Shame

[Racing Truth]

Quoting myself from Dolan Forum. NOTE: I was neutral in assigning blame in the post. In reality, I obviously put 80-85% of this on Tony George. That said:

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OK, this has to be said:

Shame on the powers that be in this sport that they have to depend on a 23 yr. old rookie to save a sport that THEY WRECKED. Shame on them for still being divided after 10 yrs. of pure stupidity.

And now, given the BEST publicity in 10 yrs., I have no doubt they'll blow it again.

Danica may be more than willing to do this, but the fact that she is, right now, the ONLY ONE who can save this sport is a stunning indictment on those running this trainwreck for 10 years.

Really, y'all should be REALLLLLY proud of yourselves. :shakehead

[Sean O'Gorman]

What is funny is that the ONLY reason that open wheel saw this surge in attention isn't because TG or anyone else in the sport saw an unbelievable promotional opportunity, but because Rahal had a hard-on for her. :laugh: :shakehead

[oddlycalm]

Your preaching to a brick wall. Those people know no shame and they are simply a reflection of their fearless leader. The IMS has shown time and again during the Hulman-George reign that anything and everything will be exploited if it can bring one iota more attention or one dollar more. Until CART existed safety was bad joke because the fiery crashes put more butts in the seats. This isn't much different, and they will ride the Danica wave for all it's worth until she either moves on or gets injured. One thing DNFisher showed us was that results really don't matter to the EARL PR machine.

oc

[CART T. Katz]

i really hope that danica causes some sort of devastating* crash at texas. i really do. i hope that she does something so spectacular that can't be put on anyone else but her. because then baghdad bob can't spin that. i never watched the 497.5, but by reading comments from everyone else that did, it was basically danicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanicada nicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanicadani cadanicadan wheldon wins the indy 500danicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanicadanic adanicadanicadanicadanica ad infinitum ad nauseam. i'm sick of it, everyone here is sick of it and a whole lot of mainstreamers are sick of it.

show the world that she may be really good but not that special and the backlash wave intensifies.




*no drivers seriously harmed of course, but in that series at that track it's asking for the near impossible

[nrc]

What is funny is that the ONLY reason that open wheel saw this surge in attention isn't because TG or anyone else in the sport saw an unbelievable promotional opportunity, but because Rahal had a hard-on for her. :laugh: :shakehead
********. I saw a lot of potential in her the first time I saw her drive. I knew it the first time I spoke with her that she could be big because she's got the right attitude. You could put her in a burka and she'd still have as much charisma as anyone on the grid.

Does she "deserve" this attention based on her achievements to date? Heck no, but the media doesn't apportion publicity based on merit. They want a story, and Danica is a story.

There were clear hints that the media would eat up the story of a female who could really be competitive in the upper echelons of racing based on the attention Sarah Fisher got. Rahal saw a driver with the potential to provide that with a great attitude and personality and he snapped her up.

Now Rahal looks like a genius and all the people carping about whether she "deserves" this or that look like fools. Do me a favor and get the rest of the grid apportioned by merit before you gripe about drivers who actually have potential and a positive impact on the sport.

All the sexual innuendo and pathetic rumormongering is just sexist and juvenile.

[Sean O'Gorman]

nrc, understood, but my point was that when Rahal signed her, I doubt that helping rebuild the sport was anywhere near the top of his priorities. I mean, this is the guy who said he left Champ Car for IRL last year so that "we can get back to challenging NASCAR in popularity", and then promptly put completely anonymous Vitor Miera in his new car. :shakehead

[nrc]

nrc, understood, but my point was that when Rahal signed her, I doubt that helping rebuild the sport was anywhere near the top of his priorities. I mean, this is the guy who said he left Champ Car for IRL last year so that "we can get back to challenging NASCAR in popularity", and then promptly put completely anonymous Vitor Miera in his new car. :shakehead
Here's what you had to say about it last year.

I don't get it. Every other driver on the Champ Car grid is there because their parents had invested 6-7 figures worth into their driving career to make them professional drivers and no one complains (aside from the obvious ones, like Philippe), yet a driver like Danica gets to this level becaus she can attract sponsorship and suddenly she is undeserving of the level shes at. Double standard, anyone?So last year it was because she could attract sponsorship and this year it's because of Rahal's prurient interest?

[coolhand]

All the sexual innuendo and pathetic rumormongering is just sexist and juvenile.

I think i know what you are getting at, and if it was true what has been said would that change your opinion on the matter?

[Sean O'Gorman]

So last year it was because she could attract sponsorship and this year it's because of Rahal's prurient interest?

All I'm saying is that I'm sure that when Rahal hired her he was thinking "this'll be an easy pitch to sponsors", but I seriously doubt he was thinking "hey, if she is fast, she could save the sport!"

[nrc]

I think i know what you are getting at, and if it was true what has been said would that change your opinion on the matter?Patrick's personal life makes no difference to me. My judgement of her is based on seeing her race and talking with her. I don't think Patrick needs to sleep with anyone to make her case as something the sponsor will want.

Kalkhoven looked into buying out Patrick's contract. Are people going to insinuate that she slept with him, too?

[nrc]

All I'm saying is that I'm sure that when Rahal hired her he was thinking "this'll be an easy pitch to sponsors", but I seriously doubt he was thinking "hey, if she is fast, she could save the sport!"
Yeah. I'm sure I lot of people read what you wrote that way.

[FRANKY]

Patrick's personal life makes no difference to me. My judgement of her is based on seeing her race and talking with her. I don't think Patrick needs to sleep with anyone to make her case as something the sponsor will want.

Kalkhoven looked into buying out Patrick's contract. Are people going to insinuate that she slept with him, too?

I can't help but agree. Katherine Legge has a contract, it would be bad to insinuate that she only "talked" to him in an office, that wham bam thank you mam and she got the ride. Just like that?

The knife cuts both ways for sure.

"The sexual innuendo and pathetic rumormongering is just sexist and juvenile" is an understatement.

[coolhand]

Kalkhoven looked into buying out Patrick's contract. Are people going to insinuate that she slept with him, too?

Obviously not, he did not buy the contract :)

But go around the CC paddock and people who work there are convinced. (on the rahal situation)

its just hearsay on my part

[RacinM3]

Here's a fun thread to revisit: http://www.offcamber.net/forums/showthread.php?p=54284#post54284

[nrc]

Obviously not, he did not buy the contract :)

But go around the CC paddock and people who work there are convinced. (on the rahal situation)

its just hearsay on my partYeah, and lord knows there aren't any juvenile, sexist rumourmongers in racing. Grown men feeling threatend by a chick half their size. It's sad.

[G.]

Kalkhoven looked into buying out Patrick's contract. details? I never heard this.

(oh, yeah. Leave the sexists jokes to Bif. He's better at it. :gomer: )

[Racing Truth]

Yeah, and lord knows there aren't any juvenile, sexist rumourmongers in racing. Grown men feeling threatend by a chick half their size. It's sad.

Rumormongers in racing? Surely, you jest.

Sincerely,

Mark C. :gomer:

[lone_groover]

Wouldn't that violate the Mann Act? Poor Chuck Berry got put in the slammer for less......

:gomer:

[Ankf00]

funny how all these years I thought the ones with potential to succeed in the major series were the ones who were actually winning races and championships in junior formulae :gomer: (or in Lemarie's case, a single karting championship from eons ago :rofl: )

anywho, I dont pay attention to gomer racing, she'll be doing her thing, she'll prolly get a few wins, maybe luck, maybe fuel, maybe better foot to the floor technique than sham, *shrug*, she'll never win a title in a semi-fair fight