Sunday, May 29, 2011

This is what Indy 500 meant to me

The final lap of the Indy 500




Drama at its finest pulling at your heartstrings with emotions of excitement, shock, and disappointments. I'm still shocked at the finish of the race. J.R. Hildebrand feels like sickest man of face of the earth. So close to the finish line only to crash. Dan Wheldon pulled off a shocker with his 2nd Indy 500 win. Congrats to Dan Wheldon along with Bryan Herta, Sam Schmidt, and Curb Records for pulling off this win.

Why I watch Indy 500

As Indianapolis Motor Speedway marks it 100th year this will be my 22nd year watching the Indy 500 in front of my TV. When I got into auto racing Indy 500 have always appealed to me. Even with open wheel split I still watched it. It's always something magical or heartbreaking with the cars, speed, and drama. It's cheering on one of the drivers from favorites to underdog to witness in dismay a fine performance ruined by a crash or mechanical failure. There's too many moments during the race that made it worthwhile.

The 1989 race finish where Emerson Fittipaldi and Al Unser, Jr. battled out touching with Lil' Al in the wall while Emerson takes the checkered flag. In 1991 Rick Mears beat out Michael Andretti for his fourth Indy 500 win. In 1992 started with a very bad crash-filled race to domination of heartbreak of Michael Andretti whose engine expired with 12 to the duel between Al Unser, Jr. and Scott Goodyear which Lil' Al won. In 1994 Penske Racing with Mercedes-power dominated the field. In 1999 Kenny Brack takes victory giving A.J. Foyt, who won 4 Indy 500, his first as car owner. I will never forget 2006 of the final 4 laps which Sam Hornish picked off cars and battled Marco Andretti for the lead only to pass him on the last lap to win, the only time a race won by a last lap pass.

I spent last week watching past Indy 500s on ESPN Classic. Still get chills and excitement before, during, and after watching the past races. Indy 500, there will always be a story of triumph, success, heartbreak, and agony of defeat.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Lakers embarrassing fall

Picture on the right described the embarrassment of Lakers final game of the season. Lakers, not only got swept, but they flat out didn't want to play in the series. With only Kobe showing heart the rest didn't have the drive to make it past the second round. Hardly anyone guarded the perimeter as Mavericks especially Jason Terry making rainbow shots outside and inside the 3-point arc. Dirk Nowitski outpowered Pau Gasol throughout the series. Lakers couldn't defend against Mavericks shooting spree. Coach Phil Jackson, no matter how hard he tried, lost control of the team. Ron Artest decide to thug it up in game 2 against Barea and paid for it getting suspended for game 3. Lakers could have won game 1 and 3 when they had the lead going into 4th quarter, but blew it. It all came unravel in game 4 as Maverick outclassed the Lakers throughout the game. Losing by a wide margain few Lakers players decide to ruin Mavericks glory and make the focus and stories on themselves. Lamar Odom got himself ejected with flagrant on Dirk Nowitski. Not long after Odom's ejection, Andrew Bynum with a very stupid dangerous flagrant foul on J.J. Barea getting himself. Well Odom and Bynum you got your glory. The glory of being the bad guys, the glory of bunch of sore losers and thugs. At same time it got shared with Dallas Mavericks winning glory on sweeping Lakers out of the playoffs. It also marked the first time in Phil Jackson coaching career he got swept out of the playoffs. After two straight NBA championships Los Angeles Lakers fell hard in embarrassing fashion to Dallas Mavericks. With Jackson most likely retiring the state of Lakers is in questionable shambles. Team in need of a complete overhaul if they want to compete. It took one bad series where they were outclassed and outplayed to realize how much they fallen.