41 replies to this topic

[Formula-1]

http://www.cbs.com/l...nfo/index.shtml

Or so says the website.

[A Wheel Nut]

Champ?

Perhaps they meant Chimp?

[Paste]

Awesome, I will watch that for sure.


To crack some cheap joke about 'chimp' is to completely overlook the accomplishments of a man who should be an inspiration to all.

[Jerry Lee]

His interview on Wind Tunnel last week was great. Unfortunately, I missed about 1/4 to a 1/3 of it.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Originally posted by Paste
Awesome, I will watch that for sure.


To crack some cheap joke about 'chimp' is to completely overlook the accomplishments of a man who should be an inspiration to all.

If the guy walks on water, live on Letterman; it still doesnt change that he was a mediocre F1 driver (for whatever reason)

Though thats probably not what they invited him on the show to talk about

[metz]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


If the guy walks on water, live on Letterman; it still doesnt change that he was a mediocre F1 driver (for whatever reason)

Though thats probably not what they invited him on the show to talk about

Come on Ross.
At least he's walking...
A guy that almost gives his life for the sport, and gets right back at it, deserves everyone's respect.
His F1 performance has nothing to do with this.
He made his mark in many other areas.
Cheap shot, Ross...

[Racer Joe]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


If the guy walks on water, live on Letterman; it still doesnt change that he was a mediocre F1 driver (for whatever reason)

No, I wouldn't think so.

Though a cheap joke like that tends to reflect more on the person making it than the target. Or was there a cheeky smilie missing?

[Paste]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


If the guy walks on water, live on Letterman; it still doesnt change that he was a mediocre F1 driver (for whatever reason)

Though thats probably not what they invited him on the show to talk about

Fair enough, I just thought that the comment A Wheel Nut made was a little disrespectful, that's all.

[Ross Stonefeld]

I agree that the comment was ill-timed, but at the same time not inaccurate.

[Ricardo F1]

Perhaps the thread could be renamed by an admin to save further grief.

[Sakae]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


If the guy walks on water, live on Letterman; it still doesnt change that he was a mediocre F1 driver (for whatever reason)

Though thats probably not what they invited him on the show to talk about

That's correct with F1, but in States, he was awesome. Unser used to drull over his style and ability get get from P-last to the front in the matter of a few rounds. Between him and JPM, I take Alex any day, F1 notwithstanding.

[Blind Driver]

The CBS web site actually describes him as "Formula One Champ, Alex Zanardi".

Regardless, I plan on catching that episode. Friday, December 3rd. While I was never a big fan of his ridiculous post-win donuts, his come back from tragedy is certainly an inspiration.

[Dudley]

I suspect there was some confusion at the schedulers.

He was probably originally listed as "Alex Zanardi (Formula One, Champ Car)"

[A Wheel Nut]

Some people are so ****ing sensitive about matters which don't even effect them and which they know nothing of.

To set the record straight, I admire Alex Zanardi not for the courage he has shown, because I would expect that of any elite athlete who lost a limb, but for the example he has given to the millions of other amputees world wide. He is a prime example to those who believe that the loss of a leg means they will never walk again let alone drive a car.

So I am not "overlooking the accomplishments of a man who should be an inspiration to all", I simply see no reason to wrap him in cotton wool and treat him like a baby. Alex is a big boy, and I'm sure he doesn't need someone on a BB getting their Y fronts in a knot because someone else had no hesitation whatsoever in cracking a cheap joke at his expense. My initial comment wasn't "some cheap joke" either, it was fact - but I guess facts go out the window when one loses their legs.

And "further grief"?

[Paste]

Anyone else in on a Friday night to catch this interview? Wow. Zanardi is amazing, I think I'll go buy his book.

[metz]

He was great..
Humble and positive and funny.
I learned some interesting new stuff.
Hey kids, If you don't know what to get your dad this year, there is the book.

[xflow7]

That was a good appearance. Very interesting how straight up he is these days about the ups and downs of his driving career. When asked by Dave about his stint at Williams, "It was only one year, then they fired me. I didn't drive as well as I did in ChampCar." No bitterness or regrets detected; just a matter of fact response to the question.

His rather dark sense of humor always cracks me up. The bit where he crossed his leg, and then swung it up in the air another 90 degrees was a riot.

That, and his suggestion to take off one of his prostheses and use it for the "Will it Float?" game.

[doohanOK]

Good interview.

I thought Alex was fantastic. That leg thing was hilarious indeed!


regards,
doohanOK.

[Paste]

Originally posted by xflow7
His rather dark sense of humor always cracks me up. The bit where he crossed his leg, and then swung it up in the air another 90 degrees was a riot.

That, and his suggestion to take off one of his prostheses and use it for the "Will it Float?" game.

Too right! I always knew he had a sense of humour, but there were three or four jokes that he made that were unbelievably funny.

[Arrows4Ever]

Originally posted by metz
(...)Hey kids, If you don't know what to get your dad this year, there is the book.

Very nice interview! Funny man! Inspiring...to say the least... Having lived through a severe accident myself without losing any limbs but with permanent consequences and limitations, I know it's nowhere near his sort of accident but I fully understand what he meant when he said that when confronted to that sort of situation, most people think they would kill themselves, he said he found inner ressources that pushed and pushed him to go on, to work and to get back as much as he could...

Anyonw knows if his book is available in Canada? Seen it on the tomotorsports website(maybe he imported them), but is it possible to find it in Indigo, Chapters or other stores in Canada?

Also, I'm no italian but does Tagliani really mean "cutting" or "to cut" in english??? I don't know but it was scary enough to send a few shivers down my spine...

[Mat]

Wow, Zanardi has been making a few TV appearances lately. ....he must have a book out or something.

[Eau Red]

did you catch that actress/comedian who was on before Zanardi? She was talking about how she met AZ backstage, and Dave said something like "he's Italian, you know," and the woman said she talked to Zanardi and he had a great accent and was "all hands." Referring to the "Italians talk with their hands" stereotype, but still, it was an interesting comment in reference to a guy who lost his legs... I was like, damn, woman.

[checkonetwo]

if alex zanardi isn`t a champion, i don´t know who is.

[A Wheel Nut]

I still can't believe how sensitive some people are about the issue. He has no legs. He's moved on, why don't you?

[Chris G.]

Sounds like I missed a good one. Wonder if I can find a downloadable clip of the interview...

[Heathcliff]

Originally posted by A Wheel Nut
I still can't believe how sensitive some people are about the issue. He has no legs. He's moved on, why don't you?

Exactly.
This Zanardi is a hero etc thing said by some people is getting tiring.

[Paste]

Originally posted by A Wheel Nut
I still can't believe how sensitive some people are about the issue. He has no legs. He's moved on, why don't you?

Why don't you move on and let us discuss what we want to discuss in this thread rather than continuing to bitch that someone had a problem with your post?

[SKL]

Great interview as was his with Dave Despain on Windtunnel here in the states. You could tell Letterman was enjoying it as he had him on for several segments instead of just one quick 3 minute segment as many get. My wife, who is not a big race fan, was watching with me and was mesmorized by him. She got me his book for Christmas (as I already found it) and I can't wait to read it... go pineapple!!

[Arrows4Ever]

Originally posted by Heathcliff
(...)This Zanardi is a hero etc thing said by some people is getting tiring.

WOW! That's rich!

You may find the "Champ/Chimp" or the "all arms" jokes to be of good taste or not, I guess that's to each their own. It's just a question of how sensible you are to a matter like that... I think if it's not meant in any mean way, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm sure the same jokes jokes would have been way more disgusting if said at the time when he was lying on his hospital bed but now, Alex seems to be the first one to make jokes about the situation.

But to say that YOU 're tired of the fact that he's called a hero...Is that what you mean by your "etc thing "comment?
If so, that's just completely tasteless...
(Could it be because he's called a hero and you're not??? )

[KenC]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld

If the guy walks on water, live on Letterman; it still doesnt change that he was a mediocre F1 driver (for whatever reason)

Though thats probably not what they invited him on the show to talk about

While Zanardi got "mediocre" F1 results, for the most part, he was hardly a "mediocre F1 driver". If you forgot, the Williams that year, was the worst in over a decade. The few times Zanardi had a good run going he was fated to misfortune. The fact is we'll never know how good a driver Zanardi could have been, but if you haven't followed Zanardi's career closely or read his book to get more insight into the details of his record, you really don't have any basis for any such conclusion. But why would I be surprised at seeing Ross slag off a driver. That's his modus operandi.

[Paste]

Originally posted by KenC

While Zanardi got "mediocre" F1 results, for the most part, he was hardly a "mediocre F1 driver". If you forgot, the Williams that year, was the worst in over a decade. The few times Zanardi had a good run going he was fated to misfortune. The fact is we'll never know how good a driver Zanardi could have been, but if you haven't followed Zanardi's career closely or read his book to get more insight into the details of his record, you really don't have any basis for any such conclusion. But why would I be surprised at seeing Ross slag off a driver. That's his modus operandi.

Undoubtedly Williams was piss poor in 99, but Ralf still really outperformed Alex. THAT SAID, I think that had Zanardi been given a Williams back when he was debuting in F1 rather than a Lotus, the record books would perhaps look slightly different. The way he dominated Champ Cars during his two title seasons was enough proof for me that he had the goods. But timing is everything, and it wasn't to be. He's still a helluva race car driver and an amazing man.

[Zmeej]

Zanardi was funny (I liked the coffee-mug holder thang) and insightful, and Letterman was respectful but not fawning, and for a change didn't act like he needed to teach the audience about racing.

AZ looked kinda 70s in that brown velour outfit, or was I hallucinating?;)

[A Wheel Nut]

I can't understand whats so disgusting about someone losing their legs?

Oh and I don't mind if others like my posts or not. I don't censor my thoughts for the benefit of others not being offended.

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by Heathcliff


Exactly.
This Zanardi is a hero etc thing said by some people is getting tiring.

Are you being sarcastic?

Agree with others that Zanardi was nothing great in F1, not sure of the causes but he did get out-classed by Ralf.

Agree that he was awesome in Champ cars.

To me, his ability to deal with the tragedy of losing his legs is heroic. I'm not sure 1% of those on this board could have dealt with it as well as Alex. I guess we all have different definitions of heroic.

[Arrows4Ever]

Originally posted by A Wheel Nut
I can't understand whats so disgusting about someone losing their legs?(...)

Ooooohhh...another rich post...WOW!

Please tell me you're not saying that there was nothing to it ...which I don't think this is what you mean when I read your previous post(#14). I'll retract if I have too...

(On another subject, don't mean to target only you with this but I don't think ****ing swearing adds any depth to any comment. Why can't some ****ing folks state their ****ing opinions without ****ing swearing? I don't ****ing get it... Know what I'm ****in' sayin'?;) )

[Paste]

Originally posted by Arrows4Ever


Ooooohhh...another rich post...WOW!

Please tell me you're not saying that there was nothing to it ...which I don't think this is what you mean when I read your previous post(#14). I'll retract if I have too...

(On another subject, don't mean to target only you with this but I don't think ****ing swearing adds any depth to any comment. Why can't some ****ing folks state their ****ing opinions without ****ing swearing? I don't ****ing get it... Know what I'm ****in' sayin'?;) )

It's not even worth trying.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Chris G.


... I'm not sure 1% of those on this board could have dealt with it as well as Alex. ...

That's what happens when you are part of mass media culture, you get sucked in by the propaganda machine and make emotionally idiotic comments. Alez Zanardi had the media up his ass before, during and after his recovery. Because of the media's need for content that can be easily contrived and molded into trivial melodrama that's happily swallowed by the unquestioning automatons that make up the mass, Alex Zanardi is MADE into a hero. But there are countless individuals out there who deal with equal hardships every day, without having the benefits of recovering in private clinics, afforded by few ,with the best doctors, specialists, equipment, etc - not to mention having the emotional and moral support of having thousands of fans sending you letters, emails and such. Alot of them, like casualties of war, deal with their problems in the face of adversity. But they aren't proven commodities so you just don't hear about them.

[A Wheel Nut]

**** I don't know. Just ****ing felt like dropping the ****ing 'F' word. Why does anyone choose any of the words they do? Swearing is generally considered to either be a sign of great emotion, something someone resorts to when they have no argument or a sign of limited vocabulary. My use earlier probably falls some where in between the three of them. I don't know. I just wrote '****ing'.

Regarding my last comment, the incident where someone loses a limb may very well be 'disgusting' but I can't understand whats so disgusting about making jokes about it? In fact, I find such jokes far less offensive than I find some of the other jokes that do the rounds.

You know the best thing about having a prosthetic leg? You can easily kick yourself in the ass!

Now thats not extremely funny but when you see someone who has lost a leg making a joke, at their expense no less, you know that they're going to get on with life. The last thing most amputees want is to be treated like a person with a disability. Most just want to get on with their life, the way it was before the accident/complication. I say most, because there is always someone who doesn't want to get on with life after losing a limb because they feel that there is no point, and they simply believe that walking again is impossible.

Which is why I think Zanardi is such a great example to anyone who has lost a limb. And not only Zanardi, but the thousands of other athletes who have lost limbs and still compete at a professional level. And anyone else who beats the odds, but doesn't have the celebrity status for it to be as well known. In fact, I think anyone who loses a limb and manages to get back to everyday life provides a great example for those who have lost a limb but I fail to see how a joke is "disrespectful" to them.

[Paste]

Look, I see your point, I think everyone gets your point. I don't think you're right, but I see your point.

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by sputnik


That's what happens when you are part of mass media culture, you get sucked in by the propaganda machine and make emotionally idiotic comments. Alez Zanardi had the media up his ass before, during and after his recovery. Because of the media's need for content that can be easily contrived and molded into trivial melodrama that's happily swallowed by the unquestioning automatons that make up the mass, Alex Zanardi is MADE into a hero. But there are countless individuals out there who deal with equal hardships every day, without having the benefits of recovering in private clinics, afforded by few ,with the best doctors, specialists, equipment, etc - not to mention having the emotional and moral support of having thousands of fans sending you letters, emails and such. Alot of them, like casualties of war, deal with their problems in the face of adversity. But they aren't proven commodities so you just don't hear about them.

He lost his legs. He recovered rapidly. There are millions of heros like this, the vast majority we don't know. Just because the media highlights one doesn't un-make the hero aspect. No amount of media or doctors or fan-letters (please tell me you were joking about that part) can make someone recover from such adversity - it comes from the man. He's not the greatest, he's not the worst, but he certainly deserves some kudos for dealing with it so well. The media was obsessed with Ryan White - I suppose he wasn't a hero either. You are being quite the ass about this.

[Mat]

let's all just get over it and by his book.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Chris G.


He lost his legs. He recovered rapidly. There are millions of heros like this, the vast majority we don't know. Just because the media highlights one doesn't un-make the hero aspect. No amount of media or doctors or fan-letters (please tell me you were joking about that part) can make someone recover from such adversity - it comes from the man. He's not the greatest, he's not the worst, but he certainly deserves some kudos for dealing with it so well. The media was obsessed with Ryan White - I suppose he wasn't a hero either. You are being quite the ass about this.

My point of contention has to do with the quote of yours I highlighted.