Memorial Day Weekend Sports Journal Part 2

Sunday, 5-26-2013

Oh my God! It’s 6:30 Sunday morning on a three-day weekend and I’m awake. Why? Why God, why? Oh wait, I know. It’s so I can watch the F1 race at Monaco . . . in Spanish on Univision (Uni Mas specifically). “Nico Rosberg! Nico Rosberg en primer position’! Gooooooooool!”

I’m slightly incoherent from waking up two and half hours early and from the events of yesterday. I seem to remember some nine-hour baseball game where the teams kept changing uniforms every three hours. Tomorrow, I may have similar recollections about today’s races.

No grid walk with Peter Windsor before the race, though Cameron Diaz was there. Frankly, I’d rather see Windsor or even Michael Waltrip (more on that later). The pre-race views of the track are breathtaking. Most of the balconies overlooking the track are filled with spectators. The stands are full. The harbor is stacked with yachts with parties on deck. Prince Albert is in the royal box and along with a very pretty Princess Charlene.

So far, the only thing I’ve gotten from the commentary is a shout out to Juan Pablo Montoya and “Viva Mexico,” when the two Mexican drivers in the field were shown. David Hasselhoff! We have David Hasselhoff in the house! Is Kitt there as the Safety Car?

Felipe Massa of Ferrari, already having a bad race, has a massive shunt into the barrier at Ste. Devote bringing out said Safety Car. (Thought I didn’t know anything about F1, didn’t you?) It was an extended clean up, as Massa, in a neck brace, made a rather forlorn figure atop the barrier. The commentators started talking about soccer.

Back to racing. Sergio Perez, one of the Mexican drivers, passes my favorite F1 driver, Jenson Button for 6th. “Gooooooooool!” Seriously, every move the kid makes brings out a round of cheers from the broadcast booth. Pablo Maldonado is pushed into a wreck by Chilton bad enough to bring out a red flag for track repairs. Then another wreck. Kitt is getting a workout. Right out of the tunnel, Grosjean ran up the back of Ricciardo. (Okay, I don’t know who these guys are.)

“No! No! No!,” shouted the announcers as Perez made an ill advised move on Kimi Raikkonen into Nouvelle Chicane and his race ended a few laps later. The announcers snickering at Button’s expense has also ended as he gets his place back. Forgotten during the race, polesitter Nico Rosberg, finishes in the same position, virtually unmolested through the entire affair. It was his hometown race, having been raised there.

I have to say it. In spite of the partisan call and the lack of an interesting race, that was the best race coverage ever. Two and half hours without a single commercial interruption. Inconceivable. The rest of the racing coverage today is going to pale considerably in comparison.

Continued.