Sports Then and Now

Michael Schumacher

Or Deus…or Allah, Ishvara, Mother Mary, Yahweh, Vishnu and any another Godly entity that may have reached down and awoken the sleeping giant that is Michael Schumacher…yes, including even you Bernie…if you had fingers in this pie, God bless you, even if only for a moment.

This season would have gone down as the absolute worst in the storied history of Formula 1 if not for this devine intervention breaking the suffocating bonds of the FIA vs FOTA media frenzy and the sad resignation that Brawn GP is running away with the points title.

When Mark Webber becomes an overnight sensation…you know this season, any season, has gone south.

I confess, I was not a fan of Schumacher’s domination.

Just as I despised the “idea” of Dale Earnhardt in the late ’80s and early ’90s, I could not stomach the “Micheal in Red” years…and I am a Ferrari guy.

Both of them reminded me of the last guy to pile on top and throw a noogie on your bruised scalp in a scrum.

It wasn’t personal, I had no feelings one way or the other as far their “guyness”, it was their circumstances, successes and a seemingly inability to fail that turned me off and lessened my enjoyment of their respective disciplines for a while.

I admit, both had their little intrigues with both competitors and the FIA and NASCAR respectively, but none of that tomfoolery changed the notion in my head that they were just flat out boring due to the level of ease that they dominated their respective sports.

Once they crashed back to earth, I lightened up.

I actually found myself focusing more when ol’ Ironhead was in the top five late in a race. Then he was gone. My bad.

Schumacher? When Renault began challenging Ferrari in 2005, I perked up a bit, but I never saw a third place for the Scuderia coming. It was over by Montreal, Alonso and Kimi sweeping Schumacher and Ferrari under the rug.

After a hard fought 2006 season, that must have wrung the absolute last bit of fire out of both Schumacher and the boys in Maranello, Michael spit the bit and took a cubicle in the front office. He was 37 years old and perhaps past his prime.

Then again, perhaps not.

When the owners, overseers and participants in any endeavor intentionally set out to rip it apart, render it impotent and erase it’s legacy as the pinnacle of achievement…very few men, if any, can step in and bring a halt to the ensuing trainwreck looming just around the bend.

After the near total destruction of a sport so near and dear to millions upon millions of fans globally, Schumacher has arrived to save the day.

And Michael Schumacher is just the man to save Formula 1.

I apologize to you Michael. It was not malicious, this apathy towards your accomplishments, nor was it personal, it was merely misguided and stubborn.

I could not bear giving up the heroes of my youth for one who seemed more machine than man, one who won with such regularity that struggle didn’t seem part of the equation.

I was wrong Michael, you were the greatest driver in the history of Motorsports, bar none, from my heart, I tell you this now;

My hope is that you win each and every remaining race, I hope you can still show the way and send these new age prima donnas packing.

I hope that you give us all something that makes us leap off the sofa in a “did you see that!” kind of way.

I think this new car is your kind of carriage, a little squirrely, a little twitchy, and I think you’ll do well in it…God, I hope so Michael.

As I stand before God, I hope so.

It won’t be as simple as before, struggle is what you’ll do, and not only on the track, but behind the scenes as well and that’s where your power lay.

Fix this season, work that furor teutonicus and it’s magic, snatch them up by the neck and shake some sense into them. Save us Michael, you’re the last hope we have…I’m behind you 100% on this lap.

Tell them all to put down the knives and step away from the Golden Goose…it’s the only one we’ve got.