Not every Italian is happy with TGF

[chow wei hsien]

Ask the former Italian President to go and eat sh*t!!!!!!

[Blackjack]

Put Sch-Me in an Arrows, or any other losing car, and see how many fans stay with him. Nobody likes a loser and that's what he would be!

[Nuvolari]

I'm sure Michael is terribly troubled by the Signor Cossiga's diatribe -- which, if memory serves, lasted longer than his government.

[freud]

Gosh, I cant understand all this fuss by Shoe fans on such an insignificant statement by a former Italian president. Looks as if the man has achieved his goal...of achieving media coverage. Its all Italian politics. Alan Jones called Shoe an "Arrogant little peice of ****" did anybody care?

[R]

It's the same sort of people that have called TGF's brother "an utter little brat". Just plain bs if you ask me.

Originally posted by Liz

What number will Mika have on his car next year? Will he get the No. 3?

Ummm.... that's tough question... ummmm... yes.

BTW, Downforce, I did not say what you've edited me into saying!

[freud]

Interacting with DF, I've gotten used to that

[Blackjack]

The Topic "Not Every Italian is Happy with TGF" bothered me. I thought the comments made by Italian President Francesco Cossiga were valid. Unfortunately, most posters ignored them and brought Cossiga to task for daring to state his opinion of their hero. Almost every poster immediately went on the offensive to protect Sch-Me. One even hinted that Cossiga opinion, that Sch-Me was "an insolent overpaid little Bavarian boy" had racist overtones. I see nothing racist in that. There is nothing racist in calling Sch-Me a "Bavarian boy". He is in fact, a Westphalian boy. He hails from North-Rhine-Westphalia, not Bavaria.

In my opinion, Sch-Me is an arrogant arse. I think his antics on the podium at Suzuka clearly prove I am right. All of us know that the playing of a country's national anthem is a solemn occasion. All that is required is for you to remain still for 3 or 4 minutes. Not a great task for a grown man. A child might have problems.

Sch-Me the man that gave us "A Tearful Sunday at Monza" should have shown the same respect for the Italian anthem as he supposedly showed for Senna at Monza by crying. No, Mr. Schmacher feels that rules are for others, not him, as he has demonstrated during his duels with Hill, Villeneuve and Coutthard to name a few.

I have had the pleasure of working with the Itallian Army and never seen an Itallian soldier other than at rigid attention during the playing of the national anthem. I would take offense at anyone doing those things when the Star-Spangled Banner was playing. Those that say the music made him do it are making weak excuses for his idiotic antics.

[Tris]

Originally posted by downforce


U mean u have to got to Monza to be a tifosi???
...anyways Tris, Im a Schumacher fan and i dont care what car he drives!!
[/B]

Hi Down force!

No you do not have to go to Monza but you DO have to be Italian.

Tris

[EERO]

Blackjack, you make a compelling arguement and I think you are right on the money. Thanks.

I might suggest though, that TGF never intended disrespect because he never really considered that his actions could be construed that way. But as they say about the road to he11....

[Don K]

Originally posted by Tris

No you do not have to go to Monza but you DO have to be Italian.
Tris

Does that mean that I can't be a supporter or fan anymore,
because I'm not English?

[freud]

Blackjack

You are right in your opinions. The statement doesnt have racist tones and MS is arrogant, right. Problem with him is that he never had the soberness of a Senna or Mika and he gets over-excited on the podium. I've noticed this since 1993. He jumps unneccesarily, makes strange expressions, and behaves like an immature person. After he won the 1996 Belgium GP he typically got out of control and hugged and kissed Jean Todt on the podium(off-course on the cheeks) but that shows his tendency to get over-excited. The "orchestra" conduction on Italian anthem was something he deliberately invented to give the impression to the tifosi that he is a "Maestro" that carries Ferrari on his shoulders. Imho it was done on the advise of his management team which is too keen on inventing new ways to generate money, money and more money! More merchandise, more ferrari more money!!! thats what modern f1 is all about...

[R]

Some people show that they're happy by jumping in the air, punching their fist, pointing, whinking etc. like TGF does.

Others may be equally happy, but have a more "sober" appearance on the podium. I personally think that a driver should do what he feels like when he's happy, and if that includes crying or smiling or dancing around or just standing still and be solemn, I really can't see why any of us should pass judgement on this. Do we want robots who never share any of their emotions with us? Well, I certainly don't. And about the orchestrating being "invented on advice of his management team" - well we really don't know that, do we. The fact that TGF's joy on the podium is for real is beyond doubt, no matter what "strategic decision" lies behind it...

When TGF first came along, he was seen as a breath of fresh air. Now he's seen as an arrogant sm*ck. Ain't it funny how the success of someone changes certain peoples views of that person, more often than not I'd say...

[Dhru]

Ok, so Michael started waving his arms about during the Italian National Anthem. An ex-president starts to make comments, and suddenly an army of people start saying how disrespectful it is. What I don't understand is why has no-one complained before, you all seem to be jumping on the band wagon here. Michael has done the same thing before, as has Rubens in Germany, but noone said a word.
I don't want to condone this behaviour, but you should look at the circumstances under which the Anthem was played. It was played in celebration of a victory and I don't believe that any country would be upset if people celebrated during the Natonal anthem, it's part of the pride of a country. It's not as if he was talking to someone and being completly oblivious to it.
Also, Robin Plummer, don't even get me started on the WWII. I know what happened was atrocious, and I can't even begin to imagine what it was like. However, you have to see that part of what happened stems back to the end of WWI, and the Treaty of Versailles, instigated by GB, USA and France. But what has hapened has happened, and although we musn't forget it, I think that it is time to forgive. We must see Italy and Germany for what they are today.
Dhru.

[Liz]

I can recall some pilot on the podium knocking Fisi's hat off as he had neglected to remove it for the Finnish anthem.

At the US Hockey Team victory in Lake Placid in 1980 people were jumping around like cats on hot bricks - but we were not singing The Star Spangled Banner. We were singing "God Bless America." This avoided both the disrespect and the fact that nobody can sing The Star Spangled Banner.

TGF is not disrespectful, he is simply immature. This is not a sin or a crime, it's his personality.

I always thought Tifosi were Ferrari fans no matter where they happen to live or what nationality they were. Nu?

[Red]

Da, you don't have to be Italian to be a tifoso (otherwise I'm an illegal one...). By the way, tifosi is the plural for tifoso (tifosa for girls) And I wasn't at Monza either, but I'm working on it (or Imola, Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari? Which one shall I choose first?)

Blackjack, I had never seen any sodier other than standing still when any national anthem is played. However look at the audience on various stadiums... you know what they were doing? Singing! And I assure you they are very respectful. Does anybody remember the Australian GP this year? Remember those two individuals who played the national anthem? That was disrespectful. (of course, in my opinion, which may be wrong)

I stand to my point, all of them are happy when an Italian team wins and the Italian anthem is played and the Italian Tricolore is raised. Schumacher is not disrespectful, is not immature. He simply is happy. I guess that the Germans should be more offended, because he doesn't display the same joy when German anthem is played. (just kidding)

[Blackjack]

Yeah Red, I guess the music made him do it.