Phillips Rips the other one out

[SurfaceUnits]

Last week’s announcement that Champ Car promoted vice president of operations Tony Cotman to executive vice president was immediately hailed as a good move in most quarters, especially those where the organization’s president -- Steve Johnson -- has become the whipping boy for all that ails Champ Car and the Champ Car World Series.

It has ever been thus. If there’s been one constant in CART/Champ Car’s star-crossed 28 years it’s the pathological belief that a purge of the front office is imperative. A list of the executives initially hailed as geniuses and/or saviors who were destined to be tarred, feathered and run out of Bloomfield Hills or Indianapolis on a rail is instructive, for it includes virtually everyone who’s ever assumed the
mantle of chairman, president and/or CEO: John Frasco . . . John Caponigro . . . Bill Stokkan . . . Andrew Craig . . . Joe Heitlzer . . . Chris Pook . . . not to mention some of the team owners who either served as interim bosses or headed short-lived juntas established in the wake of the various blood-lettings.


http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/38810/

[Andrew Longman]

Sadly, its a bit like MLB where with the exception of very few Commisioners with tremendous political skills, few ever had the ability or opportunity to reign in the owners. Selig has seen record attendance in baseball the last few years, but was not able to avoid stike that killed a world series or a steroid problem that is just waiting to boil over and is haunting what could have been a great story about breaking the HR record.

The NFL too didn't grow until enlightened owners such as Mara and Rooney agreed to share TV revenue and turn over power to a talented commisioner (Rozelle). Today, we'll see if the current crop of owners have the balls and enlightened self interest to knock the knuckleheads like Vick, PacMan and the Cinncy 9 out of the sport.

At any rate, I feel for anyone except TG who is trying to run this sport.

[audi quattro]

well all the owners who ****ed CART are now in the earl.
Hopefully they someday will also **** the earl.

[jonovision_man]

well all the owners who ****ed CART are now in the earl.
Hopefully they someday will also **** the earl.

They're off to a good start...

Who has tix for Belle Island? :D

jono

[Sean Malone]

I just ordered my IRL tix for MIS next year! Can't wait!!!!:thumbup:

[Don Quixote]

I just ordered my IRL tix for MIS next year! Can't wait!!!!:thumbup:
The attendence for 2008 will be only slightly less than 2007. :gomer:

[Insomniac]

well all the owners who ****ed CART are now in the earl.
Hopefully they someday will also **** the earl.

Once Indy is completely run into the ground, they'll find a new place to leech from.

[TravelGal]

Since Surface Units pasted the first paragraph, I thought I'd paste the final one. Just for comparison..........

So for the first time in history -- in my opinion -- Champ Car/CART appears to be undergoing something approaching an orderly transition; one that recognizes not only the shortcomings of its key people but their strengths; one striving to best utilize those strengths rather than casting them to the wind as has so often happened in the past.

[cameraman]

Once Indy is completely run into the ground, they'll find a new place to leech from.

About half are already in ALMS

[Insomniac]

Since Surface Units pasted the first paragraph, I thought I'd paste the final one. Just for comparison..........

So for the first time in history -- in my opinion -- Champ Car/CART appears to be undergoing something approaching an orderly transition; one that recognizes not only the shortcomings of its key people but their strengths; one striving to best utilize those strengths rather than casting them to the wind as has so often happened in the past.

They've been at it a long time. I wonder if the problem is the front office or they're just trying to put lipstick on a pig. You can pick the perfect people, give them all they need to get the job done and it still may not make a difference. It's the same song and dance. The last person was _____, and the new person is _____ and will take us in the right direction. Time will tell though.