Opera Wednesday

ESPN is the new home of Formula One in the United States, and based on reports they plan to reduce coverage on television to just the race, eliminating qualifying and practice coverage from television in order to push over the top services, such as the one Liberty Media is attempting to push worldwide, in an attempt to believe online streaming, not television to the masses, is the trend, pushing what I have called television for elites.  While the coverage will be the Sky coverage from the UK, it will be jarring to see F1 coverage drastically reduced from FP2, Qualifying, a one-hour pre-race, the race, and a post-race show, to simply just the race.  US fans will be interested to see how David Croft's style compares to other well known US motorsport legend Mike Joy, multi-series commentator Rick Schweiger, and others.  I expect considerably fewer books, notes, and observations with this style.  Without a Steve Matchett, Steve Letarte, or Larry McReynolds style voice in the booth, how will it go when the lights go out in a few weeks' time?

That leads to my second thought of Formula One's chequered past, which begins the subject of today's Opera Wednesday.  Remember when it seemed every car in Formula One was sponsored by tobacco?  We saw Marlboro, Gitanes, Camel, Barclay, Rothmans, Lucky Strike, Gold Leaf, John Player, Mild Seven, Gauloises, West, Benson & Hedges, among the notable brands until the mid-2000's when tobacco slowly but surely became a prohibited sponsor in the sport for safety reasons.  This transitions into the winner's podiums in Formula One, where the tune that is played in the Winner's Circle as the drivers and team principal spray champagne but before the unilateral interviews begin is that of an opera featuring women who work in a tobacco plant, no less.  While Formula One has banned tobacco advertising, the music played before the winner's interview at a race is that of women working in a tobacco factory!

And of course, there is an opera that celebrates women in a tobacco factory from Georges Bizet.  Indeed we know the tune, and there inlies the subject of today's Opera Wednesday -- Carmen, and its established overture.

Sleepless in Stamford (CT) . . .

Picked up the DVR after waking up Sunday morning to check the results of the Petronas Grand Prix F1 race in Sepang, and I don't think I've ever seen anything such as what I saw.

It's 3 AM in the NBC Stamford (CT) studios, and there is work being done for the F1 broadcast.  And someone (maybe all three) were seemingly asleep when watching the red lights. There was a delay, but they did not catch when the lights started coming on. Upon checking the video before breakfast, I did not know why.  But I remembered the race started at 3 AM, and the broadcast was done there with sports car racer and Indy 500 only INDYCAR driver Townsend Bell trackside.

There is a reason why broadcasts should be done on site, not in a studio 10,000km or more far away!

In Memoriam #ToujoursJules

X

There are no words tonight as this post is written just past 11 PM Eastern time, with the news that came out at 8:45 PM EDT Friday night announcing sadly, that the Lap 45 crash at 4:47 PM (JST) October 5 at Suzuka during the Japanese Grand Prix involving a Marussia of Jules Bianchi and a JCB tractor retrieving Adrian Sutil's Sauber proved to be Formula One racing's first fatal crash since that terrifying 2:17 PM on May 1, 1994.

Mr. Bianchi died Friday at the University Center Hospital in Nice, where he never recovered from the coma after the crash at Dunlop Curve just past the East Course shortcut.  It is also the first fatal race incident at the Japanese circuit since the 2012 World Touring Car Championship race where a driver was killed during a local sportscar event that is equivalent to the SCCA's Pirelli World Challenge series, and the second foreign driver to die at Suzuka (NASCAR Safety Car driver Elmo Langley was the first, of a heart attack in 1996 during safety car runs).

Réquiem ætérnam dona eis Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat eis. Requiéscant in pace. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Statement from the Bianchi Family

Nice, France
Saturday 18 July 2015
02.45hrs France │ 01.45hrs UK | NOTE:  20.45hrs US EDT Friday

It is with deep sadness that the parents of Jules Bianchi, Philippe and Christine, his brother Tom and sister Mélanie, wish to make it known that Jules passed away last night at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) in Nice, (France) where he was admitted following the accident of 5th October 2014 at Suzuka Circuit during the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end,” said the Bianchi family. “The pain we feel is immense and indescribable. We wish to thank the medical staff at Nice’s CHU who looked after him with love and dedication. We also thank the staff of the General Medical Center in the Mie Prefecture (Japan, where the Suzuka Circuit is located - Ed.) who looked after Jules immediately after the accident, as well as all the other doctors who have been involved with his care over the past months.

"Furthermore, we thank Jules’ colleagues, friends, fans and everyone who has demonstrated their affection for him over these past months, which gave us great strength and helped us deal with such difficult times. Listening to and reading the many messages made us realise just how much Jules had touched the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world.

"We would like to ask that our privacy is respected during this difficult time, while we try to come to terms with the loss of Jules.”

Throwback Thursday: The Grand Prix of Venice

Organizers Admit Grand Prix of Venice Might Be a Stupid Idea

(VENICE, ITALY) Officials in this northeast Italian resort city acknowledged today that the inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix of Venice was in danger of being cancelled, after all 24 cars plunged to the bottom of one of the city’s famed canals immediately after crossing the start line during today’s first round of time trials.

“There are still some bugs to work out in the course, unquestionably,” Venice mayor Giorgio Orsoni acknowledged to reporters after race stewards showed the red flag, indicating a halt to further practice sessions. “But it is premature to suggest that the race may be postponed. We know there are always problems when an event such as this is run for the first time. “Venice has long been known as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and Formula One is the world’s greatest form of motor racing. The Grand Prix of Venice, which I promise will be run as scheduled, will give us a chance to show the world what our city is really made of.”

No drivers were seriously injured as a result of the multiple accidents, although Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was reportedly being treated for hypothermia.

Defending champion Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull is pulled
from the water following Friday's disasterous practice

As crews using heavy cranes worked to remove the cars, valued at upwards of $15 million each ($750 million Euro), from the paddock area near the Dorsoduro region, F1 major domo Bernie Ecclestone refused to concede defeat, saying that “48 hours is plenty of time to correct any of these little bumps in the road. Or ripples in the water, as the case may be.” Many Formula 1 fans, though, expressing their anger and frustration in various internet chat rooms, laid the blame for the “fiasco” at the feet of controversial race course designer Herman Tilke, who was responsible for the design of the Venice street course. “Tilke has given us another bland circuit, even worse than Abu Dhabi,” “ruapetrolhead564” wrote in a typical comment. “Only this time he replaced sand with water.”

Longtime F1 analyst Peter Windsor felt fans might be underestimating the adaptability of F1 pit crews. “We have some of the most brilliant engineers and technicians in the world working in Formula 1,” Windsor said. “If you ask them to come up with a solution, I’ve no doubt they’ll do it. I imagine Red Bull are probably working in their garages right now, fitting some sort of oar propulsion system to the blown rear diffuser. And McLaren – well, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d come to race weekend all prepared to fit the car’s side pods with some sort of pontoon if it was needed.” He refused, however, to comment on speculation that FIA officials might allow gondoliers to accompany the drivers during the race.

Despite the confidence of race promoters and F1 officials, most observers remained unconvinced. Former world champion driver Jackie Stewart spoke for many, shaking his head as he looked out over the course while the setting sun cast an orange glow on the waters lapping gently against the guard rails set up for the race. “This is what happens when money is allowed to be the overriding concern in motor sports, rather than safety. Let’s race on a street circuit in Venice, they say. Great idea. It will bring in lots of money and look great on television, which is all they care about. Only now do we see the fatal flaw in the plan, which is that Venice has no streets.”

Originally published June 8, 2012

Hamilton's big day

CELEBRATING HAMILTONS: F1 CHAMP LEWIS (LEFT), TIGER-CAT HERO BRANDON BANKS (RIGHT)

It was a good day in the sports world yesterday if your name was Hamilton.  It started early in the morning, when Lewis Hamilton took the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win his second Formula 1 World Championship, and continued a few hours later when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Montreal Alouettes to advance to the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup Championship.

It was a good day if, like me, you're a fan of somewhat marginal sporting events.  American Formula 1 fans are a small but hearty group, and the title battle between Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg seemed destined to come down to this final race - as indeed it did.  The math was simple* - if Rosberg won the race, as he was favored to do, Hamilton had to finish second to take the championship.  Anything less, and the title was Rosberg's.

*Somewhat misleading, thanks to the stupidity of awarding double points for the season's final race.  Hamilton, winner of 10 races during the year, as opposed to Rosberg's five, would have had a much larger margin of error had the points allocation been that of every other race.  It goes to show that auto racing should not be treated like coupons at a grocery store.

Truth be told, I've found the season less than enthralling.  The duel between the Mercedes drivers didn't captivate me the way it did others; the Mercs were so dominant during the course of the season that one was tempted to think of the cars as far more important than their drivers.  Mercedes clinched the constructor's championship several races ago, and there was never any real threat from other teams.  I'm not in the minority in thinking this season a disappointment, and the continuing chaos about the financial status of the sport doesn't give one much encouragement for the future; nevertheless, there was a race to be run yesterday morning, a championship to be decided.

Hamilton ran a magnificent race.  He sprinted out to the lead from the start, getting a tremendous jump over the pole-sitter Rosberg, and was never headed.  I'd thought that Hamilton's best bet would have been to avoid Rosberg, tuck into second place, and run a safe race to the end.  It still would have been a smart strategy, but it's not what Hamilton did, and I'm in no position to disagree with his dominant performance.  Rosberg ran into mechanical difficulties in the second half of the race, eventually dropping out of the top ten, and Hamilton held off a late challenge from Felipe Massa to take his 11th victory of the season, and the World Championship.

Dominant car or not, there's no doubt that Hamilton is a fabulous driver, and yesterday's race proved - if any further proof was necessary - that the best man won.

***

Nearing the halfway point of the CFL season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were mired in a terrible funk, with a record of 1-6.  It wasn't quite as bad as it might seem; the entire Eastern Division was so bad that 1-6 was still enough to be in contention for first place.  As if that weren't bad enough, the Ti-Cats' new stadium, Tim Horton's Field, was behind schedule, and the team had to play its first three home games at a small college field that afforded them - nothing.

But on Labour Day, the stadium finally opened, and the 'Cats fortunes changed.  They went undefeated at Tim Horton's, winning all six of their regular season games there, and went 8-3 down the stretch, including a must-win against Montreal in the final game of the season*, to finish at 9-9.  Not that impressive, perhaps, but good enough to finish in first place, earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.  Yesterday, their opponent in the East Finals, with a spot in the Grey Cup on the line, was again Montreal.

*Had the Ti-Cats lost that final game, they would have finished at 8-10, and the Toronto Argonauts would have slipped into the final playoff position.  It was that tight.

The game was played in Hamilton, before a sold-out crowd, and although Montreal jumped out to an early lead, the feeling was that this was going to be Hamilton's day.  More specifically, it was Brandon Banks' day.  The Hamilton punt-returner had one touchdown called back because of a penalty, but it wasn't enough to stop him, as he returned two subsequent punts for touchdowns in a tremendous performance that led the Tabbies to a 40-24 victory, and a trip to Vancouver for next week's Grey Cup.

It's the second Cup appearance in a row for Hamilton, which was routed last year by Saskatchewan, in a forgettable game.  They'll be facing the Western champion Calgary Stampeders, who finished the regular season with a league-best record of 15-3, blew off Edmonton in yesterday's nightcap (43-18), and will be heavy favorites to take the Cup next Sunday.  But for us Hamilton fans who believe in signs, we have a few things going for us.  The last time the Tiger-Cats won the Grey Cup, in 1999, they were also playing in their second consecutive championship, having lost the year before.  And that 1999 game was also played in Vancouver, against the same Calgary Stampeders, who were favored to win.  The Tiger-Cats defeated them 32-21 that year - will history repeat itself this season?

After all, if yesterday tells us anything, it's that you shouldn't bet against anyone named Hamilton.

Sir Jack Brabbham, R.I.P.

Received word that the oldest living Formula One champion, Sir Jack Brabham, died Sunday, age 88.  The 1959, 1960, and 1966 World Champion (with the 1966 title in his own car), his name was associated with many Formula One cars with a team known as Brabham for many years.

His three sons were all sportscar aces -- Geoff and Gary actually won the 12 Hours of Sebring together in an NPTI Nissan, while David continues in P2-spec equipment.  Grandsons Sam (son of David) two weeks ago won his first British Formula Ford race (winning both ends of Thurxton's meet) and Matthew (son of Geoff) has dominated the first two tiers of INDYCAR and won the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. It's the NPTI success that has quietly led to the #83 association with the Brabhams.

Further details forthcoming.

Let the lights go out!

The 2013 FIA Formula 1 season kicks off Down Under this week. A few notes:

This from the 2012 INDYCAR banquet -- the host. NBC was probably happy that he hosted, since he will be a part of NBC's F1 broadcasts. NBC has been showing their F1 preview show for a few days consecutively -- trying to get viewers ready when the lights extinguish for the Rolex Grand Prix Sunday morning.

F1 fans will have to get used to a new broadcast home in the United States, as Comcast (NBC Sports Network) has replaced longtime carrier SPEED.  This weekend begins the first of a four-year deal.  The announced schedule:

1:30 AM ET NBC Sports Network – Rolex Australian Grand Prix, Korean Grand Prix, Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix

2:30 AM ET NBC Sports Network – Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix, UBS Chinese Grand Prix

5:00 AM ET NBC Sports Network – Airtel Grand Prix of India

7:30 AM ET NBC Sports Network – Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and all European Rounds EXCEPT those listed under CNBC and NBC Broadcast Network.

7:30 AM ET NBC Broadcast Network – Grand Prix de Monaco.

7:30 AM ET CNBC – Santander British Grand Prix, Großer Preis Santander von Deutschland

11:00 AM ET NBC Broadcast Network -- Grande Prêmio Petrobras do Brasil

1:00 PM ET NBC Broadcast Network Live Onsite – United States Grand Prix

2:00 PM ET NBC Broadcast Network Live Onsite – Grand Prix du Canada  ◙

Looking ahead to NBC F1 in 2013

As the Formula One season ends Sunday in Interlagos, NBC announced the lead voice for most F1 races will be INDYCAR play-by-play man Leigh Diffey from Brisbane, Queensland (Australia). For those who haven't heard the 41-year old Charlotte-based commentator, here are some wild clips of him to familiarise yourself with his call.

Most play-by-play men take to the helm of bigger events when they are older. In this case, Diffey was 26 when the Great Australian Touring Car Split occurred in 1997 (television was the dispute between the Seven and Ten networks; Seven had Bathurst's legendary 1,000km event, but refused to let the race be on Ten, which had the Australian Touring Car (V8 Supercars) contract, relegating the 1,000 in its October date to the European 2000cc Super Touring format and the V8's had to find another date. (Murray Walker ironically was on Seven's broadcast team for the Super Touring 1000) Ironically, this is similar to what has happened with V8 today in Melbourne. Currently, Seven has the rights to V8 Supercars (contract ends at the end of 2012) and Ten has Formula One rights. In order for Australia's favourite 5000cc formula to race in Melbourne after V8 went from Ten to Seven in 2007, it changed from championship to an exhibition race, non-championship event. (Why Abu Dhabi's V8 round can be a championship race I don't know but Ten picks up a British television broadcast of the race for all but their own race so they don't worry; V8 will race in Austin for May.)

For Ten's five-litre formula call, Diffey had the call with the late British motorcycling legend Barry Sheene (whose name now is laid on a crucial turn in the forest at Brands Hatch): 1997: Craig Lowndes, who would become a legend of the Mountain, hits the wall:


2005: Every Australian knows this incident on the Mountain. Ambrose vs Murphy It was Ambrose's last time on the Mountain. Both Ambrose and Diffey are now Charlotte based.


That led to this hilarious interview between the two parties, six years later, with Ambrose in Kansas City and Murphy in Bathurst. Another Charlotte-based commentator, Mike Joy, who is on the Mountain for the 2011 Great Race, presides over this verbal fight. If Mike had his way, he would have had a spotter in The Cutting report it before the pictures showed him the result.


2011: Diffey's career started in public address systems for motorcycling and he calls what has become sadly a type of motorcycling event that has faded from the international scene, the 200-mile, 320km format that once was prominent in races such as Imola. Daytona's Sportbike race now has the classic distance:


It still is not known what will happen for the five to seven races that Diffey will be unavailable because of INDYCAR commitments. ◙

Breaking: F1 to Comcast

As was reported by various statements, Comcast (the firm that distributed Senna) has won F1 rights for the United States television market for the NBC Sports Network and NBC broadcast network (likely the three North American races and Brasil), ending News Corp's long reign with F1. I'll speculate that James Allen and Will Buxton will get first dibs at the lead broadcast role trackside. ◙

Sid Watkins, R.I.P.

Most of our readers have probably never heard of Sid Watkins, but within Formula 1 circles he’s a legend, even though he never won a race, or even sat behind the wheel of an F1 car.

Instead, he saved lives.

The Prof, as he was known, was a gifted neurosurgeon, and F1’s chief medical man for many years. Two from the F1 world who knew him, James Allen and Joe Saward, offer tributes here. I would only add that, having read Life at the Limit: Triumph and Tragedy in Formula One and having seen and heard him in last year’s documentary Senna, I was deeply impressed with the man. He was thoughtful, intelligent, compelling, dedicated not only to the sport and its safety, but in a unique way to the men who put their lives on the line in their racing cars.

He was a close friend of the great Ayrton Senna, and noted the former champion’s unease at Imola in 1994, a weekend that had already seen his fellow driver Roland Ratzenberger killed and his protégé Rubens Barrichello severely injured. Why don’t we just chuck it all, Watkins suggested. Walk away from the track, leave it all behind, go fishing? But Senna could not do it, and the following day it was Senna who would lie dying on the track after a crash, with Watkins bent over him, unable to stop the inevitable. Later, Watkins would write that although he was not a religious man, he felt "[Senna’s] spirit depart at that moment" of his death. It was a measure both of the profound weight of Senna’s Catholic faith and the – what, empathy? intuition? something more?

Though he was not a believer, I like to think that at that moment Sid Watkins sensed the truth. He was a man of great skill and accomplishments, who as both a doctor and a man did great works of mercy. That, I believe, must count for something. And so I think we can be emboldened to think that, at the final moment, his good friend Senna might have intervened for him, encouraged him to say Yes, help him across the threshhold. For those of us who admired him, it's a pleasant hope. ◙

Breaking...

Formula One's Marussia had a freak incident where the team (once known as Virgin before its sale to Russian interests) had one of its test drivers have a serious crash with a support vehicle during a straight-line test. Injuries are critical from what I've heard and the top of the car and helmet were involved in the contact. ◙

Organizers Admit Grand Prix of Venice Might Be a Stupid Idea

(VENICE, ITALY) Officials in this northeast Italian resort city acknowledged today that the inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix of Venice was in danger of being cancelled, after all 24 cars plunged to the bottom of one of the city’s famed canals immediately after crossing the start line during today’s first round of time trials.

“There are still some bugs to work out in the course, unquestionably,” Venice mayor Giorgio Orsoni acknowledged to reporters after race stewards showed the red flag, indicating a halt to further practice sessions. “But it is premature to suggest that the race may be postponed. We know there are always problems when an event such as this is run for the first time. “Venice has long been known as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and Formula One is the world’s greatest form of motor racing. The Grand Prix of Venice, which I promise will be run as scheduled, will give us a chance to show the world what our city is really made of.”

No drivers were seriously injured as a result of the multiple accidents, although Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was reportedly being treated for hypothermia.



Defending champion Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull is pulled
from the water following Friday's disasterous practice



As crews using heavy cranes worked to remove the cars, valued at upwards of $15 million each ($750 million Euro), from the paddock area near the Dorsoduro region, F1 major domo Bernie Ecclestone refused to concede defeat, saying that “48 hours is plenty of time to correct any of these little bumps in the road. Or ripples in the water, as the case may be.” Many Formula 1 fans, though, expressing their anger and frustration in various internet chat rooms, laid the blame for the “fiasco” at the feet of controversial race course designer Herman Tilke, who was responsible for the design of the Venice street course. “Tilke has given us another bland circuit, even worse than Abu Dhabi,” “ruapetrolhead564” wrote in a typical comment. “Only this time he replaced sand with water.”

Longtime F1 analyst Peter Windsor felt fans might be underestimating the adaptability of F1 pit crews. “We have some of the most brilliant engineers and technicians in the world working in Formula 1,” Windsor said. “If you ask them to come up with a solution, I’ve no doubt they’ll do it. I imagine Red Bull are probably working in their garages right now, fitting some sort of oar propulsion system to the blown rear diffuser. And McLaren – well, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d come to race weekend all prepared to fit the car’s side pods with some sort of pontoon if it was needed.” He refused, however, to comment on speculation that FIA officials might allow gondoliers to accompany the drivers during the race.

Despite the confidence of race promoters and F1 officials, most observers remained unconvinced. Former world champion driver Jackie Stewart spoke for many, shaking his head as he looked out over the course while the setting sun cast an orange glow on the waters lapping gently against the guard rails set up for the race. “This is what happens when money is allowed to be the overriding concern in motor sports, rather than safety. Let’s race on a street circuit in Venice, they say. Great idea. It will bring in lots of money and look great on television, which is all they care about. Only now do we see the fatal flaw in the plan, which is that Venice has no streets.”

Cee-Lo Crazy, Qantas Mayhem, and Official State Religion?

$100,000, 25 points, and a six-week suspension. No, I am not discussing Chad Knaus (but a Husqvarna lawn tractor television commercial that features one of their locally-manufactured tractors sold at Lowe's featuring him will have to be pulled from the airwaves) but instead, this is about pop star Cee-Lo Green, who deserves the said penalty after a fund-raiser for President Obama in Winnipeg Friday night featured the obscene ditty. In earlier fundraisers in the day in Winnipeg, references to obscene rapper Christopher Bridges were also made. A decade ago, Mr. Bridges featured in an album the lyrical reference of calling Fox News analysts an obscenity-laden piece.

Invented lawmaking and now this. In school we were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now, they are teaching everything but fundamentals. In Massachusetts, they are now discussing free condoms for students as young as 12. What have we come to in this nation? Add that to the dollar-a-month surcharge we must pay on our insurance in order to fund killing babies, this nation is truly in a downhill spiral to the bottom.

Red, red, red, red, red . . . No lights! Jenson Button zips away and takes a commanding victory for McLaren at the Qantas Grand Prix Sunday. Bernie Ecclestone's arrogance continued, as he wants Melbourne to switch to a night race.

Night races in the Pacific Rim so Europe can see them reasonably. Unlike domestic formulae that favour night races for areas where heat would be an issue, Mr. Ecclestone has one reason why Formula One needs night races; that provision is he wants all races to air in a reasonable time in Europe. The 5 PM (local) start in Melbourne, with one hour of daylight left when the chequered falls after 58 laps, is a dangerous provision to please the Central European 7 AM start time (2 AM US EDT). Sunday's Petronas Grand Prix has a 4 PM local start (10 AM CET). Singapore has a 8 PM (local time) start for the same absurd reasoning. But Bernie's idea is no night races in Europe, only for Asia and Australia, and the Americas have afternoon race times that allow for prime-time European television.

Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion . . . But with ObamaCare, Shepard-Byrd (a law passed by Congress, but by the way it's been interpreted by the judiciary), the DSE/SRD (by management), and other court cases, it's clear that the Courts, Executive Branch, and Departments of Education have made laws establishing humanism as the official state religion. It seems the attitude of modern humanism has established itself when the courts have been establishing a state religion simply by decree, along with other branches, just not Congress. The Founding Fathers did not envision every branch of government except Congress is establishing humanism as the state religion, which has sadly happened in this nation. ◙

The worst of the homers - Galvaão Bueno (Brasil)?

We've long criticsed the "shouters, screamers, and homers trying their hardedst to get on SportsCenter" that are prevalent when we watch or listen a sporting event. I was driving home from church Sunday night when the sports radio station (one of the few stations we can catch, an Eastover station 50 miles away) plays highlights of radio calls, which results in hearing the worst cheerleading during major scores. Some of the worst calls I remember in my youth were Georgia Bulldog broadcaster Larry Munson's homer calls but there are other worse ones on the market today that it makes listening to national calls better when the lead man is not cheering for one team, and one prevalent trend came with the Mexican soccer broadcaster style that seem to be everywhere now (best known for the crazy goal screaming).

In observing Senna (I arrived late thanks to a commitment that ran late) Saturday in Charlotte and the inside story of Ayrton's life (noted the interviews with numerous faces), SBT, which has F1 broadcast rights in Brasil, made the top shelf complaint list we have on the worst types of broadcasters, with homers and screamers look lame. During the film, numerous times they ran the broadcasts of various F1 broadcasts at the time (BBC, SBT, TF1, ESPN) and you could hear the difference between Murray Walker and the Brasilian television broadcasts. When Ayrton won (I later learned it was for any Brasilian driver winning), play-by-play man Galvaão Bueno would turn into those haywire homers and scream, while special music plays and the cheering continued on the winner while the action behind that could play crucial points of the race were ignored in favour of unprofessional behaviour.

That's an extreme homer. Imagine listening to a college sporting match, and after a big score, the engineer cues the winning fight song and the rest of the game discussion is ignored. That is the effect of a Brasilian F1 win would be on SBT, and as I learned later, it was not just for Ayrton -- Rubens and Felipe were treated that way, and if Vivienne's boy Bruno Lalli (who uses the grandmother's maiden name for similar reasons!) wins, SBT would do the same too. Maybe we've seen the worst with Brasilian television. ◙

Summertime notes

This is to That? Professional wrestling is to wrestling what “popular music” singing is to singing. They are all kayfabe and fake!

A Kick to the Groin and Knocking Down Explicit Programming. Chuck Norris is tired of what is called television today in "Sex, Media, and a Sign of the Times".

Political Correctness in the Workplace. Mike Adams reports on a Cisco worker fired for his statements. Wonder how the Left believes – us only, they can't speak.

Is This Education Today? Pat Buchanan reports on how dumbed down education is today when important facts are ignored – but we talk self-esteem, mandate praise of deviants, and punish Christians. Colour of skin and being a sexual deviant are now praised, real people are oppressed.

Unions' Bill of Rights. The National Labour Relations Board is now a division of the unions. New policies are being imposed in an attempt to create a rise in unionism, in addition to trying to close a newly constructed Charleston (SC) plant for Boeing, and moving those jobs to Seattle. The intent is to create more unionism, and eventually, fewer jobs as those jobs move to the BRIC.

El matrimonio del líder de La Gran Amistad Señor Chang. Congratulations to Serena and Michael! That midweek lunchtime wedding news struck a few of us by surprise. M. et Mme. LaRoche.

Red? The Golf Channel's broadcast of the final round in Congressional's Northern Ireland Invitational, another chapter in the Domination of Europe (USA, Who's Your Daddy?) was a warning that they intentionally omitted “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Red Skelton warned that censorship of the Pledge was prominent after “Under God” was added . . . and he was prophetic about it!

Thankfully It's Over! A local version of British network Channel 4's Skins was finally canned after advertisers revolted. The excessive raunch of the series, regardless of country, was too much here.

Rude Violence. While the Lowcountry cheered over Rich Peverley's Stanley Cup win, over in Vancouver, they were burning the city to the ground after the whipping (a Congratulations Bruins sign with a Stanley Cup is on Fenway). Diane Medved reflected.

Smoke Wants The Extension! The 1971 Six Hours course (includes the “Back Straight” not used in the full course; the extension was not ready in time for that race when Watkins Glen was rebuilt after the 1970 United States Grand Prix) is used by Sprint Cup cars and not the full course. Jimmie Johnson ran the full course a few years ago when he raced the Six Hours. Tony Stewart took his first voyage on the extension in the Mobil 1 Car Swap, and he made it clear after laps in his car and in a McLaren that afternoon. He wants the extension!

Turn Out The Lights Stateside, Have to Be in Canada for Lights to Flag Action! The next three Formula One races won't be televised, as we know it, to Americans. Our neighbours to the north in Canada will get lights to flag action as the European Grand Prix in Valencia's lights appear at 8 AM (EDT), and the same will be the case for the 8 AM lights both July 10 at the Santander Grand Prix of Great Britain (New Silverstone Wing past Club as the start-finish line with a right-handed sweep at Abbey, not past Woodcote headed towards Copse as familiar for nearly sixty years) and July 24 at the Großer Preis Santander von Deutschland. For Americans, they will be lunchtime tape-delays where anyone who reads the F1-posted blogs will know the results before they even air. Might be better to read who won and not watch the races Stateside! (gasp) (The Blundell and Brundle Show (BBC) will air on TSN at 7:55 AM with a short pre-race in Canada.) The 7:30 AM (EDT) wake-up calls (30-minute pre-race show from W. T. Harris Boulevard) will continue at the Eni Magyar Nagydíj in August. ◙

Safety at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace: Grande Prêmio do Brasil

With the first race of the F1 schedule scrapped (Bahrain) after unrest in the nation, now controversy has erupted over the last race on the F1 schedule, Interlagos (Brasil). Only this time, it's not about unrest in the nation, it's far worse.

After a second Brazilian Touring Car fatality (this time in the lower-tier "Utes," as our Australian friends call them, after the V8 Supercar Series' lower-tier series) in four years at the same section in question, and second overall fatality this year (a February track day led to the death of a motorcyclist in the same section) at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, calls for the run to the pit straight through Subida dos Boxes and Curva do Cafe to be changed erupted. A SAFER barrier was installed in the section in question last year before the F1 race, and a chicane was installed for motorcycles, and used in the Brazilian Touring Cars. But the controversy over this is continuing. Confederacao Brasileira de Automobilismo has asked the FIA for help.

Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace

Blue: Old Section (arrows note direction; there are changes in direction in the 1980's track truncation; F1 first raced on the truncated Interlagos in 1990)

Red: Current Section (arrows note direction)

Yellow: Controversial Section from Subida dos Boxes and Curva do Cafe.

A permanent yellow flag (no overtaking allowed) is being installed for a few race meets, but the idea of demolishing a section of seating in order to add more runoff is being considered. The lack of runoff at the section in question is the main criticism. Another potential fix could be using the old Juncao (the last part of the track that was changed in the run to the finish) and adding a chicane where the present Juncao sits or expanding the current chicane built for motorcycle racing (roughly in the blue between the red and yellow past Juncao into Subida dos Boxes)..

This will be an interesting story as we get closer to the end of the season to see what happens.

UPDATE: CBA has confirmed there will be a new runoff section in the questionable section, meaning seats will be removed.


Links:

Video of the chicane in a Brazilian Touring Car event:.
Joe Saward's take.

More safety needed.

CBA wants more runoff.

Original Interlagos Photograph Courtesy. ◙

This is not a joke!

This kiwi from the press is not kidding, not an Äpril Föol's Joke.

P. S. If you can unscramble the letters that have links, you will have the subject.

Peter Sauber: No dismissals after the wing affair at the Qantas Grand Prix. But where were CAMS and FIA stewards? Do they even have pre-race inspection to make sure the wings are legal? Were they checked pre-impound? Can officials check the cars in the impound? ◙

Quantas Grand Prix - the season starts!

JJust after midnight in the United States the flag will drop on the beginning of the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship. What does this year's F1 circus hold in store?

The 19 (considering that Bahrain will not be on the grid unless they attempt to move the race to late November and hope the unrestends) races should have the same cast of characters going for the title -- it seems the reigning Red Bull Renaults (Vettel, Webber) should be the fastest again, and Renault has decided their partners at Nissan will receive the branding on the Red Bull this year, so don't be surprised to see the Infiniti logos on the cars this season. Four more seasons for Vettel and Adrian Newey (designer) should be a warning fired across the bow.

Scuderia Ferrari *******'s (because of laws the name must be censored) 150th Italia (named for the 150th anniversary of modern Italy, even had parent Fiat's partner in their microcar that's coming Stateside in litigation for a while) should be a challenger after testing, but the new threat will be Schumacher and Rosberg in the Petronas Mercedes be a threat too considering what happened in testing with no changes among the major players in the Silver Arrows, which took place in Montmeló because of the unrest. But Vodafone McLaren was very inconsistent, and add that a very taxing time for Lewis Hamilton has he signed a new manager in Simon Fuller, who is responsible for RTL's hit international television formats, who hopes to make the Hamilton brand (and that of his girlfriend) viable worldwide.

Renault's works team (the name dispute, see below) will be an issue but it may take a while for Nick Heidfeld as he replaced the injured Robert Kubica (injured in the Volkswagen rally crash in Italy), who was set to have a breakout year. Will that compromise the budding team that would make it five legitimate contenders for this F1 season?

Naming disputes between Tony Fernandes' Malaysian-based team and Renault's "works" team that has been partially purchased by a Malaysian automaker should be an interesting court right, while "pay" rides have come in the form of both the winner and runner-up in the European support series GP2, as both champion Pastor Maldonado (Williams, with Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez picking up the tab) and runner-up Sergio Pérez Mendoza (Sauber, with the world's richest man, Carlos Slim, through Telmex, doing the sponsorship) are in F1 in rides funded by sponsors but deserved by their positions last year. Colin Kolles' Hispania organisation is in trouble and we could have something similar to the Aguri Suzuki case two years ago with a team withdrawing in the middle of the season.

The F-Duct from last year and the Double Diffuser that led Ross Braun's new outfit (now part of Mercedes) to a title last year are now both illegal, but KERS hybrids are back and the most intriguing one is a transponder and driver operated rear wing. If the car is within a specific time between transponder locations, the computer will allow a flap to be lowered for more speed.

On the circuit front, there will be some new looks. Silverstone will look considerably different as the "Bridge" section has been officially abandoned, as has the historic Woodcote garages. It will look considerably different to see pit entrance as you exit the Vale into Club, with the start-finish line, then swiftly turn into the new Arena section to the new Abbey. Again, the MotoGP race at Silverstone will debut the new "wing" so that race (live on Speed, unlike the F1 race) will be a good preview to see what the drivers will see with the new section. A new circuit, Greater Noida, will debut this year in India, and the FIA banquet is set there. As will be the case, controversy over Yeongam will also erupt after a major F3 race was axed last year.

With Pirelli as the tyre supplier, they are wanting to ensure three or four stops will be made just for tyres. The tight pit road in Melbourne with 240 "over the wall" crewmen (20 per team) should be interesting to see what happens. They don't want durable tyres, something you'd see at a Sprint Cup race or an endurance race, but tyres that fade quickly. It's not Bridgestone anymore and it should be an angle to watch.

Jean Todt would like to see permanent numbers similar to most racing series and not numbers based on performance, although he's slightly confused that numbers aren't driver but are team numbers. Here's to wanting a return of the classic #27/#28, #11/#12, and numbers that identify with a team easier than points position. How could Hamilton and Button want the #7 and #8, Alonso and Massa on the #27 and #28, and the rest of that?

Our Canadian readers will be interested to hear that the new BBC F1 broadcast team of Brundle and Blundell make their debut. Canada is among the countries that historically carry the British broadcast (whether it was ITV or BBC), complete with a local studio host in their home country. The still fresh-faced Will Buxton (he's only 31) will front the US broadcasts from pit road, complete with a studio crew at 1220 West W. T. Harris Boulevard as part of the new Speed Center complex.

One question which needs not be asked: will we continue to see Red Bull dominance in qualifying? World Champion Vettel blitzed the field this morning by an astonishing seven-tenths of a second over Hamilton, a fact even more impressive considering Vettel made no use of KERS.  And could it be that Red Bull aren't even using a full-fledged KERS, but a "start-only" one?

The red lights are turning on and at 2 AM (ET) Sunday morning, the lights will extinguish, and the 2011 Formula One season, and the Qantas Grand Prix, will be up and running!
Adam Cooper: Breaking down the 2011 F1 Grid.
http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/cooper-breaking-down-the-2011-grid

James Allen: Upbeat Mood in Melbourne Paddock Despite the Gloomy Weather.

Joe Saward: No KERS in the world for Sebastian Vettel. ◙

Opinion Digest

Tthe opinions behind this week's headlines:

Michelle Malkin: So Much for Civility.

Oliver North: Obama Inspired Chaos.

Jeff Stier: Celebrities should stick to their song and dance.

Kelly Boggs: America's "religion" -- Pop Culture.

Two columns by Albert Mohler on President Obama's betrayal of the Defence of Marriage Act as part of his continuing push for the agenda of sexual deviants: A Milestone in the Betrayal of Marriage and How Did This Happen?

Corning Leader: Lewis Hamilton for an Exxon Mobil promotion at The Glen, where many British F1 stars of the 1960's kept winning? ◙

Weekend Digest

The Crosby Clambake is this weekend, the Shootout is Saturday, and the weekend is approaching. It's time to get some stories of the week -- an important speech by the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the unique ownership of the Green Bay Packers established in 1923, the Kubica crash in Andorra, and a take on art worth pondering.

Ben Shapiro: The Most Important Speech since Churchill.

Adrian Rush: The Green Bay Packers and the Pride of Ownership.

James Allen: Why Racers Talk Risks and Why We Love Them for It.

Samuel Guzmán: Conservative argument is no match for liberal art. (Conservatives need to product art.) ◙