Random Preakness TV Mentions

[Merlinsky]

They showed a clip of a guy trying to leapfrog over port a potties in the Preakness infield on Tosh.0 yesterday. Though he made a valiant attempt, he sure fell pretty hard on his face at the end. People were chucking things at him as he did it. It was actually pretty impressive that he made it that far. I'm not entirely sure why he didn't just walk wherever he needed to go on foot, but applying logic to the Preakness infield drunks isn't really appropriate is it?

Then there was a $25,000 question about the Preakness drink on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? that said it was also a type of flower. The Black Eyed Susan of course was the answer. The stupid woman skipped it (apparently you can do that) and turns out she's from Louisville and she wished the question had been on the Derby. She considered herself a fan by virtue of her location, but c'mon, you only follow one race sweetie. It's a social occasion on one day of the year for you. You know the mint julep because you probably drink tons of them that day.

Point being we've heard suggestions for promoting horse racing that include using it as an answer/category on a game show, and we just got one. the other was more making fun of a drunk guy, but if it means more people going to drink at the Preakness, that's a bigger crowd I suppose. Yay?

[Soaring Softly]

I remember a Hollywood Squares show (obviously years ago) when the question was asked, "Has a horse ever won the Kentucky Derby twice?" I can't remember what celebrity had to field that question, but his/her answer was "yes"......and the contestant agreed. A "wrong" buzzer followed of course. The host, whoever it was at that time, did explain that a horse can't run in the Derby twice (he didn't get into the 3yo only thing), but I thought it was kind of neat anyway.

As far as "drunks and the Preakness" goes, they should have showed a clip of the yahoo that somehow got out onto the track as the horses were coming down the stretch and tried to throw a punch at Artax as he went thundering by.

Whenever I'm reminded of that race, I wonder about that guy....who he was and what kind of consequences he faced, if any, for his actions.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Soaring Softly

Whenever I'm reminded of that race, I wonder about that guy....who he was and what kind of consequences he faced, if any, for his actions.

His name is Lee Ferrell, and like Jeffery Maier in Yankee lore, (or more appropriately Steve Bartman in Cubs history), he'll be remembered forever. Bill Finley wrote about the troubled Ferrell a year after the incident, which took place during the Budweiser Maryland Sprint.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Cardus

I have to honest with you, Steve, but unless you had named Ferrell here, I would not have remembered his name.

I remember the event vividly and can visualize the menace, but I, for one, could not think of his name.

I think that Maier and Bartman's names will live forever among sports fans.

Geez. And here I thought you would focus on my use of 'gerrymander' so I could redboard my going to college with Ebby Gerry... Elbridge Gerry's great-great-great (or whatever) grandson.

[djw]

Wow, a Gerry family of Marblehead, Mass sighting.

Great story and famous political cartoon of the District looking like a snake that made it catch on, hence the term "Gerry-mandering".

Usually the Bykster is name-dropping some trainer of a one-time wonder that fits perfectly and obscurely all at once or that Crist got his critque qualities from the Dam side and I sit stymied. For once, I am on the sme page.

For me, this is Super Thrusday, 24 hours late!

[Echo Farm]

Jeopardy throws an occasional racing question, and has the "Daily Double" feature which was probably inspired from Trebek's racing background.