that's racin'

I've never been a big race fan. I have a hard time calling what I do on a daily basis to get from point A to point B (granted, they move much faster and are less air conditioned) a sport. I will however contend that the car pool line at school is no less competitive. The fine art of turning left has never captured my heart. I wanted to start with that because not being a race fan makes it way too easy for me to rip the activity, and gives you a better perspective of where I'm coming from.

This week's parade of rolling billboards, otherwise known as a NASCAR event, was called the Batman Begins 400. While it leaves a little to be desired, you can say they've come a long way from the Pork the Other White Meat 400.

Then there was the fiasco that was the Formula 1 race in Indianapolis. Apparently there was an issue with the Michelin tires used by over half the field. Michelin couldn't guarantee their safety on the course as it was designed and no agreement could be made on a design change, so the entire field consisted of 6 cars. Formula 1 isn't big in the U.S., but they are trying to build an audience. People came though. The small hardcore group of U.S. Formula 1 fans came from all around the country, used vacation time and watched....over half the field get out of their cars and refuse to race over safety concerns. Six, count 'em, six cars raced. Anyone want to guess how much that did to grow the 'sport'?

Give me John Daly drinking a beer and having a cigarette between the front 9 and back 9 any day. There's an athlete caught up in the intensity of his sport.