Posts by Michael Richardson66

I’m really not looking to get into any heated debates over those comedies centered around Jesus... honestly, even that scene where Noah shows up totally wasted in one of those movies is just way too much for me. Now, Ben-Hur? That’s an absolute classic. As for Jesus of Nazareth, it’s alright, pretty standard stuff. But Masada is fantastic—it’s definitely not some New Testament thing...

ruggedhawk20 said:Michael Richardson66 I took a quick look at your FB page—honestly, it’s a bit of a nightmare how much incomplete and half-baked info you guys have posted here

So, looking at this photo

From left to right: Stefan Bellof, Riccardo Patrese, Nigel Mansell, the "noble" Andrea Cesaris, Martin Brundle, (with Eddie Cheever hiding behind him—you can barely see his head), and Ren Arnoux

And the guys in front, left to right: the "noble" Elio Angelis, Nelson Piquet, Derek Warwick, and Ayrton Senna



Seriously, do us a favor and fix it

Thanks so much for catching that! Honestly, I just copied that description from an Italian guy named Andrea—he’s a tattoo artist and honestly such a sweetheart. If you guys are interested, I’d love to set you up as admins... if you want, and if you have an FB profile, I’ll get you added in a heartbeat. Oh! And there’s even a video of Ayrton playing soccer... let me tell you, the man couldn't kick a ball to save his life...

ruggedhawk20 said:She'd be wrong about that.

So, an Italian friend sent this over to me:
Talking to some Brazilian acquaintances, they all told me it was always about Senna—even before May 1st, 1994!
Just think about it, back during the Brazilian GP 1987, even before Ayrton secured his first title, there was already more hype surrounding young Ayrton in Lotus than for the veteran Nelson, who actually took his third and final championship that very year!!
Piquet was a great guy and lightning fast... but he just didn't have that HUMANITY or that certain edge of daring that The Magic possessed!

I actually have my own YouTube channel where I post a few videos, though they ended up taking one down because I think I used a bit too much footage from other clips... but man, the music was just the absolute best.

ruggedhawk20 said:Super interesting. So how do you explain that poll from last year where those same Brazilians were split 50/50 between Senna and Piquet for the title of greatest Brazilian driver?

Does that make Piquet bigger than Pele then?

I really hope you've at least heard of Piquet.

He's the absolute legend who totally schooled Senna at Hungaroring 1986.

Plus, he's a three-time world champ and all that...

Ever heard of Hungaroring?

Or does your little universe only consist of Senna?

Or maybe in your universe, you're the only one who exists?

graniteharbor502 said:excellent !
I shall leave a like right here 👍

Might I be permitted to migrate one of those photographs over to this discussion?

You wouldn't believe it, but I definitely have about a thousand pictures of Senna saved on my laptop. There are tons of photos on this site too, tucked away in albums, some public and some private... It’s a shame people don't hit the like button more often. For Christmas, I actually bought a special edition ESPN magazine—the one featuring the top 50 Brazilian athletes with Senna right at the top. Interestingly, they left Pele off the list entirely... I guess they think he's on a whole different level, who knows?

Just to add to that, I was actually doing a little digging online wondering who really takes the crown: Pele or Senna. Looking at discussions on American sports forums, a lot of folks seem to lean toward Senna being number one. The reasoning is pretty compelling—Formula 1 is just inherently more dangerous, it's not a team sport where you can hide behind others, and there's that tragic element of him passing away so young. He was never married and used to donate millions anonymously to kids... people always describe him as "deeply humble." On the flip side, Pele is a total master, a true legend who rose from a poor background, unlike Senna, but he's got those complicated issues with children around the world he wouldn't acknowledge, and well, he lived to be seventy, which is a bit less dramatic, I suppose...

I just uploaded some old Formula 1 photos to that Facebook album I mentioned... specifically from the Brazilian GP 1987 era. Let me know if anyone wants to take a look!

http://www.f1i.com/wp-content/upload...rton-copie.jpg

Paula Senna actually sent this photo to me—it’s from Viviana’s daughter, you know, Ayrton's sister. If you look closely at the picture, there's a little girl right there behind him. Her brother, Bruno, is the one driving the boat, and just behind them is her sister, who's also a dear family friend. I showed this photo to my dad once... he's actually quite a talented driver himself, he even competed in races back in the day. He told me that she and I are practically twins. I was about that same size when he was out on the track racing. It was during the war years, and man, so much was happening back then... those days really leave a mark on you...

ruggedhawk20 said:So, let's say that first link is someone who is basically a carbon copy of Ayrton Senna, with just one catch. Doohan had his wake-up call back in '92. If Ayrton had been staring down an amputation after some hypothetical crash in the mid-80s, he never would've pulled off that move at Suzuka 1990.

The second link shows a guy who is 100% Ayrton Senna—except for one thing—he's ugly and bald. But deep down, he's pure Ayrton Senna.

Just in case you missed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE8KwaTjIQQ

See? Proved you're only looking at the surface level.

Fine. If you really want me to play along just so we can shut this thread down, fine. Senna was definitely easy on the eyes, but I guess I should have been born in the 60s instead of the 80s if I wanted a shot with him. There, are you happy now?

http://youtu.be/ib82OWwEPe4

Check out this interview with Ayrton when he was just a young kid. Even back then, you can see this incredible maturity, this sense of integrity, balance, intelligence, and such genuine humility... He’s just so sincere. I'm lucky enough to be a polyglot so I could catch all the Portuguese, but honestly, I'm almost at a loss for words... it's just classic Senna

ruggedhawk20 said:Fair enough. Let's run a little test then, since you're such an expert at peering into a man's soul.

Let's see what's actually going on inside this guy's heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWBI0LbTxi0

// I know it isn't Formula 1—but hey, you just said Formula 1 doesn't interest you and that it's boring anyway, so let's just ignore that tiny little difference in sports, alright?

Honestly, I have no idea what you're supposed to conclude about someone's character from this one little clip... I don't even know who this Australian guy is. It's just some guy talking shop, wanting a better engine, wanting to be fast everywhere... I really don't see what there is to take away from it, truth be told...

I’m not really feeling your take, ruggedhawk20... implying that women only care about how good a guy looks is just reaching. That's such a superficial way to look at life. Honestly, I think women have much sharper intuition than men; they can see right past the surface and connect with someone's actual heart and what drives them. Sure, he was definitely easy on the eyes back in his thirties, but that was probably the very last reason I found him to be such a great person.

ruggedhawk20 said:Michael Richardson66, let me drop some truth on you—maybe as the only guy in this F1 forum who’s actually older than the sport itself, which basically makes me everyone here's grandpa.

Ayrton Senna was an incredible driver. Seriously fast—faster than Nelson Piquet, faster than Alain Prost. But here’s the kicker: unlike those two, or even a dozen others, Ayrton Senna wasn't a true Grand Prix driver. A real Grand Prix driver isn't just a gentleman; they're a knight. And Ayrton Senna? Not a knight. He brought pure savagery to Formula 1. His biggest stroke of luck was hitting the scene right when carbon fiber was taking over—if he’d been driving aluminum tubs, we’d be talking about him like we talk about Beloff, Peterson, or Villeneuve. Though, to be fair, Peterson and Villeneuve were actual knights. Ayrton Senna wasn't a knight or a classic Grand Prix driver—he was a celebrity. He was the Brad Pitt of Formula 1. Now look, Brad Pitt is a great actor, sure, but you've got guys like Anthony Hopkins or Clint Eastwood who are better at the craft. But Pitt is good-looking. And Senna? He was a gorgeous man. Those deep dark eyes, thick wavy hair, full lips, freckles—who could resist that? Then he died right in front of millions of people watching the race live at Imola. No other world champion has ever died live on global TV. Clark died out in the woods at Hockenheim—nobody saw it. Hill died in a plane crash—no audience. Farina and Hawthorn died in car wrecks—again, nobody watching. Rindt died in front of maybe 1,500 people without a live broadcast—and he wasn't even a world champ when it happened. Even Schumacher's accident was private—nobody saw it. The simple fact that Senna was the only world champ to die "live" is exactly what fueled that media firestorm after May 1st, 1994, and gave him that massive charisma.

If Schumacher had died "live" in front of millions back in 2006—who would even be talking about Ayrton Senna today!?

Hopefully that clears up the whole Ayrton Senna thing for you.

I have to disagree. Maybe he wasn't a team player; maybe he was a solo act, which showed in how he could nail a pole position one lap, but struggle to maintain that same pace over a long race distance. Personally, I find racing to be the most boring sport on earth, but there was one person who made it worth watching for me: Senna. Not Schumacher, not Prost, not Lauda, or whoever else these young kids follow these days. He just had "that something." That spark. He would have had it whether he was running, swimming, or jumping. I heard someone say he might have become a priest if he hadn't been an athlete. His sister is actually married to a Protestant minister. I know he came from a somewhat snobbish background, but it was a family with real values. It was that spiritual dimension, that drive to be perfect both as a driver and as a man, that really moved me. I'm not saying he was a devout believer, but I don't know how else to put it... I just love that kind of soul...

Jason Campbell70 said:It's just a forum post.

It’s an online forum, after all. And how old are you? 😁
It seems unlikely you actually watched Senna live.

Look, if those videos and clips can inspire you positively, why couldn't they also point out some of the flaws in Senna's character?

I'm old enough—I'm 32—to have actually remembered those races and that iconic red and white McLaren, so I know exactly what kind of impact he had on people.

And wow, you must have a really busy life if you're spending it tracking who posts what on an online forum... I'm not saying that's a bad thing, per se, but I really think people take the internet way too seriously sometimes.

Besides, who's anyone to judge perfection? But just think about it for a second. When someone dedicates their entire existence to winning, isn't it bound to make them a bit more aggressive on the track? That's actually what I love about it. But, if you ever listened to interviews with Martin Brundel—who actually raced alongside him in F3—he mentioned that while Senna was definitely aggressive, he never did anything to put someone else's life at risk. Though, honestly, I know my opinion won't change your mind, so I won't even try to convince you that he wasn't a bit of a reckless, arrogant jerk...

Jason Campbell70 said:Passed your test in the first month, yet you prefer driving out in the middle of nowhere?
Not a fan of high speeds or racing, but Senna won you over with his personality?

He was quite the legend. Enjoy.

And who exactly are you to call someone a "legend," if I may ask... and how on earth do you know when someone passed their driving test? I'm a little lost here. Maybe you could clear things up for me? Yeah, Senna inspired me—he was a truly positive influence—and no single YouTube clip is ever going to change that. Sorry to disappoint you...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayrto...8312460?ref=hl

I think Formula 1 has officially claimed a piece of my heart for good! To be honest, I’m not even that much of a speed demon or a huge motorsport fanatic—if it weren't for all the constant hype surrounding the cars and the technical stuff, I probably wouldn't care as much. Personally, nothing beats just driving through the countryside on an open road where it's just me and the scenery... BUT, man, Senna was just something else. As both a driver and a human being, he completely blew me away. I fell in love with his whole vibe—that humility, his simplicity, his sheer grit, and that incredible bravery... it’s just captivating. That's exactly why I decided to start this Facebook page. I'd love for fellow fans to come hang out here if you're interested! We're aiming to hit our first 1,000 followers to get things moving. Thanks so much!

Quick heads-up for everyone who’s a huge fan of Laura Pausini—both for her incredible music and just the wonderful person she is. After a bit of a break, Laura is finally coming back with a brand new album dropping on November 11, 2011! She’s also planning some shows at the end of the year in New York City and Washington, D.C., plus a massive tour hitting Europe and the rest of the world in 2012. I really hope we can catch her performing here in the States sometime soon... if you want to help make that happen, please head over to the fan page on Facebook and hit that Like button:http://www.facebook.com/laurapausinifanclubcroatia
It would be so great to get all the fans together in one community...
Best!👍