Izod IndyCar 2012 Season Opener....St Pete!!

So, a couple of days later, I’ve been able to take a step back at try and look over this weekend objectively.

I’ve decided I can’t do it, the weekend was just too amazing for me to be objective. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook at all, you’ll probably have heard a lot of this. But not all. Some things don’t fit well into 140 characters. And we all know I’m a little long winded.

Mario Andretti's two-seater

Thursday morning I left work early, at about 1030, and headed over to St Petersburg. As I was heading down I-275, I started noticing a white Chevrolet rental sedan keeping pace with me as I maneuvered through slower traffic. At the wheel was a dark-haired man with thick sideburns and mirrored sunglasses. For the next 15 minutes, we’d trade places on who was in the lead as we wove through the medium-heavy traffic, staying between 65-85mph. I think he was having fun because he could have left me behind at any time. We both pulled in and parked next to the Hilton where I was to go get my credentials, and walked into the track together talking about the race and about how it changed the traffic of downtown St Pete. It was the current reigning IndyCar Champion and the winner of last year’s Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Dario Franchitti. It wouldn’t be the last time I would run into him over the weekend.

After going over the Firestone ped-bridge, we split ways, and I headed down to Pit Lane to meet up with the Pace Car drivers to get my ride on.

Cheesification

The track at St Petersburg is a 1.8 mile, 14 turn temporary street course that runs over an airfield, parking lot, and city streets, so the conditions change for the cars a lot throughout the race. THAT, and the curbing and wall positions have changed in little ways from last year, so, add that to the excitement factor.
It even took its toll on the pace cars.......

Dude, That SO wasn't me.....

And I was about to experience this excitement first hand. Unfortunately, no one would let a guy without an official racing license take a brand-spanking new DW12 out around the track for a few hot laps.

Trust me, I asked. Repeatedly. Of almost EVERY team on the grid. I still drive an S10, so, that tells you how successful my endeavor was.

2012 Honda Civic Si Pace Car

Hell, they wouldn’t even let me drive one of the pace cars, the 2012 Honda Civic Si. But they’d let me ride in one. Right behind Stefan Wilson, who decided to nail it and set a hot lap for the other Pace Car drivers to try and match.

Cranking into Turns 3 and 4

This video from the weekend was just a scosh slower than our lap, which, by my watch, Stefan smoked in around 2:02.26.

Crossing Start/Finish
My commentary as I was getting out of the car, from my Twitter account: Ah, the sweet smell of tortured tires and cooked brakes :-) What a lap!!

After the Hot Lap. Happy Bri.
Can you tell I was stoked?

After the hot lap in the Civic Si, since I had about six hours to kill before I was supposed to meet up with other IndyCar Nation Champion Members to walk the track, I slung my camera over my neck, put on a purposeful stride....and went to see what I could get into. It's amazing how much you can get away with if you make it look like you know what you're doing :-)

So I headed across the Honda bridge and into the Support Series paddocks, where I found THIS:

458TP of the Ferrari Challenge North America series

There wasn't a heck of a lot of the support paddock open, but, since I had been at the track almost an hour, I jogged outand got the S10 to move it in accordance with St Petersburg's 2hr Downtown Parking rules. I would do this a few more times during the day, and end up calling it the St Pete Switcheroo. So, after looking for an open spot downtown, I ended up in the Cadillac Racing parking area.
I hiked from there all the way back to the IndyCar paddocks to shoot the new DW12s being prepped for the weekend.

Alex Tagliani's BHA Lotus-Powered Dallara DW12 in the paddock

While shooting the above, I ran into a familiar face, my friend Monica, who is now doing the PR for BHA. Monica is one of those people that I thank IndyCar for introducing me to, as she is a really great person and someone I have fun being around. Luckily she gets my sense of humor and can match it, as well. I mainly try to stay out of her way on race day, because she is always busy.

After harassing Monica for a bit and discussing the Hot Lap I had just ridden, I headed deeper into the paddock to shoot more of the cars. I couldn't find the Dragon Racing cars, and little did I know it was for a good reason. I would learn later that their Lotus engines had just arrived that day and were being fitted to the DW12 chassis.

Looking down Pit Road towards Pit In

I then wandered over to, and up and down, pit road, as no one told me I couldn't!!

Bryan Herta Autosport's pit. Am I the only one that thinks 60s MOPAR instead of a bad 70s song by Heart when I see Team Barracuda?

I wandered off and found some shade for a while, and ran into Lindy Thackston, who is working for Fuzzy's Vodka this season. Lindy and I have been crossing paths at the St Pete event since back in 2009 or so. Seems like longer some times! Deciding I was hungry, I headed off and grabbed the S10 to go get some dinner outside the track, because none of the vendors had set up yet.

By the time I got done, it was time to meet up with Liza, who I had been talking to over email for the prior week, to meet up with other Champion members to walk the track.

Into the Braking Zone for Turn 1

We met up with Peter Dempsy, who walked us through all the proper driving lines, braking points, and cornering setups.

Into Turn 8

While walking the track, we ran into almost all the drivers in not just the IndyCar, but the Lights, Ferrari Challenge, Star Mazda, USF200 and World Challenge series.


Turn 10, looking at the runoff area and grandstands


Looking East down Dan Wheldon Way


Dario and his crew pass us into Turns 11 and 12

By the time we were making the hairpin back onto the front stretch, the sun was setting.

Sunset over the Front Stretch.

Friday I spent a full day at work, then, in full Zombie mode, headed to the Fuzzy’s IndyCar Champion Member Welcome Party, which i don't remember, and, being exhausted and 30 miles from home, I didn't drink anything, and was so not my energetic self I ended up apologizing to Lindy and Liza later. I also apparently won the best prize of the entire party, as Liza handed it to me before she left. I'm not going to tell everyone what it was, but if you've seen my room recently, you'll know ;P

The Dallara that the IndyCars raced with the last 8 seasons (2003-2011) outside the Red Mesa Cantina

Saturday morning, I headed back out to the track. I started the day off wearing the bright orange Fuzzy's Vodka t-shirt from the night before, which came in handy later.


Tony Kanaan's DW12 rolled down Gasoline Alley

Not long after I arrived, the IndyCars rolled off for morning practice, and I got to hear those gorgeous turbocharged DW12s in full throat for the first time. The sound....The TV broadcast somehow didn't manage to really pick up the pop and crackle those bad boys make under shifting.

Katherine Legge follows Ryan Briscoe through Turn 1 in Saturday practice

Once practice was over, I headed back into the paddock, where Tags tried to run me over with his scooter on the way back to his garage. This has become somewhat of a pattern with the drivers Monica is working for. I kid because I run faster than she does ;)


About the time I got done in the paddock, my stomach was telling me to find food. Of course, as i did so, the Ferrari Challenge North America series started racing, so i had to watch THAT.

The Ferrari 438TP Italia roars into Turn 10

Once that race was over, I headed to the Fan Zone to see if I could find pizza. I had done so, and was walking towards a table to sit down when I noticed Monica standing around looking concerned. She's not a large woman, and the golf cart that was supposed to have collected her to go back to the hospitality area wasn't around yet. So I became the lead blocker to her fullback, and we went charging through the crowds with me clearing people out of the way. Once she was at her destination, I finally decided to check out my grandstand seats of Turn 1 and eat my lunch, which I did while watching the Star Mazda series and IndyCar qualifications.

Quite possibly the most experienced rookie in IndyCar history, Ruebens Barrichello

One of the drivers I will be excited to watch this season is shown above. As most of you know, my first love, auto racing-wise, is F1, and Ruebens has more starts than anyone.

Also, editorial note...NEVER wear Chucks to a race weekend. My feet STILL are pissed off at me.

After qualifying, due to the heat of the day, I swapped out my orange t-shirt for a wick-weave Izod IndyCar polo I'd bought earlier in the day, as well as dropping off some swag in the S10.

All of that took enough time that the BHA Tweetup was about to begin.

Alex Tagliani fields questions at the BHA Team Barracuda Tweetup

The Tweetup, organized by Monica, is a way for fans that use Twitter to congregate with one another as well as drivers and crew from the teams. Both Tags and J.R. Hildebrand were gracious enough to answer questions for us Tweeps (Tweeple? Twits? Twitizens?).

By the time THAT great event was over, (The BHA team graced all of us with official Tweetup T-shirts!!!) I realized I had literally 2 minutes to get all the way from the Fan Zone to the Hospitality Paddock for a meet and greet with this year's rookies. Yes, i sprinted it. No, I don't think I killed anyone....didn't even run anyone over.

But I made it.

Katherine Legge amuses the Champion Members while Liza tries to moderate the discussion.

Once in the meet-and-greet, the Champion members learned all about what Katherine Legge had been up to since she had left the Champ Car series in 2006 (DTM racing in Europe), she informed us of the team's late start, and amused all of us by speaking in an American accent when describing the next kind of vehicle she wants to buy (A pickup she can fit her go-kart in). Once that event was over, it was time to head home, because the next day, was RACE DAY.


Gustavo Yacaman and the IndyCar Champion Members (Photo credit to Liza Markle)

Sunday. RACE DAY. Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg, the kickoff of the 2012 IndyCar series.
This is my favorite race of the year, outside of Indianapolis.

To start off the day, after Steve and I had driven in, Gustavo took the Champion members on a Behind-The-Scenes tour of the garage area and pit road.
The day was already humid as all get out, having rained earlier and during the night, and was muggy in that way that promises a hot day to come.

After the tour, Steve and I wandered around collecting mementos and food while trying not to get heat stroke, while saying hello to Cameron and a few other people I knew or had gotten familiar with over the weekend.

Eventually, start time for the race came around, and we headed to our seats.

During the driver intros, Hinch cracked the crowd up by walking across the stage as Manica, with his shoulder length black wig.

Then the event turned more somber and serious, as the track went silent for the video homage to Dan Wheldon. I freely admit to having tears in my eyes.


a SOCOM jumper brings in the POW-MIA flag



The HH-60J Jayhawk does the Flyover


Soon though, the drivers were strapped into their cockpits.

With the command, twenty six drivers started the engines, whether they be Chevrolet, Honda, or Lotus, and their DW12s rumbled to life.
The hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood up.
I can't explain adequately the thrill that goes through me with the firing of those engines.
And the melancholy that accompanied it this year.
It had been five very long months since the tragedy in Las Vegas.
We were about to go back to IndyCar racing.
I knew, and could feel that most everyone that understood the sport also knew, and could feel, that Dan Wheldon was smiling.
Ask anyone that was at that race, they'll tell you not only was Dan watching....he was there.

Soon, the cars had left pit road, and were on their pace laps.

And then.....Green Flag.


Ed Carpenter Roars down the front stretch


Last years winner and the man I ran into the most often all weekend, Dario Franchitti.

After the twelfth lap, we all started breathing a little easier.

If you follow IndyCar (And you're likely not reading this if you don't) then you watched the race on ABC. You likely saw the grandstands empty and thought the crowd got bored.

Because, from the telecast, there didn't seem to be a lot going on.

Far from it.

The stands were empty because of the heat. It was in the 80s normally, but the stands blocked any breezes, and the metal seats were over 100 degrees and the sun had little cloud cover to hide behind.

The stands emptied because all of us went into tents, the Paddocks, beneath trees, or under cover of some sort to avoid the scorching heat.

And there was action all over the track. I've been going to this event since 2005, and there was quite a lot more passing going on than in years prior. Also a lot less accident, as, in many years past, Marco hasn't made it out of turn 1 on lap 1.

After about 20 laps of baking on the grandstands, Steve and I headed over to the floating bar just off the Acura Overpass on Dan Wheldon way before turns 11 and 12. There was a great breeze, beautiful bartenders, we could see the backstretch, and had the course's closed-circuit TV on two large screens.

We all know how it ended, and the touching move Helio made to stop in turn 10, then turn and walk to Dan's sign. Again, not a dry eye in the place.

In my opinion, this was one of the better races in years, what with the new engine packages, the new DW12s, the smaller fuel tanks, and the unpredictable electronic gremlins. I can't wait for the rest of the season, and will cherish the friends and memories that IndyCar has given me.

Full St Pete Grand Prix IICS results

1 Helio Castroneves
2 Scott Dixon
3 Ryan Hunter-Reay
4 James Hinchcliffe
5 Ryan Briscoe
6 Simon Pagenaud
7 Will Power
8 E.J. Viso
9 Charlie Kimball
10 Justin Wilson
11 Josef Newgarden
12 Graham Rahal
13 Dario Franchitti
14 Marco Andretti
15 Alex Tagliani
16 Oriol Servia
17 Rubens Barrichello
18 Ed Carpenter
19 JR Hildebrand
20 Mike Conway
21 Sebastien Bourdais
22 Takuma Sato
23 Katherine Legge
24 Simona De Silvestro
25 Tony Kanaan
26 James Jakes

Grand Prix

As of this weekend, the best form of auto racing has returned.
That's right, RACING season is upon us.

Oh, I know, you NASCAR devotees out there will tell me you've been at it for a month, and I'll just roll my eyes at you. That's not racing, sorry. Anything that spends 90% of it's season on Ovals droning around in circles and slapping into each other, isn't real racing.
Hell, NASCAR even lies to itself. For pete's sake, it's called the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. Hasn't been a damn thing stock about those cars since Carter was in office. (Haven't really been any technology improvements to the CARS since then, either.) I have people that watch what I refer to as Rednecks Going in Circles telling me they watch it because of the technology.
Um......yup, sure. Once I get done laughing, I ask them to point out ANY technology NASCAR introduced to us.
A lot of people point out the SAFER barrier. Ok, kids, I went to the University of Nebraska. I KNOW who developed that one. The SAFER system was developed by engineers at UNL starting in 1998, and that work was sponsored by....The Indy Racing League. Go ahead, look it up, I'll wait.
Some of them talk about the HANS device. THAT was started in the 1980s by a relative of road racers, and REALLY came into production and widespread use in F1 after the 1994 death of Ayrton Senna. That was around LONG before NASCAR claims it developed it after Dale's death in 2001. But, enough about why I dislike NASCAR (It's their fans), lets get on to the REAL topic of this blog.

Grand Prix. Two words the stir the soul of any real racing fan or driver. (Also a pretty good James Garner Movie). Yes, I know more than just racing uses the term, but for me, those two words mean only one thing. Open-Wheeled Goodness.

This weekend, The 2012 F1 Season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix of Melbourne, which is always an exciting event to watch on the telly. Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport racing, and has the most technologically advanced cars on the planet. My favorite all time driver EVER, Michael Schumacher, will be starting in P4. This is his best chance for a win in years, and I will be loudly rooting for him, but my sentimental favorite for this race has to be good ol' Mark Webber. If I can swing it, I plan to be at the United States Grand Prix of Austin come November. Any donations to the "Make Bri Happy Fund" are greatly appreciated.

On the subject of F1, no man has run more F1 races than Rubens Barrichello, who will be spending his first season out of F1 in the Izod IndyCar series. And, like every year since they started racing here, I will be going to see the IndyCar series race in the St. Petersburg Grand Prix next weekend.

My seats this year are back to where they were during 2010, AKA the Deluge, right off Turn 1 and Pit Out. Messer's back with me, as it should be, Monica, Lindy, and I are already planning to run into each other, and Sarah Fischer Hartmann Racing is back in the field. Oh.....and I'll have more access than EVER BEFORE, so keep your eyes peeled for updates on either Twitter, Facebook, G+, and daily wrapups here. I posted this schedule on FB and G+, but, here is my GPSP weekend itinerary THUS FAR.:

Thursday
12:30-1:55pm PACE CAR RIDE, yes, I will be IN THE PACE CAR. Too bad I can't drive it for the race....

6:45-7:30pm Walk The Track

Friday
7:30-9:00pm Fuzzy’s Champion Member Welcome Party

Saturday
8:00-8:45am - Pirelli World Challenge Qualifying
9:00-9:40am - Firestone Indy Lights Qualifying
9:55-10:55am - IZOD IndyCar Series Practice
11:10-12:00pm - Ferrari Race #1
11:45-12:45pm - IndyCar Group 1 Autograph Session
12:10-12:50pm - USF2000 Race #1
1:00-1:30pm - Firestone Indy Lights Autograph Session
1:00-2:00pm - Pirelli World Challenge Autograph Session
1:00-1:40pm - Star Mazda Race #1
1:55-3:15 - IZOD IndyCar Series Qualifying
3:30-4:40pm - Firestone Indy Lights Race
4:00-5:00pm - IndyCar Group 2 Autograph Session
4:30 BHA Team Barracuda Tweetup at the Fan Village
4:55-5:45pm - Ferrari Qualifying #2
5:15-6:00pm Saturday Meet The Rookies, Champion member meet-n-greet with the Rookies!
6:00-7:00pm - Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg, Pirelli World Challenge Race #1

Sunday
8:00-8:20am - Ferrari Sponsor Hot Laps
8:35-9:05am - IZOD IndyCar Series Warm-up
9:15-9:45am Sunday Private Garage Tour (With Pippa possibly)
9:15-9:55am - USF2000 Race #2
10:05-10:45am - Star Mazda Race #2
11:00-12:00pm - Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg, Pirelli World Challenge Race #2
12:00-12:30pm - IZOD IndyCar Series Pre-Race
12:30-3:00pm - Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, IZOD IndyCar Series Race
3:30-4:20pm - Ferrari Race #2

So expect me to be a giddy little boy all next weekend.
Ok, the important part of this blog....My picks for the St Pete Grand Prix. My heart really wants to go with Josef Newgarden racing for Sarah Fischer, but my mind knows, since he's a pure rookie, it's more likely he'll end the race a lap down. Marco Andretti is snakebit at this track. If Simona can pull out another race like last year, she's got a real shot at this thing, And she's who I WANT to win, but my brain is telling me it will be Mr Will Power. But screw that, it's my blog, so I'm calling Sim and the #78 for the win in St Pete. I will go a step further and call Tony Kanaan second with Rubens helping him get there, Dario in 3rd. Now let's see if I can convince The Race Girl to post HER picks.....as it's been too long since she picked a race...Monica?

Space Cadet

So, yesterday, I spent the day out at Kennedy Space Center.

Northrop T-38N Talon yearning to be in flight once again.

My reason for wanting to do so was twofold. (Besides, obviously, the Space Center is freaking cool)

One: I wanted to pay my respects. Something most people tend not to think about is that within ONE week on the calendar, NASA lost all 17 astronauts they have ever lost on active programs.
The Astronaut Memorial Mirror Wall.


January 27th was the 45th Anniversary of the loss of Apollo 1.


January 28th was the 26th Anniversary of the loss of Challenger.


And coming up on February 1st is the 9th Anniversary of Columbia's loss.



Two: Two of the three Orbiters currently at KSC were on display at the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building), which was now open for tours for the first time in 33 years.

The Vehicle Assembly Building dominates the skyline for literally miles around.


In the main "hall" of the VAB was OV-104, Better Known as Atlantis.


I took a lot of shots of her ;) Love this one.


Sort of hidden off in an alcove (said alcove being larger than any house I have ever lived in, of course) off Atlantis's left wing was Endeavour, OV-105.


We were on the tour bus when 11:38 hit, exactly 26 years to the second after the Challenger disaster.


A few minutes later, at the Overlook for Launch Complex 39, our tour guide used his "incredibly accurate and highly detailed" prop to explain what happened to Challenger on her launch.


The approximate position where Challenger was when she came apart.


Everywhere you look around the Kennedy Space Center these days, there are reminders of the past, like Pad 39A, the main pad for the Shuttle and Apollo programs.


Pad 39B has been dismantled to go back to the old "clean pad" concept that Apollo used.


Something about these overgrown old tracks from the Apollo days and this faded sign spoke to
me.


Of course, the future also has its own echoes of the past.
Kitty Hawk, the Command Module of Apollo 14


And the newest crew vehicle, now being tested, the Orion.

2012 is here

So what does that mean?

Depends who you ask.

This year will mark twenty years since I left Germany and met what is basically the rest of my closest friends, when we moved to Nebraska.

It's been ten years since I moved to Florida from Nebraska.

Which means it is a few years past time to move on again. I would love to go back to Colorado, but, obviously, that all depends on the financial situation, which means, unless something drastic happens at work, I'll need to find a new job to make that move possible.

There are a few events I would LOVE to go to, and a few I have already confirmed I will be at this coming year. Moving wouldn't effect those.

There are also some relatively new people in my life that I would love to get to know better and spend more time with. Looking at you Rio, Leia.

I also want to make some trips back north (DC and NYC) and west (CA, OH, NV) this year.
So, without further ado, here is the tentative schedule of things I'm pretty damned sure (* is already confirmed) I'll be up to in the first half of this year.

January 21, Muscle Car City Car Show MCC

*February 11, Legends and Legacies: Tuskegee Airmen at Fantasy of Flight FOF
(Likely at this location every other month as always throughout the year)

February 12, Wings of Freedom Tour, Venice, FL (Or possibly the stop before in Ft Myers) CFWOF

*February 18-19 MegaCon, Orlando, Florida (Stan Lee, Charisma Carpenter, David Prowse, Eddie McClintok and Nicholas Brendan, among others) (Possibly with Lindsay Brown and Carie) MegaCon

*March 10-11 TICO Warbird Airshow, Titusville, FL (NINE B-25s. C-46. P-47, CF-104D) (I already know Dave is coming lol, Pete Grillo might join) TICO

March 17 (sometime in March) Red Sox Spring Training, Ft Myers

March 24, Florida International Air Show, Punta Gorda (Blue Angels) FIAS

*March 24-25 St Petersburg Grand Prix (This year I'm off Turn 1) (With Mouse, possibly Squeaky and Lindsay B, appearances by Monica, Cameron, and Lindy I'm sure, lol) SPGP

March 30, Sun N Fun, Lakeland SNF

*March 31, Mustangs and Mustangs at Fantasy of Flight MMFOF

*April 1, Festivals of Speed, North Straub Park, St Petersburg FOSSP

*April 14-15 Celebration Exotic Car Festival CECF

April 17-20 Doolittle Raiders reunion, NMUSAF

*April 22 New Orleans (Family Event)

May 6 Festivals of Speed Mission Inn, Howey in the Hills FOSHH

May 18-June 10 Star Wars Weekends SWW

July 12-14, Pensacola Beach Airshow and visit to the Naval Aviation Museum PBAS & NNAM

That covers the first half of the year :P

I MUST be a masochist.....

Looking over many of the things in my life, I've come to the conclusion that I must be a masochist of some pretty tall order.

I mean, let's look at the facts:

I despise people, but I work in Customer Service (Though I think the latter LEADS to the former)

I hate crowds, but I freelance at Airshows and Auto Shows, where I have to wade through literally hundreds of thousands of people on a weekend.

I'm afraid of heights, but go flying and always visit the tallest skyscrapers whenever in a real city.

I don't care a whit about money, I love content and depth.......and I live in a state based upon materialism and appearances.

The kind of woman I'm attracted to is NEVER good for me.

Stupid people are my Kryptonite. Have you SEEN the world we live in???

I am blunt, honest, and outspoken. And am always surrounded by people that expect me to lie to them and be subtle.

I believe in treating people with courtesy. Again, I live in THIS country.

I possibly romanticize the time I spent in Europe, but I long to be there....and I live in FLORIDA, the opposite of everything those times and that place meant to me.


Then again, maybe I just face my fears head on on purpose. Yeah, yeah, THAT sounds better.
You've got it, I can't sleep, again, so the brain's running. That, and I'm stuck on a story and trying a different track to distract myself.

So what about you guys, what kinds of things like this do you notice about yourself?

Sunday will show all

Ok, You ALL know I'm a lifelong Broncos fan. (Well, thereabouts. I was like 5 when I started rooting for them, so...lol).

You also know I never miss a game on TV (or, if possible, in person) if I can at all help it.

You also all know that I like Tim Tebow as an athlete and as a locker-room presence for the team. (No, I am not and will NEVER get into the religion aspect of the man. Faith/Belief?spirituality/religion are private things not to be aired in public, in my opinion. I don't even joke about that....exe with Fritz...'cause he starts it :P)

So, you know how I feel about him as a QB.

I'm not going to gripe about the media circus, though...well...I've done enough about that.

But, come Sunday versus The New England Patriots (thanks to my family, my second team), we will really see what kind of a TEAM we have in the Denver Broncos.

I've been watching a lot of the Pats the past few weeks. Their pass Defense has more holes than a volleyball net. We should be able to pass on them with impunity.

Oh. Right.

We ALL know Brady likes to chuck it for yardage, and, if he racks up three touchdowns against us in the first 3 quarters, we're gonna be hosed. (Our biggest come from behind win was one Steve and I were in the house for, the 15pt 5min comeback against Miami).

Honestly, no matter WHO we've had behind center, my beloved Broncos have been in TOO MANY close games. Wih the exeption of three (The Orton loss to GB, the Tebow loss to DET and the win over OAK), every game this season has been decided by less than a touchdown.

Yup, we could be 10-2 right now. Or 1-11. And when did we start winning???

EEEHHHHH. Wrong.

When the DEFENSE stepped up. Credit where credit is due, people. Orton OR Tebow, when our defense plays badly, we get killed. (Need I remind everyone, Kyle Orton went 6-0 his first six games for Denver as well)

Scores thus far:

Week 01

Oakland Raiders

Loss: 23 - 20

Week 02

Cincinnati Bengals

Win: 24 - 22

Week 03

@ Tennessee Titans

Loss: 17 - 14

Week 04

@ Green Bay Packers

Loss: 49 - 23

Week 05

San Diego Chargers

Loss: 29 - 24

Week 06

Bye

Tebow Replaces Orton as Starter

Week 07

@ Miami Dolphins

Win: 18 - 15

Week 08

Detroit Lions

Loss: 45 - 10

Week 09

@ Oakland Raiders

Win: 38 - 24

Week 10

@ Kansas City Chiefs

Win: 17 - 10

Week 11

New York Jets

Win: 17 - 13

Week 12

@ San Diego Chargers

Win: 16 - 13

Week 13

@ Minnesota Vikings

Win: 35 - 32

Week 14

Chicago Bears

Win: 13 - 10

Let's face it, with the exception of Green Bay and Detroit, NONE of the teams we've played, and CERTAINLY none we've beat, are playoff contenders this year. And there hasn't been a single game that the Broncos dominated on offense. So, yeah, if/when we hit the playoffs, it will be because we're the luckiest team in the worst division of the AFC this year. Let's be honest about it. If Tebow were as great as everyone is stating, we wouldn't HAVE to claw back from behind in almost every freaking game.

So...we shall see on Sunday.

But I'm not going to make ANY bets with Carie, Selina, Robin, Alyson, Nellie, or Dave because I am not masochistic :P

(And, by some fluke if we WIN...I'll not post messages to any of them, either. I'm a football fan, not a jackass.)

THAT being said, I DO watch the game of pro football a LOT, so I'm positive we will lose, just as I was against GB. (Ask Ryan R if you don't believe me lol)

All that aside...GO BRONCOS.

THE Away Mission

Short post today, but, for me, a momentous one.

So, most of you probably know I love Firefly about like my friends Geoff and Carie like Star Wars, or Jye and Shawn like Star Trek.



Today I drove over to Orlando to meet Jewel Staite, known to Firefly fans (Browncoats) as Kaylee.

She is the first member of the cast I have gotten to meet thus far, and she was gracious enough to take a photo with me and sign one of my Firefly posters.
She's an amazing young lady and I got to chat with her a bit, and even got to question her in the public Q&A session, where she mentioned she "Finally Got the Guy" when I mentioned how I loved her and Sean Maher in their cameo episode of Warehouse 13, and that she "Is still waiting on a call from Castle" when I asked if Chuck or Castle had called her or if she would want to be on either show.



I also got to spend some time with John both in and out of the two panels he hosted on Firefly topics. The smartass even dedicated a #Tebowing to me before the first panel. I love how all my friends are sarcastic....definitely doesn't let things get boring! While at the panel, and throughout the day, I met and got to spend time with Maryann, a fellow geek and pretty cool lady in her own right!



Also, I of course managed to find an Orion Slave Girl to get a photo with for my Trekkers :P


That's all for me today folks........hope all of you had HALF as good a day as I did!