galaxy42

"...with a Bocephus sticker on his 442 he'd light 'em up just for fun."

I've managed to get myself involved in something that I'm not exactly proud of. It's all at the request of a very good friend of mine back in Ohio. He knew, when he asked, that I wouldn't like it, but he asked anyway. And he also knew that, even though I wouldn't like it, I'd say yes.

My friend is a NASCAR fiend. I am absolutely not. It bores me to tears. I don't get it. I don't want to get it. He knows this. I am equally at a loss for how "fantasy sports" leagues are so popular. To my way of thinking, it's not that far removed from sitting in the corner of the high school lunch room with dice of varying shapes and numbered sides, arguing over which is better: paladin or mage? The only difference is, the jocks are running the show, so it's cool...

Anyhoo...
I digress...

For the past three years, he has been a part of a fantasy racing league on Yahoo! He has never asked me to join, he has never invited me to his house for the "big race" (whichever race that may be). He knows I just don't care. Then came this year...

I moved away from the little farming community that I called "home" for 30 years. People, no matter how big a part they play in your life, can very easily be left behind. It takes a lot of work and effort to maintain some of those ties. As a way, I suspect, to force me into keeping regular weekly contact... he asked me to join in with his reindeer games. I said yes...

He was my best friend back home... what could I do?

So, now I'm in this league that I know nothing about for a sport that I know even less about. Last week was the first race. I picked the drivers for my "team" the only way I knew how. I threw a dart...
Then I went out and bought a new computer monitor, printed the list of drivers, and threw another dart in a much safer location. I went back online and made my picks and forgot about it for the week leading up to the race...

I didn't even realize the race was on. It was down to the last 10 laps when I noticed a blip on Yahoo news about the latest race updates. I thought to myself, "Oh shit, I'm in that... I wonder how I'm doing?" So I flipped on the TV and logged on to the league site.

When the dust had settled on the track, I was the only person who had picked the #1 and #2 finishers. My other two drivers put in a respectable showing as well. For reasons that I don't understand, out of 16 people in the league, I'm in second place behind someone who had the #3 and #4 drivers... I need someone to clarify why that is. There are some goofy ass variables involved, apparently.

That doesn't matter... the point is, I have about 14 red necks back home that are a little mystified by my ability to jump ahead of them in the standings when they know bloody well that I have no clue what's going on. I am amused.

But the pressure is on... I'd love for this lucky streak to continue for at least a couple more weeks. Let them think I have some sort of inside info or natural ability for picking cars. I don't give a shit if I win or not. I'm having fun with beginners luck.

"Jerry was a race car driver... he drove so goddamned fast... never did win no checkered flags, but he never did come in last."