Danica to F1: Thanks, no thanks
Danica Patrick seemed mildly amused Friday that the man who once likened her to a “domestic appliance” now appears to be complimentary of her driving skills.
Formula One head honcho Bernie Ecclestone was quoted on the series’ official website this week saying he’d like to lure Patrick away from NASCAR to F1.
“There should be no reason why not, providing that we find a team to take her,” he told the F1 website.
“Danica would be good to have with one of the teams now. All the things that people worry about - whether a woman can cope with the G-forces and all that - she has proven that she can. She’s been there and done it.
What I think - and I cannot blame her for it - is that she will hardly want to give up the exposure she has in the U.S. to come here and maybe not make it.”Alas, Patrick has no interest in switching series.
“I did see Bernie’s comments, they sounded complimentary,” Patrick told the Associated Press at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“It looked like he was kind of acknowledging my ability to drive a car. So, that was kind.”
Ecclestone wasn’t so kind in 2005 at the U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis when asked about Patrick becoming the first woman to lead laps in the Indianapolis 500.
“You know I’ve got one of those wonderful ideas … women should be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances,” he said.
He reportedly later called Patrick to apologize and said the comment was just an analogy.
Patrick said she’s heard from Ecclestone periodically over the years.
“Bernie has actually sent a lot of messages,” she said. “Any kind of big high point that happens in my career. … He even sent me a big picture signed by him one time. He’s actually been really nice. I don’t necessarily think that his comments a long while back are representative of maybe his opinion of me.”
Because who really has opinions about appliances?
Like a surgeon
Dr. Frank Jobe, who developed the elbow procedure known as “Tommy John surgery” that has helped baseball players extend their careers, will be honored during Hall of Fame induction weekend on July 27.
Former Major League pitcher Tommy John will attend the ceremony to help honor Jobe for his impact on the sport. John was diagnosed with a ruptured MCL in his left elbow in 1974 when Jobe tried a procedure in which he removed a tendon from John’s forearm and repaired his elbow.
After the surgery, John actually improved as a pitcher, winning more games (124 before, 164 after) and pitching more innings (2,1652/ 3 before and 2,5442/ 3 after). In his first five years back, he placed in the top four in three Cy Young votes.
Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson says Jobe’s work is a testament to the positive role of medicine in baseball’s growth.
Given the apparent performance-enhancing nature of the procedure, one has to wonder how long it will be before BALCO makes the Hall.
They said it …
From TBS talk-show guy Conan O’Brien: “Horse meat was found in some products at Taco Bell.
“Which explains Taco Bell’s new slogan: ‘You can lead a horse to Taco Bell. We will take it from there.’ ”
Golfer Ben Crane, to WYGM, 740-AM in Orlando, on hairy friend and rival Bubba Watson: “If my ball landed in Bubba’s chest hair, I’d have to take an unplayable lie.”
Former Georgetown basketball Coach John Thompson, to FoxSports.com, on the reason behind the Big East break-up: “What they did was let football pimp us.”
Quote of the day
“I was just glad to get the albatross that is the NCAA tournament off the neck of our program so people can now exhale and get a new focal point.” Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy, after the Rebels’ 66-63 victory over Florida on Sunday in the SEC tournament championship
Sports, Pages 16 on 03/18/2013