Emmo in hot water

Two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi is facing serious financial difficulties in Brazil, with authorities seizing trophies and racing cars from his personal museum.

Among the cars seized was the one he used to win the 1993 Indy 500, as well as one driven by the Brazilian in Formula One.

Fittipaldi's press office released a statement saying that the difficulties are "the result of an unstable financial and political scenario" in Brazil, which is in political turmoil and facing its worst recession in decades.

http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/emerson-fittipaldi-racing-cars-seized-financial-trouble-040616

That sucks. Emmo is one of the good ones.

Can't forgive him for drinking OJ in INDY 500 victory circle.

Signed, Bitter Old Fart.

I remember that too. He seemed to be a likable figure though.

maybe the government needs to pawn the race cars off to pay for trying to make their country look presentable for the big athletic event that is happening there in a couple of months..

etifosi wrote: Can't forgive him for drinking OJ in INDY 500 victory circle. Signed, Bitter Old Fart.

For others trying to learn why this would upset people, see 2nd paragraph of this section:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson_Fittipaldi#CART

GameboyRMH wrote:

etifosi wrote: Can't forgive him for drinking OJ in INDY 500 victory circle. Signed, Bitter Old Fart.

For others trying to learn why this would upset people, see 2nd paragraph of this section: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson_Fittipaldi#CART

Get the berkeley over it. signed someone who cares more about racing than milk.

GameboyRMH wrote:

etifosi wrote: Can't forgive him for drinking OJ in INDY 500 victory circle. Signed, Bitter Old Fart.

For others trying to learn why this would upset people, see 2nd paragraph of this section: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson_Fittipaldi#CART

Wow, that made it into a Wiki. I didn't think it was that big of a deal to people!

Serious question: What's the deal with drinking milk? All that wiki says is that it wasn't cool to drink OJ.

Not that it's a pending issue or anything, but I hate drinking milk.. Would I still be forced to drink it as a winner of such an event?

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

Bless your heart!

WonkoTheSane wrote: Serious question: What's the deal with drinking milk? All that wiki says is that it wasn't cool to drink OJ. Not that it's a pending issue or anything, but I hate drinking milk.. Would I still be forced to drink it as a winner of such an event?

Milk is a tradition. There's also one about peanuts (at least used to) having a bad reputation at the track.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_500_traditions#Food

In reply to WonkoTheSane:

Just old people holding on to old things. Traditions are cool, but they aren't the end all/be all.

Personally I feel the Indy 500 is a joke and has long ago lost the spark that made it special.

Personally, if they would ditch the spec cars and allow more manufacturers in and it might get interesting again. Won't happen, but one could dream.

indy-500-winners-drink-milk

WonkoTheSane wrote: Serious question: What's the deal with drinking milk? All that wiki says is that it wasn't cool to drink OJ. Not that it's a pending issue or anything, but I hate drinking milk.. Would I still be forced to drink it as a winner of such an event?

Well, first there's the fact that it's a long-standing tradition of the victor drinking milk, and he broke it. Next, he broke it not because he really likes OJ and doesn't like milk, but because he wanted to promote OJ since he was in the OJ business. That makes it a major dick move IMO.

GameboyRMH wrote: Well, first there's the fact that it's a long-standing tradition of the victor drinking milk, and he broke it. Next, he broke it not because he really likes OJ and doesn't like milk, but because he wanted to promote OJ since he was in the OJ business. That makes it a major dick move IMO.

Wow, yeah, I can see that he upended the sacred tradition that only existed due to some holy pact:

By 1956, the milk returned as a ritual as milk companies became sponsors of the race purse and handed a bottle of milk to the winner to promote their product.[3] A sponsorship of currently $10,000 now paid out by the American Dairy Association if the winner sips the milk in victory lane

.... Or sponsorship. Could be that, too :)

Thanks for the link Karacticus!

GameboyRMH wrote:

WonkoTheSane wrote: Serious question: What's the deal with drinking milk? All that wiki says is that it wasn't cool to drink OJ. Not that it's a pending issue or anything, but I hate drinking milk.. Would I still be forced to drink it as a winner of such an event?

Well, first there's the fact that it's a long-standing tradition of the victor drinking milk, and he broke it. Next, he broke it not because he really likes OJ and doesn't like milk, but because he wanted to promote OJ since he was in the OJ business. That makes it a major dick move IMO.

and this is different than changing hats 15 times in the winners circle?

or wearing sponsorship decals on your car, driver's suit, etc?

or thanking/mentioning specific sponsors during your post-race interview?

or the sponsor's logo on the TV display or over the winner's stand?

Yeah, but the milk is sooooo important to the "purity" and "history" of the race.

Get over it. Money rules professional racing and has since Colin Chapman accepted money for his racing efforts.

The fact that Indy fans are so focused on this, instead of the real problems with their sport is part of why its dying out.

At one point Indy/ChampCar were challenging F1 for venues and viewership as well as overall speed and technology. Now they are a spec racing series like IROC, which is just sad.

Personally I don't care about the tradition and you're right that it's as commercial as anything else in the sport, but I can see why "berkeley your traditions, buy my OJ" could be seen as offensive even amid all this commercialism.

Brazil is in a bit of trouble right now financially, and it doesn't really have anything to do with the Olympics. Here is a short article about it.

Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote:

WonkoTheSane wrote: Serious question: What's the deal with drinking milk? All that wiki says is that it wasn't cool to drink OJ. Not that it's a pending issue or anything, but I hate drinking milk.. Would I still be forced to drink it as a winner of such an event?

Well, first there's the fact that it's a long-standing tradition of the victor drinking milk, and he broke it. Next, he broke it not because he really likes OJ and doesn't like milk, but because he wanted to promote OJ since he was in the OJ business. That makes it a major dick move IMO.

and this is different than changing hats 15 times in the winners circle? or wearing sponsorship decals on your car, driver's suit, etc? or thanking/mentioning specific sponsors during your post-race interview? or the sponsor's logo on the TV display or over the winner's stand? Yeah, but the milk is sooooo important to the "purity" and "history" of the race. Get over it. Money rules professional racing and has since Colin Chapman accepted money for his racing efforts. The fact that Indy fans are so focused on this, instead of the real problems with their sport is part of why its dying out. At one point Indy/ChampCar were challenging F1 for venues and viewership as well as overall speed and technology. Now they are a spec racing series like IROC, which is just sad.

Well said. By the time Emmo took that sip of OJ, racing was already so commercialized, the whole thing was barely a blip for me. Tempest in a teapot, IMO.

I remember when he won Mid Ohio in '92. I was working as a photographer then and was shooting next to the winners "podium". After winning the race, he turned the wrong way heading up, put his hand on my shoulder, and said "maybe I need you to show me the way". We had talked to him a couple of times over the weekend, he was a nice guy.

I promise if I'm ever in a position to be an Indy car team owner I'll write it into my drivers contracts that if they ever win Indy he or she must hand back the milk and insist on champagne instead like a real race car driver

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I promise if I'm ever in a position to be an Indy car team owner I'll write it into my drivers contracts that if they ever win Indy he or she must hand back the milk and insist on champagne instead like a real race car driver

The "Tradition" of spraying champagne is younger than milk at Indy. But you already know that.

Sometimes tradition is how you commemorate past glory.

Milk is disgusting anyway, and the cattle & dairy industry is a blight on human civilisation. I had no opinion of the matter before I read this thread, but now I like him better for it.

I wouldn't boo the dude. Multiple titles in top series, in peak eras. Could have had more F1 success if not for SUCAR, too. Surely he's still faster than me as well.

I might not ride in an ultralight with him.

But it was disrespectful to the shrine of speed (not be confused with the holy shrine Monza) to forward his business interests, to the detriment of the very folks who presented him with the spoils of victory.

But you know, that's just like, my opinion.

etifosi wrote: But you know, that's just like, my opinion.

Indeed, and an opinion can't be wrong. However, I would gently remind you that it was once incident in a long career where he was always seen as one of the good guys. Guys like Schumacher, Senna, and Earnhardt are highly celebrated, too, and they were blatantly dirty at times. Emmo never did anything like that. Drinking the wrong liquid at Indy is a pretty small infraction in the grand scheme of things.

But of course, that's just MY opinion, man.