Indy Turmoil

I like to think of myself as an 'even-keeled' and 'objective' 'true' sports fan. (When I have to contextualize who I am and what I stand for in the very first sentence of a blog it usually means I'm really in a bind in my mind.)

And I don't think I've been this wound up since CU lost to Kansas in football when the Jayhawks scored 35 points in the fourth quarter to come from behind and win. (It was a Saturday night, and I was so stir-crazy that I had to go make myself run at the gym at midnight. I was a complete mess.)

So if you missed watching the ending of the Indianapolis 500 LIVE today you got some catching up to do....

Rookie JR Hildebrand had a comfortable lead as he got the white flag (one lap to go ma), and it the checkered was all his. With one turn, A SINGLE LEFT TURN remaining between him and infamy he crashed into the outside wall and slid into second place.

I'm still in shock. This is Shoeless Joe Jackson coming out of the Cornfield in real life; it's straight out of a movie scene.

- To sports fans the Brickyard is hallowed ground. Some 3.2 million bricks once covered the most famous auto racing venue, and the Indianapolis 500 is the biggest race at the most infamous oval.
- As it happens, the most famous race is also celebrating its 100th anniversary.
- JR Hildebrand is a rookie, and an American.
- The #4 car Hildebrand drives is sponsored by the National Guard. This coming on the eve of Memorial Day when we remember all those that have sacrificed their lives to protect our right to enjoy such luxuries.

And people will brush this off as another car crash at a big race, they already have.

But I can’t help but think what could have been. JR Hildebrand is a American rookie… with 1 turn left… was about to win the biggest race… on it at the most illustrious track… on it’s 100^th Anniversary… in a sponsored car that represents American prowess… on the day before Memorial Day… but then crashes and comes in second…. And I can’t help but feel absolutely terrible for the guy.

Talk about surreal-anti-story-book ending.