The tragedy in Orlando last Saturday evening seems to trivialize any mention of a sporting event or gaming activity that occurred over the weekend and makes us aware of how vulnerable any group of us can be when we gather to be entertained, to enjoy a moment, or to participate in some public activity. Almost incredibly, the night before in the same city, singer Christina Grimmie of the TV show “The Voice” was killed by a deranged gunman while signing autographs for fans after a concert. Word is that there was no security check at the venue. When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway implemented a heavy-duty security policy on race day, there were many who complained about the delay and the restrictions. The Colts have the same policy on fan admission as well. Many have complained that it is an over-reaction. Unfortunately the events in Orlando underscore the necessity of these precautions. It’s very probable that from now on if we go to any entertainment event — whether its the Super Bowl, a Taylor Swift concert, or kids soccer game — we will have to endure the more security restrictions. Sadly, we live in an era where technology has made it possible for any madman to move about freely from city to city in a short period of time, easily procure weapons of mass destruction, and act out their insane rage on innocent people unencumbered. Those of us who are in our 50s or older can still remember a time when the idea of a single person being able to murder a large amount of people in a public place, whether it be a nightclub, a theater, restaurant, or school was unthinkable. Those times, however are long gone. I wish I could say that an end to this nightmare is coming, but I sadly cannot. We can look at each other and try to place the blame on people who are different from us, in skin color, religious beliefs, or political opinions, but that does not solve the problem. Hate only begats hate. I look at the world that I am passing on to my grandchildren and I shudder with shame. When they are adults will they even be able to go out into the open world to enjoy an evening of entertainment? For heavens sake, I hope so.
Firestone 600 Postponed
Rain delays kept the Firestone 600 IndyCar race at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth from being run, and after Sunday afternoon the race was postponed until August 27. Scheduled to be run Saturday evening, intermittent rain showers kept the 248 lap race from starting. Sunday afternoon the green flag fell and 42 laps were logged before driver Conor Daly spun and hit Josef Newgarden, forcing him into the outside retaining wall and scattering debris all over the track which brought out the red flag and stopped the race. Newgarden suffered a broken left hand and had to be airlifted to a hospital. He may be done for the year.
Before the race restarted, the skies opened up again so it was decided to cancel the whole weekend and reschedule the race for August 27. The next time the IndyCars meet to compete will be at Road America Road Course for the Kohler Grand Prix at Elkhart Lake Wisconsin on June 26.
snicewanger@yahoo.com
snicewanger@yahoo.com