The end of an era...

I was getting used to being too lazy to blog and telling people that Im
too busy to blog... But it all changed in the matter of a few mins.
Having been pumped up by the fact that Schumi has managed to claw back
to within a couple of points of Alonso, I was in for a shock. The moment
I saw schumi look down at the start of the press conference said it
all.. That this was going to be his last. Sure enough there will be a
lot written about him in the next month, but that's not all that hes
worth. Competitors will be relieved but say there wont be a difference,
but that's not what he is to the sport. He has been an icon, he has been
a lot more, he has shown himself to be the ultimate Champion. I will
always wonder if I loved F1 cos of schumi or loved schumi cos of my love
for F1. Such has been his presence in this sport he has dominated that
rules were written and re-written in vain just to plot his downfall.

He is not the best sport, and he has admittedly been a rogue. He has had
his share of good and bad. Yes, he is a man, who wouldn't mind 'crossing
the line' to win, and one who wouldn't mind crying when he felt so
(Imola, 1994; Imola, 2000; San Marino, 2003). And yes, he is human, and
he showed it when he gave the trophy to Rubens Barichello (Austria,
2002) when he was 'gifted' the win by his team, atracting a small fine
of $500K. He has had his share of clashes and bashes (Spa,1998), with or
without reason. That's the nature of this sport. He has had his share of
laughs as well, He has lead a genre of drivers, and shown the way to all
of them, while so many of them were shown the doors. He is a competitor
to the core, never wanting to yield a place, even if he has nothing to
gain and everything to lose (Germany, 2006).

But all that doesn't take away the awesome driver and team player that
he is. Seven, and hopefully eight, World Champion titles do not come
easy. A lot has been screamed in the media about his No. 1 status at
Ferrari, but the subtle albeit forgotten moments (like letting Eddie
Irwine win the Malaysian GP 1999 which he could have easily won) are
what defines the team player that he is. When the going gets tough, the
tough get going, and surely enough a career threatening leg breaking
crash (Silverstone, 1999) did not deter him. He has always said that
statistics do not matter to him, and true enough he is gonna retire with
a 100 wins in sight, so near yet so far. Statisticians are the only guys
who will be pleased with that.

I can write and write a lot about this gem of a guy, but my heavy heart
is taking its toll. Let me sign off by saluting the maestro. F1 will
definitely miss him, and so will all of his innumerable fans. Never have
I felt so happy, being just 1 in a billion. I have indeed been lucky to
watch him race. Drivers come and go, but Champions like him come once in
a lifetime. With gaping jaw, there is just one phrase I will always have
for him: That man loves to race, and wants to win!

Truly an end of an era... whatta man! I love you schumi!

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