Daytona Crash

My thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured in today's crash at Daytona, as well as their families.

A last lap crash at the Drive for COPD 300 at Daytona saw one of the worst crashes I've seen in a long time.  As you probably have seen or read, a car got airborne, hit a gate, and some parts of the car ended up in the grandstands.  The car was destroyed, but all drivers in the incident walked away unharmed.

The problem was where the car hit.  There was a pedestrian gate right at the point of impact.  I actually used said gate when I came up from the infield on Thursday.  There was a post that the car hit which essentially broke the car in two.  It sheared the axle and the engine right off the car.  One of the tires ended up in the grandstand, injuring several fans.

The good thing from all this is we see how safe tracks are.  A car traveling 190 mph could cause catastrophic damage and loss of life if they enter the stands.  As we have seen in recent years, crashes involving cars getting airborne are unfortunately becoming the norm.  The fence did its job - the car and most of the parts stayed on the race track.  The race car did it's job protecting the driver.  The only problem was the gate that the car hit.  If the accident had been almost anywhere else, we probably wouldn't be talking about injuries. 

I think we're fortunate that NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation, Daytona International Speedway, and the race teams are extremely focused on safety.  That could have been a major tragedy.  I realize that several fans are still in critical condition and some have serious injuries.  There is always that risk when you attend a NASCAR race.  It is always possible to get injured.  The closer you sit to the action, the better the chance of injury.

Daytona will have some work to do to, but I think we all can agree we are fortunate this  was not worse than it was.

RIP Mindy McCready

I heard the news last night, but it was too late to write anything about it.

Country singer Mindy McCready was found dead at her home yesterday, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  She was only 37 years old.   She had been in the news quite a bit over the last few years, mostly about her troubles with the law and in her relationships.  She leaves behind two children, ages 6 and 10 months.

It's a sad state of affairs for a singer who 15 years ago was on top of her game.  She had a number one hit, several good selling records, and a lot of fans.  But some poor choices in her life led her to the path she traveled.

Almost 10 years ago, I became friends with a recording artist.  I even ended up attending her wedding.  She told me the music industry is very very stressful and cut-throat.  The schedules are demanding, the workload can be very overwhelming, and producers, directors, and managers never stop.  She said she almost turned to drugs before she finally realized that she needed to step back.  She hasn't really gone back into the industry since then.  She's moved on with her life.  She did say she absolutely loved being an artist and still sings locally, but she's glad she made the decisions she did.

Being a popular artist comes with a price - your privacy, your schedule, and your personal time are rarely yours anymore.  There are so many things you need to do to keep the income flowing - concerts, endorsements, etc.  All those can lead to sleepless nights, stress, and concern about where your next paycheck comes.  Think about it - if you don't sell records, perform concerts, and get endorsements, you're not getting paid. 

Unfortunately Mindy fell into the path she did.  It's sad that she did not attempt to seek out additional help.  If she had, I wouldn't have to write this piece this morning.  While she will be remembered for her music, one has to wonder if her legacy will be remembered by the unfortunate situation that led to her demise.


RIP Mindy.  The ones you leave behind are the ones that will suffer most - your children.  May God bless them.

Danica

The media is abuzz now that Danica became the first woman to win a pole in Sprint Cup.

I'm not really surprised.  She's won poles in Nationwide at Daytona and Stewart-Haas Racing has looked good in testing and practice all winter.

Now the question is:  can she win the Daytona 500?

In 53 years, the 500 has been won from the pole 9 times, last time in 2000 by Dale Jarrett.  With some tough competition, I don't know if she can do it. 

If I was a betting man, I wouldn't put a lot of $$ on Danica winning the Daytona 500.

Super Bowl XLVII

If you had told me in September that I'd be celebrating a Baltimore Ravens win in Super Bowl XLVII now, I would've probably laughed at you. 

It was an almost cinderella season.  Art Modell passing away.  Torrey Smith losing his brother.  Injuries.  Ray Lewis' retirement announcement.  You can't make this stuff up.

I was really excited when Jacoby Jones ran back the TD to start the 2nd half.  Baltimore was up 28-6 and seemed to have the game in control.  Then the power outage hit.  Whatever happened during that 35 minute delay completely turned the game around.

By the 4th quarter I was on the edge of my seat.  I joked to my wife that I might have a heart attack before the game is over. 

And yes, I do believe there was defensive holding on that 4th and goal play.  But I also saw some offensive pass interference.  So it should've been offsetting penalties, and replay the down.

All in all, I am very happy with the Ravens.  They overcame a lot of challenges and beat three teams that were top notch this year.  It was really nice to be able to send Ray Lewis into retirement on top.

What a season.  It was exciting, fun, and memorable for sure!  I've now seen the Ravens win 2 Super Bowls.  The Orioles have one a World Series in my lifetime.  If only the Caps could win a Stanley Cup, my circle would be complete.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!

Congrats to the Baltimore Ravens!!!!!!!!!  Super Bowl XLVII Champions!!!