing.
Or perhaps NAPA wanted to keep the number. Or maybe Michael knew that a lot of fans would have liked to see him keep it. Or maybe he simply likes the number and a random thought occured to him about asking for it just to see. After all, a lot of times one never knows what might happen unless one asks. But I fail to see how asking for the number reflects on Michael as a person at all. He has the right to his own opinions and to do the things that he wants to do. If it had been Dale, Jr. asking for a number I'm quite sure many fans would feel that he had every right to do so.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:03 PM | Comments (0)
Happy Birthday Random Thoughts!
One year ago today I wrote my first entry in this blog and I haven't stopped blogging since. From the start I think I've remained true to the reason why I started this blog in the first place - as somewhere that I could express myself about the things that interest me whether that's racing, baseball, popular culture, photography or anything else. I might not be the most eloquent or best writer, my spelling isn't always the greatest and there are probably times that I discuss things that no one but me is interested in but I hope that some of the people who have visited this space over the past year have enjoyed what I've written. I certainly do enjoy writing it!
One reason that I decided to do this blog and what drew me to racing message boards is that I don't know anyone offline who is a Nascar fan. Most people that I encounter look at me like I have six heads when I start talking about racing. I know a lot more people who are baseball fans but even with baseball not everyone takes a female baseball fan seriously. Some of my interests are also a little obscure. So with this blog I can "talk" about all the things that I don't always get a chance to talk about in my day to day conversations with people. While I don't use this space to discuss much from my personal life, it's a good feeling to know that I don't have to keep my excitement or frustrations about a lot of things bottled up.
There are a few people that I have to thank publically because without them this blog would not exist.
First and foremost my husband, Jim, who was the one who thought of the idea of me doing a blog in the first place. He kept telling me that it would be a great outlet for me and a place where I could talk as much as I wanted about whatever I wanted. I wasn't sure if doing a blog was for me but boy was he right on the mark! I've loved every minute of having this blog! He is also responsible for all the technical details of this site from hosting my blog on his server to helping me with the layout to fixing problems. So for everything he's done to help me with this blog and for all the other ways that Jim supports and encourages me I owe him my love and my thanks.
This blog would also not exist if not for my friend and fellow Michael Waltrip fan Jules. When I was much younger I used to write all the time but as I got older I got very discouraged about my writing. One day I showed Jules something I had written but never really did much with. Due to her encouraging words I was convinced to start writing again and I haven't stopped since! That renewed love of writing is part of what led me to do this blog so I owe her many thanks. Jules is also an extremely gifted writer herself and is also one of the most knowledgable people I know about Nascar and it's history. I very much enjoy our chats whether it's about racing, writing or life in general.
One of my earliest and most loyal readers is my friend Melissa. We went to college together and though the miles have made it difficult to see each other as much as we might like we've kept in touch. We both have a shared love of photography, animals and nature so Melissa frequently sent me links over the past year to things she thought I might be interested in for my blog. Though I didn't always use everything, much of what she sent me would get me to thinking about various topics and ideas which is always helpful to a blog writer! Melissa is also an excellent writer with a great way with words, especially when it comes to writing about her furry friends!
Then there's also everyone who has visited this blog. I'm not one to brag about stats like some other bloggers are fond of doing but I'm very happy with the way things have evolved in that without publicizing this blog at all other than putting it in my sig file on the forums I post on I seem to get a steady amount of visitors. So hopefully along the way while I write this blog only to please myself and no one else, I've managed to entertain the folks who have stopped by for a visit. I thank everyone who has taken the time to read something that I've written here! Agree with me or disagree with me I hope that occasionally I might expose my readers to some ideas and perspectives that they might not have been exposed to otherwise.
I suppose I should also thank the subjects who I write about most in this space though they'll never see this, nor would they care about what I think anyway. But without the New York Yankees, Michael Waltrip and Steve Park doing what they do I'd have a lot less to write about. Regular visitors to this space have probably noticed that I've started writing about Michael a lot more than just about any other topic, other than racing in general. As it's turned out there seems to be quite a few other people who are crusing the 'net looking for information on Michael. So while I can't help anyone who wants to know what kind of underwear Michael likes wearing, I hope that my fellow fans have been able to find out a little about what Michael is up to via my "In the News" posts and enjoy reading about the perspectives of a Waltrip fan on racing. Of course without being a fan of Michael's I probably would never have gotten to know Jules either - there are actually many other reasons why I am grateful for being a fan of Michael but that's better saved for an entry for another day.
It's been made clear to me on more than one occasion that there are some people who take issue with the way that I express myself and the way that I choose to be a fan. Some have even tried to point to this blog as evidence that I'm a bad fan. The way that some choose to give me a hard time becomes increasingly laughable as time goes on for reasons that I have no intention of explaining but needless to say I'm extremely comfortable about where I am as a fan of all the drivers, players and teams that I support. There's a great quote by Dr. Suess that sums up how I feel on this issue:
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
Those who matter might not always agree with my opinions, but they don't have a problem with me discussing what's on my mind.
There are some things that I choose not to discuss in this blog. Much of my personal life I leave off this blog and off the internet in general. I always stay well away from hot-botton issues related to politics and religion. There are also times when I feel it's not appropriate to blog about some things that I don't feel are suitable for a publically viewable blog. But for the most part within the guidelines that I have for myself I don't think I shy away from blogging about much. Even when it relates to my favorites, while the vast majority of the time I'm positive, I won't shy away from saying that I disagree with something if I do. I will never be someone who looks at things with rose-colored glasses. I think that's part of why my "way" bothers some people because I don't automatically take my favorite driver or player's side in every situation. I try to look at things from all points of view and I will not ever excuse misbehavior. In the end though I remain supportive and loyal to my favorites no matter what. I will always be a Yankee fan. I will always be a Michael Waltrip fan. I will always be a Steve Park fan. I will always be a Mike Mussina fan. I will always be a Tino Martinez fan. I will always be a Jason Giambi fan. I will always want the best for those people and teams, and above all want them to be happy.
As was said in a discussion with someone just a few days ago it's not easy to speak my mind, especially when it seems like I'm the only one who thinks the way that I do. But I will not shy away from saying what I think because the majority thinks something else. Sometimes there are others who think what I think but are afraid to discuss it openly because they're afraid of being harassed. So some of the entries in this space are for those people. Sometimes when I get harassed for my viewpoints it only makes me say what's on my mind even louder. So I might come here and say it. Far more people see what I have to say here than likely ever see it on a message board and it lasts much longer.
Whether it's been updating daily from Las Vegas, blogging about the events in each week's race or worrying about the fortunes of the Yankees doing this blog for the past year has been a big part of my life. I think it's allowed me to grow as a fan and as a person as I've been able to explore my thoughts and feelings on any number of topics at length. Jim is probably also quite happy that he doesn't have to hear me ramble about Nascar quite as often as he did before this blog came into existance! But over the past year I've very much looked forward to each time that I had some spare time to sit down and blog each day and I very much look forward to continuing writing in this blog over the next year.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:00 PM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2005
Photo of the Day - Light
Aruba, September, 2005. One night we went out to eat at an outstanding restaurant, The Flying Fishbone. All the seating is outdoors on a small beach, right by the water. So we sat next to the water at sunset and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. I had a delicious steak and shrimp dish and Jim had fish that he also loved. It was definitely one of the best meals we had in Aruba! This is a photo of the lantern on our table.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)
Erin Crocker to Run Full Truck Schedule, Not Busch in 2006
Crocker: Combination Schedule Best for Me
On September 9th it was announced with much fan-fare that Erin Crocker would run the full Busch Schedule for Evernham Motorsports in 2006 with Betty Crocker as her sponsor. Just a few weeks later after Crocker made just two Busch starts, neither of which went very well, the plan for 2006 for Crocker (the driver, not the sponsor) has changed. She will now run the full Truck Series schedule and race in selected Busch and ARCA races as well. I think it's a much better idea for Evernham not to rush Crocker and make sure that she develops as a racer as much as possible before advancing her to Busch and then to Cup full time. When I first heard about this yesterday I found it curious that just a few weeks after saying she'd be in Busch full-time they decided to do something different.
Well, not surprisingly it turns out that the sponsor had a hand in it. Crocker said today,
"I think this is more in line with what we were originally going to do, but when General Mills (the sponsor) came along and we had some good runs in the ARCA car, we got a little ahead of ourselves. I think it's more of a one step back, two steps forward kind of deal."
So essentially it sounds like the sponsor wanted them in Busch full-time but they realized that wasn't a wise idea and went back to the original plan. I wonder how General Mills feels about that? Hopefully they understand that it's in everyone's best interest to make sure that Crocker isn't rushed and is given every opportunity to gain the experience she needs before she races on higher levels. That will only benefit Crocker and General Mills.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)
Loving Nature, Loving All Life
"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar;
I love not man the less, but Nature more."
-Lord Byron
Posted by silverdsl at 07:48 PM | Comments (0)
Cape May's Pelican Club Restaurant Likely to Close
Will Probably Be Replaced With Condos
I can't say I'm surprised because everything in Cape May is seemingly being converted into condos, but the Pelican Club on the sixth floor of the Marquis de Lafayette Hotel will likely close at the end of the year and the space be used for condos. The Pelican Club features a spectacular view of the ocean across the street as well as much of Cape May and any condos up there will certainly be high-end ones. It's just unfortunate because the restaurant is outstanding. Jim and I had considered it as a venue for our wedding and we went to eat there for the first time with my parents just before the wedding. Now that I hear it might close I think Jim and I will have to make another trip down there.
The current trend in Cape May towards condos isn't a good one because many of the properties that are being turned into condos (or large private homes) are bed & breakfasts. That's what makes Cape May unique and brings so many tourists into the city is all the Victorian bed & breakfasts, as well as all the terrific restaurants. Cape May probably draws most of their revenue from tourism so if there aren't as many places for people to stay and less high-end restaurants such as the Pelican Club and Water's Edge, which closed last year, then there are less people who will come to visit. I love Cape May, hence why I got married there. I hope to be able to visit there for many years to come but if it's not going to be as visitor friendly then it might not be as easy.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)
Hudson River School Art Trail
Views That Inspired Hudson River School Artists
This sounds pretty interesting. There's a new guide to the Hudson River School Art Trail which highlights seven sites in a 15-mile radius in the Hudson River Valley area that inspired some of the artists in the Hudson River School. Some of the trails sound like they involve lengthy hikes but others seem pretty accessible and I think it would be neat to see the same views that those artists saw as they were painting their pictures. Jim and I are always looking for places to go on the weekends and it sounds like this might be one to investigate.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)
Steve Wynn and Branding
The Wynn Casino in Las Vegas which opened in April wasn't originally going to be named after it's developer Steve Wynn. At one time it was going to be called Le Reve, after a Picasso painting that is part of the art collection at the Wynn. However, marketing consultants recommended against that because there was no name recognition for Le Reve. But plenty of people knew the Wynn name and that became the name of the resort. But it doesn't just stop with Wynn's name being on the outside of the building. Naturally there's all kinds of products that visitors can buy with the name Wynn on it and there are all sorts of things inside the hotel and casino with the name on it as well. Many of those things are designed to connect the Wynn name with luxury and give costumers a certain impression about what the Wynn name, as well as the property, represents. So Wynn has successfully used his name for his brand and has ensured that it equates luxury in the minds of many who visit Las Vegas.
But there are some risks to connecting himself so closely to his product. It's a risk that Martha Stewart knows all too well. When there's a scandal it can reflect badly on one's business ventures if they are too closely associated with their founder. Or if his financial situation changes that could also reflect poorly on the brand since it reflects luxury and success. I imagine Wynn is aware of those risks and doesn't think that it will ever be an issue for him. Maybe it won't be. And the popularity of those kind of resorts being what they are, even if there is some sort of personal issue for Wynn unless it's something very serious, it might not ever effect business at the casino or how it's viewed in a significant way. Still, most others on the strip have avoided branding their properties in connection with a person and probably for good reason.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - The Orleans
Outside The Orleans, Las Vegas, Nevada, January, 2005. Just so that no one gets bored I figured I'd put up something other than an Aruba photo as the Photo of the Day.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:17 AM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2005
In the News: Michael Waltrip (10/12)
This weekend the Cup and Busch Series head to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Actually they don't have to go far since the vast majority of teams in both series are based in North Carolina. All the teams look forward to races close to home because it means more time with friends and family. Michael Waltrip races well at Lowe's and in the spring race was on his way to a top ten finish before being wrecked by his teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Naturally, Michael and the #15 team would like to finish well in the UAW-GM Quality 500 which I really hope happens. Michael is definitely capable of winning at this track since he won the 1996 All-Star race there and also two Busch races. Michael will be racing the same car he had at Kansas and that car did seem pretty good until the engine blew 50 laps from the finish.
Michael Waltrip Racing will be fielding two cars this weekend. On Friday night Michael will race the #99 Aaron's Dream Machine in the Dollar General 300. For some reason it seems like it's been a while since Aaron's has been the primary sponsor on Michael's Busch car but it's probably not been as long as it seems. This should make a lot of fans who believe there is a State Fair Corn Dogs curse happy... except that State Fair Corn Dogs will be on the #00 that will be driven by David Reutimann in the Cup race. Unfortunately it seems like every time State Fair Corn Dogs is the primary sponsor of one of Michael's cars something goes wrong. I'm not entirely comfortable with talking about a curse in relation to State Fair Corn Dogs though because it can't make a sponsor happy to be associated with a curse. Then again I suspect a lot of fans would have no clue about State Fair Corn Dogs if not for being on MWR cars so curse or not, they've gotten some pretty good exposure by their association with Michael.
The next item doesn't really relate directly to Michael but it's a slow news day and it's a cool contest so I'm going to throw it in here anyway. Konica-Minolta is running the Fantasy Photo Sweepstakes between now and January. Fans can enter to win a chance to be Bill Davis Racing's official photographer at the 2006 Daytona 500. The contest seems to mostly be involving Scott Wimmer's #22 team but there apparently part of the prize is breakfast with the #22 and #23 teams, the #23 being Michael's team next season. I never win much of anything but I sure would love to win this sweepstakes! I love photography, I love racing and I especially love taking photos at races so this would be awesome for me.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:17 PM | Comments (0)
Ken Schrader to the #21?
From Jayski's: Rudd to retire? Andretti to the #21 for 2006? UPDATE or is it Schrader? UPDATE: now hearing Ken Schrader, driver of the #49 Schwan's Home Service, could replace Rudd in the #21, 'if' Rudd does retire, and possibly may bring the sponsor along with him. BAM Racing and Schrader have said in the past that they expected to be together in 2006 and Schrader said it was his last full-time season in 2006.(10-11-2005)
This falls squarely into the category of complete rumor and wild speculation but I think it's interesting. This is the second season in a row that's it's been rumored that Ken Schrader is going to leave BAM Racing for another ride. Last season it was with RCR, this season it's with the Wood Brothers. I would love to see Schrader in the #21. Is it an elite ride? No, but at this stage in his career that's not the kind of ride that Schrader will be considered for. However, it is a solid ride that probably is a step above the #49. What's interesting is that there were rumors circulating earlier in the season that Schrader would be leaving BAM after this season because he would be retiring. That was denied but I have to wonder if there's a possiblity that one part of that rumor is correct - the part about Schrader and BAM going their separate ways at the end of this season.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Big Changes In Store For the Yankees This Off-Season
Both Lineup and Managerial Staff Will Change
When the New York Yankees return to Tampa for Spring Training in 2006 they will be a team that could be very different from the one they had in 2005. While there are many players who the Yankees are committed to, they also have fourteen free agents, many of which will not return. After ten years the signs are pointing to the departure of general manager Brian Cashman. There will surely be changes to the managerial staff as well. I think the jury is out on Joe Torre but it's almost certain that this is the end of the road for Mel Stottlemyre and Joe Girardi is a candidate to manage the Florida Marlins.
The core of this Yankees team will remain the same. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriquez, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson among others will all be back. With any luck the Yankees won't trade Robinson Cano and he'll be back as well. However, the following are free agents: Hideki Matsui, Bernie Williams, Matt Lawton, Ruben Sierra, Kevin Brown, Alan Embree, Tom Gordon, Al Leiter, Ramiro Mendoza, Felix Rodriguez, Tanyon Sturtze, John Flaherty, Tino Martinez, and Rey Sanchez.
So who do I think will be back?
Hideki Matsui - I'd be disappointed if the Yankees don't re-sign Matsui. He might not have put up the numbers that A-Rod did this season but he was extremely solid. Matsui had 23 HRs, 116 RBI, 192 hits, .305 BA and .367 OBP. Quietly Matsui does exactly what the Yankees need him to do - drive in runs and play a decent leftfield. While Matsui did have one brutal slump this season for the most part I have a huge amount of confidence when he's at the plate that he's going to contribute in some way, at some point, more often than not.
Bernie Williams - I love Bernie, all Yankee fans do. He was a huge part of the Yankees success from 1996-2001 and the Yankees are the only team he's ever played for. I'm hugely appreciative of what he did while he was in pinstripes but I think it's time for he and the Yankees to part ways. When the Yankees declined Bernie's option for 2006, it was with good reason. Bernie is simply not the player he was a few years ago. While he may still be able to hit a little his ability to play the outfield has eroded to such a degree that I cringed each time I saw him out there this season.
Matt Lawton - A waiver-wire trade, the Yankees were hoping that Lawton could shore up the outfield defense while providing some extra offense. Neither of those things happened. Lawton was dreadful as a Yankees and I high doubt he'll be back. In all fairness, Lawton was distracted by concerns about family who were in the area where Hurricane Katrina hit but the Yankees were his third team in 2005 so I don't think he was that impressive even before he had off-the-field issues to worry about.
Ruben Sierra - I like what Sierra brings to the Yankees, particularly his leadership in the clubhouse and the way that he mentors young players like Cano. However, Sierra is 40 and was on the disabled list twice this season. I think his role should be filled by a younger player who is better defensively.
Kevin Brown - There is no chance Brown is re-signed by the Yankees. In fact I'd guess that this is the end of Brown's career. Brown only won four games for the Yankees and spent a considerable amount of time on the disabled list to no one's surprise. When he wasn't on the DL he didn't look very good on the mound. It's clear that his chronic back problems have gotten to the point where it significantly limits his ability to pitch. On top of that I highly doubt that the Yankees have fogotten the wall punching incident.
Alan Embree - Joe Torre kept throwing him out there but was he of any use to the Yankees? Maybe a little but I doubt he's going to get offered a contract by the Yankees.
Tom Gordon - He's had some struggles but for the most part Gordon has been solid for the Yankees as set-up man for Mariano Rivera. His ERA was under 3 and opposing hitters batted just .203 against him. The only problem with Gordon is his age. He's going to be 38 next month and the Yankees need to get younger.
Al Leiter - I've always been fond of Leiter so I was glad that he signed with the Yankees after he was designated for assignment by the Marlins. However, it's clear that he's not the pitcher he once was. While I think he did a good job of doing whatever the Yankees asked of him, I don't think he'll be back. Leiter turns 40 next week and I think he's at the end of his career.
Ramiro Mendoza - Mendoza pitched in one game for the Yankees in September. He was recovering from an injury for virtually the entire season. I have no idea whether or not he has anything left to contribute on a major league level so it's hard to know what the Yankees might do with him.
Felix Rodriguez - He was a Yankee? Yeah, yeah, I know he was a Yankee but he didn't seem to do much to grab my attention. Plus he was on the disabled list for three months. Before going on the DL there was talk that he was going to be traded. I don't expect him to be re-signed.
Tanyon Sturtze - The Yankees have an option on him and I'd guess they'll pick it up. He fills his role fairly well.
John Flaherty - Flash will be back, no question in my mind. He's become Randy Johnson's personal catcher since Johnson is more comfortable throwing to him than to Jorge Posada. So to keep RJ happy I think the Yankees will re-sign him as Posada's back-up.
Tino Martinez - The Yankees need a back-up first baseman for Jason Giambi but I doubt it's going to be Tino. The Yankees have a $3 million option on him that they can pick up for next season but other than his hot hitting in May, Tino didn't do a heck of a lot at the plate in 2005. He's always been one of my favorite players but Tino is definitely nearing the end of his career. He could probably find another team to play for in a limited role next season but I suspect he's going to retire if the Yankees don't re-sign him.
Rey Sanchez - Went on the disabled list in July and never came off of it. He'll never play another game in pinstripes.
Mel Stottlemyre - At one time Stottlemyre was considering retiring after this season. Now that plan seems to be on hold but it's doubtful that he'll be the Yankees pitching coach next season. The Mariners are rumored to be his next destination. I think Stottlemyre probably did more for the Yankees pitching staff while he was with the team than many fans think but as the makeup of the team has changed I'm not sure that the pitchers they now have are as suited for Stottlemyre's coaching style as Yankee pitchers of the past were. So I'm not disappointed that Stottlemyre will be moving on.
Joe Girardi - I've always been a huge fan of Girardi. I was thrilled when he starting doing TV work for YES and even happier when he joined the coaching staff as Joe Torre's bench coach. He's now a candidate to manage the Marlins which is outstanding for him but I'd be sad to see him go elsewhere.
Joe Torre - Torre does have time remaining on his current contract. However, that wouldn't stop George Steinbrenner from firing him. Fans either love Torre or hate him. Sometimes he makes moves that leave me scratching my head but I don't think he's as clueless as many seem to think. The manager often gets blamed when the players don't execute and that's part of what has happened with Torre, though there are definitely some legitamite questions about how he manages the bullpen among other things. But what manager always does things that make sense to the fans or always work out well? I don't have a good sense for how likely it actually is that he will get fired but if he does I shutter to think about who his replacement might be.
Brian Cashman - Unfortunately I think the Yankees will be looking for a new general manager this season. It's been said that he broke down in tears to a reporter after game five when he was asked a question about his future and I think that says it all if that's true. There are reports that he turned down a new deal from the Yankees and that wouldn't surprise me. He's taken a huge amount of abuse from Steinbrenner over the years and while he's seemed to deal with it exceptionally well, every man has his breaking point. He'll be an asset to the next organization he goes to.
There will surely be some surprise moves too as the Yankees look to improve for 2006. There's already talk about Manny Ramirez but there have been many rumors along those lines through the years that have never amounted to anything. Only time will tell what the off-season will bring for the Yankees.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:10 AM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2005
Photo of the Day - Palm Tree
Aruba, September, 2005. As if it's not obvious where the next couple of week's worth of photos are going to come from. I took so many photos in Aruba it's going to take me forever to sort through them all!
Posted by silverdsl at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)
Baaaaaad Blogger
Sometimes I'm not even sure that I should call this a blog. Really it's more like a combination blog and journal. I don't just talk about news and I don't just talk about personal topics. I'm not trying to break news. I'm not trying to create controversy. I'm not trying to please my audience. I'm not trying to develop relationships with other bloggers. I'm not promoting myself. I'm not trying to start a pissing match with other bloggers. All I want to do is write about the things that I'm thinking about and in the process I hope that I might be entertaining a few people that wander by here.
I've got a few biases. I have no problem admitting that. I'm not a journalist who needs to be objective, though I do try as much as I can to look at things from all sides when I can. I'm a die-hard fan of the New York Yankees. I'm a huge Michael Waltrip fan. I'm under no obligation to discuss things from any other perspective other than my own, though some seem to feel that I should. I don't try to pretend that I'm not a fan. That's exactly what I am. I have no insider knowledge about anything, nor do I go looking for any, though I try to be as accurate as I can in what I'm discussing. It's nice to be right but it's okay if I'm wrong too. I'm not looking to break news or become a be-all, end-all information source. I'm not an expert on anything but I like to think that I know a little something about a lot of things. I'm a thoughtful person but I'm not the best or most intelligent.
I have some strong opinions and I'm not shy about saying what I think. I try to blog with respect and to avoid topics and statements that might offend or hurt someone's feelings but I won't shy away from discussing a topic in this space because some people think that it should be swept under the rug. This blog exists as an outlet for me to express myself, not for me to make other people happy. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. In fact I think the world is a much better place when there's a variety of opinions, it certainly makes for more interesting discussions. I don't take it personally when someone doesn't like the drivers, teams or players that I like and I also don't take it as a personal insult when someone disagrees with me. Unlike some of my fellow bloggers I don't think someone is a moron if they have beliefs or opinions different from mine.
Though I've used the word asshat when really worked up a few times, I try to avoid name-calling and bashing of any kind. All I have to go on is what I know from a fan's point of view about any given situation and I have no doubt that often I don't know the full story. I don't hate anyone, especially players, drivers or others in sports. While there might be times when I strongly disagree with something someone says or does and take issue with it, I accept that the world isn't fair and everyone has flaws. I also accept that things are sometimes going to happen that I'm not going to like. This week's goat might be next week's hero.
A lot of my fellow blogger might frown on what I do here if they were to see it. But that's okay. I'm not out to please anyone else other than myself. I'm not trying to be anyone but myself, as sometimes strange as I might seem to some. I hope that the people who stop by here enjoy reading what I have to say but if no one reads that's okay too. I don't do this for attention, I do this because I enjoy it and because it makes me happy.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)
A Failure to Execute: Yankees Eliminated From Post-Season
If George Steinbrenner thought that he could buy a World Series he was mistaken. $203 million spent on the 2005 New York Yankees and they have failed to advance any further than the American League Division Series. And in some ways it was almost a miracle that they made it that far. The same problems that have plagued the Yankees all season long came back to haunt them last night in Anaheim - an inability to get hits when needed, poor starting pitching and shaky defense.
In the post-season the quality of the pitching is usually such that it can be hard to score a lot of runs. But teams must still find ways to score enough runs to win and the Yankees failed to do that last night. Even when the Angels starting pitcher, Bartolo Colon had to leave the game with an injury, the Yankees still didn't do much of anything. In fact they stranded eleven men on base. But getting hits with runners in scoring position has been a problem for the Yankees for a long time, why would anything change last night? Even players who came up big during the regular season such as Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui had bats as cold as ice. The post-season is an extremely bad time to slump at the plate.
Mike Mussina is my favorite Yankee but that still doesn't make me any happier with the way he pitched last night. I have no doubt that Mussina wanted to win as much as any other Yankees and was giving 100% effort towards trying to pitch as well as he could to make that happen. But in an elimination game he's got to last more than three innings. Randy Johnson came in and pitching four and a half scoreless innings but by then the damage was already done. It was essential for Mussina to pitch the game of his life last night and unfortunately he was able to come through for his team. Just like it was essential for Johnson to pitch like the ace he's supossed to be in Friday's game and he wasn't able to do that either. Getting good starting pitching has been a huge problem for the Yankees all season so really it's not such a surprise that came back to bite them during this series.
For years the Yankees haven't put much emphasis on defense and last night really highlighted just how much of a problem that is. Bubba Crosby and Gary Sheffield collided in the outfield so spectacularly that it led to two runs scoring. Of course even the best players defensively can make mistakes or be involved in collisions but I couldn't help but think that Crosby had no business being out there in the first place. Joe Torre threw him out there because he's better defensively than Bernie Williams but that's not saying much. Crosby is best suited as a fouth outfielder who makes spot starts to spell the regulars. He shouldn't be the starting centerfielder in game five of the ALDS. It wasn't just last night either as players such as A-Rod made errors. It's to be expected that there will be errors on occassion but in the post-season the level of play has to be elevated. Playing sloppy baseball loses games, it's as simple as that. Which is exactly what happened to the Yankees last night.
Many fans are blaming A-Rod for the Yankees post-season failures. And it's true that he had a dismal series, hitting just .133. But baseball is a team sport. Players win and lose together as a team. Not to mention without A-Rod's MVP-like regular season, it's possible the Yankees wouldn't even have made it to the post-season in the first place. It's impossible for any one player to carry the team on his shoulders anyway. Even if A-Rod had been hitting much better his teammates also have to be hitting and the pitching and defense have to be there as well. But last night the Yankees reverted to the team they were earlier in the season. A team that struggles to play crisp baseball. Because of how poorly the Yankees played at points in the season, I'm not terribly surprised that they didn't win last night. It's that dreadful play that almost cost them going to the post-season in the first place. They turned it on at the end of the season and played much better so I had hoped that those struggles were behind them. I was wrong.
There's something about the post-season that often brings out the best in the Yankees. Not this year. Fans used to like to point to aura and mystique during the magical years of 1996-2001. These days they often wonder where that magic went. It didn't go anywhere but the makeup of the team changed. Steinbrenner decided that spending more money than any other team was the key to getting another championship but apparently $203 million only buys a ticket into the ALDS and it's not even a winning one. I'd like to say that I hope that losing this series will cause the Yankees organization to re-evaluate and change the way they approach putting a team together. But I'm not holding my breath.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:17 AM | Comments (0)
October 10, 2005
Photo of the Day - Iguana
Aruba. September, 2005. There were a huge amount of lizards all over Aruba, something which I thought was pretty cool but non-reptile lovers might have a few issues with. In the area around our hotel there were also plenty of Iguanas. On Renaissance Island, the hotel's private island they were fed each day at noon and the iguanas definitely came out in full force at lunch time. This is one iguana looking for some more handouts.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)
In the News: Michael Waltrip (10/10)
I was thrilled to find out that I was going to be able to watch the race at Talladega in Aruba. I'm not a fan of plate races but Michael Waltrip traditionally does well at those tracks so I didn't want to miss it. I should have spent the time on the beach since we all know Michael ended up flipping in a huge wreck and that sight just about made me sick to my stomach. If I was that upset I have no clue how Buffy, his wife, or any of his other relatives and friends, people who actually know him can take that sight without losing their minds. In any event, I digress. This weekend Michael had a great quote which sums up his feelings on racing at Talladega and likely that of many of his fellow drivers:
“As long as you are not somewhere eating out of a straw you’re pretty happy. If you are doing something - anything - on Monday after Talladega it’s good.”
So it seems fitting to follow with a piece on Motor Racing Outreach, an organization that Michael and his family is very involved with. Michael says that MRO's presence at the tracks allows them to go to church like "a normal family" and is also a comfort to the drivers and their families. Which is a very good thing given the aforementioned dangers of the sport.
Back to what happens on the track, Duane Cross points out that Michael has now finished 13th or worse in his last 15 races. That's pretty incredible and disappointing considering that at one time he was a contender for the Chase for the Championship. The #15 team has had an incredible amount of bad luck to deal with which has hurt Michael's season terribly. However, what isn't helping matters is that Michael has lost his crew chief and is now serving as the R&D driver for DEI. I sure hope I'm wrong for his sake but I'm not sure there's going to be too many more outstanding finishes for Michael in the remaining races like there were early on, not because of any kind of lack of desire on Michael's part or his team's but because there might be some more mechanical issues if the DEI engineers get too experimental in the hopes of learning something for next season.
Cross also points out that this past race makes eight DNFs for Michael this season, the most for him since 2000. I've probably said it a thousand times before but I feel terrible for Michael about how this season has turned out for him. After a rough start to the season through no fault of their own, Michael, Tony Eury, Jr. and the whole #15 team got tremendously locked in. I was so thrilled with the way things were going for Michael and I really thought he might make it into the Chase. How cool would that have been? Maybe it sounds like a pipe dream to some but I really felt so good about that team, so confident that they would surprise some people and do it. I can't even imagine how awesome it must have felt for Michael to go to the track each week and know that he had a crew chief who believed in him 100% and a car that more often than not was just as competitive as any other on the track. I hope that Michael is able to find that again either at Bill Davis Racing or where ever else his journey takes him.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:26 PM | Comments (0)
Egypt Hopes to Solve Mystery of Great Pyramid
Robot to Be Sent Up Narrow Shafts in Pyramid
First discovered in 1872, two narrow shafts in the Great Pyramid, which extend from an unfinished chamber in the pyramid have mystified archeologists ever since. The shafts are blocked by several stone slabs, one of which was partially breached by a robot in 2002. Apparently it's thought that there's a possiblity that the shafts might led to a previously undiscovered burial chamber. I find this very fascinating. Here we have a 4,500 year old pyramid which has probably been explored in every which way for hundreds of years. Yet no one has ever been able to determine exactly what the shafts were for or where they led. Perhaps they don't led to anything at all of significance. Or perhaps there's an untouched ancient burial chamber filled with gold and a mummy just waiting to be found.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:17 PM | Comments (0)
Pricetag for Gaughan's Newest Casino Almost Doubles
The Scoop on Gaughan's Latest Property
The scoop is a bit of an exaggeration since the above piece in the Las Vegas Sun doesn't offer up much in the way of specifics about the new casino under construction by Michael Gaughan and Coast Casinos. But it does indicate that it will be a luxury type casino so popular these days with an astonishing price tag of almost $600 million, up from $350 million. That's a staggering amount of money! But apparently pales in comparision to the new casino being built by rival, Station Casinos which will cost almost a billion dollars when it's said and done. The thing is that the profits from the casino business are such that these casinos will likely be profitable fairly quickly. Very profitable.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:55 PM | Comments (0)
Jack Sprague In at Wyler Racing
Regular readers of this space know I've been keeping half an eye on the intriguing story of Wyler Racing, or at least as much as possible given the scanty information that is publically known. As some might recall this team appeared seemingly overnight after Chad Chaffin lost his ride with Germain/Arnold Motorsports. At the time it was said that Chaffin was in this ride for the remainder of the season. Well, not so fast. Effective immediately Jack Sprague will take over for Chaffin in the #60. As the wheel turns.
I have countless questions about this deal which will likely go unanswered such as what led to a parting of the ways between Sprague and XPress Motorsports? How did he end up at Wyler Racing? Was this something Toyota wanted? I'd ask if Jeff Wyler and Toyota were unhappy with Chaffin but I think the answer is fairly obvious because if they were happy with what Chaffin was doing in the #60 he would still be the driver. It's going to be interesting to see what Sprague can do with this truck. Since they're a team that's only three months old I think it's too much to expect them to run well in every race. But perhaps all parties expected more than what they've got thus far.
I'm also curious as to whether Sprague is going to be with this team next season. Sprague is a three-time champion in the truck series so he's not the type of driver I'd think of as a seat-warmer. Putting Sprague in that ride seems to indicate to me that this team is serious about sticking around if they're making a driver change this late in the season. Perhaps Sprague will use this as an audition for next year to try to impress other teams or perhaps he's signed a deal into the future with Wyler Racing, only time will tell.
I did wildly speculate that perhaps the #60 was a potential ride for Steve Park given his friendship with Wyler. But my guess is that Sprague going into that ride might eliminate that possiblity. I'd also feel a wee bit concerned if I were Steve and I wanted to stay in the #62 but didn't have a deal for the future already given that XPress Motorsports and Sprague parted ways and he was in 11th in the points. Steve, as we all know, is in 17th, though that's more of a reflection of what appears to be some overall issues at Orleans Racing than anything else.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Force Game Five
Obviously due to being in Aruba I've not been able to blog about the New York Yankees and how outstanding it is that they made it to the post-season in a most exciting fashion by securing first place in the American League East via an ultra-thrilling final series of the season against the Boston Red Sox. Before we went to Aruba we had been thinking that we wouldn't be able to watch any of the games so we were considering buying a subcription to MLB.com's service that allows fans to watch the games over the internet. Well, much to our surprise there was no need to do that since we were able to watch all the games from Aruba. Apparently baseball is huge there and the Yankees are very popular so those games that we weren't able to watch in our room, which wasn't many, we were able to watch in a bar or restaurant. So needless to say we were doing some celebrating not just of our honeymoon in Aruba but for the Yankees and their fine fortune in making it to the post-season once more.
Which brings us to this series against the Angels. What's come before today is mostly old news though I might be the only fan who isn't disappointed with Randy Johnson's pitching performance on Friday. I couldn't be disappointed because I wasn't expecting greatness from him. Let me be clear - I was hopeful that Randy Johnson would pitch well and the Yankees would win. I would have been thrilled if he had been the Randy Johnson of old who struck out hitter after hitter. But my expectations for RJ on Friday were significantly lower than a lot of fans simply because while he's not been awful this season RJ hasn't been the dominating ace the Yankees thought they were getting. Then add into the mix that RJ is 42 and has chronic back problems, at this point you never know quite what you're going to get. Unfortunately for the Yankees what they got wasn't what they needed. I bring all of this up because what happens tonight could partially determine RJ's legacy in pinstripes.
No, RJ won't be on the mound, Mike Mussina will be. Mussina has been in California awaiting his turn to pitch since last week. Tonight will be a huge game for him. The course of the rest of the Yankees season and whether they make it to the American League Championship Series to face the Chicago White Sox rests on his shoulders. But if the Yankees lose tonight and don't advance a lot of fans might point the finger at RJ, the man who was expected to win virtually every outing this season in dominating fashion, as one of the players most responsible for the Yankees failures in the post-season. It's only natural - the players who are brought in on big time contracts such as RJ or A-Rod are expected to carry the team. Which really isn't fair because this is a team sport and no one player is soley responsible for the outcome of the games or the season. But while A-Rod has had an MVP type season in 2005, RJ had a far from Cy Young type season. Which is a far cry from what fans thought he'd do in pinstripes. So unless the Yankees advance furtherand RJ redeems himself by pitching better, which will cause them to forget about anything they were upset about from the division series, then RJ will likely be one of the fan's whipping boys this winter.
I can't predict with any accuracy what the Yankees are going to do tonight. After all, I'm the person who wasn't even convinced that they would make it to the post-season in the first place. Don't get me wrong - I was hoping that they'd be able to do it and I'm extremely happy now that they've playing in the post-season. But those stretches in which they played very sloppy baseball in combination with all the pitching problems didn't make me feel too confident that they'd be playing in October. But here they are. And I've got no clue what to expect out of this team. They rallied last night to come from behind and win. That was so awesome to see! That could give them a lot of momentum for tonight's game, though having to fly across the country to play it could suck some of the wind out of their sails. So all I can say is that I'm hopeful that Mussina will be masterful on the mound and the Yankees hitters will be hot at the plate because I'd very much love to see a Yankees win!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
October 09, 2005
Photo of the Day - Aruba
Renaissance Island, Aruba, September, 2005. The first of what I'm sure will be many photos that I'll be posting in this space from Aruba. I had never been to anywhere in the Caribbean before so I was amazed by the color of the water! Photos can't do justice to how incredible the blues of the water were. And it was so clear too! I could see straight down to the bottom even when it was fairly deep. So that meant when I was in the water I could see schools of fish as they swam by me. On top of all of that the water was nice and warm too. Heavenly.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:01 PM | Comments (0)
Most. Boring. Race. Ever.
With apologies to The Comic Boy Guy from The Simpsons today's race truly was a snoozer. I know I've called other races boring but watching paint dry would have been more exciting than what took place at Kansas Speedway this afternoon. I don't even understand how it's possible for a race between 43 cars where there surely was some actual racing and passing seemed so uninteresting on TV. It's a sad commentary when the most interesting thing in the race is the mid-race mini-spat amongst Michael's team about who's fault it was that Michael was told the wrong information about the #11 car. Apparently Joey the spotter thought that the #11 car was also one lap down like Michael was at the time when in fact the #11 was two laps down. Which is important information when Michael is trying to be in position to be the lucky dog.
Becoming the lucky dog and getting his lap back was in fact just about the highlight of Michael's day since a blown engine prematurely ended what might have been a decent finish for the #15 team given that the car was fast. I guess it's to be expected since the #15 team is pretty much serving as the R&D team for DEI for the remainder of the season. It really sucks for Michael because with DEI experimenting with things there's probably an increased change of mechanical failures like that. And it can't be too much fun for a driver to know that if he's got a good run going it might literally go up in smoke at any time, which is exactly what happened to Michael today.
Mark Martin was the eventual winner, leading 139 of 267 laps. It was awesome to see Mark Martin in Victory Lane and taken in combination with Dale Jarrett's win last week at Talledega shows that it's very much not just a young man's game in Cup racing. Obviously Roush has this track figured out as four of the top five finishers were Roush cars. However, only one of the Roush Chase cars is in the top five in overall points, that being Greg Biffle. It would be pretty cool to see Martin win the Championship but finishing 41st last week really hurt his chances and after today's race he sits in seventh in points.
There's actually an interesting battle going on for eleventh in the points standings. It's not the Chase for the Championship but eleventh pays out $1 million and right now there are three drivers separated by just one point. That's Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray and Elliott Sadler. I doubt many people outside of those drivers fans are paying attention to what's going on there but you can't get any closer in points unless all three drivers were tied. I'm hoping that Kevin can pull it out but competition is obviously stiff for that million dollars.
I'm sure all the drivers are very happy that next week's race is in Charlotte because that means extra time with family and friends. It's the last night race of the season but with the changes to the track surface at Charlotte that seem to be universally unpopular with the drivers I'm not sure how much they're looking forward to the actual race.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)
Orleans Racing to Lose Dodge Factory Support?
Ultra Motorsports May Also Lose Factory Support
As if this season wasn't already bad enough for Orleans Racing, there is a possiblity that they will be losing factory support from Dodge after this season. Apparently Dodge wants to redirect more of their focus to the teams they support in Cup so they will be cutting back how many teams they support in the truck series. Right now it appears that Bobby Hamilton Racing is safe but Orleans and Ultra Motorsports may be left in the lurch. I'm surprised that they would cut their support of Ultra since Ted Musgrave is currently 2nd in points and Jimmy Spencer is 6th. But with Orleans it certainly doesn't look good when both teams are outside the top fifteen in 17th and 19th.
If Dodge does in fact pull their support from Orleans that could very well be the death keel for them fielding two truck teams in the future unless they easily hooked up with a new manufacturer quickly. The #62 has no sponsor as I've harped on many times before and without factory support from a manufacturer on top of that well, if this season was bad, next season could be considerably worse. Especially considering this is a team that was apparently setting up the trucks incorrectly earlier this season until Dodge told them to do it differently. I can't see Orleans being able to field two teams competitively when one has no sponsor in 2006 unless Michael Gaughan decides to pour a huge amount of his own funds into both teams above and beyond what he's already putting in.
All of which makes me worry about what the future holds for Steve Park even more. Will he want to continue on with a team that has no sponsor and no factory support? Michael Waltrip is joining Bill Davis Racing despite Dodge pulling their factory support of that organization. But the difference there is that Michael is bringing significant sponsorship dollars with him in the form of NAPA which should help BDR field a team that is at least semi-competitive. And as much as all parties might deny it, the possiblity of hooking up with Toyota through BDR or on his own means that Michael is likely willing to deal with some short-term issues because the long-term payoff could be considerable.
So if Steve's not with Orleans Racing and wants to continue to race in Nascar where can he go? I'd love it if Steve went back to Cup in a top ride like the #97 at Roush. But I don't think that's realistic. As much as I believe in Steve's ability to drive any car or truck to the front and win, he's 39, he's currently 17th in points and there are likely still some in the Cup garage area who view him as damaged goods in spite of his win earlier this season that should have put those doubts to rest. So I don't think he's going to be a candidate for the top Cup rides because those are mostly going to go to younger drivers who are thought to have a long and bright future ahead of them. So that leaves another truck ride or a Busch ride. Steve has said that he will only take a ride that is competitive so the question will be if he and Orleans parts ways whether one will be available to him. I certainly hope so if that's what he wants.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Waltrip Wins Appeal of Penalty
Penalized for Giving the "Finger" to Robby Gordon
Just catching up on one more Michael Waltrip related piece of news that happened while I was in Aruba - as I had mentioned a while back Michael said on the forum on his site that he didn't give the finger to Robby Gordon and that he would be appealing the penalty. I wondered how successful he was going to be with that and as it turned out he was very successful. The three member commission found the video footage inconclusive so they voted to overturn the penalities against Michael. Which is a very good thing for him and I'm glad he was successful. It doesn't seem like it's very often that drivers and teams win their appeals.
However, there are still many fans who believe that Michael did in fact give the finger and I think that was probably why Nascar penalized him in the first place. Not because they saw something definitive but because others were saying that they he gave the finger and Nascar was covering their asses since they had just penalized Martin Truex, Jr. for giving the finger. And before someone says that it's just Michael-haters who claimed he gave the finger that's simply not the case. As soon as the footage aired a few people were saying that it looked like he gave the finger and I think unfortunately for Michael his finger was unintentionally in such a way that when seeing it quickly some jumped to the conclusion that he gave the finger when he didn't. I have to admit that I believed that he gave the finger on the basis of what was being said because... well, why not? Drivers give each other the finger all the time so it didn't seem so outrageous to me to think that he had let Robby know in that way what he felt about the helmet throwing. And given that I see the finger fly every single day when I'm commuting on the New Jersey Turnpike I'm certainly not offended by it. But Michael says that he didn't do it and the committee agrees with him so all those folks who were convinced that they saw the finger were apparently mistaken.
I'm sure someone is thinking that I'm a bad fan because I initially thought that Michael gave the finger. I'm not the type to think that my driver never does anything naughty or never does wrong and when something happens I also think that he has to face the music. That doesn't mean that I support him one iota less. I just don't automatically assume that my favorites do no wrong - sometimes they do because all human beings do. Now that Michael has said that he didn't give the finger of course I believe him and I'm glad that he won his appeal because Nascar was wrong to assess him a penalty. But if he had intentionally let the finger fly on camera, well, sorry Michael but as much as I like you, I couldn't bitch and moan if he had been penalized for doing it because as much as I don't like Nascar's rules about penalizing drivers for giving the finger, rules are rules. But Michael was wrongly penalized so I'm glad it was overturned.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Waltrip to Race For Himself After 2006?
From Jayski's: Toyota to Cup in 2007? 8 teams? UPDATE: Toyota will support eight Nextel Cup teams when its cars make their debuts in 2007, but none of them is likely to be from Ganassi Racing, which all along figured to be part of the Toyota contingent. Toyota Racing Development will support four Penske Racing squads and two each from Bill Davis Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. Davis and Waltrip will be partners in 2006, then turn their attention to Toyota.(Sporting News)(10-3-2005)
UPDATE: however, as was reported in the past and reinterated today.....Walter Czarnecki, vice chairman of Penske Racing, says Penske Racing's contract with Dodge extends beyond 2007.(10-3-2005)
Of course this item comes from The Sporting News which seems to report any old thing that they can get their hands on whether it's legit or not but there's apparently some speculation that Michael Waltrip Racing will field two Cup teams with Toyota support in 2007, presumably with Michael behind the wheel of one of those cars. Michael has talked about wanting to field his own Cup team and given the strong sponsor support he has, I think he would be able to do pretty well, especially with Toyota backing him. David Reutimann has been testing Michael's Busch car and I think he'll be making some starts for him in the future so perhaps he would be a candidate for the second MWR car. Reutimann races for Michael's brother Darrell in the trucks so Michael would certainly be familiar with what David can do. I don't want to discuss this in too much detail because there might be nothing to this rumor but it would explain why Michael only signed a one-year deal with BDR.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
I Do Not Know Anything About...
I can access a list of what search terms people use to reach my blog. Now all of this information is completely anonymous so I have no clue who is visiting but I can see certain stats including those search terms. And to say the least some folks find their way to my blog while searching for some very interesting topics. I think there are probably a lot of very disappointed visitors because there are some terms that lead people here that I most certainly know nothing about. But if I've mentioned one word in one entry and then another word in a another entry and someone is looking for those words together it can led them here. So I know nothing about...
*Whether Michael Waltrip, Derek Jeter or any other baseball player or driver wears boxers or briefs. Nor do I care. See here's my theory on the enternal boxers or briefs question. If someone wants to know because they're wondering about the subject of their fantasies, well, if it's your fantasy then you can imagine that guy in anything you want. Boxers, briefs, fully nude, even a tutu if that's your thing! If you've wondering about someone that you might actually become involved with, well, by the time you get to the stage where you find out whether they wear boxers or briefs odds are it'll be coming off shortly afterwards anyway so what does it matter what kind of underwear they wear?
*Who Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., Kasey Kahne or any other driver might be dating right now. There are times that I might discuss that kind of topic but it's usually in the context of one of those reality shows like Nascar Drivers 360 or if I feel something is particularly interesting or newsworthy. Otherwise I try to stay far, far away from most topics that relate to who the single drivers might be involved with. First of all, it's their business and no one else's. If Dale, Jr. wants to date one woman or a hundred, that's his right. He's a big boy and he can make his own choices in that area. Beyond that some fans seem to get very worked up about who their favorite drivers date and their worthiness as a significant other. It often leds to nastiness and that's something I don't want a part of. Maybe that makes this blog less interesting to some but so be it.
*Whether any drivers or baseball players are gay. Now how would I or anyone else know that kind of information? I have absolutely no problem with homosexuality and I think it's likely that there are players and drivers who are at least bi-sexual if not actually gay. That's not because I have any inside knowledge of such, that's because there are those that are bi-sexual and gay in every other facet of society so it's likely that's the case in all of the major sports as well. But I couldn't even begin to guess at who those people might be and I doubt that we'll ever know.
*If nudie pics exist of Delana Harvick, Buffy Waltrip or any other Nascar or baseball wife. Seriously folks. If you've coming to this blog looking for photos like that you will be extremely disappointed. While this isn't a G-rated blog, it's about as far from X-rated as one can get. And seeing as how I'm straight female naked photos of women just isn't my thing.
*Whether any player, driver or broadcaster are drug users. I've talked about those who have tested positive such as Shane Hmiel or been embroiled in the steroids scandal such as Jason Giambi or Barry Bonds but otherwise I can't answer the question as to whether someone uses drugs or not.
I could go on but I think you get the idea. Essentially I know very little that isn't common knowledge about anyone's personal lives. How would I know? Okay, there may be one or two tidbits of information that I've come across here or there about some folks but aside from the fact that it's probably nothing that anyone would be interested in anyway, I sure as heck won't be posting about it in a publically viewable blog.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:37 PM | Comments (0)
Fan Supersitions
Baseball fans have lots of superstitions. Lots of them. The above article in Newsday details a few and a thead on NYYFans.com features many more. Some fans try to wear the same exact things when it seems that their team wins when they have on a "lucky" hat or shirt. Some fans always watch from the same spot in their houses with the same things around them and try not to change a thing when their team is on a roll. Some fans feel compelled to say or do certain things. All of it boils down to fans feeling like what they do matters and that some action on their part, no matter how small, might effect the team's mojo in a negative way.
I'm in the minority of fans who don't have any superstitions or rituals when it comes to watching games. I simply sit down and watch. I often play around on the computer while I'm watching but I don't consider that a supersition, just something that I frequently do at the same time. I don't know why I've never developed any superstitions like most other fans but I don't think I have any way of effecting the outcome of Yankee games. Win or lose it's on their shoulders, not mine. It's kind of strange that I'm not superstitious about because I do get into good luck charms and things like that for myself. I'm not sure what the difference is in my mind except perhaps that holding a stone for good luck or wearing a kokopelli pendant makes me personally feel good. It's something tangible that I can hold and perhaps think a few good thoughts about. Maybe having a ritual of things to do while I'm watching a game is too elaborate and abstract for me.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)
Nascar to Place Limits on Multicar Teams
Say They Want to Make it Easier For Smaller, Independent Teams
On the surface I was in favor of this idea when I first heard about it. After all it doesn't seem quite right that Roush Racing has five teams in the Chase for the Championship and the smaller teams have so much trouble being competitive. But I'm not so sure that simply limiting the amount of teams that a car owner can field in Cup is the magic solution. First of all, what's to stop Jack Roush from forming a new company owned by another family member to field another three teams if he's limited to three himself? Secondly, what else is Nascar going to do to make it easier for the small teams to function? Okay, you've got Roush limited to three teams or whatever the number might be but Cal Wells still has to deal with the astronomical costs of fielding Cup teams and Petty Enterprises still has to compete with DEI and RCR for sponsors. If Nascar doesn't take steps to decrease the costs of racing Cup in a meaningful way and help teams find sponsors that stick around, the small teams still won't be able to race as competitively as they might like. Roush is still going to have the money to field three ultra-competitive teams, Nascar needs to make it possible for everyone else to do so as well.
In addition, I can't help but think that it's slightly unfair to Roush and the other large teams to force them to downsize if that's what's going to happen. What happens to the drivers and the sponsors of those teams that have to be eliminated? Why should Roush or Hendrick have to lose sponsorship if they can't convince those sponsors to remain as associate sponsors on other cars or drop to other levels? Why should drivers with those organizations have to potentially look for a new ride prematurely? Of course Nascar might have a plan in which those things won't happen but it seems to me that just saying in the future organizations will be limited to only fielding a certain number of Cup cars might present a few sticky problems.
On top of that why should Jack Roush be punished for being on his game and getting all five of his cars into the Chase? Isn't the goal for every organization that as many of their drivers as possible make the Chase and didn't Roush meet that goal? I'm not a big fan of any of the Roush drivers but it seems to me that all the drivers and the entire organization did exactly what they were supossed to do.
Yes, I'd like to see more non-Roush drivers in the Chase but I'm not so sure that less Roush or Hendrick cars is going to mean that Petty Enterprises or BAM Racing is going to field a Chase contending car in the near future. These organizations have deeper problems to address than just that they only have one or two cars in their stable. In addition, you've got strong organizations such as RCR or DEI who are sitting out the Chase. That's because those teams didn't perform they way they needed to in order to make it. Less teams by Roush isn't going to automatically mean that the smaller teams can perform the way they need to to make it or that Dale Jr. or Jeff Gordon isn't going to encounter bad luck or subpar performance that will eliminate their Chase chances.
What I'd like to see is Nascar coming up with a plan to support and help the smaller teams succeed. Ways to help them find sponsorship and funding to be able to afford the same resources, personnel and equipment as the top teams.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:34 PM | Comments (0)
The Natural Disasters Keep on Coming...
More Than 20,000 Killed in South Asia Earthquake
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck South Asia yesterday killing at least 20,000 people and the death toll is expected to climb much higher. Pakistan and Kashmir were particularly hard hit and some remote areas are completely cut off. There is now a frantic search underway to rescue survivors from collapsed buildings. What more is there to say? My heart is heavy each time that I hear about a natural disaster like this.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:25 PM | Comments (0)
Back From Aruba!
It seems like forever that I've been gone but after two wonderful weeks in the sun I'm back from Aruba! We had a great time and of course I took plenty of photos, some of which I'll post in this blog starting later today. Of course I have plenty to catch up on that I missed while I was gone and plenty I'd like to blog about. So regular blog entries should restart later on.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:17 AM | Comments (0)
October 06, 2005
Steve Park Returns to the Modifieds
Suspension Issues Ends His Day Early
I'm still here in Aruba until tomorrow but that hasn't stopped me from pondering a few things particularly since I do have an internet connection so I can stay informed on all that's been going on in between trips to the beach. So last weekend Steve Park made his return to the modified series, racing at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut. Unfortunately he encountered mechanical problems on lap 68 that caused him to drop out of the race but I've seen it said that until that point he was racing extremely well and seemed to be enjoying himself. It surely was fun for him considering there's a big photo on his website of his team that day. Okay, some are saying what's the big deal about a photo? But that site has pretty much been a barren wasteland this season even with when it comes to photos and information about his on-the-track activities. So it must have really been important to him to get that photo up there.
I wish that Steve had more opportunities to just race for fun. That's what Ken Schrader does all the time and some other drivers such as Robby Gordon, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and others race on the side for fun at various local tracks or in the case of Gordon and Biffle, off-road. Some drivers are prohibited from doing as lot as per their contracts but I would think it must reinvigorate their love of racing to be able to go to a track and not have to worry too much for a little while about the usual pressure and obligations that comes from racing in Nascar. Last season Steve talked about how much fun it was to race in the truck series, I wonder if he's still having so much fun considering the struggles of the #62 team? I won't bother revisiting all that I talked about in my entry about Steve's future in racing, but if racing in Nascar isn't as much fun as it once was, how much longer will he want to do it?
I've never had the opportunity to talk to a driver about what their definition of fun at the track is but I'm guessing it might be slightly different from that of the fans. Everyone wants to have a good time with their buddies at the track and have it be a great race, the drivers included but what makes a great, fun race might be a bit different to the drivers than it is to the fans. Once they strap into the car it's like a different world, one that we, the fans, probably can't fully understand no matter how much we try. But I would guess having a car or truck that handles in a certain way, allowing a driver to pass his competitors at will and race his way up front is pretty fun. I'd like that to happen a little more often for Steve and for Michael Waltrip as well, though I think Michael had a lot more opportunities for that kind of fun this season than Steve.
That must be every driver's dream to be in a car week after week that is competitive, with a strong team that offers him or her a very good chance to win each week. The top drivers are mostly in rides like that and I think that's what every driver aspires to. It's just too bad that increasingly it appears to be getting harder and harder for a lot of teams to field those kind of rides. Even some of the formerly better organizations like DEI and RCR have had their struggles recently. And I don't think it's going to end - the powerhouse organizations will get stronger and the smaller, independant teams will struggle more. I wish Nascar would address some of the underlying issues in a more definitive way but I digress. The bottom line is that some of the opportunities for fun on the track might be decreasing, particularly for the older drivers.
But I hope there's more fun on the horizon for Steve, whether it be in the modifieds or elsewhere.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:18 PM | Comments (0)