[I got most of the Cyber-Pulp game finished over
vacation. I’ll start posting it as soon
as I’m able to get a few posts ready to go.]
The US Grand Prix, live from Austin, Texas! Yee haw!
I was really looking forward to watching this race. I’d hadn’t seen the native track before, and
also it was going to be on live at a pleasant hour. The first thing you can’t help but notice is
that giant observation tower on track. I
didn’t hear a proper name for it. It’s
like a massive Olympic diving stand. The
view up top is very dramatic with the “sky walk” clear floor looking straight
down. The anthem singer, whose name I
missed, had no problem with the heights, as she belted it out with a
Country-Western twang. What the tower
needs is “Big Tex” standing out in front of it.
Hey, he’s not doing anything when the state fair’s over anyway.
NBC, anticipating my viewership (or alternatively hoping
race fans waiting for the final NASCAR race, might tune in because the race is
here in the US), went all out. The race
was on the main network and included a one-hour pre-race show. The announcers made a concerted effort to be
new fan friendly during the broadcast. I
liked the way they were unapologetically enthusiastic about F1 and promoting
the sport. It’s the same thing I like
about the MLB Network. Listening to
sportstalk radio all week has a way of making every other sport outside of
football and basketball, seem unimportant or fundamentally flawed. It’s annoying as hell if you’re a fan of
those other sports.
The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and Demarcus Ware were there,
as the Cowboys are on a bye-week and therefore, can’t lose this week. The Texas Longhorn band was there. Ron Howard, in a bit of cross-promotion for
his F1 racing movie, read a dramatic intro.
Jay Leno took a test drive around the track, and there were other
celebrities in attendance. Will Buxton
attempted to speak to a couple during an embarrassing Grid Walk. Michael Waltrip and NASCAR stole this bit
from F1 at the beginning of their season.
F1 has returned the favor, by dumbing theirs down to match them. Where’s Peter Windsor when you need him?
The big paddock news, as the championship has already been
decided, was the firing of Sergio Perez by Mclaren. I agree with the commentators, it’s a bad
move. Sergio has had some trouble
finishing races, but he clearly has talent and is racing better than his
teammate, Jenson Button. He’s being
replaced another F1 legacy driver. I’m
sure Sergio will get picked up for another team. If not, what a catastrophe for the Mexican GP
next year. Mexico City has spent
millions to upgrade their track to get a race, just to see him.
There was a great crowd, and it was a beautiful day in the
Texas state capital. The track itself is
a bit of a roller coaster of elevation changes and lots of turns. Turn 1, drives straight up hill and goes into
a hard, blind left. The drivers seemed
to really like the course and were soaking up the energy from the crowd and the
city’s hospitality. Everyone is shocked
that F1 could find an audience in the US, much less in Texas.
The race summary is simply, Vettel, sitting on pole, leading
all the way, and winning without any serious challenge. I could’ve wrote that out that as a
prediction a month ago. I don’t know why
F1 lets him use a jet car, with afterburners no less, and everybody else has to
use a regular car. There was actually
plenty of action for other positions and some good moves, but so long as Red
Bull is this dominant, you’re not going to see too many great races. I did get to pick up a cool new term to go
with “Box this lap,” which is, “Pit Lane Delta.” It’s a bad sign for the racing, when you’re
watching pit stops that intently.
“The tires aren’t bulletproof, Sebastian,” warned Red Bull
pit control late in the race, concerned about tire wear. Vettel then proceeded to set the fastest
lap. I kinda like this kid. Before the race, they played the admonishing
he got for doing donuts right after winning the championship. He proceeded to do it again, after winning
this race. I’m sure the Texas crowd appreciated
that.
My guy, Jenson, did finish well, in spite of a bad
qualifying. He made a good move to end
up 10th to snag a point. His
best moment was his commercial with Tony Stewart. I had heard about it, but this was the first
time I’d seen it. “Soda cookies. . .”
Heh, heh, that was funny.
Coverage was Side-by-Side or “Non-Stop.” The commercial breaking wasn’t terrible,
certainly better than NASCAR. Weird
hearing the commentary in English, after watching several races on Uni-mas and
hearing their constant encouragement for “Checo” Perez. NBC skipped over some of my favorite post
race parts, walking past the line of sponsor girls and the podium drivers
chatting in the waiting room. I was
happy to see Mario Andretti there doing the post race interviews. Good call by the race organizers.
Meanwhile in NASCAR, in a race I didn’t get to watch, Jimmie
Johnson won his 6th championship.
NASCAR fans (other than myself), once again, swore off watching anymore
NASCAR in disgust. (“Junior! Wherefore art thou!”) I like Jimmie. Does this make me a bad fan?
Why am I so critical of this league, which generally has
better races, and am so effusive about F1 and sportscar racing? Think it’s because my expectations for a good
race are so low in those series that I appreciate all of the little things I
like during the race more. So, all
NASCAR needs to do is put on even worse races, that way, I’ll like them
more.
Jimmie and Dovovan McNabb got into a bit of a tiff this
week. As near as I can tell, it was the
only NASCAR news this week, in spite of the championship being decided on
Sunday, so thank goodness they got some press.
True story, I didn’t find out what happened in race until 10:40 that
night. Lacking Internet, I couldn’t find
anyone on TV or radio reporting the results until the late local news.
McNabb said drivers aren’t athletes, apparently especially
Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie was graciously
terse in responding. If I’d known about
this, I would hacked his Twitter account and posted, “I don’t think athletes
who’ve never won a championship are really worth listening to as commentators,
sincerely 5-time Champion JJ (Spoilers.
Soon to be 6-time).” Actually, I
often listen to McNabb’s radio show, and I’ve seen him on TV sportstalk. He does a pretty good job. The rest of sportstalk looks down on
NASCAR. He’s just trying to fit in and
stir the pot. NASCAR drivers are not as
athletic as NFL, NBA, or NFL players, but if drivers aren’t athletes, then
neither are golfers (and maybe even baseball players).
I feel bad for Fox TV, almost. After roughly one million promo’s for Almost
Human, cluttering all of their baseball and football coverage, the show debuts
at the same time as the “Game of the Year” in the NFL, Broncos vs. Chiefs on
Sunday Night Football. And this, after
they’d already delayed the premiere of the show for a couple weeks. (It was okay.) Another true story, this is the first time
I‘ve been able to watch Sunday Night Football, ever. I acquired an old antenna last week, which
was somehow able to bring in the NBC affiliate, where my current antenna
couldn’t. Pity that the game wasn’t very
engaging (translation: I didn’t have any money on it).
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