The Sky View from the Vic
Last Saturday night, the Weekly View crew took the Sky Box at Victory Field for an evening of fun and frolic on a gorgeous night for some exciting baseball. Twenty of us in all, including two beautiful granddaughters, were on hand to share the party and wax poetic about baseball, fellowship, and the downtown skyline. Going to the Vic is always a treat, but every fan should have a chance to watch a game from a Sky Box and enjoy the amenities that it offers. Our dinner menu included hamburgers, hot dogs, pork barbeque, with buns and all the toppings, along with baked beans, pasta salad and fruit. The refrigerator was packed with bottled water, sodas, and cold brews. There was coffee and chocolate chip cookies — in short, something for everybody. After she had her hot dog, the Ladybug wanted to go to where we normally sit on the main concourse, because she felt somewhat confined in the room and she wanted to see the people. So Mamaw took her down and let her watch things from the main floor for a while. The game went along and for a while it looked like the Indians were going to bite the dust even though the boys in red were giving the fans some thrilling baseball. To make it even more thrilling, the Tribe came through with a bottom-of-the-ninth three run rally as former Chief Mark Martinez hit a single bringing Jeff Decker home for the game winning run and a 6-5 win over the Chiefs. Decker had hit a double to bring in two scores including the tying run. After the game was over, editor Ethel Winslow admitted that she kind of enjoyed sitting down in the stands and feeling like she was involved with the action. I feel the same way. I definitely would not want to watch every game from a sky box, but it is fun to do it every once in a while.
Trying to Buy Alcohol when You’re Famous but Underage
IU Basketball players Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, 20 years old and Stanford Robinson, 18 years old, were caught trying to order drinks at Kilroy’s Sports Bar in Bloomington on April 25th at about 1 a.m. They were charged with underage drinking and possession of a false ID. They were issued court summonses and released. Both of the players issued statements stating that they regretted their mistakes and were sorry for any embarrassment that they caused the school, their families, and the team. This is what you would expect. My good friend a fellow columnist C.J. Woods points out that calling their actions a mistake is a bit misleading. A mistake is like getting a math problem wrong or drinking coffee that you think is decaffeinated and it’s really not. The two IU players made a conscious effort to break the law and seem to be more sorry that they are in trouble than that they attempted something illegal. Their mistake may have been in assuming that they wouldn’t be recognized in any tavern in Bloomington. Bloomington should have been the last place that the two basketball guards would attempt such a stunt. That was a “mistake.” As usual, C. J. is absolutely correct. As to punishment, underage drinking is a serious and dangerous problem, so the two should not be let go with just a chewing out and warning. However, name me a college guy who has not engaged in underage drinking. It’s the rule rather then the exception, so breaking rocks on the chain gang would be excessive. However, a hundred hours of community service would not be out of line, especially if it evolved working in a hospital emergency ward and seeing first-hand what can happen when people drink and drive.
Indy Cars at Alabama and at the Speedway
In the last race before the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opens its gates, the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama, Ryan Hunter-Reay brought home the first victory of the 2014 Indy Car season for team Andretti. In a rain-soaked finish Hunter-Reay took the checkered flag under caution just ahead of teammate Marco Andretti. Pole sitter Will Power came home third for Team Penske. A torrential rainstorm caused a two hour delay and left a slick track and puddles along the course, causing havoc for all the drivers. The rain began to fall again on the white flag lap. This was the second year in a row Hunter-Reay has won the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama.
The fourth race of this seasons IZOD Indy Car series, the Inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis, is coming up on May 10th.
The Indianapolis 500 will be next on the agenda and this race promises to be an exciting one. NASCAR’s Kurt Busch will drive in the race for Andretti Motorsports and then jet down to compete in the World 600. The last driver to try that was Robby Gordon in 2003. Juan Pablo Montoya will be in the race for the first time since he won the event in 2000. He’ll be in the cockpit of one of Roger Penske’s Dalleras. 1995 Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve returns to compete in the 500 for the time since his victory 19 years ago, driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. The recently retired Dario Franchitti will be driving the pace car. So everything old is new again. The eyes of the world will once again be on the city and it’s the best time of year to be in Indy! snicewanger@yahoo.com