Celebrities

[High Cotton]

As you said, I think it's the Number 1 "spectator" sport..........
but if NASCAR is not a sport, what is it?..... and I don't follow NASCAR, never been a fan.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by High Cotton

but if NASCAR is not a sport, what is it?.....

Originally Posted by GordMay

NASCAR auto racing is not a “sport”; it’s a “spectacle”.

As I said ...

[svHyLyte]

If one lives on the West Side of LA or in San Francisco for very long one invariably runs into "Celebrities". We lived in the LA Area from 1985 through late 1992 and had quite a number of experiences.

On one occasion my wife and I were going to the opening of a play featuring Danny Aiello and Sean Penn at the Little Theater in Westwood. Shortly before the show we pulled into a nearby parking lot and got out of our car at the same time as did another couple theirs. As we walked out of the parking lot, in the dim light my wife noted that the other fellow seemed to be wearing the same leather jacket as I so, as we were close to one another, I quipped that I guessed we both frequented the same shop and had equally good taste. He chuckled and agreed.

As we got to the street, and more light, we realized the fellow was Kevin Costner. We made small talk for a few minutes as we walked together but as we neared the theater we were surrounded by a throng of Paparazzi flashing their cameras in our faces. I muttered something about how could he stand such BS to which he responded--"Well, they have to make a living too." Not a second later one of these bozo's, who had been walking backward while he tried to focus a camera, stepped off a curb-cut and sprawled flat on his back on the street. Without missing a beat, or a step, Costner extended his hand, pulled the guy to his feet, asked if he was okay, and then kept right on walking. When we got to the theater entrance the security people held off the camera hounds while we got in line. There was a special entrance for "VIP's" but Costner and his date (wife?) waited their turn with the rest of us. We parted company in the lobby with handshakes and "nice to meet you's" and went our respective ways with promises to get together for beers "some time". Of course, that has yet to happen!

Cheers,

s/v HyLyte

PS: The Play was universally acclaimed--as horrible!

[HAwkcharter]

Originally Posted by High Cotton

My cousin was "Mr. GreenJeans" on Capt. Kangaroo.......... does that count ???.....

and another 1st cousin was in charge of NASCAR.........never understood why that's the #1 US sport !!

You asked then what is NASCAR? I dunno, not in my interest but my son offered a statement and a couple of definitions;(pardon the excuse for poor humor)

a circus = animals going around a ring along with clowns.
open lab = testing mechanical devices for durabilty etc. with repetitious movement
I know there are those who would argue but once again according to my son, "How do you argue with a "red neck?"
Any of those would qualify for classification of NASCAR.

(now watch my computer do laps around the room before landing squarely on my head.)

Worldwide I understand soccer is numero uno. But then we all have our favorites, mine is sailing.
I am out of this now. Done before the NASCAR police show up!

[Kanani]

In the early 90's I was driving to work one morning, in Hawaii ( I was living at anchor in Keehi Lagoon at the time) and I heard about an Aussy yacht that had run aground off of the Hilton Resort (don't remember the name at the moment).

I turned my car around and raced over there. When I arrived, I saw 4 or 5 people struggling with this yacht, apparently trying to float it. I took off my shirt & pants and ran out there (in my underpants) to lend a hand.

I worked my ass off along side of a couple other people and this poor old Aussy skipper that had fallen asleep at the helm. After we determined that the hull had finally been breached, I advised that we give up and get everything we could off of the yacht. We worked until late that evening when we finally decided to take a break.

One of the guys that was helping out, invited us to dinner. It ended up being none other than Lee Iacocca, the CEO (then) of Chrysler Corp. He was truly an amazing person.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Kanani

One of the guys that was helping out, invited us to dinner. It ended up being none other than Lee Iacocca, the CEO (then) of Chrysler Corp. He was truly an amazing person.

Back in the 70s, the production company I was with at the time produced a series of commercials for the Ford Escort. We shot for more than a week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We hired hundreds of local Naptown residents from some of the nearby churches to sit in the stands for any shots that had some portion of the stands in the frame.

Jackie Stewart, then retired from racing but working as the on-air color commentator for ABC Sports, was our on-camera talent for the Ford commercials. Ford actually wanted Jim McKay for this role, but ABC wouldn't release him.

Eventually, a special accommodation had to be negotiated between Ford and ABC (which delayed production, and added to the costs). I was told, but can neither confirm nor deny, that it was a personal phone call from Lee Iacocca, then at the helm of Ford Motor Company, to Roone Arledge, then the head of ABC Sports. Arledge dug in his heels on McKay, but agreed, finally, to let Stewart do the shoot.

After weeks of pre-production, about six or seven days of actual shooting, and a couple of weeks of post-production cutting the footage into several different commercials, the time had come for it all to be screened for Iacocca.

After a single screening, Iacocca spiked the entire campaign. His reason, as relayed to us by Ford's advertising agency: "The Escort isn't a Jackie Stewart kind of car."

Quantity of Ford-dollars up in smoke: several million. Insight into how Big Business works: priceless.

TaoJones

[jdoe71]

Originally Posted by HAwkcharter

You asked then what is NASCAR? I dunno, not in my interest but my son offered a statement and a couple of definitions;(pardon the excuse for poor humor)

a circus = animals going around a ring along with clowns.
open lab = testing mechanical devices for durabilty etc. with repetitious movement
I know there are those who would argue but once again according to my son, "How do you argue with a "red neck?"
Any of those would qualify for classification of NASCAR.

(now watch my computer do laps around the room before landing squarely on my head.)

Worldwide I understand soccer is numero uno. But then we all have our favorites, mine is sailing.
I am out of this now. Done before the NASCAR police show up!

Hello, Officer Nascar here, like to see your drivers licence and diploma in knowledge of our sport, er, spectacle.

Seriously, you can call it whatever you want, and I don't think spectacle is out of line given that many people believe the sport is subtly manipulated by the governing body. You could also call it boring and this season certainly was which is why seats are empty and TV viewership is down. You could also say it has lost relevance as a development test bed for automotive technology and that is completely true as the average car off a dealership floor is way more technically advanced than one of their race cars. Carburetors for god sakes!

But at least the participants are decent role models, unlike the participants in other pro sports on this continent.

NASCAR has a zero tolerance policy for drugs and suspends anyone failing a drug test, in at least two cases it was for life. And they meant it. They give a 2nd chance after treatment, but never a 3rd one that I know of.

They also do not allow drivers to consume alcohol within 24 hours of participating in any part of an event and booze is banned from the pits. That's better than 90% of the sailors I know (myself included) who consume while participating.

Contrast that with the disgrace that major league baseball has allowed with steroids, and the almost daily barrage of pro athletes from all sports being charged with one criminal offence or another, everything from drunk driving to lying in front of a grand jury to strangling dogs.

And hockey, our "national sport", grown men hammering the crap out of each other in front of the public. Now that's a spectacle. What fine role models they all are for our kids. I played hockey when I was a kid (if I can remember that far back) and was truly motivated by the coach screaming at me to "tear that f___ers head off!" And the parents going at it in the stands, yes sir-e-e that's entertainment. Yup. Good sports. And don't forget several 24's of Canadian, 50 (gotta be warm if you're in Quebec or some parts of Northern Ontario) or Blue in the dressing room afterwards before we all drove home.

I also think that any athletic endeavour that takes 4 hours to complete and during which the participants commonly lose up to 10% of their body weight while their heart rate stays at 90% of maximum for most of that time is a sport. It may be a spectacle, but there's no question it's a sport.

Now, was the spectacle post a troll? I'm not sure what the hell a troll is, but I'm thinking that might have been one and I guess I took the bait. I don't even know if a troll is a bad thing, perhaps it's just someone looking for a little lively debate. Nothing wrong with that, if it's informed debate and people don't hang labels like "redneck" on other people because they happen to enjoy one sport or another.

And how NASCAR should even show up on a sailing forum. That one really beats hell out of me.

[High Cotton]

I couldn't have said it better jdoe, and yes, I caught the "redneck" remark but chose to ignore it, but if being born and raised in the South makes somebody a redneck, I'm guilty........but I certainly don't call people names because they're from the NORTH and they want to live in my "backyard"..........SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY doesn't allow that!
and I think we were talking about celebrities........ good thoughts, though!

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by jdoe71

Hello, Officer Nascar here, like to see your drivers licence and diploma in knowledge of our sport, er, spectacle.
Seriously, you can call it whatever you want ...
... It may be a spectacle, but there's no question it's a sport ...
... Now, was the spectacle post a troll? ... Nothing wrong with that, if it's informed debate and people don't hang labels like "redneck" on other people because they happen to enjoy one sport or another...

Well said (all of it), Officer Doe.

[HAwkcharter]

"EZ Boyz" Sensitivity running a bit high here? The r**word my son was referring to; is ME. I was born and raised near the four corners of West VA, VA, NC, and Tennessee. Geez, has it come to this???

Just the same, the commentary was originally one questioning IF NASCAR was really the # 1 sport. My thoughts went to the "Superbowl" which seemed to me to be greater. I don't have an axe to grind with anyone, and I have only a casual interest in sports.

At this point, probably less said, is better said, because none of it applies to sailing anyway. My apologies for drifting off subject. I yield the floor.

[David M]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

I worked with Christopher Reeve for a few days back in the late-80s, early-90s, and though our meeting didn't occur while cruising, sailing was what we talked about. At the time, his Cambria 46 Sea Angel was still almost new, and his love of sailing, especially that vessel, was almost palpable.

He was a pleasure to work with and to talk to - an intelligent man of many interests, and an athletic man with considerable skill at most any sport he tried.

After his unfortunate accident, he stated that he often had vivid dreams where he would go sailing on his beautiful yacht, and always "completely whole," as he put it.

Another man I think I'd enjoy meeting and getting to know is Morgan Freeman. I know he spends a lot of his free time aboard his vessel sailing throughout the Caribbean. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there are a few members here who've met him down in the lower latitudes.

TaoJones

Morgan Freeman...one of my favorite actors along with Michael Douglas and Robert De Niro.

I can only say I have met Ricky Nelson and John Travolta...neither times were related to the water.

[GordMay]

Speaking to Mike Wallace (“60 Minutes” TV program) about “Afrodesia”, Morgan Freeman said: "This (my) boat is a (1966) Shannon 43. It's one of the 12 best-built boats in the entire world."
He previously sailed a 38 footer, “Sojourner”, or “Sojourner Truth”.

Morgan Freeman and Friends: Caribbean Cooking for a Cause
Morgan Freeman, and a star-studded group of celebrities, contribute exotic recipes, and personal island tales in a splendid cookbook created to help rebuild the hurricane-devastated island of Grenada. The cookbook, compiled by Wendy Wilkinson and Donna Lee, features an introduction and section by Freeman, who came up with the idea and organised this cookbook in order to raise money for the Grenada Relief Fund that Freeman set up after Hurricane Ivan. Freeman established the Grenada Relief Fund in 2005.
Goto: Grenada Relief Fund Grenada Relief Fund // We need your help...

[ronbo1]

Hi Gord,

Checking the USCG Documentation website I see that Morgan Freeman's 43' Shannon is a 1996 model (hull #39). Afrodesia's documentation expired in 2002, perhaps it's being kept permanently in the Caribbean and it's documentation allowed to run out.

Ronbo

[Arabella]

Okay, I’ll check in on this one.

My mom worked for Disney at the Burbank studio for 35 years starting back when it was still a family friendly place to work. When they were making the Shaggy Dog movie she occasionally gave Tommy Kirk a ride to work. I, being a young 4 or 5 years old, recall pestering him to bark while I was still in the car before being dropped off with my babysitter. Dumb in know but I was little.

Being the family friendly place the studio was back then, I often went to the studio to have lunch with my mom. When I was twelve we were in the commissary when Kurt Russell came in. I about melted under the table, I was Sooooo IN LOVE WITH HIM!! I’m still miffed that Goldie got him. Ha!

Since then I have crossed paths with many celebrities but now my decorum kicks in and I let them slide by.

[seafox]

I'd swear that I saw Billy Connolly and his NZ wife walking down our marina pier last year. He was here for a visit at the time.