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vannahfanfics · 5 years ago

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We Could Be In Love

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Shikamaru Nara, Sakura Haruno

Hello, everyone! This is my piece for ShikaSaku Week Hanami’s Day One prompt, “Dawn (We Celebrate Our Victories).” I hope everyone enjoys it~

Sakura’s breath was coming in small, ragged gasps as she hobbled unsteadily out of the medical tent. Leaning on the wooden pole that braced the large cloth structure, she peered through cringing eyes at the dark silhouette of the tree-line stretching in a circle around the medical camp; the black surface was becoming tinged with yellow-gray as the sun began to poke its burning head above the canopy to grace the world with dawn. Unknowingly, the medical ninja had worked through the night; it couldn’t be helped. After all, the Fourth Shinobi World War had produced countless injured, ranging from minor to critical.

After the sealing of Kaguya and the long-awaited resolution between Naruto and Sasuke that resulted in the dissipation of her genjutsu, all of the Allied Forces had congregated in the medical encampment in the woods far from the battlefield. It was swelled to max capacity, and of course the ratio of medical ninja to injured shinobi was helplessly skewed. For the last twenty-four hours, Sakura had been running from tent to tent overseeing the operations and lending aid where she could, especially for the most critical cases, such as Lady Tsunade, who had spent all of her power in the fight against Madara, and the two boys, whose lives were still in danger due to the beating they had put on each other. It had been a long, hard day, but Sakura could not rest yet.

“There’s still… More I can do,” she huffed through gritted teeth. She pushed herself off of the small pole only to stumble unsteadily a few feet in a semicircle, not even moving forward an inch. Her vision hazed with exhaustion and she reflexively reached out an arm, though she wasn’t quite sure what she was reaching for. A foggy dark shape pranced in her vision. It looked like someone she knew, but with her mind in clouds, she couldn’t think of who. The figure grabbed her arm at the elbow, firmly, keeping her from tipping backwards and falling gracelessly through the flaps of the medical tent.

“I think that’s enough helping for you. God, Sakura, when is the last time you’ve slept?” The corners of her mouth tugged upward in a pitiful attempt at a smile. With the heels of her boots planted in the ground and him holding her up, she was pretty much suspended like a puppet, and the energy that her muscles had been using diverted back to her mind; her vision cleared enough to reveal a familiar visage- bored expression, one hand in his pocket while the other rubbed at his neck, angled eyes and a high ponytail holding up his dark hair- Shikamaru Nara.

“Hey,” came her garbled, tired reply. God, she couldn’t think of anything better to say to him than “hey”? She really was out of it. Snorting in derision, he jerked her forward such that she fell clumsily against his chest. As she bounced back a little, he fixed firm hands on her shoulders, black eyes piercing into her own lidded spring-green ones.

“You’re a mess.”

“That’s no way to talk to a lady, Shikamaru.” If she wasn’t using every ounce of her energy to hold herself up, she would’ve socked him. Although, Sakura doubted she could put a thousandth of her lethal force into it if she did. It felt like her entire body was being weighed down by chunks of iron; her knees wobbled so precariously that they repeatedly knocked together. As if to warn her against trying anything stupid, a bolt of fiery pain rocketed up one of her legs, disbalancing her and causing her to slump against him. “Nnngh…”

“Ugh, why are girls such a pain?” Shikamaru muttered under his breath and rolled his eyes. She had her eyes closed now, the pain too much, and was just concentrating on getting oxygen into her system. With every strained breath, she caught hints of Shikamaru’s aroma- a mixture of sweat, pine trees, and morning dew that was somehow not unpleasant. I must be going delirious if I’m thinking about how nice he smells, she thought with a small groan. “You can’t even walk, can you?” Somehow, she managed to shake her head. “What a drag.” She could only grunt as he stooped down to loop one arm under her knees and the other around her upper back. Her head lolled over his shoulder as he effortlessly lifted her from the ground, her breath puffing in labored gasps against his neck. “You can’t push yourself like this, you know.”

“Did I… ask your opinion?” It meant to come out savage, but instead, she sounded reminiscent of a kicked puppy. Her fingers curled tightly into the fabric of his green vest in a display of frustration, though if anyone say them, they would dare it was an intimate action. She cracked one eye open to peer up at him; a pang of guilt twisted into her heart as she saw the almost hurt expression on his face. It instantly switched back to that disinterested frown, and he tossed his gaze somewhere else, acting as if her attitude didn’t affect him in the slightly. “Ah… I’m sorry…” she grumbled in apology. He was only acting in her best interest, after all. Her stubbornness and pride were unwarranted.

He was still staring somewhere off to his right, but she was relieved to see the corner of his mouth inch up into a wry smirk.

“All you girls… Way to tough for your own good, y’know. It’s okay for you to worry about yourselves every once in a while.” Sakura only hummed in response. His shoulder almost seemed to embrace her the way a pillow would, and the gentle heat that was radiating from his body was lulling. The way his body moved as he walked almost was rocking her to sleep. She shifted in his arms, instinctively sliding one arm to hook it around his neck. She felt his body stiffen at the gesture, but she didn’t care. She was so comfortable… If she had to describe the feeling she felt while being held in his arms, it was… safe and cherished. Sakura was no fool. He had to have been watching her all night, refusing to sleep waiting for her imminent collapse. For Shikamaru to deprive himself of sleep was, well… Nothing short of pure concern.

“You were really worried about me, huh?” she said teasingly. Through the gaps in her eyelashes, she could see a blaze of pink rush over his cheeks, though he would’ve argued it was the dawn washing over his face. “When’s the last time you’ve slept, Shikamaru?”

“Got your cockiness back, huh? I preferred you nearly unconscious,” he muttered. Sakura giggled and snuggled further into his neck, making his muscles tense tighter than a string drawn taut. Maybe it was because she was delirious from exhaustion, but she was enjoying this; she almost fancied the idea that she could love him. Sakura liked to fool herself that she still loved Sasuke, and maybe those feelings could resurface if he ever reciprocated… But she had buried those hopeless endeavors a long time ago. Did Shikamaru think that she hadn’t noticed? The way his gaze drew to her when they were near each other? The happenstance “bumping-into-each-other” that always seemed to lead to him walking her home? She wondered, if in his Infinite Tsukuyomi dream, he had envisioned her. All of this was delirious fever but also dangerously close to reality; all these thoughts she tossed around in her mind as he bore her across the encampment towards the faraway individual tents. At some point during her feverish contemplations, she had begun twisting her fingers into the thick hair on the back of his neck, tugging a few long strands from his ponytail to play with them. “Are you even awake right now?”

“I’m awake,” she yawned into his shoulder padding. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled with just as much wearied force. She had been staring at his face the whole time, watching his expressions shift, but as the light glinted in the corners of her eyes, she shifted her vision to the bubbling sun rising over the tops of the trees. Around it, the colors of dawn spread out in a halo, white merging into yellow into orange then pink then red, with the faintest fringes of the dark blue of night desperately trying to cling to life. “It’s beautiful, don’t you think?” she murmured.

“Sure is.” She looked back to him, and it was his turn to blush, for he wasn’t looking at the sunrise at all. His gaze was trained on her, accented by a soft smile that sent her heart to palpitating in her chest. Yes, she really could love him.

“Shika-“

She was interrupted by the harsh flapping of a tent being thrown open. The dawn was absorbed by the dark fabric, leaving the interior of the tent in golden gloom. Shikamaru squatted down, holding her with one arm while he used the other to throw back the blankets arranged messily on the ground. It all happened so quickly that Sakura didn’t have much time to process the shift in environment, so she just stared stupidly at the blankets like she had no idea what to do with them. She gasped, just a feather of a breath, as he gently lowered her down into them, then covered her up with one quick flourish.

“Go to sleep,” he ordered. The shadows fell over his face in such a way that it was difficult to tell how he was looking at her. He looked away for a moment, rubbing at the back of his neck and looking as if he wanted to say something-

But then he stiffly rose and went to exit the tent. At that point, Sakura was running on adrenaline, so she was going to do as she damn well pleased, any little whim that popped into her frazzled mind.

“Wait!” she shouted and sprung at his back. He cried out in alarm as her arms hooked over his shoulders, and he was pulled down onto his rump by her weight. He fell back with a grunt, with Sakura’s upper half splayed over his left arm while her lower body curled around his head. “Sakura, what the he-“ She interrupted him by turning to kiss him full on the mouth, messily and with much passion. He went as rigid as stone as she did, and his hands hung in the empty air like he didn’t know quite what to do with them. It was then that Sakura’s consciousness finally began to fade for real, and her lips slid slowly from his as her head slumped down into his neck.

“Stay with me,” she whispered into his throat. The hands that had been frozen twitched into life, slowly descending to thread in her messy, crimped strands of cherry blossom-pink hair. The darkness was encroaching on her vision as her eyes slowly pulled closed, and she struggled to hang on to the waking world, loving the sensation of his fingers sliding across her scalp.

“Say stuff like that, and I might fall in love with you for real, you know. What a drag…” Those words, so soft and tender breathed into her ear, accompanied her into the world of sweet dreams.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

Tag List: @deliathedork @searchfortheonepiece @shikasaku-week

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your-dietician · 4 years ago

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Sticky substances have more 'direct effect' than steroids

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/sports/sticky-substances-have-more-direct-effect-than-steroids/

Sticky substances have more 'direct effect' than steroids

SAN DIEGO — Former slugger David Segui can’t help but laugh at the irony.

He remembers the public’s outrage learning about the rampant use of steroids in baseball during his career, but now that Major League Baseball is cracking down on pitchers for using illegal foreign substances, the league is being chastised.

“I think pitches using the illegal substances have more of a direct effect on our performance than the steroids,’’ Segui told USA TODAY Sports. “Everybody and their brother were using steroids, but not everyone was breaking the home-run record.’’

There may have been only one Barry Bonds, but with the way pitchers have been dominating and obliterating strikeout records, everyone suddenly had become Nolan Ryan.

“It was a joke the way the pitchers were cheating,’’ San Diego Padres outfielder Tommy Pham says. “Guys were coming back to the dugout all of the time saying, ‘That’s the best slider I’ve ever seen.’ I mean, before the crowds came back, you could actually hear the Spider Tack [traction] off guys’ fingers. I could tell you who was cheating on every team I faced.

“I don’t think people really understand the benefits of it, but we as baseball players do. If your ball is moving more and it’s sharper, that makes it harder to square up. We were playing whiffle ball out there.’’

David Segui with the Expos in 1997.

USA TODAY Sports

Indeed, look at how pitchers’ spin rate has dramatically decreased since June 3, when MLB informed the owners that they were going to begin the crackdown. Spin rates, when controlled for velocity, are at their lowest levels since 2015, according to Statcast.

“We’re already seeing certain guys’ spin rates down by 500 rpm,’’ Pham said. “Their horizontal and vertical movement are less by inches. It’s so [messed up]. Guys made careers out of it.

“These front offices should be mad signing guys to that kind of money, expect a certain thing, and now find out it wasn’t real.’’

Indeed, just like the steroid era. GMs would be furious signing or trading for a player who was using performance-enhancing drugs, only for the players to suddenly play the game clean, either because they were forced to stop with the drug testing or suddenly found morals.

Look at the difference now since June 3. You think it’s a coincidence teams are now averaging 4.59 runs a game, up from 4.36, or that batting averages are up (.244 from .236), OPS is rising .730 from .707) and strikeouts are down (23.3% from 24.2%).

And how about that silly argument by pitchers saying they need substances besides rosin to control their fastballs so they don’t hit batters?

Well, guess what?

Hitters are being hit fewer times now with pitchers being clean, with the percentage of hit batsmen dropping from 1.16 to 1.13 per game.

“That was such a cop-out,’’ said Chicago Cubs All-Star Kris Bryant. “I love that things are kind of going the other way.’’

Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer is checked for foreign substances on June 23.

Orlando Ramirez, USA TODAY Sports

Really, the cheating should have been cleaned up years ago, but everyone refused to enforce it. MLB warned pitchers two years ago to stop using illegal substances. The pitchers were told this spring that baseballs would be routinely confiscated and spin rates closely monitored.

It made no difference, and the cheating only magnified, with one starter telling USA TODAY Sports that his own agent was lobbying his clients to use illegal foreign substances.

“Unfortunately, the enhanced monitoring we implemented at the start of the season has had no impact on the behavior of many pitchers,’’ MLB said in a memo sent to every club. “The information we collected over the first two months of the season shows that the use of foreign substances by pitchers is more prevalent than we anticipated.’’

Simply, it was so out of control, MLB had no choice but to stop it now. If MLB waited until the offseason, it would have been too late.

“From a competitive standpoint, man, it was frustrating,’’ Pham said. “I play the game clean, I’ve never taken anything. I never tried to cheat the game. But most of the pitchers I was facing were cheating. We needed the commissioner to step up. I’ll be curious to see how many guys get busted. They’re going to get embarrassed. I wish MLB hardened it and took away their pay too.

“I know the pitchers aren’t happy about it, but if every batter had a corked bat, these pitchers would be outraged as well.’’

It was like back in the heart of the steroid era when MLB told its players to stop using, and came to an agreement that if at least 5% of the players tested positive for steroids in the spring of 2003, there would be testing the following year.

The players, after being given advance notice they would be tested that spring, and knowing they could start juicing without repercussions once they submitted their urine test, still couldn’t help themselves. They soared past the threshold, and MLB’s random performance-enhancing drug testing program began.

“Guys weren’t even hiding it back then,’’ said Segui, who acknowledged using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. “Come on, nobody could figure out when we came back jacked, with 3% body fat, and 20 pounds heavier. Really, you’re telling me you couldn’t tell the difference?

“It’s the same thing with these pitchers, they weren’t hiding what they were doing, either. The spin rates were out of control, and no one cared until it started to affect the game.’’

There’s no reason to blame your star pitchers who no longer are striking out 12 batters a game with a sub 2.00 ERA. Not everyone can be Jacob deGrom. But you can’t blame them for trying, right?

“Why wouldn’t you?’’ Segui says. “That’s an athlete’s mindset. If the speed limit is 40, and they’re not enforcing it, you think people are still going to drive 40?

“I’m not trying to justify it. We knew we were breaking the rules [using steroids]. But if I’m losing every race because I’m not breaking the speed limit, and the guy breaking the rules gets the trophy every time, either you start breaking the speed limit to win the race or get out of racing.’’

If you’re watching Gerrit Cole get $340 million in free agency, and Trevor Bauer getting more than $30 million a year, after their spin rates soared dramatically, what are you going to do?

“People forget that becomes the measuring stick in which you’re measured,’’ Segui said. “If you’re failing miserably in the eyes of analytics, you’re not going to be around very long.

“So, then you have a choice to make. Nobody forces you to make the decision to use Spider Tack or whatever they were using. But if you don’t, you’re going to get left behind.

“People say, ‘How about morality?’

“Come on, when has morality ever been part of professional sports?’’

Ugly in the desert

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo.

Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports

The most frequently asked question among baseball executives these days is, “Why hasn’t [Arizona Diamondbacks manager] Torey Lovullo been fired?’’

The team is pitiful. They entered Sunday having lost 43 of their last 50 games, including a Major League record 24-game road losing streak. They are on pace to become only the third team in history to lose at least 117 games.

They already are the first team to have a 13-game losing streak and a 17-game losing streak that began this close together since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, according to Jayson Stark of the Athletic.

The D-backs, embarrassed by their play and on the verge of dumping players beginning with infielder Eduardo Escobar to the Chicago White Sox, privately provide three reasons for Lovullo staying on the job.

It’s not his fault the team stinks, already losing eight games this month when they’ve scored five or more runs

He’s on the final year of his contract, anyways, with no talks of an extension.

Why pay two managers at the same time when there’s no human alive who’s capable of stepping in and turning things around?

Around the basepaths

– Please, enough with the silly narrative that St. Louis Cardinals All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado may opt out of his contract. He loves St. Louis and is staying put. He told friends he wasn’t even going to opt out of his contract if he stayed with the Colorado Rockies, and it certainly isn’t an option now.

Arenado still is owed $179 million by the Cardinals through 2027, with deferred payments that will pay him $3 million a year until he’s the age of 50.

You really think anyone in their right mind would leave that and test free agency?

Not happening.

– There have been nearly 400 different pitchers who checked by Major League Baseball since the enhanced enforcement began. Only two, notably Nationals ace Max Scherzer, complained.

“Honestly, I didn’t mind it,’’ Mets Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom said. “It was quick and it went pretty easy.’’

Said Red Sox manager Alex Cora: “The way deGrom did it, he’s the best pitcher on the planet, and he took no exception. So everybody should follow suit.’’

– It can be a bit confusing in the household of Tampa Bay rookie Wander Franco, who arrived for his major-league debut this week in style, behind the wheel of a $330,000 Rolls Royce.

You see, his dad’s name is also Wander Franco. His oldest brother’s name, the one who once played with the Kansas City Royals, is Wander Javier Franco. And his other brother, who played with the Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants, is Wander Alexander Franco.

Oh, and Franco’s 2-year-old son’s name? Yep, Wander Samuel Franco, Jr.

– The playoff races, as it turns out, promise to be much more intriguing this year without the expanded postseason. If the same postseason rules applied like a year ago, the Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Cubs, Brewers, Mets and perhaps a sub-.500 team would make the National League field. In the American League, the Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, White Sox, Cleveland, Astros, Athletics and the Blue Jays or Mariners would be in.

Now, we’ve got the runner-up in the NL Central fighting with the No. 3 team in the NL West for the final wild-card spot. And in the AL, you’re going to have at least seven powerful teams vying for only five spots: the Astros, Athletics, White Sox, Cleveland, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees.

It could make the July 30 trade deadline a doozy.

– Two of the greatest moves in baseball last year were by the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants for simply tendering $18.9 million qualifying offers to starters Marcus Stroman and Kevin Gausman.

And perhaps they were the luckiest, too, with Stroman and Gausman being the only two players who accepted the offers.

Gausman has been the best pitcher in the National League not named deGrom with his 8-1 record and 1.49 ERA. And Stroman has been a godsend for the Mets’ rotation with his 6-5 record and 2.35 ERA.

– Padres manager Jace Tingler on third baseman Manny Machado’s defensive brilliance: “That’s a bad man. I mean, just an absolute bad man. What he’s able to do defensively, and on the bases, and his baseball IQ. These plays he’s making &mldr; it’s unbelievable.”

– The pitching crackdown certainly has had a major impact on the Yankees’ offense. They ranked 13th in the American League, averaged 3.77 runs a game before June 3.

They rank eighth in the league in runs per game, 4.69, since June 3, with 29 homers in their last 15 games entering Saturday. Then again, it’s affected their pitchers, too, particularly closer Aroldis Chapman, whose spin rates have dropped dramatically.

Before June 3: Chapman was yielding a .088 batting average, .213 on-base percentage and .176 slugging percentage. After June 3: .417/.481/.750.

– While everyone else’s offense may stink, check out the Houston Astros.

They outscored the opposition 93-24 during their 11-game winning streak. Their .277 team average is 16 points higher than any team. They have struck out the fewest times. They’ve scored 35 more runs than any team. And they have have four players with an OPS above .900.

“Right now, they’re as good as it gets,’’ Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “I played against the Big Red Machine. We’re not quite the Big Red Machine, but maybe we’re the Orange Wagon or something.’’

– Is there a pitcher who has been more affected by MLB’s crackdown than Red Sox starter Garrett Richards? His spin rate on his curveball has dropped 534 rpm, and his fastball and sliders have each dropped by more than 200 rpm.

The result: In his last three starts, Richards is yielding a 9.82 ERA, lasting just 11 innings.

“It’s changed pretty much everything for me,’’ he said. “This just got brought on us real quick so I’ve only had about a week to work on it. So some guys are figuring it out sooner than others but for me, it’s taken a little bit more time so I’m just trying to figure it out.”

– The craziest part of the Cubs’ combined no-hitter this week against the Dodgers?

The only three people in the stadium who didn’t know the Cubs had a no-hitter working, as it turns out, were the Cubs’ three relievers who came into the game after Zach Davies.

“The whole bullpen had no idea, like completely oblivious,” said Cubs reliever Andrew Chafin, who pitched the eighth inning. “We couldn’t see the scoreboard with the line or whatever at the bottom.”

– Former Boston Red Sox great Dustin Pedroia, after the Red Sox ceremony honoring him Friday night and electing him into their Hall of Fame: “I’m now at peace.’’

– Los Angeles Dodgers esteemed broadcaster Charley Steiner on the haves and have-nots in baseball: “It’s the ghost of Red Klotz,’’ Steiner said, “with the Harlem Globetrotters playing the Washington Generals.’’

There already are four teams that are at least 18 ½ games out of first place without even being at the halfway mark of the season: Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies.

CC Sabathia weighs in on MLB’s “sticky” situation

CC Sabathia on how Major League Baseball needs to change

SportsPulse, USA TODAY

– Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is one of the most talented players in baseball, but that talent has been wasted with his array of injuries, costing him 279 games since 2017.

He has now missed games because of a groin strain, migraines, fractured toe, strained wrist, wrist contusion, concussion, dislocated shoulder, labrum surgery, sprained foot, hip strain and now a fractured hand that will sideline him at least a month.

“This isn’t fair,’’ Twins manager Rocco Baldelli says. “That’s how I feel about the whole thing.”

– Orioles slugger Trey Mancini will participate in the home-run derby, 15 months after having Stage 3 cancerous tumor removed from his colon.

– Keep an eye on Padres starter Blake Snell, who is starting to feel comfortable in San Diego, and vows to have a monster second half.

– There still is not a single TV broadcasting team traveling this year, and several broadcasters predict that they’ll never be on the road again. They’re not sure they are even welcome any longer on team planes, with their seats now being occupied by extra coaches and team’s analytic departments, and no one wants to pick up the extra expense.

– Shohei Ohtani, who has 24 homers this year, has hit only one of his homers while pitching in the same game, but he could still catch Babe Ruth. Ruth had four homers as a pitcher in 1915.

In Ruth’s last appearance as a pitcher on Oct. 1, 1933, he pitched a complete game and homers in the Yankees’ 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

The record for homers by a pitcher is Wes Ferrell, who had nine homers in 1931 for Cleveland.

– Nationals slugger Kyle Schwarber, who was non-tendered by the Cubs last winter, is playing with a chip on his shoulder to prove them wrong, and everyone else for not showing more interest.

He just hit 13 home runs in the past 14 games for the Nationals, giving him 22 for the season, after hitting only 11 homers in 59 games last season with the Cubs.

The only hitter with a greater two-week streak was Barry Bonds in 2001 when he hit 14 homers in 14 games, to go along with his insane 1.926 OPS.

– The Dodgers have played only 11 games all season with Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy in the same lineup.

– Kudos to Atlanta starter Ian Anderson, who became the first native New Yorker to defeat the Mets and Yankees in New York during the same season. Anderson is from Clifton Park, N.Y., about 25 minutes north of Albany.

“Pretty cool,’’ he said.

– Congratulations to Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson, who reached his 10 years of major-league service this past week. Not bad for a 50th-round draft pick in 2006, the 1,475th player chosen in the draft.

“I’m definitely going to enjoy the milestone for me, getting 10 years,” Dyson said. “Not many big leaguers get 10 years in this game. For me being a 50th-round draft pick, and to get 10 years, is a blessing.”

– The Yankees are the first team to have a no-hitter and turn three triple plays in the same season since 1886 Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers.

– It was strange and uncomfortable for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch to listen to Tigers’ fans booing and taunting Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa this weekend for his role in the infamous cheating scandal. Hinch, of course, was the manager of that Astros team who was caught cheating in 2017 when they won the World Series.

“I understand the league in general, not just Tigers fans, has an opinion,’’ Hinch says. “But I also was in the same dugout with those guys not too long ago. So yeah, it’s uncomfortable.’’

– The Dodgers are expected to finalize plans to visit the White House on their upcoming trip to Washington D.C.

“I’m personally excited if the opportunity presents itself,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says. “I think our coaches and players are as well. I hope the Vice President, Kamala (Harris), is there. I’d love to meet her as well as the president. It’s an honor.

“Most champions get that opportunity, so it’s something I’ve always dreamed about.”

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tucson-interviewed · 8 years ago

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Tucson Interviewed: Catfish Baruni

In this stop-and-go world we find ourselves in, non-stop going only serves to confuse and confound the people. "Why does that thing not stop? It only goes? It only goes!"

I wish I could say that's why Tucson Interviewed has been on a hiatus for a wee bit of time*. But that's not the case. Like many things in my life, I was better at the "stop" than at the "go."

Womp womp.

But this is no pity party (that's next Tuesday; please remember to bring a side dish!). This is a celebration, because we're back, baby!!! And who else would be more fitting to interview for the return of Tucson Interviewed than the founder of Tucson Interviewed?

Tucson Interviewed, put your hands together, because this is Catfish Baruni interviewed...

Catfish: Catfish Baruni, after a long hiatus, you are your own first interview in a misguided attempt to reboot Tucson Interviewed. If you had readers, they would probably be asking one thing: why am I still reading this?

Catfish Baruni: So this is how we’re starting?

C: I’ll ask the questions, thank you.

CB: Right off the bat we’re just going to give everyone a peek inside the big ol’ tomato can on the top of our neck?

C: Again, I’ll thank you to leave the questions to me.

CB: Fine, fine…

C: So, before we get started, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to.

CB: What, like a day-by-day recap? Should I go grab my diary?

C: There’s no need for sarcasm, sir.

CB: Have we met?

C: Just answer the question, sir!

CB: I dunno. A little of this, a little of that.

C: You’re a regular open book, aren’t you?

CB: Let’s see. I’ve done some Slideshow Fairytales performances. I work downtown now. I moved to Armory Park. I bought a bicycle. I’ve added Abilify to my daily regimen. Is that enough for you? It’s an exciting life I live.

C: You bought a bike? And do you ride it, too, or…?

CB: You’re hilarious. No wonder nobody loves you.

C: Well, that’s uncalled for.

Let’s get this interview back on track. Catfish, tell me, how long have you been in Tucson?

CB: My entire life.

C: Oh, a native Tucsonan.

CB: Well, not, y’know, Native-native. But yes.

C: People usually make a comment when they find out we’ve spent our entire life in Tucson.

CB: That’s true. Maybe we should think about moving?

C: Or lying about where we were born?

CB: Or lying about all of the places we haven’t lived?

C: Or just do more lying in general?

CB: Oh, I’m already getting confused as to which Catfish is the interviewer and which the interviewee.

C: I don’t think it matters. Right?

Lookit that, I just asked a question, so we’ll assume that I’m the interviewer.

CB: Fair enough.

CB: When did you first get here?

C: “Here” as in Tucson? 1982. When I was born. Also when you were born.

CB: How was the trip?

C: The trip out of the birth canal? Okay, I guess? Thankfully, I don’t remember it at all. That would be a horrifying thing to remember.

C: How has Tucson changed since you’ve been here?

CB: Obviously the growth is the biggest thing. I grew up on the eastside, which means that a good portion of the city’s population wouldn’t even consider me an actual Tucsonan, and a number of those years I would have said it was the far east side, but that’s not the case anymore. Anyway, I remember not having trash pickup service southeast of Golf Links and Harrison. You just had to fend for yourself. And there weren’t streetlights in the residential neighborhoods. It was basically the world of Mad Max.

C: Why do you think that there’s a portion of Tucson that wouldn’t consider someone who grew up on the east side, someone like you, to be a Tucsonan.

CB: Because I’ve literally heard people say things to that effect. I once heard someone say that they won’t drive east of Swan. That’s just bonkers. You know what’s east of Swan? Sabino Canyon, dumb dumb. And several Target locations.

C: Can you tell me one of Tucson’s nicknames?

CB: Well, there was that really stupid one from the ‘80s, “The Sunshine Factory.” It doesn’t even make any sense. Were we manufacturing sunshine? Or was, oh, I don’t know, the sun doing that in outer space?

C: Can you give Tucson a new nickname?

CB: Probably “The Waystation.”

C: Care to explain that?

CB: Oh, just too many of Tucson’s fine people don’t stay put. If you live here long enough, it starts to feel like most people are just visitors passing through.

C: Uplifting as always, Catfish. When did the doctor say the Abilify is supposed to kick in?

As you may be aware, Tucson is home to a number of burrito joints. From upscale to the vending machine variety. Tell me, what’s your ideal burrito filling?

CB: If I don’t want to make a mess, I’m a big fan of the steak, egg, and cheese breakfast burrito (at ANY time of the day). If I’m comfortable making a mess, I’ll go with the red chile burrito.

C: Enchilada style: yay or nay?

CB: Obviously the former would not be done enchilada style, but the latter should, of course, be eaten enchilada style. It’s all about context, darling.

C: To the uninitiated, driving the streets of Tucson can be an ordeal. Do you have a favorite street to drive down?

CB: For some reason, I really enjoy Pima, even before they did any repaving.

C: What’s your least favorite street to drive down?

CB: The stretch of any of the streets bordering the UA campus. Or, if I’m riding my bike, ANY residential street. They’re all in awful shape. Pedaling across them is just terrible. Bike-friendly city, my ass...

C: Well, why not just ride on the big-boy streets?

CB: Because I’m trying to keep our big-boy melon from being split wide open.

C: Melon? You mean our head?

CB: I very much do.

C: Tucson has a rich musical background. It was mentioned in a The Beatles song and (I think) The Doors once played here. What’s your favorite local musical act?

CB: I’m going to answer with a band that I’m sure nobody else will, if only because I guess they’re defunct? Also, we stopped interviewing people for three plus years, sooooo... I don’t know. Anyway, I really enjoyed Yeti Ender and I’m still waiting for the vinyl release of their first album (and any kind of release of their second one).

C: The University of Arizona is one of the largest employers in Tucson and plays an integral role in much of the happenings of the city. In each interview, I like to ask a deep question about the U of A: can you tell me something about the U of A?

CB: No.

C: Fair enough.

Now is the portion of the interview when I normally ask some Reader Questions, but, as you’re well aware, we don’t have readers.

CB: Right.

C: So, instead, I’ll ask, what are you currently reading?

CB: I just started Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams, as in, I just put the bookmark in the first page. So, maybe I haven’t actually started it? Whatever. I’m also slowly working through an anthology of Bukowski poetry.

C: Poetry? When did we start reading poetry?

CB: You know when.

C: After the incident?

CB: Yes. “The incident.”

C: How are you enjoying it?

CB: How am I enjoying the incident?

C: No, the poetry, obviously.

CB: Oh, it’s fine, I think? I don’t know? I don’t really know how to read poetry. Or understand it? The only way I can pay any attention to it is to read it out loud.

C: So you pace the bedroom reading Bukowski out loud, making the neighbors concerned.

CB: Pretty much.

C: The Sonoran Desert is home to Tucson, and nothing symbolizes the desert more than the iconic saguaro cactus. Tell me, Catfish, do you prefer saguaros with or without arms?

CB: With arms, I mean, c’mon. Without arms, they’re just immature little shits. The armless ones, like--no more than three of them would be allowed in a grocery store physically located near a school at the same time, that’s the kind of little shits we’re talking about here.

C: The monsoon season is a special time for the denizens of Tucson. When a monsoon thunderstorm strikes, what do you prefer to be doing?

CB: Kissing a pretty woman.

C: Oh, God…

CB: You asked!

C: It’s TOPICAL QUESTION time: how’s about this new administration in Washington?

CB: [starts banging his head against the wall repeatedly]

C: Now it’s time for the LIGHTNING ROUND. We’re still working on the impressive, special effects-laden introduction. In the LIGHTNING ROUND, I want you to give me your immediate, gut reactions to the questions. If you think about an answer too long, you will be disqualified and will lose all money you’ve won thus far in the game.

CB: Okay.

C: Are you ready for the Lightning Round?

CB: I’m so ready that they call me Nearby Thunderstrike!

C: Oh, God…

CB: No good?

C: Let’s get started.

Eegee’s french fries: ranch or two ranches?

CB: Two ranches, minimum. Those fries gotta get ranched, baby.

C: Spring Fling or Pima County Fair?

CB: Spring Fling, just because I don’t want to drive out to the ends of the Earth.

C: Sixth Ave or Sixth St?

CB: Avenue.

C: Yard sales on a Sunday morning or the Swap Meet on a Saturday night?

CB: Saturday night Swap Meet.

C: Which is more annoying: people who misspell “Tucson” or people from Phoenix?

CB: People who misspell Tucson because SPELLCHECK IS A THING THAT EXISTS.

C: Preferred Gem Show purchase: “authentic” arrowheads or anything-turquoise?

CB: I will not be happy until I have a turquoise skull in my home!

C: Sabino Canyon or Mt. Lemmon?

CB: Mt. Lemmon (which is also east of Swan).

C: Garry Shandling or Craig T. Nelson?

CB: Hey now! Garry all the way.

C: Finally, finish this sentence: “Tucson is…”

CB: Always here for you.

------ *several years

#tucson #tucson interviewed #interview #catfish baruni #eegees #mt lemmon #sabino canyon #lightning round #UA #u of a

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giantsfootball0 · 8 years ago

Text

Who said what after the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix

3:11 PM ET

ESPN staff

ESPN rounds up all the reaction from up and down the Marina Bay paddock following the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton (1st): “What a day — I can’t believe it, I’m so happy! I came in today and I saw that I was raining and I knew that this balances everything out. I love racing in the rain, then everything unfolded in the beginning. Starting on the Intermediates I thought it was going to be much closer pace-wise. These conditions give you the opportunity to really make a difference with your driving. It was the first time for all of us driving here in the rain, so it was a massive challenge.

“But I love that when you have to rise to the toughest of challenges, that’s the most exciting part for me. Then it was all about staying focused and not making any mistakes. We came to a track that was potentially our weakest circuit and we leave with a win like this and so many points — that’s a very fortunate scenario for us. Valtteri also did a great job, so to have all these constructors’ points is awesome.”

Valtteri Bottas (3rd): “Today shows that anything is possible – that is racing! I think under normal circumstances it would have been extremely difficult for us to be on the podium. But today, everything really came to us, and we got very lucky. In the dry, the car was performing better than expected and the pace was very good for Lewis and me; in the wet, I struggled a bit more than him. It’s nice to bring a trophy home after what has been a tricky weekend for me. But all in all it was a nearly perfect race for us as a team. There are still six races to go so everything is still wide open. We have been struggling quite a bit this weekend, so we need to make sure we learn from it for the future.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We woke up this morning talking about little else than damage limitation; we leave Singapore this evening with a bigger lead in both championships. This was one of those days that reminds you what an unbelievable sport motor racing can be. And reminds you, too, that the points are only scored on Sunday. Of course, it goes without saying that we got a big slice of luck today. Not only did we avoid the chaos at Turn One but we also escaped without damage to both cars.

“After that, though, we had to make the most of the opportunity that had been presented to us — and out-race a very fast Red Bull. Lewis did that brilliantly, showing good race pace on both types of tyre, while Valtteri picked his way back through the field to the podium. So the emotions tonight are very different to what we felt 24 hours ago — but this result doesn’t change a thing in the big picture. If anything, it’s a stark reminder that there are six more opportunities for the luck to go against us this season, just as it happened to Ferrari today. We will celebrate our result this evening but, after that, it will be full focus on the next challenges ahead.”

James Allison, Technical Director: “In the two weeks since the last round of the championship, and in all the hundreds of hours worked and thousands of simulations made, nothing pointed to a result quite like this one. Formula One is incredibly complicated, but days like this remind you that it is still a sport — and that you never know what might happen. After a difficult weekend prior to Sunday, the manner in which the cards all fell so right for us in the opening corners gave us a massive lift. But after that huge dose of luck, it was a relief to show that we had good race pace to justify our good fortune, and we couldn’t be more delighted with the way Lewis and Valtteri made the most of it. This is a brilliant result for both titles and, of course, we leave Singapore with a spring in our step. But there is still a very long way to go in this championship race.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesRed Bull

Daniel Ricciardo (2nd): “The rain made it all pretty hectic today. Everyone was in the same boat though and we hadn’t driven in the wet here before so it’s all about switching on early, being aware of the situation and trying to adapt as quick as you can. My start was quite slow off the line. In hindsight probably a good thing, because it allowed the chaos to unfold in front of me.

“Then in the first few laps I felt we were okay in the wet but then I felt we were a bit harsh on the tyres. Even when we pitted and had fresher tyres, we couldn’t really make an impact on Lewis. The team was asking me to manage the gears through the race and after I learned we had a leak and were losing oil pressure in the gearbox from early on. Of course I came here to win and really wanted it, but second place is great and I’m not going to complain about it.”

Max Verstappen (DNF): “My start was a little bit better than Seb and I think he saw that so he tried to move to the left to squeeze me out of the line a bit but he did not know Kimi was on my other side. I think it wasn’t the smartest move and you can’t make excuses for it when you are fighting for a world championship. Kimi had a great start and was alongside me very quickly, I didn’t try and defend that as I knew it would be a long race, he then started to squeeze me also, at which point there wasn’t a lot I could do.

“The rear wheels are wider than the front so I was locked in the sandwich with no way out, even when I braked. If I made a mistake myself I would be upset or angry but there was nothing I could do today. We all lost out in the end so we all experienced some pain rather than someone making a mistake and then being able to carry on. We have to take the positives from the weekend, we were quick in qualifying and the practice sessions with good potential going into the race, we can hold onto this and move on to the next race.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal: “It was enormously frustrating to lose Max at the start of the race, in an incident that quite clearly had nothing to do with him. Sebastian moving to the left, Kimi moving to the right sandwiched Max and there was nowhere for him to go. Then, after the re-start, Daniel started to lose an awful lot of gearbox oil, which created a lot of problems with oil pressure, and we were feeling that it was looking unlikely that Daniel would get to the end of the race.

“However he managed to nurse the gearbox of the car incredibly well for three-quarters of the grand prix, and though able to hold off any threat from behind from Valtteri, unfortunately he could not attack Lewis ahead. So it has been another second place for us in Singapore, but a strong podium to take away considering how things were looking after the first 15 laps.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesFerrari

Sebastian Vettel (DNF): “I had an average start and then I moved slightly to the left trying to defend my position from Max. Then I got bumped on one side as Kimi’s car hit me. I’m not sure what happened. I span at turn 3, but that’s because the car was damaged already. Today we were on the wrong side of the track, which doesn’t help. But there is nothing we can do now and for sure it is bitter, and it’s a pity we couldn’t show our pace today; but we have other races ahead of us and I am sure there will be more opportunities for us.”

Kimi Raikkonen (DNF): “At the start I had a very good jump, then I got hit; that was the end of our race. I don’t think I could have really done anything differently to avoid it, apart from doing a bad start and not being there. It’s a pity, one of those things you pay a big price for. Whatever the cause or the issue, it doesn’t change the end result unfortunately. We go to the next races ready to fight and do our best.”

Maurizio Arrivabene, Team Principal: “That was very disappointing and it was definitely not the result we were expecting. But it doesn’t mean that the battle is all over, just that it has become more difficult. We are very disappointed for our fans, but we will be back. We proved that we have an excellent car and two great drivers. All of us, those here in Singapore today and those working back in Maranello, we all have the Prancing Horse stamped on our hearts and we guarantee that we will be fighting right to the final corner of the very last Grand Prix of the year.”

Andy Hone/LAT/Sutton ImagesForce India

Sergio Perez (5th): “I’m really pleased to come away from such a challenging evening with fifth place. So many things happened during the race, especially on lap one when it was so difficult to see anything because of the spray. At the same time, I’m a little disappointed that we missed out on a podium because I think the second safety car period didn’t help our strategy. We started the race on the full wet tyre, but we had to switch early to the intermediate tyres under the Safety Car and I lost valuable track position. Even so, it’s still a great day and a good recovery after a difficult qualifying session yesterday. This result helps our fourth position in the championship and continues my record of always scoring points in Singapore.”

Esteban Ocon (10th): “I am not happy to come away with just tenth place, but at least we’re leaving behind a very difficult weekend — it’s not the best way to celebrate my birthday. I made a very good start, but I struggled on both the wet tyres and the intermediates. This wasn’t the case in Monza, where I was much more comfortable in the rain, but something wasn’t working and I don’t know why. This dragged me behind some slower cars. After the track had dried, I had good pace but I just couldn’t overtake the cars I was chasing. It’s just very difficult to find an overtaking opportunity here. It’s good to rescue a point in the end, but we wanted much more than that. We have to analyse what went wrong and come back stronger in Malaysia.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: “We made the most of an incident-filled race to score points with both cars. We started on the full wet tyres, which were the correct tyres for the early laps, but the rain eased off sooner than expected and the track came towards the cars on intermediates. We had to react quickly to the various safety car periods and the pit wall made the right calls to ensure we were always on the right tyres for the conditions.

“We lost out during the second safety car period, which cost both drivers track position — Esteban more so than Sergio. From there both drivers recovered ground, but it wasn’t easy to overtake. Sergio had a long battle with Sainz and Esteban was fighting with Magnussen and Grosjean. Considering where we started the race, to come away with eleven points is a very satisfactory end to the weekend.”

Sutton ImagesWilliams

Lance Stroll (8th): “I think it was a fantastic race. It was raining at the beginning so to capitalise on the start, overtake, and really come through the field due to others making mistakes was fantastic in tricky conditions. Then after that, we ran a steady race. We kept cool. I made one mistake letting Vandoorne by. I just locked up into Turn 7 and he got past but all-in-all, a fantastic result and four points for the team.”

Felipe Massa (11th): “I’m disappointed with my race. First of all, I started on the wrong tyres which was my decision, but I think in that moment you never know what is going to happen. Many cars decided the same as me, some others different, it was my mistake. Then I was nowhere on the track, I was very slow. When the safety car was out I asked to stop but the team decided to stay out.

“They were saying that maybe the track would dry. I was at the back so it was my only chance in the race. In the end, I stayed out. I was so slow and my race was finished. I’m disappointed for my race but not for the team because Lance managed to score points. At the end, it could have been worse, looking at where we started the race, so not bad for the team but a disaster for me.”

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: “After a poor qualifying it’s great to come out of another race with some points on the board. It was looking like it would be an interesting race as soon as the rain came in. We have never had rain for the race in Singapore and it was remarkably persistent. Lance chose to start on the intermediate tyre in P18 with Felipe opting for the extreme wet in P17. Unfortunately, along with a few other drivers, the full wet turned out to be the wrong choice.

“There was a big incident at the start which helped us gain some places. In Lance’s case he drove a great race. He was one of the earliest to stop for dry tyres and he had good pace on the ultrasoft, taking the advantages at every stage. He put up a good defence as well, particularly towards the end, and managed to get an excellent eighth place for his first finish in Singapore; one of the toughest races on the Formula One calendar. Congratulations to him for achieving that, he’ll be very proud of himself for holding steady and driving so well throughout the whole two-hour race. On Felipe’s side, he drove well throughout the whole evening, but really the mistake was made at the beginning and it was impossible to unwind from that extra stop that we needed to make.

“We hoped to jump straight from the full wet to the dry tyre, which is why we tried to stay out longer in the first stint, but we missed that window by a few laps and he had to make an extra stop for intermediates, which really ruined his race. Nevertheless, it was a good drive from P17 to P11, to finish just outside the points. Congratulations to the team as well, to bring two cars home is a really important achievement in a race of such high attrition. Our reliability was good and we collected some valuable points in the Championship.”

MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty ImagesMcLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne (7th): “That was definitely an eventful race! To race under the rain at the beginning was definitely not easy, so my main focus was just to stay out of trouble, which we managed to do. From that point on, I just managed my own race. I think seventh place was really the best it was going to get for me today. Sixth was perhaps on the cards at one point, but it didn’t work out at my second pit-stop. After that, i just focused on getting everything I could from the car and maximising the performance. Getting a couple of points means we finish our weekend on a high.”

Fernando Alonso (DNF): “My start was brilliant. The car did an amazing launch and I managed to gain several positions, up to third place, but after that we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t aware of what was happening on the inside, all I know is that at Turn One some cars crashed and hit us. In that situation, you are just a passenger, there’s nothing you can do. Unfortunately, that hit was too much for our car. From the cockpit you don’t understand how much damage there is, but the car didn’t feel great, it had a lot of oversteer so I asked the team what was the damage but they were not completely sure because they’d lost the telemetry.

“At the end, we had some electrical problems and we had to stop. These things sometimes happen in motor racing and unfortunately it happened to us today. We had so much hope for this race, and in wet conditions we are very strong so the disappointment is even bigger. Despite my disappointment this evening, it’s actually been a positive and fun weekend – the team has done an outstanding job and I’ll be hoping for better luck in Sepang in a fortnight’s time.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “When the heavens opened shortly before the start, we knew this was going to be an exciting and unpredictable Singapore Grand Prix — and so it proved to be. Through it all, Stoffel finished a magnificent seventh, battling throughout and really maximising the potential of our car whether he was running Full Wets, Intermediates or Option tyres.

“We think sixth was within our reach had he not been delayed at his second pit-stop. The front jack failed to engage properly, which meant the left-front wheel wasn’t lifted off the floor properly, which resulted in a slow removal. That delay meant he wasn’t able to close on [Jolyon] Palmer despite a spirited chase. It was a phenomenally disappointing day for Fernando. He’d made a brilliant start in the wet conditions but was harpooned by Verstappen’s car at Turn One. It was a significant impact, one which tore open the bodywork, damaged the floor and, ultimately, holed an exhaust.

“We were able to assess the initial damage as he passed through the pits behind the Safety Car, but, at racing speeds, it became immediately apparent that he couldn’t continue. We had to retire the car shortly afterwards. Despite failing to get one car to the finish through no fault of our own, this was a positive day for the whole team. We may not be as competitive around the fast sweeps of Malaysia, but this result will serve to remind us all that we can race hard at the front whenever the slightest opportunity presents itself.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co. Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “The heavy rain that began just before the start made today’s race enormously difficult for us. Although Fernando made a great start, he was involved in an unfortunate incident at Turn One and ultimately retired on lap eight due to the inflicted damage. I think he would have been able to race with the frontrunners if he had continued, so it was very disappointing for everyone in the team.

“Stoffel’s pace was competitive and he drove incredibly well, including overtaking his rivals on a track that is notoriously hard to pass on. He eventually crossed the line in seventh, his best result of the season, taking more precious points for the team. He did a great job today. Although we had the package to finish today’s race in a better position without incident, it was still a positive step forward for the team that we were able to bring one car home in the top 10.”

Sutton ImagesToro Rosso

Carlos Sainz (4th): “WOW! What a day, what a result! I’d say this is probably my best day in Formula 1 up until now! After a weekend with so much media attention, to put together a perfect weekend and finish the race in P4 is just amazing. To start the race on intermediate tyres, then switch to the supersoft – where I struggled a bit during the first laps – and then make it to the end without losing positions is just the perfect way to celebrate a difficult weekend…it’s definitely one I will always remember!

“I have to say that the most difficult part of the race for me was the start of my stint on the supersoft — it was not easy at all! I tried to do my best during the out-lap but Hulkenberg managed to overcut me… Luckily for me he then had a problem and from then onwards it was all about defending from Checo, who had been faster than us on Friday and also was on ultras! It was very difficult to keep him behind, looking in my mirrors the whole time, but in the end we did it! I had my flight booked to go back home tonight, but I’m definitely cancelling this — we need to celebrate this excellent result all together, this team have also done an amazing job this weekend… Thank you!”

Daniil Kvyat (DNF): “What a shame. Unfortunately I made a mistake and missed a good opportunity of scoring a good result today. I managed to overtake Magnussen and straight after that I locked my front wheel and went straight into the wall… I didn’t expect this to happen so. It’s very disappointing, but this is how it is sometimes.”

Franz Tost, Team Principal: “What a fantastic result today, we’ve equaled our best race result since our win in Monza 2008, another P4! Carlos did a fantastic job, keeping everything under control in a difficult situation at the beginning of the race, going through a long and demanding race and bringing home a fourth position finish and 12 points. The team also did a fantastic job in all aspects. As for our decision to go on supersofts, we did this because we thought this would have given us an advantage towards the end of the race.

“However, with the Safety Car and tyre warm-up, this call was not without its challenges, but it worked out in the end. The mechanics were very good, delivering fast pit stops, and I’d like to thank the whole team because we’ve all worked very hard for this fantastic result. We’ve taken our chances today, been aggressive and not been afraid to try something different and this has paid off here. This now makes us all very happy and in a very positive mood before travelling to the next Grand Prix in Malaysia in two weeks’ time.”

Clive Mason/Getty ImagesHaas

Romain Grosjean (9th): “I’m very happy for all of us, especially after a difficult weekend where we knew we didn’t really have the pace. We chose to start on intermediates, which was ballsy. It was tricky, initially. After everyone pitted, it was the right tire to be on, so I was pretty happy with my choice. We swapped to the slicks maybe one lap too late. I think Kevin did a better job than I did in pitting for the ultrasofts. From there I had a strong battle. I tried to go for (Lance) Stroll. He hit the wall once and I thought that was it, but it wasn’t hard enough to get any damage, so he kept going and didn’t make any other mistakes, so I couldn’t pass. Mentally it was a tough race. The conditions were horrendous, initially. You couldn’t see anything. I’m very happy we’ve scored points here.”

Kevin Magnussen (DNF): “I was gutted not to see the checkered flag. It’s very frustrating, but it happens sometimes. It was tough out there, but it was fun. It was challenging, but good on Formula One for letting us race and not having to start behind a safety car. I was getting heat into my tires again, because obviously I’d gotten out early on the tires and lost a bit of temperature, so they were building up. I was asked to swap, then I lost another position letting Romain past and getting wet tires. Then we had an issue, so in the end it didn’t matter.”

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: “To go away with two points here, for sure we worked hard for it, but we didn’t expect it. All in all, we got a bit of a good end to this. On the other side, we’re now eighth in the championship and not seventh. Coming in here we knew these things could happen, but we will fight hard to get back to seventh. Our drivers, our whole team, did a good job. There was nothing wrong with our strategy today. We always reacted very well. Both drivers kept the cars safe. Kevin would’ve brought his home but he had an electronics issue. We’ll investigate that and why we had to shut it down. Romain did a good job and came home ninth with two points. We keep on going.”

Sutton ImagesRenault

Jolyon Palmer (6th): “I’m so happy, it’s been a long time coming but today everything fell into place. It was a tricky race with the drama at the start and the heavy rain but the circumstances put us in a good place to score some points. We had a good strategy, good pit stops and the car was good in the wet conditions. The next race should be even better.”

Nico Hulkenberg (DNF): “It was a very disappointing race, you put in a lot of hard work throughout the weekend and then these things happen. It’s not great but it is a technical sport and a team sport. Unfortunately we had some technical issues with the engine and we had to retire the car.”

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director: “Tonight’s race was exciting and full of action with the rain and many safety cars — as it’s often the case in Singapore. We walk away with mixed feelings. On a positive note, Jolyon was able to get into the points for the first time this season and achieve his best result ever in F1. Despite the circumstances, he drove an error-free race on a night where it would have been easy to make many. He was able to help the team in its progress for the Constructors’ Championship, we now sit in seventh place and closer to reaching our goal for fifth position.

“The final races are well suited for our cars and our target remains unchanged. On the other hand, we feel very sorry and I want to apologize to Nico for having to retire his car. We had an oil leak which translated in his car having to take a performance penalty in the earlier part of the race and even tried an intervention during a long pit stop. Despite all our attempts and a great teamwork from all his car wouldn’t have made it to the end so we retired for preventative measures.”

Lars Baron/Getty ImagesSauber

Pascal Wehrlein (12th): “It was quite a chaotic race for me. As the track slowly started to dry, we decided to stay out on wet tyres and wait for the opportunity to change to a set of dry tyres, as soon as the track conditions would allow. However, the track did not dry up as quickly as we had anticipated, and the change to intermediate tyres was too late. Later on during the race, I lost more and more time due to many consecutive blue flags.”

Marcus Ericsson (DNF): “It was a difficult race for me today, especially due to the weather conditions we had to work with here in Singapore. I had an ok pace in the beginning, and was able to keep up with my direct competition. I then lost a lot of time due to an incident in one of the pitstops. I was pushing hard to make up for lost time, and went a bit over the limit. Unfortunately, that caused me to spin out of the race. Overall, a disappointment.”

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: “It was a tough race for us. Both of the drivers were on wet tyres when we split their strategies — Marcus changed to intermediates. Pascal was still running on wet tyres, as we were waiting to put him onto the dry compound. Unfortunately, the track did not dry up as quickly as we expected it to. He lost a lot of time due to several blue flags later on during the race. During Marcus’ pitstop, there was a system error, which led to miscommunication. Overall, a very disappointing race for us. The procedures have to be revised to avoid repeating such situations in the future.”

Sutton ImagesPirelli

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing: “The start of the race was unknown territory for everyone, with no wet weather running during the weekend up to now. This tactical uncertainty was compounded by the first of three safety cars, immediately after the start, meaning that strategy was mainly a question of reacting to changing circumstances on track. Intermediates were generally the best choice for the conditions during the first half of the race, although the full wets also performed strongly on a track that was only drying out very slowly. Once the surface was dry, track evolution happened quickly, with everyone apart from Carlos Sainz — who drove a fantastic race — opting to finish the grand prix on the ultrasoft.”

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footballleague0 · 8 years ago

Text

Who said what after the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix

3:11 PM ET

ESPN staff

ESPN rounds up all the reaction from up and down the Marina Bay paddock following the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesRed Bull

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesFerrari

Andy Hone/LAT/Sutton ImagesForce India

Sutton ImagesWilliams

MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty ImagesMcLaren

Sutton ImagesToro Rosso

Clive Mason/Getty ImagesHaas

Sutton ImagesRenault

Lars Baron/Getty ImagesSauber

Sutton ImagesPirelli

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