Subscribe to this blog's feed« My First Brickyard | Main | Competition Cautions and Quick Indy Notes: »
August 07, 2006
Throwing the brick
By Mike Harper
While the winning driver and team celebrated Indianapolis by kissing the bricks, I found myself looking back and searching for answers to some of this past weekend’s toughest questions.
I’ve got to ask - what on earth were they smoking last Friday night on Larry King Live?
I almost threw a brick at my TV because CNN’s Larry King Live must have been one of the worst television programs ever aired in the history of television. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly were on the program promoting the Talladega Nights movie and I’ve got to tell you, it ripped.
King interviewed Ferrell and Reilly as they played their characters from the movie. Honestly, I thought it was an absolute train wreck. Sure at times I laughed, but my word, it was simply stupid. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but when I do, I hope it goes better than this horrible display of marketing.
Will someone cut Clint Bowyer a break?
Finishing 4th at the Brickyard helps, but the guy has had a nightmarish few weeks! At Martinsville he gets team orders from the boss and doesn’t win the race. At Pocono, Tony Stewart wrecks him and during the Busch event in Indianapolis on Saturday night he gets wrecked by Ron Hornaday, who drives his teammate’s car.
I think at some point Bowyer is going to need to bite back because he’s getting pushed around.
Is Tony Stewart stirring the pot?
During a pre-race interview with NBC, Stewart said about Carl Edwards, "Carl I think is starting to show everybody he’s the Eddie Haskell of NASCAR." For those of you young guns out there who have no clue who Eddie Haskell is, he was a character from one of the most popular television shows from the 1950-60’s - "Leave it to Beaver."
According to TV Land, Haskell is described as, "nothing short of an operator. He's all talk and attitude—in other words, a real creep. Eddie's the kind of guy that everyone sees through, except Eddie. He's as oily in his politeness to adults as he is weaselly in his dealings with his peers."
Ouch Tony! After Edwards heard Stewart’s comments he replied, "Tony is just a moron. Great driver, but he’s got a lot to learn."
Tony, Tony, Tony. You’re hanging on to make the Chase and Bristol is only three weeks away. I’d stay away from the other Depot car that night!
Was there really debris?
On lap 85, Kevin Harvick was leading the race and getting ready to lap some cars. Jeff Gordon was the first car a lap down, when a debris caution comes out and the free pass allows Gordon back on the lead lap. NBC never showed the debris and witnesses in the stands didn’t see the debris either. So what gives?
I think showing the debris or the cause of a caution should be mandatory. And not just when Gordon is receiving a free pass, but when all cautions come out. It leaves too many people feeling like someone is playing favorites.
Who’s lucky?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is! Without the lap 141 caution, Junior would’ve finished outside the top 25 - hurting his chances to make the Chase. Instead, he didn’t pit and ended up finishing 6th – now he’s back in the top 10.
Questions that make you go hmmm:
Will Michael Waltrip race again in Cup this season?
Did Robby Gordon take Greg Biffle out of the championship chase again? Seems like we saw this dance before.
Will Kasey Kahne make the Chase or now that he’s out of the top 10, is his Chase run over?
Should NBC be allowed to run graphic commercials during it’s NASCAR broadcast? The NBC promo of their show "Heroes" (about the episode "Nikki") was a bit too bloody for the kids don’t-cha-think?
All of this from one weekend of racing - amazing!
August 7, 2006 | Permalink
Comments
Mike,
When a movie has merit they usually interview the actors as themselves. The over the top promotion makes me wonder about the quality of the film.
Nothing would be finer than watching Smokes Chase go up in smoke. I'd throw wood on that fire.
Will MW race again in CUP? Hmmm...MW races in Cup? When did that happen?
RG ends GB's Chase hopes? I think he makes it in.
KK in the Chase? A 4X Winner deserves to be in. "Win and In" will be a new Chase rule.
Commercials? Oh the perfectly timed resource gathering events (beer/sandwich runs). You're supposed to watch them?
Posted by: Keith | Aug 7, 2006 6:36:47 AM
"Ricky Bobby" had a column in The Sporting News, with no disclaimer that it was actor Will Ferrell's picture and a TSN staff writer's words. Texas Motor Speedway's PR department is promoting "Ricky Bobby" as if he's a real driver.
The notion of "virtual reality" is encroaching on the real thing more and more every day, and it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between news and entertainment.
Are those things so terrible? Only to old, stick-in-the-mud dogs such as yours truly, I suppose.
Posted by: David Green | Aug 7, 2006 7:48:50 AM
I got to try out my new XM radio yesterday with the NBC on mute. I enjoyed it a ton!!! There was a ton of commercials yesterday suring one stretch there was 3 sets of commercials within a span of 10 laps and only 3 or 4 were televised.
Kahne is in though I think Biffle is not.
Posted by: Mark | Aug 7, 2006 7:53:42 AM
I must be getting old...I just do not understand the hype over this movie. The commercials promoting it are not funny at all. This is supposed to be a comedy...right?
Posted by: Dennis Michelsen | Aug 7, 2006 7:57:43 AM
Pardon me for stating the obvious, but when isn't Larry King a train wreck?
And in another example of how gullible the American pubic is, the train wreck (the movie one not Larry) was #1 at the weekend box office.
Excuse me while I wretch!
Posted by: marc | Aug 7, 2006 8:25:39 AM
You should have been watching Shark Week on Discovery instead of Larry King. I was and I'm sure it was a far more productive use of my time. :-)
That "Heroes" commercial had my husband, an EMT, staring in shock and horror -- he knows far too well what a fall like that actually does to a human body. Fortunately the 6yo was out of the room at the moment because we'd have had nightmares to cope with.
Posted by: M. B. Voelker | Aug 7, 2006 10:57:38 AM
It's funny that Carl said Tony was terrible for calling him names. Carl, did you forget that you called Tony a jerk several times last week and right after giving him hell for calling you Eddie Haskell, you called him a moron. Does that mean Carl has a right to say things that other drivers don't? He's very arrogant and thinks he's already a superstar. He's not been in Cup long enough to pay his dues. Someone needs to take him down a notch or two and shrink his ever expanding "big head".
Posted by: Diane Mc | Aug 7, 2006 11:03:54 AM
everyone is talking about the fact that Robbie Gordon took Biffle out of the chase, but nobody is mentioning the fact that Kahne was taken out by Edwards. There is no fair reporting in Nascar.
Good Job Jimmie and Jeff on great comebacks.Thats how championship teams do it.
Posted by: susan | Aug 7, 2006 11:08:35 AM
This is for you conspiracy theorists. Watch sportscenter they will show you the debris on lap 85 that brought out the caution and put gordon on the lead lap.
Posted by: 48fan | Aug 7, 2006 11:09:37 AM
Mike,
I hit upon the perfect explaination for the mystery cautions. "Caution Gnomes" living behind sliding doors in the safer barrier. On cue they slip their item onto the track. Pulling it back when yellow is achieved (Gnomes are thrifty), which is why we never see them on TV. In the off season they live in gardens or get stolen and go on vacations.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 7, 2006 11:17:39 AM
Susan, its because Kasey said in his interview that he got loose and lost it trying to stay off Tony Stewart. Carl was completely uninvolved.
Posted by: M. B. Voelker | Aug 7, 2006 11:44:55 AM
I had my scanner on JJ most of the day. Their turn 3 spotter said there was a spring rubber laying on the track and Chad K told him to tell the officials. Presto--yellow flag next time by! JJ was needing a yellow, so JJ got it. No doubt he was fast, but .... And another thing, what about the competition yellow being displayed a lap early? Nice that it happended just in time for a JJ blown tire fix.
Posted by: grrowley | Aug 7, 2006 12:08:55 PM
CAUTION GNOMES!!!! Too funny.
Posted by: Mark | Aug 7, 2006 12:15:32 PM
Grrowley did you even see how much debris the cut tire on johnson's car threw on the track? The next lap would have been the competition yellow anyway so they combined the two? What's the problem with that? Some of you really should take the hate glasses off sometimes.
Posted by: 48fan | Aug 7, 2006 12:31:52 PM
Mark,
No it's true...It was on the Discovery Channel opposite Larry King and Ricky Booby..."Various Gnome Specie and their effects on Modern Industrial Societies." Caution Gnomes were very highly spoken of.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 7, 2006 12:45:24 PM
They showed the debris that caused the caution on lap 85 during the race, on the speed channel, espn and on almost every other show that covered the race.
Posted by: yup | Aug 7, 2006 1:43:00 PM
Some people see the debris only if they want to.
Posted by: 48fan | Aug 7, 2006 3:35:44 PM
I usually don't watch Larry King so I missed this episode. Darn! I really hate that.
I really think Tony needs to focus on getting into the Chase. He doesn't need to be getting a list of enemies right now. Bristol and Richmond are coming up and if Carl is not in the chase, he might be looking for payback.
Speaking of commercials, I think I saw the end of the commercial you are talking about where the girl jumps or falls several feet. What was the point of this? It really makes me want to watch this new show..
Posted by: Michelle | Aug 7, 2006 3:38:44 PM
Hey Mike,
Many good mmmmmss.
Still rooting for the 2 car to make the chase, I had mixed feelings of Robby's whack. Want to root for Robby, but he makes it hard.
Wondered if Nascar radiod' Jr, suggesting this might be a good time to stay out. lol
The movie clips all look awful.
Posted by: Larry | Aug 7, 2006 4:19:04 PM
"The next lap would have been the competition yellow anyway so they combined the two?"
Would Kyle Petty get the flag a lap early?
Is getting a flat reason for a caution?
The tire didn't come apart and the replay only had small pieces of rubber coming off, he would have went a lap down if they came to the lap 40 yellow.
You got to be fair to everyone, one guys break is a take away from another.
Posted by: Art Vandila | Aug 7, 2006 5:18:54 PM
Never watch Larry King...not even if God almighty was on! Friday night we did go see the Train Wreck call "The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Talladega Nights" I give it a star and a half...Utterly moronic, It MADE Days of Thunder look GOOD!...The Last American Hero is by far the best tho!
Why can't anyone make a realistic NASCAR movie?
Posted by: Tbfka#5 | Aug 7, 2006 6:00:08 PM
#5,
That could be tough to do with NASCAR trying to make the sport as unbelievable as possible...Where's the reality?
Posted by: Keith | Aug 7, 2006 6:25:21 PM
Mike,
I just looked over my notes and Bowyer during the race said (on radio)...something like, "that #20 passed us but was all over us harder than he had to." So that maybe says 2 things...Stewart still thinks he can do whatever to rookies, and (2) Mr. Bowyer better stick up for himself soon or be stuck under 20s thumb forever. Stewart is out of control and he's not locked into the Chase yet.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 7, 2006 11:35:25 PM
Talladega Nights is meant to be a comedy, folks. If you can't find humor in the parody of that movie, you must not laugh at a whole lot. I'm actually surprised that the France family let someone poke fun at NASCAR like it does. It's a comedy, it's not going to be realistic. Besides, I don't think anyone can make a NASCAR movie realistic enough to suit the hardcore fans.
Posted by: Ironman | Aug 8, 2006 9:45:33 PM
Post a comment
Advertisements
