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View Full Version : Two historical gaffes by Rick Benjamin



theunions
06-21-04, 12:30 AM
Was I the only one who noticed how he botched his recap of the 1986 Portland Father's Day race? Going so far as to specifically mention the Kraco team by name (not Newman-Haas) and then say Michael Andretti finished ahead of Mario?!?!?!?!?

And then, in the replay of "classic" accidents, reviewing the 2-car crash involving the #6 Valvoline Lola in 1985 and saying that was "probably Al Unser Jr." instead of Pancho Carter (when everyone knows that was the first year Al wasn't driving for Galles but rather was in the Domino's Pizza car - shown trailing the Andrettis in the 1986 clip)?

Michaelhatesfans
06-21-04, 12:56 AM
Haven't watched the tape yet - did they show my favorite highlight, when Derek Daly bitch slapped Randy Lewis after Lewis took him out? ;)

formulaben
06-21-04, 02:14 AM
Yeah, I thought my drink was really getting to me...I just got back from the race earlier and turned on the Tivo when I noticed that one. I dont' know how you could forget that it was truly a Father's Day "gift" for Mario on that day...

Hey MHF, please enlighten me about DD slapping Randy Lewis!

Insomniac
06-21-04, 08:05 AM
Bob Jenkins wasn't there. Quit complaining. ;) You could also point out TK didn't correct him. I'm just glad he's there and Jenks isn't.

Redwing
06-21-04, 08:10 AM
Jenks was commentating at the F1 race. Judging from his comments at the track, he must have a "mention the IRL" performance clause in his contract.

audi quattro
06-21-04, 08:41 AM
Jenks was commentating at the F1 race. Judging from his comments at the track, he must have a "mention the IRL" performance clause in his contract.
Was he on the speedcast?
or just the track PA?
I never heard jenkins all day.

mueber
06-21-04, 08:54 AM
Jeez.

Sean O'Gorman
06-21-04, 10:06 AM
I noticed that too. "Al Unser Jr?" :saywhat: No big deal though.

I thought it was funny though when he referred to Paul Tracy as the national champion of the World Series. Something about that didn't quite sound right. :laugh:

Madmaxfan2
06-21-04, 12:44 PM
There needs to be a good statistician as a part of the SPIKE team.

theunions
06-21-04, 01:19 PM
Haven't watched the tape yet - did they show my favorite highlight, when Derek Daly bitch slapped Randy Lewis after Lewis took him out? ;)

Alas, no...wonder if that would've been different had DD been there this weekend though. :D

G.
06-21-04, 01:27 PM
When Benjamin came on board, I said, "Who?". Glad to have him over the other guy.

In the past years, the TV talent would be able to "direct" the camera shots. There were quite a few times when they (RB an TK) wanted to see something again, but it wasn't shown. Is it just me, or are they now doing host duties a la MST3K? Just watching and commenting. I kept on thinking that this was a mexican race with TV Azteca.

Clown
06-21-04, 01:31 PM
Rick Benjamin sucks. That was just painful to watch.
They need to quit dicking around and put Jeremy Shaw in the chair.

fourrunner
06-21-04, 03:14 PM
Well poor Rick has been in it for two races, and people don't like him already ;)

It seems like the Announcer Position is Like Murphy Browns Secretery, different one every week...

I would like to see Howard Cosell and Dick Schapp in the chairs ! ;)

Michaelhatesfans
06-21-04, 04:09 PM
Hey MHF, please enlighten me about DD slapping Randy Lewis!
Oh - Daly was trying to get around the moving chicane at turn 9 (now 12). Lewis left the door open, DD came alongside, then Lewis seemed to change his mind or something... Daly's car went pretty high in the air and both cars slid to a stop. Daly stormed out of his car and headed straight for Lewis, and cuffed him pretty good across the helmet, to the cheers of a grateful East Bank. The corner workers hustled him off before much more came of it.

Funny enough, DD was signing an old IMSA poster for me last year, and I was thinking of mentioning it to him, when someone screamed, "HEY, DALY!!! I saw a video the other night of you punching Randy Lewis!!!" Derek doubled over trying to contain his laughter, and I looked over to see a mischevious looking Robin Miller waiting for a reply. Great memory!

I've actually always been against that sort of thing, mainly because what if the other driver has been injured in some way? Still, that moment, and with that particular driver, I have to admit that DD spoke for a lot of fans that day.

Gangrel
06-22-04, 08:31 AM
*sits back an waits for a round of FBJ's* :D :shakehead :gomer:

Insomniac
06-22-04, 01:06 PM
*sits back an waits for a round of FBJ's* :D :shakehead :gomer:

No need. He's gone and we couldn't care less about him.

oddlycalm
06-22-04, 02:02 PM
I caught the errors as well, but even with them RB is miles better than Jenkins.

oc

racer2c
06-22-04, 02:10 PM
Can em' both and get a real Champ Car expert in the seat like Shaw and an ex Champ Car driver to do commentary. I'm sick of TK and I'm sick of hearing "TK". The initial thing is played out. :thumdown:

Time for a face lift. No one's watching but us, they have nothing to lose by throwing a new team in for every race until that 'right one' is apparent.

JohnHKart
06-22-04, 07:09 PM
I did notice those errors by Rick....so I spent the whole race thinking and wondering: "Ok if Michael just barely won on Dad's day in 86, what year was it his dad barely won over him on Father's Day?" "Maybe itwas 84, no that's the year Al jr got his first win." And I also noticed the 1985 Al jr with Valvoline sponsorship gaffe. Oh and just as predicted here come the Rick haters already. I think other than these couple of screwups he's doing a great job just as he always has on whatever he's covering. I'd rather him mess up some historical errors than not even know who's driving today, as Bob Jenkins seemed to do.....Bob, viewing some ontrack action in Monterrey:" Uhhh...." At which point TK stepped in and identified the drivers Bob was stumbling about. (This really happened)

JH