By David G. Firestone
Got a couple of things to discuss this week, but before I get to the heart of the subject, I need to discuss a slight change to the proceedings this week. Due to the fact that there is no Cup series race this week, I’m not going to grade paint schemes this week. The Tracker is ready to go, but I will resume grading schemes next week.
Now onto something that, at least to me, makes no sense. I read Uni-Watch on a regular basis, and recently saw a link to a picture of Yale lacrosse players wearing headscarves as a way to block out peripheral vision. Now, this is not a new thing, because drag racing has been doing this for some time. Jack Beckman referred to it as “the Clydesdale Effect.” These are examples of how drivers modify their helmet visors:Now in drag racing, it makes sense, because this is a picture of what you need to focus on:
That isn’t that much, since you really only need to focus on your lane. In lacrosse however, you need to be aware of everything around you. You need to know where your teammates are, as well as your opponents. You need to know where the ball is in relation to where you are, and where the goal is. Why would you cut down on peripheral vision? It doesn’t make any sense. No other sport besides drag racing needs The Clydesdale Effect, because in no other sport would ever need it. It makes even less sense when you realize that a lacrosse field has a 110 yards by 60 yards dimensions. Blocking players vision with The Clydesdale Effect could only lead to injury.
The other thing I want to discuss is Dewey Rider. For those who don’t know, Dewey Rider is Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s replacement in Mountain Dew commercials. He is supposed to be a funny character, but he is utterly humorless. He is not funny, the commercials are not good, Rider and Dale Jr. do not have good chemistry, and the ad campaign as a whole is forced. I hate Dewey Rider, and I hate Danny McBride, the actor who plays Dewey.
Dewey Rider is Mountain Dew’s version of Flo from Progressive, and the Geico Gecko. He’s a character that starts out small, but is forced on us, to the point that we all get sick of them, and the company won’t drop them. I get that Flo and the Gecko have their fan bases, but the majority of us are sick of them. I can only see Dewey ending up in the same boat.
The only character that really worked was The Most Interesting Man In The World. Dos Equis used Jonathan Goldsmith to portray The Most Interesting Man In The World. The commercials were interesting, Goldsmith played the character to perfection, the commercials seemed natural, and it worked. Plus, unlike Progressive and Geico, Dos Equis retired the character before it got too stale and over done.
The bottom line is that Dewey Rider is not a great character, people don’t like him, and I hope he goes away.
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