PSoTD

To recap:

News: Dean Hancock, father of the late Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock, files suit claiming a restaurant — owned by Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon — provided drinks to his son even though he was intoxicated prior to the crash that killed him.

The suit also lists as defendants Eddie's Towing, the company whose flatbed tow truck was struck by Hancock's SUV, tow truck driver Jacob Hargrove and Justin Tolar, the driver whose stalled car on Interstate 64 was being assisted by Hargrove.

Views: This is misplaced grief or twisted logic or denial run amok or uncontrolled anger — take your pick.

Perhaps there's a bit more to this. Is it possible it's related to the insurance wranglings that are going on with the estate of Cory Lidle? It was a different circumstance, but perhaps the position of the insurance company in the Lidle case:

The board's inability to say who was in control of the plane could affect the Lidle family's lawsuit to collect more than $1 million in accidental death benefits from Major League Baseball, which bars paying more than $450,000 in insurance if a player is not just a passenger.

has convinced Hancock's father (or his attorney, or both) to provide a show of force of the lawsuit variety, regardless of how scattered, as he deals with MLB about whatever benefits Hancock's family might receive.

A man, intoxicated over the legal limit for driving, and talking on the phone, slams his car into a tow truck, killing himself. Who do you think gets sued?

When I was a kid living in Indiana - Indianapolis and Muncie - we went to Speedway a couple of times. I was perhaps 6 and 7, and I remember it being very hot, dusty, with uncomfortable benches to sit on and VERY LOUD with the race cars practicing. I don't remember if it was time trials or just practices that my Dad took me to, but I do remember not really caring for it.

But it was a tradition to listen, and then to watch, the 500 on television in our family. It didn't matter if we were at home or at a family get-together, the 500 was on. Back then it was Foyt and the Unsers and Parnelli Jones and the like. We never called it the Indianapolis 500 - everyone knew where it was, of course. It was the Five-Hundred, period.

I don't really watch much of the races anymore, although last year I started watching it and my wife and kids found last year's race very exciting and actually sat and watched it with me. And they marveled how great it was to watch. I didn't tell them that last year was the exception to the rule - it was the first time there had ever been a last lap pass for victory. Don't want to spoil it for them.

Anyways, I'll end this with some links to other fans that are blogging about "the 500". Enjoy.

Jim's Garage: observations
Mount Blogmore: Gentlemen, Start Your Corn
Keith Burgess-Jackson: Twenty Years Ago
Monticello: Damnit, Man!
Inside Track: RACELINE RADIO: Erik Tomas's 'Tomas Tales'
The Sports Oasis: Why You Should Want A Woman To Win The Indy 500
Dazed and Confuzed from Here: The Greatest Spectacle in Racing

Reggie Theus would be a popular hometown choice to coach the Sacramento Kings.

The baseball exploits of...

(truly an "inside baseball" joke, probably best ignored...)

Maybe some candidates should just stay away from sports-related analogies.

Not speaking for anyone else, but I'm sick as shit of the Roger-Clemens-Returning-From-Retirement-Sweepstakes. It was good to see Houston fall on their collective asses and fail to make the playoffs last year. It will be doubly sweet to see the happen to George Steinbrenner's employees this year.

I'm not sure there's really a "bad guy" in this grudge, but I know I like Don Nelson a hell of a lot more for what he's done for basketball than I like Mark Cuban. This is a feel-good story.