Barnstormin': Taking the Heroes Down a Peg

[cjforumadmin]

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Barnstormin-Taking-the-Heroes-Down-a-Peg.html

[Not A Duster]

Re: Barnstormin': Taking the Heroes Down a Peg

Well said sir. I agree strongly. These days we build people up just to tear them down .
It's worse in Canada...

*polite applause*

[tiresmoke!]

Re: Barnstormin': Taking the Heroes Down a Peg

I've always kept this in mind.....the "celebrities" owe me JACK.

True, some of the folks are asshats 24-7....some just have bad days like anyone else.

Well put, Brian...

[std]

Re: Barnstormin': Taking the Heroes Down a Peg

I work with a guy from England. He can't believe the way Americans try to tear down everybody.

[Loren]

Re: Barnstormin': Taking the Heroes Down a Peg

When someone steps out on the stage we tend to pin our hopes and our frustrations on them. Some are like Jay Leno: he'll never win an academy award but seems committed to being nice to every single person he meets. Others are out for the big prize and are impatient with anyone who steps in their way. If we're looking for someone to not-like, as we tend to, it's the latter guy who's going to catch our bad side especially if we actually got our own toes stepped on a time-or-two.

It would be a wise winner that understands that people need their heroes, a role-model to help them forward, and act like it; and it's wise of us to not look to hard at them as people. They let us down by being O.J. Simpson or Jimmy Swaggart or just taking a bong hit in front of the wrong person and we let them down by chipping and picking at them endlessly no matter how nice they are or how much they've accomplished. Anyhow, I hope those guys all know what they're in for when they stick their neck out. Presumably they will take their fame or their notoriety straight to the bank on winning days.

I recently posted a 1974 pic of Prudhomme in the pits. It was very early in the morning in an open lot, he was one of the first there and seemed alone with his thoughts as he and the small crew went through their motions. In a short time he would be surrounded by a crowd of guys hoping for a glimpse or a nod...all day long. Come Monday what would matter to him most was whether he won the race or not but that crowd was relentless. I suppose a human can get to be an ass in such a situation..."Leave me alone everybody, I just want to do this job..."

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Barnstormin': Taking the Heroes Down a Peg

I agree that taking heros down - been watching the Phillips thing - has become an unfortunate national sport. However, we are amateurs compared to the English - we keep learning new tricks from them; heck even the French could learn how to tear apart national heros from the English. Look at how they tear apart their Royal Family.... poor people are born to the station and it seems like suddenly that gives the entire English people the right to chase them with cameras or worse.

[terry russell]

Re: Barnstormin': Taking the Heroes Down a Peg

What I have seen and heard most of our heros can be and are hard headed ,stubburn asses.
That is alot of time what it took to get there.
One racer I met in 76,did not have a pot to piss in.I followed his carear from then to his passing.I admired what he accomplished.What he gave up,threw away,and alot of what he did a long the way was (to me was wrong).
There are two sides to a coin most of us are that way.
just my 2 cents worth.
terry

[JRoberts]

Re: Barnstormin': Taking the Heroes Down a Peg

Brian, you have hit the nail right on the head. Being human is being human. Nobody's perfect.

There are those in the limelight that take advantage of it and seem to consider themselves above everybody else, but then those folks are in all walks of life.