Boxing Journal 4-12-14

  

Wait, what?  How is this happening again?  I’m not even a boxing fan.  If I want to watch guys hitting each other, I’ll watch hockey, where they fight for real and on ice.  Boxing isn’t even my second choice for that matter, I’d rather watch UFC instead.  Granted I might end up watching some horrific spectacle that leaves me scarred for life or, alternatively, see a “fight” that only lasts 23 seconds, but I figure UFC gives me about a 30% chance of an entertaining fight.  With Boxing, I’m not even getting those odds. 

I blame peer pressure.  There are people at work watching, and I need to keep up (since I’m not joining any of their football pools).  There’s also the small matter of not getting any Saturday afternoon baseball leaving a gaping hole in my life.  A man will grab a cactus if he’s falling off a cliff.

Once again, here’s the next “big” fight: Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao versus Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, the Re-match.  Jdh “Never Gets to See a Good Fight” 417 saw their first bout where Bradley won in a rigged, err… I mean split decision.  Because of that travesty, I missed Pacquiao’s next fight, which featured him hitting the canvass like a sack of flour.  It’s almost like they knew I wasn’t watching.

The undercard, which I watched intermittently as there was a movie on another station I wanted to see, featured some guy repeatedly running his head into the other guy’s chest.  I was not surprised he didn’t win, even with his unorthodox tactics.

For the walkout, Pacquiao looked genuinely happy to be there.  The crowd was overwhelmingly on his side (and presumably had money on him).  Bradley was getting something between a “boo” and indifferent silence.  I’ve seen Philadelphia Phillies home games like that.

Here’s Michael Buffer introducing the fighters, “Fighting out of the blue corner for the pride, the honor, and the glory of Mexico. . .”  “I’m from the Philippines!” Manny Pacquiao shouts out.  Buffer seems confused by a major fight that doesn’t involve a Mexican boxer, but continues on.  Bradley, in turn, drinks in the crowd’s overwhelming apathy towards him.  Though they’re in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand, that American flag he’s flying does not help him here.         

From here, my notes go into round-by-round commentary.  What was I thinking?  Do you know how much trouble it is to type something out from my crappy, handwritten notes?  This is almost like when I keep a scorecard for a baseball game.  What if I actually start keeping a judge’s fight card and counting punches?  I will need help at that point.  Somebody please stage an intervention.

1^st Round: The boxers looked about evenly matched in height, weight, build, and enthusiasm.  They came out flying, with lively, hyper punching.  The TV Azteca announcers were eating this up as the crowd chanted out Pacquiao’s name.  I like the TV Azteca coverage crew.  If I had the option of listening to this in English, I’d still pick these guys.  The Tecate Girls bumper commercials between rounds, don’t hurt either. 

2^nd Round: Bradley is staggered under Pacquiao’s onslaught, but still standing.

3^rd Round: After two frenetic rounds, both fighters are looking a little worn out.

4^th Round: The pace is still slow.  Bradley got in a very effect counterattack with a massive right to Pacquiao’s head. 

5^th Round: The fighters are showing some wariness.  Bradley starts trying to play some mind games with some taunting.

6^th Round: Bradley gets pinned to the ropes by Pacquiao, but is saved by the bell. 

7^th Round: Bradley comes out swinging.  They both look tired.  Anger and professionalism are now driving them more than their physical conditioning.  Bradley goes into the ropes again.  The crowd and the announcers go crazy in anticipation of a Pacquiao victory, but the fight continues. 

8^th Round: The fighters became tentative again, feeling each other out.  Bradley is again staggered at one point.

9^th Round: Bradley is knocked into the ropes by what looks like an elbow and a push, and almost lays out on the canvas.  His taunting has ceased by this point.

10^th Round: Interesting condom commercial preceding this round.  One couple is having sex during a stampede, while another couple is doing it in a flooded rowboat out on a lake.  I’m not sure I get the symbolism of the rowboat couple, perhaps they were using another brand and it leaked.  They still seemed to be enjoying themselves though.  Back at the fight, the combatants clinch with one another repeatedly, like they were watching that commercial too, though exhaustion is the more likely cause.  They both get their shots in fairly evenly.

11^th Round: The fighters come out dancing now, their attacks are a little more focused.  Bradley seems to get in a couple of good, hard shots.

12^th Round: This is almost a repeat of the first round’s frenzied melee.  Bradley is again driven into the ropes, but Pacquiao gets the worst of it.  He receives a cut over his left eye right before the end of the fight.  The referee momentarily delays the ending so that Pacquiao can be treated.  The fight resumes with ten seconds to go and finally ends with both men going at each other in a berserker fury.  Both are still standing at the final bell and the fight ends.  Thank goodness, because I’m out of adjectives.

The Decision: The judges unanimously give it to Pacquiao.  It’s the correct decision.  Pacquiao’s mom enters the ring to congratulate Bradley for a good fight, at least that’s how I’m going to interpret it.  They were indeed evenly matched, but Pacquiao had the better fight this time.  Next time, who knows?  My personal decision, while it was a pretty entertaining fight, my streak of not seeing a knockout remains unbroken.  At least there wasn’t some sort of bizarre controversy attached to the match to make a joke of it. 

In the post fight interview, that gash over Pacquiao’s eye had swelled up like a bloody walnut.  Very ugly to look at.  He was lucky that the fight ended when it did. 

“It’s part of the game,” said the Mexican interviewer in awkward English.

“It’s nothing,” replied Pacquiao.    

The Masters 2014

[It's looking like sports posts this week for a change.]

I was surprised to see that the Masters was on on Sunday.  I had been informed by ESPN that the Tiger Invitational at Augusta had been canceled, because he was unable to play.  I immediately assumed that the coverage was just a replay of a previous year when Tiger won, but, no, it was live!  Of all the nerve, holding a Masters tournament without Tiger. 

I can’t believe they actually handed out a green jacket to the “winner” at the end, like it was a real Masters.  I thought they had stripped the jackets away from all of the previous winners who had won before Tiger appeared.  At least, that’s the impression I had gotten from sportstalk radio.  There’s a reason they want the circus side show that is Tiger Woods at golf tournaments.  Just in case the on course action isn’t great, they could can just sit around and gossip about Tiger.  That’s what he’s good for at this point, a distraction.

Even more than other personality-driven sports, the PGA’s fortunes have risen and fallen on one individual.  Every other golfer on tour has been ignored and dismissed for the sin of not being Tiger.  NASCAR may have had the same problem with Junior, but at least there, every other driver has their fans.  If they win, they’ll get attention.  If you win a bunch, you’re Jimmie Johnson.  He may be hated by most fans, but he’s still got plenty of fans of his own. 

At some point in the near future, the NBA may have this problem.  Jordan left and begat Kobe, who had feet of clay, who begat Lebron, who’s basically a jerk.  A downward spiral of likeability, regardless of accomplishments.  Worse, NBA commentators have been actively running down other good players in the league to make Lebron look bigger.  When he’s gone or irrelevant, they’ll be scrambling for the next big thing. 

The NFL, to their credit, is not personality-driven.  Fans root for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back.  Sportstalk would love to reduce baseball down to a couple of teams (namely Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers) and a couple of players and ignore everything else.  Unfortunately, baseball is a game of near constant failure and losing.  It’s really hard to hype up individual baseball players and teams without ending up looking like an idiot, given that they’re going to slump, and badly, at that at some point in the season (not that that stops most sportscasters).  See my own picks for last season.

I can’t help but notice how the Masters are shown with very limited commercial interruption, in spite being a major sporting event with a world-wide audience.  If Fox Sports was running the coverage, they’d be breaking for commercial in the middle of golfer’s backswings.  “Do we really have to show the entire back nine?  Can we skip a few holes to put in a few more breaks and just show them in replay?  NASCAR viewers don’t mind seeing incidents only in replay.” 

Maybe I should talk about the actual golf.  I saw some really bad fashion choices there on Sunday, including some old, hippie dude with ponytail out on the course.  I’d name names, but I don’t follow golf and don’t know who these people are.  Okay, maybe this is why I don’t write about golf. 

Okay, actual golf talk.  The British Open is about battling the elements.  One wonders how the game came to be invented in Scotland under the conditions of a constant cold, blustery wind and driving rain.  The US Open is about fighting a golf course designed by golf sadists.  They don’t trim the greens there; they polish them.  (“You might want to leave this one left.  If you go right, it goes straight into the ocean.  You probably won’t be able to play it from there.”)  At the Masters, you’re battling your nerves.  Don’t rip a guy for “choking” there.  Even the winner gets broken at the end and will have a very emotional reaction.  Nobody in contention plays the final round of the Masters “loose.”

Rookie Jordan Spieth did a good job of being in contention.  He just had a couple of bad holes.  He didn’t crumble at that point, but wasn’t able to rally.  His emotions came out on course, but he showed some definite poise afterward.  Whenever rookies make good showings like this in major events (in any sport), but fall short, you hope that this isn’t the last you see of them.

Bubba Watson not only showed steady calm in seizing opportunities and taking the lead, he didn’t even let up.  With the tournament in his hands, Bubba took some risky shots, not because he needed to, but because he could, and he could make them.  The emotions that came out at the end showed what kind of strain he was under, regardless of cavalier play.  The shot of the match was obviously the camera shot of his toddler son going out to meet him on the 18^th green.

Aquaman Revamp

[I have three modest Fantasy Core adventures ready to go, but I'm going to be interspersing them with a few random topic posts, such as this one.]

Out of nowhere, I’m proposing a makeover to Aquaman.  Actually, I think I thought of this while I was doing those Justice League movie posts.  I wrote a couple of lines, forgot about it, and recently rediscovered it.  So, I’m highly dedicated to this concept. 

I don’t know why I’m bothering.  I don’t even like Aquaman.  Perhaps that’s the point.  He needs to be fixed, especially if there’s any chance of him being in the movie.  I’ve read his origin, but it was unmemorable enough to the point where I couldn’t tell you what it is.  There have been several attempts at making him cool, all of which are irrelevant.  He still wears green and orange and talks to fishes.  The 70’s cartoon version is the definitive version.  That is to say, he’s something of a joke.      

Aquaman has super strength.  He can breathe underwater and swim fast.  He can speak to fishes and call them to help him.  He’s king of Atlantis and is married.  He’s had a family trauma.  The villainous Black Manta killed his infant son, Aquababy. 

Aquababy? 

I can’t make that sound dramatic.   

Marvel’s Namor, the Submariner, who’s also king of Atlantis (it’s like Game of Thrones isn’t it?) and has problems out of the water, isn’t a joke.  He’s something of a bad ass.  This probably comes from his ambiguous heroic nature.  He’s fought other heroes about as often as he’s teamed up with them.  As (I think) John Byrne put it, the guy isn’t a superhero, he’s a nationalist (Atlantian) with superpowers.  And this guy either wears a little pair of swim trunks or a black vest, exposing his bare chest.  (Yeah, we’re all making the same value judgments here, aren’t we?)  Namor has Spock/Elf ears, a flat top, and wings on his ankles.  Wings on his ankles!  They somehow allow him to fly too. 

So Namor is super strong, can breathe underwater, swim very fast, can fly, and depowers if out of water for too long.  How’s he any better than Aquaman?  Well, the flight thing, regardless of the mode of locomotion, isn’t bad.  He was in WWII, alongside Captain America and the original Human Torch, fighting Krauts and Japs.  Namor almost seduced Sue Storm before Reed Richards married her.  (Fantastic Four reference.)  This almost cost him his future wife, Lady Dorma, who, of course, later died tragically.  He’s been ret-conned into a mutant, but then again, who hasn’t?  I don’t think Namor talks to fishes, but even if he does, that wouldn’t be a big minus considering the rest.     

Okay, how do we fix this?  First, dump the whole Atlantis angle.  Just walk away from it and everything in it.  Second, change his stupid powers.  Have Aquaman’s powers be water based.  He can grab moisture in the air and blast with it.  Get him anywhere near running water, he can turn it into a firehose-like pressure stream.  Get him next to a body of water.  Forget about it.  Villains need to start building an ark.  And sure, he can fly on a column of water.  Third, Aquaman has so much baggage associated with him, let’s do that hip and trendy thing that hip/trendy writers and producers do all the time to established characters.  Let’s gender/race flop him. 

Hello, Aquagirl!  Before the New 52 crap, I read the version of the Teen Titans that immediately preceded it, just mostly to see Lorena Marquez as Aquagirl.  Hot, sassy, and had a cool aqua-camo wetsuit costume.  (I might add, Aquaman actually had something like that costume during one makeover attempt, and they got rid of it for some reason.)  I don’t know if she’s still around in the New 52.  If Aquagirl is too sexist, Aqualad (Aquaman’s “Robin”) changed his name to Tempest when he got older, which isn’t bad.  Then they introduced a new Aqualad, who was a young black man, who hung out in the desert.  Don’t know if he’s still around.  Kinda high concept there.

Finally, a new origin for our new water-based superhero, Tempest, based on the old water-based superhero, Aquaman.  Since we’re just about keeping nothing that went before, we have a blank slate to work with.  I’m going with personified water elemental avatar.  Lorena is the current holder of the power of the seas.  (This way we can change the actor in later movies.)  This does suggest other elementals, who can be introduced later.  Lorena is new to the job as the previous holder died recently.  (Sly, in-joke reference to Aquaman.  Also, you can have someone call her “Aquagirl,” and she can punch him in the gut and say, “It’s Tempest, idiot.”)  Why is she with the Justice League?  What’s her motivations and background?  I’ll leave that to the scriptwriters.  My work here is done.  You’re welcome. 

And, yes, she can still talk to the fishes.  

“Hey, not so fast!  Isn’t this character essentially Fathom?”

Jdh417 pretends not hear that comment and walks away quickly.

CYBER-PULP FANTASY CORE-Sample Adventure-Afterward

CYBER-PULP FANTASY CORE

© Jerry Harris 2013

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Overview Index 

Adventure Index

Afterward 

If the characters end up with the Drow Soul Crystal, they should quickly find out that it is way too “hot” to simply fence with the Syndicates (who won’t touch it).  The suspects in the adventure that want the Crystal are still going to be after it.  The original owner, from whom it was originally stolen (Ophidian purchased it after it had gone through several other hands), has desperately wanted it back.  Now that it’s resurfaced, he’ll be coming for it.  This could also be a good way to introduce the players to Little Man Nate, their magical information contact.  He was the guy who originally fashioned it for the Drow.

It’s also not improbable that suspects in this adventure might want to hire the characters someday for their own jobs.  It’s not uncommon in the Shadow World to run a job against a Corp one day, and hired by them the next for another job.  It’s just business.

The reason why others will know about the Crew’s involvement in this incident is thanks to the B-Board website.  After the adventure, Sam will want the juicy details from the characters and she’ll pay 1 XP (for each surviving member) for it.  It’s up to them if they want to give out the details.  In some cases, it might not be prudent to advertise one’s exploits in the Shadow World.  There could be interesting developments from doing so (in other words, future plot hooks).

Sample Adventure Build (24 hour time limit)

--Lila’s apartment: Sensor Tag on door, Smack’s body in bathroom (Com unit points at Arcade), Man-Zero’s proposal, ring and warning on wall, E-mails with Gypsies (Mazzy missing), Man-Zero, and Coffee shop (points at Coffee Shop).

--Arcade: Mazzy in office with thugs, AI defends itself with computer room defenses, AI points at Coffee shop or the Warehouse.

--Rest period for characters.

--Coffee Shop: After Meat Puppet killed, real Neural-mancer points at Arcade or Warehouse.

--Warehouse: Soul Crystal in the safe, Man-Zero and reinforcements show up.

CYBER-PULP FANTASY CORE-Sample Adventure-Estate Part 5

CYBER-PULP FANTASY CORE

© Jerry Harris 2013

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Overview Index 

Adventure Index

XP Awards

1 XP for getting inside estate

2 XP for taking out the Security Bot

2 XP for taking out Randall (not necessarily killing)

3 XP for getting the Soul Crystal

1 XP for escaping

Security Bot

HD 9, Hp 65, AC 18 (Armored) 

Fort +10, Ref +0, Will +0

Melee: 2 Shock Wand attacks/rd +9 to hit DC 12 Fort Sv or out 1 turn

Ranged: Built-in Riot Gun fires Mercy Bullets (Rubber slugs), +9 to hit, 2d6 subdual damage (at 0 hp, out 1 turn) + Stun 1 rd, on Max dam DC 12 Fort Sv or KO 1 turn, S, 20 shots

Or Built-in Rifle with silencer +9 to hit, 2d8, S, 20 shots

Immune to illusions, psychic attacks, and gas.

Cyber Eyes
Cyber Ears

(DC 18 to hack the Security Bot and shut it down.)

Combat Android (2)

HD 5 (d8), Hp 40, AC 13 (+3 Dex) Enhanced Init. +3

Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +1

Melee: Shock Wand +6 to hit, DC 12 Fort Sv or stun 1 turn

Ranged: Stun Gun +8 to hit, DC 12 Fort Sv or KO 1 turn, C, 10 shots, recharge 1 turn 

Immune to illusions, psychic attacks, and gas.

Cybernetic Eyes

Cybernetic Ears

Data Jack +1

Memory Implant

(DC 18 to hack the Android and shut it down.)

Security Guards (4)

HD 5 (d10), Hp 30, AC 15 (+4 Flack Jacket, +1 Dex bonus)

Fort +5 Ref +2 Will +1

Melee: Shock Wand +6 to hit, DC 12 Fort Sv or KO 1 turn 

Ranged: Auto Pistol +6 to hit, 2d6, 15 shot, S

Security Chief (Randall)

HD 6 (d8 Half-Elf), Hp 29, AC 14 (+2 Kevlar shirt, +2 Dex bonus)

Fort +6 Ref +4 Will +4

Melee: Shock Wand +7 to hit, DC 12 Fort Sv or KO 1 turn, 10 charges

Ranged: .44 Revolver +8 to hit, 2d8, 6 shot, S

Hacking +5

Detection +5, Includes the detection of traps, trapped items, and ambushes; Disarming Traps; and Finding secret doors and hidden items.  Use DC 12 in general, DC 18 if a master is trying to be deceptive or has set up a trap and such.

Observation +5, An ability to gauge the veracity of someone being interviewed, and also the ability to pick out suspicious people in a crowd or something incongruous or out of place in a setting.  DC 12 if up against an amateur (less HD) trying to get away with something, DC 18 against an expert (equal or more HD or someone using special magic or technology).

Stealth: +5

Crack Shot: Can fire into melee

Infravision and Immunities to sleep, charm, and paralysis effects.

Milo Sanders

HD 5 (d6), Hp 15, AC 10 (none)

Fort +1 Ref +1 Will +4

Melee: HTH +2 to hit, 1d2   

Ranged: .38 Revolver +2 to hit, 2d4, 6 shot, S

Hacking +6

Data Jack +4

CYBER-PULP FANTASY CORE-Sample Adventure-Estate Part 4

CYBER-PULP FANTASY CORE

© Jerry Harris 2013

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Overview Index 

Adventure Index

The Study

This upstairs room is locked during the party with a DC 12 physical lock (and unlocked otherwise).  Any failed attempt at opening it will alert the Security Center.  Lila will say that if the Crystal is in here, it’s in a wall safe.  She neglects to mention that the safe is behind a painting.  DC 12 Detection to find it (takes 1 turn) or if any of the players ask about paintings in the room, they find it immediately.  The safe has a DC 18 electronic lock.  Any failed attempt at opening it will alert the Security Center.  Also inside the safe are 4 XP of valuables. 

There is also a security camera inside the room, if the Security Center is manned with Randall there (and not otherwise occupied with another emergency), it’s a DC 12 Observation roll for Randall (at +5) to see characters inside the room each turn.  Otherwise, it’s DC 18.  (The other guards don’t have the Observation skill.)  Unfortunately, while there are large windows facing the grounds here, the group can’t escape through them unless they have explosives to bust the clear HD ceramic (and also it’s 15’ to the ground.)

Outcome

Virtual Lila shuts down the power to the estate on her own to aid in the crew’s escape.  She’ll thank them and pay them upon their successful escape, and then she’s gone.

The next day, the B-Board reports that Milo Sanders was found dead in his study in front of his computer.  The police rule it a neural feedback incident, though there is some speculation that an illegal Black Ice program was used.

Twist

Virtual Lila is actually running on the estate’s computer system in the Security Center.  She was stolen along with the Soul Crystal, right after the murder.  Virtual Lila is now a memorial, powered by the Crystal, perhaps awaiting input into a cloned body.  She wants to be released. 

She’ll appear to characters in the Security Center, (she can hypno-stun any guards in there) and tell them her real story.  Simply unplugging the Soul Crystal from the computer will functionally end her virtual “life.”  She’ll pay the characters and shutdown the estate’s power and robotic security.  The group will still have to deal with the human security and a distraught Milo Sanders.  (A confrontation with Milo and a confession seems almost mandatory.)  There will also be panicked guests, if the party’s going on, and perhaps a police cordon outside.  

Alternately

If the Soul Crystal isn’t at the estate, there is a printed file on Randall’s desk in the Security Center detailing his investigation.  It will point at one of the other suspects.

Formula 1 Bahrain 2014

Thanks to Fox Sports, I was denied my usual Saturday afternoon baseball.  I spent the whole afternoon in front of my computer, writing pure piss and vinegar.  Sunday, for the second week in a row, I’d planned on blogging NASCAR, but Texas was a rainout.  Fox Sports went on broadcasting anyway.   After that crap in Bristol, where they said they’d be back if the weather cleared, I watched fruitlessly for a couple of hours, only to find out they’d completed the race on Fox Sports 1 (where my baseball went).  See if I watch any more Fox rain delay coverage.

Thankfully, F1 was on in the morning, so I would have something to write about.  I meant to watch the Australian GP a couple of weeks ago, since it was on live at midnight, but unfortunately I forgot about it.  The next race, the Malaysian GP, was on at 2:30 am.  Forget it.  Besides I heard one of the cars disappeared off the track and hasn’t been found yet.  (What?  Too soon?)  The Bahrain GP was on at a more reasonable 8:30 am. 

As usual, I’m watching Uni-mas in Spanish for the coverage.  My first surprise of the morning was their new co-host, Milka Duno.  She, a former Venezuelan IRL driver, was an interesting addition.  Milka was only in the series thanks to Hugo Chavez’s Citgo gas sponsorship.  Competitors referred to her as a “moving chicane.”  Still, she adds a dash of glamour, looks and pedigree-wise.  Frankly, my Spanish isn’t good enough to tell you if Milka was doing a good job as a commentator, but she seemed to be keeping up her end of the conversation during the race.  

The race began with a very impressive sunset over the desert.  A giant reddish hued sun hung over a pinkish horizon.  (That picture is from testing on Thursday.  Trust me it was a pink sky.)  The track looked antiseptically modern and out-of-place amongst the waves of sand.  Dare I say, it looked a bit quaint compared to the newer Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi.  There was no Turn 1 chaos at the start, just one blown tire.  The dust on the track made every brake lockup a fog of white smoke. 

This F1 stuff is important to you NASCAR fans.  It’s where they got the “Knockout” qualifying format.  Soon stockcar fans can look forward to processional races, Push-to-Pass, penalty weight, and, my favorite, and option tires (you must optionally use a set of tires during the race that won’t work as well as the other type, as opposed to the single option of exploding Goodyears in NASCAR).  Hey NASCAR, feel free to copy F1 in their short, tight races shown without commercial interruption too.    

Surprisingly (again this morning), the transfer seems to go both ways.  I couldn’t help but notice that some of the drivers had numbers that were not 1 to 23.  Previously, these numbers were handed out to the teams based on how they finished the previous year (traditionally skipping #13).  Some of the drivers had their number on the back of their helmets so that their in-car view would show them.   Further, the numbers were no longer uniform, but were stylized.  Daniel Ricciardo’s #3 looked strangely familiar. 

The shock of Ricciardo’s number was nothing compared to what happened on-track.  His Red Bull teammate, four-time and current world champion, Sebastian Vettel, was asked to move over for him, because he was faster.  Further, these guys weren’t even in the lead.  Up front, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes were battling for the lead.  Hold it.  Let me re-read that sentence and check my memory.  Yes, two cars in an F1 race battling for the lead on track.  It’s unbelievable!  Cats and dogs living together unbelievable!      

Late in the race, one of the Mexican drivers, Estaban Gutierrez, got flipped in a wreck.  The in-car view was spectacular (he was okay).  This brought out the Safety Car and bunched up the field.  Both Hamilton and Rosberg were warned by their team to “Bring both cars home.”  They promptly went side-by-side in a NASCAR-esqe dogfight.  Rosberg gave it a valiant go to get past him, but Hammy proved stronger. 

In Parc Ferme, there was no animosity between the teammates.  I think they genuinely enjoyed the competition, especially as they’re on the same team.  Rounding out the podium and to the delight of the broadcasters was Sergio “Checo” Perez, the other Mexican driver in the series.  He and Hulkenberg had good finishes for Force India.  Force India?  Backmarker Force India?  Will wonders never cease?  When Brian Johnson of AC/DC came out and interviewed the drivers afterward, I was in a state where I could no longer feel surprise.  (Though I did know he was a racing fan.) 

I spent the rest of the afternoon listening to baseball on the radio.  Fox Sports radio said the race would be on at 5:00.  I turned on the TV and got Family Guy.  I went back to the radio, where they reported that the race was rained out for the day, and they’d try it again tomorrow.  Thanks for jerking me around some more Fox Sports.