little al falls again
As I was driving home from school today, I heard the sad news on the radio--Little Al got busted for drunk driving.
I've been a big fan of Indy Car racing for years. My buddy and I have gone to the Indy 500 every year since 1984, and these days our wives go with us. We have cheered like crazy for some of the greatest drivers in history--A.J. Foyt, Gordon Johncock, Johnny Rutherford, Tom Sneva, Bobby Rahal, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Helio Castroneves, Arie Luyendyke, Danny Sullivan, Sam Hornish Jr., Al Unser, Bobby Unser, and Al Unser Jr. My all time favorite driver was Rahal, followed closely by Mario and all of the Unsers. The Unsers are great! I never saw Bobby Unser race in person, but I watched Al, Sr. win once (1987) and finish in the Top-5 five times. I watched Al, Jr. win twice (1992, 1994) and finish in the Top-5 seven times. In his younger days, Little Al looked a little bit like Opie Taylor, and he always came across like a real wholesome guy.
Well, that was before the alcohol-related arrests several years ago and the womanizing and the rehab. I always felt bad for Little Al after that, because everything that I have ever seen and heard about him says that he's a really good guy. He just happens to be a drunk, and that's a shame. That drinking thing is something I am somewhat familiar with. I was never a full-blown alcoholic, but certainly could have been classified as a "problem drinker." That's why I really limit my drinking today; the more opportunities I give myself, the more chance there is that I will really cut loose and do something amazingly stupid.
Well, today I hear that Al Unser, Jr. has been arrested for drunk driving again. Supposedly, he had been sober for a long time, but has fallen off the wagon. Does this "news" rank with terror in the Middle East and conflict in Washington D.C.? No, but it makes me sad anyway. He's a good guy that I'll say a prayer for tonight.
I've been a big fan of Indy Car racing for years. My buddy and I have gone to the Indy 500 every year since 1984, and these days our wives go with us. We have cheered like crazy for some of the greatest drivers in history--A.J. Foyt, Gordon Johncock, Johnny Rutherford, Tom Sneva, Bobby Rahal, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Helio Castroneves, Arie Luyendyke, Danny Sullivan, Sam Hornish Jr., Al Unser, Bobby Unser, and Al Unser Jr. My all time favorite driver was Rahal, followed closely by Mario and all of the Unsers. The Unsers are great! I never saw Bobby Unser race in person, but I watched Al, Sr. win once (1987) and finish in the Top-5 five times. I watched Al, Jr. win twice (1992, 1994) and finish in the Top-5 seven times. In his younger days, Little Al looked a little bit like Opie Taylor, and he always came across like a real wholesome guy.
Well, that was before the alcohol-related arrests several years ago and the womanizing and the rehab. I always felt bad for Little Al after that, because everything that I have ever seen and heard about him says that he's a really good guy. He just happens to be a drunk, and that's a shame. That drinking thing is something I am somewhat familiar with. I was never a full-blown alcoholic, but certainly could have been classified as a "problem drinker." That's why I really limit my drinking today; the more opportunities I give myself, the more chance there is that I will really cut loose and do something amazingly stupid.
Well, today I hear that Al Unser, Jr. has been arrested for drunk driving again. Supposedly, he had been sober for a long time, but has fallen off the wagon. Does this "news" rank with terror in the Middle East and conflict in Washington D.C.? No, but it makes me sad anyway. He's a good guy that I'll say a prayer for tonight.
posted by hondo at 8:03 PM
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