Monday, October 22, 2018

2017 USGP: Liberty Pulls Out All the Stops?




Tag-Heuer Promotional Grid Girls return at the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix. (Image source: dailymail.co.uk)
As hopefully they didn't repeat this Farcical Roc-em', Soc-em' weekend theme this year, Eh?

Per Tipicali here on Nofendersville Isle, time has a nasty habit of  frothing away... As hopefully it was a decent USGP this year?

Since when I think of the Shot across thou Bow aimed squarely at Liberty Media in the Daily Mail's F1 Section earlier this year, albeit I don't recall who wrote it. Nonetheless it makes me chuckle, as the shot was the sentence proclaiming 550 Days and All Liberty Media's Done is get rid of Grid girls; YIKES!


And while I'm pretty certain Liberty's done more than that in its initial year and a half's ownership of Formula 1? Naturally as a Blind Open Wheel Racing Aficionado, I just enjoy the ability to hear/listen - "read" various British Rags', i.e.; the Guardian, Daily Mail etc selected F1 coverage upon my NFB Newsline for The Blind telephone service; but I digress...

Alas, nearly a year later, my mind still occasionally ponders the little blurb I heard in the Daily Mail's F1 coverage written by their F1 Correspondent Jonathan McEvoy.

In an article he wrote on Nov 24th, (2017) titled: Diminishing Prize Money among the problems mounting up for Chase Carey and Formula 1's New Owners

He mentions briefly that Liberty Media spent $12m on the Razz-Muh-Tazz at last year's USGP at COTA in Austin, for which I'm quite puzzled over what this outlay went towards?


As I was primarily curious over this report of said cash outlay - for which I sure Didn't SEE the results of that! Since it was the poorest Supporting Cast at Circuit Of The Americas since the USgP began racing there. whilst I've already lamented how I had ZERO interest in attending this year's event.

While I know that F1 Grizzled Journo Joe Saward, who's Joe Blogs F1 site proclaims Joe Knows F1... Which I read regularly, saw Joe mentioning he'd enjoyed the "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" Hollywood Pre-race Show at COTA last year.

Yet being Thar Onsite, I must say as an F1 Aficionado of 30+ years, I was Dumbstruck at how appalling this Dumbing Down of Formula 1 for us "Yanks" was! 

Also, for all of the continued, or is it contrived? Hype over "Chevy Chase" wanting 21 Super Bowls, i.e.; F1 Race Weekends Dolled-up into super Bowl wonderment... Uhm, Me thinks there's a B-I-G Problema! albeit I haven't heard the Super Bowl motto for awhile now. But the 2017 USGP had the sparsest ever amount 'O entertainment, i.e.; Support Series, and that's for someone who'd attended the first five of six events, having only missed the 2016 race, before electing to forego this year's event.

As seriously? Does the Super Bowl make you wait FOUR Bleepin' Hours between events? err, Uhm, Commercials? Hut-Hut Omaha...

Although I know that COTA got special dispensation to delay Qualie' on Saturday so everybody could just roll in for "The Beaver; " Err Justin Timberlake, but Seriously! LAME ARSE Lassoe rope tossing by F1 Drivers to appease us?


OOPS! Sorry for pontificating, as what I want to know is what was the extra $12m spent on? As not just for Mr. Rumble's Pre-race Hype, righto? Did it go to Timberlake & Stevie Wonder? For which I thoroughly enjoyed the latter's Post-race performance.


As the Vintage F1 machinery was just plain slow, and the F4 cars didn't even run the whole racecourse. With the Daily entertainment for us, the Fans being pathetically meager at best! So Inquiring Minds wanna Know, what in thee Hell was the Bloody money, as in twelve million Smackeroos' spent upon?



Whilst sadly, this year's El Patheticoe' TV Coverage regurgitated on ESPN won't do anything to "Move the Needle" for Formula 1 in Americre'...

As I Fail to S-E-E how the fact that when I tried scouring 'N scouring my local TV Guide the Tuesday prior to the race, I could NOT find any listing whatsoever for either of Friday's Practice Sessions or Saturday's Qualifying; SHEISA!

Just a lone, solitary airing upon le Duesh? (ESPN2) STEE-RIKE 1 SISTER! Hmm? May be on ESPN, NOPE, STEE-RIKE 2! It's on ABC Sunday for a whopping 2.5hrs Airtime for the United States Grand Prix for Krist's Sakes JACK-ARSES!


Whale' lookie Thar, But of course, Silly Me! Since naturally I'd be inclined to check my Spectrum/Charter Cable TV's Channel 412 ESPN News for the USGP Qualie' session, Righto? As it's where you'd expect Americres' Formula 1 race coverage; Chirp-Chirp, Bueller?

So tell me once again how this overly Anemic, woeful lack of Stateside television coverage is gonna grab more Eyeballs? Especially if the Casual Fan Doesn't even know the Bloody race is on; Bugger!