Sofa Sideline – My Brother, the Bodine Fan

Somehow first thing this morning, I knew I would hear from my brother who has
been living in Brussels for the past year and a half. He’s an avid NASCAR fan,
and was bound and determined to find a place to watch the race. I thought I’d
share what he had to say. Here goes:

So here’s the scene. A bar called "Fat Boys" owned by an ex minor
league ball player from Texas.

It has 10 TV’s, one real big one, two large ones and about 7 regular size,
3 up above the bar.  So Michele and I sit at the bar and convince the
bartender to switch one to the Armed Forces Network which is showing the 500.
This was helped by the fact the owner comes up and shakes my hand in front of
the bartender (I stop by and talk to the owner now and then). One TV is on the
Olympics the rest on some "important" soccer game from England.

The race starts at 7pm and by 8 pm there are maybe 40 people in the bar,
everybody except me and Michele watching the soccer. According to the bartender
no one was going to change our TV once they saw the look in my eyes.  
With about 50 laps left the soccer game is over and they put old Motown music on
the sound system. With about 10 laps to go, as I’m on my 5th pint of strong
European beer, I gathered the attention of the entire place. I did this because
I’m standing at the bar screaming "GO GEOFFREY, Come on baby" and
things like that. In the normally reserved atmosphere, I guess it was quite a
spectacle.  Michele, drinking her third "strong cider" drink is
just busting a gut laughing. I think you’d of been proud of me.

For me it was quite an entertaining race. I was happy for "WAD" as
far as I was concerned it couldn’t happen for a nicer guy. Tough day for the
Gibbs team all around. And sure I understand that Geoffrey was maybe a little
lucky to have all the best teams have troubles, but what the hell, he drove
intelligently, cut through the grass to miss the "big one" that got
Bobby and was racy at the end. Maybe without the last cautions he had a shot
even. None the less, as is probably obvious me and Michele had a great time. It
would have been nice to hear the announcers, but what the hell, "When in
Rome……..

By the way the score of the soccer game was 1-0, yawwwwwwwwwwn!

I suppose there will be controversy about the restrictor plate tracks again
what with all the "blocking moves" that went bad. It was probably way
too early for Harvick to be blocking Gordon which started the big one. Of course
it was Bodine blocking Jarrett that sent him through the infield at the end. I
don’t know the solution, remove the plates and let them go 230mph? Get rid of
the banks so they have to slow down? Only race on 1 and a half mile tracks? I
just don’t know. If the rating on NBC were good yesterday probably nothing
will happen. So now it’s back to the grind at Rockingham, and for me back to
following via the internet. (I’m not sure he knows yet that you have to now
"pay" for the privilege of listening via nascar.com.)