Now that was what I call the element of surprise. Never saw that coming. As I have said you do have a flair for the dramatic. Are we still invading Minnesota in the morning?
Are you serious Ray? Beat the Bulls fans? Do you KNOW what part of town the United Center is in? A bunch of middle-land Indiananites would stick out SOOO far. But your welcome to try!
I throw a beer cup in your general direction. It was the guy's sitting next to me. I'd never throw my own beer.
Anyway that whole Pacers-Pistons frackus ended what might have been a championship season. I like Ron Artest. Off the court he is a great guy. He always has time for anyone. But dang it, he went stupid and the league saw their chance to clamp down. I think the last player to go into the stands was Calvin Murhpy and he got 10 games. But that was years ago. Ron put a target on his back, it was a matter of time.
I'm still waiting for Ron to apologize. I hope he realizes what he did. All I want is a sorry I screwed up and I'll do everything to not let it happen again. And truely mean it when he says it.
Ah, yes my friend, but now we lapse back into the contract part of the discussion. The same mentality that makes there word and signature useless also fuels the idea that they don't need to be held accountable. They don't owe anybody an apology. Don't you know who they ARE?
I think this all started to rear its ugly head (now there is a mixed metaphor folks!) When Charles Barkley said that athletes didnt need to be role models.
So heres a new question to maintain some continuity...
In Barkleys defense I think he said athletes shouldn't be role models. He said parents and teachers should be role models. I need to double check that but I think that's where he was going.
Whether they want to be or not they are role models. I think it goes with the territory. Anytime someone is elevated to the status of star. Where the attention is on them, like it or not they become role models. Kids will always look to that type of person because they want to identify with them.
I agree with Ray, wanting to or not wanting to is not part of the equation. They have talent. youth, influence. and cash. All things that our current culture holds in high regard, right or wrong. Youngsters (and oldsters!) will look up to them and emulate them. For the sake of another WFTR rant, go back to the scripture about "Lamp not under a basket, city on a hill".
ya, they make millions of dollars--they can step up to the responsibility. sorry. i don't do my job because i love every single thing about it--it's because i get paid. you know?
Want loyalty to the fans ? Want great role models ? Want excitement and drama ? sounds like you need a little NASCAR in your life !! lol , dont want to sound like a rep but all of the above is why more and more are tuneing in . think for a sec , when was the last time a driver went to jail ?or sat out ? or made a fool out of themeselves in front of the world ? (moss , rodman, etc etc. now stand them next to dale jarret or mark martin or the labonte boys etc. etc. the raceing world knows its the fans that make it go, and when a driver says he is so greatfull to and for the fans , we believe him. dovetails - if i buy soapboxes in bulk , do i get a discount?
The IRL has picked up some of the NASCAR marketing tactics. For the first time ever they held a media day before the race. Mandatory for all drivers. The IRL also took all 33 drivers to New York City for a press meet and greet and photo op in Times Square.
With Danica in thier camp they should increase their fan base. However, bringing the IRL and Champ Car back together could only increase the interest.
The one thing I absolutely hate about NASCAR is the red flag with a few laps to go. If you're going to red flag it with seven laps to go because the clean up won't get done before the checkers wave why not do it with 139 laps to go. If they want to race as much as possible then why not then? I just think they try to manufacture excitement. Wrecks are a part of racing and because it happens near the end of a race isn't a reason to stop the race. I feel for the driver who's in front by 15 car lengths. He loses his lead on the restart and possibly the lead of the race. Oh well, I think I'm in the minority on this.
I think anyone in the limelight should act like a role model whether they are or not.
And I kind of lucked into a job that I love. I'm in a critical position at a charity that works with children. It's a job you have to love to be good at.
ray - your not alone on the red flag krap , this all started when when nascar changed the rules concerning caution flags, freezeing field etc. at talladega gordon was in front of jr with 2 to go when caution came out , jeff wins , fans (?) went nuts trashing his car and the track. so nascars responce was a green white checker , like the trucks had been doing, to ensure a green flag finish. i dont care for it to much for same reasons as you . ps . the same people who were mad when jr lost to jeff, are the same fans who cheered like mad when senior won the daytona 500,,under caution. i was and am a 3 car fan and ill tell ya , bobby labonte had a run on senior comeing out of turn 4 and if caution didnt wave there is no doubt in my mind he would have taken the lead and probbably the win!!
yes , ty , and star helped to. tried doing it last nite , was going to use a pic from yahoo when all of a sudden every slooowed down , couldnt even get here. will try again
hmmm, let me start by saying there are 2 nascars , the racers /fans and the corperate side.since the loss of the big e, daytona has been a little tuff to watch. i keep wondering who will be next and i blame the corp. for the whole mess. a little history on the subject. when bill elliot went over 200 at talladega afew years back, nascar said "we need to slow them down before someone gets hurt " what they really meant was " man , he'll leave em all behind and this will be a 1 horse race and no one wants to see that every week so we'll handicap the winning programs". and walla restrictor plates were born.now you have 43 cars running 195 in the draft all within inches of each other , ya real safe, then the "big one " starts happening every plate race ( see stewart upside down flying over labonte or sadler tumbling like nadia comaneche) and what was nascars responce ? smaller fuel cells . what ? that makes sense. now you have more pit stops which means more wrecks on and off pit road, and it takes the race out of the drivers hands and puts it in the pit crews, now thats raceing ! and does it break up the field ? yep ..., for 3 laps, then all together again ! real einstiens came up with that one .hmm.. lets try fooling with the spoilers, great , lets make the cars looser than they all ready are. every body back to the wind tunnel, more moneyand time spent.truth is nascar wants all the cars close together at the end so every fans car will still be in the hunt,ya see before plates there might only be 5 or 6 cars on the lead lap, it was great raceing thou, but if you were a fan of the other 35 cars you mite have left before the end. ya rite, and bear's fan dont watch the superbowl... PUT IT BACK IN THE DRIVERS AND ENGINE BUILDERS HANDS BEFORE WE LOSE SOMEONE ELSE didnt mean to go on and on but the subject was daytona and i am and always will be a fan of the 3 car . ps, its posts like this when i wish i was a better typest and more computer literate, but i am working on it.