Wednesday, June 01, 2005
If You Are Going To Be Wrong, You Might As Well Swing For The Fences
That is obviously what buddy Holy Coast did in this post.
I thought the ABC broadcast was way over the top with their adulation of Patrick. They had a lengthy puff piece in the pre-race show featuring her, and even had her trying to downplay her looks, though she admitted that her looks had opened doors for her that otherwise might not have opened. Let's face it, if she looked like pole sitter Tony Kanaan, would the media have been interested?He is alluding to Danica Patrick, fourth place finisher and almost winner of this year's Indianapolis 500. Mostly I think Rick is making fun of us Indy Car fans saying we have nothing better to talk about. After that demolition derby they called a race on the undercard on Sunday, I'm surprised he has the guts to stick his head above water.
Here is why Danica Patrick is news:
- Not because of looks, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher were equally attractive. (BTW, watch out, Sarah is now in the NASCAR developments leagues and likely to blow the good- 'ol boys away someday.)
- A top 5 finish for a rookie is always a feat!
- She drove very competitively. We'll never know about Sarah Fisher, she lacked the equipment to compete, but Guthrie and St. James were rolling roadblocks always in the way of faster cars that were actually competing. Patrick dropped to 16th and drove her way to the lead. Most drivers when they do that end up breaking the equipment because they push it too hard.
In a word, Patrick is the first real woman driver Indy racing has ever seen. She is not some feminist just there to say she was, she is the real deal -- and that makes her big news.
