A few notes from your loyal blogger

                A few notes gathered recently…

    

Parnelli Jones’ book, As a matter of fact I am Parnelli Jones, is a terrific read if you are an auto racing fan. Jones was one of the great ones and he had some stories to tell. Racing was different in his era and more drivers raced in different types of cars back then. Jones was among those who could win any kind of race.

          On the topic of racing, Danica Patrick has received criticism in some racing media corners recently and the barbs have not been fair.

          First, she’s 25^th in points and that’s not bad for a rookie. Dig deeper into the standings and you’ll see that her team, Stewart-Haas Racing, is not setting the world on fire right now. Ryan Newman is 17^th in the standings and Tony Stewart is 21^st. Thus, Patrick is right on par with her teammates.
          Next, she has received some harsh words for her vow last Sunday on the team’s radio to respond in kind to a driver she felt was roughing up her car during the race. She didn’t follow up on her comments with a payback but the point is her comments were not out of place or uncommon. Her words only received attention because of who uttered them. If she does eventually deliver a little payback, so what? Drivers have been doing that stuff since NASCAR started.
          Finally, Patrick is an attention-getter. Her good looks, her commercial success and her ability to land quality rides all generate the chance to succeed. Those attributes also bring along the critics and she seems to handle all of that pretty well.
          So, to paraphrase a recent critic, shut up and let her race.

          If you missed ESPN’s 30 on 30 documentary about the 1983 NFL draft, do yourself a favor and check the listings for the next presentation. The episode is named Elway to Marino and it is narrated by Tom Selleck. The show is 90 minutes long, so set your recording devices accordingly. It is an outstanding production.

          This year’s NFL draft, the first part of it anyway, will start at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday night. We’ve been bombarded with what-ifs about the draft since the first hours after the end of the Super Bowl.

          But hidden in all the hoopla is the stiffest competition the NFL has faced in years for draft day television viewers. This time the league may have over-stepped its reach. Someone made a catastrophic error in judgment.
          This time, the draft will be carried live in direct competition with the season finale of Project Runway, the Heidi Klum property about clothing designers.
          In our house, long a bastion of peace and tranquility, all is well. In the immortal words of Mrs. Leeway, “You’ll be fine as long as both TVs work.”

          Thanks for reading.