39 replies to this topic

[doohanOK]

For some reason on the Late Show with David Letterman, he referred to Paul Schafer and the CBS Orchestra as "Gaston Mazzacane".....

why he did that, I have no idea....
You think he's getting excited for that McLaren 2-seater ride at the US GP in September?!

regards,
doohanOK.

[mono-posto]

I bet very few people actually knew who he was talking about!;);)

[Todd]

mono-posto,

I think that racing fans may tune into Letterman due to his participation in CART and constant promotion of road racing in general.

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Forza Michael Schumacher,
Todd

[mono-posto]

I don't tune into Letterman.
A matter of fact I don't tune into much of anything!;)

(I hate TV. The only thing I watch is racing because I can't be there. I am so media illiterate! )

[bigblue]

Do you remember his top ten list to watch Formula 1. #1 was "It's just plain fun to say Mika Hakkinen" My dogs name is a direct result from that. An incredibly quick and smart border collie. I will try to find the complete list.

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IF my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle.

[130R]

Letterman has a fascination (or the writers do ) with odd sounding names (odd to him) Remember that Uma-Oprah thing that bombed on the Oscars a few years back. Letterman is tired.

[EVL29]

Back in 97' he kept referring to Schaffer as Jonny Carwash.That was a referrence to Gianni Lavaggi wasn't it?
He's just a big F1(and CART obviously)Fan.And I'm sure he knows that few peopleactually get the joke.

[Andy]

Few people actually get any of his jokes!

[JayWay]

bigblue,

that would be cool if you could get whole list.

I have his intire interview with Villeneuve on my computer. He mentioned CART on his show for a few minutes last week and all the CART fans are jumping for glee.

[PeaQ]

wich team is it that he partly owns?

[Keith Steele]

PQ, Team Rahal whose driver are Kenny Brack and Max Papis.

[cjs f1]

Once, on one of his prime-time specials, they did a mock biography of Letterman's life and career, and at the end of it amongst funeral scenes, actually said that Dave died. The date of his death? May 1, 1994.
Obviously not many in the crowd knew the significance of that date, except probably for a few fans watching on T.V. .

A few years back, he kept introducing Paul's drummer as "5-time world champion Jaun-Manuel Fangio".

[Horse]

As has been said above he's a huge race fan. As a matter of fact, he handed out one of the trophies on the podium at the Canadian Gp in '97 (or was it '98)?

As far as most of the audience not getting it .... I think you'd find the vast majority of non F1 fans in North America not getting it even if he named Schumacher.

[Frank R. Champs]

From 1992...

Dave Letterman Top Ten List

Top Ten Enjoyable Things About ESPN's Formula 1 Coverage

10. Getting up at dawn to watch European races makes weekend seem really long.

9.Just crazy about new pit lane reporter, Robin Leach.

8. Own life gains perspective knowing Bertrand Gachot has done time.

7. Never tire of Craftsman commercials feautring A.J. Foyt telling us how much he loves wrenches.

6. Staying up until midnight sunday to watch tape delayed races of Japanese and Australian races makes weekend seem really long.

5. Sight of garage door closing at speed of light as drivers are pursued for interviews good lesson for youngsters.

4. Never know when outbreak of Legionnaires disease may enable Andrea De Cesaris to finish in the points

3. Entire family loves to imagine David Hobbs being strip searched at customs.

2. Still hoping for concensus of the pronounciation of "Ayrton Senna"

1. Just plain fun to say "Mika Hakkinen"


I got it from a tape of ESPN coverage of the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix.


-Franklin Rene Campiglioni

[!!ManumissioN!!]

I was quite pleasantly surprised to learn that a particularly huge and obviously mentally impaired football fanatic at the University of Michigan knew what I was talking about when I declared rather loudly to my friends sitting in the same study lounge that Michael Schumacher was leading the World Driver`s Championship.
His words were "doesn`t he drive that thing that looks like the Batmobile".
also to be noted is a clever reference to Joel Schumacher.

[mono-posto]

Very funny Frank.

Thanks for that!

[Eagle104]

For many, many nights, in 1992, he
would also mention "1967 Belgian
Grand Prix winner, Dan Gurney".

Dave is, indeed, a 'friend in high
places' for classic motorsports! As
well as having each year's Daytona
500 winner on his show, he would also
have each Indianapolis 500 winner on,
but, none since JV, in '95!

He's had Schumi as a
guest...Montoya...but the absolute
*best* interview was with Sir
Stirling Moss!

Dave was also a presenter on the '98
Canadian GP podium.

A 'debt of gratitude' and a 'tip of
the hat' to David Letterman!

[doohanOK]

I actually happened to have nothing to do at 12 midnight at put Letterman and watched the Stirling Moss interview. Very good indeed.

Missed the Montoya interview, but did tape a Rahal interview from about Nov/Dec last year, and should put it on the net when ever I get the time...

regards,
doohanOK.

[Cinquecento]

So.. did he mean that his band had to pay to
get the gig at the worst production team in
the business? What an insult!

[TBone]

I never saw the time he invited JV and got him into a taxi cab race against a NY cab driver ... For those of you who saw it, is it worth ordering a tape of that show?

I also remember another good one by Letterman and his facination for names. When he was hosting a CART gala, he had a top ten list and one of the items was "Is 'Matsushita' really Japaneese for '7 laps down'?"

[Eau Red]

In other Letterman/F1 anecdotes, I was in the audience this past summer when he had Naomi Campbell on as a guest. Dave asked about Flavio Briatore and said something about how the Supertec engine was 80 hp down and wasn't very good. Naomi agreed. I think Dave, me, and maybe 3 other people in the audience knew what he was talking about. I'm not sure Naomi really knew what was going on, because she didn't seem very smart.

[Lantern]

Red,

That interview was hillarious!!! He was just feeding off of the fact that she is just with him for the money. And she couldn't figure it out because he was making it come off as a joke. Absolutely one of my favorite interviews. Especially the parts where he more or less called the supertech CRAP over and over!! She just sat there and smiled and laughed. And I would to if I had that much money at my command.

[Arale]

I happened to have watched Dave's interview with Montoya. He kept saying JPM's name althrough the show and must have find it amusing when he decided that Juan Pablo Motoya is actually Don Juan...

[bigblue]

thanks for digging up that list Frank. I couldn't find it.

[Juliane]

I read somewhere that he met Senna at the Phoenix race and was invited into the motorhome - Letterman got sort of overawed about meeting his hero and said the first thing that came to mind, which was "Can I take a shower?"

Letterman later said that Senna was to him what Michael Jordan was to young basketball fanatics.

[freq019]

This was actually an enjoyable thread, thanks to whomever put the top 10 list in. I used to watch the show before i was into F1 so i sort of missed all the references then.

[gerry nassar]

Im also a Letterman show fan so here are some more anecdotes:

The 95 JV interview where he races a taxi is good (im not sure if its worth ordering though). JV was also on in 98 where Letterman showed a clip of the Jerez incident with MS

Damon Hill was on the show at the end of 1996 or early 1997 but seemed uncomfortable. Letterman kept showing books on Graham Hill.

In 1998 and again last year, Team Rahal won with Bryan Herta at the same track and on the same weekend the Letterman show won an Emmy award - 2 years in a row (exactly the same)!
Letterman spoke very seriosly about how happy he was.

The Stirling Moss interview was good - Moss mentions that Fangio was kidnapped in Cuba in the 50's by Castro and states that "None of todays deivers are worth kidnapping" (not exact quote) There was also a comedy skit where Stirling was punched out by the show's angry announcer.

Naomi Campbell tried to explain how the supertec engine is better on the corners than the straights or vice versa.

Letterman is a mad racing fan - with F1 and CART his favourites. Im looking forward to his two seater ride. Imagine he had the ride before his Quintuple Heart Bypass operation in January - It just may have killed him!

Ive watched the show since 94 but ive missed alot of the things you guys have seen. Thanks for the great thread and the top 10 list.

[doohanOK]

Yeah, I remember that Naomi Campbell interview. I was actually shocked she knew anything about the Supertec engine!

I'd love to see him have Eddie Irvine on there to promote the GP, very good entertainment!

regards,
doohanOK.

[TBone]

Well, there's hope for some more F1 stuff on Letterman because of the USGP. Combine the facts that F1 is coming back to the US, David is nuts about F1 and David is from Indiana, and you've got great potential for good USGP promotion on the Late Show!

Maybe he could get Bernie on the show and ask him the questions nobody else dares ask!

[Franco]

God I miss watching David Letterman. I moved to Europe in '95 and havent seen 1 show since. Do any of you know if it is possbile to watch his shows in Europe?? via satelliate maybe? Or are they broadcast in the UK perhaps? Here in Italy, they dont know what a talk show is, let alone David Letterman.

[Heinz Fan]

Will Dave get to go on the ride anymore? He has to pass a pretty stringent medical to be allowed to and I think quintuple bypass surgery just 9 months beforehand won't get him through that medical????

Mind you if death warmed up Murray can pass - Dave should be a shoe in!!!!

[This message has been edited by Heinz Fan (edited 04-07-2000).]

[BigB]

GOD! Can you imagine the possibilities....Bernie sqirmin', Irv swervin', and Mika slurin' and Dave just sitting back and Chucklin.

Speaking of that, isn't way...WAY past time for Mika to learn how to actually give an interview?!?!? Come on, two time world champ and some handler hasn't pulled him aside and said, "OK Mika, today we are going to learn how to speak...."??????

[The Swerve]

Franco, I used to work for NBC Europe and we used to show Jay Leno (dull) and Conan O'Brian (fantastic) every night!

I thought SKY ONE (in the UK) showed Letterman most weeknights but that might not be the case anymore.

I remember when he came over here a few years ago and did the show from London Studios on the Southbank. Everyone was like 'David who? Who the hell is this guy? And why is he bothering us!'

I quite liked him but I thought Conan was always the best.

[The Swerve]

Yeah BigB, lets hear you analysis a race in Finnish. I think Mika does bloody well considering english isn't his first language.

[Franco]

Youre right Swerve, in fact I used to watch the Tonight Show and Late Night on NBC europe some months ago when my sat dish was working. Conan is hilarious, in some ways more than Letterman. I guess though Letterman is more famous and gets the better guests, I dont think Conan has ever done an F1 racer, although once he did have a WWF wrestler and it was hilarious (before people start bashing me know this: those WWF actor-wrestlers know that their business is a complete goof-off).

[JayWay]

Conan is the god of late night.

Triumph the dog! HAHAHA!!!

[vroom-vroom]

Mazzacane! Mazzacane! Mazzacane! Yup; I love to say that too.

[BigWig]

My Name Is Gas Ton Ma Zza Ca Ne.

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Bigwig, you know, from Watership Down.

[vroom-vroom]

Mazzacane! Sorry, couldn't resist...

[Franco]

Did you know that Mazzacane means "dog killer" in italian? Serious.