February 03, 2009
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Blasts Track Owners for Wanting Drivers to do More
Recently Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports, said that he thought that the drivers needed to do more to encourage fans to go to races and buy tickets. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. didn't take too kindly to those remarks. He said in an interview with Sports Illustrated,
"The race track owners want drivers to do more? Yeah, right. They need to go back to work. They forgot what it's like to sell tickets. That's their problem. They ain't had to sell tickets for a long time and none of them remember how or knew how or ever learned how. They need to get back to working hard and doing their promotions and putting packages together for race fans. They don't want to cut the ticket price but they probably should and get these hotels to quit gouging these people. They can dump that responsibility on drivers all they want but the responsibility really lies in their hands to sell race tickets and they have to get creative in doing it. We already do a lot. We do [bleeping] plenty and they are full of [bleep]."
I agree with Junior that the tracks have to put together packages, reduce ticket prices, try to work with area hotels to encourage them to reduce room rates and figure out other ways to make going to the track affordable - and enjoyable - for race fans. However, I think the drivers share some responsibility as well when it comes to making fans want to come to the track to see races.
Perhaps for a driver like Junior it doesn't seem as important to him because he has such a large fanbase, many of whom will be his fans and attend races regardless of how much it costs or what happens. But the sport overall is, in my opinion, has some serious issues when it comes to the fans in general in that a lot of fans are becoming disinterested and discouraged, and the reasons go beyond the economy - quite a few fans are so unhappy with the direction the sport is going in that they no longer want to invest time, money or effort into being a fan. I think all entities from NASCAR to the drivers, sponsors and teams all share some responsibility in changing that trend. However, one of the best ways to renew a fan's excitement about the sport beyond what happens on the track is if they have a positive experience with a driver.
Junior is completely correct that the drivers already do a lot. They do countless public and private appearances for sponsors and other entities. On race day they have hospitality and suite visits. There are numerous media obligations, commercial and photo shoots.In addition there are also many times when drivers spontaneously reach out to the fans by signing autographs on pit road or stopping to speak with a fan at the track. But I think at times there is still room for improvement and ways in which some drivers - Junior included - can do their part to engage and encourage fans. It doesn't mean that they have to spend every minute of their spare time with the fans, but there are drivers who seem to do everything they can to avoid the fans and when they do interact with the fans make it seem like it's the last thing they want to do - that shouldn't be happening. Even if it's just a smile and a wave when they pass some fans, a little extra effort can go a long way. When a fan comes away from meeting a driver with a memory that they'll treasure for a lifetime I think it goes a long way towards ensuring their loyalty not only to that driver but to the sport as well.
Virtually every time Junior does an autograph signing there are numerous stories about how he barely pays attention to the people he's signing for. He doesn't look up, doesn't smile, sometimes doesn't acknowledge them and some have said that at times he talks on the phone while he's signing. No driver is going to be able to have a conversation or acknowledge every fan at a signing, and there are going to be times when they might have to take an important phone call or speak with someone who is there. It's especially difficult for a driver like Junior who has so many fans who show up any time he does an appearance. But I also think there's something to be said for showing some common courtesy as much as possible towards people who may have traveled a great distance, spent money and waited in line for a long time. Saying "hi" or giving someone a smile as they hand something over to be signed at an appearance shouldn't be too much to ask, not just from Junior but from the other drivers as well. I'm sure that most drivers would rather do just about anything than sign autographs and deal with strangers, some of whom are strange or demanding, but there are definitely some drivers who are better than others about giving the appearance of wanting to interact with the fans.
Of course there's another side to things as David Poole brought up on The Morning Drive on Sirius this morning. There are a lot of fans who don't understand that when the drivers are at the track their focus is with their race teams. There can't always stop to sign autographs because they may have obligations to their team or somewhere to be. Just like anyone else the drivers also have bad days or get distracted. There are also fans who don't know how to behave appropriately whether it's asking for an autograph at a clearly inappropriate time or doing things like invading a driver's personal space. I've been lucky enough to have hot passes a few times and even when the garage is hot I've been appalled by how crowded it can be and how many fans will chase down drivers and crew members for autographs even when they're in the middle of working on the cars. Poole suggested that NASCAR enforce the policy of not letting drivers sign autographs in the garage area, and I guess because I've never been into autographs myself, I would have no problem if they reinstated that rule. As much as I think the drivers need to do their part to engage the fans, I also think there needs to be some boundaries.
The bottom line though, is that the drivers - Junior included - and the sport would be nothing without the fans. The sponsors pay the bills and are essential to the teams and drivers, but they are on the cars because they want to race the fans. The fans not only cheer for the drivers at home and at the track but also buy tickets and merchandise. If there are no fans there is no profit, not just for the tracks and the teams, but also for the drivers since they get a cut of merchandise sales. The sport really can't survive without the fans and it's not just the responsibility of the tracks to make sure that people remain fans of the sport and show up at the track.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:34 AM | Comments (2)
December 03, 2008
Negativity and Fan Expectations
This morning on "The Morning Drive" on Sirius two topics that I've discussed a few times in this space came up: fan negativity and drivers showing personality. David Poole is of the opinion - and I agree with him - that Nascar fans are extremely negative oftentimes more so than fans in other sports. Where I wasn't on the same page with him was when he said that fans say they want to see more personality from the drivers but then complain when they do show some personality - not this fan. I might not agree with what the drivers say or do and I might not always agree with the way a driver chooses to deliver their message but I'm definitely not going to complain about drivers speaking their minds or otherwise showing some personality. The garage area needs a lot more of that.
So I emailed "The Morning Drive" the following:
Earlier there was a discussion about how negative Nascar fans often are and I have to agree that fans of this sport are excessively negative. To bring a New York sports team into it as you did earlier, my husband and myself run NYYFans.com, a New York Yankees fan site with a 20,000 member fan forum. Of course with that many people there is plenty of complaining about what's going on with the team but even this season as disappointed as everyone was with the team failing to make the post-season, fans were still able to cheer when the team won or when individual players did well, and many fans are optimistic about next season. Not so in Nascar where it seems like it's constant doom and gloom, and it was that way even when there weren't issues related to the poor economy to worry about.It's really amazing sometimes how negative a lot of Nascar fans are. More and more it's hard to tell if some of these "fans" are really even fans of the sport or any of the drivers - seems like a lot of people enjoy complaining and being negative a lot more than they do cheering for or supporting their favorite drivers. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of times I disagree with things that are said and done in this sport and as a Michael Waltrip fan sometimes there hasn't been a lot to cheer about the past few years. But to me it's a lot more fun to focus on the positive and not let the things that have gone wrong for Michael or that I don't like in the sport as a whole ruin my entire experience as a fan.
As for the issue of the drivers showing personality, David won't believe me but I say bring it on! The more personality and the more outspoken a driver is the better! I have no problem with Kyle Busch or Scott Speed any other driver who shows some personality. I love hearing different opinions even if I don't agree with what's being said because sometimes it makes me think about things in a way I hadn't considered. I don't expect the drivers to always have the same opinions I do or do things the way that I would, and I also expect that they're going to make mistakes or do stupid things sometimes just like anyone else. Maybe a reason why a lot of things don't bother me like it does other fans because I don't expect everything and everyone in the sport to only be the way I want them to be.
During the last segment of the show they usually read some of the emails that they've gotten during the morning and the last paragraph of my email was one that they read on-the-air. When David finished reading my email he said in reference to the last sentence of my email something along the lines of how I'm one of a minority of fans who thinks that way. Is that really true? That a lot of fans complain so much because they have difficulty when things aren't the way they want them to be?
I think there is some truth to that idea. Some fans seem to be very bothered by anything that's unfamiliar or different and that seems to be more so for fans of Nascar than for fans of other sports. Every sport has negative fans, fans who like to complain, fans who are intolerant of opinions and ways of doing things that are different from their own as well as fans who can't stand change. But this sport seems to have more of those kinds of fans than other sports. I don't really understand why that is.
Change isn't a bad thing to me. I don't always like when change happens but I understand things can't stay the same forever and that change is necessary for progress and growth to be made. I like hearing other people's opinions even if they're very different from my own. I'm not too comfortable with the direction the sport is headed in right now and I worry about what the future holds for Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing. But I understand that life isn't always fair and things aren't always going to go the way I want them to whether it's in professional sports, with the teams and drivers I'm a fan of or just in life in general. I might not like it but I accept that's going to happen.
Fans have the right to voice their opinions whether they agree or disagree with what's said and done in the sport - I certainly do all the time. I just wish some of my fellow fans would dial down the over-the-top negativity and unhappiness sometimes.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2008
Clay Aiken Comes Out of the Closet
In a People magazine article just hitting newstands (and their website) Clay Aiken has confirmed what has long been rumored - he's gay. The reason Aiken came out of the closet now is because of his infant son Parker, whom he had via in-vitro fertilization with a long-time friend. Aiken said,
"It was the first decision I made as a father. I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that."
The reaction of the "Claymates," aka, the Clay Aiken fans is interesting. While there are many who are completely accepting and just as supportive as ever of Aiken now that he's out of the closet, there are many who are upset, feel betrayed and even some who feel they can no longer be a fan of his. For some the issue is a religious or moral one, but for many it's what Aiken cited as his reason for coming out of the closet - there is a segment of fans who feel that they've been lied to for years and they don't like it.
I've never been a fan of Aiken or his music and to me someone's sexual orientation is like most things in their personal lives - none of my business. Nor does it matter to me one way or another whether someone is gay or straight. So perhaps it's hard for me to truly understand why some of Aiken's fans are so upset. I don't think Aiken owed it to his fans to share with them the details of his sexual preferences or anything else about his personal life for that matter. Some fans feel personally betrayed by Aiken but the reality is that no matter how much it may seem like a fan knows a celebrity or athlete through interviews, appearances on TV or the radio or even when they see them in person at appearances, the reality is that unless you spend time with them regularly and/or are a friend or relative, then fans don't truly know those they admire. All they know is what that person chooses to share with them and that may only be a part of who they really are.
There are also a lot of fans of Aiken who are judging him based on their own beliefs, morals and values, which may not be his own. Aiken is entitled to his own opinions and beliefs, and has the right to live his life the way he chooses even if it's in a way that some of his fans don't approve of. Aiken has to make the decisions that are right for himself, at the time that's right for him, not those decisions that are right for his fans, when they want him to. It's striking to me how selfish some of the reactions are. How some feel that hearing "I told you so" from friends or family is worse than what Aiken has had to deal with and will have to deal with in relation to being a gay man when there is quite a bit of homophobia. That's kind of amazing to me. So what if someone says "I told you so?"
I try to be accepting of those that I'm a fan of - there are very definitely things that my favorite drivers and baseball players have done or said that I don't agree with, and I've been disappointed at times with some things. There are things that they might do that I wouldn't do and decisions that they've made at times that I don't think are wise. I accept that they are human just like anyone else and have faults, and make mistakes. They experience the full range of emotions, good and bad, and will sometimes act out or behave in ways that I don't like. As accepting and as understanding as I try to be, yes, there are times that the way I view certain athletes that I've been a fan of has changed, so I can understand why some fans of Aiken may feel different about him. However, I try to be tolerant of the right of those that I'm a fan of to do as they please and live their lives as they choose. Even those who I may be less of a fan of now as compared to the past I still wish them well and nothing but happiness - seems like some fans of Aiken are having a hard time even wishing Aiken well with his new baby.
The reality is that Aiken will likely lose some fans, maybe even a lot of fans. There's always going to be a segment of fans for every celebrity or athlete who can only accept them the way they think they are or the way they think they should be, as opposed to the way they really are.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:38 PM | Comments (4)
July 24, 2008
What's So Wrong With a Little Controversy?
Recently I was accused of always causing controversy (among other misdeeds) because of things that I post on a particular driver's (not Michael Waltrip's) fan forum. What it seems to come down to is that some of my opinions, even though they are completely appropriate (within the forum's community standards, no bashing, name-calling, etc...), are so objectionable and intolerable to some that disagree that they can't stand to read them and thus lash out. But I was thinking about the statement that was made about causing controversy and I wondered - just exactly what's wrong with a little controversy? Of course ugly arguments where people throw around personal insults are never productive, but controversies often involve a debate where people have different opinions and disagree with each other and it's hard for me to see what's so horrible about that. I never post with the intention of upsetting people or causing an argument, I simply post what I'm thinking about - problem for me is that's often a lot different than what others are thinking. But just exactly what's wrong with that?
To me differences of opinion are a good thing. I know full well I often see things differently than other people do. I don't think I'm always right so I want to know what other people think and I want to think about things from a different point-of-view than I might have considered previously because I know I might learn something. On this same forum it was once said that I should pick and opinion and stick to it since I sometimes changed my mind or saw both the positive and negative about this driver and other situations. Well, I do change my mind on some things and that's exactly why I think it's important for there to be debate, discussion and differing opinions - by leaning and thinking about things my opinions evolve. Unfortunately though (speaking generally as opposed to this particular situation) some are too set in their own opinions to consider different opinions or even be able to tolerate opinions other than their own, others see opposing opinions as something threatening or bad and still others see differences of opinion as something that needs to be avoided at all costs, for a variety of reasons from thinking that fans should only have certain opinions to thinking that things aren't "right" unless everyone agrees all the time. That's not realistic though - everyone has a different perspective on life, and isn't going to view any situation, including a driver, in the exact same way as someone else.
The English writer William Hazlitt once said, "When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest." There's a lot of truth to that statement. When no one can be bothered to agree or disagree then no one cares. That there continues to be discussion about this particular driver reflects that just how passionately some continue to care about his career and what happens to him. It's that passion of course that drives the "controversy." Fans feel an emotional connection to those that they cheer for that they can't help but care, and care greatly.
There's another quote which is applicable and ironically this particular driver once said it to some fans. It's by Dr. Seuss and it's a long-time favorite of mine. It goes, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” At the core of who I am is a deep-seeded belief in saying what I think even if it's an unpopular opinion and even if some don't like it. I also believe that as long as it's expressed appropriately others should also state their opinions freely. And I also think that everyone should feel to disagree and debate each other as they wish, yes, even if it's "controversial." I will always speak my mind and I won't allow myself to be bullied into silence. Things that are said online are usually meaningless in the grand scheme of things - what's said about a race car driver is certainly inconsequential, as are the personal insults that have been flung my way. But in the "real" world away from the computer there is great importance to speaking one's mind. Experiences in my past have very much shown me the importance of not staying silent, and especially not because of what someone else might think.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:24 PM | Comments (0)
June 27, 2008
Things I'm a Fan of... aka Things I Like
Someone posted a thread asking this on NYYFans and I figure it would be good to talk about some of the things I like a lot to off-set the sourness of my post earlier today on something I don't like too much. Of course Jim, family, friends and the dog come before all.
*Nascar - I love racing in general and have since I was a little girl. My favorite drivers are Michael Waltrip and Steve Park but I also like David Reutimann, Josh Wise, Michael McDowell, Elliott Sadler, Ken Schrader, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and many others.
*The sound of the engines being started on pit road. Watching a pit stop from pit road. The busyness of the garage area and the teams at work. Close finishes. Exciting racing. First time winners.
*Baseball - New York Yankees fan now and always. My all time favorite players are David Cone, Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill, John Olerud and Robin Ventura (even though the last two were only Yankees for a short time). Current favorites are Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina and Alex Rodriguez.
*The excitement of walking into Yankee Stadium. A great pitching duel. Grand slams. Walk-off home-runs. Small ball that wins games.
*Photography - I'm constantly looking around me and seeing opportunities for photos. If I could spend all day, every day taking photos I would be very happy. One day I'd love to go from National Park to National Park exploring and taking photos. I'd love to go from race to race (with hot passes of course) doing the same. Not only do I love taking photos myself I very much enjoy seeing other people's photography, particularly landscapes and nature as well as aerial photography. Ansel Adams and David Muench are my favorite photographers.
*Speaking of National Parks - love 'em! I've not been to many National Parks but I'm in awe of the beauty of within them. I'm very interested in the history of National Parks and I also love to read everything I can get my hands on about National Parks from the history of individual parks to search and rescue accounts to journals of people who explore remote areas of the parks. Particular favorites include two that I've actually visited - Crater Lake, Grand Canyon and Acadia as well as a whole host of others that I haven't - Yellowstone, Yosemite, Arches, Canyonlands, Zion, and Bryce Canyon. A new favorite that I've started getting into reading about is Olympic National Park.
*Rocks - Since I was a little girl I've been fascinated by rocks. I have a collection of rocks and minerals and I love going to gem and mineral shows. My favorite rock is rutilated quartz but I like pretty much anything that has inclusions in it.
*Rock formations that have been eroded by wind, water or sand. Canyons, particularly slot canyons - never been to one but I love reading about them and seeing photos of them. The arches, hoodoos and other formation in Utah and other parts of the Southwest are particularly beautiful to me. I got a small taste of all of that in Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada and I hope one day to visit Utah and do some exploring there. I also love sea stacks and wave smoothed rocks and stones.
*The ocean. I could sit all day on the beach, not sunning myself but watching the waves. I love the sound of waves crashing to shore. I love picking up stones, shells and sea glass along the edge of the water. Seagulls. Tide pools. Starfish, sea urchins and horseshoe crabs. Minus tides. Rocky coast of Maine. Big waves. The beach at sunrise or sunset. Driftwood.
*Magazines - I love to read in general but I especially love magazines! I like reading about places so I have subscriptions to magazines about New Jersey, Maine and Arizona and also pick up magazines about Cape Cod and Cape May regularly. I also subscribe to Nascar Scene, Food Arts, Outside, Rock & Gem, Popular Photography, Shutterbug, Photo District News, Outdoor Photographer and Entertainment Weekly. When I visit a bookstore I almost always leave with other magazines from Rolling Stone to climbing magazines, basically whatever catches my eye.
*Books - I almost exclusively only read non-fiction particularly books about nature, the outdoors, national parks and photography. I used to be very into reading mysteries, African-American literature and literature of the Holocaust and will sometimes still read books in that genre.
*Going online - aside from being a admin and moderator for NYYFans, and I'm also the moderator of a Nascar related forum. There's good and bad things about moderating forums but mostly I like it. Besides that I enjoy discussing racing on a handful of racing forums. I'm a news junkie so I like to visit a bunch of news sites. I just like information in general so I'm always visiting sites related to all the things I'm interested in.
*Music - I love anything that rocks from classic rock to alternative to hair bands to heavy metal. I also like some pop and dance music as well as jazz. I have way too many favorite bands and musicians to list them all but a few are Simon & Garfunkel, old Metallica, Poison, Bon Jovi, old Skid Row, old Motley Crue, Scorpions, John Mellencamp, James Blunt, Three Doors Down, Fleetwood Mac, Joe Satriani, Pink Floyd, Scorpions, The Police, U2, Tom Petty and Santana. Also way too many favorite songs but a few are Ozzy's "Crazy Train," "Fly Me Courageous" by Drivin 'n Cryin', "Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab for Cutie, "Patterns" and "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel, "Tusk" and "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, "Here Comes the Rain Again" by the Eurthymics, "Rain on the Scarecrow" by John Mellencamp and "No One Like You" and "The Zoo" by the Scorpions. I love listening to everything via Rhapsody on my computer or by using my IPod.
*Satellite Radio - "Michael Waltrip Out Loud" and Claire B. Lang. Plus having a channel for every kind of music imaginable is awesome!
*TV - favorite shows include This Week in Nascar, Top Chef, Project Runway, The Simpsons, Family Guy, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Rock of Love. Favorite shows of the past that I miss dearly are Arrested Development and Homicide: Life on the Street.
*Places - anywhere on the ocean or near a beautiful landscape. Cape May, NJ. Ogunguit, Maine. Jekyll Island, GA, particularly Driftwood Beach. Cannon Beach, Oregon. I also love Las Vegas. Cape Porpoise, Maine. Island Beach State Park in NJ. The wild side of Aruba.
*Rivers, waterfalls, lakes, streams - anywhere that there's running/moving water.
*The Paulinskill Viaduct. A huge abandoned (for now) railroad viaduct, beautiful and in the middle of the woods of New Jersey.
*Longwood Gardens - beautiful gardens and fountains on the old Dupont estate in Pennsylvania.
*Grounds for Sculpture.
*Walt Disney World, especially Epcot. Not just for the rides but for the photography.
*Going out to eat at great restaurants. Been to way too many to pick a favorite or mention them all. Expensive or a cheap hole-in-the-wall, as long as the food is good I'm happy.
*I love food. It's a good thing I have a fast metabolism and I've always been thin because I love to eat! Some of my favorite foods include cheese, pizza, french fries, bread, sushi, smoked fish, seafood, anything Asian, dumplings, Spaetzle, matzo ball soup, potato pancakes, perogies, and pasta.
*Porches. Especially rocking chairs on porches on Victorian houses by the sea.
*Hammocks.
*Pugs. Dogs and cats of all kinds but especially when they have smooshy faces.
*Patterns. In nature or otherwise. Love to draw my own. I've got a design I've been working on variations of for probably 15 years now. Every one is similar yet different in the way it's drawn and the colors I use.
*Spirals.
*Lighthouses
*Climbing. I've never climbed anything in my life and likely won't but I like reading about mountain climbing (Everest and some of the mountains in the Northwest especially) and big wall climbing (particularly in Yosemite).
*Anything purple. Colors and things that are colorful.
*Sparkles.
*Silver
*Getting bargains when I'm clothes shopping (not that I go shopping often anymore). Century 21. TJ Maxx. Marshall's. Betsey Johnson. Boots.
*Symbols and symbolism. The meanings to things.
*Learning. Thinking about things. Ideas. Being creative.
*Writing in this blog... obviously.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)
Intolerant of Intolerance
I've always said that even after Michael Waltrip retires that I would continue being a Nascar fan, not only because I would want to support the drivers who are racing for him but also because I love racing. And I still love racing as much as I ever did and I would still want to support anything that Michael's involved with now and in the future. However, I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be as enthusiastic of a fan in the years to come as I am now. Unlike many of my fellow fans my issues aren't with the governing body of the sport or with which drivers are successful right now. As anyone who has read this space regularly might have noticed my issues are with many of my fellow fans.
I've always had a problem with prejudice and intolerance. This comes from my experiences growing up in a small town where being Jewish and thinking different didn't go over very well with some. The small-mindedness and intolerance of some of my fellow Nascar fans is bothering me more and more. There is a distrubingly large amount of fans who are intolerant of differences in race, religion, ethnicity sexual preference, part of the country someone is from, opinions, etc.. For this second time this week I've seen things expressed that are hateful and disgusting. While I realize this doesn't reflect the belief of all fans, it appears to be acceptable to way too many of my fellow fans to hate on anything and anyone that thinks, behaves or looks different from the way that some people think is "right." Maybe those fans are just more vocal about what they think and others are afraid to disagree with them but it's alarming the kinds of comments that are made.
I know that not everyone can have the same opinions as I do, and a lot of times I either state my differing opinion as part of a discussion or just ignore things all together. But I find myself getting angry lately. There's some comments that are made that are ignorant of fact and there's some that are just flatout hateful. There's a lot of hate in some of my fellow fans. I've never understood how it was possible for fans to hate people they've never met before and only know through interviews or from watching them on TV. The fact of the matter is that doesn't give a true picture - positive or negative - about who someone is. That a driver wrecked another driver isn't reflective of the totality of who someone is as a person either though some fans sure seem to think so. Don't get me wrong, there's drivers I don't like and there are things that go on that I don't agree with but hate? I barely hate anyone or anything in my day-to-day life I'm certainly not going to hate anyone in Nascar. But a lot of fans are completely intolerant of any driver making a mistake or otherwise doing or saying anything "wrong" and that intolerance is so ingrained that it turns into hate for some fans. Sad.
The thing is that as much as Nascar has a diversity program and everyone in the sport talks about the importance of diversity the reality is that it's going to be a tough sell to get a lot of fans to accept those people, ideas and things they perceive to be different and therefore "wrong." With some attitudes and beliefs I see things getting worse as time goes on, not better. Of course there's nothing I can do about any of this - arguing with people with certain beliefs is a waste of time since one other thing that I've found is that more than a few of my fellow fans aren't open to considering different opinions. So all I can do is continue to grit my teeth and try to ignore it which isn't always easy. I try to not let other people ruin my enjoyment of something or someone but sometimes it just hard.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)
June 06, 2008
That silverdsl is not this silverdsl
Since I've been getting a lot of continuing traffic from NoMaas let me just say that the silverdsl over there isn't this silverdsl, though someone would like people to think that. Of course that's kind of obvious given the avatar (which I actually find hysterical) and a few other things. It's pretty funny that someone finds me and this blog worthy of so much attention that they copy and paste stuff from here to post there and created a sock puppet to pretend to be me.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:26 PM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2008
Casey Mears is Going to be a Father
I usually avoid discussing the driver's personal lives like the plague in this space. However, there are times when a driver makes something known publically or there's something that's newsworthy and I feel more comfortable discussing it, which is the case in regards to Casey Mears whose girlfriend is pregnant. It's not my place to pass judgment on the rightness or wrongness of Casey's situation (he isn't married). What interests me is how Casey's fans and his sponsor is going to react to this piece of news. Times are changing but there are still many who have very conservative views when it comes to family and that could really present a problem for Casey given that his sponsor is Kellogg's, a brand that markets to families.
Practically since the start of the season rumors have circulated that Casey might be replaced in the #5 even though his deal with Hendrick Motorsports goes through 2009 at least. I haven't really understood where those rumors were coming from because even though Casey hasn't won multiple races while at HMS like some thought he would, he certainly hasn't been awful and some of his poor results have been due to issues out of his control like getting caught in wrecks. However, in light of this news I'm wondering whether there's speculation about Casey losing his ride because his sponsor might not be all that happy about his situation.
Robby Gordon, another single driver, is also rumored to have a pregnant girlfriend. Normally I wouldn't touch a rumor about a driver like that with a ten-foot-flaming pole but it obviously relates to this topic. If that rumor is true, there might be more fans who accept Robby's situation than Casey's. Robby is older, he races for himself, and most significantly Robby has a far less clean-cut image than a driver like Casey. So both Robby's fans and his sponsors are probably less likely to take issue with that kind of thing.
I'd like to think that except in extreme cases like with criminal behavior or drug use that sponsors wouldn't make decisions based on morals or personal behavior but image is very important to the sponsors. It's unfortunate because a lot of things that some fans think is such horrifying behavior from the drivers are things that go on every day in the real world. But some fans hold the drivers up to such a high standard for the way they want them to behave that they can't accept when they act differently. It's kind of unfortunate because most of the time even if the circumstances are non-traditional or difficult a new baby is an event that brings with it a lot of joy.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)
June 04, 2008
Steve Park a Red Sox Fan!?
So I came across some photos of Steve Park working on his #35 East Series car while wearing a Boston Red Sox hat. As a die-hard New York Yankees fan this was a bit of a shock. To be clear I have a great deal of tolerance for Red Sox fans - I respect everyone's right to be a fan of the team that they choose and unlike some of my fellow Yankee fans I don't hate those who cheer for the team up North. That we allow Red Sox fan to post on NYYFans has caused us no small amount of aggrivation as there are some who are quite vocal about disagreeing with our philosophy that we won't discriminate against users just because of the team that they cheer for. So one would think that would mean that it wouldn't bother me to see Steve wearing a Red Sox hat. But it did - it wasn't just a shock, it was like a knife through the heart - the driver I cheer for is a Red Sox fan?!
The worst thing is that Steve is actually from Long Island - I could understand if he was a Mets fan, but the Red Sox? Years ago back when Steve was still racing the #1 car for DEI there was a commercial FOX did to promote their baseball coverage in which they had various drivers wearing hats for the teams they supposedly were fans of. In Steve's case the hat he was wearing was a Yankees hat. Subsequently he said in an interview that he wasn't much of a baseball fan so I would guess that the producers of the commercial gave him that hat to wear because he's from New York. So he may not actually even be a fan of the Red Sox either. Since he's with a team based in the Northeast that may seem like the thing to do to wear a Red Sox hat (jump on the bandwagon).
I'm sure someone, somewhere is thinking "bad fan!" - you're going to stop being a fan of Steve's because he was wearing a Red Sox hat? But I didn't say that did I? It's like how a lot of Nascar fans take issue with fans of other drivers. When you see another fan wearing a hat or shirt of a driver you don't like - Kyle Busch for instance - I would guess that a lot of people wonder why that fan likes Kyle. Some might even think less of that fan because they cheer for Kyle. Conversely if you see another fan who is also wearing something that reflects that they're also a fan of the same driver that you like, particularly if it's your favorite driver, you might smile, give them a thumb's up or even stop to chat. People tend to be drawn to others who have the same interests.
Of course there are some fans who take the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry so seriously that they might stop being a fan of Steve's because he wore a Red Sox hat or in the case of Red Sox fans if he wore a Yankees hat. I suspect Steve might not have any idea just how intense the rivalry is - kind of the way Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans feel about Kyle Busch these days only multiplied by about a hundred.
Why, Steve why?
Posted by silverdsl at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
May 08, 2008
Is There Really Favoritism Show Towards Some Drivers by the TV Broadcasters?
Yesterday on XM much of Claire B. Lang's show, "Dialed In," was devoted to taking fan calls about how more than a few fans believe that there is favoritism or a bias shown to some drivers by those in the TV booth during the various race broadcasts. Much of the discontent among fans is due to all the attention that's being given to Kyle Busch lately, but it's also come up in relation to the way ESPN covers Steven Wallace in the Nationwide Series and about how some fans feel that Darrell Waltrip, doesn't objectively talk about his brother, Michael.
There are times when I share the concern that some fans have in relation to potential bias on the part of those in the booth. Almost all of those who work for the various networks seem to have some sort of tie to a driver, team, manufacturer or sponsor. DW is Michael's brother, Rusty Wallace is Steven's father, Phil Parsons is on the board of Michael Waltrip Racing, Jeff Hammonds is one of the owners of Red Horse Racing, Kenny Wallace races for Jay Robinson Racing and Michael for his own organization, Dale Jarrett just retired from MWR, the list goes on and on. I've wondered at times about the appropriateness of certain broadcasters talking about drivers or teams they have an business or personal interest in. However, I think for the most part as long as those interests are disclosed so that the audiences is aware then it's not much of an issue, especially since in general I don't usually see the same issues that a lot of other fans seem to see in relation to supposed favoritism being shown towards some drivers and teams.
That Kyle Busch is getting a lot of attention seems to be the biggest bone of contention right now for fans. But the reality is that he deserves that attention since he's won multiple races in all three of Nascar's highest series this season. In addition, he's been involved in quite a bit of controversy. I don't like Kyle much myself but even I can recognize that he has a tremendous amount of talent, the way he races creates excitement and that what he's doing is worthy of being talked about. The greater wrong in my opinion would be if the media ignored Kyle because he isn't very popular with fans.
Some fans have even convinced themselves that DW or others are getting paid by Toyota or have a Nascar directive to talk about Kyle so much. Because some fans don't like Kyle and can't acknowledge his ability behind the wheel they seem to think that no one else should either so they have to come up with ridiculous conspiracy theories about how the broadcasters are forces to talk about Kyle when they don't want to. But they are going to talk about anything that impacts the action on the track or is otherwise a storyline or newsworthy and Kyle is definitely that.
Both DW and Rusty are in a particularly bad position when it comes to them commenting on their relatives. If they are as critical as fans want they run the risk of hurting the feelings of people they care about, but if they avoid saying anything bad about Steven or DW some fans are upset. So they're pretty much screwed either way. I find that at times DW makes subtle negative remarks about Michael and that may be his way of playing to those who feel he shows favoritism to his brother. Or it may be what he truly thinks. Problem is unless he's either completely bashing Michael or ignoring him, some fans are going to be unhappy no matter what he says.
The thing is that there's also a bias that exists on the part of the fans that influences how they perceive what the broadcasters say. A fan called into Claire's show yesterday and said that DW talks too much about his "no-talent, field-filler" brother. Well, obviously that fan doesn't like Michael and has a bias against him so no matter what DW says about Michael that's unacceptable to him. Also, no one is going to like it when something bad is said about a driver they like so to some fans that comes across as a broadcaster being biased against that driver when in reality it might simply be a broadcaster giving an opinion. There is no way that the coverage is always going to be positive for every driver all the time - but some fans seem to expect that.
I agree with those fans who aren't happy about how the TV broadcasts sometimes seem to focus on the same drivers over and over again and don't always do a good job of informing the audience about what's going on throughout the field, though I don't think it's because of any kind of favoritism being shown to certain drivers. It's a problem for fans because it's hard to know what's happening with their favorite drivers but also for sponsors because they aren't getting much exposure unless they're with certain teams that are guaranteed to almost always get coverage. The solution I have to the problem of my favorite drivers not getting talked about much is that I use Trackpass to listen to the radio communication of the drivers that I like - usually Michael's - so I always know what's happening with them. Of course that isn't possible for everyone, but it definitely enhances my enjoyment of the races and makes me feel more informed.
That said, I think fans have to be reasonable in their expectations It's okay to wish that a wider variety of drivers and teams were discussed more regularly but also understand that the TV broadcast is always going to give the most attention to those drivers who are racing up front and therefore have the best chance to win, as well as the most popular drivers. It's also hard to talk about what's happening at every point in the race for every team and driver, particularly if there isn't anything of note going on with those teams. There may also be directions given to the broadcast team by producers or limitations due to time. Some Steve Park fans are upset that an interview that Steve did with Speed at Greenville-Pickens wasn't used during the broadcast of the race yesterday. But apparently the race was condensed into an hour which really isn't a lot of time so Speed isn't going to be able to use every piece of footage they got that day.
I guess I'm just not bothered by a lot of the same things as many of my fellow fans when it comes to the broadcasts of the races, but what else is new - it often seems like I'm not on the same page in terms of my opinions as many other fans.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:40 AM | Comments (1)
On Michael Waltrip and the Lack of a Richmond Interview
One driver who has never shied away from speaking to the media is Michael Waltrip. Although I'm not sure that Michael enjoys dealing with the media any more than any other driver does, he recognizes it's an opportunity to get his sponsors exposure and "speak" to the fans. He's also very good at it which is why he's a regular on This Week in Nascar, the Truck Series broadcasts and has his own XM show. However, even Michael is going to have times when he can't or won't speak with the media. Last weekend after Michael retaliated against Casey Mears and got parked for it, there was no interview with him on FOX during their broadcast. Michael did give a comment to a reporter from Nascar Scene that night, discussed it on TWiN, answered questions from reporters about it during testing at Charlotte and will presumably also talk about it on the XM show this evening. However, that's apparently still not good enough for some.
John Daly, from The Daly Planet wrote a column in which as the discussion evolved in the comments section he implied that Michael refused an interview with FOX. Daly feels that Michael as a high-profile driver, car owner and media personality owed it to fans and everyone else to give an interview to explain himself to FOX since it was a national broadcast, and the implication is that by not doing so he did something wrong. I've seen that same sentiment echoed by a number of fans as well. This in spite of the fact that neither Daly, nor anyone else, can seem to come up with anything to show that Michael was available to be interviewed, that he actually refused an interview request or that FOX was even interested in speaking with him.
In fact, based on what two people who were working members of the media that night have said Michael couldn't have given an interview to FOX even if he wanted to. For one thing, Nascar had him in virtual lockdown in their hauler from immediately following the incident when they summoned him to after the race when they got done talking to him. I suppose Michael might have refused an interview on the way to the Nascar hauler but can you blame him? Aside from the fact that he would still be trying to gain control of his emotions at that point, he can't exactly tell Nascar to wait on him because he has to give interviews. Once he was with Nascar he can't tell them to shove off so he can go speak with FOX. By the time he was released from Nascar's version of jail, based on what these people have said those that had waited around for Michael to get a comment from him had left to chase some even bigger stories - Denny Hamlin intentionally bringing out a caution and the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Kyle Busch incident. In addition, it's not like Michael refused to speak at all that night - Nascar Scene got a quote from him. If FOX wanted to speak with him, and I'm not sure that they truly did in light of what other storylines they had to follow, where were they went he was talking to the reporter from Nascar Scene?
Some seem to think that Michael or his public relations representative should have chased down FOX but let's get real. It's hard for teams and drivers to get coverage under normal circumstances let alone during a limited post-race show when there were other major stories. Beyond that once a race ends the drivers and team members are all in a rush to leave the track as quickly as possible. Michael isn't going to want to hang around any longer than he has to, and especially not to give interviews on a negative topic, particularly one that was a little embarrassing for him.
It should be noted that I do think that drivers should speak with the media even about negative news. The fact is that when drivers give interviews to the media that's their way of speaking to the fans. Many fans don't get to the track and don't get the opportunity to speak with the drivers themselves. So their only way of knowing what the drivers have to say or what they're thinking is through the media. The drivers also have a responsibility to their sponsors to get them exposure via interviews and media appearances. Plus, Nascar requires top finishing drivers to speak with the media. In the past I haven't been too thrilled with Tony Stewart for shirking his responsibilities to the media, nor do I care for his adversarial attitude at times. But that's not what Michael did on Saturday. He spoke with at least one reporter, then gave more extensive comments during the week.
It's really hard for me to see what Michael did that was wrong on Saturday in relation to the lack of an interview, particularly when not all the circumstances in relation to whether he spoke with FOX or not was in his control. What's ironic to me is that once Michael did comment at length on TWiN a lot of fans were upset about that too. Some weren't happy with what he said about Casey (he was perhaps a little harsh but that was how he felt at the time) and others felt that he should have been more apologetic (I thought he made it clear that he was embarrassed and knew that he did something wrong). So even when he does comment some people are still unhappy. I think the problem is for some is that he didn't say exactly what they thought he should but the reality is that Michael has his own point-of-view and opinions and he has to say what he's thinking, not what will please the fans or others.
It's been said to me before that no matter what Michael does, and for that matter all the other drivers, no matter how well intentioned they might be, no matter how many good explanations there are, there are still going to be people who find fault and get upset. Don't get me wrong, fans shouldn't be expected to agree with or like everything that a driver says or does. They also should have the right to express their opinions both positive and negative - I certainly do in this space, and I realize at times that I'm too critical of Steve Park for some people's tastes. It just seems sometimes that there's such a focus on the negative, almost to the point where some are looking for any excuse to rip into a driver for some perceived wrong. To some fans nothing lives up to their lofty standards and no matter what a driver does it's wrong. How frustrating that must be for the drivers sometimes.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:11 AM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2007
Michael Waltrip on the Walnutz
Michael Waltrip was interviewed for an email newsletter in relation to the Chex Most Popular Driver award and in response to a question about the most unique fan he's ever met he said,
"I wouldn't necessarily say there has been one particular fan that is unique. However, I am very fortunate to have a very unique and cherished fan following called "Walnutz". At almost every race weekend, I am presented with a special notebook filled with messages and well wishes from members of the Walnutz. As a matter of fact, at Talladega while I was at my souvenir rig, they presented me with a birthday plaque. They are wonderful people. I appreciate their support and friendship. They turn up at a lot of events and appearances I attend, so I look forward to seeing them any chance I get. I am very lucky to have them as fans. I love the Walnutz. They are special and unique to me. "
Although I've never been one for associating myself with groups of fans that name themselves in the past, I most definitely consider myself one of the Walnutz and I agree completely with Michael that they are a most wonderful, special, unique, and I would add devoted group of fans! For those that don't know any fan of Michael's can be considered a member of the Walnutz, but the name started on the fan forum on Michael's official website and it's most closely identified with the fans who are members there. As Michael mentioned, every race weekend, one of the Walnutz who is attending the race gathers supportive and encouraging messages from other Walnutz to take to Michael, along with cover sheets that are designed by one of our very creative Walnutz, Cathy (whose cover sheets are no doubt as much of a hit with Michael and those around him as the messages due to how humorous and well-done they are). Some race weekends there's 30-40 messages or more! If there isn't anyone going to the race that weekend, which is rare, the messages are mailed to Michael at Raceworld. In addition throughout the year there are other projects such as "101 Reasons Why the Walnutz Love Their Head Nut" and a yearly holiday gift for Michael. In addition, the Walnutz are very caring, not only about each other and about Michael, but also about others - over the past two years the Walnutz raised $9,000 for The Waltrip Challenge, which benefits The Fisher Center Foundation that funds research to combat Alzheimer's. Through thick and thin, no matter how bad things got this season, the Walnutz stood by Michael, supported him and believed in him, and we'll continue to do that.
Reading what Michael said about the Walnutz really makes me smile. He's made a variety of comments previously about how much he likes the messages and how he loves the Walnutz, but almost always those comments have come in response to a comment or question from one of us so I think some have wondered whether he's sincere or not. That Michael made these comments on his own should clear up any of those doubts. There's no question that he truly values the Walnutz. I think what's really incredible to me is that he didn't just mention the Walnutz in passing but talked at length about how important we are to him. There's other drivers who mention specific groups of their fans to show appreciation such as Carl Edwards with the Edheads or Steve Park with the Sparkies, but I can't recall another driver saying this much in an interview (or at a hospitality appearance like Michael did over the summer when one of the Walnutz asked him a question) about a group of fans the way Michael did. We, the Walnutz mean a lot to Michael, and he means a lot to us.
There's a lot of people who can't understand why anyone would be a fan of Michael's and doubt that he has many fans (far from the truth). But the way that Michael treats his fans is second to none. Of course every fans thinks that about their favorite driver, and there's no doubt that there are more than a few drivers who are extremely fan-friendly and great with the fans. But there's something really special about the way Michael is with his fans, which includes that he showed his appreciation for the Walnutz with his comments in this interview. Michael has a very unique bond with his fans and it's created a very loyal and devoted fanbase who have been willing to stick by him no matter how bad things got this season. Michael's not only a great driver but he's a great person too!
Posted by silverdsl at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2007
It Might be His Right, But is it Right?
Prince is threatening to sue some of his most diehard fans for copyright and trademark infringement due to materials on some fans websites. While I understand that the law is on Prince's side and I'm also sympathetic to Prince's desire to control and protect his image and music, going after fans is almost always a losing proposition. (In the interest of fair disclosure, it should be mentioned that the fan website that my husband and I run, NYYFans.com received a cease and desist order from Major League Baseball similar to the one the Prince fan websites received a number of years ago when the site was known as Bronx-Bombers.com.) What's particularly disturbing about the cease and desist orders that Prince had his representatives send out is how extreme they are. Prince isn't just concerned about bootleg audio and video, or about album cover artwork, but he's also gone so far as to tell these websites that they even have to remove artwork, and fan photos of tattoos and license plates that depict his image or relate to him. That seems excessive.
Odds are the negative publicity and ill-will Prince is going to create with his fans, some of whom have been fans of his for as long as 30 years, will outweigh anything he gains by making these sites remove what he finds objectionable or shutting them down. What's amazing to me is that these are the people that Prince should be reaching out to the most. The three websites involved have active fan forums and are a tremendous source of news and information about Prince. There's likely no other place to get as much information about Prince outside his official site, than on these sites. In addition, without fans like those who run these sites and participate on them, Prince is nothing. There would be no one to listen to his music, no one to buy his albums, no one to attend concerts and no one to support him. Given that Prince's popularity has waned in comparison to years ago, it seems to me he should be happy and thankful that people still care enough to spend time, money and effort on maintaining websites like these to spread the word about him and his music.
Whenever an individual or entity sends out cease and desist orders like this the question comes up about whether it's an effort to quell free speech and shut down websites or forums that might have critical or negative comments. While I think it's likely that the primary purpose is in fact protecting their copyrights and trademarks, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that some use copyright and trademark protections as a way to shut down websites they don't like. In the end that never works out. For one thing, it's impossible to completely control what fans discuss or think. There will always be negativity and criticism - fans aren't going to like everything that their favorites think or do. But nothing makes fans angrier than when they think there's an effort to censor them. Why would any artist do something to make fans angry and drive them away, when their success is dependent on those same fan's support?
So Prince isn't wrong to be trying to protect his image, his trademarks and anything copyrighted to him. However I'm not so sure he's doing the right thing by going after his fans.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:13 PM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2007
"They Think I'm Terrible"
As it turns out I'm not the only one who might be frustrated by some of the comments and attitudes of some Nascar fans. Last night on
Although I always speak my mind whether I'm being positive or negative, I try to keep in mind that the person who I'm talking about or someone who knows them could come across what I've posted about them. We've certainly seen that plenty of times on NYYFans.com. - the time when Curt Schilling de-lurked to put a user in his place comes to mine. I don't shy away from disagreeing with someone or being critical, but I also try to be respectful and I don't bash or resort to insults no matter how much I might dislike a driver (or player). The thing is that for a lot of my fellow fans they either don't care about whether the person they're talking about reads what they post, they might have an agenda to damage the reputation of those they're posting about, or they get off on the idea that the person they're posting about - or their fans - might read and get upset by what they've posted.
For a lot of fans they feel they should be able to post whatever they want on a fan forum, and to an extent I agree. I hope that the drivers respect their fans right to their opinions, positive or negative. The reality is that not everyone is always going to agree with everything that a driver say or does. And that's not always a bad thing. I think the world is a much more interesting place when there's a variety of opinions and viewpoints. However, as anyone who has ever been on one of the forums I moderate knows, I think that there are limits to the way that people should be able to express their opinions, which is why there's community standards in place to prevent bashing, personal insults or other inappropriate posts, whether it's directed towards a driver, player or another user. Unfortunately there's a lot of fan who feel that even the most basic of community standards equals a loss of their freedom of expression, though of course the first amendment doesn't apply on message boards and forums.
Some fans enjoy going from forum to forum bashing and insulting the same drivers and their fans over and over again. Some fans are nothing more than bullies who either try to stifle opinions they don't agree with or get pleasure out of harassing fans of drivers they don't like. Some fans have issues in their own lives that cause them to post in certain ways - I've come to think that's actually pretty common in that some fans react in certain ways because of their own life experiences and their own issues and that it's not always as much about the drivers they're posting about as it seems on the surface.
What's ridiculous is that all many fans have to draw upon to form an opinion about what kind of a person a driver is comes from little more than what they see in the media or in brief appearances at an autograph signing. And there's no way for the majority of fans to know the details of what goes on behind-the-scenes in terms of what gets said at internal team meetings, what's in contracts, the totality of the thinking behind various decisions, etc... But that doesn't stop these fans from posting their opinions about the drivers and what terrible people they think they are as fact, when often they have very little evidence to back up anything that they're claiming is true. Sometimes they even refuse to consider the known facts. Of course to race in one of Nascar's three highest levels, a driver has to be tremendously talented, and particularly if they stick around for any length of time, but some fans are insistent that every driver other than their favorite driver sucks. Some fans think that anyone could be a Cup driver - most of these fans wouldn't last one lap of one race in a Cup car nor could they deal with a lot of the off-the-track pressure from sponsors, fans and the media like the drivers have to.
This season has been difficult enough on Michael, and it would be unfortunate if he's taking negative things that fans say about him on the internet to heart. I'd hope his focus would be on the positive articles that some in the media have written recently or the supportive and positive things that his many fans say on the forum on his site, on other forums, in blogs like this one, in messages to him and in many other places. Sometimes the negative fans are the loudest but in reality often times they make up a small but vocal minority. Michael has a huge fanbase, much larger than some of the bashers think, and the people who will support him through thick and thin, those that have stuck around in spite of the struggles the past two seasons matter far more than those who can't stand Michael, in many cases for completely illogical reasons.
Like I said in my "frustrated" entry, unfortunately it looks like the problem with fans who are nothing but negative all the time and see nothing wrong with bashing the drivers they don't like doesn't seem like it's going to change any time in the near future so if reading these comments bothers Michael, he's going to have to find a way to ignore them... or figure out a way to put the bashers in their place.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:01 PM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2007
It Works Both Ways
The writers who cover Nascar for Yahoo! have a blog in which one of them posted an exchange he observed at Loudon, between Tony Stewart and a fan:
During the driver's meeting prior to the race, a female fan asked Tony Stewart for his autograph. This isn't an uncommon occurrence, as virtually all drivers, some crew chiefs and even NASCAR president Mike Helton were asked for autographs on the way to the meeting Sunday morning – and most obliged, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.As for Stewart, instead of simply saying "no" or just walking on by, he stopped, turned to the fan in question and said, "I don't know if you've heard about it, but there's a little event called a race today and I gotta be in it."
In the time he spent proving his point, he easily could have signed several autographs.
From what I've heard Tony doesn't often sign autographs at the track, and isn't too willing to sign any autographs outside of organized appearances at Home Depots. It's something that's always bothered me a little because I've been less than impressed with some of the stories I've heard about how Tony turns fans away. Much like he did with this woman, he doesn't have any problems being rude or sarcastic. Of course we have no idea how this woman acted towards Tony either. Perhaps she was rude when she asked him for an autograph. Perhaps it wasn't an appropriate time. Maybe Tony was in danger of being late to the driver's meeting. But would it be so terrible if Tony signed a few more autographs for fans at the track?
There's no question that some fans don't understand that when a driver is at the track their priority is with their team and secondarily with any sponsor and media obligations they might have. While I think the drivers should make an effort to acknowledge the fans, even if it's just with a smile and a wave, and sign autographs when they can, the fact is that the drivers are there to race. A driver can't always stop to sign autographs, especially in light of how much a driver has on their schedule when they're at the track. Some fans don't understand that when a driver walks by without stopping to sign it might be because they have somewhere they have to be - a meeting with their crew chief, an interview to give, a sponsor to entertain or a hundred other things. Not to mention the drivers are human beings, not robots. They might not be feeling good, have personal problems or other things on their mind that put them in a bad mood or not in the right frame of mind to interact with fans.
In the four times that I've been lucky enough to be in the garage area I've never once asked for an autograph from any of the drivers. In fact this last time at Pocono I was so used to never asking for autographs that when I was lucky enough to meet with Michael Waltrip I forgot to pull out the photos that I had with me for him to sign. Now I understand that not every fan is like me - to some fans autographs are very important and they have a lot of fun collecting as many as they can. There's nothing wrong with that as long as it's done appropriately. But unfortunately not every fan knows how to act appropriately. I've been shocked by some of what I've seen. Fans screaming at drivers, not just to get their attention to get them to come over to sign, but to curse them out for not signing. Fans who chase or stalk drivers. Fans who approach the drivers when they're getting in or out of their cars in the garage. Fans who try to sneak into the garage area or motorcoach lot.
What I'm always amazed by is what happens before (and after) the driver's meeting, which is when Tony had that exchange with the fan who wanted his autograph. An hour or more before the meeting is scheduled to start countless fans start gathering behind barricades where the meeting is to take place. Every driver and crew chief is required to attend the driver's meeting so it's a good time to spot all the drivers. However, many fans aren't satisfied with just a glimpse of their favorite drivers, they will chase, push, shove, yell and generally do whatever they can to get close to the drivers and get their autographs. The drivers have to run - and many of them just about literally run so they don't get swarmed - a gauntlet of fans waving things at them. Why Nascar doesn't make the garage "hot" at that time to reduce the number of people in the garage at that time is beyond me, though perhaps they feel that allowing fans to stand around outside the driver's meeting is one way of making the drivers accessible to the fans. But getting to and from the driver's meeting can't be a pleasant experience for the drivers. Twice I was with Michael and his "people" as Michael went to the driver's meeting. This most recent time at Pocono we had to push and shove our way through fans who were so insistent on trying to get a piece of Michael or another driver that they didn't care that other people were trying to get through as well. Not fun.
It's really hard for me to relate to the mania that overcomes some fans when they're around the drivers. I'm a huge fan of Michael's, and there's a lot of other drivers that I like but I'm not willing to go to the lengths that some other fans will go. I refuse to stalk or follow my driver around - don't get me wrong, I'll hang out and take lots of photos when I spot Michael, but once he goes elsewhere I won't follow. Once I've taken photos or on the rare times that I'm getting an autograph, I've gotten something signed, I move back and let others get a chance to get something signed. I don't jump up and down, scream and yell or otherwise cause a commotion, though on the inside I'm just as excited as anyone else. So I'm a lot more laid-back than many other fans, not because I'm less of a fan - though I think some think that's the case - but simply because that's just my way.
What irks me about some fans is when they complain about how this driver or that doesn't sign for fans, which is usually accompanied by a remark about how their favorite driver is the best ever with the fans, so much better than the other driver. Let's get real. All the drivers sign for fans. Most of the drivers understand that they have an obligation to be at least minimally friendly to fans. Odds are that even if a driver isn't signing at that particular time, they've signed for fans at another time during the weekend. Someone didn't sign on pit road during qualifying? (Heaven forbid a driver focus on trying to qualify well!) That driver might have just finished signing for fans as they walked out to pit road, or they might have signed during practice in the garage area. Maybe they signed at their souvenir rig or at a fan club meeting. Maybe they even signed at the other end of pit road!
One time I was on pit road at Pocono during qualifying and a woman complained bitterly for probably a half hour about what a jerk Jeff Gordon was because he didn't come over to sign autographs and how it was obvious he didn't care about the fans. Meanwhile, it's likely that Jeff signed autographs for fans in "autograph alley" on the way back to the garage because I've seen him do that before, and I know for a fact later that particular day Jeff took part in a two hour meeting with members of his fan club in which he not only signed autographs and posed for photos, but he did a Q&A session. Yet to this woman, Jeff was a horrible person because he didn't sign for her! Robby Gordon fans are fond of ripping other drivers for not being as fan-friendly as Robby is. It's true that Robby is great with the fans and signs at his souvenir hauler just about every race weekend. But so do a lot of other drivers. One time a Robby fan got on Michael for not being at his souvenir hauler on a Sunday morning when he hadn't made a race - in this fan's mind that made Michael a bad person and far inferior to Robby, who was at his hauler that morning. Meanwhile this fan had no clue that the day before Michael had spent over two hours signing for fans at his hauler! Another time a fan praised Robby to the high heavens for interacting with fans at a time when the race was postponed due to rain. No other driver would do that this fan said. Well, this fan would probably be shocked to learn that Michael and other drivers did the same! This past time at Pocono I saw or heard about almost every driver signing at one time or another (other than Tony), yet I'm sure there were still fans who complained that the drivers these days don't care about their fans because they didn't see certain drivers signing when they were around.
Of course there are also some fans who are demanding and rude. They think they're entitled to an autograph and they're not going to take "no" for an answer. Most drivers learn how to handle those kinds of fans without letting it bother them and there are usually PR reps around to step in if things really go bad. But unfortunately what happens is that fans who don't know how to act appropriately ruin things for the majority of fans who do. If some fans wonder why some drivers don't seem to enjoy interacting with fans or why they hesitate to sign autographs maybe it's because they don't want to deal with people's rudeness which can include name-calling and invading the driver's personal space.
After having said all that, I think that the drivers need to keep in mind that without the fans they wouldn't be where they are. Fan support is essential. Without the fans there's no one to support the sponsors, buy the merchandise, buy tickets to races or cheer the drivers. Taking 30 seconds to sign an autograph can create a memory for a fan that lasts a lifetime. Even just a smile and a wave can make a fan's day. As great as Tony might be when he's at an organized signing at a Home Depot, it bothers me that he sees no problem with brushing off fans in sometimes some not very nice ways, even when they're approached him in an appropriate way. I suppose that with how popular Tony is, no one's very concerned if a few fans turn against him because they had a bad experience with him. But I think every fan is important. A few fans here and there adds up and one day Tony could find himself needing all the fan support he can get. It seems unlikely now but things happen and situations change. No one is on top forever.
As I've said in this space before I used to think that drivers don't owe fans anything but over the past couple of years I've changed my outlook on that. I still don't think the drivers owe fans autographs or that they have to accommodate every whim that every fan has. However, I do think that drivers owe it to the fans who spend so much time and money supporting them some respect and common courtesy. I don't think it's too much to ask that drivers should be polite. That at appearances instead of talking on a cell phone while they're signing (unless it's something urgent) like some have taken to doing, that the driver looks up, smiles and makes eye contact with the person they're signing for. That they remember that just because one fan acted inappropriately doesn't mean that all fans are going to act that way. That they treat their female fans as more than a brainless sex object, and be as nice to their male fans as they are to their female fans. There's a driver (not Michael) who is considered to be very fan-friendly who was pretty rude once to my husband and not very friendly a second time, not because of anything my husband did, but because he was more interested in admiring my rear end, looking down my shirt and giving me (and the other females around) extra attention. This driver was very nice to me and it was amusing, but I lost a little of my admiration for that driver because of the way he was to my husband and the other male fans who were around. Basically, I think that the drivers owe it to their fans to treat them like they'd want to be treated.
So to answer my question - no, I don't think it would be so terrible if Tony signed a little more often at the track. Sure there's a race and that should be his priority, but the fans are pretty important too.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2007
More on the DEI-Ginn Racing Merger
*A significant amount of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans seem to be furious about the merger between DEI and Ginn Racing, and I'm not sure I entirely understand why they're so upset. I get that a lot of Junior fans are angry to begin with at Teresa Earnhardt and DEI as a while over Junior leaving, but some of what's being said about this merger seems completely irrational. This deal makes DEI a stronger organization than they were a week ago, but some fans are insistent that these are moves that are going to cause DEI to collapse. But what is there to back up that line of thinking? DEI has gotten the #15 into the top 35 in owner's points, added some quality drivers to their roster, got the physical space they needed, added the fourth Cup car they wanted, and based on what John Story was saying yesterday on XM might now have the resources to expand back into the Truck Series and elsewhere. Of course the races still need to be run and there's no telling how good the results are going to be, but it's hard for me to see too many negatives about this deal for DEI.
*Some fans are upset that Teresa seems willing to hand over some ownership to Bobby Ginn, but wasn't willing to give Junior the 51% of DEI that he wanted to stick around. But let's be clear about what Bobby Ginn's name on the #01 and #15 cars is all about - owner's points. It's not about control or running DEI, it's about making it possible for the #15 to be in the top 35 in owner's points. Claire B. Lang played some comments yesterday on XM in which John Darby cleared up some misconceptions that many fans, including myself, have about owner's points and numbers. Darby said that Nascar doesn't allow owner's points or car numbers to be directly bought or sold. Ever. He couldn't have been more clear or insistent about this point. But because owners and teams are independent operators what they are allowed to do is enter into business arrangements with each other that may include mergers that make it possible for numbers or owner's points to move from one team to another. So for DEI to get the owner's points from the #14 they had to merge with Ginn Racing, and Bobby Ginn has to be listed as the owner of the #15 since he previously owned the #14. He remains listed as the owner of the #01 as that was a Ginn Racing car previously. While there's been talk of Teresa and Bobby working together on some things, it appears that the only ownership stake Bobby really has in DEI is in those two cars, not in DEI itself. The current management at DEI is going to continue to make decisions as they always have. But if Junior had gotten the 51% ownership in DEI that he wanted it would have been all about control and his ability to make the decisions that he wanted, a very different scenario than what's happening with this merger. Teresa isn't handing over a chunk of DEI to Bobby, she's actually taking over his entire operation, and folding it into DEI.
*One interesting thing that was mentioned on Sirius yesterday is that when Junior made the announcement that he was leaving DEI he made mention of how he wanted to go to an organization where he could win races and contend for a Championship immediately. His comments seemed to indicate he didn't think that was possible right now at DEI. In addition, I think there were some comments made that indicated that he didn't think they were going to do much to improve in the near future. So Dave Moody said that some at DEI viewed Junior's comments as an insult and it was a call to arms, almost a challenge to prove him wrong. On one count at least they've achieved that goal, in that they've very definitely made some changes that are an effort to improve the organization as a whole.
*Speaking of moving forward, some fans seem to feel that DEI should remain frozen in the past. It's funny because when Junior was negotiating with DEI to stay, and then after he announced he was leaving, Teresa was criticized for focusing more on Dale Earnhardt's legacy than on the competition side. However, now that she's done things to try to strengthen DEI, and move past Junior not re-signing, she's still getting criticized. Some seem to think that she's somehow not being true to what Dale would have wanted. But as I've said before, no one really knows for sure how things would have played out if Dale were still alive or what exactly he might or might not have wanted Teresa to do. Some think that if Dale were still alive the driver lineup at DEI would still be Junior, Michael Waltrip and Steve Park, and it would remain that way until all three retired, but I suspect that might not be the case. I loved that lineup as much as anyone else, but I'm not sure that would work in 2007 and beyond as well as it did in 2001-2003. (For one thing Michael couldn't have stayed with DEI and also aligned himself with Toyota as an owner of three Cup teams). Times changes, people change and organizations have to react to the current situations they find themselves in if they want to survive. The other thing is that ultimately DEI is Teresa's company to do with as she likes. The decisions she makes might be the right ones or they might be the wrong ones, only time will tell, but they are her decisions to make, regardless of what the fans think she should do.
*Other fans feel that it was a waste for DEI to get owner's points for the #15 because Paul Menard is just going to fall out of the top 35 in a few weeks because the team and Paul are so lousy. Let's be realistic here. There's a 300 point gap between 30th in owner's points where the #15 now is, and the 36th place car, so Paul's not going to fall out of the top 35 as quickly as some think. Paul has made 13 races this season and finished outside the top 35 only three times. He's shown when he has a good car that he's capable of getting a decent finish. The key is that DEI has to provide him with a car that's going to be competitive on race day. Since the team won't have to worry so much about their qualifying set-up anymore, they can concentrate on their race set-up, so they won't have to play catch-up during races to try to change their car from a qualifying to a race set-up anymore. That should help improve their results. Plus, the reality is that even though the results haven't shown it, Paul has talent behind the wheel. I think we'll likely see some more of it from here on out since the mindset of the team is going to be entirely different than it was just a week ago.
*John Story was on XM yesterday and he put to rest a few rumors that have been circulating. For one thing Mark Martin won't be driving the #8 car next season. John said that right from the start Mark made it clear that he had no intention of returning to racing full-time, that he liked having weekends off. What Mark did offer is his help in any way possible moving forward, and also expressed his desire to continue mentoring young drivers as he had been doing at Ginn Racing. John spoke very highly of Mark and made it seem as if Mark was very enthusiastic about what was going on. Mark is expected to make some public comments today for the first time about all of this so we'll see how enthusiastic he really is.
Apparently another rumor making the rounds is that DEI's existing space, the "Garage Mahal," was going to be emptied and turned into either a museum or Dale Earnhardt themed amusement park. John said that was absolutely untrue, that the current space that DEI was in would continue to be utilized for race operations, specifically for the Busch team, and I think potentially a truck team if DEI decides to get back into the Truck Series. However, by next season all four of DEI's Cup teams would be housed at Ginn Racing's old space. Having them all under one roof makes sense to me as that will make it a lot easier for them to work together. John said that it was possible that Teresa and Max Siegel might look into ways to have more things at DEI's current space that would draw fans in such as more access to the race shops that were there, but that was something for the future, and there were no definite plans about anything related to a museum or amusement park.
*There's been a lot of speculation by fans about the deal that Ginn Racing had with Hendrick Motorsports for engines. Apparently the #01 car will continue to use Hendrick engines for the next two races, with the goal of changing over to DEI engines by Watkins Glen. According to John there's a variety of things that have to be done technically to the cars to make DEI engines fit. Contrary to what some fans think that DEI is going to pull apart the Hendrick engine to learn all they can from it, John said they wouldn't be doing that. In fact he said there was no need because he felt the current DEI engines were among the best in the garage area. Which was an interesting comment because Junior has complained about a lack of horsepower in his engines in the past.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:32 AM | Comments (0)
July 15, 2007
How is it Possible?
Sometimes I feel like I'm watching completely different races and listening to completely different interviews than other fans. How is it possible that I interpret things so completely different than others sometimes? I see fans post what's supposedly direct quotes from drivers or owners, and I've listened to the exact same interviews and hear them say something different, and sometimes just a few words here or there can make a quote have an entirely different meaning. I guess sometimes we hear or see what we want, and our impressions of things are influenced by emotion or our opinions. But it's frustrating sometimes how fans hear or interpret things to suit what they believe to be true as opposed to what's actually true. Of course I have my own biases - every fan does for their favorite or least favorite drivers. Though I certainly make plenty of mistakes, I try to be as accurate as I can when it comes to repeating what I've heard in interviews or seen during races. I also try to listen and watch with an open mind and be as objective as I can - I'll defend even the drivers I don't like if I think they're getting picked on for no reason. But as I've complained about before I feel like there's a lot of fans who make up their minds about how things are and have trouble seeing things in any other way.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:19 PM | Comments (0)
May 31, 2007
It's hard for me to understand the fascination with the personal lives of athletes or any celebrities for that matter. Sure, I pay a little attention to who's dating who, and read some gossip columns on occassion. But for the most part I think the personal lives of those that I'm a fan of isn't really much of my business, unless something happens that's especially newsworthy or effects the way they race, play the game or otherwise go about their chosen career path. I also accept that athletes cheating on their significant others is common and an accepted part of many athlete's lifestyles. To be clear, I don't agree with people cheating on their significant others, and that's not a choice I would make in my own life. However, I also accept that not everyone is going to live their lives the way I would. I also suspect that if I stopped being a fan of everyone who ever cheated on their significant other, I might have a hard time finding anyone to cheer for.
But a lot of people don't see things as I do. To many fans the recent stories in some of the New York area newspapers about Alex Rodriguez being spotted with a woman who wasn't his wife is big news. Not that anyone actually knows who this woman is, or what kind of an arrangement A-Rod might have with his wife, but that hasn't stopped any number of people from leaping to all sorts of conclusions. Some of which may very well be true, but it seems to me that the status of A-Rod's marriage is something that's between him and his wife. Not that I like it, but I can understand why a photographer followed A-Rod and his lady friend, as well as why the Post printed the photos since they knew it was going to sell a lot of papers. Still, I think it's very unfortunate that A-Rod's private life is suddenly a topic of discussion as much as how he plays the game.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2007
And Still More...
One other thing I've noticed in relation to Michael's accident is that a lot of people have complained since it first broke about how many unanswered questions there are, yet now that more details have come out to fill in some of the missing pieces, some are dismissing those things because it doesn't fit into what they've decided must have happened. Fact is, you've got three people who have given an account of the events of that night - the State Trooper, Michael and the witness. While there are still unknowns, there are overlaps in the stories and explanations for some things. It's highly unlikely that all three are lying or conspiring together to hide the "truth," but some fans sure seem to think they are. I've said it before and I'll say it again - people say they want to know the truth, but they only want to hear a version of the truth that matches up to their opinions and beliefs.
Someone on the Speed forum brought up an interesting point that the drivers in Nascar are held to a much higher standard than they are in other sports, and I completely agree with that. In the other major sports, a car accident likely wouldn't get this much attention unless it was proven that the player actually was driving drunk or suffered serious injuries. Of course racing involves driving a car so traffic tickets and accidents take on heightened meaning, but there's other things such as drinking, divorce, partying, etc... that some fans in Nascar are less tolerant of than in other sports. Even certain political beliefs as well.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)
More on Michael Waltrip's Accident
Since news of Michael Waltrip's accident broke, a witness has come forward with what she saw, Michael has given his side of the story to David Poole from The Charlotte Observer, and photos of Michael's wrecked SUV have surfaced. I'm not going to bother to analyze everything that's been said by the various involved parties - anyone who comes across this entry and cares enough to read it has probably read a variety of articles already. So I think I'll just touch on a few things.
Seeing the photos of from the accident scene makes it hit home just how serious this accident was. Michael is incredibly lucky to have walked away. The driver's side of the SUV appears to have been crushed, and he could have been seriously injured or worse. Seeing those photos makes me ill. In addition, now that I've seen the violence of the wreck and the damage to the car, I can fully understand why he might not have been thinking straight afterwards. Michael said that he sat inside for ten minutes before he crawled out, I wouldn't be surprised if he was in there even longer dazed and in shock. I also wouldn't have been surprised if he recieved a bump on the head, and maybe even a concussion, but of course he's not going to admit to that since he might not be allowed to race if that were the case. However, that would certainly explain some of his behavior after the wreck. I was in a much less serious accident last year, and I cried hysterically to the point where I probably embarassed myself, I can't even begin to imagine how one handles an accident of this magnitude.
What's really a sad commentary about the way things work these days is that David Poole was saying this morning on Sirius, that he received an email yesterday in which someone claiming to be a witness, said that they were in posession of six photos of Michael's wrecked SUV, and in light of how much he had been in the news this season, that they thought these photos had some value. So they were offering them up for use by the media to the highest bidder. Truly incredible that someone would try to profit off this terrible accident, and one has to wonder if the photos that WCNC has are the same photos and if they paid for them. Another question that has to be asked is whether the witness who was trying to sell the photos is the same 18-year old witness who spoke with Michael at the scene and then told what she saw to Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press. If so, I think it would make everything that she's said to the media suspect - there's no telling what her motives might be, and whether she might be looking to profit in other ways from this down the road. That said, it's quite possible that the person trying to sell the photos and the 18-year old witness are two different people. It's also possible that the person who emailed only claimed to be a witness. It's a huge no-no but sometimes people who are working accident scenes as firefighters, law enforcement, etc... see an opportunity to profit, take some photos and descreetly try to sell them. Since there's proof that the 18-year old witness is the seller of the photos, it must be assumed that she isn't until it's known otherwise, but it still makes me wonder.
Apparently the 18-year old witness told ESPN that she didn't smell alcohol on Michael when she was talking to him, and the police said they didn't find any evidence of alcohol in the SUV either. So in spite of all the conclusions that many have lept to, there's still absolutely no evidence what-so-ever that Michael was drinking and driving. This morning I heard a repeat of part of Dave Moody's show on Sirius in which he went into a rant that I agreed with completely. He said that just because a lot of people believe something, in this case that Michael was drinking and driving, doesn't mean that it's true. I can't even begin to put enough emphasis on that, and not just in relation to this incident. It's scary sometimes how many people are convinced that certain things are true, even though it flies in the face of the known facts, and sometimes common sense. In addition, Moody said that it's wrong to slander Michael when there's no proof that Michael was drinking prior to his accident. He's right. Some fans feel that walking away from the accident scene or taking a shower in his pool house instead of the main house or not talking to the police until 8 that night (because that was when the trooper came back on duty) means that he's guilty of driving drunk. Michael made some bad decisions and used poor judgement that night for sure, and I can understand why there's so much speculation, but it's very troubling to me how many are talking about Michael like it's a done deal that he was drinking that night even though he's not been charged with anything related to alcohol use, and there's no other evidence that shows he was drinking.
John Daly wrote something in his blog regarding ESPN's coverage of Michael's accident that I think applies to more than just the way ESPN covered the story. He said,
Today, host Doug Banks blew through the Michael Waltrip accident story without displaying any human feelings or even seeming to care about this man and his struggles. Waltrip could have been a bum on the corner who was hit by a car. This is exactly the problem. Those of us who follow the sport know the history of Michael, his connection with Dale Earnhardt Sr., and his giant leap of faith into the world of team ownership with Toyota. We know his wife, his daughter, and his world. Almost everyone has been entertained by Michael on his SPEED Channel show Inside NEXTEL Cup Racing. Whether he makes you laugh or makes you nuts, we know who Michael is and care about him as a person...because we are NASCAR fans. ESPN has consistently struggled to attach "human emotion" to this sport.
Daly's line "...without displaying any human feelings or even seeming to care about this man and his struggles" really jumped out at me. I've seen a shocking lack of compassion from some fans in relation to this incident. I've seen countless fans mocking Michael getting into this accident, and in general finding it hysterical, but I can't find anything funny about an accident in which a driver could have lost his life. Daly says that Nascar fans care about Michael as a person. That's true about a lot of fans. But it seems as if there's just as many fans who don't care - not one bit. That he could have been seriously injured or worse doesn't seem to matter to some fans. After all, he made a mistake, maybe even a few mistakes, and to some fans, there's no room for the drivers to make mistakes or be less than perfect. I could go on a whole rant on that topic, but it won't be anything different than I've said before in this space.
I can only repeat what I've said a hundred times before - I really hope things get better soon. I feel awful for Michael, and I hope his season starts to turn around this weekend.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:48 PM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2007
On Fan Hate
Dave Moody from Sirius wrote a great commentary on his blog about fans who hate drivers, and how much it both perplexes and bothers him. Increasingly I'm also becoming more and more disturbed by how many fans in Nascar, but in other seem to take find bashing drivers they don't like, ripping into fans who have the "wrong" opinions, or being negative about every single aspect of the sport, a tremendous amount of fun. These fans seem to get more enjoyment out of bashing other fans, drivers, and the sport, more than they do from cheering and supporting the drivers they like. Of course this isn't just a problem in Nascar. In all the other major sports as well, there's a segment of fans who seem to feed off negativity, and look for every opportunity they can to boo players and tear them apart for not living up to their lofty standards for performance.
I don't expect fans to like every driver - I know I certainly don't. And regardless of whether I like a driver or not, if I don't agree with something they say or do, I'll make my feelings known, sometimes in a strong way. However, I don't hate anyone, and I never bash drivers. Of course it's at this point where if certain people were to come across this they'll say - well, what about what you've said about Steve Park. Sorry, thinking that Steve's website could be better, or that I found the habit he got into of making announcements about announcements that never amounted to anything frustrating, isn't bashing Steve. That's having an opinion. A bash is when someone says that driver X sucks or that driver Y has no talent. It's laughable sometimes what some fans think - just exactly how have some drivers lasted in Nascar for 15 or 20 years, and won races, without any talent? Unfortunately, it seems that some fans let their dislike of a driver - or of the sport - cloud logical thinking.
Moody also touched upon how some fans love to spin conspiracy theories. To a degree I can understand why it happens because Nascar, and sometimes the teams and drivers, tend to be closed-mouthed on the details and explanations for certain things. Everyone - from drivers, to sponsors, to owners, to those that run the sport - are trying to spin things to suit their own agenda. What happens is that fans end up with a lot of unanswered questions, things that don't make sense, and sometimes few facts. So that leads to conspiracy theories being spun to explain why their favorite driver was done wrong in their eyes, or why a driver they dislike seemed to get perferenital treatment. And to be clear, I don't think there's anything wrong with speculation or coming up with theories. It's part of human nature. It's when fans take things too far and come up with complex conspiracy theories that involve everyone in the garage area agreeing to "get" a certain driver or help another driver succeed that it becomes ridiculous.
Equally ridiculous is when fans (over-)analyze quotes, photos or video to justify their theories. As I mentioned above it's true that there's a lot of PR spin in the sport. So I can understand that fans aren't always sure what to believe. But the degree to which some fans pick things apart for hidden meanings and interpret them to prove their line of thinking is laughable. What's really disturbing is that even when there's not a single shread of real proof other than reading into things, there's fans who talk about their theories like it's a done deal that it's true. I think I touched on it in a prior entry, but it's really troubling how many fans think they know exactly what happened with the #55 car, however, the reality is that other than the fact that there was a foreign substance in the car that didn't belong, there's not much else that's known for sure such as what exactly the substance is, how it got there, who put it there, or who had knowledge of it. That's not stopped any number of fans to leaping to all sorts of conclusions that they insist is the "truth," but they have no way of supporting with actual fact. It's scary what passes for fact for some people these days.
I also find it hard to figure out those fans who constantly complain about every aspect of the sport, yet continue watching every race. To hear some talk, there's not a single good thing about Nascar or the drivers. If the sport is so bad, and someone gets no enjoyment out of it, why go through the suffering that comes with watching? Again, it seems to me that some people feed off of negativity, and it's fun to them to find fault in the drivers and the sport. I definitely don't agree with everything that Nascar, the teams or drivers do. But I also think there's plenty of good things that happen in the sport. Some races are boring, some are exciting, some are a mix of both, but overall there's so much about this sport that I love, so much that interests me, and keeps me watching. Maybe secretly it's the same for some of the negative-nellie fans, but they just can't admit it.
Let's also talk about fans intolerance for each other. Unfortunately a lot of fans seem to think that other fans who don't see the world as they do, or have different opinions are unintelligent. Or that they're bad fans. Or bad people. It's disturbing how quick others are sometimes to dismiss opinions that don't agree with theirs as being unworthy. Once some fans make up their minds about what they think are the correct opinions or way to view things, they become so close-minded that they won't consider anything - even facts - from an opposing viewpoint. Recently I was accused of "speaking from both sides of my mouth" or some other nonsense, because I don't always stick to one opinion, and because I see both the positives and negatives about the drivers that I like. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Of course I have some core values, beliefs and opinions, but it's very important to me to have an open mind. I like to read as much as possible about the things that interest me, and as I come across new information, my opinion might change on some things. I think that's a good thing, but unfortunately some seem to view evolving opinions, growing as a person, and gaining knowledge as a negative. I also try to be as objective and realistic as possible, though of course like any other fans I have my moments when I look at my favorite drivers in a more favorable light than others might. But in general, I'm not going to bury my head in the sand and ignore reality. To some fans even the hint of any negativity in relation to a driver such as recognizing that Jeremy Mayfield failing to qualify for three races in a row isn't a good thing, or that Steve Park's career is stalled at the moment, means that the person pointing out those things is a bad fan.
I really can't understand how grown adults can't tolerate each other, and ignore the people and opinions that bother them. But I guess to some when they hate another person's opinions or the drivers they like, they think it gives them liscense to treat the other person as poorly as they'd like. Some seem to think they're defending their driver's honor or being a "true" or a "real" fan, as if there is any such thing, as I've talked about in this space before. What utter nonsense it is, when one fan rips into another fan for having the "wrong" opinion, when that opinion isn't even remotely a bash or an insult, simply that it's an opinion that some don't want to have to hear or see. The funny thing is that the small percentage of fans who engage in that kind of behavior don't discredit the fan they're attacking like they seem to want to, they usually just make themselves look like an asshat.
What happened to human decency? For people having compassion, tolerance and understanding for each other? I'm constantly amazed by the things that I see and hear about. Fans harassing other fans not just verbally, but sometimes physically as well. Fans wishing ill fortune on drivers. Fans cheering when drivers wreck. Drivers have been seriously injured and died while racing. There's been a lot of safety advances over the past few years, but this sport remains dangerous, and there's no guarantee that a driver is going to walk away without a scratch. Where does it end? Will fans one day cheer when a driver wrecks and gets hurt - or worse? I'd like to think that day will never come, but it seems that some fan's hatred knows no bounds.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2007
I Don't Get It
What makes fans think that they have the right to intrude on, judge and know every detail about the personal lives of those people that they're fans of? I'm just as interested in a juicy piece of gossip as the next person, but there's quite a few fans who take things way too far, and it's really disturbing. In the past few months two different drivers have had their personal lives ripped to pieces by fans online who think that their significant others aren't good enough for them. And it's hard for me to understand why some fans feel compelled to do this instead of wishing their driver well, and hoping that they're happy.
I do have opinions about certain things I hear about, but in the end the drivers are strangers to me. What they do in their personal lives really isn't any of my business, and I would never dream of thinking that I know best about who a driver should date or not date. How could I? As fans it sometimes feels as if we know the people we cheer for well because we speak to them at fan events, get their autographs at the track, read articles about them, see photos of them and those around them, and hear them give interviews on TV or the radio. But the reality is that the people who we are fans of are still mostly strangers to us. We can get a sense of who Michael Waltrip or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are, but when it comes down to it, we really don't know them like a friend or family member does.
Only the drivers know the truth about their relationships. Not blogs that think they're somehow working towards the greater good by exposing the messy details of the drivers personal lives, or people who claim to be "in the know" on message boards. The amount of people who really know is a lot less than what it would appear from all the people who spend time dissecting every photo and quote to find proof to support their ridiculous theories. It's astonishing how many dots people connect from a scanty bit of information. It's scary that some seem to think that the drivers should only date people their fans approve of, and that somehow they can tell whether someone is right for that driver or not. And it's frightening that some will take things to such an extreme that they will email scathingly criticial emails to public relations representatives and sponsors.
I think what really troubles me is something that I've discussed in this space before. There are a lot of people who believe everything that they read even if there's no source given as to where the information comes from, and there's no way of knowing how accurate it is. The reality is that there's a lot of false information floating around that passes for truth. A few months ago someone told me a wild story about how badly a driver supposedly behaved somewhere. Only one problem - other than that the driver was in that particularly place at that particular time, there wasn't a shred of truth to the story. How did I know? Because I was there too, and spoke with this driver! I know that none of what was told to me happened - this driver acted completely appropriately during the entire time they were there. It makes me sad because this story had likely spread far and wide, and some fans probably think less of him because of it. So my advice to anyone who reads or hears about some of the stories that make the rounds is to take them with a major grain of salt because there might not be much truth there.
I definitely don't always agree with all the decisions my favorite drivers make, and have no problem saying so when I feel that way. I think they sometimes make mistakes, which we all do since no one is perfect. But I try to keep things in perspective. My favorite driver's life isn't my life. In the end, what I want for my favorite drivers is that they're happy - if that means doing things that I might not agree with, so be it. As grown adults they're entitled to make the decisions they feel are best for themselves whether the fans like it or not.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2007
Update from Steve Park
From Steve Park's site:
January 29,2007 - Quick note from Steve:
Wanted to let everybody know that 07 race season is close! It's not here yet and though there is nothing to report, were not giving up the fight! "Never Surrender" We will continue to look for the right opportunity and though we have had some set back's.... we will continue to keep all my fans here on Steve-Park .com informed as the news comes in! It's been a tough road but Hey!.... the Bears are in the Superbowl! Go Bears!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for your continued support!
Steve Park
Harley Park!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been critical of Steve and his website lately so I feel that I have to point out when Steve and those that run his website do something good. Today they posted an update from Steve that was a lot more candid and up-front about his situation than any update in a long time, with no promises of announcements that never come. That there was an update is great - Steve's fans want to hear from him as much as possible even when he's not on the track racing, and it's disappointing to many when there's silence and he seems to disappear.
It could just be coincidence that they decided to do this update, and another recent one around the time that there's been some complaints, but kudos to them if they decided to address that some fans expressed a desire to hear from Steve more often via his website. So many people depend on websites, especially official websites to get news and information, and fans not only want to see updates from their favorite drivers, but expect it. So it's good that Steve and his "people" are giving them what they want. It's hard for some to understand but the reality is that not every fan will stick around if they feel as if their favorite driver or athlete has dropped off the face of the earth. It's not that they're "bad" fans, or that they stop being fans, it's that they might shift some of the more hardcore fan behaviors elsewhere. Teams, drivers and sponsors spend a huge amount of time finding ways to draw fans in so that they'll buy merchandise and support the sponsors and their products - keeping fans informed and enthusiastic is part of the way to keep fans interested.
As I noted above it's good to see an update that's not an announcement about an announcement. Instead Steve says t that there's nothing to say, and acknowledges that there's been some set-backs. I think it's a much better course of action to be straight-forward. This way no one gets their hopes up thinking that there's going to be some sort of news soon only to be disappointed, and there's no frustrations when deadlines for announcements come and go. It's not always easy to acknowledge when things aren't working out exactly as one would hope as I think Steve is doing here, so I give him a lot of credit for being willing to share with his fans how things are going for him, which isn't all that great as far as a ride goes, but extremely well as far as being a fan goes since his favorite football team is in the Super Bowl.
What's not so good that Steve still doesn't have a ride. Of course Steve isn't giving up on finding a ride for this season - he didn't give up in the face of two serious accidents, I wouldn't expect him to throw in the towel yet. However, he's likely going to be waiting a while for the right opportunity to come his way unfortunately. The vast majority of teams already have their drivers set for this season, but maybe something will turn up as the season goes along if a team wants to make a driver change or decides to expand - Steve could certainly win races for a team that gave him a competitive car or truck, it just takes a team and sponsor willing to believe in his abilities as much as his fans do.
There's also a photo of Steve's dog Harley wearing a Bear's cap - I wonder how many promises of treats it takes to get him to pose like that?! My dog would never be so cooperative!
Posted by silverdsl at 08:03 PM | Comments (0)
January 21, 2007
There is No Such Thing as a "Real" or "True" Fan
Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I figure I'll just post a link to an earlier blog entry I wrote on this topic: There is no such thing as a "Real" or "True" fan. The only "bad" fans are those fans who stalk, harass, invade the space of, insult, torment, or otherwise behave inappropriately towards the object of their obsession. Stating an opinion on a message board doesn't make someone a bad fan, no matter how much some would like to think that way.
Don't let anyone ever convince you that you're a bad fan or scare you away from being a fan of someone just because your opinions or way of viewing the person you're a fan of don't match up to their rigid and intolerant standards.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:25 PM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2006
Truth or Consequences
I'm reading Jurisimprudence, which contains some hysterical "laws" related to fandom in certain corners of the 'net and I came across this gem which cracked me up:
Truth: actual objective fact that exists independent of popular opinion. eg; the sky is blue, dinosaurs are extinct, the internet is full of idiots.Consensus: what most members of a given group seem to agree on. eg; Elijah Wood is gay, carbs are evil, The Princess Diaries II was worth paying ten bucks to see.
Those who confuse the two, or try to argue the former from the latter, will be declared idiots both in truth and by consensus.
Obviously all the "laws" are meant to mock various oft-seen and often amusing/annoying behavior.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)
November 30, 2006
Inspiration and Heroes
Michael Waltrip inspires me. Now, surely there are some people out there who are rolling their eyes, but to each their own. Michael inspires me to be a better person because his committment to supporting charitable causes has encouraged me to do as much as I can to help a variety of causes. All of this I do, not only because Michael inspires me, but also because it gives me a way to keep the spirit of my grandmother alive. My grandmother was one of the kindest and most giving women you could possibly meet, even though she wasn't always in good health and was of limited means. That she touched the lives of all who met her is also an inspiration to me. But back to Michael, as much as I admire many qualities about him, and as much as he inspires me to do good works, he's not my hero.
Steve Park isn't a hero of mine either. No race car driver is a hero to me, as much as I might admire, appreciate or find inspiration from them, such as with Michael. I got to thinking about this because someone posted on SPC about how Steve is a hero to many - again, to each their own, we all look to different people for inspiration or as our heroes. I suppose some of the ways in which I look at Steve or Michael is the same way that others who look at them and see a hero do. But no race car driver or baseball player is a hero to me. That status is reserved for those like the men and women who risked their lives, and in some cases lost their lives, on 9/11 to save others. Or the Police, Fire Fighters, EMTs, Doctors and Nurses who go above and beyond all the time in a routine day to keep others safe, healthy and alive. Or how about people like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks, who fought for the civil rights of others, people who made a difference, not just for a few, but for many? Or the "Righteous Gentiles" as they're sometimes known, the non-Jews, who risked their own lives to hide Jews and keep them safe from the Gestapo and a likely death in a Nazi Death Camp?
There's no doubt that Steve has been an inspiration to many because of how he battled back from two severe injuries, one a broken leg in 1998 that caused him to miss 15 races, and a head injury from a wreck in 2001 that caused him to miss the rest of that season and part of the following season. Since that time, Steve's battled a signficant amount of setbacks to his career, and a lot of bad luck, but he's been determined to continue to race. That's been very inspirational to many, and has encouraged them to not give up when they've faced their own challenges. When thinking about those who have battled back from injury, I can't help but think of Brooke Ellison, who was run down by a car when she was 11, which resulted in her becoming a quadrapalegic. In spite of some tremendous challenges, which she will have to deal with for the rest of her life, Brooke became the first quadrapalegic to graduate from Harvard University. In 2006 she ran for the State Senate in New York, but was defeated. That's just one example another story of someone else who fought to achieve their dreams against the odds. There are many of those people, and their stories not only inspire, but make me thankful for what I have, and that in spite of my own issues I've had to deal with that I've never had to overcome any of what they've had to.
Throughout my life I think the people that I look to most for inspiration, and the people that I've looked to as some of my biggest heroes are those people who fight against intolerance, prejudice, discrimination and for the rights of themselves and others. Those people are an example to me about why it's important to stand up for what I believe in and speak my mind even when it's an unpopular opinion. Many of the people who are heroes to me haven't just touched the lives of a limited group of people, but have had an impact in some way on society as a whole. Not all of their names might be widely known, but they're people who have made a difference, improved someone else's life, or forced a change for the better. I can only hope that one day I'll have that kind of impact.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)
October 31, 2006
What is it about fandom and being a fan that makes some people go completely bat-shit insane and lose their sense of appropriate behavior, compassion for other human beings, and ability to think things through rationally? We all have our moments when we lose ourselves to the emotion of being a fan, but some of the stuff that I've come across the past year or so in a variety of fandoms is just mind-boggling. I'd like to think that I'm a pretty accepting person. My way of being a fan isn't the same as the next person's and that's okay. I think there's room for all types of fans, but to me there's certain behaviors and ways of thinking that completely cross the line as far as the way human beings should treat each other. I could get into the specifics of what I'm talking about but I'm sure someone will come across this and assume I'm talking about them or their fandom, when in reality I'm talking about a whole bunch of incidents from a wide variety of fandoms, rather than just one specifically. I just wish people would think a little more carefully sometimes before they said and did things.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:27 PM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2006
Changes to this Blog and as a Fan
Starting today there's going to be a few changes to this blog. Really, the vast majority of changes will be subtle ones in terms of how blog entries are categorized. Sharp-eyed readers may notice that I've added new categories for Dale Jarrett, David Reutimann, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Elliott Sadler. The addition of the first three categories reflects the additions of Jarrett and Reutimann to MWR for 2007 and since I've written a lot of entries on Elliott this season, and he's a driver I like a lot, I figured he deserves his own categories.
I think the biggest change that some will notice is that there's going to be a lot more content about David. That's because this season David has moved very high up on my list of favorite drivers. And it's not just because he's a MWR driver. David has been exceptional in both the Truck Series, where he's third in points and in contention for the series championship, and in the Busch Series, where everytime he gets behind the wheel of the #99 Aaron's Dream Machine, he races it into the top ten. Recently, I've become very impressed with David as a person, with the way he represents MWR and his sponsors, and with how fan-friendly he is. A couple of weeks ago, David made an appearance on an internet radio show that a fan from Michael Waltrip's site does. Internet radio is very different than traditional radio, because there's a very small audience and it can be glitchy. But David took this appearance as seriously as any other media appearance. He spent an hour answering fan questions that were submitted by IM, and also talked to fans, including myself, who called in on the phone. I can't say enough about how terrific he was, and how much thought he gave to answering our questions in a meaningful way. So I'm starting to become quite a fan of David's. There's also how my energy as a fan is shifting from Steve Park elsewhere.
Fact is, and I have no problem admitting this, I'm not the same fan of Steve's as I once was. Don't get me wrong - I still adore Steve, I support and believe in him 100%. I still think that if he's given a competitive car he can take it up front and win. I will always want the best for him, cheer for him, and wish him well. But I'd be a liar if I claimed that I felt as passionately about Steve as I did a few years ago, or as I feel about Michael. That's probably obvious to regular readers of this space. I'm disappointed with the direction that Steve's career has taken over the past few years and I find it very depressing to think about his future. To be blunt at the moment he doesn't have one in this sport. I don't mean that Steve's not going to find himself another ride, though some days I feel very pessimistic about that, what I mean is that there's going to come a point where Steve's going to fade away and likely won't be heard from very often, because unlike Michael he doesn't own any cars, unlike Randy LaJoie he doesn't have a racing-related business, unlike Jimmy Spencer he doesn't have a TV career, unlike Mark Martin he doesn't have a son involved in the sport, unlike many other drivers he doesn't have a foundation to raise money for charity, and perhaps worst of all when Steve's not at the track he disappears.
There's more to it than that though. I simply don't view Steve in the same way as I did a couple of years ago. There was a day a couple of years ago when I think a lot of things changed in terms of the way I view the drivers, those who are around them, the teams, fans and the sport. Since then a number of other things have happened to change how I look at Steve. And as much as I try to force myself to ignore certain things, I simply can't. There are some things that are specific to me, and there are some things that I know a lot of other people feel the same way about. There are some things that I'm not comfortable being a part of. People change and grow, and sometimes we discover that things that were very important to us at one time, really weren't so important after all. Fandom shifts and changes. I'm not a SParkie, whatever that means and I never was. I'm just a Steve Park fan. I always will be, but it's not as fun as it once was and hasn't been for quite some time. I'm tired of trying to pretend that I'm as optimistic about Steve as others or that I'm blind to some things. I'm not going to stop blogging about Steve, in fact there probably won't be much of a change there, but a while back something did change and I'm now just getting around to talking about it. I'm not going to stop being a fan of Steve's, but I'm not ashamed to admit that he's no longer as high up on my list of drivers to cheer for as he once was. Probably a lot of this is cryptic and doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's okay. It makes sense to me.
More of my energy as a Nascar fan is going to be directed towards Michael of course, as it has been for quite some time now, but towards David and hopefully some drivers that catch my eye in the future, whether they're associated with MWR or not. Because the thing is, I've learned that there are a lot of drivers who have a lot of talent behind the wheel, a lot of drivers who have the ability to represent their sponsors well, a lot of drivers who are dedicated to charitable causes and a lot of drivers who go out of their way to be fan-friendly and show their appreciation to their fans. Some would like to think that because Steve or another of their favorite drivers isn't having much success on the track, if they're racing at all, that the entire sport sucks. It doesn't. Nascar is far from perfect as a sport and as a governing body. There are plenty of problems that need to be addressed. But there's also lots to enjoy, be excited about and look forward to, particularly as Toyota enters the sport next season. So I'm thinking that more of my time, energy and emotion is better served being redirected in places where that excitement is going to be.
And if anyone happens to feel that I'm a bad fan, I'm an idiot or that I should be ashamed of myself, I couldn't care less what you think. One of my favorite quotes has always been this one by Dr. Seuss that I understand Steve is fond of himself, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Wise words.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)
July 17, 2006
Curt Schilling and "Getting It" as Far as the Fans Go
Last night pitcher Curt Schilling, of the Boston Red Sox, stopped by the forum at NYYFans.com. (Yes, it's really him.) This wasn't by request, Schilling, or Gehrig38 as he's known online, was reading an ongoing thread that exists on the site to discuss topics related to the Red Sox and decided to jump in on the discussion, as he's done in the past. But this time Schilling spoke much more at length on a variety of topics and responded to quite a number of questions and comments from fans. What makes this a bit unusual for those that don't know is that NYYFans is a site for New York Yankees fans. While we do not bar fans from other teams, including from the Red Sox, from participating, the site and forum always has and always will have a Bronx/Yankees bias. So essentially Schilling was in enemy territory, posting with fans who really don't care for him too much since he's a member of the hated division rivals. However, where the discussion could have gone in an ugly direction, it evolved into an outstanding discussion between a player and a bunch of baseball fans. I applaud all those who took part and Schilling for taking the time to respond at length to so many questions and comments. It's extremely rare for baseball players to interact with fans like that, particularly in such a casual and spontaneous setting. And it's probably pretty much unheard of for a player to engage the fans on a rival team.
My point in bringing this up isn't just because it was a great discussion. It's also because I think Schilling is an example of a sports figure who really gets it when it comes to the fans, but especially the fans online. Schilling seems to respect the right of fans to their opinions, even if they disagree with him, even if they are critical of him, even if they diss him, even if they don't like him. He understands the passion that fans have for their sport. He gets that how fans react, in a sometimes emotional way, is all a part of being a fan. Not only that but Schilling doesn't take the stance that whatever he says is gospel. Nor does he post with a superior attitude that one might expect from a MLB player. If Curt Schilling can have a civil discussion about baseball with fans, some of whom have been harsh in their criticism of him, then it seems to me that other players (and drivers) and those associated with them should be capable of the same.
Curt Schilling to my knowledge has never called fans "classless" as the representative of one Nascar driver did. He's never lectured fans about being critical like so many who claim to be "in-the-know" as supposed associates of players or drivers are sometimes fond of doing. He's never bashed fans for having opinions that are different than his or other players. Schilling seems to have a considerable amount of tolerance for the opinions of fans and others - I find that refreshing considering how many people seem to think that opposing opinions or anything the least bit critical of a player/team/driver should be avoided at all costs.
I'm open about saying what I think pretty much everywhere, without worrying too much about what the person/people I'm talking about might think if they read it. I try to post my thoughts with as much respect as possible so that I'm not insulting, nor do I engage in bashing or name-calling, but I call things as I see them. If that means that I'm critical of someone, so be it. Plenty of people are critical of me, why should someone be exempt from criticism because I'm a fan of their's? I certainly celebrate all the positive things that my players/team/drivers do, but I don't feel obligated to agree with everything that my favorite players/drivers say or do and I also don't shape my opinions based around what they think or say. I sometimes find it scary how many fans seem afraid to speak their minds or feel they need to base their opinions around what their favorites think lest they offend them should they come online and read something they don't like from a fan. I say if a player (or driver) truly respects the fans, then they have tolerance for fans stating their opinions openly, whether those opinions are negative or positive, like Schilling does.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:18 PM | Comments (0)
June 23, 2006
Interesting Reading
Anyone who has visited this blog regularly might have noticed that I have a bit of an interest in issues that relate to fans and fandom. This isn't anything new - I've long been intrigued by the relationship between fans and the people/things they adore, and in later years, particularly how that plays out online. Had I gone into the academic world as a professor, I would have likely have gone into an area where I could have actually done some research on fandom. As such I do quite a bit of reading on related topics. So I came across a rather lengthy and fascinating account of what some will do in the name of fandom. Perhaps one reason it's so interesting is because of how often the same themes play out in other fandoms. The names may change but the games are all the same.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2006
Hating Players and Drivers Makes No Sense to Me
I'm really getting tired of some of my fellow fan's attitude towards some baseball players and Nascar drivers. There are many, many, many wonderful fans out there, but it seems like the amount of hateful, venomous fans is on the rise. It's okay to dislike players or drivers - there are definitely some that I don't care for. It's okay to criticize them and disagree with the things that they might say or do. It's okay to speak one's mind - I do it all the time in this space and elsewhere. But what's not okay in my mind are the fans who hate people they don't even know for frivilous reasons, spew insults, bash players and drivers, or rip them unmercifully for not living up to their lofty and impossible to attain expectations for performance and behavior.
Let's be clear about one thing - no matter how easy Derek Jeter might make playing baseball look or how simple it seems for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to jump in a car and race around in circles, it's not. Playing professional baseball or racing in Nascar is extremely difficult. It only looks easy because of the talent level of the people involved. The vast majority of fans who think that they can do what the players and drivers are doing - and do it better - are very much mistaken. To get to the major league level in baseball, or to one of the three highest levels in Nascar, takes a tremendous amount of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, passion, committment, focus, competitive drive, and yes, talent. Oh yes, there is not a single player or driver in either sport, as much as some would like to think otherwise, who do not have talent. Although the talent levels may vary between a Tony Stewart and a Tony Raines or between an Alex Rodriguez and a Bubba Crosby, the fact of the matter is that drivers and players do not get to this level of professional competition - and stay there - if they are not among the elite in their respective sports. As such I think that the players and drivers are deserving of some respect, not only for their abilities behind the wheel, on the mound or at the plate, but also because of how much they had to go though to get to where they are.
The reality is that no baseball player is always going to get a hit every time they go up to bat or isn't always going to pitch a shutout every time they are on the mound. There are some drivers who have to race lousy cars that are non-competitive because they are with teams that have very few resources and sometimes no manufacturer support. Players and drivers are going to say and do things that fans disagree with. None of these things mean that the driver or player is a worthless human being. It means that in an individual situation they didn't come through, the results weren't very good or that they did or said something disappointing. What we are exposed to as fans, via what happens on the field, on the track or even in interviews, is often a very, very, very small part of the person that the driver or player actually is. I guess because of how much media there is - TV, radio, print, internet - that cover all the sports so in-depth, it's easy to think that we know exactly who a player or driver is. But we don't know. Let me repeat - in the vast majority of cases, just like with everyone else we encounter in a casual way, we only know what that person chooses to share with us. Even if you've seen a player or driver at the track or at the stadium a bunch of times, even if they might recognize you and exchange pleasantries with you, often you have no idea who the real person is, unless you've spend a considerable amount of time with this person, really getting to know them. I say all of this because I'm completely amazed sometimes by the conclusions that some fans jump to and how personal their attacks are and how it fuels their hatred.
One reason I'm saying all of this is because I'm really sick of how many fans think it's okay to say vile and insulting things about Michael Waltrip, thinking that they know who he is based on his appearances on some TV shows or because of his results on the track. A lot of fans are taking issue with Michael right now because they don't agree with some of the things that he says or does - as I said above there's nothing wrong with that. No one has to like Michael. But some of the reasons why they not just dislike him, but downright hate him, border on the ridiculous.
It's really distressing to me that there's a huge backlash against Michael, and to a lesser degree Dale Jarrett, simply because they've choosen to align themselves with Toyota. I have no problem with those who don't like Toyota because they are fans of other manufacturers or other legitimite reasons. But I do take issue with it when a fan's hatred for Toyota and anything associated with it is simply because Toyota is a foreign manufacturer and they feel that this sport should stay all-American. That kind of intolerance really disturbs me. And I believe it's a big reason why Michael is taking so much flack right now - until Red Bull Racing and Bill Davis Racing announce some of their drivers and sponsors for 2007, Michael is the face of Toyota entering Cup so he's going to take all the heat. Which might be fine if that heat didn't come in the form of people bashing and booing him simply because Michael Waltrip Racing is going to be fielding Toyotas next season.
Of course a lot of Junior fans have turned on Michael as well simply because he no longer drives for DEI. There were Junior fans who were hating on Michael last season because at points he was doing better on the track than Junior, but the amount of Junior fans who dislike Michael has definitely increased. It seems like a lot of Junior fans (and fans in general) have trouble wrapping their minds around why Michael would possibly want to leave DEI, even though doing so is going to allow Michael to fulfill some of his dreams of having his own Cup teams. The thing is that all evidence seems to indicate that Junior and Michael are still on good terms, but it seems impossible for some of his fans to accept that. And don't even get me started on those who try to deny that Dale, Sr. and Michael had a close friendship - denying that is simply trying to rewrite history to suit the way you would like things to have been.
One thing that I've always liked about Michael is that he often says and does what he wants, as much as he can in an environment where the drivers always have to be careful about not offending sponsors, teams or fans. That is even more the case this season since he is racing for himself and no longer has to answer to DEI. That has given Michael the freedom to be even more candid in his opinions on both Inside Nextel Cup and Tradin' Paint. Well, there are a lot of fans who hate him for it. A lot of people think he's an arrogant, asshat who has no right to his opinions because his results on the track have been awful this season. It makes me laugh because Michael has been racing Cup for over 20 years - there is no doubt that he knows more about Nascar and racing than the vast majority of fans who are watching. Michael acts like he knows what he's talking about because he does! And why does poor results on the track negate someone's opinions? Michael, and Ken Schrader for that matter, are every bit as intelligent about racing running at the back of the pack as they are running up front.
I also find it really sad how things have evolved to where fans complain when drivers are too vanilla and speak like they've been handed a script by a PR person. Yet when a driver is candid and honest in their opinions, fans seem to hate that too. What it comes down to is that a lot of fans only want the drivers to speak thier minds when they're saying what the fans want to hear. Agreeing with Nascar is bad, and a driver should never do that lest they be accused like Michael of being a kiss-ass, never mind that when it comes to things like the fact that speeding penalities are black and white, he's right! Criticizing another driver is wrong in many fan's eyes no matter how mild it might be, unless it's saying how much the Busch Brothers suck - yet it's funny how the same fans have no problem ripping the offending driver and any others they don't like for their perceived faults. I do think that there are times when some drivers have on occassion been too harsh in their remarks - they should also have respect for their fellow drivers - but simply put, a driver can never win, and especially one like Michael who shares his opinions so openly.
I also have to say that just because a driver isn't getting very good results doesn't mean they suck. No, not even Derrike Cope, Carl Long, Mike Garvey, Kevin Lepage or any of the other "field-fillers." Fact of the matter is that those drivers are with tiny teams, few personnel, very little financial resources and the cars aren't very competitive. In fact in some cases, the drivers are lucky to be able to nurse the cars around the track for half a race without parts falling off. Michael suffers from some similar problems, in that the cars that he's getting from BDR are slow, the engines are weak, they have no manufacturer support due to the Dodge lawsuit, and half the time there's mechancial problems on top of everything else. Just like Steve Park is with a truck team with no manufacturer support, no sponsor, not many personnel and limited resources. What driver can succeed and race as well as they are capable of under those circumstances? Unfortunately many fans fail to take all the other factors into consideration - if a driver doesn't run up front, he's washed up, he sucks, he should retire. Well, let's look at Todd Bodine - so many fans felt that he was a worthless driver given his lack of success in Cup and I saw a few fans wish he was out of the sport. He goes to the truck series and now he can barely lose. Sometimes all it takes is good cars or truck and a team that believes in their drivers. And regardless of results, I believe every driver, crew chief and pit crew member is working their asses off to get the best finishes possible.
A-Rod is also feeling the heat these days, not just by those who dislike him, but by Yankee fans as well. I've discussed it before, but it truely boggles my mind. Last season A-Rod was the league MVP, but that wasn't good enough for many fans. In their eyes he was still a failure because he didn't carry the team on his shoulders through the post-season and to the World Series. And even though A-Rod has been one of the most productive players on the team, there are many fans who are convinced he never has big hits or comes through because he didn't get an RBI hit in every at-bat against the Red Sox in the games the Yankees have played against their division rival this season. A-Rod has been getting boo'ed like crazy by home fans at the stadium recently, because he's not so far been putting up MVP numbers this season. However, no player can produce like that all the time and especially when they're just getting over being so sick with the flu that they had to miss time.
I understand that some fans feel that they have to make their displeasure known in a way that they players can hear by booing. I also think that there are certain things, such as when a player doesn't run out ground balls, thus seeming to only be putting half-effort in, or if a player has been found to have used performance enhancers, that the booing is a lot more understandable. But when players are slumping or otherwise not coming though on the plate or at the mound, they don't need to be told that they aren't producing - they know. At this level of baseball, its not just the fans who have very high standards, the players do as well, and they are going to be just as disappointed, maybe even more so, when they can't come up with a big hit when it's needed. Booing a player isn't going to make a light bulb go on in their head and suddenly they're going to realize they stink and immediately be able to fix things.
Another thing that bothers me is when fans who don't like a driver or player question their sexual orientation, and accuse them of being "gay" as if it's an insult. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with what a player or driver does on the field or racetrack. But beyond that the gay jokes are nothing more than homophobia and it's vile. Of course that speaks to a larger problem in society as a whole that people are intolerant of those that are gay, lesbian or bi-sexual, but I think it's particularly troublesome how accepted it seems to be by some, that a good way to bash a driver is by making gay jokes. Or how many fans seem to think that they can tell whether a player or driver is gay by the way they sit or how they do their hair.
I think the bottom line for me in all this rambling is how disturbed I am by how far some fans take their dislike for players or drivers and how little it takes for them to start hating someone. A few years ago I read a fan's discourse on why she couldn't stand Steve Park and it came down to the way he smiled when he was posing for photos with fans. Not just why she disliked him, but why she just about hated him. Because of the way he smiled! How is that enough to start hating someone?
As I said at the beginning no one has to like every driver or player. There are some that I don't like, who have done or said things that I don't agree with or who just annoy me. I understand that just like all other human beings the drivers and players have faults and flaws. I understand that not every driver and player is going to have the same opinions or do things the way that I would. I accept that the world is full of all different kinds of people with all different personalities. But the narrow-mindedness and lack of tolerance by some fans is really hard for me to take sometimes. I see no reason to hate any driver or player, and especially when they've never done anything to me personally. Of course that might be the key - some fans have so much personally invested in the sports, teams and drivers that they follow that they take everything incredibly personally, which probably makes it easy for dislike to turn into hate. It's sad - I wish that everyone spent as much time commending the drivers when they do something positive d as they do spending time hating on them for even the tinest of flaws.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)
May 23, 2006
On Steve Park, Carl Pavano and Disappointment
Last week someone on Steve Park Central made some very interesting comments regarding the possibility they might be disappointed in Steve depending on some of his choices as to the direction in which his career goes in. The thread ended up being nuked because of another comment this same person made, which also brings up an interesting topic that I will discuss in a entry later or tomorrow. But both of those entries are for anyone who saw the thread and didn't get their say, or might have thought about similar issues. Since this is my blog, on a domain that I own, hosted on a server that my husband owns, there are no fears that either of these entries will meet a premature end.
Let me say one thing up front - I'm not the kind of fan who thinks my driver walks on water and that they can do no wrong. I've been disappointed before in Steve Park. I'm not ashamed to admit I was disappointed by the way that he pulled out of the events he had signed a contract to participate in for the Operation Marathon Getaway last year in Las Vegas after people paid a lot of money. I've been disappointed by others that I'm a fan of as well. I was terribly disappointed in Jason Giambi when it was shown that he used steroids in the past. I'm not overly thrilled when Kevin Harvick mouths off like a schoolyard bully about some of his fellow drivers. I was disappointed when Michael Waltrip choose to retaliate against Jeff Green last season during a race, because I don't like it when drivers use their cars as weapons against each other. I was disappointed by Mike Mussina's attitude about playing in Japan. The list goes on. The drivers and players that I'm a fan of are human beings who are imperfect, but besides that they are sometimes going to say or do things that I disagree with. No one should feel that they are any less of a fan because they feel disappointed or don't agree with something that their favorite driver does. I accept that those that I am a fan of will make mistakes, will do things I don't like, will let me down, will sometimes make me angry. I refuse to put any driver or player on a pedestal and pretend that nothing bothers me or they can do no wrong.
At the same time, I believe that as grown adults the drivers and players are capable of making good, intelligent, well-thought out decisions. I trust that they make decisions that are in their own best interests and that they are doing the things that they think will give them the best chance of happiness and success. As veterans of their respective sports, I also figure through the years they've gained more than a little knowledge about racing or baseball and how to keep their careers going as long as possible. However, that doesn't mean that I, or any other fan, is doing something wrong if we respectfully disagree with an opinion a driver or player has, or if we worry about the consequences of a decision that they make. I really hate using the term "bad fan" because there really isn't any such thing, but inappropriate behaviors to me are harassment, stalking, rudeness, bullying, etc... Behaviors which are unacceptable in any setting. A fan expressing an opinion in a way that doesn't involve bashing, insults or rudeness, doesn't make one a bad fan.
With that out of the way, let's get to what this entry is really about. How this one particular fan might be disappointed in Steve Park. Before going any further it should be mentioned that this person is very dedicated, supportive and has been a fan of Steve's for years. So this isn't a casual fan or someone who in reality doesn't like Steve. To set the stage for how this came up, there was a discussion about whether Steve would be interested in a Cup ride with Robert Yates Racing, as unlikely as that might be to actually happen. It was then suggested by those who have spoken to Steve recently that, while nothing is ever ruled out completely, he really wouldn't have much or any interest in taking a Cup ride. The other fan then said that if Steve wasn't interested in getting back to Cup racing that he would be very disappointed in him. He felt that if Steve wasn't racing with the goal of trying to secure another Cup ride, what was the point of what he was currently doing? To be clear, he said that he wouldn't be disappointed if Steve never raced Cup again, because there are so many factors out of Steve's hands that might prevent that from happening, but that if Steve had the opportunity to get into a quality Cup ride and turned it down, that would be disappointing to him.
Before I get into discussing Steve specifically, I think what this person brought up leads into some larger issues in relation to drivers and their goals. Does every driver in Nascar race with the goal of eventually racing at Nascar's highest level? Are some of them satisfied with less? I had always assumed that a race car driver's passion to race and extreme competitiveness meant that even if they acknowledge that it's unlikely to happen, they all dream of racing against, and beating, the best of the best drivers in Nascar, which are found in the Cup series. To get to one of Nascar's highest three levels takes not only a tremendous amount of talent, but also a lot of drive, focus, motivation, a desire to perform on a high level, and also the ability to fullfill some very lofty goals that many are unable to achive. So it's hard to wrap my mind around the idea that some drivers lose the qualities that they surely had to have at one point to get to this level of racing. How can men and women who have had racing in their blood from childhood give up on their dreams? Are some drivers satisfied with just riding around the track, making laps in subpar cars or trucks, with no hope of winning, as long as they're out on the track "racing" something? How does a driver decide that after years of hard work with the goal of reaching one of Nascar's highest three levels, they aren't interested in advancing any further?
I really don't have too many definitive answers to those questions because it's hard to really know the thought process in relation to a lot of those issues without talking directly to a bunch of drivers. However, I do believe that some drivers are satisfied with not racing in the Cup series, even if the desire to one day race in that series isn't entirely gone. Some drivers are in more competitive equipment in the truck or Busch series than they would ever get in the Cup series, so for those drivers they are going to be satisfied if they are enjoying a great deal of success on a lower level. But being successful in a competitive truck isn't enough for Todd Bodine, and Germain Racing, as they will attempt to qualify for several Cup races later this season, even though he is a Championship contender in the Truck Series. There are other reasons why drivers on lower levels might be okay with their circumstances, even if not completely satisfied. Some drivers are very attuned to the realities of the environment that Nascar operates in these days. Teams and sponsors are looking for young, very marketable drivers who will win a lot of races for them; they want drivers who will get a lot of exposure one way or another for the sponsor; drivers who bring sponsorship with them; or drivers who have a Champion's provisional they can use that will guarantee the car a spot in each race. The drivers who are aware of those things - and I think that some drivers are more attuned to the business side of the sport than others - know that their chances of getting back to the Cup series aren't great. But I don't think that those drivers completely give up on Cup racing, even if they know it might happen. I also think there are some drivers, particularly as their career start to wind down, who may find that just being on the track racing, even if it's in cars or trucks that aren't very good, is enough because they love racing so much that they are happy just to be out on the track.
But I've been wondering lately if it's possible that some driver's goals are much less than others. Maybe some don't care about winning as much as they used to. Maybe some don't care if they race on the Cup level again - or ever. Is the passion and desire there for every driver? If it is, I would think that they would all want to race so well that they either ensure that they keep the Cup ride they are currently in, impress an owner enough that they are asked to take an even better Cup ride when their current contract runs out, or advance up to the Cup level if they are currently in one of the lower levels. I would think that a big dream for every driver, no matter how good the racing might be on the level where they're currently racing, is beating 42 of Nascar's most elite drivers to get into Victory Lane on the Cup level. To be showered with confetti and the cheers of 100,000 fans with the knowledge that for at least one week, they've beaten the best of the best. I've got to admit that if I were to find out that a driver doesn't want to go Cup racing, even if it's only a dream that they keep locked away deep inside because they think it will never happen, that would stike an odd note with me. I would like to know that the drivers are striving for more, whether it's on one of Nascar's lower levels or if they are currently a Cup driver. I would like to know that they aren't willing to settle for less, when there might be an opportunity to achieve even more.
I'm going to bring baseball into the mix here because I think that's a big reason why I feel the way that I do. Baseball's version of the truck and Busch series is the Minor League System. It is completely unacceptable for a player to not strive to one day play in the majors, or if they were once in the majors and aren't anymore, to not try to get back. No player ever gives up on dreaming about playing in the majors, where all the best players are, or will be, and where one day a player might help their team win the World Series. It doesn't mean that they aren't realistic about their situation - there are going to be players whose talent level has either declined to the point where they can no longer play in the majors or their skill level was never good enough to get them to the majors. But no player doesn't dream of the day that they get called into their manager's office so that they can be told that they are being called up so they can help their team on the major league levell. If a professional baseball player is completely satisfied to not be in the majors it raises serious questions about their work ethic, their motivation and their goals. That is the kind of player that no one wants on their team.
Which is where New York Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano comes in. Pavano hasn't started a game for the Yankees since last June, when he was put on the disabled list. Since then it's been setback after setback for Pavano as he's tried to make his way back to the Bronx. His shoulder, his back, a bruised ass, tightness in his biceps, now a chipped bone above his elbow which will necessate surgery and likely means the end to his season. Because of how long Pavano has been on the disabled list, rehabbing from various injuries, some of which seemed mysterious and hard to pinpoint, many fans have questioned whether he is really interested in getting back to the majors with the Yankees or whether he is just content nursing his brusied ass, and now his elbow, down in Tampa. Personally, I think that Pavano is just extremely fragile and injury-prone, rather than a player who doesn't want to play on the major league level. I find it hard to believe that a player who has subjected himself to all the hard work that rehab requires, doesn't have the work ethic or motivation to play on the major league level. But many fans believe this is the case and would like the Yankees to sever ties with him as soon as possible.
So if it's unacceptable for Carl Pavano to not want to pitch on baseball's highest level, why is it acceptable for Steve Park, or any of the other drivers who might turn down an offer for a Cup ride, to not want to race on Nascar's highest level? Now that doesn't mean that a driver should take any ride that's offered to them - there are some Cup rides that are very non-competitive. And there are also drivers who have expressed a desire to truck race full-time in "retirement." But it's hard for me to understand why a driver in Steve's situation, wouldn't jump at the chance to get into a situation where they could race on a higher level against Nascar's most elite drivers, for more money and potentially in a more competitive ride. Anyone who has gotten this far in this entry is probably familiar with Steve but for those who aren't - he's 39 with potentially many years of racing ahead of him; he's only racing part-time in the Busch series for a very small team that will struggle to be competitive against the Cup-backed Busch teams; and he been racing the #59 truck, a truck with no primary sponsor, no manufacturer support, no guaranteed spot in each race and given their small resources it's unlikely they will be racing up front too often unless there are major changes to the team's circumstances. With that in mind, in all honesty, it would be disappointing to me if Steve were to turn down an opportunity to race for a quality team in a competitive ride on the Cup level. Fact is, that kind of ride would offer Steve a better chance to race up front and win than what he's in currently and isn't that what racing is all about - winning?
Some who have talked to Steve recently say that he is very happy with what he's doing now, racing in the Busch and Truck Series. But is he really? Is Steve, the race car driver, not Steve the person, really satisfied with the rides that he has now? Because if he is, then it's being implied that Steve is happy with results that are subpar and don't have a lot of hope of getting better unless major changes are made to the teams that he's with. Steve has said that he believes that the #59 team could be a team that could win races - I would agree if hard work was all it took to win races. However, right now this team is going to have an extremely hard time being competitive in comparision to the best teams in the truck series. Is that acceptable to Steve? I would think the answer would be "no!" especially given the amount of cursing that it was said that Steve did this past race weekend because of how bad his truck was and how unhappy overall he was with the inability of the team to make any improvements. So why then would he possibly refuse a Cup ride that might be better than the situation he's currently in? I can understand turning down a ride where the car will struggle to even qualify for races, let alone win any. But would Steve really turn down a ride with Red Bull Racing, Evernham Motorsports or Bill Davis Racing, even if he might be in a position to have better results than he is now? It would be hard for me to understand that.
It's been said that after his accident Steve learned that there are more important things in life than racing and that racing in Busch and the truck series, with less demands on his time, since there are less races and less obligations to sponsors and fans, gives him the opportunity to enjoy more time with his friends and family. I believe that it is very important for the drivers, and fans, to realize that there are more important things than what happens on the track. Many, if not all, of the drivers have to sacrifice time with friends and family during their racing careers, which isn't always an easy thing to do. But I can't help but think though that kind of attitude is one that is usually seen in drivers who are nearing the end of their careers, rather than a driver like Steve who should have years of racing left. Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott among others have cited wanting to spend more time with their families as reasons for retiring from racing Cup full-time. Michael Waltrip has also discussed learning as the years went on that there are more important things in life than what happens on the track, yet he is also a driver that probably only has a few more years left racing full-time. Maybe it is simply an attitude shift because of the accident, but it seems curious for a relatively young man to be talking like someone who might believe that most of their best years of racing are behind them - which may or may not be true in Steve's case. Beyond that it's hard for me to understand why Steve, or any other driver, wouldn't want to better their situation, even if they have learned there are more important things in life than racing.
I suppose it sounds like I'm being very critical of Steve and I guess that may be true depending on what his actual thought process is, something I know very little about. But really I'm just pondering some of what came up in the discussion that came to a premature end. I still think the world of Steve, I still believe in his abilty behind the wheel 100%, that he can race up front and win if he has a competitive car or truck. Maybe it's that belief that is why it's hard for me to understand why Steve wouldn't want to go Cup racing again - I believe that he can still do it and succeed at it. But of course, as someone said during the course of the discussion on the possibility of Steve returning to Cup racing, what Steve wants and what the fans might want could be two entirely different things. As it should be. Steve needs to do what is best for himself, no matter how much he wants to please those around him, including his fans. He needs to do what he thinks is going to give him the best opportunity at happiness and in the end only Steve knows what that would be. But in spite of all of that if fans were to find out that he turned down a Cup ride that, some may still be disappointed or question his reasoning.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2006
Kevin Harvick: Kurt Busch is a "dork"
Will Kevin Harvick ever stop taking shots at Kurt Busch? I guess it plays to all the fans who hate Busch but it's getting really old to me and this comes from someone who is a big fan of Harvick and doesn't like Busch all that much. In an interview on Fox Sports Radio, a partial transcript of which was posted on the Fox Sports website, Kevin said,
"The thing about Tony is... Tony's a racer. And when it's all said and done, he gets in there and does what he has to do and root and gouge a little bit. But when it's all said done, he gets out of the car, and he'll go finish what he started and talk about it and settle whatever differences he has. The great thing about our sport is people either love you or hate you. And usually when there's as many that hate you as love you, you're doing something right on the track. I think most people don't like Tony because he's a competitor. Most people don't like Kurt Busch because he's a dork!"
Calling Busch a dork isn't the worst thing that he could say but it's not necessary either. I also have to disagree with Harvick on why people dislike Busch - they don't like his actions on or off the track. In fact, that's why I don't care for either Tony Stewart or Busch very much. I don't like some of the things that they've done.
By all reports Stewart is a great person who does a lot for a number of charitable causes but I don't like the way that Stewart loses control of his emotions and lashes out in anger. I also don't like the way those incidents are excused because Stewart is a "competitor" as Harvick notes. Likewise, I think that Busch is making an effort to reach out to the fans but I don't like the way he loses control of himself either. Both Stewart and Busch are immensely talented drivers but they sometimes hinder themselves, especially in the case of Busch.
There will always be a percentage of fans who will dislike certain drivers because they are successful but I think for the majority of fans it's a drivers actions that determine whether they like them or not.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2006
Barry Bonds Has Syringe Thrown at Him
During yesterday's opening day game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres someone threw a syringe from the stands onto the field at Barry Bonds, of course in reference to his alleged steroid use. Appalling. It's to be expected that Bonds is going to receive a harsh reaction in every stadium he plays in other than his own and indeed last night he was boo'ed, heckled and had signs waves at him from batting practice right through the end of the game. But throwing things at a player is inexcusable no matter what the circumstances are or how hated the player is. A lot of fans think that it was hysterical - after all it's mocking Bonds and his likely use of performance enhancers. They are applauding some fan's creativity. But I think any time something is thrown at a player whether it is a syringe, a paper cup or a brick it's wrong.
Fans throwing things onto the field and especially at players makes all fans look bad when in reality it's only a small percentage of fans who don't know how to act appropriately. What's the harm some are asking? Well, if people keep throwing things at players I think that one day there will be barracades of some sort between the fans in the stands and the field. How fun is that going to be? Some day a player is going to get injured by a fan throwing something at them, it's just a question of when. And once that happens all fans will be punished for the actions of a few.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:26 AM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2006
Exclusive Fan Zone on Steve-Park.com
Fans spend a lot of money to support their favorite drivers. They join fan clubs, buy merchandise, go to races which sometimes involves a great expense for travel and tickets, they buy tickets to appearances and events, they support their driver's sponsors, etc... It often adds up to a lot of money. A new trend is for drivers to offer members only sections on their websites with exclusive content that fans pay extra for. Often there's a lot of cool features in the members only sections that aren't available anywhere else. Usually the cost is anywhere from about $25 to $50 and sometimes it also includes a membership in that driver's fan club.
Then there's the new fan zone on Steve Park's official site. It's going to have some great features such as twice monthly chats with Steve, a fan forum and photos that Steve will take himself with his cell phone. But the cost? $9.99 a month for fan club members, $13.99 for non-members. For me that would come out to almost $140 a year with the monthly fee and the fan club renewal. I adore Steve and would love access to those features in that section but I have to think long and hard about whether that is the best use of my money when I have a considerable amount of monthly bills plus other expenses. $10 a month for this and $10 a month for that adds up when I am trying to make my pay check go as far as possible which is hard when one works for a non-profit and has considerable commuting costs to get to their job.
I guess it really seems like a lot of money when I look at what other driver do with members only sections of their sites. Jeff Gordon is a three-time Cup champion and it's only $3.50 a month or $35 a year to join the Jeff Gordon Network where fans recieve the usual benefits of a fan club plus an online magazine, exclusive content such a videos, the opportunity to buy exclusive merchandise, a fan forum and opportunities to go to meet & greet events at races where Gordon will be present. On Michael Waltrip's site it's $25 a year to join which includes membership in the fan club, exclusive content, access to press releases prior to their public release, videos, weekly audio from Michael, a fan forum on which Michael and Buffy occasionally post, chat rooms, and eventually chats with Michael and Buffy. With the Bobby Hamilton fan club there are different membership levels and $150 gets you a lunch with Bobby himself plus 20 laps around a track with a professional driver in a truck and a tour of the Bobby Hamilton Racing Shop. Two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart's Smoke VIP costs $60 which gets you access to exclusive features on his site plus an autographed photo. I suppose on Steve's site there were will much more interaction with Steve if everything goes well but $120 a year still seems like a lot - $50 seems about right.
I assume that if they are going to charge that much per month that they are going to be committed to updating that section of the site a lot more often than the rest of Steve's site has been for the past year or more. Even when Steve was racing every week his site had tumbleweeds blowing through it and a lack of current content. When people are paying that much money for access to that section of the site they are going to expect quite a bit for their money and then some. I also assume that it's a definite that Steve will have a full-time ride soon because as much as I love Steve I don't see how they can justify charging $10 a month if he's not racing full-time - there simply wouldn't be much to talk about or update the section with.
I guess I'll see how things evolve but at the moment it leaves a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth. There's a few other things that I'd like to say on this subject but the odds are that whatever I say will be twisted around and might even be used as evidence that I'm not a "true," "real" or "good" fan. Then again, maybe I'm not a "true" fan or the best SParkie possible if I choose not to pay $120 a year to access the fanzone on Steve's site. And maybe that's okay with me.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:44 PM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2006
Headlines About Clay Aiken These Days Not About His Music
Apparently a few of the tabloids have been working themselves into a frenzy with various stories over the possiblity that Clay Aiken is gay. Aiken has denied being gay in the past but his sexual orientation has been a subject of debate, much to many of his fan's dismay, for a long time. Apparently the latest is that one man alleges he had a sexual encounter with Aiken and another man claims that while Aiken logged onto a gay website and engaged in a chat with him in an effort to solict sex. The second man has provided one of the tabloids with photos of Aiken, one of which he says is Aiken half-dressed, which he claims comes from a webcam that Aiken used during the chat. I have no clue if any of these allegations are true. I don't care whether Aiken likes men, women, both or neither. Aiken's sexual orientation is his business and I think it's very unfortunate that it's an issue for some.
However, I think that if it's true (and I'm not saying that it was so no hate mail please!) that Aiken was cruising websites and picking up random strangers for gay sex encounters he didn't use terribly good judgement if he wanted to stay in the closet. People talk and especially about those who are well-known so the news is going to travel if he's on those sites. But even worse would be using the webcam - what the heck was he thinking there if those images really are what it's alleged they are? I guess he didn't realize that someone could capture images off a webcam but it's pretty easy to do. Instant blackmail, or in this case, instant scandal. Which could have big ramifications for Aiken.
What's really incredible is that there is apparently a small group of fans who filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Comission against RCA and Sony/BMG claiming that they engaged in deceptive marketing and promotional campaigns and deliberately hid Aiken's real sexual orientation. Oh please! Since when are fans entitled to know every detail of someone's life, down to their sexual preference? If Aiken hid that he was gay, he was far from the first and he won't be the last. But most of all, many celebrities, maybe even the majority of them, have a public image which may differ from the way that they are privately. Fans feel like they "know" the celebrities they idolize because they see them so often on TV, hear them on the radio, and read about them in magazines, newspapers and online. Some fans get to meet their idols in person and spend time around them. But there is a difference between knowing the public persona and really knowing someone. If those Claymates are upset with Aiken's record companies for deceptive practices because they didn't promote the "real" Clay Aiken then they better start filing complaints against every other record company, movie studio, actor, actress, athlete, etc...
Yes, it's disappointing when someone you look up to isn't what you've always thought they were. I've definitely been disappointed in this way at times. But I've remained a fan of those people because I understand that my perception of the person who I think that they are might not really be who they are. Not to mention as I've mentioned countless times before in this space I expect that the people that I am a fan of are going to make mistakes or do things that I don't agree with. It can be disappointing at times but I accept that. But it seems that there are a lot of fans who have a hard time accepting when the real person isn't always like the fantasy version that they might have built up and put on a pedestal.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:54 PM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2005
Robinson Cano Disses Fans at Autograph Signing?
If there's one kind of athlete behavior that tends to irk me it's when an athlete doesn't seem to have too much respect for their fans. I'm not talking about when a player or driver is having a bad day, is preoccupied with more important matters than signing autographs or is put in a position where there's no way that they can make every fan happy. Any or all of this may be what happened to Robinson Cano when he appeared to be very disinterested in interacting with fans at a recent autograph signing in Scarsdale. It's also possible that the writer of this article slanted things in a more negative way than they actually were because he was upset about being denied an interview with Cano after he was promised one. But if it's true that Cano rushed through the signing and was more interested in talking on his cell phone at times than posing for photos or shaking hands with fans I'd be less than impressed, particularly when one considers that each of the fans who were present at the signing paid $50 for his autograph.
Of course it's certainly possible that Cano had personal issues to attend to or some other reason why he rushed through the signing. But particularly at a paid autograph signing it seems to me that athletes owe their fans the decency and respect to not be talking on the phone if at all possible and to take an extra second to at least make eye contact and smile. I think that athletes owe their fans very little. As such I keep my expectations very low in regards to how much a player or driver is going to interact with me when I see them. That's especially true at an event where there might be hundreds of people there - it's going to be impossible to satisfy every single person in the way that they might all want and by the end of the signing the athlete is sure to be tired. But there are some who are definitely better than others at handling themselves and interacting with the fans at these kinds of signings.
I've been to three baseball signings where I've paid money to get an autograph. I don't like paying for autographs, especially since each time I had to pay around $125 an autograph. But I had photos that I had taken of the players that I wanted signed and since it's very difficult to get free autographs from members of the New York Yankees I had no choice but to pay the price at those signings if I wanted my photos signed. Not only did I pay the price but at each of these signings I waited for several hours, something that I'm not sure I'd be too keen on doing again unless it was for a very special signing.
Sad to say but one of my favorite Yankees was the least impressive to me. By all accounts Tino Martinez is an extremely good-hearted and nice person but the day that I went to a signing that he did it seemed as if he would much rather have been anywhere else. Tino barely looked up, didn't say a word to me and based on his body language seemed a little put out that I asked to take a photo with him, even though that was something that was being allowed at the signing. Afterwards I heard other similar stories from other appearances which is unfortunate because I think the way he is at some signings at least may give some a bit of a negative impression about him that might not be entirely correct. While I wasn't disappointed by Tino exactly, I definitely wasn't impressed either.
Paul O'Neill was excellent. There was a tremendous turnout at his signing since he has always been a tremendously popular Yankee but he was gracious, smiled, shook hands and had a word or two for everyone. That was surprising in a way because while Paul is known as a good guy, he has always had a reputation for not always having a tremendous amount of patience and to be frank had been known when he was an active player to get surly when things didn't go his way on the field. So I figured that at a long autograph signing he might get worn out easily and might not interact with fans as well as some others might. But that definitely wasn't the case. Paul did things exactly the right way. As each fan came up to him he smiled and said "hi." No big conversation but an acknowledgement that there is a real human being standing in front of him.
Far and away the best was David Cone. In fact out of all the sports figures that I've met he was probably the most impressive this side of Michael Waltrip. Coney made an effort with every single person, young and old, to make their brief time in his presence memorable. He had a conversation with virtually everyone, high-fived kids, shook hands with everyone and overall made every single person feel like at least for the 30 seconds they stood in front of him they mattered. I've seen him at two signings and both times I was incredibly impressed with his way with people. From start to finish Coney acted like he was in good spirits and having a good time meeting his fans, even though in reality signing autographs for hundreds of people probably wasn't the ideal way he would have liked to have spent the day. From what I've heard Coney was just like that when fans encountered him randomly out and about. He was always friendly and nice, as hard as it might have been at times. A player that truely got it when it came to the fans.
Then we have Robinson Cano. Of course I wasn't there so I don't really know what Cano was really like other than what the article says. But his demeanor as described in the article certainly sounds vastly different than Paul or Coney. Some of that might be due to a language barrier between himself and many of the fans which makes it hard to connect. But a smile is a smile and has the same meaning in any language. 2005 was Cano's rookie season so he is still learning all of the ropes when it comes to being a major league baseball player. I hope along the way if his normal behavior when it comes to interacting with the fans is like it was described in the article, some of his teammates will teach him about the importance of showing his appreciation for the fans when he can, even if it's in the smallest of ways like with a smile.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:56 AM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2005
Most Outspoken Sparkie
Sparkies are Steve Park fans and over on Steve Park Central a completely unscientific poll for "Sparkie Awards" such as "Most Popular," "Best Photographer," etc... has resulted in me being named "Most Outspoken Sparkie." Anyone who knows me, even casually, whether it's online or offline, probably isn't very suprised by that! The vast majority of the time what's said on a message board is of zero consequence but it's very important to me to speak my mind in every situation that I'm in, even if I'm the only one who thinks as I do. Censoring my opinions out of fear of what someone else might think or for other reasons would mean that I would not be true to myself. Of course often I'm not actually the only person who shares similar opinions to me, but there are times when I'm the only one who is willing to put themselves on the line, at least at first. So if I help encourage someone else to speak up that is a good thing, particularly if it relates to things that happen in real life when what one says and does really matters.
If I'm outspoken my Mother is twice as outspoken and her example is why I don't shy away from saying what I think. In my Mother's case she's been in the position where standing up for what she believes in has had a real effect on people's lives in a positive way. She has also not been afraid to say and do the right thing even when it might not make her popular or goes against the grain of what the majority would do. I've always admired that quality about my Mother so from a very early age I've not been afraid to speak up about what I think about things based on her example.
Which hasn't always won me friends of course because there are some who feel, particularly online in certain fandoms, that there are only certain acceptable ways of thinking or behaving and that doing or saying things differently should be discouraged. But I've got plenty of friends who understand that the world would be a very boring place if we all agreed about everything. It's a fact of life that not everyone is going to like each other either. While I take great pains not to deliberately say anything to offend or hurt someone's feelings it's more important to me to be true to myself than fit myself into a mold that will make me popular. One of my favorite quotes that I've mentioned on this site before is by Dr. Suess and it goes,
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
Indeed, those who matter understand and don't mind.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:54 PM | Comments (0)
October 31, 2005
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)
October 25, 2005
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)
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)
October 14, 2005
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)
September 11, 2005
Baseball Players vs. Nascar Drivers: Fan Interaction
Friday night I went to the game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. My cousin had won a charity auction for unbelievably good seats, about eight rows behind first base. Since those seats are mostly corporate seats that are impossible for the average fan to get I've never sat in seats that good before. It was awesome to see the game from that close as you can hear so much such as the ball landing in the first baseman's glove. One other benefit to those seats besides being able to see the game from so close-up is that during batting practice you can get right down to the field to try to get some autographs. I'm not big on collecting autographs but I do like to take photos from up-close and the way that the Yankees work it is that unless you have field box seats you can't stand in that area during batting practice. So it was cool to have the opportunity to be in an area that I've never been in before in all my visits to Yankee Stadium.
Try to get autographs is mostly all that it is. Unlike in Nascar where the drivers sign, sign and then sign some more for fans everywhere that they go, baseball players are not as willing to sign or even indicate that they see that there are fans standing there at all. I've previously discussed that I don't think that athletes owe the fans much but I do think that they owe fans respect enough to acknowledge their existance. Fans are the lifeblood of any sport and while it's impossible for players or drivers to be perfect or acknowledge every body all the time, it was extremely disheartening to see how many of the players who literally walked past us ten feet away couldn't even look up, wave or even smile to fans in their home stadium.
There were two exceptions and those were Al Leiter and Alan Embree, both of whom signed a baseball for my cousin. I think that's interesting because both of those players are relative newcomers to the Yankees. Leiter has always had a good reputation as someone who is fan-friendly so it didn't surprise me that he stopped to sign. Though gosh, doesn't he look just thrilled in the photo above to be doing it? It also didn't really surprise me that Embree stopped to sign. One, because he's probably trying to court good will with Yankee fans who haven't taken to him too well and two, because he came from the Red Sox where it sometimes seems like the team reaches out to fans more than the Yankees do.
Of course there are big differences between Nascar and Major League Baseball. In MLB there are no sponsors to please and if there were no sponsors in Nascar I imagine the drivers might be less inclined to be so fan-friendly. After all, there is a part of what they do in relation to the fans that is to gain visibility and promote their sponsors. Making appearances on behalf of sponsors is a huge part of what the drivers do. Even the players who endorse various products usually don't have to do more than appear in commercials or ads. But traditionally a big draw of Nascar is how accessible the drivers are to the fans regardless of what their obligations are to their sponsors or to their team in relation to appearances. So any driver coming into Nascar has to expect and learn to deal with the fans in a much more extensive way than the players in other sports who know that they have to deal with fans, but know that it will be in a more limited way for the most part than the drivers.
I think there's some other differences in attitude as well. For one in baseball many players seem to think that many fans simply want their autograph to sell, which makes them less likely to sign. While there are plenty of fans like that, there are also many fans who are extremely excited to get an autograph for themselves. In Nascar while autographs of drivers like Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. probably could be used to make a profit, there isn't that much of a market for autographs for drivers such as Sterling Marlin or Steve Park beyond with their own fans. So most of the drivers know that unless someone is collecting autographs of every driver it's likely that it's for their own purposes, though some fans seem to simply collect autographs for the sake of getting an autograph rather than because that driver's autograph has any meaning to them.
In addition, as Jim pointed out, when it comes to team sports, for the most part fans will be fans of the team no matter who the players are. Yes, there are fans who are die-hard fans of individual players but most fans are loyal to a team rather than shift their allegiance from team to team as their player goes from team to team, though there are certainly fans like that. But in Nascar usually fans are fans of specific drivers rather than organizations and will follow their driver from ride to ride. With so many drivers there is also pressure to do things to win over fans to ensure that they are fans of one's self rather than of the next guy. So drivers have to go the extra mile to ensure that their fans stay with them.
Of course there is also the issue of fans who behave inappropriately which probably makes a lot of players leery of interacting too much with fans. But the same problems exist in Nascar and the driver still stop to sign when they can or at the very least often wave to fans as they pass by. That was too much for many of the players on Friday night, even the ones who were addressed by name. I understand why it's difficult because if they acknowledge or sign for one person, then they have to do it for everyone and it becomes difficult, though at the time there were only four of us standing there. And of course there are probably things that they have to do to get ready for the game. But I couldn't help but be bothered by how many of the players ignored the fans. Where is the appreciation? Drivers in Nascar very much appreciate their fans - why does it seem so different for the baseball players?
Posted by silverdsl at 06:50 PM | Comments (0)
August 08, 2005
What Do Athletes Owe Their Fans?
Interesting discussion last week on the Dale Jr. Pit Board regarding what drivers (and I'm going to expand it to all athletes) owe their fans. Apparently at an appearance last Wednesday night at Ken Schrader's dirt track in Peavely, Missouri, which was a fundraiser for the Victory Junction Gang Camp, Junior was late and barely even glanced at or acknowledged the fans he was signing autographs for. Which didn't go over so well with everyone considering they had been waiting hours in temperatures over 100 degrees. Some felt that Junior should at least have looked up and smiled at the fans as they were coming through the line. But in contrast some felt that it's such an honor to be in his presence that he shouldn't even have to to that. Which led to a discussion of what, if anything, the drivers owe the fans.
In Junior's defense the amount of people he had to sign autographs for in the time allowed was immense. It was estimated that he had less than ten seconds to sign for each person and be done on time. That means he can't talk to anyone, can't pose for photos, can't do much more than scribble his name. So as is probably the case with most of Junior's appearances the amount of people he needs to sign for in a limited amount of time limits how much he can interact with each person. There's also no telling what else Junior might have had on his mind that night. But should he have made more of an effort to acknowledge the fans who waited so long for him under such trying conditions in some small way?
I think athletes owe their fans very little. They don't have to sign autographs for fans unless they are contracted to do so at an appearance. They don't have to pose for photos unless they have time and it doesn't bother them. They don't have to stop and talk to every fan who calls their name. And as I recently said, many fans can be difficult to deal with when they behave in inappropriate ways. But I touched upon it in that entry and I'll expand on it here there is something that I do expect and think that athletes owe their fans - respect and that they treat them the way they they would like to be treated. I also don't think it's too much to expect that Junior looks up no matter how briefly and acknowledges his fans with even the briefest of smiles, a wave or a nod as fans hand him something.
Through the years I've observed quite a few athletes and some are very obviously more fan friendly than others. Some take interacting with fans in stride and understand that it goes along with the territory. Some even seem to enjoy making fans happy by signing autographs and chatting with them. Then there are others who seem to view the process of dealing with fans a major chore - they might sign for fans but they won't look happy doing it. I've changed my opinions on some athletes both pro and con on the basis of seeing how they interact with fans, particularly those athletes that I've seen on more than one occassion. I always try to keep in mind the circumstances of an encounter and above all that the athletes are human beings too who are will sometimes have bad days that might effect how they are when I seem them. But with all of that in mind there are some athletes who have very much impressed me and a couple who have left me feeling cold.
At the top of the list when it comes to fan interaction that I've experienced are David Cone, Michael Waltrip and Mike Mussina. These three guys get it when it comes to the fans and make a special effort to go out of their way to interact with their fans. I'm always impressed by how much Michael does to acknowledge the fans and how he actively does things big and small to show how much he appreciates his fans. He wants people who meet him to come away feeling good about it and he's very successful at making that happen more often than not. Coney was also outstanding with his fans and I've never seen any other athlete who had such a way about him - he engaged every single person, but especially kids, in such a wonderful way. And there were always so many stories about how he would stop to chat with fans who encountered him randomly on the street. He never made anyone feel like they were bothering him or that he didn't have time for them. Mike Mussina, who has a reputation as being standoffish, is actually one of the more fan-friendly baseball players in the game, hosting fan meet and greets for members of his fan club at Yankee Stadium twice a year and having an annual fan club dinner during the off-season. That kind of thing is almost unheard of for baseball players to do. And he makes sure to interact with every single person who appears at these events too. Others who get it include Paul O'Neill and Steve Park, along with countless other Nascar drivers.
But as noted there are a few people who I've changed my mind about after seeing how they interact with fans. With Kurt Busch it was in a positive way. I never really liked him much due to some of his immature behavior on the track. But when I was at the race at Dover last Fall I was standing near where the drivers came off the stage during driver introductions taking photos and out of all the drivers Busch was the only one to acknowledge my existance with a smile even though all of them passed extremely close to me. Then when we were in Pocono a couple of weeks ago we were once more near the stage for driver introductions and again Busch was one of the few drivers who was engaging the fans around - smiling at people, waving and talking to people who talked to him. That's made me view him in a much more positive light because I have to give major props to any athelete who gets it and goes out of their way with the fans, even in the smallest of ways, when they don't have to.
Unfortunately there are two people that I've cooled on after seeing them a few times at appearance and such. That doesn't mean I hate either person or stopped being their fan because after all, athletes are human beings too and aren't going to act perfectly all the time, simply that I came away with a slightly changed opinion afterwards. It wasn't quite as bad as the experience of those people at Junior's appearance at Peavley but one appearance I went to I found that this person, who I was very much looking forward to meeting, couldn't look up at me at first or make eye contact, didn't seem interested in even saying "hi," and when I asked to take a photo with him didn't seem too happy about it even though we were certainly allowed to take photos with him. And it wasn't just me - I watched him interact with more of his fans and I was very disappointed about how lukewarm he was with even the youngest of fans.
Then there's the athlete who twice dissed Jim because he was more interested in ogling me. And that's fine to a degree because again, these are human beings and I don't expect men to never look at women - it's human nature. But here's where that pesky little respect thing comes in. Have enough respect for me as a human being and as a fan to at least be subtle about what you're doing. But more than that treat your male fans like you would your female fans. This person was simply not as nice to Jim as he was to me, despite Jim being very nice to him and to me that reflected poorly on this person. Again, that's not to say that I stopped being a fan of this person, simply that it changed the way I view them in some way.
Some people simply do not "get it" when it comes to the fans. Not too long ago someone on a small racing board posted a huge diatribe about how horrible fans are. One might wonder what the problem is since I've ranted myself about inappropriate fan behavior more than once. The problem is that this person says that they are in the marketing department for a race team and they don't dislike just the ill-behaved fans but all the fans. I was astonished that this person doesn't get why fans are so important or why someone in marketing or PR might need to be nice to fans, not just fake nice as she says she is when she has to be but really nice. I'd also question the wisdom of posting such a thing on a fan forum where anyone could come across it but that's a whole other story. This person thinks that everyone in racing thinks the same way that she does and when it comes to ungrateful, rude, misbehaving fans of which there are unfortunately a lot, I would say that most people agree with her. But when it comes to fans who support their favorite drivers and the sport in the right ways then she's wrong because it's very obvious that the majority of people, in racing and elsewhere, appreciate those fans and recognize their importance.
Without fan support there would be no Nascar races, no Major League Baseball Games, no professional basketball games, etc... There would be no one to buy the tickets to the games or races, no one to buy merchandise, no one to go to appearances, no one to donate money to charitable causes that athletes are raising money for, or no one to support sponsors. The vast majority of athletes understand this as do the people in the various organizations they work for. In MLB I think they have some work to do in terms of increasing the amount of fan-player interaction but for the most part I think the players understand that fans are important. In Nascar they most certainly do and the amount of access that fans get to the drivers is testament to that. If fans go away then so does the popularity of the sport as will the lifelihood of any number of people. If fans feel like their favorite athletes can't take the time to show their appreciation for the support they get or feel that employees of that person's organization don't think much of them, then some fans are going to feel that they shouldn't take the time to support their favorite athlete in quite the same way that they once did.
So Junior's unlikely to lose any fans because he didn't acknowledge all of the fans who came to see him but I would guess that it's likely that the way some of them view him has changed. I suppose he has so many fans that it doesn't really matter to him either way how any of them view him. But who knows down the road perhaps there will come a time when he will need all the fan support he can get - and that's when a smile or a greeting might make all the difference.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)
July 31, 2005
What's Wrong With This Article?
Pressure's Off For Drivers Who Turned to Trucks
Mike Harris, who covers motorsports for the Associated Press, wrote an article about former Cup drivers in the truck series that caused some distress and anger among some Steve Park fans. The reason being that the article doesn't mention Steve, who raced Cup full-time from 1998 to 2003 and won two Cup races during that time. Since last season Steve has been in the truck series, has won one race, won Most Popular Driver once (both the fan version and the one voted on by his peers) and is on his way to another fan-voted MPD award. So one would think that naturally Steve would be mentioned by name as he is in countless other similar articles that have been written about former Cup drivers in the truck series. However, the writer apparently looked at the top fifteen in points and unfortunately Steve is 17th in points. On top of that he's not the only former Cup racer not mentioned. Brendan Gaughan who was in Cup last season, Robert Pressely who raced Cup from 1995-2001 full time are full time truck racers who weren't mentioned. And Ken Schrader and Kevin Harvick who make spot starts weren't mentioned either.
It would be nice had Steve been mentioned in the article but I'm missing why his absence should raise my ire to the point where I should feel compelled to email the writer and let him know what a grevious oversight it was. Of course I've never been prone to getting as upset by what gets written in the media as most other fans, probably because of having worked extensively in public relations. Sometimes in spite of your best efforts coverage just isn't going to be as extensive or as positive as we might like. In addition, having dealt with any number of journalists, while I don't know any who cover motorsports, for the most part I've found that most journalists are hard-working who are trying to do the best job that they can. Most reporters want to put together the best article they possibly can. It doesn't always happen that way for a variety of reasons but in most cases it's not because a reporter has a personal problem with someone they're writing about.
Unfortunately the reality is that being outside the top 15 in points means that Steve and Brendan aren't going to get quite as much attention as some other drivers inside the top 15, no matter what they've accomplished in the past. To the fans what Steve has done earlier this season and throughout his career, as well as what an outstanding person he is, means that they feel he should be deserving of attention and coverage all the time. However, to a reporter, particularly one who is looking at certain stats and in this case showing how many former Cup drivers there are in the top 15, he's probably not going to take into account what Steve or Brendan has done in the past.
Stories just don't write themselves either unless you're talking about Dale Earnhardt, Jr. or Derek Jeter in which reporters flock to them no matter what they are doing, newsworthy or not. Something has to grab the interest of reporters or they need to be pitched an angle that is unique enough to get them to write about it. Since Steve won in February, and received a considerable amount of media coverage for it as he should have, the results on the track have not been consistant through no fault of his own, and he's not done anything off the track thus far to prompt too much media attention.
And even when you do something or have an event you think is worthy of media attention there's no guarantee that it's going to get much coverage. I'm sure Mike Snow, Steve and Brendan's PR person could attest to that and I certainly know from my own experience that surefire, no-miss events or happenings have sometimes not gotten much press when we expected a lot more interest. Then I've gotten surprised when things that I've pitched not thinking too many would run with it have generated feature stories and the media has gone wild with it. You never can tell sometimes. Occasionally if you're prepared in advance it can really pay dividends. Snow did a great job with the Orleans Racing reaction to the news that Talladega was going to be having a truck race in 2006. By having quotes from the Orleans Racing drivers and crew chiefs available immediately and presumably distributed to where they usually send press releases he insured that those quotes, including those by Steve, were used in any number of articles because it made things real easy for reporters.
Something else that I think may lower Steve's visibility or at least cut down on the amount or way that stories about him can be pitched is that he has no primary sponsor. Yeah, yeah, I've harped on that before. But when there's a primary sponsor typically there are appearances, promotions and other tie-ins that garner both the driver and the sponsor attention. South Padre Island has occassionally been the primary sponsor for selected races and when Steve did an appearance on SPI there was local coverage. With no primary sponsor that isn't in the family so-to-speak, there's not as many of those opportunities to take advantage of.
Of course my fellow Steve Park fans are far from the only fans to be upset at the coverage their favorites get. Yankee fans are constantly complaining about the bias that the media shows against the Yankees. I rarely see that. Instead I see journalists trying to analyze the team and unfortunately what they say isn't always going to be positive. Fans aren't always positive about the moves their team or driver make so why should the media? Personally I enjoy reading all sorts of perspectives and I would find it pretty boring if all I read or saw on TV were flower and rainbows types of stories.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:39 PM | Comments (0)
July 29, 2005
Some Fans Just Make Me Shake My Head
Not too long ago I wrote an entry in which I said that there is no such thing as "real" or "true" fans and that I don't get why some fans feel the need to tell each other that they somehow don't measure up. I still feel that way but after being at the racetrack this weekend and seeing some of the behavior of my fellow fans I might not be so inclined to say that there isn't any such thing as a "bad" fan. Because there are some truly rotton apple fans out there and they are giving the many good fans who know how to behave appropriately a bad name. And anything I'm saying here about some race fans can be applied to fans in all sports - there are simply some fans who think that they are entitled to behave in any way that they want.
The feeding frenzy at qualifying on pit road, and in general all weekend at Pocono, wasn't just astonishing to me it was downright scary at times. I admit that it's hard for me to relate to fans who come to the track with the goal of getting as many driver's autographs as possible because autographs don't have very much meaning or importance to me. But the single-minded focus and the willingness of some fans to do whatever it takes and say whatever comes to mind to get a driver's signature was appalling to me.
When the drivers and crews are at the track their primary focus is and should be on race-related matters. When players are at the stadium their primary focus must be on the game they have to play. That is what they are getting paid to do. While I strongly believe that there should be a maximum amount of interaction between fans and athletes it isn't always the place nor is there always time for it. I was astonished by how many fans didn't seem to realize any of this. The drivers and crews are out there on pit road getting ready to qualify and fans weren't just asking for autographs they were demanding them.
And unless every driver signed for every fan it wasn't good enough. Hello, if a driver isn't signing for fans on this part of pit road he might very well have signed for 50 people on the other end of pit road or in autograph alley as he walked out of the garage. Or in the case of Jeff Gordon he might be signing countless autographs later in the day at an event for members of his fan club. The drivers sign autographs constantly all weekend. I had seen some of this at Dover but I was astonished by how bad it was at Pocono - driver were signing as they walked through the garage area immediately after getting out of their cars, while giving interviews, as they walked up the ramp to driver introductions, there were people camped out in front of the driver's motorcoach lot, it was never ending. And so many of the drivers signed without complaint in all of these situations - yet some people still complain?
Even if a driver took the time to wave at fans who called his name that wasn't acceptable either. Which is unbelievable to me - when I used to stand at the press gate before and after Yankee games the vast majority of players never even bothered to wave at fans. Yet when drivers turn around and give a big smile and wave to fans at qualifying when they're just about to get in their cars fans have the nerve to feel slighted? I was thrilled the few times that Michael Waltrip seemed to notice me and wave at me. I've got plenty of autographs from him and have talked to him. I've love to do that all the time but I realize that just isn't possible. Race weekends are impossibly busy for all of the drivers and they are constantly on the go. On top of that there's no telling what else they might have on their minds. I don't expect any driver or player to drop everything for me. I am so appreciative when one of these guys does take the time to interact with me but I know that it's just not always going to happen.
What really bothered me was what happenend when some drivers did come over and sign autographs. I very nearly got crushed in the mass of people trying to get Brian Vickers and Greg Biffle's autographs. I understand that everyone wants an autograph and they aren't going to be able to sign for everyone so fans have to try to get their item as close as possible to the driver as quick as possible. But I don't want to get physically injured because someone is so desperate to get Biffle to sign a hero card that I get knocked down and crushed. I was determined to stick it out until Michael got in his car to make his qualifying run but after Biffle signed I was hoping that no one else came over to sign and luckily no one did.
There's a level of desperation in there that seems to override logical thinking and that's extremely scary. There was a man we encountered in the garage area who had a hot pass and was twice warned by security to get away from Michael Waltrip while he was still practically in his car. This man boasted about how he had defied them and got Michael's autograph. That man was risking getting thrown out and having his hot pass taken away - is it really worth it for an autograph? I have no idea what team or sponsor he got his hot pass from but they might be a little embarassed if he got tossed. What lengths would a fan go for an autograph? I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that.
It also puts Michael and other drivers in a bad position because he feels he can't refuse to sign because then the fan thinks he's a jerk and goes and tells everyone what an asshole he is. It's incredible what conclusions fans jump to - driver X didn't sign - he's an asshole, nevermind that he had an appearance to run to or his child is sick. Driver Y is stuck-up, he signed but he didn't smile, nevermind that he's sick or he's worried that he's going to get released. Driver Z is a fake prick, he signed and was nice to everyone at the appearance but it was obvious that he was faking it. And with the way things are fans immediately jump onto a message board to tell their fellow fans about their experiences with drivers and players both positive and negative. And it gets seen by many who base their own impressions on what others say.
Some of the things that were being said were also incredible. Of course there's the complaining, sometimes in not very nice ways, about the drivers who don't sign or don't acknowledge the fans. But other stuff too. In reference to Junior - "He better get his hot bod over here." I heard some variations of that kind of thing all weekend, about how the drivers better do this or that, and it made me uncomfortable. Junior is a human being and so are all the other drivers, not a piece of meat. He doesn't have to do anything. Not sign autographs, which is very difficult for someone as popular as he is, not wave, not cater to the fans. What he does have to do is try to qualify the car as good as possible which was a tall order considering that the #8 just wasn't too good all weekend. And what happend since Junior didn't come over? Is that woman less of a fan than she once was? Unfortunately it seemed as if there are quite a few fans who base their opinions on the drivers on whether or not they came over to sign autographs. Not if said driver was nice or funny or how good of a racer they were but whether or not they signed an autograph and how they did it.
And while I'm ranting about what I think is inappropriate behavior let me touch upon two other things that I think is excessive - fans who invade drivers or player's personal lives and fans who invade drivers or player's personal space.
There is always going to be some natural curiosity about off-the-track or off the field things. Some of it can be interesting and fun such as hobbies or what charitable causes they are involved with. There's nothing wrong with taking a healthy interest in who someone is as a person. What's not okay is tracking down where someone lives, taking photos and posting it publically. Nor is it okay to think of ways of sneaking into their condo development, house or the marina where their boat is kept. And it's not okay to follow someone as they leave the track or stadium unless you happen to be going in the same direction as they are anyway. Those type of behaviors and anything similar is being a stalker. There are way too many fans for my comfort who think this behavior is funny and encourage it.
I've participated in some discussions about drivers or players' significant others but there's a point at which my interest stops. There is something wrong with being intrusive to the point of digging up dirt on a significant other. Yeah, sometimes there are going to be things related to a SO that are newsworthy and negative. That's just the way life goes sometimes. But some people take it to an extreme and assume that every person who dares to go out on a date with the driver or athlete must be a horrible person who is only with that guy for their money or for the status that comes along with being with that person. That may be true in some cases but just as often those assumptions are completely incorrect. And guess what - even if the SO is a lousy person it's up to the driver or player to make that realization. That some fans feel that they should find out bad things about SOs to "save" the person they are a fan of - that's scary. And why a fan would complain about a SO when that SO obviously makes the player or driver happy is beyond me - I want the people I am a fan of to be happy.
Invading someone's personal space is unacceptable too. I am constantly worried about this when I go to take a photo with a driver, crew member or player. Usually I just start to put my arm around someone and then follow their lead as to how close they want me. It can be awkward since I'm so tiny and most folks loom over me. The last thing I want to do is put my arm around someone in a way that they might not be comfortable with. Unfortunately not every fan is as considerate - I've heard plenty of stories about fans grabbing body parts of drivers, crew members and players and unless it's accidental each time it makes me shutter. As a woman I'd be screaming for help if a stranger, and the vast majority of fans are pretty much strangers to these folks no matter how familiar of a face a fan might be, grabbed me inappropriately. So why is it okay for a female fan to do this to a driver, crew member or player they think is hot?
There are a lot of fans who think that they can behave in any way that they want and it's okay. That the player or driver will understand that they're just excited or desperate for an autograph. That they are just showing or proving how big of a fan that they are. That the driver or player has seen and heard it all so what's one more thing shouted at them? That it's all in good fun. That they paid good money to be there so they are entitled to something. That the player or driver meets so many people that they will never remember what any individual fan says or does. Well, I've got news for anyone who thinks like that - what you say and do is often noted and remembered even when nothing is said.
Another piece of news - just because you got away with doing something crazy the last time you were around the player or driver doesn't mean that you will get away with it again. I was sworn to secrecy on the details while back but I witnessed a fan who had been around previously physically removed from a situation when that person engaged in what I would consider stalker-like behavior. And I applaud the person who took it upon themselves to see to it that it happened. Granted it was part of their job but it said to me that they take these issues seriously as they should.
I'm far from perfect. I'm always taking photos and maybe it annoys some drivers or players when they see me taking their photo all the time. And I don't mean to make it sound like every fan should behave like I do. Far from it - I'm ultra laidback as a fan and that's not going to work for everyone. There's nothing wrong with some healthy exuberance, excitement and there's nothing wrong with collecting autographs. But I try very hard to have respect for all the people that I come into contact with and be aware of the circumstances and what is possible in any given situation.
Do I have some expectations? Sure I do but I try to keep my expectations very low. I would have liked to have gotten to talk to Michael this past weekend but I knew that I would have to get very lucky for that to happen and that there was a good chance that it wouldn't happen. I was perfectly fine with that. When I go to an appearance I'd love to have a conversation with someone but given the vast amounts of other fans that are usually present, I know that's usually not going to be possible.
If I have one expectation though it's to be treated the way that I try to treat others. Now I will excuse some less than positive behavior because there are times when drivers or players are going to be having bad days, not be feeling well, be dealing with things that I have no clue about or be rushed. I've definitely excused a few things over the years and normally it doesn't effect how much of a fan I am of someone. I accept that all these folks aren't perfect and are human beings with the full range of human emotions, both good and bad. But what I don't like is when there's a pattern of behavior and myself or other fans aren't treated with respect. Or when a situation isn't handled appropriately on someone's else's end. Those things bother me because it can be a two-way street. If the drivers/players and their representatives expect fans to behave in certain ways than they should also put some effort into being considerate of other people. Most do, unfortunately some don't always do that. And in those instances I think fans have the right to speak up and express their displeasure. It's when someone is trying their best to do the right thing as it relates to the fans and they still get flack for it that it's problematic.
There is something wrong with behavior which discourages players or drivers from wanting to deal with fans. And that's why I rant about these things all the time - I don't want my fun ruined by fans who can't behave appropriately, are too demanding or are ungrateful.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2005
Pocono - Race Day!
So race day at Pocono was just as fun as qualifying the day before was! Just as fair warning this blog entry will be just as long as the one about Saturday's events. Of course a day at the track wouldn't be complete without seeing Michael Waltrip but you'll have to read futher to find out where this was taken...
Worried about race day traffic we left again at 7 a.m. Like I said in the last entry I had been warned that the traffic would be horrible and that it would take us an hour to get to the track from only a mile away. Needless to say, we had no problems with traffic until we got to Long Pond Road, a couple of miles from the track, and even then the traffic was just slow, not unmoving. As it turned out the traffic wasn't even from people going to the track but rather because of a local newspaper trying to hand out free papers to motorists and a fire department conducting a coin drive. I can't fault the fire department for what they were doing because obviously they provide a valuable service to the community and a lot of their budget probably comes from that coin drive, but was it really necessary for the newspaper to try to hand out free copies? I say try because not too many people were taking copies, probably just as annoyed as Jim and I that they were causing a back-up.
On Saturday we had parked in the grandstand parking which worked out fine but was a bit of a walk to get to the garage area in the infield. But on Sunday we realized that with our credentials we could park in the infield. So we headed in and it was really interesting to me to see the infield with all the RVs and people who were camping out. Of course I've heard plenty of stories about how crazy things can get in the infields at different tracks but I had never seen what it looks like in person. Since it was early in the morning it was much quieter than it would be at night but I was amazed by how many people I saw drinking beer even though it was only nine in the morning. I guess that was to be expected though.
As we walked towards the garage area we passed the Speed-TV stage and I heard an announcement that Nascar This Morning would be filmed there live at 11 a.m. with Michael Waltrip as a guest host filling in for Kenny Wallace and Jimmy Spencer who were both unable to be there due to where they had raced the previous day. Immediately I knew that I had to be there! Seeing the production of a live show would be pretty interesting to begin with but that Michael was going to be on made it a must-see. I don't think Jim was as thrilled as I was but I wanted to be there to hear what Michael had to say but also cheer for him and show my support as well.
But before that we headed to the garage area. As I suspected there wasn't a whole lot going on other than the cars going through yet another inspection. I wanted to find out where the #15 pit was going to be so we also walked down to pit road but it was so incredibly crowded that the crew members could barely move their equipment down to their pits. So we decided not to add to the problem and go back to the garage. I know the track sells the pre-race pit passes for fans to walk up and down on pit road but it just seemed like there were so many people all over the place that it might be making things hard for the crews. Luckily we saw one of the #15 crew members headed in what we figured was the direction of their pit so we got some idea where it was and we wouldn't have to wander around too much later in the day. We then decided to get something to eat before heading over to the Speed stage.
After breakfast we went to the Speed stage nice and early to stake out a spot for the show. At first I was going to stand right behind the stage but I realized that I didn't want to stare at Michael and John Robert's backs all show. Not only that I had no desire to be on TV. So I went over to the side of the stage and discovered that would offer me a good view of the entire stage including the faces of those on the show - much better. So we spent the next hour hanging out there, me chatting with a nice woman next to me. I had been worried that it was going to get crowded which was why we went over so early but as it turned out while there were plenty of people who came over, I had no need to worry about staking out a spot since it was never as crowded as I thought it might get and certainly not on the side where I was since the people standing there don't get on camera.
Michael got there about ten minutes before the show was due to start and I knew that he had arrived based on all the people running over to the other side of the stage so I knew he must be signing autographs. So I walked over to see if I could take a few photos but by the time I got there he was walking inside. Based on the look on his face I'm not sure he was so thrilled by the amount of people rushing towards him to get his autograph even though they were behind a barrier but perhaps I'm just reading into things. At any rate I went back to where I was standing to wait for him to come out on stage.
Eventually Michael came out to big cheers from the crowd. Of course he made sure to wave at everyone on all sides of the stage. I'm never good at knowing for sure whether or not someone is acknowledging me for sure because I always think that perhaps they're really looking at someone behind or next to me but it appeared that Michael spotted me and flashed me the peace sign and a nice smile. That was pretty cool that he seemed to recognize me even from the stage. Each time I see him I never expect him to recognize me since he sees so many people all the time but I had just seen him last month at the Tom Baldwin Golf Outing so I guess that helped as well as the fact that some of the times that I've seen him I've spent more than a few minutes around him so that helps when it comes to remembering my face. Michael sat down and began going over notes for the show with John Roberts. At one point while I was looking elsewhere Jim told me that Michael seemed to look over at me again but unfortunately I missed that due to being distracted by a dude with a mohawk in front of the stage.
I wish I could give a complete recap of everything that was said on Nascar This Morning but unfortunately it was a bit hard to hear on our side of the stage. Michael appeared to be in good spirits and based on the bits and pieces I heard he seemed to be upbeat about the race and enjoying himself on the show. He is criticized by some for his behavior on Inside Nextel Cup in that some feel that he interrupts others too much and doesn't pay attention to what the other panelists are saying. Some take that to mean that Michael does that kind of thing all the time. Well, he did none of that on NTM. He paid complete and obvious attention to John Roberts and from what I could tell sat quietly and listened rather than interrupting when someone else was talking. Yes, he looked around at times but he seemed focused to me on the show. Which indicates to me as I've always thought that a lot of the way Michael is on INC is due to the relaxed format of the show and also because he's playing up a certain role that people have come to expect from him. He's very capable of being different for a different kind of show like NTM, which is a more formal type of show.
Eventually the woman next to me who I had been talking with picked up on the fact that Michael recognized me and occasionally seemed to be looking over at me. So she told me that I should get him to come over at some point and sign autographs for everyone. He recognizes me but that's all! He's not my friend and while I think very highly of him, I really don't know him and I have no influence over what he does in any way, shape or form. And even if I did Michael's not a dog that I'm going to call over to perform tricks. I would never dream of asking anything from him. He's an extremely busy man when he's at the track and as much as everyone might like an autograph I know full well that it's not always the time or place for that, particularly if he's on a tight time schedule. Even when I see him at an appearance I would never dream of asking anything from him other than what he does for others - an autograph and a photo and that's if those things are possible.
The show started taping at 11 and the driver's meeting was scheduled for 11:40 so I had figured that Michael was only going to be on the show until then. I was wondering how he was going to slip out and as the time grew closer and closer to the driver's meeting I noticed there was some discussion during breaks with some of the production staff I assumed about his need to leave to be on time for the driver's meeting. I had been told by someone a while back that Michael hates to be late for anything so I watched with some amusement as he started checking his watch more and more frequently. Jim mentioned to me that Michael seemed to be less and less in good spirits as the show went on and I'm guessing that he was getting antsy about making the driver's meeting since the drivers get in trouble if they don't attend the meetings. Finally a break came at exactly the right time and Michael left.
At that point we decided we would leave too since we weren't too interested in hanging around to watch just John Roberts do NTM. So we headed back to the garage area ourselves. And oh, how I wish we didn't. The driver's meeting happens while the garage is still cold which boggles my mind. The reason being is that there is a massive crowd of people who cluster around where the meeting is going to be trying to get autographs and some of them are very aggressive. There must be some reason why the garage is still cold at that time but I strongly feel that the garage should be hot then to cut down on some of the people who rush the drivers. Maybe Nascar wants to give even those with just cold passes the opportunity to see the drivers but many people are incapable of just standing in one spot and being respectful of the fact that these guys are on their way to a work related meeting. I had seen some of this when we went with Michael to the driver's meeting at Dover last fall and didn't like it much then but at least in Dover the fans seemed to be kept a little further away from where the drivers had to walk.
It was particularly bad when Junior made his way to the meeting. Of course it's impossible for Junior to walk much of anywhere without a huge pack of people following. I thought it was a particularly sad commentary that instead of walking through the garage area like most drivers, Junior had to walk from presumably the motorcoach lot in back of all the haulers as close as he could to where the meeting was before walking out in the open. And as soon as he was spotted a massive group of people ran towards him. To Junior's credit he signed as many autographs as he could as he walked but one look at how blank his face was indicated to me that he's really not enjoying himself much when stuff like that happens, as much as he must come to expect it. I'm not a fan of Junior's in the least but I do have a lot of sympathy for him for some of the things he has to deal with off the track in terms of fans and other issues which are even more intense and magnified than it is for other drivers, with the possible exception of Jeff Gordon who also gets it bad.
Jim went to get something to drink and while I was waiting for him I didn't really know what to do with myself so I was just kind of standing around. Unfortunately based on the set-up no matter where I was I was going to be, unless it was all the way at the other end of the garage, I was going to be in the way since drivers were going to scatter in all sorts of directions once the meeting broke up. When we were at Dover it seemed like the Driver's meeting lasted for a while but it seemed to go very quick at Pocono. Once it broke up drivers and crew chiefs were all over the place with fans running after them in all directions. I tried to take a few photos of a few people but eventually gave up because it was just too impossible with how they were getting crowded. I nearly got swept away in the crush of people trying to get at Junior once more and was almost run over by Elliott Sadler who was walking, signing and carrying on a conversation with someone. With me being so short and him being so tall I don't think he saw me at all! The funny thing was that some drivers like Scott Riggs were just able to walk right out without any problems - no one was interested in his autograph in the least. I was tempted to go up to him, thinking it might make him feel good if at least one person asked for his autograph even though I'm not a fan of his, but I just felt too uncomfortable about approaching.
I had figured that Michael would stay for the prayer service which follows each driver's meeting as he normally does but much to my surprise instead he high-tailed it out of the garage area to go back to NTM. So of course we went back as well. I felt a little creeped out since we were following him around but given a choice between standing around in the garage area, being part of a crowd stalking drivers and watching Michael finish guest hosting NTM, I'll take the latter every time. When I got back to where I had been standing I asked if I missed anything, and a woman complained that now that Michael had returned he wasn't facing our side of the stage quite as much as he had been previously which made it hard to take photos. He's filming a freaking show for crying out loud, not on display for the fans! I don't mean to pick on this woman who was very nice but it was just one more example to me about how sometimes the expectations of the fans are that their needs should come before everything else to a ridiculous degree.
Not too long after that my contact that weekend turned up and I started chatting with him. He's really a great guy and I very much enjoyed talking to him. However, the woman I had been talking to noticed a logo on his shirt that indicated that he was involved with a team and started asking race-related questions. I thought that was going to chase him away but instead he shut her down by telling her that he never talks to the guys about racing. And I was tempted to add if he did he would never share what they said to her, me or any other fan. My big thing when I'm talking to someone who is involved with a team I try to be very careful about what I chat with them about. I almost never ask questions about the driver they work for, instead asking questions about the person themselves. That's because I am genuinely interested in these people for their own merits, not just for who they might work with.
Towards the end of the show I looked over at Michael and he flashed a big smile in my direction and a wave. Again, always hard for me to tell if that was really meant for me - for all I know someone just behind me was doing something to get his attention but I made sure to smile and wave back. By the time the show was over it was 12:30 so Michael had to rush off to get changed into his firesuit for driver introductions and the pre-race ceremonies.
Jim and I headed back into the garage which had gone hot once more. It was at this point that I saw something that caught my attention and that was Slugger Labbe, Michael's former crew chief and Tony, Eury, Jr., Michael's current crew chief in deep conversation near the #15 hauler. Now, on Saturday someone had taken some photos of the two casually talking and I had also seen Slugger talking to others from the #15 team outside their hauler. I didn't really think too much of it then since Slugger did work for DEI for several years so he's bound to still have many friends there. But this conversation really had my attention because of how serious it seemed and how long it went on. They could have been talking about anything from strip clubs to nearby restaurants to complaints about Nascar. I have no idea. But in light of some of Slugger's recent critical comments about Michael I sure did wonder what they were chatting about. I thought about taking a photo but given their body language and all I felt like it would be intrusive and perhaps not appropriate. They were out in the open but it just didn't feel right to start snapping photos at that moment.
One funny thing is that there were countless people clustered around the #8 hauler obviously waiting for Junior, thinking he was inside and that they could catch him for an autograph as he walked to driver introductions. But I've heard previously, probably read it in Jade's blog, that Junior doesn't go to his hauler before the race, instead choosing to spend the time in his motorcoach. I'd guess part of the reason for that is to avoid the pack of people who would naturally swarm him and so that he can have a little time pre-race more or less to himself.
So we drifted over to where there were some carts that the drivers were hopping into so they could get driven to driver's introductions. As I mentioned in relation to Scott Riggs, there are some drivers who get zero attention from the fans. And I always feel a little bad for those guys. On one hand they're probably glad that they don't have to deal with what a Junior or a Tony Stewart goes through each race weekend but I would think some of these guys wouldn't mind a few more fans taking interest in them and what they are up to. Mike Wallace, brother of Rusty and Kenny, is driver of the #4 car and he is one driver that no one really takes note of. Two times, including by the carts, I saw him and thought about smiling and waving at him, calling his name, something just to make him feel a little good about himself but both times I saw him he had such a serious look on his face that I was afraid to. For whatever reason particularly as he headed to driver intros. the look on his face really discouraged me but perhaps he was just concentrating on what he was going to have to do later in the race.
What was cool was that as Kyle Petty passed me in his cart he smiled and waved at me. I know it was at me because no one else was around me at the time, that's the only way I was certain! I guess he remembered me from last month's golf outing and perhaps the other times I've met him. A few other drivers passed by including a serious looking Dale Jarrett.
Jim and I eventually decided that we should head out to pit road to try and get a spot where we could see all the happenings at driver's intros. And what a spot we got! We really weren't sure where we should go or where we could stand especially since there was a security guard who kept yelling at everyone to get behind the tires - um, which tires? There were tires all over the place! But we ended up right next to the ramp all the drivers had to head up to so that they could get to the stage which meant that we could see every driver up close as they walked by us.
Drivers are introduced last to first so the first group of drivers were already on the ramp waiting to be introduced, Junior among them, since he hadn't qualified well. He chatted with Kirk Shelmerdine, who I think at one time was his father's crew chief, and some of the other drivers who aren't exactly big stars like Kevin Lepage on what seemed to be a completely equal level, as did Elliott Sadler who joined Junior a few minutes later. One big thing that I noted is that almost every driver talked and laughed with every other driver. That's not to say that every driver is best buddies with each other or even likes each other but no one shied away from talking to anyone else. There are some fans who believe that certain drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch are complete outcasts in the garage area and none of their fellow drivers will talk to them because they are so disliked - wrong! Both of those guys talked to any number of their peers and I detected no trace of animosity on anyone's part though of course no one is going to let too much show in public. The only driver I saw who didn't really talk to too many others and seemed a little unhappy was Jeff Green. Matt Kenseth also seemed a bit unhappy and I later found out that he gave a post-race interview in which he discussed that he's not thrilled about not being consulted about the hiring of Jamie McMurray for the #6 and the way he found out - through the internet.
Some of the drivers would casually walk up the ramp and hang out chatting with their fellow drivers. Others would rush up, obviously having just arrived. Robby Gordon's name was announced and he literally had to run up the ramp to the stage with his firesuit only half on. That made everyone, including his fellow drivers, laugh. I wonder if there's a fine or other penalty if a driver misses driver introductions? I've never heard of it happening and I can't imagine any driver not being ready that close to race time but Robby did cut it awfully close. And while all of this was going on there were a couple of people on the ramp perhaps with charities or the track, who were getting the autographs of all the drivers.
At one point Tony Stewart comes walking up the ramp and I take one photo of him. Then I'm standing on tippy-toes trying to peek over the railing when suddenly Tony decides to lean against the railing right near me, sticking his ass right in my face. I guess Tony either didn't know I was standing there or didn't care. It was really hysterical, in fact I found it so funny that I had to take a photo even though I normally don't take butt shots of drivers or players. Yes, I kept my hands to myself even though his ass was well within arm's reach for a few minutes. Actually he might be lucky it was me and not some other fan standing there because another fan might not have kept their hands to themselves.
Kurt Busch gets a lot of flack from fans, many of whom think he's a jerk. I've never actually met him but both times I've been to the track and seen him up-close I've been impressed with how he seems to interact with the people around him at drivers introductions, even fans. He always has a smile on his face and he doesn't shy away from interacting with people and did so with Jim. It may all be for show but I have to give him credit for making an effort. Jim was wishing a lot of drivers good luck and most of them didn't acknowledge him, probably because half of them didn't really hear him or were rushing by at the time. Kasey Kahne was just about the only one other than Kurt who did look right at Jim and thanked him. I think that's funny that perhaps the most timid driver in the field was one of the only ones to talk to Jim.
After driver introductions were over I decided that we should walk down to where Michael's car was so I could take some photos of Michael and Buffy by the car before the pre-race ceremonies start. It ended up being quite a long walk as the #15 was all the way on the opposite end of pit road. As we walked through Kasey Kahne's pit which was right near where Michael's car was, I glanced at Kasey's crew who were leaning against a fence and dude, you aren't as much of all that as you think you are. That's about all I'm going to say about that. So the next pit was pretty much empty of people and equipment because it belonged to one of the extremely underfunded teams so I took the liberty of walking right into the pit and standing by the pit wall so I could have a good view of Michael and the other drivers by their cars.
After the invocation it was of course time for the singing of the National Anthem. Usually Michael sings along which is something that not many other drivers do so I turned around to look and discovered he wasn't singing but he was looking right at me for some reason. (Probably wondering if I'm a stalker!} That freaked me out so I immediately turned away rather than smiling like a normal person, so I probably came off like a complete weirdo. I just didn't expect him to be looking in my direction, since normally everyone on pit road pretty much stares straight ahead. I'm guessing since there were no TV cameras around Michael probably felt free to let his attention wander a little more than he might if he thought he was going to be seen on TV.
Once the pre-race ceremonies were over we stuck around to see Michael get into his car. He had walked off somewhere and when he got back to his car he plopped his hat on Buffy's head like she was a hat rack or something. I'm sure he meant it affectionately but it was a little amusing the way he did it. For some reason I find it really fascinating watching him climb into the car since he's so freaking big. I won't share the comment I had made earlier in the day to Jim that sounded really bad by accident but it certainly applied to Michael jamming himself into the car.
We then made the trek all the way back to the other end of pit road where Michael's pit was located. I attempted to use the scanner only to fuck something up and for a good chunk of the race I either couldn't get the scanner to work, couldn't get the volume high enough and/or couldn't get it to stick on the #15 frequency and not scan through all the drivers I had programmed in. So for the majority of the race I had no clue what was going on since all I could see was whatever happened in the pits around me and the cars as they passed on the track directly in front of the pits.
But that doesn't mean that the race was boring by any means. I absolutely adore watching the pit crews at work and I also love taking photos of the pit crews. So I had a wonderful time watching the crews do their thing. Those men are amazing - they do so much in fourteen or fifteen seconds! I did feel a little awkward standing in back of the #15 pit because I didn't want to get in anyone's way. So I'm glad that Michael's pit was located in a slightly wider area of pit road than where some others were. That mean there was more room for everyone, including myself to move around.
For a while we just hung out watching the happenings on pit road. At one point we walked down to the #8 pit because those guys are mostly all Michael's old crew who we had met in Dover last fall. A lot of them were looking at me and Jim, obviously knowing that we looked familiar, if not remembering fully why they recognized us. Unfortunately it was no time to strike up conversation and refresh their memories there on pit road. I wish that I had seen some of them under different circumstances since they were all so nice last fall and that was one reason why we had such a great time then.
A sad indication that even on pit road there are some fans who don't know how to act appropriately is that the #8 and #24 pits had to have barracades in back of them to prevent people from going into the pits that don't belong there. Every pit is set up within painted white lines and it's a no-no to go inside those white lines unless one is with the team, a member of the media or invited. Most of the time I tried to stay much futher back than that to ensure I didn't get in anyone's way. But apparently a lot of others aren't respectful like that since the #24 team had tires piled in an makeshift wall at the back of their pit and the #8 team had a chain stretched across the back of their's. Back in Dover I actually saw why the #8 team does this. During one pit stop I was absolutely appalled to see a pack of fans run up behind the #8 crew while they were in the middle of a pit stop and start taking photos. And I mean right in back of them - ridiculously close. Jade Gurss had to literally chase them out of the pit.
Once we walked back to the #15 pit I started noticing how hot it was. In reality it probably wasn't that hot in comparison to most of the tracks that they race at but to me it was really steamy. I was starting to wonder how I was going to manage to last though the entire race when our contact approached. I don't know whether he was just trying to be nice or noticed that the heat was starting to get to us but he offered to take us somewhere to cool down where we could still watch the race. And so we went with him. There is no way that I can possibly say where he took us but it's the last place I ever expected in a million years to watch part of a race from. After we left that place our contact arranged for us to be able to use a lounge whenever we wanted for the rest of the afternoon to cool down, or get something to eat or drink. The funny thing is that the lounge was really empty and the staff was obviously anxious for people to talk to. They kept trying to shove food at us and chat with us about various things. Very nice people but that is true of just about everyone we interacted with all weekend. Needless to say without the kindess of our contact I'm not sure I would have made it through the entire race without passing out so I am very appreciative to him for taking pity on us and helping us cool down.
After spending some time in the lounge we went back on pit road where we walked around a bit then mostly hung out near Michael's pit. Like I said I had no idea what was going on the majority of the race. Unless one of the cars in a pit near us had problems, and a few did, it was hard to know what was going on with any individual drivers. At one point Michael slid through his pit right into Travis Kvapil's pit - that was impossible to miss. Though he had to get backed up before his crew could go to work it didn't seem like it hurt them too much at that point in the race. At one point I did know that Michael was running in fourth place and I got very excited thinking he might have a chance to win. One of the few things that I did know during the race based on the bits and pieces I was able to manage to hear on the scanner was that Michael had a good car that ran towards the front most of the day in spite of him having to start from the back. I was certain he was going to get a top ten at least... only that was not to be.
The last pit stop was obviously an important one for the #15 group and they seemed to nail it. So I was feeling pretty good for Michael. Unfortunately for me, Jim was determined that we were going to leave to miss some of the post-race traffic. Of course I wanted to stay to the bitter end but Jim was insistant. If I thought Michael was going to win I would have put my foot down but since I figured he was probably going to end up with a good finish but not a win reluctantly I agreed to leave with about 25 laps to go. We profusely thanked our contact and made the trek back to the car, me wishing that I wasn't leaving, Jim probably saying "finally!"
Leaving ended up being a very good thing. Because it wasn't too much longer before Greg Biffle got into Michael when he was in eighth place and sent him into the wall. I probably would have burst into tears or did something equally embarassing had I been there in person when he wrecked. Michael's crew got him back onto the track... and he promptly wrecked again. I have no idea why he went back on the track - he said on INC that he would have finished 26th regardless but maybe they felt that they could lose positions if they didn't go back out. I really felt horrible for Michael because I know how much he likes racing at Pocono and how high his expectations probably were coming into the weekend. And he should have had a great finish, only bad luck bit him once more. Poor Michael, I really want a stretch of good luck for him, hopefully with at least one win in there.
Traffic wasn't too terrible getting out of the track and though we encountered some slow downs on the way home it actually wasn't as bad as I had thought it might be considering all the horror stories I had heard. Perhaps that was because we left early or maybe we just got lucky. What I do know is that it was an absolutely awesome and outstanding weekend! I don't know when the next race I'll go to will be and I might never get another hot pass ever again so I made the most of every second I was at Pocono. Truly a great experience!
Posted by silverdsl at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2005
Pocono - Day One
I mentioned last week or the week before that I had been generously been given hot passes for the race weekend at Pocono. So that was this past weekend and it was so much fun! Of course I have a lot to say about it and I will say it all here so I can use this as a record of my experience. Believe me, I sure don't expect that there will be many who will be able to read the whole thing! I think I will split it up into two days to make it a little easier on myself.
So Jim and I set out bright and early on Saturday morning at 7 a.m. to go to Pocono. Having never been there we had no clue as to exactly how long it would take us to get there or how bad the traffic might be. Almost every track has bad traffic but it's been said that it's particularly bad, even for qualifying, at Pocono because there aren't many roads in the area to get to the track. But other than one minor place where we took a wrong turn thanks to the navigation system in the car not knowing exactly where we were going, it was smooth sailing to get the track on Saturday and we were there a little after 8:30 a.m. First up was getting our credentials from the Nascar trailer outside the track which are the cold passes which allowed us entry into the Cup garage. There was no problem there and putting the pass on really gave me a thrill of excitment because it made the whole thing seem so much more real.
I didn't want to call the contact who I had to get the hot passes from too early since I knew he might be busy with other things so we walked around a little and I got a scanner. That killed a lot of time because the person selling the scanner moved about as fast as a snail stuck in a puddle of molasses. I think Jim got a little antsy but I didn't mind because we had plenty of time. Finally we got the scanner and made our way over to the infield where the Cup garage was located. I made my first nervous phone call to my contact who didn't pick up which made me unsure of what to do - leave a message that I didn't know if he would get promptly or try back later. I opted to try again later.
So we made our first walk-through of the garage and I was in complete awe that I was actually there. Seeing the cars up close is just amazing! I see them on TV each week but having them meer feet away from me was incredible. Almost immediately we made our first spotting of a "name" and that was Slugger Labbe, current crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield, former crew chief to Michael Waltrip. As it turned out that was one of many Slugger sightings throughout the weekend. Jim and I had met Slugger last fall when we won the Operation Marathon Auction to be Michael Waltrip's guests at a race. That was just before Slugger parted ways with the #15 team. Since then he's made some comments that raise a lot of questions and has also made some critical remarks about Michael so even though he was extremely nice to us that day, he's not high on my list of people in the garage area right now. But to his credit at one point when he saw us he smiled and nodded, obviously at least realizing we looked familiar if not fully knowing where he knew us from. He was on the phone at the time and that was probably a good thing because if he had stopped to chat it might have been a wee bit awkward.
Much to my surprise I also ran into a friend who runs a Michael Waltrip website and her sister, who is a big Steve Park fan. They are members of the Nascar Members Club and they won the opportunity to have a brief visit to the garage area. So that was a nice suprise. I knew they were going to be at the track and I hoped to meet up with them at some point but I had no idea it would be in the garage. Good thing I saw them then though since I never ended up being able to find them on pit road during qualifying later in the day.
The cars were going through pre-qualifying inspection so we watched that for a while. But I soon realized that we should get something to eat because if we waited too much longer it would be qualifying and I didn't want to miss any of that having never experienced a live qualifying before. So we headed to the infield cafeteria and got breakfast. After another failed attempt finally I was able to reach my contact who directed us to meet him outside the driver's motorcoach lot. What was funny is that none of the four security guards we asked knew where it was. The reason that was so funny was that the motorcoach lot was directly in back of the garage, pretty much right in the same area where all the security guards we asked were stationed. The only thing I can think of is that they're told to play dumb so that fans can't try to stalk the drivers near the motorcoach lot but given that they kept asking others where to send us, it didn't seem like that was the case.
Once we got outside the driver's motorcoach lot I called my contact so he could come and meet us. As we waited I noted how many fans were clustered by the gate to the lot, waiting for a glimpse of a driver. While we were there Kevin Harvick was driven in on a cart but didn't stop or acknowledge any of the fans there. I wonder if any of the drivers ever stop to sign autographs? I kind of think that should be an area off-limits to autograph seeking since the gate to the motorcoach lot is like the gate to a private community of houses. On race weekends the drivers live inside and if you wouldn't camp outside of someone's house for their autograph I don't think it's cool to camp outside of the motorcoach lot for an autograph. Oh wait, some people do think nothing of stalking celebrities for autographs outside their houses. That's unbelievable to me that some fans think it's okay to invade people's privacy like that.
Eventually our contact pulled up on a cart and handed us the passes. I think he was about to take off but I asked him about someone that we both knew, who wasn't the person who arranged the hot passes for me or the person that person is affiliated with. This apparently peaked his interest so he stuck around and chatted with us for a while. Despite being around racing for a long time this person told me that he's not really a race fan which I found very interesting considering he's around it for a good part of the year. It quickly became evident that our contact was a very nice person. Then our contact offered to give us a ride to a shortcut back to the garage area so we hopped on and he took off. It's at this point that I will have to leave a few minor things out just because I don't feel right posting about it publically.
So once we were back in the garage area we weren't sure exactly where we should go prior to qualifing actually starting - stay in the garage or go out on pit road. We walked back and forth a few times then finally decided to go out on pit road. I will do a separate post regarding fan behavior this weekend but needless to say I was not overly thrilled with the zoo-like atmosphere on pit road. I understand that there are a lot of fans who like autographs a lot more than I do and aren't as laid-back as I am when it comes to being a fan which is fine but some of the things that I heard and saw this weekend were just appalling. I know people can get carried away when they are excited but the drivers and crew members are human beings whose first priority has to be with the things that have to do with racing.
I wasn't quite sure where to stand on pit road that would offer me the best view of all the happenings but eventually we decided to watch from fairly close to where the cars went out on to the track for their qualifying laps. It was a good choice because it was really, really awesome to hear the drivers start up the engines and take off! I just can't even begin to put into words how cool that was to me! There were two directions that drivers could come from to walk over to their cars for qualifying - one directly from the garage area that would take them through autograph alley where they could sign some autographs for fans behind a fence and then all the way up pit road or from the other side, presumably through the ARCA garage where they could miss having to deal with a lot of the fans. As one might imagine several drivers opted for the route where there were no fans including Dale Jarrett and not surprisingly Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Of course each time a driver would approach from the end that put them in the least contact with fans, it didn't go over very well with the people around me.
Brian Vickers and Greg Biffle were the two drivers who came over to sign at different times where I was and Jimmie Johnson signed a bit further down the line. I enjoyed taking photos of both Vickers and Biffle up-close as they signed but what I didn't enjoy was how everyone crowded against each other and practically crushed me in their haste to try and get those driver's autographs. So for the rest of the time we were on pit road I was kind of hoping that unless it was Michael Waltrip, no other drivers came over to sign. What was interesting to me was how many working photographers would run over when a driver started to sign. It definitely makes for a good shot when drivers sign for fans on pit road but there are probably twenty photographers who ended up with the same shot. Gee, you think that ever has anything to do with why a driver signs to get themselves and their sponsor a little extra publicity when the photos are published all over the place?
Eventually I saw Michael for the first time when he walked over to where his car was. It's always pretty easy to spot Michael since he's so much taller than just about everyone else. Michael has said before that if there's a time that he gets nervous it's before qualifying since there are only two laps to do something good. And it definitely seemed like perhaps he had some nervous energy. His car was second in the final practice on Friday and I'm sure he thought that he would be able to qualify very well, if not be a pole contender again. Michael seemed to be in excellent spirits, talking to all sorts of people. He would bounce around, sit down briefly, pop back up, go talk to someone, walk around, go talk to someone else, repeat over and over again. He never never approached too close to the pit wall but at one point someone to my left yelled his name. What made me laugh is that when he smiled and waved he actually waved more towards where I was then where the person who yelled at him was. It's possible he spotted me since we've met on a few occassions and he recognizes me on sight and was waving in my direction so I smiled big just in case but more than likely he just wasn't sure where the yell had come from.
Once Michael got into his car to prepare to make his qualifying run we headed back to the garage area so we could be there when he came back in afterwards. This made me feel like a bit of a stalker but let's face it he's my favorite driver and if there's anyone I'd like to get some photos of it was Michael. On our way back to the garage we saw Kasey Kahne signing autographs on autograph alley with his firesuit tied around his waist. I paused to take a few photos of him - he looked so tiny! I saw him last month at a charity golf outing and noted how small he was but he looked even smaller in his firesuit.
The garage was fairly quiet which was a nice change from the craziness of pit road. However, it wasn't empty and there was a large group of people hanging around near some of the haulers. It soon became clear why. Jeff Gordon pulled in, fresh off his qualifying run and as soon as he stepped out of his car and started to walk to his hauler he was mobbed by people who wanted his autograph. Jeff graciously signed and I guess he and every other driver have come to expect this but I was still taken aback by how aggressively those fans rushed at him and followed him right to the door of his hauler.
A few minutes later Michael drove into his garage after his qualifying run. Because I wasn't listening to the scanner and I wasn't out on pit road I had no idea how he did. After getting out of the car he conferred briefly with some of his crew members and then instead of walking towards his hauler like we expected he might he started walking in the other direction. Now I really didn't want to be one of "those" fans who chases down a driver like that group of people had just done to Jeff Gordon. But Jim told me that we should at least see where he was going so reluctantly I followed, much further behind the many others who were looking for autographs. Eventually Michael stopped to give an interview to MRN and I cautiously went around the group that had amassed around Michael.
Lifting my camera to my face I went to take a photo and noticed the dark look on Michael's face and realized that qualifying had not gone well. Immediately I felt guilty for standing there taking photos when it was clear that he should be left alone but seeing how unhappy he obviously was didn't stop microphones being shoved in his face or fans from throwing things at him to sign. Amazingly Michael both gave the interview and signed at the same time, telling MRN about how he had gotten loose and brushed the wall during his qualifying attempt. As he was doing this he would occasionally look up at me. I have no idea if he recognized me or not with the camera in front of my face but Jim kept telling me to take the camera away so Michael could see me since he kept looking at me. I decided that I wasn't going to do that since it was obvious how displeased Michael was with what had happened in qualifying and I didn't want to put him in a position where he might feel obligated to say something to me when all I'm sure he wanted to do was get back to his motorcoach. So once he was done with his interview I slid to the side and he walked past me. I caught a glimpse of his face as he passed and while he did a relatively good job of keeping himself composed while he was doing the interview he was much less so as he walked by and he looked like he had just sucked on the biggest, most sourest lemon ever. I felt horrible for him because I knew how high his expectations were for the weekend at Pocono, how much he probably wanted to qualify well and how hard he's probably trying to do everything exactly right at the track since he's looking for a new ride for 2006.
After that, we decided to leave even though qualifying wasn't completely over. I would have stayed longer but Jim isn't a Nascar fan so given that we would be returning the next day it was about all that he could take, particularly since Michael was done for the day. On the way out we stopped off at Michael's merchandise trailer where I spent a long time trying to figure out what shirt I should get. Unfortunately just about every shirt had #15 on it which won't be his car number after this season. The one shirt that didn't wasn't one that I particularly liked. I kind of reluctantly ended up getting one of the shirts with a #15 on it because it wasn't too expensive and once he's with a new ride I'll get a couple of new shirts then.
The other thing that happened is that at one point in the morning we realized that we had forgotten the sunblock in the car. On the way back we walked through the area where all the merchandise trailers are and suddenly I hear someone calling my name. As it turned out it was someone that I know from NYYFans.com who is also a big fan of Michael's. We had never met in person before but he recognized me from a photo of me on the site. I definitely never expected to run into him so randomly or be recognized based on a photo on the site! We chatted with him for a bit which was cool.
All in all, it was an awesome day getting to see qualifying for the first time in person both on pit road and in the garage!
Posted by silverdsl at 07:52 PM | Comments (0)
Why is Michael Waltrip Wearing Shorts On INC So Offensive to Some?
Just a random thought that occured to me and this is the space for it. Michael Waltrip wore shorts last night on Inside Nextel Cup because he had been at a charity golf outting out of state prior to the show's taping and didn't have time to change into long pants. The last time Michael wore shorts on INC they were ridiculously short and it looked like he was sitting there in his underwear so I can understand why it caused an uproar back then and led the producers to say that the panel always had to wear long pants. But on yesterday's show the length of the shorts was appropriate and given that Michael has nice muscular legs he looked fine. So I don't understand why some are freaking out that he wore shorts again.
If Leeann Tweeden can be on Nascar Nation with her boobs half hanging out and she and the other female host wear clothes that are as tight as possible, what's the problem with Michael showing a little leg? Seriously, both men and women wear shorts all the time in hot weather. There's nothing offensive about a bare male leg. And it's a complete double-standard for Leeann to be able to show, and probably be encouraged to show, as much bare flesh as possible, but it's not okay for Michael. The worst part is that Leeann and her co-host are deliberately being dressed in a way to attract viewers on the basis of the way that they look while Michael is simply showing up to film the show in what he was wearing earlier in the day.
Yes, I get the point that INC is a different kind of show than NN. But INC is still a fairly casual show. Some are saying that Michael is deliberately showing a lack of respect for the show and everyone else on it. Huh? Yeah, maybe at some point he could have grabbed pants to change into. But I'm guessing at 6 a.m. he and whoever went with him wasn't exactly giving too much thought about what he needed to do for INC.
The problem is that there are some people who dislike Michael so strongly that they are going to look for anything they can find to criticize him about. Every driver and player has anti-fans like that. Things that other fans give no thought to become a huge offense to these fans because it somehow "proves" what they percieve to be the worst about the athlete they can't stand. Meanwhile, often what they make into a huge issue is really nothing at all. I suppose that's true to a degree for everyone that some things are pet peeves that irk one person but go unnoticed to the next person. But when it comes to athletes it appears that some things are magnified even more.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2005
I Know Nothing; Am Nobody of Significance
Countless people try to claim that they have insider knowledge of different things that are happening or are going to happen. With baseball with the fast approaching trade deadline all sorts of people make claims about hearing this or that from people with an "in" regarding what huge trades are going to be made. On racing boards once silly season kicks into high gear you're got all sorts of people who claim that they know exactly where this driver or that sponsor is going. The funny thing is that all of these people can't possibly have insider knowledge because all of their information is usually in conflict with each other. Meaning that more than likely they have no real insider information what-so-ever or they have one or two tidbits of information that they're running wild with. Of course there are some people who really do have insider information and are reliable sources but in my experience the majority of people who are actually in the position to know something for sure don't come to message boards and those that do are extremely close-mouthed about everything that they do know.
It's so epidemic over the past few weeks that it seems as if every single place that I visit no matter what sport it's related to has someone claiming to "know" something, usually related to some juicy piece of news that everyone is dying to find out about. With that in mind, I would just like to announce what I know - nothing. Yes, that's right, I know absolutely nothing about anything of importance in terms of trades or where any drivers or sponsors are going to end up. Ok, I do know a few tidbits of information that have been told to me by people who actually are in the "know" for sure but aside from the fact that I wouldn't consider any of it to be of very much significance, though it would probably be of interest to some, I would never tell share those items publically. On the other hand I have made some observations when I've been lucky enough to be around drivers or baseball players that I might talk about from time-to-time but I tend to leave out any details that I think might not be appropriate for me to share. Actually, come to think about it in some cases there's a lot of details that I leave out. But the bottom line is that I know exactly nothing, zero, zip, nada, zilch, when it comes to any kind of hot news.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to announce that I am also nobody of significance. I'm just a simple events planner and fan of many things who likes to write in her blog. And while I have been present at a lot of events with well-known people and talked to many famous people and their representatives through work and other means, I can say that my connections are few in terms of anyone of interest and those that I do have I would never in a thousand years exploit for any kind of information.
I had a golden opportunity today to ask a few questions and get some information from someone about something that a lot of people are wondering about but I would never even casually bring it up in conversation. Particularly since I'm interacting with this person for their own merits not because of who they are connected with. Hell, I even sat with Michael Waltrip once and talked to him one-on-one right around the time when the whole controversy over Inside Nextel Cup was brewing and I didn't say word one about it.
It's not that I don't care about these things - I do. One only needs to read just a few days entries to know that I care and am interested in a lot of things. But it just doesn't seem appropriate to ask questions that put someone on the spot and can't be easily answered... or answered at all at that time. I can wait like everyone else until the answers that I'm dying to know about are revealed to all. Oh, I will read everything I can find and speculate about this or that with the best of them. All the time. But I'm just a little nothing fan, one of thousands of fans, nobody of importance, who knows nothing of significance.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:31 PM | Comments (1)
July 19, 2005
Chris Long, the "New Guy" in Charge at Speed Makes Me Get My Rant On
I was just listening to Chris Long, the new guy in charge at Speed-TV who is making all sorts of changes, be interviewed on XM and let me tell you that this guy took a golden opportunity to win over some fans and instead more than likely pissed some of them off even further. First of all, if I ever run into Chris Long, give him some feedback and he calls me "baby" he's going to hear it from me. That's what he called a female listener who emailed Claire B. Lang to say that she likes the idea of replacing Johnny Benson on Inside Nextel Cup with Kevin Harvick. Sorry, but females, fans or otherwise, aren't your "babies," "babes" or any other term you might be used to referring to them out in California.
Let's be clear about one thing - Long doesn't care one iota what the fans think or how much they might hate the changes he's making. He keeps talking about how the changes he's making "might not be for you." Meaning if you don't like it, don't watch and I don't care if you do or not. He says that viewers don't like everything they watch on any other channel so it's no problem for the shows he oversees on Speed. Long says that viewers can just watch something else. Well, he's right about that... something else on another channel. Nascar Nation isn't for me so I'm watching something else but it's not another show on Speed. If Michael Waltrip is replaced on Inside Nextel Cup, and it sounds like he won't be, I'll be watching something else and it won't be a Speed show. On top of that Long feels that fans are only being resistant to change and haven't given much thought to these changes, are just protesting just to protest change. Nope, not true. I like the idea of adding Harvick to INC so I'm not against change. I simply hate the majority of other ideas that he's had.
After watching INC for three months Long decided that the panel had become too comfortable with each other and that they went off on too many tangents. So he felt that Alan Bestwick had to be replaced with Dave Despain who was more likely to get more in-depth insight out of the panelists and keep them on target which will make for a better show. Well, that's if Despain lets them talk without interjecting his own opinions, many of which are anti-Nascar. Not to mention the whole reason why INC has been such a fan favorite for all these years is because of the easy banter and joking around among the panelists. Not because of interviews with crew chiefs, excerpts from in-car audio or because the panelists will eventually be able to point things out on a flat-screen TV as Long says will happen. He envisions a show in which the panel does an in-depth analysis and that sounds great as long as it's not at the expense of the great personalities that make the show what it is. Otherwise it becomes a boring review of the race and they've already got that with Victory Lane.
What amazes me is how casually Long discusses replacing Johnny Benson. Hello, this man has fans... a lot of them! Take the opportunity to speak to those viewers who like Johnny and act like you care that they're upset that he will no longer be on the show. Besides that Alan Bestwick and Johnny Benson are human beings not chess pieces to be shuffled around. Johnny and Alan have been on that show since day one - ten years! I'm sorry it's a big deal that they're being replaced and it's not just because viewers hate change like Long seems to think. It's because Johnny is an intelligent man who added to the show and because viewers enjoyed Alan, another bright man, as host.
What really bothers me is that Long pretty much admitted that Michael's claim that he voluntarily left Trackside was almost certainly complete bullshit. Long says that he approached Michael and told him that he was over-exposed on Speed and that he was better off being on less shows. And that they wanted him to stay on INC. Perhaps Michael had some say in the matter and got to choose which show he stayed on but based on what Long said it sure didn't sound like it to me. And no where did Long mention that Michael's decision had anything to do with the craziness of his schedule or the need to focus on race weekend activities as Michael claimed. And that bothers me - don't throw Michael under a bus. Perhaps at some point it was decided, maybe to quell the fan uproar or possibly so that Michael didn't look bad, that Michael had to say that the decision was his even if it wasn't entirely. Well, now Long made him look pretty bad because he apparently lied to some degree or another, on INC when he said that it was soley his choice to leave Trackside. If you've got some respect for someone at least try to keep what you're saying in line with what Michael said previously. But Long probably doesn't care about how Michael looks but he should at least care about making it look like everyone is on the same page.
Long also thinks that fans only objections to Nascar Nation besides the aforementioned fear of change is that viewers are judging the pretty faces of the hosts and assuming they know nothing about the sport. Wrong. My problem is that Leeann Tweeden does not belong anywhere near any media-related show, no matter how fluffy it might be, when she has personal relationships, perhaps even intimate ones, with the people that the show covers. Long says that Tweeden knows more about Nascar than 95% of the viewers - I say if that's true she should start showing it because she sure hasn't acted like it in any piece she's ever done for any show on Nascar. Oh and I've got news for Long this female fan doesn't care one bit about the marital status of any of the drivers. I'm not watching because I hope to marry a driver some day. Nor am I interested in what their houses look like either. Some lifestyles pieces or "day in the life of" segments are interesting but a whole half hour show four days a week? No thanks and that's what I'm hearing from the majority of other fans too. Not that Long cares about what we think.
Long's job is to improve Speed-TV and it's ratings. And he may very well do that particularly if he's going to find ways to incorporate as much scantily clad women into the shows as possible like he's done on Nascar Nation. But in the process he may very well alienate a lot of fans who could potentially make Speed's ratings even higher, particularly if he doesn't learn that it's not only his message that matters, it's his way of delivering it.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:18 PM | Comments (4)
July 09, 2005
What to Think?
I've given some thought about whether I should blog about this or not because it might not sit well with everyone who might stop by here but it's been on my mind. As I've said recently I don't blog about things that I wouldn't say to someone's face and I also don't think that saying something that might upset a few people makes me a bad fan. And this is my blog on my own domain and I can say pretty much what I want anyway. Still, it's just one of those topics that I debated a little about whether I should post about it or not.
One woman on the Steve Park Central site organized a big project in which fans of Steve's decorated fabric squares with messages for him which were sewn together into a quilt which was presented to Steve this past Thursday. Apparently Steve loved the quilt as expected since he loves anything that his fans do for him. So the extra money that everyone had sent in for the costs of the quilt that went unused was sent as a donation in Steve's name along with a nice note to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. One of the people who was present when the quilt was presented to Steve said on SPC that he was already aware of the donation because Kyle Petty had called him to say that "a bunch of crazy women" had made a donation in his name. I hope that some of the context of that comment is missing, that I'm misunderstanding or there's some kind of joke there because that comment troubles me.
I know that some people use "crazy" in a good way to indicate passionate fans. But often it's not said as a term of endearment, particularly when it relates to fans. Unfortunately not every driver and player views some things that fans do to show their support of their favorites, even if it's with the best of intentions, in a positive light. So that Kyle would say that, and I have no idea how he would come to that kind of conclusion based on the donation and the note, in reference to fans who donated to the VJGC bothers me a little. And it bothers me that Steve would repeat it. Perhaps Kyle didn't actually say it and Steve was making a joke. Perhaps Steve thought it was a funny comment. But that remark nags at me for a number of reasons that I won't fully get into in this space. And I wasn't the only one who thought as I did. When I mentioned this to Jim his reaction wasn't very good either. Why would Kyle say something like that, if he did, about people who made a donation to the VJGC?
What I will say is that this "crazy" woman whose name was listed as one who contributed to that donation, has been a big supporter of the VJGC through Operation Marathon and otherwise, as I'm sure have others who contributed to that donation. And this "crazy" woman, if that comment had a negative connotation, like many others, has supported Steve for years in a very non-"crazy" way.
I'm sure I will never know what exactly was meant by that remark or the exact context and circumstances under which it was delivered, though I was tempted to try and find out. I think I'm just going to try and convince myself that "crazy" was meant in a positive way and it might very well have been. But taken with a few other things it's not the type of thing that I like to hear.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2005
There is No Such Thing as a "Real" or a "True" Fan
Before I get into the heart of this entry let me preface it by saying that no one should get their knickers in a knot because I don't have any one person, group of people or incident in mind when I decided to write this entry. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel on this issue and it's a topic that I've touched upon previously in this space. However, over the past few weeks I've seen an increase in the amount of fans who accuse each other of not being "true" fans, fans who tell each other some variation of "If you were a 'real' fan you'd do or think X or Y," or fans who tell each other that they are better than other fans for the things that they do or say. I've got news for all those people - it's all a myth. So put on your big girl panties (Michael Waltrip said that one time on Inside Nextel Cup and I've been dying to use that somewhere ever since) and read on if you so choose.
Why is there no such thing as a real or a true fan? That's because there is no right way or wrong way to be a fan. People are a fans of whoever or whatever they choose in whatever way makes them comfortable. When someone decides to be a fan no one hands out a handbook full of rules that says that everyone must think these certain things or act in this certain way otherwise someone is inadequate as a fan. There is no fan police who penalize those who don't do or say the "right" things. Thinking certain things or doing certain things doesn't make one any "realer" or better of a fan than the next person. Well, maybe in some people's minds it does but in reality the concept of "real" and "fake" fans or "true" fans is as much fantasy as unicorns are.
The beauty of being a fan is that everyone can choose for themselves how they support the person or team that they are a fan of and act accordingly. Some people are relatively low-key about the people and things they are a fan of. Others are more exuberant and vocal about their fandom. Some people are casual fans who support quite a few people they admire. Then there are die-hard fans who are focused on one or two people or things that have all their attention. There are some people who travel great distances to support their favorites as frequently as they can and others who won't go to see their favorites unless it's minutes from their house. All of that is fine - there's nothing wrong with any of these approaches or any of a hundred other approaches. The reasons why people become fans are so complex and are often deeply rooted and sometimes deeply personal. So the way that people express themselves as fans is often deeply personal as well, probably a large reason why things can go bad between fans, even fans who support the same teams, players or drivers.
I'm a fairly low-key fan. I have my drivers and teams that I support but I don't get crazy about it. Maybe that's due to the nature of my personality in general which is also fairly low-key and laid-back. There are certain ways that I express my fandom, but I don't go to a huge amount of races or games, though I try to watch as many as possible on TV. I think some people look down on fans like me because we don't outwardly show our fandom quite as obviously as some other fans, don't attend as many events or spend as much money on merchandise or tickets. But I am every bit as much of a fan of the drivers, players and teams that I support as anyone else. And as it's turned out my way of being a fan has worked out really well for me. Incredibly well in fact. I gain a lot of enjoyment, satisfaction and happiness from a lot of things in life and one of those things happens to be from being a fan of the people and team that I support.
There is also room for all sorts of opinions within a fandom. As I've said before, the world would be a very boring place if everyone had the same opinion. I am constantly amazed by how many fans seem to think there is no room for a diversity of opinions. That there are "right" opinions and "wrong" opinions and if you say the "wrong" thing driver/player/actor/etc... X will somehow think less of you or that your right to call yourself a fan should be revoked. I've got news for anyone who thinks that way - the drivers/players/actors/etc... who get it, and the majority of them do, understand that their fans have the right to have any opinion they want even if it's one they personally disagree with. Some of those drivers/players/actors, etc... understand that because they have their own strongly held opinions or causes they believe in that other people disagree with them on. So they wouldn't want anyone telling them how to think so why would they want some of their fans telling other of their fans what to think or how to act? And if it should happen that there is a player or driver who thinks that all their fans should support them blindly no matter what or never have an independent opinion, then that's someone who I don't think I want to be a fan of.
In addition, there is nothing that makes any one fan better than another. There is no scorecard upon which fans rack up points that put them ahead of other fans. Or a hierarchy in which some fans are placed higher than others. Particularly since there is nothing that any fan can do that hasn't been done by another fan before them or won't be done by another fan in the future. The vast majority of drivers/players/teams/celebrities value each and every fan that they have because they understand that their careers might be radically different without the support of their fans. All of their fans. There have been times when someone has subtly or obviously pulled out the "I'm better than you because..." card and tried to rub it in someone's face. I've seen that so many times in so many places. After I'm done being annoyed it really makes me laugh, the thing is that I, and everyone else who knows that being a fan isn't a competition, don't think that we're better than anyone else is. I'm just a small cog in the big engine that fandom is. I'm simply me - a fan of Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, Kevin Harvick, Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, Jeff Gordon, Tino Martinez, David Cone, Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, The Yankees and so many others just like thousands of other people just like me.
I've met and talked to quite a few famous people in a wide variety of fields. Some of them whose names would be reconizable on not just a national level, but internationally as well. And in all the times that I've been around someone who is a celebrity of some sort not one of them has ever tested my fandom. There's never been a test of whether I'm a "real" fan or a "true" fan. No one has every questioned my right to buy tickets. Or if I have the right opinions or go to enough games or races. Whether I'm a big enough fan to be in their presence, get their autograph, or talk to them. Perhaps I've been lucky but I've never met anyone who hasn't been appreciative of my support or treated me just as well as any other fan. And just like if someone doesn't respect my right to have my own opinions I won't feel inclined to continue to be a fan of theirs, if someone doesn't seem particularly appreciative of all their fans, that's someone who loses some respect in my eyes too. While no one who I've ever met has treated me any less than wonderfully I have read some stories that make me shake my head. I have all the understanding in the world for players or drivers having bad days and the craziness of their schedules so I don't expect them to be able to accomidate everyone or be perfectly happy all the time but I have heard a few things that have made me view a couple of players and drivers a little differently and not in a good way.
Of course there are some times that I get down on my fellow fans for reasons other than when they question each other's fandom. That's when a fan behaves in a way that is grossly inappropriate doing things such as stalking, invading someone's personal space when it's not wanted, treating the celebrity like they are a possession not a person or otherwise behaving in ways that can create a scene or get someone in trouble. I think the vast majority of fans know how to behave appropriately but the small minority who don't give all fans a bad name since those things are definitely noticed and often responded to in a way that ruins things for the fans who are well-behaved.
But why do some fans tell other fans that they aren't good enough fans? Perhaps they think that they're protecting the person or team that they're such a big fan of. Perhaps it's because they're insecure in their own fandom and deep inside they feel that they don't measure up either. Perhaps it's a way of drawing attention to themselves. Perhaps they think that the person or team they are a fan of will eventually see or hear and recognize them for it. But regardless of the reasons I wish it wouldn't happen. In any fandom, ever. Disagree with someone - great! Have a discussion about differing viewpoints - always fun to debate various things. But to tell someone that they are inferior or question their fandom if they don't say or do certain things that is something I can't stand.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
July 05, 2005
A Great Run Turns Into Another Dismal Finish for Steve Park
Late Race Accident Ruins Promising Kansas Run
Coming off of a 7th place finish in last week's race at Milwaukee, this past weekend's race in Kansas would have been the perfect place for Steve Park and the #62 to pick up even more momentum by getting another top ten. And at first it appeared that this might be possible given that Steve qualified 14th and spent the first part of the race in the top ten. However, Steve was nabbed for speeding off of pit road and instead of restarting the race in 6th place he had to re-start in 29th. Drivers are always going to make mistakes, particularly as it relates to speeding on and off of pit road considering how much Nascar is cracking down on speeding this season, but it's essential that Steve and the team eliminate as much of these kind of mistakes as possible if they want to rack up as many good finishes as they can. Getting sent to the back of the field is deadly at some tracks and anywhere it makes finishing well much harder because the driver then has to work his way back to the front of the field. And indeed making his way back into the top ten is where Steve found trouble. So while he was working his way back up to the front of the field Steve made contact with Rick Crawford while racing for position and ended up hard into the wall. Thankfully Steve was fine after the wreck and that's the most important thing, but a 32nd place finish drops him two places in the overall points to 18th which means he's got it even harder if he's going to make it into the top ten by the end of the season then he did before. This team just can't afford any more poor finishes regardless of what the reason might be.
Just like the Yankees season is pretty disappointing to me, so is Steve Park's season. I had really high hopes for how he would fare this season, particularly after he won at Fontana, and I thought he might be contending for the Championship for most of the summer. Instead I'm starting to think that he's not even going to finish the season in the top ten and that's really not very good considering the caliber of team and driver we're talking about. Some will shake their heads while reading this saying I'm being too negative, but I say I'm being realistic. Just like I think there's a good chance the Yankees might not make the post-season, I think there's a good chance that in spite of the wonderful win, overall this season isn't going to be a very good one for Steve based on what the season had wrought so far. Of course unlike the person who came to Steve Park Central to talk about how they were about to give up on Steve, even though I'm disappointed with the results for Steve on the track this season, I will still be a fan of his and I would guess that most other people will be too.
When I think about it a lot of my favorite teams and athletes are having disappointing seasons in 2005. The Yankees have been playing .500 baseball for most of the season, hovering between 3rd and 4th place in their division. Mike Mussina has been inconsistant. Jason Giambi has struggled until recently. Steve has had trouble plagued race after trouble plagued race. Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon have had their share of on-track problems as well. Michael Waltrip with his seven top tens is perhaps having the best season of anyone but he's also had to endure so much bad luck that he's not as high in the points as he should be. Then there's guys like Ken Schrader or Kyle Petty who I knew right off the bat would have little hope of contending for anything this season. Sounds bad right? Well, despite all of that I still love watching baseball and racing as much as ever. And I will never stop being a fan of any of those players, drivers or the Yankees regardless of how bad it gets.
I think it's hard for some fans because they invest so much of themselves in whoever they cheer for that it becomes so frustrating and difficult when their favorites struggle that they have to remove themselves from the situation. The person who came to SPC was most likely trolling for attention but there are a lot of people who just can't bare to watch things go wrong for their team or favorite athlete. And I can understand that. I find it aggrivating watching the Yankees in those games when they play sloppy and lifeless baseball. That's just not any fun no matter how much I love the team and the players involved. I also find it disheartening watching races in which fine finishes by Michael Waltrip or Steve Park get ruined by mechanical problems or by getting wrecked. That just isn't very enjoyable and it's even less fun when those bad finishes or losses come one after another, usually through no fault of the drivers themselves.
Sometimes I wonder how Steve feels about his season thus far. Outwardly he's always had a great attitude in which he's stayed positive and tried to keep the poor results of the race before in the past by looking forward to the potential of a great finish in the next race. But inwardly? Well, it's got to get to anyone to keep having good runs ruined so frequently but particularly to someone who seems to worry about disappointing others. And how does Steve trust that even when he's running well something isn't going to happen to put him out of the race, because almost every week it seems like something does. So by the time it's July and that's still happening I think it's got to start to wear someone down, no matter how awesome the organization is that they're with or how great their teammate is.
Two other items of note from this race - one is that Todd Bodine won in his first race reunited with Germain/Arnold Racing. He won two races with that team last season and I still don't understand why he wasn't re-signed for 2005. But now he's back and I suspect this won't be the last time we see Bodine in Victory Lane. Personally I don't care for Bodine as a racer and most others don't as well. However, I think he takes a lot of heat as a person for stuff he does on the track, not all of which I'm sure he deserves. So I have to admit that it gives me a certain sense of satisfaction when someone who is such an underdog, so disliked, thought to have so little racing talent ends up in Victory Lane. I too, think he's done some dumb things on the track and there's plenty of other drivers I'd like to see win more, Steve most of all, but I think it shows that no driver should ever be counted out - they might just surprise you.
Something else about this race is that Brendan Gaughan got his second top ten in a row, finishing eighth in this race. That's a good thing for Orleans Racing because it shows that both teams are hopefully headed in the right direction. But I ask again what I've asked in the recent past - is Brendan going to end up finishing higher in the points than Steve? Crazy, some are saying. Maybe not considering they are only separated by a little over a hundred points and four spots. If Brendan continues to finish races well and Steve continues to experience problems I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. Which would really say something considering Brendan has run two less races than Steve and a few of the other people he's ahead of in points. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Kentucky is next week and as I say seemingly every week when I discuss Steve's results from the week prior - I hope that this race brings much needed better results for the #62 team.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:28 PM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2005
Yankees' Bernie Williams and Red Sox's Bronson Arroyo to Perform at Charity Concert
Following a Yankees-Red Sox game on July 16th assuming the proper city permits are granted, Yankees Centerfielder Bernie Williams will take part in a concert at Fenway Park along with Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo to benefit Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein's foundation, "A Foundation to be Named Later." Epstein's foundation benefits community programs for at-risk, underprivileged and disadvantaged youth and this particular concert will help seven different programs, all of which I assume are in the Boston area. Besides Williams and Arroyo, Peter Gammons, who created the "Hot Stove, Cool Music Concert Series" this is a part of, and Boston area musician Juliana Hatfield will also take part among others. Instead of using all of Fenway Park, the organizers plan on only selling a limited amount of seats to make for an intimate experience inside Fenway Park. Tickets will be $50 and $100 and I expect they will have a sellout of what sounds like a fun event.
It's predictable that any time a celebrity gets involved with a charitable effort inevitably someone will come out of the woodwork to criticize their involvement. And such is what has happened with Williams donating his time to this cause. It's astonishing that someone believes that a sports rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox is more important than raising money for needy children. I see absolutely nothing wrong with Williams playing a concert that benefits a charitable foundation, regardless of where it's taking place or who else might be performing. That some can't see that there are some things that are more important than sports, message boards, rivalries, etc... is pretty sad. Williams and everyone else taking part in this event should feel good about themselves for raising money that will eventually benefit children who really need the help.
There are few things more important than helping others and the involvement of celebrities in charitable causes garners those causes much more attention than they would otherwise, plus raises a significant amount more money than they would without those people's involvement. It's amazing how many people don't realize that the involvement of those that are well-known is central to any kind of significant development and fundraising work. That's why most charitable causes try to enlist celebrities to get involved. But a lot of people think that the celebrities must have self-serving motives for getting involved. That may be true for some celebrities but I would say a significant amount of them are simply trying to help others.
When Jeff Gordon donated $1 million of his own money towards the children's ward of a hospital many people questioned his motives and said he was just doing it for good publicity, that if he was really serious then he would have made the donation secretly. I guess those fans don't realize that in a lot of cases it's the cause that wants to publicize the celebrity's involvement. They know full well that people are more likely to support causes that they know their favorite drivers, actors, musicians, etc... donate time or money to. And $1 million is quite a bit of money, even for Gordon, just to get himself some positive press.
When celebrities become involved with charitable events in terms of making appearances there's no doubt that more tickets are sold than they would be otherwise. Take the Tom Baldwin Memorial Golf Outing that I went to that raised over $40,000 for several causes including the Victory Junction Gang Camp, the Autism Society of America, the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation and the Village of Bellport Concert Series. While a lot of people would have come to remember Tom Baldwin regardless of who was there no doubt there would be less golfers and much fewer spectators without the involvement of the Nascar drivers, crew members and TV broadcasters. Some complain and say that the celebrities are multi-millionares who should be donating their money not just their time but no one knows how much money these folks might donate to causes they believe in without fans ever hearing about it.
In addition, just as there are charitable causes that fans believe strongly in, the same is true for celebrities. Michael Waltrip put together Operation Marathon to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp and it was because he dearly wanted to do something to raise money for the camp because of what good work they do and also because of how close he is to the Petty family. He made a major committment in terms of time and effort to Operation Marathon and my guess would be that along the way he's donated some of his own personal momeny separate from what he raised via OM as well. Elliott Sadler and Jamie McMurray raise money for autism because their families have been touched by it. Curt Schilling raises money to combat ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease because it's a cause he feels strongly about and I know for a fact he has no problem donating his own money to that cause. U2's Bono crusades against poverty because that's a cause he feels strongly about. The list goes on and on. It's like some feel that once people have a lot of money they become uncaring, unfeeling robots who only think about themselves. That is far from the truth.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:38 PM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2005
B.J. Hickman - Michael Jackson "Super-fan"
There were many die-hard fans of Michael Jackson who stood outside the courthouse during his trial to offer their support. But of all those people one fan made quite a name for himself as a Jackson "super-fan." That would be one B.J. Hickman, who is either 18 or 20 depending on different articles, who moved from Knoxville, Tennessee to the Santa Maria, California area so he could be present at the trial every single day. Hickman has two part-time jobs which apparently allow him to support himself in this venture and gave him the schedule flexibility to be there. As the trial dragged on Hickman made quite a name for himself, being extremely vocal in his support of Jackson, waving a sign proclaiming Jackson's innocence, yelling obscenities at those who he views as Jackson foes and making his presence known to such a degree that media outlets took notice and CNN did a profile on him.
But Court-TV's Diane Dimond didn't find Hickman's antics harmless. So last week she filed a temporary restraining order against him which means that he has to stay at least 20 yards away from her. Hickman's response was to show up at court with a lawyer and a spokesman, further adding to the circus-like atmosphere of the proceedings. He's being widely called a super-fan in the media but Hickman's behavior seems somewhat excessive and obsessive to me. When it gets to the point where restraining orders are filed there's a problem. It's hard for me to relate to someone who moves across the country because they love Michael Jackson to begin with, even harder to understand their motives when they allegedly harass members of the media as well just because they don't like them.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:59 PM | Comments (1)
June 12, 2005
Tom Baldwin Memorial Golf Outing
Finally I have the time to talk about a very cool event I went to on Thursday. And yes, that is me in the photo above sitting next to my favorite driver Michael Waltrip. Getting to talk to him one-on-one for a few minutes was a definite highlight of a few fun day! I'm sure not too many people will have the patience or the interest to read all of this but it's pretty much just a way for me to have a way to remember all that happened.
So let me begin from the beginning - Tom Baldwin, the father of Kasey Kahne's crew chief, Tommy Baldwin, Jr., was a legendary modified series racer who lost his life in a racing accident last August at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut. Baldwin lived on Long Island where he also had a business and apparently other than racing golf was another of his passions. So a golf outing featuring Nascar drivers, crew members and TV personalities was held last Thursday as a memorial but also as a way to raise money for some very worthy charities including the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Of course when I found out that Michael Waltrip might be there I wanted to attend but I also had some personal reasons why I wanted to go which I am not going to detail here. I wasn't sure how the day was going to go but as it turned out it was an outstanding day!
What worked really well about this event was that all the spectators were divided into groups of five or six and assigned to various holes. So when each "celebrity" came around with their golfing group it made it very easy to talk to each person for a few minutes. At first, since I have a bit of social anxiety, it was difficult for me to know what to do with myself. But then I decided that it was too good of an opportunity to talk to these guys in a relaxed setting to pass up so I approached as many crew members, drivers and everyone else as I could to chat with them and find out what they do at the track. The biggest turnout in terms of crew members was naturally from Evernham Motorsports, where Tommy Baldwin, Jr. works.
I talked to a bunch of crew members from the #19 team of Jeremy Mayfield and the #9 of Kasey Kahne but the two who stick out in my mind are Mike Shiplett, car chief of the #19 and Alan "Boo" Whitiker, shock specialist for the #19. I had a bunch of questions that I thought of to ask the crew members to get conversation going such as "What do you do?" "Have you been to Long Island before?" "How long have you been with the #19?" "What other teams have you worked with?" etc... And it ended up working out really well. Shiplett in particular had a lot to say and shared some thoughts with us about what might happen at Pocono this weekend. He thought that it might not be very exciting racing (right) but also that there would be a lot of blown engines due to veterans forgetting that they shouldn't be shifting (wrong). He also said that some of Nascar's new rules that were meant to help the teams save money don't save them much at all - no surprise there. I realized later on that Slugger Labbe would probably have been there except that he's still recovering from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. (Unless he was there and I missed him but I probably would have recognized him). It's unfortunate he wasn't there because I would have liked to have seen him again. He was very nice to Jim and I when we saw him in Dover when he was still Michael's crew chief.
The first driver who rolled up on his golf cart was Kasey Kahne and as soon as he pulled up he looked over at those of us assembled with a look of fear. Now, it's not like there were a hundred people there. More like 15 maximum. Five of us fans, three event staff including Tammy Baldwin, Tom's daughter/Tommy's sister, who he knows, Mike Shiplett, who he also knows and some other golfers. So not really an unmanagable group. But still Kasey looked like he wanted to hide to the point where I wasn't sure he was actually going to come over to us. I even commented to Mike that Kasey looked frightened and he confirmed that Kasey is indeed "a timid one."
But Kasey managed to sign autographs, barely saying a word, and posed for photos. I put my arm around him while I was taking a photo with him and instantly regretted it because he didn't put an arm around me as most do when taking photos like that. I felt bad afterwards because I realized with how shy he is me throwing an arm around him might have made him even more skittish than he already was. But he seemed okay afterwards so I suppose there was no harm done. He wandered over to talk with Tammy Baldwin and even with her he was extremely soft-spoken. He was swinging a golf club around and it was revealed that his golf game could use some major work. Which is a surprise because I thought that almost all of these guys get to be fairly decent because they end up golfing so often. At one point I said something to him and he actually answered me but again, he was so quiet and he seemed to have trouble actually looking at me. Tammy congratulated him on getting his first Cup win and he said "finally!"
My impression of Kasey is that he seems very fragile and child-like in some ways due to how shy he seems to be. To have lasted in this sport and to be such a good racer he must be a strong person but I have a hard time figuring out how he's managed to survive. Most of the appearances he does involves way more people than what he faced on Thursday so how he deals with it being as timid as he is, I'll never know. The crazy thing is that I've heard that he used to be even more shy than he is now! I hope for his sake he learns how to come out of his shell even more because with the way his popularity is growing he's going to find himself being pulled at by lots of people even more than he already is. I heard that at Pocono that a fan got upset with him for sticking by his PR person and not signing autographs on pit road even though his entire crew did. I think I read somewhere that he signed at another point and there's no way of signing for everyone at the track. But beyond that with how shy he seems to be I don't think it's as easy for Kasey to deal with screaming fans waving things at him as it is for other drivers. So I anticipate more stories of fans being upset at being dissed when they might not realize how shy he is.
Following close behind Kasey was Michael Waltrip. Real big surprise there! Michael seems to have taken a liking to Kasey, perhaps because he wants to take him under his wing knowing how timid he is, perhaps just because he likes him as a person but whatever the reason Michael seems to enjoy being around him. That and he likes to joke about Kasey being "cute." So as someone mentioned that they had found out on the last hole that Kasey is "cute." Michael quipped that everyone is cute in their twenties but when they're his age no one is cute (I beg to differ!) and they end up wearing hats like he was wearing. I suspect Michael has a bit of a complex when he's around the much younger and smaller Kasey.
What was cool was that Michael recognized me right away when he saw me and gave me a big smile. That really thrills me that my favorite driver recognizes me! Granted in the couple of times that I've encountered him I've been lucky enough to spend a bit more time around him than just a minute here or there at an appearance but it still surprises me that he remembers me months later given how many people he meets. He greeted me when I first went up to me and again I was amazed that he recognizes me. He flashed that big smile at me and I imagine it makes him feel good to see fans that are familiar to him that he knows are big supporters of his. I had him sign a card for someone I know who is undergoing major surgery and then I took a photo with him. Unfortunately both photos that were taken of us came out horribly - one we're looking somewhere other than at the camera and the other I'm blinking. Yeah, I don't know how it's possible to blink in a photo where there's no flash either! Maybe I was just overwhelmed by being in his presence - I try to be cool about it but there's no doubt that I'm a nervous wreck because he is my favorite driver.
Each time I see Michael I give him a good luck stone and this time was no different. I drew a design loosely inspired by the sun on a wave-smoothed rock I had found on Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine. I figured that there had to be a lot of luck in a stone that is able to survive taking a beating on the rocks without breaking apart. I did explain a bit of this to him but I left out that I thought that kind of stone was appropriate to give to him because he too is a survivor - 16 years in Nascar before his first win yet he stuck with it and he's still there in spite of getting jerked around at times. It's funny but apparently when I told him that I had something for him he said, "Lay it on me sister!" But I didn't hear that because I was in such a daze that I was talking to him. After I gave it to him he told me that he wasn't going to "use" it that day, he was going to put it in his pocket and save it for this weekend. Of course I was immediately curious about how he might "use" the stone, how he was going to make sure not to use it on Thursday and whether he actually intended on having it with him at Pocono. In light of how well this weekend went for him now I'm really curious as to whether he had the stone with him! I hope that the good luck in that stone rubbed off on him not only for this weekend but for the future as well!
But the best was yet to come. I had gone back to put down the card I had Michael sign and when I turned around I saw that he had gone to sit in the shade by himself while waiting for his turn to golf at our hole. Now, normally I hate to be one of "those" fans who go over to the drivers and bug them when they'd rather be alone. So I had really huge reservations about approaching him. But I saw that he looked relaxed and his body language was very open so I figured he was in a good mood. And I had told myself that if I got a chance I wanted to put in a good word about Brooke, his publicist at Michael Waltrip Racing, because she's always been so great to me and he is her boss.
Talking to strangers, and that's really what Michael is to me in spite of having seen him a few times before, isn't easy for me. So I was extremely nervous. But I half sat, half knelt down next to him, being careful not to get too close because I didn't want to get in his personal space and annoy him. And I just started talking. First about Brooke and then the conversation went from there. Nothing of significance, just about the weather, Long Island, golfing, the folks he was golfing with, his golf game (he insisted he's terrible even though he was one of the better golfers out there), just casual small-talk to pass the time. Inside I was really quaking and I wasn't sure what to say to him but hopefully that didn't show on the outside. Of course afterwards I thought of all sorts of things to ask him about but it's probably better that none of that came to mind so we just had a normal conversation more like any two people, not fan and driver. In fact there was only one mention of something racing related when he told me that Pocono is one of his favorite tracks. I'm not even sure where that came from as it seemed like he busted out with that out of the blue.
Time seemed to be moving really slowly while I was sitting there with him, probably because I was so incredulous that I was actually sitting there having a conversation with him one-on-one. But eventually someone came over to take a photo of us. It was funny because she asked me whether she could take a photo of us and didn't give him much of a choice! But I'm really glad that photo got taken because it's the one above that came out really great. It's pretty obvious based on the look on my face how happy I am to be talking to him and he has a big smile on his face too which is cool to see. Deej and her sister sat down with us for a minute or two but then it was just about Michael's turn to golf so he got up. I was shaking so badly after that when I went to take some more photos of him golfing and then sitting on his cart before he left that some of them didn't come out too good because I was beside myself with excitement and happiness. I try to stay so collected when I'm around well-known people, including my favorite drivers and baseball players, because I don't want to come off like a crazy fangirl. But the truth is that being around my favorites excites me just as much as anyone else, I just try to keep most of that excitment inside. I really can't believe I had the courage to go over to him and I truly hope that I wasn't bothering him, though if I didn't go over I'm sure someone else would have eventually.
Bob Dillner from Speed was one of the next to show up and he started looking at me pretty intently as soon as he got out of his golf cart. He shook everyone's hands and when he shook my hand he said that he was sure he knew me from somewhere. I was sure that I didn't know him from anywhere but after a minute or two he asked me again. Well, as it turns out Bob is from Long Island and before he worked for Speed he worked at News 12 Long Island, the cable news station out here. At the same time he was at News 12 I was working in public relations at Hofstra University and we worked extensively with News 12. I would go to News 12, see folks from News 12 at events and they would come to our events so my guess is that during that time our paths probably crossed multiple times. In thinking about it I think I can vaguely remember him at News 12 but it was quite some time ago. In any event he was fun to talk to. I think Larry MacReynolds might have come by before Bob but I took a ride to the ladies room and didn't really interact with him much when I got back.
Next up was Tony Eury, Jr. None of us had any idea that he was going to be there and that was quite a thrill seeing him because of how awesome he is doing as Michael's crew chief this season. In fact when I first complimented him on having a great season he thought I was talking about Michael but I clarified and said that he too is doing great this season. And he is - there's no doubt that a big reason for Michael's success in 2005 is because of Eury. Just like all the others I ended up asking him if he had ever been to Long Island before and he said no. But he told us that he always goes to Manhattan every New Year's for some partying and fun which is a good way to kick off the new year before it's time for Daytona. He said that he much prefers country living to city life and that he lives outside of Charlotte in Kannapolis which is great because it's out in the country but an easy drive to everything.
Of course Tommy Baldwin came around eventually and he thanked us for coming. I didn't get to talk to him too much though I got a photo with him but someone asked him what other "celebrities" might be coming our way. He mentioned Richie Gilmore, Director of Motorsports at DEI, who we hadn't seen yet. And we never did end up seeing him. I don't know if that was because he had been there and left or he was keeping a low profile and we missed him. I suspect the later is true because he would have seen the people in my group with Michael Waltrip gear and the woman with the Earnhardt shirt and not wanted to hear it about the sad state of affairs at DEI right now. I highly doubt anyone in our group would have gotten too aggressive with him but I guess he had no way of knowing that.
Kyle Petty was one of the last to come to our hole. I had him sign a photo that was taken when we were in Las Vegas for Operation Marathon related events and he joked with me about whether I was going to run the next marathon they did for OM. I don't know if that's because he remembered me saying to Michael within his earshot after being asked that I couldn't run the 5K, just walked it, bringing up the rear. But at any rate, I asked Kyle about possible future OM events and he said that he and Michael had just been talking about it that morning, and that they might not run a full marathon but perhaps a half marathon or other 5Ks. I really hope that there's some other event that I can go to because not only is it a lot of fun but it makes me feel good to be able to donate to such a worthy cause and at the same time support my favorite driver.
As the day went on I got to talking to Tammy Baldwin a bit since she overheard that I worked for Hofstra and she knew people that went there. As it turns out she's in events planning just like I am and she's doing something really cool. She specializes in putting together small, specialty weddings at bed and breakfasts or other unusual locations. It definitely sounded like a very fun job! At one point I mentioned Steve Park who she grew up with on Long Island. It was neat hearing her talk about how she used to play with him in the sandbox then lost touch with him, only to end up spending a lot of time with him as an adult for a while when she dated Matt Yocum, a good friend of his. Tammy had a lot of good things to say about Jessica, Steve's girlfriend now and then. It's been seven years since Tammy has seen either Steve or Jessica but assuming they are both the same as they were then, Tammy said that they are "meant for each other," which was neat to hear because Steve having someone who makes him happy is a very good thing.
She also mentioned a few things about Jessica and there are definitely a lot of misconceptions about her out there. First, that she's only with Steve for his money. Well, I had already accidentally stumbled across the information that Jessica comes from a very well-off family herself and Tammy confirmed that. So it's definitely not money and I would say not status either that keeps Jessica with Steve - it's a real relationship which is probably a disappointment to a few people. Tammy also mentioned that Jessica wasn't treated well by quite a few of the other driver's significant others because of her age, attractiveness and questions about her motives for being with Steve. But Buffy Waltrip was the only one who was nice to her and they've since become good friends. Which is no surprise that Buffy would reach out to the girlfriend of her husband's close friend.
Lastly was Matt Yocum, Tammy's ex. Conviently she took a ride elsewhere when he came over to our hole. I didn't recognize him at all when he came over and I don't think any of us really talked to him either. By that point we were getting a little worn out since it was such a long day. Not too long after that we collected our things and walked back to the club.
There was one funny thing that happened. Someone, who isn't a driver, that I was talking to asked me if I was going to any races this season. So I said maybe Pocono to which he said, "This weekend?" with excitement in his voice. So I said, no, that I was possibly going in July. So his response was to give me his phone number and tell me to give him a call if I ended up going. Now, I'm engaged so I have no interest or need for anyone's phone number but this person was not at all subtle about any of this so I just took his number and played along so as to not embarass him in front of the many people who were watching and listening in. The funniest part was that later on he sent one of the event staff back to tell me to give him a call and he would get me tickets for Pocono. I just wonder how many other women he gave his phone number to! I know there are some women who think this person is attractive so I'm sure there probably are a lot of women who would be very happy to be in my shoes but given that I will be getting married in September I won't be doing anything with that number.
There was also a women at our hole who was one of the event staff who got extremely rowdy by the end of the day due to how much she was drinking. She was a very, very nice and friendly woman but it's probably a good thing that the drivers, particularly Kasey Kahne came by early in the day. Kasey would probably have ran and hid from her later in the day. But luckily she didn't get too out of hand until the end.
Overall, it was a wonderful day and I hope they have this event in 2006 too!
Posted by silverdsl at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)
May 31, 2005
Nascar Members Club: Thou Shall Not Say Anything Negative
I joined the Nascar Member's Club which thus far seems to be a big waste of time and money since I don't go to any races and even then it might not do much for me. But for those folks lucky enough to partake in some behind-the-scenes activties at a race in conjunction with the Nascar Members Club there are some strict rules. Or at least such was the case with fans who got to stand in front of the stage during driver and crew introductions for the All-Star Challenge. The following is one of the rules that participants must agree to: "Also, when attending a Driver Introduction event, negative comments toward drivers are expressly forbidden. Positive comments only are allowed. Failure to follow this policy will result in the removal of your pass for the event and possibly the revocation of your Membership."
On the surface I understand what the intent is. They don't want fans heckling the drivers or screaming offensive remarks at them from up-close. I agree that kind of behavior is inappropriate and shouldn't be tolerated. However, only positive comments are allowed? How far would they take that? If I were there and was to turn to another fan within earshot of someone in a position of authority of the club and say "I think Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman need to make amends and end this silly feud. I can't believe Penske is allowing them to continue like this since strife between teams only hurts the company in the long run." Or what if I said, "I don't like Junior. His attitude towards women bothers me." Would they throw me out for that? Neither comment constitutes bashing, but nor are they positive comments. Would I get thrown out for saying something like that? What if it was Nascar I was critical of, not a driver?
What's particularly disturbing is not only could you be removed from the event but from the fan club as well. Again, if someone is disruptive and shouting offensive things at drivers then I fully agree with taking action to send a message that inappropriate behavior isn't acceptable. But if they were to apply that rule to people who simply express opinions that aren't positive, well, that's a problem. Nascar fans aren't all going to be positive and happy and love everything that happens or every driver. In fact many fans seems to be pretty negative sometimes about anything that doesn't involve their own favorite drivers. Which is fine. Yes, the attitude of some fans definitely astonishes and perplexes me sometimes but fans should be able to express any opinions they want that isn't an insult directed at someone else. But maybe Nascar doesn't quite agree with that.
I'd be interested in what might happen if they apply this rule and toss someone for saying something that they don't like. It could very much turn into something pretty ugly for Nascar since the media and many others would drool over an opportunity to attack Nascar for attempting to quell fan negativity and criticism.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)
May 30, 2005
How Long Would You Wait?
Fans Wait for Hours for Wristbands for Dale, Jr. Autograph Signing
In some ways this is connected to the previous entry since this also relates to getting autographs. I'm continually amazed by how long people will wait in line for the opportunity to get some athletes autographs and I've discussed it before in this space. In the case of a signing last week in Charlotte by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. some fans got in line as early as Wednesday night for the distribution of wristbands at 8 a.m. Friday morning! That's for an autograph signing on Friday night at 7 p.m. Which is on top of the lengthy car rides of as much as 13 hours that some fans took to get into line in the first place. Now Junior doesn't do many public autograph signings that are free and I understand that die-hard fans will feel compelled to do whatever it takes to make sure they can get one of the 175 wristbands that were available. And 375 people showed up to wait in line so it was definitely necessary to get in line extremely early to be sure that one got a wristband. But is an autograph, a few photos and maybe a exhange of a word or two with a favorite athlete worth all the time spenT waiting?
For me it wouldn't be. I'm definitely not opposed to waiting in line for a few hours for an autograph from one of my favorite athletes. But there's only a select few athletes that I will do that for and if it's a situation like the one above that would require an overnight wait only to wait the rest of the day for the signing to actually begin, there's no way that I'd do it. In the end it's only someone's signature. Some athletes will go out of their way to talk to fans knowing how much that means to them, but that's not the case for all athletes. So sometimes you don't even get the satisfaction of even interacting with them beyond "Hi, please sign this." At some signings they won't even let you take photos with the athlete so you can't even have the thing that I like the best - a photo with my favorite driver or player. And unfortunately there's often no telling what any individual signing is going to be like because there are always different time limits and rules for each appearance.
Each person has to do what they are most comfortable with. For some people waiting in line days before is no big deal. For some fans a wait longer than an hour isn't worth it. For me I think I've gotten to the point where the only athletes that I'd wait in line for are David Cone, Michael Waltrip and Steve Park. Maybe add Kevin Harvick to that list because of how fan-friendly he is and Ken Schrader because I've never met him before. And even those guys I definitely wouldn't be willing to wait in line for days before the signing actually happens.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)
Autograph Seeking Out of Hand
If You're Older Than Athletes, Then No Autographs
Tom Sorenson from The Charlotte Observer has a very valid point in the above article about the lengths to which fans will go to get autographs even if it means misbehaving to do so and how often those autographs aren't for personal collections but to sell on Ebay or in other venues. So his solution is that people shouldn't ask for autographs for anyone who is younger than they are. That way the crowd for drivers are smaller and more children get autographs. Now Sorenson is writing tongue-in-cheek with this article so he's not entirely serious. But his main point is that adults should take a step back for all the children who want autographs because they are getting them from people they truly idolize, that they are better behaved and that they aren't going to sell them for a profit.
There's one big problem. Just because it's a child looking for an autograph means that they will be any better behaved than older autograph seekers. I've seen kids scream vulger things at baseball players who won't sign for them or try to leap over barracades to try and get an autograph, despite knowing that they're not supposed to be doing that. In addition, many people looking to make a profit, both the parents of children and memorabilia dealers, will use children as a lure to get autographs. I used to see this all the time at Yankee Stadium. Adults would instruct kids that they're with as to what to do to get the attention of the players and then get their autograph. Half the time those kids didn't even know who the players are who they were trying to get autographs from. Then they're inevitably be the comments about how much the autographs from certain players are worth.
But I do agree that the autograph seeking process has gotten out of hand. I've discussed related issues before in this blog a time or two about fans who will seemingly do anything to get an autograph, even act out or who are never satisfied no matter what a driver or athlete does for their fans. So what's the solution? The best solution is one that would make most fans very unhappy - reduce the access that fans have to the drivers in the case of Nascar. Now I strongly believe that athletes and fans should interact. But I see no reason why there has to be so much access to the drivers in the garage area. That situation is completely out of hand. In addition, I think that the drivers shouldn't be expected to stop all the time to sign autographs. Yes, if a guy has a few extra minutes I think he should sign if he can. But in baseball you don't see players signing autographs for every fan they encounter. And sometimes it seems like that's the way it is in Nascar which sets up the expectation that every driver should be signing at all times even when they are busy. It's incredible really. Fans will complain that a driver didn't stop to sign autographs for them as they were driving by on a cart. Meanwhile the driver might have smiled and waved but that's still not good enough. That's even more than most baseball players do when they see fans. Of course those fans also have no idea where the drivers might have to be or what else might be on their minds when they drive by without stopping.
As to the issue of autographs being sold there's just no way to avoid that. The autograph and memorabilia business is booming. Everyone wants something signed or otherwise connected to their favorite athletes. I don't see any practical way to stem the tide of people who go to signings or chase athletes just to turn around and sell the autograph an hour later. Perhaps the drivers can start personalizing everything to the specific person asking for the autograph but that takes extra time which slows down the process and often there's a limited amount of time to sign a lot of autographs. So that's probably not practical.
What it boils down to is that athletes getting harassed by fans for autographs or those autographs ending up on Ebay isn't likely to change any time in the near future.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:56 PM | Comments (0)
May 27, 2005
Many Factors Dictate Fans Allegience
Both Veterans and Newcomers Enjoy Much Fan Support
This article illustrates the many reasons why fans choose to follow particular drivers, everything from those drivers having certain qualities they admire, to always having been a fan of particular organizations to admiring their talents on the track, to having met them and been impressed to thinking that they're cute. Of course the reasons why fans become enamored of any sports figure or celebrity are just as varied. It's always interesting to me to hear how someone became a fan of a particular person or team and I often ask people I encounter that very question. In baseball my favorite players are Mike Mussina, Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill (retired), and David Cone (retired). In Nascar my favorite drivers are Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, Kevin Harvick, Ken Schrader and Jeff Gordon. And I think I like them all for very different reasons.
I wasn't always a Mussina fan. In fact I didn't know too much about him before he came to the Yankees other than that he was an excellent pitcher. But he joined the Yankees during a period of time that many of my favorites were leaving the team due to not being re-signed or via retirement. So I was looking for someone to be a fan of who I could admire for both what he did on and off the field. And that is very definitely true of Moose. From almost pitching perfect games several times to the exceptional way he treats his fans he has come to impress me quite a bit. I'd say that all that he does for his fans is one of the biggest ways that he won me over. In baseball very few players do a lot of interacting with their fans other than in the most casual of ways. But Mussina has yearly meet & greets and also has a dinner for members of his fan club. And he really makes a big effort to interact with each person on an individual level. Besides that several years ago Mussina did something that will endear him to me forever, not because he had to do it, but because he thought it was the right thing to do.
Though he's not as flashy or as much of a superstar like a Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez was a huge part of the Yankees excellent run in 1996-2001. Quietly, he provided leadership both on and off the field. There were definitely times that Tino struggled mightily at the plate but I don't think the Yankees would have found as much success during those years if they didn't have Tino. I always admired his attitude and the way that he seemed to be able to come up with big hits when needed. Tino "gets it" when it comes to winning and to the game of baseball and his exceptional attitude in combination with how much he's done on the field for the Yankees both offensively and defensively is why I became such a big fan of his.
Early on when I first became a Yankee fan I didn't like Paul O'Neill that much. I thought that his occassional temper tantrums were childish. But it didn't take me long to realize that those outbursts came because O'Neill is incredibly hard on himself and because he cares so much about helping his team win. So when he didn't produce the way he thought he should he felt he was letting his team down. Few players played the game harder than O'Neill and he gave 110% effort on the field even when he might be playing through an injury, or in the case of when his father passed away, emotional turmoil. George Steinbrenner once called him a warrior, and though Steinbrenner has since thrown around that term to describe other players I believe it very much applies to O'Neill. He always was a player I loved watching play and I've come to like him even more now that he sometimes works the YES broadcasts and I hear more of what he thinks than he used to reveal when he was an active player.
Where to begin with David Cone? I think the biggest thing that made me a fan of Coney was that he was always one of the few players that didn't seem to view dealing with the media as a chore. Not only that but Cone was often willing to actually express opinions and talk about what he thought. In essence give interviews of real substance rather than just say the "right" things. And he took on the role of team spokesperson since many of his teammates would have rather had as little to do with the media as possible. In addition, Cone was always a leader in the clubhouse, often helping his teammates with problems or serving as a liasion between the players and management. I was always fascinated by the transistion Cone made between his early days when he was a hell-raiser in the clubhouse who got himself into some pretty big trouble and the later years of his career when he became very involved with the player's union and someone who teammates turned to for advice.
Of course there's also what Cone did on the field. I remember the first time I saw Cone pitch in person at Yankee Stadium and it was 1998 when he won 20 games. He was so dominant that day pitching a shutout until he lost it a little at the end of the game and had to come out for a reliever. But the biggest moment of Cone's career was when he pitched the perfect game in 1999. I literally had tears of joy in my eyes when he did that I was so happy for him. Cone was also very fan-friendly and he was a player who made an effort to talk to fans that he encountered. I'm not sure there will ever be another baseball player who I like quite as much as I've always liked Cone.
Michael Waltrip is another guy I'm not sure I know where to begin on because there's so much I can say about him, and often do in this blog. I do know how I first became his fan and it was by watching him on Inside Nextel Cup, then called Inside Winston Cup. Somehow he was always making me laugh. Then I realized that he wasn't just a funny guy but he also had a lot of intelligent things to say when he was being serious. Much like Cone, I always admire the guys who are a little more willing to reveal a bit more of themselves and what they think than others are. Another huge reason why I like Michael is that he has a quirky personality and he's not afraid to do or say something that no other driver whould consider doing or saying. He's not afraid to be a little different and I very much like that.
Michael has always had to struggle a bit more for his success than some other drivers. I have to admire someone who raced as long as he did without winning and still didn't give up, in spite of how discouraging it must have been sometimes. Michael also gets criticized a lot by fans who don't think he belongs in Cup and the more that people are down on him the more I pull for him to show them that they're wrong. What has also come to impress me about Michael is his big heart. From helping Kenny Wallace when he didn't qualify for a Busch race last season to everything that he did as part of Operation Marathon. What Michael did for OM is really incredible, particularly since that money will help brighten the lives of countless terminally and chronically ill children.
But besides all of that is the way Michael is with his fans. He does a huge amount of appearances and while some of that is to make his sponsors happy there is no doubt that he is also making a lot of fans very happy. After having met him in person a couple of times he has impressed me so much with his attitude towards his fans. I've never encountered any person as well-known as he is who has made me feel like my being a fan of his matters to him. And I can't say enough about the great attitude of the people who he surrounds himself with as well. It used to be that Steve Park was my favorite driver and while he still ranks up there Michael has definitely surpassed Steve in my eyes.
It's a very simple reason why I became a fan of Steve Park. I saw an interview that he did and I noticed that he was from Long Island where I was living so I figured I had to support a Long Island guy, especialy after I found out that he lived for a while in Connecticut where I grew up. Then in the course of the same interview, even though he had just been wrecked out of the race, his attitude was still so positive and upbeat. He also made sure to let his parents know that he was okay which impressed me as well.
After Steve's accident and the way he was treated in the garage area when he returned other drivers in his position might have given up on their racing careers. But not Steve. He was determined to prove to everyone that he could still do it and he has very much shown that in the truck series. That strength of will to return from the accident and keep on going even when there were a lot of people who said that he should stop racing is an inspiration to all. Steve is also tremendously fan-friendly. He goes out of his way to make all his fans feel important and he very clearly enjoys talking to his fans. There is just something about Steve's overall attitude, much like Tino Martinez's attitude, that indicates that he "gets it" when it comes to a lot of things from racing to his fans.
Like many other fans, Kevin Harvick caught my attention when he essentially took over for Dale Earnhardt, Sr. at RCR. I've come to love how passionate Kevin is about racing, his aggression on the track and his overall attitude towards racing. While I don't agree with everything that Kevin has done I also enjoy the emotion that he brings to the sport. In addition, Kevin very much also gets its when it comes to his fans. From the way his website is run to the fan club meetings to the great way he treats his fans he really is terrific. When I met him and he was so nice to us that definitely made him even more of a fan of his than I was before.
Ken Schrader is another driver that I came to appreciate through watching him on INC. He's got a sly sense of humor and the interplay between himself and Michael can be hysterical. But Kenny also loves to race and he will race anything. Cup, trucks, ARCA, dirt track racing. He will race anything at any time. I really admire that because it shows that he truely loves racing. He's not in a very good Cup car right now and that has to be a struggle for him but he's still out there with a smile on his face each week.
I'm a fan of Jeff Gordon for one simple reason - his racing talent. He has accomplished so much in his career and he amazes me sometimes with what he does on the track. He never gives up - see coming back from three laps down to win a race earlier this season for no better example of that. Just an absolutely outstanding racer and I consider myself lucky to be a race fan at a time when he's racing so that I can see him race. Admittedly I don't feel as passionately about Jeff as I do about the other drivers I like, probably because there are less personal qualities about him that I like as compared to other drivers but I am truely in awe of his racing abilities and accomplishments.
Two others deserve a mention. Neither of these two guys are favorites of mine but they both have a quality that I very much admire and that is their willingness to speak out and say what they think. Those two are Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and RCR driver Jeff Burton. Both are much more willing to say what they think more often than their peers and I wish that others were as willing as they were to speak out. I don't always agree with what Schilling has to say but I like that he is willing to put himself out there and give his opinions, whether anyone agrees with him or not. Burton is particularly vocal on safety issues, as is Michael Waltrip, and that is especially admirable.
So if anyone has read this all the way through to the end that is why I am a fan of the players and drivers that I like the most. There are many other players and drivers that I like but those nine guys are the ones who I support and admire the most.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:12 PM | Comments (0)
May 21, 2005
Not Every Musician Gets it When it Comes to the Fans
Fans Pay - Again - For Rock Star's Arrogance
This is a really interesting column, at least to me since I'm always interested in anything that relates to fans and how they interact with their idols. Mark Brown from the Rocky Mountain News wrote a column about fans being abused by their favorite musicians. Brown goes so far as to call some recent behavior by some musicians appalling and I have to agree particularly as it relates to the Rolling Stones and the Counting Crows.
The Rolling Stones are charging ridiculous prices for some tickets for their upcoming tour. Yes, they are one of the best rock bands ever but $625 for the best seats prices out quite a few of their most die-hard fans from those seats. Of course there are seats available for as little as $60, with other seats going for $99, $150 and $450 at least for the show at Giants stadium, but it just seems like charging more than $200 for even the best of seats to a concert is outrageous. And I probably wouldn't spend that for the majority of concerts, even for my favorite bands. But the worst thing, as Brown points out, about the $625 tickets is that on top of ticketmaster fees, the fans have to pay a $100 fan club fee for the opportunity to get those tickets. So a $625 ticket is really a $725 ticket. Ridiculous. And fans have no choice but to pay up if they want the best seats to see their favorite bands.
I'm in total shock over what the Counting Crows' Adam Duritz did. Apparently the Crows have a solid message board on their official site filled with die-hard and devoted fans. But just because fans are die-hards doesn't mean that they are always going to be happy with everything that their favorites do. So the fans weren't happy with the band's concert promotion deal with The Gap. Well, instead of recognizing their fans right to express their opinions as they see them, Duritz ripped those fans in a curse-ridden post on the message board. Here's an excerpt: "Don't you ever get tired of listening to yourselves? I know I do. And you wonder why I choose not to communicate with you lately. I wonder why anyone would." Well, I don't know why anyone would want to listen to Duritz after that!
Yeah, it proably gets frustrating to read criticism all the time. And there are some stuff that probably gets posted which is laughable. But come on. Cursing out your fans isn't smart. Regardless of what you might think of them these are the people who buy your music. And in case Duritz hasn't noticed recently they aren't exactly topping the Billboard charts these days. Duritz has every right to be angry about what he read on the board and respond to it. But there's an appropriate way to do it without attacking the people that you are dependant on for your success.
A fan's opinion can be every bit as valid as anyone else's. In fact sometimes fans have great ideas or can offer valuable input. After all, they are the people spending the money on your product. But fans can only form their opinions on the basis of the information they are given which can be incomplete at times. So if Duritz wants his fans to look more favorably on the band's deal with the Gap all he has to do is present the reasons why the band did the deal and how it benefits everyone. He is entitled to believe that his fans are idiots but expressing it, particular while cussing them out, just isn't smart.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2005
Nascar Drivers: 360 Episode One
FX's "reality" show, Nascar Drivers: 360, which follows a number of drivers around to show what their lives are like on and off the track premiered on Friday. I put reality in quotes because much like other reality shows it's not really a true depiction of reality. Even more so with this show as Kenny Wallace, one of the participants on the show, has said that all segments are subject to approval and editing by both Nascar and the drivers themselves. Which means that it's not a true picture of what happens because anything negative, the least bit controversial, or that Nascar or the drivers don't want to show can come out. In addition, I believe that there are some things which are set up specifically for the show, such as Dale, Jr's meeting and relationship with his ex-girlfriend Kortni from last season. Or the Kasey Kahne scene from this most recent episode when they film him waking up in his motorcoach, which I will discuss later in this entry.
Friday's episode focused on Kurt Busch, Rusty Wallace and Kahne. The segments with Busch featured his girlfriend Eva Bryan quite heavily and a lot of people don't like her too much. Many seem to feel that she was taking too much credit for what Busch did or that she's too fake. What strikes me is that Busch truly thinks the world of her. He said that to him she's the most beautiful woman in the world and how much her support and presence in his life means to him and has helped him. So my impression is that when Bryan talks as she does it's because she is very much Busch's partner. She's not there on the race track with him but she is there with him at every race, at most events, in essence a huge part of his life. From what he seemed to say he does credit her with being part of why he was able to become Champion. In addition, all the interviews on this show are probably coached and the answers are in response to very specific questions that are meant to elicit certain comments. In addition, the answers are edited certain ways. So as with every reality show who knows what the full answers are that any of these people, Bryan included, say and how hearing the full version might change how they come across?
Then there was Rusty Wallace and I found his segments to be pretty uninteresting, much like last season. The crazy thing is that while Wallace isn't as hyperactive and hysterical as his brother Kenny, he definitely is an outspoken and interesting guy. But none of that is really coming across in the show. Just like last season I feel like he's self-censoring himself and putting on a bit of an act for the cameras. He even said in one of the segments that he is training his son Steve, who is also a racer, in the ways of acting appropriately for the fans and the media. And I think that he is very much "acting" in that way that all these guys do when there are cameras around and they are in the public eye rather than just being himself. Of course every single participant in a reality show does that to a degree but I feel like Wallace is doing that even more than some others. I actually fast-forwarded through some parts of his segments and I suspect I will do the same in future episodes.
The Kasey Kahne segments were the most interesting to me. They showed him a lot with Kristi LaBonte, Terry LaBonte's daughter, who may or may not still be Kahne's girlfriend. LaBonte is an attractive woman but she definitely doesn't fit the usual profile for a driver's girlfriend which is a lot flashier in looks and attire, often with blonde hair. Even if they are still together now (the show was filmed months ago) I would not be surprised to see her replaced with another woman, or more likely several women, in the future who are more model-looking. That's just the way it seems to work these days, with the driver's significant others seeming to serve as status symbols. For Kahne's sake I hope he doesn't go this route - LaBonte would certainly be a lot more understanding of the way the racing world operates more than a lot of other women.
What really made me laugh was the scene in which they show Kahne supposedly being woken up by his alarm at 8 a.m. the morning of the Daytona 500 in his motorcoach. I'm supposed to believe that a whole camera crew got into Kahne's motorcoach without waking him up and was just sitting there in his bedroom waiting for him to wake up? I guess he could be a heavy sleeper but I'm skeptical. Not to mention what if he slept in the nude? Of course that wouldn't be shown but that would make for an embarassing situation for the crew. Last season there was a scene with I think it was either Jamie McMurray or Junior himself shirtless. My suspicion is that they are deliberately setting up some of these half-naked scenes with the young heartthrob drivers because they know the female fans love those shots. Some have said that it looks like Kahne has "morning wood" but while I didn't look all that carefully I don't know how anyone could really tell with boxers that baggy. I think that's just wishful thinking on a lot of fans parts.
What was really disturbing was one of the last scenes after the race in which a female fan was trying to get Kahne's attention so that he would go over to the fence where she was presumably to sign autographs and pose for photos. No joke, she was calling him over like he was a dog. "Come here little boy! Come over here! Come to Mommy! I told you to come over here!" That's just scary. Kahne is a human being, not a dog or a possession. He doesn't have to go over to the fence just because a fan is calling him over. What's really scary is that while there are plenty of fans who realize that it's not going to make a good impression to act like that towards the drivers, there are a lot of fans who see nothing wrong with screaming ridiculous things at the drivers or doing anything they can to get their attention. What they probably don't realize is how many people laugh at them when they do stuff like that, the drivers included and not in a good way. I certainly understand getting all freaked out when in the presence of my favorite drivers but I can't imagine ever calling one of them over like a dog.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)
Charges Filed Against Fan Who Threw Beer at Giambi
During last night's game between the Oakland A's and New York Yankees, a fan threw a cup of beer at Jason Giambi as he walked back to the dugout during the eighth inning. Giambi didn't react at all, simply went into the dugout and sat down. On the other hand fans around Eric Anduri pointed him out to A's security who immediately removed him. Anduri was arrested for public intoxication, battery and throwing objects on the field. In addition, he spent the night in jail. After several incidents of inappropriate fan behavior in Oakland, it's good that the A's are taking incidents like this seriously. I guess there are some who think that Anduri getting arrested is an overreaction since it was only a beer that was thrown at Giambi but if the minor incidents aren't taken seriously then it won't serve as a deterrent to those who might be thinking of doing something worse.
I'm not so sure that other players would have reacted, or really non-reacted, as well as Giambi did. He didn't even shout anything at the fan. Perhaps that's because Giambi took heat from the A's fans all series so it wasn't so shocking that a fan took things a little further. Maybe he was surprised that it happened. Or more than likely he realized that confronting a fan, even verbally, is a no-win situation, particularly for a player who is already not viewed very well by much of anyone, including his own team's fans.
What gets me is the lack of outrage about this incident among many Yankee fans. There are a lot of factors that make it different from The Sheffield Incident but I would have thought that more fans would be slamming this fan and A's fans in general for their behavior. Instead there is a mostly indifferent reaction. I think there are two big reasons for that, one, that it didn't happen during a play and two, perhaps the biggest reason, that a lot of Yankee fans practically hate Giambi these days so no one gets too upset when beer gets thrown in his face. Maybe Giambi's own lack of a reaction made the incident not seem like a very big deal too.
But I do think it's a big deal, just like all incidents of fan misbehavior are a big deal. I've discussed more than once here that some fan's inability to recognize when they are behaving inappropriate makes the games or races less enjoyable for other fans, not to mention the players or drivers. Fans shouldn't be throwing anything at the players, even something as harmless as beer. I'm glad that the A's and the Oakland Police addressed the situation because otherwise the next time this moron might get it in their head to throw something that could seriously do harm if nothing happened to them for throwing the cup of beer. Some fans ran onto the field during today's game and I would expect that they will be facing charges as well to discourage others from doing the same.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:43 PM | Comments (0)
May 01, 2005
Michael Waltrip Finishes Third at Talladega!!
Another awesome finish for Michael Waltrip! Third at Talladega! I suppose that he might be the slightest bit disappointed that he didn't win since he is so outstanding at plate tracks but given that the car was on the verge of blowing up on the last couple of laps he's probably just lucky to have finished. I'm just so impressed with the way Michael and the entire #15 team have really come on strong the last few races. Sixth at Texas, second at Phoenix and now third at Talladega - just terrific! It seems like they are really locked in right now and it makes me so happy! Even an early problem in the pits where a tire got away and they were penalized was something they were able to overcome which is the sign of a good team.
Michael moved up to 15th in the points which on the surface doesn't seem so great. But considering at one point they were something like 38th in points after some early season misfortune to now be 15th is amazing. They are moving up in the points at the right time too. As the season goes on it will be harder and harder to make these big jumps in the points. My dream would be for Michael to crack the top ten in points, stay there all season long and be in the Chase for the Championship. I don't know if that's realistic because he's going to face a ton of competition but he is certainly capable of a season like that if everything falls into place for him.
A couple of times under caution Michael mentioned on the radio that no one seemed willing to work with him. Which really hurt him a couple of times when he tried to make a move and no one would go with him which translated into losing spots. In the end it didn't hurt him too much as he ended up in third, but one does have to wonder if he had gotten more people to work with him if he could have mounted more of a charge on Jeff Gordon and potentially could have won. I haven't heard if Junior experienced similar problems but it wouldn't have surprised me because when you've got a team that has been so dominant at plate tracks I would think that there are some teams who aren't going to be so keen on doing a lot to help them out.
There is one thing that really gets me though. That's how the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans are starting to freak out about Michael's recent fine finishes. Junior hasn't done badly himself by any means the past few races either but he hasn't done quite as well as Michael and to a lot of Junior fans that's unacceptable. Because to some of these fans even though there are two and sometimes three Cup teams at DEI, the DEI team that should be finishing the best in every single race is Junior's. Somehow that Junior and his team haven't finished as well becomes Michael's fault. Michael plays the hand that is dealt to him and right now it's a very good hand. He deserves success just as much as Junior does. In fact, Junior's own father hand-picked Michael for the #15 team and wanted him to do well. So the level of outrage directed towards Michael just amazes and saddens me.
What bothers me the most is that Michael is being accused of being selfish or a poor teammate. That's ironic considering today during one of the cautions Michael asked his spotter to radio Junior and remind him that they are teammates and should work together. That's neither selfish nor being a poor teammate. But Michael has no obligation to hang at Junior's bumper and try to push him into the lead. Especially if he doesn't feel like Junior is working well with him. Michael wants to win these races just as much as Junior does and he should be doing everything he can to win. Calling a driver who wants to win selfish is ridiculous anyway - that's what they're supposed to be out there doing. And if anyone thinks that Michael as a person off the track is selfish that's even more ridiculous - see raising $1 million via Operation Marathon for the Victory Junction Gang Camp and all that he does for his fans as evidence that he is certainly not selfish.
At any rate, it was a terrific day for Michael. I really look forward to him getting some positive press this week and I'll have my fingers crossed for him that he will have a great race next week in Darlington too.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)
April 27, 2005
Michael Waltrip Gets Questioned on His Spirituality
From a chat Michael Waltrip did earlier today on ESPN.com:
Doug (Bowling Green, KY)
In the past (say 3 or 4 years ago), you seemed more open about your spirituality and racing. The last 2 years you seemed less so. Just wondering what was up.
MICHAEL WALTRIP
NOthing's up. I love the Lord, He rides with me every week. The better you run, the more you get to say, so I'll have to run better so I can say more.
There are two subjects I won't be discussing often in this blog, religion and politics. However, in this case I'm going to make an exception. I'm really shocked that someone had the nerve to question Michael Waltrip about his spirituality and question why it seems as if he's not as open about that subject as he once was. Granted Michael choose to answer the question and I assume that he didn't have to but it just seems like such a personal topic to question someone on. There are some topics that I think should be competely off limits as a topic of dicussion unless the driver chooses to bring it up himself and religion/spirituality I think is of them. How someone expresses their spirituality and any of their choices in their area are deeply personal matters and I don't see how it's anyone's business why Michael might or might not discuss his spirituality more or less than he has in the past.
It's not just Michael that gets questioned by fans in this regard. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've seen Jeff Gordon's Christianity questioned because he does or doesn't do certain things. Well, Jeff doesn't have to live up to the fans standards for being a good Christian. He has to live up to his own standards and act in the way that satisfies himself in that regard. Just like Michael does. Or Dale, Jr. Or any of the other drivers. There are some drivers who go to trackside services every Sunday after the driver's meeting. There are others who don't go or only go occassionally. There are some drivers who pray before they get into their cars. While it seems as if most do I imagine there are a few who don't. All of this is fine and doesn't make any one driver better than another. Everyone has different beliefs and a different way of expressing those beliefs.
I have no problem with the drivers who do speak of their spirituality. Michael did discuss this topic recently in an article on religion in Nascar. I have to admit since I'm Jewish it does make me a bit uncomfortable when a lot of drivers talk about Jesus or their religious beliefs that are so obviously different than mine simply because it highlights another way that I don't fit in as the protypical Nascar-type. Yet I also understand that this is an important part of the driver's lives - that is most definitely the case with Michael. This is part of who he is as a person and I wouldn't expect him to do anything different than be himself and express himself in the way that he feels comfortable with. Why should he have to talk more or less about his beliefs because a fan thinks he should?
Posted by silverdsl at 01:24 PM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2005
Web Polls and Fanbase Rivalries
Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch (I've been looking for an excuse to use that phrase!) the following entry isn't directed at any specific person, group or poll, given that something similar has been playing out in several different online polls. Kinda sad that I even have to say that, no? At any rate, when it comes to Nascar polls that relate to a particular driver winning the point is to get that driver as many votes as possible within the rules so that the driver will win either the entire poll or that segment of the competition. And there are many ways to try and get votes in ongoing polls from posting links on various websites, to asking for help on different driver's message boards, to sending emails to friends and families, to forming alliances. I've seen alliances done in two different ways. In one poll drivers from different fanbases get together to try and vote off particular drivers they view as a threat to their own driver. Or fanbases do a vote exchange of a sort in which they make an arrangement with another fanbase to vote for each other's drivers in different polls.
I see nothing wrong with any of this and it amazes me how much hand-wringing there is and how many people feel that these tactics are "wrong." As if only "real" fans who are true-believers should be voting for a particular drivers. As if it taints the process if there are others who might like another driver more vote for a different driver. Or that it reflects badly on particular fanbases when they do certain things. Or that developing these alliances are somehow unfair. But really what's so wrong with anything that's happening? All that's going on is various fan bases trying to make it possible for their driver to win within the rules, exactly the point of the poll.
When other driver's fans are recruited to vote for another driver it is no different from sending out an email to get friends and family to vote. In both cases people are doing the person who asks a favor and voting for a driver that might not be their favorite or in some cases they might not know anything about. So why is it perceived to somehow be different? No one gives a test of true fandom before someone casts a vote, no one asks whether a fan truly likes that driver or whether they actually think he's the hottest driver in all of Nascar. I'm betting that there are plenty of casual fans who vote in these polls too - should that be disallowed because they aren't die-hard fans? The results aren't any more or less valid based on who specifically votes, just that enough people voted to get that driver the win.
And there certainly isn't anything unfair about developing alliances. Hasn't anyone watched "Survivor?" Although I think that figuring out alliances is perhaps giving the polls a level of importance that they don't deserve (as I write my third entry related to online polls but at least I have an excuse given my ongoing interest in fandom and related issues), it's actually being smart. Look at these polls as a game and strategy is a part of being a good game player. Perhaps part of the problem is that some wish that they had thought of that kind of tactic first.
Maybe some people get very wrapped up in how the various fan bases vote but I think for the majority of people all they care about or remember in the end unless there's a major incident is who won. Months after Junior wins the sexiest driver award no one is going to remember that some fans on the pit board worked up some sort of alliance with another driver's fans to vote off one of the K/Caseys. When Steve Park or Johnny Benson wins the truckseries.com Most Popular Driver Award no one is going to remember that the Craven fans had an alliance with the Blaney fans or that someone on the Johnny Benson board asked fans on a Jimmie Johnson board if they would vote for Benson. None of this reflects badly on any of those fans either. It's not desperate to try and get your guy as many votes as possible or figure out a way to get them a win - that's the way the game works.
After a while what happens is that the various polls don't see like much fun anymore. That was said today by more than one person and I would have to agree. It ends up seeming like a lot of work and appears to be somewhat stressful for some folks. My wish is that everyone just goes about their business voting for who they want, trying to get as many votes as they can and not give too much thought to what other fan bases are or aren't doing.
On a somewhat related topic (I don't feel like starting a new entry for this), someone on the Johnny Benson board brought up a great point about the ts.com MPD poll. That site accepts advertising so a very big reason for this poll is probably to drive traffic to their site and increase the amount of hits they would otherwise get. Then they can show potential and current advertisers how many hits the site gets and charge them accordingly. Which partially explains why they are unresponsive to some people who complain about glitches or other things related to the poll - they may not care that much about the poll itself as long as there's no cheating and the hits are there and keep on coming.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:20 PM | Comments (0)
April 15, 2005
The Sheffield Incident
During last night's game as Gary Sheffield was fielding a ball near the low right field wall in Fenway Park, a fan clobbered him in the face. Sheffield shoved him away, fielded the ball, turned back as if he was going to go after him but didn't and essentially all hell broke loose as the Yankees bullpen, security and virtually everyone else nearby descended on the scene. I really have no idea exactly where to begin when commenting on this incident other than to say right off the bat, this fan is completely out of line for at the very least attempting to interfere with Sheffield fielding the ball.
Fans like this idiot who misbehave like this give all fans a bad name. There is no excuse for leaning over like he did, regardless of whether or not he meant to hit Sheffield in the face, and try to grab the ball while it's in play. Fans who do things like this not only need to be removed from the stadium, but perhaps need to be arrested and if they are season ticket holders lose those seats. A message needs to be sent that this kind of behavior won't be tolerated. That should happen no matter where an incident of this nature happens, at Fenway, Yankee Stadium, wherever. It was said that this fan was simply thrown out and if it's true that he's a season ticket holder he can just come back the remainder of the season to potentially cause trouble again.
A lot of people seem to think that this moron is reflective of all Red Sox fans. That's ridiculous. Every single team, including the Yankees have their share of fans who don't know how to behave appropriately. What's scary in my mind is the increase in the amount of people who don't seem to care one bit about how their actions impact the people around them or themselves for that matter. From little things like talking on the phone incessantly to big things like getting into fist fights with other fans sometimes I'm absolutely amazed by what some people think is acceptable behavior when they go to a game. Sometimes it really makes going to a game a lot less enjoyable when you get unlucky enough to sit near a trouble-maker.
I'd like to say I have no idea what jerks like this fan are thinking but for a lot of people going to a game getting drunk, getting rowdy and harrassing the other team or their fellow fans is fun. I'm all for adults enjoying a few beers when they go to a game. But when it gets to the point where a drunk fool causes an incident like this, then perhaps it's time for the Red Sox and other teams to rethink their policies on alcohol sales. Of course that's hard for a team to do because of how much revenue comes from beer sales but it seems as if alcohol is always always a common denominator in incidents like this.
The big question is whether or not Gary Sheffield will be suspended for shoving the fan. I think that he will be, though probably not for long. I understand that Sheffield was angry that he got hit in the face and was probably afraid that the fan would attack him further. I also understand that Sheffield showed restraint and didn't jump into the stands to beat that fan up. However, in the past MLB has shown zero tolerance for players who lash out at fans, regardless of how much they might have been provoked. I think the Comissioner's office is in a tough situation because on one hand you have a player who is just defending himself because he's been hit in the face and he has no idea what the other person's intent was. But on the other hand players have to be professional and not get physical with fans. As far as I know so far the Comissioner's Office has been silent on this issue but they will probably have to address it at some point.
What's unfortunate is that the more incidents of this nature that there are the more likely it is that one day it won't be so fun to sit in the close seats anymore because there will be high walls, glass barriers or netting to separate the fans from the field, security guards stationed everywhere and lots of other precautions. All because a few jackasses have to ruin everything for the fans who do know how to behave.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2005
Cheating and the Truck Series Most Popular Driver Poll
So the assumption is that the Johnny Benson fans are cheating to have such a big lead in the TruckSeries.com Most Popular Driver Award poll. Last season Steve Park won this award by almost the same amount that Johnny is ahead by now. Was Steve's win only because his fans cheated? If the answer is no then it's possible that Johnny's fans aren't cheating. If the answer is yes then I guess more than likely Johnny's fans are cheating. I only know what I did last year and that was to vote for Steve fairly but there was at least one incident involving cheating (and I assume that more than a few driver's fans probably figured out the same cheat) which led to the poll having to be restarted. My assumption was that after the poll was restarted there was no cheating and all the drivers got votes fair and square within the rules. I sure hope that I was correct in thinking that because I would hate it for Steve's sake if even after the poll was restarted there was some funny business with the voting.
For the sake of fairness it should be mentioned that there is a direct link to the poll on Benson's fan club site, he has a very dedicated and organized fan club and Benson enjoys a lot of visiblity due to his appearances on Inside Nextel Cup so it is entirely possible that there are just a lot of people voting for him. Particularly when you think that if you have just 50 people voting twice a day (once at home and at work) his numbers can go up by as much as 100 votes a day. I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility considering that much of the fan voting is being organized through his fan club which surely has more than 50 people. It's quite possible that they have done email reminders or included a reminder to vote in a newsletter if they send one. If I recall correctly that is something that is included in emails I've seen from Michael Waltrip's fan club and that kind of prodding is probably one reason why he is always so high in the Cup series Most Popular Driver poll.
There most certainly is a cheat, because Jim told me how that would be possible. I didn't ask him for details on how to actually do it, I would never do and I would never share with anyone else how to cheat the system. But it is certainly possible that someone else with a background in computers like Jim figured out the cheat. I really hope that's not what's happening because as I discussed here because this is a way for fans to show their support of their driver. And as I mentioned previously internet polls aren't taken seriously by many people so the more cheating that goes on in these polls, the less people are willing to pay attention to the results.
Which is a real shame in the case of the TruckSeries.com Most Popular Driver poll given that Steve won it last season and Travis Kvapil won it two years previously. So the more that people float the idea that the driver who is ahead is only there because their fans are cheating, the more it takes away from the value of this award. Because already there are a significant amount of people who don't think much of this award considering the past problems with it and futher accusations of cheating only reaffirms in those people's minds that this award is simply a measure of who can cheat best rather than it is a real honor.
So what is the solution particularly if there is in fact some cheating going on? There isn't a great one really. TruckSeries.com has tried to come up with the most secure way possible to run this poll to prevent a lot of cheating, by tracking votes by IP and only allowing one vote per unique IP in a 24 hour period. If the Benson fans or anyone else are in fact cheating and that is discovered by TruckSeries.com I wonder if they will even bother with this award in the future? Surely they've got to be monitoring what's going on given the past problems and if there is cheating it will most likely be discoverd. And it's got to be discouraging to put all this effort into trying to keep things as clean as possible and find out that people are still looking for a way around the rules.
In the case of Steve Park what would really help is if there were a banner on his own website and the Orleans Racing site to encourage people to vote. Because right now if fans don't visit Steve Park Central or TruckSeries.com they wouldn't see any reminders to vote, if they even know voting is open in the first place. Beyond that voting as often as possible within the rules and encouraging others to do the same is the only other thing to do. In the end fans really only have control over their own actions.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:34 PM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2005
Thanks to Mr. or Ms. X
Sometimes I think it's dishearting for fans in all sports because it's easy to feel like what you do to support a team, driver, player, etc... doesn't get noticed if you aren't as vocal or pushy as some other fans are. How many times have baseball fans been at the stadium and seen the same person who you know is a dealer just looking to sell the autographs they get shove other fans, usually kids, out of the way to get a player's signature? Or the fans who mob drivers in the garage area for an autograph when they are just trying to get back to their haulers after the driver's meeting? Or the fans who camp out in front of their favorite player's house? Or the fans that otherwise invade their favorite player's personal space? Or any other kind of similar inappropriate behavior. I think sometimes it seems like those fans are the ones who get a lot of attention and notice, and not always for good reasons.
But let me just say that I think it's safe to say that the fans who do behave appropriately and are nice, just because it's the right thing to do not because you're looking for anything out of it, are also noticed and appreciated. I was emailing with someone this morning who said something that really made my day and while I don't think it would be appropriate to share the email or the details, it put a smile on my face. I'm sure this person doesn't even think that what they said was any big deal but it made me feel good.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:47 PM | Comments (0)
March 04, 2005
28,000 Show Up to Racefest Block Party in Fontana
Racefest Block Party Big Success
Last week prior to the race weekend at California Speedway, there was a huge Racefest in downtown Fontana which featured appearances by 26 different drivers from Cup, Busch and the Truck series, as well as live music, food and Nascar related vendors. So 28,000 people showed up. 28,000! The organizer of the event said that for some drivers he saw people lined up 1,000 deep.
I can't even imagine how a turnout like that is even manageable for the drivers, the people working the event or the fans themselves. How do you get all those people through a driver's line in the time alloted without the driver having to be there all night? I guess it's a matter of rushing each person through as quickly as possible and that doesn't sound like any fun for anyone. Not for the fans who value every second that they spend in the presence of their favorite drivers or for those drivers who like to take a little extra time with each fan to interact with them if possible. I can't even imagine how tiring it is to have to sign all those autographs, pose for all those photos (if that was allowed), and have very similar brief conversations over and over again. Of course it must have made these drivers feel great that there was such a huge turnout of people who came to see them but it just sounds like it might not be as enjoyable as a smaller appearance. Even when there's hundred of people, I think it would be better than thousands.
With appearances that big inevitably there are going to be people who go away unhappy, particularly if they get shut out of getting their favorite driver's autograph. Apparently Dale Earnhardt, Jr. also made an appearance but it was only for contest winners and Make-A-Wish people, but perhaps was publicized otherwise. "It's very disappointing because he's supposed to be outside where everybody can see him. Most of the people came to see him," said (Sarah)Murray. "I waited for so long and now my chance is gone. Maybe next time, who knows?" That's something which is very unfortunate if people are given the impression that certain drivers will be somewhere and be accessible and aren't. Organizers of these kinds of events should make sure they are as upfront as possible, because while it may work in the short term to get people there by using Junior's name, if they mislead fans it may hurt them in the long term because people will be unwilling to go back in the future.
I have to wonder if it's ever going to reach a point where large events like this with multiple drivers are impossible because of the huge fan turnout. The Yankees used to have a fan fest which had to be discontinued because the fan turnout was just so massive that it became impossible to deal with. As Nascar grows in popularity I think that is one of the challenges that they are going to face - keeping the drivers accessible.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2005
Wait 12 Hours for an Autograph? No Way!
Every year at this time Benny Parsons does his "Fast Talk" radio show live at the Volusia Mall in Daytona all week leading up to the big race weekend. He has any number of drivers as his guests all week so naturally that attracts a whole host of fans who want to see their favorites. Apparently it has become a yearly ritual for a group of fans to get to the mall each morning that Parsons show will be live at 5:30 a.m. so they can get exactly the spot they want for the show, which airs at 6 p.m. No, they don't get there that early so they can be front and center to see their favorite drivers do the show with Parsons. They get there that early so they can stake out the perfect spot to get the drivers autographs when they leave. In fact, these fans can't even see the show from where they are.
I understand this is a fun and social event for these fans and a hobby to get their memorablia signed. But there is no way that I will be trapped 12 hours in one place just to wait for someone's autograph. I always go to autograph signings a few hours early but if it comes to the point where I have to go 12 hours early to get someone's signature then it's just not worth it to me. I'd much rather be front and center while they do the show, get to listen in, maybe take a few photos too. Twelve hours these folks sit there for probably less than 30 seconds of interaction with the driver as they sign their stuff and then move on to the next person.
Of course the drivers love it though. Steve Park said in the article, "It makes me feel good. That's what it's all about. They wait for us." The funny thing is that for many of these fans they aren't even there to see Steve specifically. They don't even care who signs for them as long as someone does. So while it's great that it makes Steve feel good to see those fans waiting for him, he could be Ricky Rudd, Bobby Hamilton or Martin Truex, Jr. and most of the regulars would react the same, again, just as long as whoever it was stopped to sign. I guess it's just something that I can't relate to since as I've discussed here before autographs don't mean all that much to me. Getting random drivers autographs just because they are Nascar drivers just doesn't hold any interest to me. But I guess it's just one more thing that some people collect.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2005
Steve Park Isn't Curt Schilling
Now isn't that a strange comparision - Steve Park to Curt Schilling? After all Steve is a racer in the Nascar truck series and Schilling is a major league baseball player. Perhaps not so strange when one considers that based on several references over the past few days, it's possible that Steve lurks over at SPC, a fan forum. Anyone from NYYFans knows that Schilling lurks with us all the time and on occassion has posted, which has led to a whole host of issues. And suddenly I can see why some things are the way they are if it's true that Steve does in fact lurk on a regular or semi-regular basis over on SPC.
Schilling has a very thick skin and there isn't much that fazes him when it comes to what fans say about him. In fact I think he feeds off of it, not just the positive remarks but the negative comments as well. On the other hand there's Steve who seems to be very eager to please everyone and doesn't like disappointing or upsetting anyone, particularly his fans. For someone like that, I would think that reading a fan forum might not be such a great idea. On one hand it probably feels great to read all the positive and wonderful things that fans say about him and it's certainly very cool for the fans to feel like their favorite driver cares enough to check out what they have to say. But there is always going to be some people who are critical or unhappy with certain things and if someone is the least bit sensitive, some of those comments might be given more weight than they should.
I always call things like I see them. I also very much see all the drivers and players that I like as human beings who will make mistakes and do things that I don't agree with from time to time. And I see nothing wrong with expressing that in a respectful way. I don't think any less of Steve or am any less of a fan of his because I don't like the way the Operation Marathon Getaway was handled or because I think there are times he's let his emotions get the best of him at times in races and that has hurt him. Those are just things that I might take issue with or think could be handled differently.
But do I really want Steve reading something that I say that might be interpreted as critical? Probably not. Granted, it's not my problem how a 37 or 38 year old adult who is a complete stranger to me takes what fans say about him. But on the other hand if I know that he may pay attention to this stuff, I don't really want to add any fuel to the fire either. Having suspected this might be the case for a while I've already been careful about what I say and how I say certain things - this was true even in relation to the whole Operation Marathon mess, though I know some would probably not believe that.
Which leaves me enjoying talking about Steve on that forum not quite as much as I used to. Our big issue on NYYFans is how the discussions are effected by Shilling's presence - they are and often not in a good way as users craft their posts as messages to him or try to bait him into getting into it with them. And as much as our users would love it if there were Yankee players on the site, we don't really want to see that happen because suddenly no one wants to express their opinions freely or say anything the slightest bit critical out of fear of what that player thinks. And in spite of the fact that I have no idea how true it is that Steve or others affilated with him might read that board or even how often that happens, I find myself not wanting to state my opinions as openly as I once did. I'm just going to have to get over it because not only don't I know how true it is, I just can't be worried about what someone else might think about what I have to say, especially since I know I'm not really saying anything wrong.
I just hope if he does go to that board that he's not big on clicking on random links because otherwise he or someone else affiliated with him might have made their way over to this blog. Given that one particular comment I guess that wouldn't surprise me but even if I continue to be careful over on the board, I have no intention of censoring myself here. The only things I keep to myself are those things that I wouldn't say to someone's face; that I would be afraid of offending or insulting someone about - not that I'm the type of person to be insulting or hurtful anyway. But commentary on Nascar, Steve Park or any of the other things I talk about here shouldn't be offensive to anyone anyway as they are only opinions which may or may not be correct.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
February 12, 2005
Matt McLaughlin Revisited
So the furor over Matt McLaughlin's firing from Racingone continues with more accusations of a Nascar conspiracy with R-1 furiously denying all of this. What is bothering me about all of this is that this incident is being used as a basis for various internet journalists, as well as countless fans to make a case for how Nascar is trying to silence all their critics. Yet there has been no definitive proof what-so-ever presented anywhere to my knowledge that states for sure a)who bought R-1 b) that whoever did buy the site was a Nascar/ISC/France family entity c) and that their sole purpose for buying the site was to fire Matt, thus eliminating one of their critics.
Patty Kay wrote an article in which she referenced that R-1 was bought by ABC Promotions, a ISC entity. I assumed that she checked this information with her sources, as most journalists do. However, when I contacted her out of curiosity, she indicated that she was relying on an item on Jayski's. She suggested that I contact Jay from Jayski's and when I did he indicated he had put the item up based on what Matt told him and it was to save both of them from having to answer countless emails. Since Jay also said that whatever happened with R-1 and Matt was between them, the implication was that he never checked with his sources about what the story was either. So that means that all of this is on the basis of what one person is saying, someone who clearly has some major issues with the company that fired him. Matt may very well be telling the complete and total truth, as what he is saying isn't out of the realm of possibility, yet when it comes to making accusations about a conspiracy it would seem that some of the folks writing stories about this issue should be doing some fact-checking and research beyond what one person is saying.
That's especially true since SEC filings show no ISC entity called ABC Promotions. There is an ASC Promotions, the showcar division of Americrown, ISC's food and hospitality services division which services all the tracks, but thus far no one has clarified exactly who bought R-1. So there is no telling if someone is confused or mistyped or there is actually no ISC connection to who bought R-1. In addition, R-1 is sending out emails which state that ABC Promotions does not own the site and that the France family/Nascar/ISC has nothing to do with Matt getting fired. Of course that still leaves open the question of who bought the site as another ISC/Nascar entity not called ABC Promotions could have bought them but right now it's a case of he-said/he-said and there seems to be no way of really knowing what the story actually is, particularly since no one has to my knowledge actually looked into any of this before writing some very scathing articles about this.
Some are offering as proof of the new owners intent things that have gone on at the R-1 message board. They say that the most negative critics of Nascar get banned. Well, considering some of the remarks users on that board made were outright insulting of both Nascar and the drivers it's no surprise that some of them might have been banned. That board is barely moderated, has been a mess for a long time and the users who are complaining have no idea how much leniency they've had over there. What goes on there would not be tolerated in a lot of other places. Besides that, R-1, as owners of the board can do whatever they want with it and censor their users as much as they want. You hate to see that happen but they are perfectly within their rights to do so.
Part of the problem with all of this is that if Nascar's sole reason for buying R-1 was to silence Matt McLaughlin they didn't do a very good job. Matt will be in demand to write for any number of sites, he can start his own site or he can look for a job in the mainstream media, given that he is a good writer. Any number of those things could potentially garner him even more of an audience than the one he enjoyed at R-1. Not only that but there are countless others who write critically of Nascar all the time. One only needs to look through the links to articles Jayski posts to see that. Not to mention all the heat that Nascar takes on countless fan forums. So it would seem that they have a lot of work to do if they want to silence all their online critics, inluding this author who has never been shy about taking shots at the sanctioning body or the drivers if need be.
Undoubtably, Nascar does look to control the media and what they report on as much as possible, making sure that they are portrayed in the best light possible - every organization and individual does this. As one who worked in public relations, I know this extremely well. The larger the organization the more resources they have too. But the idea that they purchased R-1 for the sole reason of quieting one of their critics, well, I'm a little skeptical about that, especially in light of the fact that thus far no one is willing to step forward to clarify who actually bought the site. I can't help but return to my original feeling that regardless of who owned R-1, the style of Matt's writing had gotten too caustic and occassionally insulting, for R-1 to be able to tolerate any longer.
Oh, and for anyone who plans on sending me hate e-mails filled with nastyiness over this issue because I'm not automatically buying into the conspiracy theory, like has been done to others, save your bandwidth. I've heard it all before from those who feel that the appropriate response to disagreeing with someone's opinion is responding with insults. When someone has to respond to something they don't like with insults that's a reflection of the person making the insults, not the person with the unpopular opinion.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:27 PM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2005
In a New Light
What's really stuck with me about this past weekend is how we got to see some of the drivers and those around them more like the human beings that they are rather than always being "on" like they are at the track. Sometimes this was good and sometimes this was bad. Of course they are still on guard and careful as they have to be around fans but there was no question that some folks were more relaxed and natural than they might be in other circumstances.
It's bad when you see things that you don't want to see but it's good when it gives you a little insight as to what that person is like as a human being in a tiny way. Of course I still don't know any of these people really but for a little while at least I got to see a different side of some folks. Really there weren't many suprises though I'm sure if I got to spend even more time around these guys in even closer proximity I would find out even more some of which probably would shock me. In some cases I'd probably rather not know.
Just strange circumstances to be in. But it makes you want to see these guys do well even more than before. I really, really hope that Steve gets to Victory Lane at least once if not more in 2005. Not just for the fans but for himself as well. And while last season was great for him in comparision to the prior two, I hope that some of the issues from last season won't be present this season and I hope nothing new crops up either. As for Michael I hope that he finds Victory Lane as well, particularly at a non-restrictor plate track to shut a few people up. With Operation Marathon he's done so much to help the kids of the Victory Junction Gang Camp so he really deserves a year filled with happiness and much success both personally and professionally.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2005
Now I Get Why the Drivers Aren't Too Happy
Now it makes a little more sense why some of the drivers aren't too happy with the new set-up at Daytona which allows extra access to see into the garages of the drivers via windows. It's not just that they feel like animals in the zoo. As can be seen in the above photo there are also slots below the windows where fans can shove stuff in for the drivers to autograph.
In theory this is a great idea so the fans can get stuff signed but the drivers don't have to be swarmed by a huge amount of fans swarming them and running after them. However, in reality I'm not so sure this is going to work so well. There will be an endless amount of stuff shoved under there for the drivers to sign and no doubt there will be many fans who will simply camp out in front of their favorite driver's window waiting for him to come over and sign. Then once they start signing every single fan is going to want them to keep on signing. Sure, they can walk away but it's not like they can go hide in the hauler if they don't feel like signing any more. I can see fans getting angry if drivers and crew members don't spend a significant amount of time near the windows interacting with the fans and signing stuff. The fans may not be too sympathetic if a guy just feels like standing around bullshitting with his team. I think it would have been a better idea to just skip the slots and have just the windows. Then fans can see what's going on from fairly close-up but there's no pressure on the drivers to have to take time out and go over and sign.
I heard that they will be charging fans $85 entrance to get into the area where these windows are located. Not every garage has a window so I'll be interested to see how it shakes out during actual race weekends in terms of which teams are actually located in stalls with windows. No doubt this area will be tremendously crowded so it may not be worth the money for a lot of fans because it will be hard to navigate through all the big crowds of fans to get to the windows. Not to mention the already mentioned fans who will camp out in front of certain windows and refuse to move.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)
January 13, 2005
Look at the Wild Junior-Beast!
One of the new changes that Daytona International Speedway made to make things more fan friendly is add these windows which allows fans to take a peek into the garages while the drivers are doing various things with their cars. It looks just like the way the gorilla exhibit at The Bronx Zoo is, with all the people pressed up against the glass staring at the gorillas.
Apparently not all the drivers are happy with this set-up for exactly that reason, that it makes them feel like they're on display in a zoo. Well, how exactly is it any different than anything else during a race weekend when fans are mobbing them and staring at them? At least this way the fans can see what is going on from fairly close up but they can't get so close that they're in the way and the drivers don't have to worry about having to deal with fans who want to chat or want autographs.
There are drivers who don't want fans to have any access whatsoever to the garage area. That's never going to happen as much as I think it's a good idea to restrict access for security reasons and to make it easier for the teams and drivers to do their jobs. I don't think Nascar is ever going to be able to fully get rid of all the spare people in the garage area. But who knows, maybe this is a step in that direction, in which they limit the direct access more but come up with more of these alternate ways of letting the fans see what happens in the garage area.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2005
10,000 Users at NYYFans.com!
Today we hit the 10,000th mark for registered users at the forum at NYYFans.com! It's hard to believe that in 2000 Jim started the site and forum as an alternative to the offical forum at Yankees.com just thinking that some of his friends might stop by to chat about the team they all love so much. Well, five years later the site has grown tremendously to the point where it is the largest independent Yankees fan site/forum and probably one of the biggest fan forums for any of the teams. Not only do we have great discussions about the Yankees and baseball in general but we have an annual forum party at Yankee Stadium every summer where members of the forum come from all over the country. It really is incredible what Jim has done with the site!
Posted by silverdsl at 01:13 PM | Comments (0)
January 08, 2005
What's So Offensive About a Different Opinion?
Not for the first time I encountered a situation where some folks were bothered on a forum (not NYYFans) because mine and a few other people's opinions weren't quite as positive as some folks would like. On most of the baseball forums that I visit, for the most part other than the really extreme, all kinds of opinions on issues, both pro and con, are accepted and encouraged. But often on racing forums, particularly the driver specific ones it seems that opinions that aren't happy-happy, are in the slightest bit critical or aren't what the majority believes are discouraged. There is nothing wrong with analyzing and discussing a situation, yet often I'm told that speculating is wrong or that I shouldn't be talking about concerns I might have. (In this case for the upcoming season because there's no point to talking about it before the season starts.) And of course there's those folks who think that anything that is the slightest bit negative is being a "bad" fan. All I know is that to me it's a lot more interesting to read a variety of opinions on a topic, whether I agree with everything that's said or not, rather than a discussion in which everyone agrees or even worse, no discussion at all because it's considered inappropriate.
Not talking about concerns about what might happen in 2005 with a driver is like if we didn't allow discussion on NYYFans of the Randy Johnson trade and it's impact on the Yankees now and in the future beyond "It's great!" That's almost laughable considering we had 80 page threads on that particular issue filled with all sorts of opinions. Some people love the trade, some hate it, some don't like the direction the Yankees are going in, others think the Yankees are making great decisions. But one thing is for sure, even if folks don't agree with each other, and there is no doubt that there are some strong disagreements, no one would dream of saying that we should wait until the season starts and the games are being played before talking about something or formulating an opinion. The forum would be dead if everyone agreed on everything all the time and only talked about how wonderful everything is.
I just don't understand why some folks seem to have such a problem with people who don't agree with them or aren't as positive about something as they might be. It's nothing personal. And just because I might have something less than laudatory to say about a particular driver or organization doesn't mean that I hate that person or that I think the whole organization sucks. It means that I have concerns about some things that are happening or that I don't care for something that person has done. I don't think that any of these people are perfect just because I am a fan of theirs. I don't agree that I should always only speak of them in positive terms - these are human beings who are going to do all sorts of things both good and bad. In addition, racing is a business and as much as we'd like everything to always work out for our favorite drivers sometimes an organization might make decisions in their own best interest and not the driver's. That I have concerns about that or that I don't agree with something that someone does doesn't make me a "bad" fan.
That "bad" fan tag, often related to the "true" fan tag is something that really irks me. There's frequently an unspoken attitude that "real" or "good" fans are supossed to say and do certain things. That somehow if they are always positive, say the "right" things (none of which will likely ever be read by the driver, team or organization), and do the "right" things that they are higher on the fan food chain and in the eyes of the driver/team/organization than other fans. There is no handbook of how to be a fan. People choose to be fans in all sorts of different ways and there is no right or wrong way. In addition, there isn't a test that someone takes and if they fail they aren't allowed to be a fan anymore. Every single player or driver that I've ever met has been perfectly happy to meet and talk to me and while for the most part I'm extremely supportive, I've been critical of every single one of them at one time or another. No one's going to ban me from Yankee Stadium because I'm not 100% thrilled with the Randy Johnson trade and Steve Park is still going to sign an autograph for me at an appearance in spite of the fact that I said on a message board that I'm concerned about some things that might happen with Orleans Racing in 2005.
Open discussion of issues is essential to message boards and forums. Communities can be sustained to a degree on the basis of friendships but it's hard for a community to grow if back-and-forth discussions are discouraged. Because people become uncomfortable and afraid to express their opinions if anything the slightest bit controversial is met with rolling eyes and other hints, subtle and otherwise, that their opinions should be kept to themselves. And that leads to people either leaving or not joining in the first place.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2004
Mike Mussina Fan Club
A lot of times the fans clubs for athletes aren't good for much other than to say that one is part of that particular person's fan club. But there are some fan clubs like Kevin Harvick's or Mike Mussina's that do a little more for their members than other fan clubs do.
I joined the Mussina fan club because he's my favorite Yankee but also because he does the meet & greets for fan club members at Yankee stadium each summer as well as the fan club meeting every January. It's funny because Mussina is somewhat reserved at times and I don't think interacting with lots of people comes easy to him but he obviously cares about making his fans happy so he does this stuff anyway. While Nascar drivers do all these things all the time it's pretty unusual for baseball players to do meet & greets or have fan club meetings.
One year I would love to go to the fan club meeting in January because I've heard it's a huge amount of fun. Besides lunch or dinner at a restaurant, there's a question & answer session and Mike signs autographs and poses for photos. It sounds like he's a lot more relaxed than during the regular season as one might imagine and his off-beat sense of humor is often on display. It seems like every year something comes up and I can't go to the fan club meeting. This year is no different as I will be in Las Vegas. Increasingly I'm beginning to wish I had just opted to go to Pennsylvania for this than to Las Vegas!
But what made me think of the Mussina fan club is that I got a birthday postcard from them signed by Mike which is neat. Yes, it does appear to be hand-signed though of course there's no way of knowing if it's actually signed by Mike or someone else signed it for him. I assume it probably is signed by him and that he signs a whole stack of them once or twice a year and they are just used as needed for fan club members thoughout the year. The postcard is funny as it's a picture of a Moose blowing out birthday candles. It's just something that they do that is a nice little thing to make fan club members feel good and put a smile on their faces.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:51 AM | Comments (0)
December 09, 2004
Shooter May Have Been Disgruntled Pantera Fan
There is some strong speculation that the shooter who murdered "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott may have been upset about the break-up of Pantera, Dimebag's former band, and may have blamed him for it. According to some eyewitnesses someone, and no one is 100% sure whether it was the shooter or a fan, shouted at Dimebag that he was responsible for breaking up the band.
In fact, last week, Phil Anselmo, the former lead singer of Pantera had blamed Dimebag for the breakup and made comments to the effect that Dimebag needed a good ass-kicking. I really hope this isn't a case of some nutjob taking Anselmo words literally and taking matters into their own hands. Anselmo and Dimebag had supossedly made up and they were close previously so the guilt he would then feel, even though it's certainly not his fault what a crazy person does, would have to be almost unbearable.
If this a situation in which a disgruntled fan took things too far unfortunately it wouldn't surprise me. That was what I immediately thought of when I heard about this shooting. We hear so much about stalkers and I've seen a lot of disturbing fan behavior myself. I'm not just talking about the people who really, really, really like a player, driver, team or band. I'm talking about the people who are so obsessed that whoever or whatever they are a fan of is the center of their life to the point where it is unhealthy. These are the people who aren't in touch with reality and can lash out if provoked or if they become unhappy or disappointed with the person or people that they worship, because they feel personally slighted.
It's scary what I come across or see sometimes. Especially frightening is the thought that there are other people just like this shooter who are ticking timebombs waiting to go off. I hope that this shooting makes clubs, and also anyone who is well-known, take a look at some security precautions that they can take to try and prevent other incidents like this. Because unfortunately I fear that this won't be the last time we hear about something like this happening. I don't know how or why people latch on to something, someone or an idea in such a way that eventually it leads to violence but in some cases there are probably warning signs that something is very wrong with the person in question. So I hope that if anyone encounters someone who sets off some real warning bells that they will speak up and let someone know who might be able to do something about it. It could prevent a tragedy.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2004
A-Rod's Profits from "Ultimate Experience" to go to Charity After All
In this entry about Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds I talked about how outrageous I thought it was that A-Rod Authenticated and Pro Access were charging $7,500 a person for "The Ultimate Experience," an event in which fans get up-close and personal with A-Rod and Bonds. What bothered me most of all is that these are two of the highest paid players in baseball and here they still felt the need to do a high-priced event to take in even more money. Well, in the case of Alex Rodriguez at least all the proceeds will go to charity according to a column in this week's Sports Illustrated.
Considering that will garner one or multiple charities around $750,000 after expenses, I have to say that I'm looking at this event in a whole new light, at least in terms of A-Rod's participation. That's a major amount of money and that A-Rod is willing to give his time to raise money for charity is a very good thing. It will also make some fans very happy to be able to meet him and chat with him for a few minutes. I am very definitely in favor of celebrities doing whatever they can to help raise money for charity, even if that includes charging a high price for events that they appear at.
On the other hand, as the Pro Access managing director says in the article, "This event is squarely in the for-profit section of Barry's portfolio." I ask as I did back when I first heard of this event - why does Bonds need more money on top of what he already earns? It makes him look even worse that A-Rod is donating his share of the proceeds. It's been said before that Bonds is a selfish and unpleasant person and this sure doesn't make me think any better of him. There is no rule that says that a player has to donate to charity and Bonds may donate to various causes without anyone ever knowing but it just seems like there are a lot better places for $750,000 to go than Bonds' pocket.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2004
Kurt Busch Wins Championship - Fans Disgusted
It was only by eight points but Kurt Busch won the Nascar Championship on the basis of a strong finish in today's race. I'm far from a fan of Busch's but I have to admit that the entire #97 team did an outstanding job this season and they really deserved the championship. Today's race in particular was impressive. The team had to overcome a problem with a wheel that caused a tire to come off and later a bad pit stop. Both problems put them at the back of the pack but Kurt and the team never gave up and Kurt raced his way to the front, keeping pace with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson who were chasing him for the Championship.
I would have like to have seen Gordon win the Championship and if not him then Johnson. But I'm not upset like a lot of fans seems to be. If a team races well and puts themselves in position to win the Championship they deserve it. There was some controversy at times with other teams but I can't think of anything questionable that has happened with or to this team so personally I think this is a very clean championship win. I think it's a little disappointing that some folks are so quick to disparage Kurt, this championship and his racing skills because they don't like him as a person. I don't care for a lot of what Kurt has done either but I can recognize that he is a good racer.
My one issue with Kurt from today's race was that when he was racing with Michael Waltrip they tangled a bit and Kurt's spotter told Michael's spotter that Michael should have just given him the position given that Kurt was racing for the Championship and trying to keep up with Jeff and Jimmie. That's a real pet peeve of mine when racers think that other racers should move over and give them spots. Unless the person they're racing is laps down or has a clearly inferior car, then positions should be earned not given as charity. Needless to say Michael didn't sound too happy about that incident over the radio.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2004
Ricky Craven to Roush Truck? Fans Upset?
Jayski's is reporting that Ricky Craven may be named as the driver of one of the soon-to-be vacant Roush trucks in the Craftsman Truck Series. So I went to the fan forum on the Craven site to see what Ricky's fan were saying, thinking that they'd be pretty happy that their driver might have a full-time ride for next season. Much to my surprise most of the reaction was negative.
Now I understand that all fans want their driver to be racing on the Cup level. So some people naturally view the truck series as a step down. However, the racing in the truck series has been outstanding for a while now and increasingly the truck series is getting more and more attention. So while there is no doubt that the money is less, the prestigue less and the races are shorter, it's not a dumping ground for used-up drivers. It is a very competitive series with a good mix of both young and veteran drivers.
As time goes on it is harder and harder for veteran drivers to find and keep quality rides. This is an unfortunate fact of the business. It's possible that Ricky could find a mediocre Cup ride just to stay on the Cup level, but not only would he probably not enjoy that given all his struggles this season with the #32 prior to his release but struggling week after week does no favors for one's career. Just ask Steve Park. Instead Craven, if this rumor is true, is wisely choosing to do what Steve did and opt to race in a lower level but with a team that will give him quality equipment and most likely a chance to run well each week. Maybe Steve, Ricky and some of the other veterans who are racing in the Trucks will eventually get another good opportunity on the Cup level, but if not I suspect that they will still be pretty happy with the way things worked out for them in the Truck Series.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2004
Obsessive Fans Make Clay Consider Quitting
Apparently American Idol star Clay Aiken considered quitting music recently to get away from some of the pressure and attention of being in the spotlight. Now I'm not a fan of Clay's music in any way but I would hate to see him quit because he has trouble dealing with the way some of his more intense fans behave. I have a feeling every celebrity must feel like this from time to time. It seems like Clay was most upset about not being able to go out with his friends without a security guard and that's really a shame that someone always has to be there to protect him when he goes out.
That's an unfortunate problem that comes along with being famous that some people don't see because they focus on the glamourous side of things so much. There is a lot of cool things that celebrities get to do and get access to that the average person can't but on the other hand just doing simple things like trying to go shopping or going out to eat at a restaurant must be such a chore sometimes. I can understand why as much as Clay probably loves being who he is, he sometimes yearns to be a nobody again so that he would get left alone when he doesn't feel like dealing with the masses. It's got to be hard to always be "on," always have a smile on his face, always have the right thing to say. When he's in public he always has to be on his best behavior conscious of who's around rather than just be focused on having a good time with his friends or family.
It's got to be hard to connect with people that he didn't know prior to when he became well-known too. Clay and every other celebrity has no idea whether the people who approach him and try to get to know him want to know him as a person or just want to be close to and get a piece of Clay Aiken, the American Idol star.
Hopefully the joy he gets from performing his music and the other things he enjoys doing makes up for the negative stuff he has to deal with.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2004
Drivers Not Happy With Garage Security
From Jayski's: Drivers not happy with garage security: NASCAR's garage security has been terrible this season on the Nextel Cup tour, forcing drivers back into hiding in their motor coaches, to avoid being mobbed by the hundreds of fans swarming through the working areas. Yesterday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally had enough, and to make a point with lackadaisical NASCAR officials, Earnhardt took a page from his late father's book. He sat down on the rear deck of the NASCAR trailer and signed autographs for the crowd that quickly packed the area, making it impossible for officials to enter or leave.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-7-2004)
Good for Junior for trying to make a point to Nascar. I can't blame him and the other drivers for being upset with the security or lack thereof in the garage area. I was amazed by what I saw in the garage and pit areas at the race at Dover in terms of inappropriate fan behavior. There are plenty of fans who are polite and stay out of the crews and driver's way but there are a lot of fans who seem to lose their minds when they are near the drivers and do anything it takes to get close to them or get an autograph.
Walking the gauntlet of fans with Michael Waltrip to get to the driver's meeting was something else. He tried to have a conversation with us but it quickly became impossible due to all the people pulling at him. I just can't imagine having to deal with that constantly. Some fans criticize certain drivers for not doing a lot of appearances or not seeming to always enjoy interacting with the fans. Well, I can't blame them having seen first-hand what goes on. It has to wear on all the drivers to constantly have to be "on," and constantly have to accomodate the fans, even when they have things to take care of for the race.
What shocked me was that even during "hot" times in the garage it was still jam-packed. I don't know if there was even anyone walking around checking to make sure that all the fans that were there had the right kind of pass. I'm all for fans having close access to the drivers and the crews but it seems like there really needs to be even more limits on how many passes are handed each weekend and perhaps some extra security, at least in Dover, walking around ensuring that fans don't bother the crews and drivers.
It amazes me the amount of times I hear fans joke about "stalking" drivers to get an autograph. Or how many times fans will boast about sneaking into areas where they don't belong. I loved my experience in the garage and pit areas and it was awesome seeing all the drivers up-close. But it would never cross my mind to do some of the things these fans do. My experience in Dover was one of the most amazing things I've ever done in my life and I would hate to never have that opportunity again because some fans who don't know how to behave cause Nascar to ban all fans from the garage and pit areas.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2004
$7,500 to meet Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds?
The sports memorablia market is a huge one and it's been proven time and time again that some fans/collectors will pay any price to be near their favorite athletes and get their autograph. AROD Authenticated, the company that sells Alex Rodriguez's memorabilia has put together an event at which attendees who pay $7,500 can go to a cockail party with A-Rod and Barry Bonds, pose for photos with them and participate in a question and answer session. Attendees will get gift bags valued at $3,500. Then for an additional $1,025 fans can attend an autograph session with Bonds and A-Rod.
These prices are ridiculous. If the proceeds were going to charity I could understand it as most celebrity fundraisers come with a steep price tag. But over $8,500 for an opportunity to meet A-Rod and Bonds and get their autographs? No thanks! For some fans this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and if they have the money I can understand why some people might want to spend it. But there aren't that many people who have this kind of money laying around so it really shuts out a lot of fans from getting these player's autographs or interacting with them since these two don't often do signings or appearances. It seems outrageous to charge this amount of money especially since most of it will be lining the pockets of these two hugely paid players. In fact A-Rod is the highest paid player in all of baseball so he sure doesn't need the money.
It's incredible that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. a superstar in his own right, does some limited appearances with photo opportunities and question and answer sessions and I don't remember ever hearing about a price tag higher than $50-$100 for a non-charity event. I can't even recall Derek Jeter or Mark McGwire at the height of his popularity charging such prices.
The sad thing is that if this event is a success more than likely more like it will follow. And for the average fan without a huge amount of money getting access to their favorite athletes will get even harder.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:46 PM | Comments (1)
November 02, 2004
Maybe I'm Taking this too Seriously...
http://www.frontstretch.com/walker/041102.htm (Not hot-linked for a reason.)
So the (female) author of the above article has written a series of articles such as "Twelve drivers that should be included in a ‘NASCAR Hottie’ calendar," "The Stats about the Top-10 contenders that really matter, at least to the ladies," among others which focus on the hotness factor of the various drivers. So in her most recent article, she says that she has gotten lots of positive feedback from female race fans and that they have encouraged her to write more on this topic. One fan said that they had a burning need to know whether each driver wore boxers or briefs. So the writer has decided that not only will she contact various driver's public relations people to ask this burning question but she will ask other "spicy" questions based on what is submitted by her readers.
I'd be a raging hypocrite if I claimed that I never noticed which drivers were attractive. And I've made my share of jokes about the various drivers and personal subjects. I've admired photos, read stories, written some stuff myself - all in good fun.
But there is something that really bothers me about someone seriously contacting a bunch of driver's PR people to ask these questions. Maybe I'm missing some sort of punchline to this article and the author doesn't intend on seriously doing this but personally, I think the drivers and their PR people have way more serious matters to worry about than answering a bunch of questions which are really no one's business anyway. Sure, it can be funny when a driver is put on the spot in a fan question and answer session with a question like "boxers or briefs" to hear what funny answer they might come up with. But I guess I don't see the humor in seriously submitting "spicy" questions to these PR people. Maybe that comes from having previously worked in public relations myself and there were times when I didn't enjoy having my time wasted when I had a huge amount of things to do.
A lot of people would probably tell me to lighten up, what's the harm? And really there isn't any harm. But I just feel like these articles and going as far as to ask these questions of the PR people re-enforces some stereotypes that a lot of people have about female race fans.
If someone is a race fan because they enjoy checking out the hot drivers and that makes watching racing more fun to them - great! Nothing wrong with admiring attractive men. However, a lot of people assume that the majority of female race fans (and female sports fans) make their selections of their favorite drivers on who they think is the cutest. People who believe that often then think that because some female fans make decisions based on how attractive a driver is that they don't actually know anything about racing, therefore their opinions aren't valid. That's an attitude that bothers me to no end. In a perfect world women's opinions would be taken seriously regardless of what they said about a driver's physical features or personal lives - but the reality is that when women make those things the focus of a lot of their comments, they often aren't taken seriously anymore.
In addition, shouldn't there be some level of respect for the drivers as human beings? I wouldn't go up to a stranger on the street to ask if he wears "boxers or briefs" so why do some fans have a pressing need to know this of the drivers, who in most cases are also strangers? That doesn't mean that no one should ever talk about how hot the drivers are or wonder about their personal lives. I'm all for having fun and joking around. I don't think there's anything wrong with writing articles once in a while that relates to off-the-track issues.
But I get the feeling sometimes that some people, and I'm not saying this is true of the author above as I don't know her, forget what it is that these guys do - they race. Racing is in their blood, it's their passion, it's the whole reason we watch them in the first place. Instead of asking for submissions of "spicy" questions how about submissions of racing related questions that fans have always wanted to know the answers to? I could be wrong but I suspect that most PR people might be a lot more willing to take up a few minutes of their driver's very busy schedule to answer some really great or unusual racing related questions rather than some potentially embarassing "spicy" questions. But I guess to a lot of people that just wouldn't be as interesting or entertaining.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:17 PM | Comments (0)
October 31, 2004
Postive Steroids Test for Giambi?
Balco VP Claims Giambi Tested Positive for Steroids
In the midst of this article about documents being released that say that a Balco VP claims that Bonds took steroids, it's also mentioned that Jason Giambi tested positive for steroids. For some odd reason Balco ran urine tests on both Jason and his brother Jeremy, and they both came back positive.
If this is true, I am not surprised in the least. It's not just that Giambi was named previously in connection with Balco and had to testify before a grand jury. It's because I wouldn't be surprised by any positive drug test for performance enhancers for any baseball player. Many seem to think that the only players who have used steroids and other performance enhancers might only be those that have been named in conjuntion with Balco. But I believe that there are countless players, including plenty of Yankees, who did or are using performance enhancers. Not just steroids but also human growth hormone, which is almost impossible to detect and also stimulants like adderall. And until MLB and the player's union come up with a policy that has teeth this will probably continue to be the case.
As for Giambi specifically he has always been one of my favorite players dating back to when he was with the A's. I am disappointed that he most likely used steroids and I don't like it at all but I'm not going to stop being a fan of his. I don't think there is a single player or driver that I like who doesn't have faults or don't do things that I sometimes disagree with. Some even have some pretty big skeletons in the closet - David Cone is a good example of someone like that.
There are some fans who put these players on such a high pedestal that they can't accept when they make mistakes or do something wrong and stop being a fan of that person. And I do understand in Giambi's case those people who can't continue to be a fan of his because steroid use is serious business. But for me while there are some things that do put me off of certain players or drivers, I am also very accepting that they are human beings and they will do things wrong from time to time. It's harder in the case of Giambi because I have more of a problem with criminal behavior than with other things but thus far I just don't feel too much of a difference in my attitude towards him. Perhaps it's because I accepted so long ago that he had mostly likely used steroids at some point. Right now I'm just hoping that he shows up to Spring Training healthy and ready to produce for the Yankees. Given that steroids can't make a lousy player into a great one, they just give them an (unfair) advantage, I think Giambi can still be of value to the Yankees.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2004
Red Sox Sweep Cardinals!
Hard to believe but the Cardinals after being the best team in baseball during the regular season put up no fight against the Red Sox and were swept in four straight games. The Red Sox were outstanding getting both excellent pitching and timely hitting. There is no doubt that they outplayed both the Cardinals and the Yankees, at least over the final three games of the ALCS. Man-hugs for everyone!
Red Sox fans must be overwhelmed with happiness. Finally, "1918" can be retired! But seriously, they have to be feeling so good this morning. As a Yankee fan when the Yankees have won the World Series I've felt great the next day but there's a special kind of excitment for Red Sox fans today since the last World Series win was 86 years ago.
The only thing I don't get is why some "fans" felt that the first thing they should do to celebrate is to be destructive. This is true in just about every sport. Your team wins, you riot or destroy other people's property. I just don't get the appeal. There weren't any major incidents last night in Boston but the police did have to make 35 arrests and disperse crowds with tear gas. In addition there were another 25 arrests on the Amherst campus of the University of Mass. I would think it would be a lot more fun to party with friends to celebrate rather than spend the night in jail.
In a similar vein over on our Yankees site the first thing that a few "fans" did was come over and troll. I guess some people get their sense of self-worth out of doing stuff like that because they feel some sort of superiority over Yankee fans but I don't see the fun in that either. We just ban them as soon as they act out so it's not like they can cause much chaos. Since the registrations have been closed for a couple of weeks these folks had to register these user names a while back specifically planning to try and cause trouble. So they had to make an effort to try and do this. Some folks take the rivalry between the two teams way too seriously.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)