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Updated Oct. 4, 2013
Tony Musulin
It's always about the money – but was it this time? No one had heard of security van driver Tony Musulin until he drove off with $16.7 million – France's biggest robbery ever – without having even uttered one threatening word.
As any French cop will tell you, the weeks before a great festive occasion – Christmas, Easter, Mothers' Day – robbers are active people. They target any place where there ought to be large amounts of cash – supermarkets, jewelry stores, gold bullion dealers, post offices, banks, and security vans. Always, they use guns as a means of persuasion – from ordinary hand-held pistols to Russian AK47s or Israeli Uzis, but when it comes to security vans, their favorite way of getting to the money is to blast their way through the armored steel with rocket-propelled grenades; the latter are easily obtained these days from former Communist Bloc countries.
Thursday, November 5, Christmas little over a month away, television and radio newsrooms in France hastily prepared a Breaking News item. A Loomissecurity van had disappeared. So too one of the van's three guards: The driver.
So, was it such a big deal?
Not really.
The frequency of big-scale robberies made this a mundane item of news; just three months previously three men had forced a security van guard to hand over $10.1 million, and in 2007, 12 men had used rocket-propelled grenades to blow open the door of a security van and stole $14.5 million.
Yet, before that Thursday was over the disappearing Loomis security van was headline news, headline news not only in France but, with the help of 24/7 news channels like CNN, BBC-World, Sky, Fox, NBC or CBS, also so worldwide.
The Robbery
The van had disappeared in the east-central French city of Lyon.
Lyon (sometimes called Lyons in English) with its population of 4,415,000 is France's second-largest metropolitan area after Paris. It even resembles Paris because it straddles the rivers of Saône and Rhône, as Paris does the River Seine.
The city has its fair share of crime, but Lyon is normally associated with good wine and gastronomy. The vineyards that produce France's popular Beaujolais are north of the city and those that produce the excellent Côtes du Rhône are to the south. And it is from Lyon that French super chef Paul Bocuse hails and where, at his Michelin 3-starred restaurant, L'Auberge du Pont de Collonge, he serves his world-renowned truffle soup and whole spit-roasted pigeon at $114 and $75 per helping respectively.
However, on that warm but overcast November day, wine and food were for a moment out of the thoughts of television watchers. Loomis itself was not commenting on its disappearing security van and its driver, but criminologists in phone link-ups were telling news anchors that the "smooth" way in which the van had disappeared meant just one thing: A very experienced gang of robbers had waited outside the bank and the moment two of the three guards had gone into the bank to fetch more money, they had knocked the driver out with a stun-gun bullet, maybe with a taser, and had driven off the van, the driver lying unconscious in the rear.
This had happened, as the anchors reported, at 10:23 a.m. on a street named Rue du Vivier close to an island in the business center of town, the two rivers flowing by tranquilly on each side.
At 12:10 p.m. the van was found. It was parked on a street – Rue de Montagny – which was only a few yards from Rue du Vivier. The van's engine was running, but its GPS (Global Positioning System), telephone link with the depot, as well as the driver's walkie-talkie to stay in touch with the other two guards, switched off. The van was empty – of money and driver; the driver's gun and automatic machine-gun however lay on the front seat.
Had there been doubt in some minds about who had carried out the robbery, finding the van eliminated those; it had indeed been an experienced gang and the driver, poor unfortunate man, must be lying dead somewhere.
The guard was still not named. It was presumed that the police first wanted to notify his family and prepare them for the news that he might be dead.
Friday, November 6, the clouds of the previous day had turned to rain, and it was a little cooler. That night at 8 o'clock television news anchors reported that the police had found the money, or at least, most of the money. They had found $12.9 million in a lock-up garage, called a box in France, on a street named Route de Vienne. The money in five-Euro to 100-Euro bills was piled up against a wall behind a small white Renault Kangoo van. The bills were all brand-new and still in their plastic wrappers. The police gave no indication of where they thought the rest of the money – $3.8 million – could be. Route de Vienne was a quarter of a mile from the Rue du Vivier where the van had disappeared and the Rue de Montagny where the van had been found.
The driver was now named: He was Tony Musulin, born 39 years ago in Serbia, but after almost 25 years in France, a French national.
The police released a photo of Musulin which, flashed on to television screens, drew a ah-hah! from all. With his black hair and blue eyes, Musulin was a looker. And he was wealthy too because by then no one believed anymore that he was lying dead somewhere, victim of France's biggest ever robbery. No, he was the robber. And he had $3.8 million because, as the Lyon police chief, Claude Catto, said at a press conference, the police had no evidence of Musulin having had an accomplice or accomplices.
So, Tony Musulin had pulled off what was being called "the heist of the century" all on his own and without having fired a shot, without even having uttered one threatening word.
This was the stuff Hollywood movies were made of, Matt Damon or Leonardo DiCaprio stepping into the shoes of the gentle robber hero.
Suddenly, everyone wanted to know more about this gutsy guy. Someone even quickly started a web site in support of him, and within hours it had almost a hundred members; within days there would be thousands.
Tony Musulin had indeed become a hero. Without even having all the facts, he was being lauded for having given the banks their just rewards; they'd been stealing from us, stealing our money with their high charges and low interest rates, so good, now one of us had stolen from them.
The Gentle Robber Hero
Tony Musulin was by all appearances a model employee and a decent man.
From what his colleagues, neighbors and those who had come across him at one time or another, told the media, he had given them no indication that inside him dark waters were bubbling and about to erupt like lava from a volcano.
He lived alone in a modest rented second-story apartment in a humble pink-painted building in the Lyon suburb of Villeurbanne, some five miles from the city center. He had moved into the apartment a year previously after he had broken up with a lover, who was identified only as Hélène. The latter was the manager of a bistro and some evenings Musulin had served at the tables. "This did not happen often though, and when it did, he never talked much," one regular patron remembered. He added that Musulin always seemed "lost in his thoughts."
He loved Chinese food and once separated from Hélène he popped into the Vietnamese restaurant on the ground floor of the building next to his new apartment. The restaurateur described him as a big, brawny guy, but one who did not speak much. "He always replied either with a 'yes' or a 'no' to whatever I said to him."
Someone else who also remembered Musulin as a man who never had much to say for himself was a coach at a Villeurbanne gym where he worked out regularly; the big, brawny guy weighed 220 pounds for his 5 foot 9 inches, and he wanted to keep in shape, so he pumped iron. Said the coach: "He was one of our regulars. He always paid a year in advance, and always in cash. Believe me, if he had looked like a bandit, we would not have allowed him past the door."
And a neighbor described him as, "very gentle, not very talkative, shy. Used to walk a dog, but I've not seen him do so for about six months."
Hélène also spoke about her former lover. She described him as a man who was "very ordinary, careful with money, but who all the same loved beautiful things." They had been together for 11 years. Why did they split? "Tony had become aggressive. He carried on about everything," she said.
Musulin's Loomis colleagues said that he arrived at their depot every morning just before eight. He always arrived on a bicycle. The monthly salary of a junior security van guard is the SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance), the French national minimum wage of $12.7 per hour for a 151.67-hour month which totals to a monthly wage of $1,927, but he had been with Loomis for 10 years and his monthly pay packet had risen to $2,500. This meant that he could afford to run a car, and he did – he had an old Peugeot 406 – but cycling the odd five miles to work, as he told his colleagues, helped him to keep his weight down.
When he got to the depot he changed from his street clothes to the Swedish-owned Loomis's navy-blue uniform and he took possession of the pistol and automatic machine-gun he would carry for protection. At 8:30 sharp, he and two colleagues would set off on their first money transport of the day.
The colleagues said that he spoke little about himself, but the French are naturally discreet, continuing to address one another as Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle after having worked with or lived in adjoining apartments for years, so his discretion was not unusual. But he did some days complain to them about money, about how little they were being paid. One colleague would even remember that he one day said that he was going to make the bosses pay for their meanness. He did not say this in a threatening way and as the colleague would tell journalists, "Don't we all say that at one time or another, say it without really meaning it?"
The Investigation
Days passed. Tony Musulin remained missing. The police were already looking foolish and incompetent because two months previously a man named Jean-Pierre Treiber had audaciously escaped from the prison in Auxerre, also in east-central France, where he had been awaiting trial for the murder of two lesbian women (See Article "Catch Me If You Can" at www.crimemagazine.com), and now they admitted, more or less, that they had no idea where Musulin and the missing $3.8 million were. Indeed, they were not absolutely certain that he had acted alone and had the $3.8 million in his possession.
But Lyon Police Chief Commissioner Claude Catto and his team were indeed making progress with their investigation, but keeping the information to themselves, hoping to give Musulin confidence to step from his hiding place and into their waiting handcuffs.
First confirmation the police had that Musulin did indeed have the $3.8 million with him came the very next day after the heist – Friday, November 6.
The plastic bags in which the missing money had been packed were found in a garbage bin on a street in Bron, another of Lyon's suburbs. Bron is south of Villeurbanne and it is that way that one would have to drive if one was heading south – south to Italy beyond which was the former Yugoslavia from where Musulin hailed. Checking the bags for fingerprints, the police had found Musulin's. So, yes, he had the money alright.
Commissioner Catto had also put together a time line of Musulin's movements that went back almost a year to January 2009.
From January to March, Musulin had done little more than pump iron and eat Chinese food and to make sure that no one laid their grubby hands on the money he transported in the white Loomissecurity vans.
In April, he had under his own name rented the lock-up garage on Lyon's Route de Vienne. The lease was to run through to Thursday, December 31, 2009.
That month he had also rented, and also under his own name, the small white Renault Kangoo van which was to be found with the money in the lock-up garage.
At the start of May he had taken a few days vacation and on Wednesday, May 6, he had set off for Serbia by car. He had made the journey in a Ferrari. The car was his; he had bought it at an auction in Lyon in 2008, paying $166,000 by check for it. (The law in France is that any purchase for a sum of more than €3,000 ($4,500) must be settled by check or credit card.)
Two days later, on Friday, May 8, he had returned to France by tourist coach, and back in Lyon, he had declared the Ferrari stolen to its insurers.
From May to September, Musulin had again done little more than ride his bicycle to Loomis in the morning to be a model worker, and to pump iron and to eat Chinese food, but in the last week of October he had withdrawn whatever money he had on deposit in the bank. He had several (some reports spoke of 12) accounts in banks in Lyon and Villeurbanne, and in them he had had a total of €100,000 ($144,000).
On Sunday, November 1, he had rented a BMW 900 motorcycle in Lyon. He took it for four weeks and paid cash; the rental cost was $995 per week which included the insurance.
That same day he had returned the small white Renault Kangoo van to the car rental company (CarGo). The body of the van was badly burned and his explanation was that young hoodlums must have torched the car which he had left parked on a street not far from his apartment. (Youths torching cars is a regular occurrence in France, it happens when peaceful social demonstrations turn violent, but also after football matches when there is discontent after a defeat, or when too much alcohol has been consumed on festive nights.) Told by the manager of the car rental company that he would have to report the torching to the police, he had not hesitated to do so; he had even called in at a police station house twice about it, each time confirming his identity with his real French identity card. The company, satisfied that their insurer would reimburse them for the van, had allowed him to rent another.
On Wednesday, November 4 – the day before the robbery – Musulin had invited one of his colleagues, Philippe Ferreiro, 47, to join him for a drink after work. Ferreiro could not go which, as he told the Lyon-based daily Le Progrès, he now regrets. "I told him 'not today, pal, but certainly another day.' I think he wanted to sort of bid me goodbye. That it was going to be a farewell drink." Ferreiro had been a security van guard for seven years but with Loomis he'd been for just a year, and he and Musulin had formed a team along with a third man who was identified only as Didier M., 27 years old, for only a few months; Musulin had quarreled with his previous two team mates. (The reason for the quarrel has not been revealed.)
Perhaps that day Musulin had also removed all his belongings (clothes, household equipment and personal things like letters, old electricity bills, CDs and books) from his rented apartment, leaving only those items of furniture (fridge, stove, sofa, bed) too large and heavy for one man to move, behind for the cops to find. And he had cleaned the place; the fridge was empty and shiny; the stove had been scrubbed; the floor polished; the furniture dusted.
On Thursday, November 5 – the day of the robbery – Musulin had arrived at the depot on his bicycle as usual and after having clocked in, having changed into his uniform and having signed for his gun and sub-machine gun, had set off at 9:15 a.m. with Ferreiro and Didier M. Musulin, senior to both men, was as usual behind the wheel, the other two in the rear of the van. Their first stop was at the Lyon depot of the Banque de France, France's central bank founded in 1800 by Napoléon Bonaparte, to pick up money. With Musulin remaining at the wheel, Ferreiro and Didier M. had rushed into the bank, each cradling his sub-machine gun in the crook of one arm while the hand of the other rested on the gun holstered on his hip. Despite that insurance companies in France include a clause in their contract with security van companies that they should not transport more than €7 million ($10.1 million) at a time, the three had collected $16.7 million. It was common practice to ignore the 7-million maximum clause, and as a policeman, who was not identified, told journalists: "What's important is that no one on the outside knows how much money is inside." And as a former Loomis security van guard, who did not want to be identified, told journalists: "Always when we left the Banque de France with a large load of money, we made it straight back to the depot."
On that Thursday, this was not what had happened. The three guards had to pick up another bag of money from a bank, the bank on Rue du Vivier. Again, Ferreiro and Didier M. had rushed into the bank, and they had emerged about three minutes later and … the van was gone.
Ferreiro and Didier M.'s first thought had been for their colleague; they thought that the van with him in it had been hijacked. They called his walkie-talkie. There was no reply. They called him on his cell phone. Again there had been no reply. They then called their depot on their walkie-talkie and reported that the van and Musulin were gone. Ferreiro would tell Le Progrès that Musulin had been complaining of an upset stomach all of the previous week and his first thought was that he had been taken very ill suddenly and had pulled the van into a more secluded spot to vomit.
The brand-new bills were packed into 49 bundles, each bundle wrapped in heat-and-water resistant plastic.
There was no record of the numbers on the bills.
Questions but No Answers
How could a man with a monthly salary of $2,500, afford a $166,000 Ferrari? The police admitted that this puzzled them as much as it did everybody else.
How could a man with a monthly salary of $2,500 have $144,000 in the bank? The police admitted that this too puzzled them as much as it did everybody else. One cop with a sense of humor told this writer, that he would "sure like to know because if it were honestly achieved, I am going to do it too."
Did Musulin really plan and execute the heist all on his own? Again, the police admitted that they just did not know, but that they were looking only for Musulin. They had, they said, asked Interpol, the international criminal police organization, to issue an international arrest warrant for him. This was giving them confidence that Musulin would soon be behind bars because as soon as he tried to pass through custom's control of a non-Schengen country he would instantly be arrested. (In 1985 five of the then 10-member European Community, today the European Union, signed the Schengen Agreement under which border controls for their nationals travelling to or from the signatory states would be eliminated. Currently (2010) 25 European Union states have signed the Schengen Agreement; a notable absentee is the United Kingdom.)
Where could Musulin be, and where was the missing money? Yet again, the police had to admit that they did not know. Lyon was only 93 miles from Geneva and he would not have to go through customs to get there because Switzerland, despite not being a European Union member state, had signed the Schengen Agreement. Milan and Turin were 155 and 192 miles respectively from Lyon, and Italy, a European Union member state, had also signed the Schengen Agreement. Paris was 285 miles away and with almost 12 million people living in the city and its suburbs (2007 census data) it would not be difficult to hide among them.
The police were also not revealing how they knew what they did know about Musulin.
How did they know about the lock-up garage? The agency through which he rented the garage had told them.
How did they know about the rented small white Renault Kangoo van and the rented BMW 900 motorcycle? The manager of the car rental company had told them.
How did they know that plastic Banque de France bags had been thrown away? A passerby had seen them protruding from the garbage bin on the street in Bron and on seeing that they were Banque de France bags had summoned the police.
How did they know about Musulin's bank accounts? The banks had told them.
How did they know about Musulin's trip to Serbia? Suspecting that he would be heading that way with the $3.8 million, they had asked the Serbian authorities to check if a Tony Musulin had entered the country through any of its borders. (Serbia is not a European Union member and had therefore not been invited to sign the Schengen Agreement.) The Serbs had done more than that; not only had they checked their passport control records and had found that he had entered the country, but on Wednesday, May 6, but they had also run through videos taken by spy cameras at border posts and had seen that he had checked through the Bosnian/Serbian border behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Further checking had revealed that he had left Serbia again two days later on Friday, May 8. He had done so as passenger on a coach, a favorite means of transport in Europe with poor immigrant workers because of its low fares.
Giving himself up
Monday, November 16 was a warm and sunny day on the French Riviera.
At noon, in the Mediterranean city of Nice, restaurateurs on its elegant Promenade des Anglais were laying tables on flowery terraces; they knew that many people would be strolling along the promenade and at noon they would want to have a bite to eat.
Thirteen miles west from Nice in the Principality or City-State of Monaco restaurateurs were also preparing for hungry tourists.
In the 1950s the English playwright and novelist, Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) had called the 0.77-sq.mile, tax-free Monaco, the world's second smallest state after the Vatican City, "a sunny place for shady people." Ruled by the noble family of Grimaldi since the 13th century, it has always been a grain of sand in the eye of its big and only neighbor – France. The French head-of-state General Charles de Gaulle had even in the 1960s threatened to invade and annex it should it not clean up its act. The act that the General wanted cleaned up was that wealthy French nationals established residence in the Principality to avoid paying revenue tax in France. The General was victor and the Principality's French nationals must now pay tax. Since those days of threats of invasion and annexation, the Principality and France are on the best of terms. The Principality does not have a ground army or air force, and its navy consists of one coastal patrol boat, but it does have a powerful police force of 515 men in operetta-type dark blue uniforms with red and gold braid for a population of 33,000.
Crime is however almost non-existent in the Principality. What crime there is consists of a motorist speeding down one of the Principality's narrow streets in a luxury car, or a late-night clubber who has had one drink too many being a little noisy for the likes of a billionaire trying to sleep in one of the high-rise multi-million dollar apartments.
In fact, only once in the past 100 years has a serious crime been committed there; in 1999 American Ted Maher was accused and convicted of the willful murder of billionaire banker Edmond Safra.
The Monaco police can't therefore be described as tough, trigger-happy cops, so when, the glass door of its main station house opened at 12:45 p.m. that Monday, November 16, the duty officer greeted the man who walked in politely and asked what he could do for him. Through the glass of the door behind the man the duty officer could see a BMW 900 motorcycle. The man, gray-haired, unshaven and dressed all in black, was obviously a biker: Maybe he was lost and had stepped in for directions.
"Good afternoon. My name is Tony Musulin," said the man.
On the run for 11 days, Musulin had gone to give himself up.
At 4:30 p.m. Monaco Police Chief André Muhlberger called a press conference.
Muhlberger, smiling broadly, confirmed that the fugitive had handed himself in to the police of Monaco.
Musulin had arrived, said Muhlberger, on a BMW 900 motorcycle. No, he had not explained where he had been for the previous 11 days. No, he did not have the missing $3.8 million with him. In fact, he did not have even one cent on him and by his unshaven appearance and that he was famished, he must have been without money for quite a while. His unshaven appearance – and the gray hair whereas the picture of him showed a black-haired man – had made it a little difficult to be absolutely certain that he was indeed who he claimed to be, but he had his passport with him and they had taken his fingerprints and his identity had thus been confirmed.
The journalists wanted to know whether they could speak to Musulin. No, replied Muhlberger, that would not be possible. After having confirmed Musulin's identity, they had handed him over to the French police. The transfer had taken place among the cacti of Monaco's Jardin Exotique – the botanical garden – once the pride and joy of the mother – the former Hollywood star Grace Kelly – of the current ruler, Prince Albert 11. What few people were aware of was that the botanical garden acted as border between the Principality and France.
It turned out that Interpol had not yet issued an international arrest warrant for Tony Musulin, so the Monaco police did not have the jurisdiction to take him into custody.
Had he surrendered to the Monaco police hoping to launch a long extradition battle, the journalists wanted to know from Muhlberger.
"No," he replied, "he was confused and gave us the impression that he was not aware that he was in Monaco. He thought that he was in France."
He added: "After we'd told him that he was in Monaco, all we could do was to ask him whether he would object to us handing him over to the French police, and as he had not objected, we had proceeded to drive him to the border where we handed him over."
But before the handover they had given Musulin a sandwich and a cup of coffee; he was hungry and it was lunchtime after all.
Back to Lyon
The moment Musulin was in the hands of the French police, he was driven to Nice and from there the 290 miles to Lyon where he arrived at 11 p.m. He sat silently in the rear of the police car.
During his first interrogation the following morning – Tuesday, November 17 – he admitted to the police that he was the one who had robbed the Loomisvan. Whether he acted alone he refused to say. Likewise he refused to say where he had hidden the missing $3.8 million: He would not even admit that he had the money. He had stolen the contents of the van, yes, but not a word further would he say.
On Wednesday, November 18, Musulin appeared briefly in court in Lyon and heard that he was to stand trial at a future date for theft and fraud; the latter charge could be added because the "stolen" Ferrari had been found in Serbia with the man Musulin had sold it too. The police did not reveal the amount the man had paid for the car. (There exists a lucrative traffic of stolen luxury cards between Western Europe and the former Communist Bloc countries.)
Musulin was taken from court to Lyon's Corbas Prison. Corbas, described as ultra-modern – each cell has a shower and an intercom so that inmates can summon help – was inaugurated in May 2009 by France's then Minister of Justice Rachida Dati. In her speech she described Corbas as the "prison for the future." She added: "When one is deprived of one's liberty, one ought not to be deprived of one's dignity as well." Despite such words, Corbas has already experienced several rebellions. On Tuesday, November 24, not even six months into its existence, 200 inmates had refused to return to their cells after a walk in the exercise yard. It took two hours to calm them down and to get them back into their cells. That next Sunday and the following two as well, some inmates had again refused to return to their cells from the exercise yard. The reason for the rebellions was overcrowding despite that there were only 805 inmates at that time for a maximum capacity of 690, and that there were no individual cells.
On Thursday, December 3, Musulin briefly broke his silence to tell his interrogators that he had left all of $16.7 million in the lock-up garage. More he would not say, but it did sound as if he was saying that those cops who had been first into the garage had helped themselves to the money. Just a few days previously television news anchors had shown two cops holding up a small shop in a French town and rushing off with the contents of the cash register; the shop's spy cameras had filmed it all. (The cops were suspended and are now awaiting trial.)
On Tuesday, December 15, Loomis sacked their Lyon bureau chief as well as the branch's chief of transport. They furthermore demoted the man who had been in charge of transports on the day of the robbery, while two guards received warnings to improve their vigilance or to face dismissal. Philippe Ferreiro and Didier M. were suspended, but only temporarily; Ferreiro is back at work now, but Didier M. described as "traumatized" is off on sick leave.
What was it all about?
Did the sheer volume of plastic-wrapped bundles of money overwhelm Musulin so that he ran leaving the money in the lock-up garage?
Did he have an accomplice or accomplices – the Russian Mafia maybe – who were to pick up the money and deliver his share to him in his hide-out?
Where was this hide-out supposed to have been? The road from Lyon to Serbia runs south to the French Riviera (and Monaco). Belgrade, capital of Serbia is 910 miles or a 14-hour drive from Lyon. After the French Riviera a motorist has to head for Turin, then Milan, then Trieste, and from there to and through Croatia to reach Serbia.
Only Musulin knows the answers and he is not talking. One of his two lawyers, Christophe Cottet-Bretonnier, says that Musulin is a loner who had even broken all ties with his own family but that the wandering life and living hidden are not for him. "He seems relieved that he had surrendered," he said.
To Be or Not To Be a Hero
Although the man who had walked into the Monaco police station house was plumper, older-looking and grayer than the Tony Musulin on the photo the French police had initially released of him, he remains a hero. His Facebook page continues to attract friends and has more than 13,000 already. Every day more people from the world over join his fan-club. Someone has even started to sell Tony Musulin t-shirts on the Internet with a picture of his face above the slogan "Best Driver 2009"; these are selling for $30 each.
According to Maître Cottet-Bretonnier (in France a lawyer is addressed as Maître) his client knows that he is being considered a hero.
"It amuses him," he says.
Something which is not amusing Musulin however, is that his heist has revealed that he has an 18-year-old daughter. Her existence became known when a few days after the robbery a girl reported that someone had tried to kidnap her. Her story was that someone had tried to force her into the rear seat of a car but when a motorist driving by had sounded the horn of his car the kidnapper had let go of her. The girl's surname was not Musulin, but she had, for the first eight years of her life, borne that surname. She did not immediately make the connection between the Musulin who had fathered her and the Musulin who had carried out the robbery, but, although the police have not confirmed this, she did then learn that Tony Musulin was her biological father. She now has a bodyguard despite that Musulin has not admitted in so many words that he did father her; he only admitted to his lawyers that he did in the past know her mother. The police did however say that they could not find any eyewitnesses to the attempted kidnapping.
But even if Musulin should be the father of a teenager, he still remains a hero. His two lawyers say that he is receiving dozens of letters each week from people – male and female – who congratulate and compliment him on his extraordinary feat and his non-violence.
Some of the female letter writers have asked him to marry them, enclosing photos of themselves.
This, too, amuses him.
What Now For Musulin?
Despite the amount that Tony Musulin had stolen, because no guns or violence had been involved, by French law he had committed only a minor crime.
Therefore, under Article 311-3 of the French Penal Code he risks a maximum of only three years in prison and a fine of €45,000 ($65,000). Had he branded a gun at his two colleagues, he would have faced a 30-year sentence and a €150,000 ($216,000) fine. The maximum penalty for a fraudulent insurance claim is five years and a fine that reflects the value of the alleged stolen item.
Legal experts however think that Tony Musulin would receive no more than 18 months in prison and once his pre-trial detention time had been deducted, he ought to be a free man within nine moths of having been sentenced.
As another French law stipulates that a minor felon must be awarded pre-trial bail, he would not have to await his trial in jail; he would be leaving Corbas Prison within weeks.
Then all those women who had offered him matrimony will be waiting.
But will they have him without the $3.8 million?
Hero? Robin Hood? Nice guy?
At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 11, rain pelting Lyon, a prison's transport van with grayed windows swung through the gates of the city's Court of Justice. The lights of 60 cameras had flashed almost simultaneously as the van had approached the building, but none had succeeded in getting a photograph of the van's occupants, three uniformed cops and a man in dark trousers, black woolen sweater and a gray windbreaker: Tony Musulin. His trial for "robbery without violence" and "insurance fraud" was scheduled to open at 9.30 that morning.
The court room was packed. A week earlier the media had reported the date of Musulin's trial, and there, that Tuesday, not only women wanted to see what he looked like, but so too men. All ages were there, filling the courtroom's hard, uncomfortable benches.
Outside the court room, Maître Claudia Chemarin-Maisonneuve, Loomis's lawyer, was telling journalists that the Swedish security van company had never had a problem with Tony Musulin and therefore had not given him a hard time as some of his colleagues had told journalists. She described him as a "discreet and punctual" employee. She said: "No one had any suspicions of Tony Musulin when he asked us to change the route he was to take with his security van that day of the heist. "
At 9.26 a.m. Musulin's two lawyers, Christophe Cottet-Bretonnier and Hervé Banbanaste entered the court room and at 9.46 a.m. so did Jean-Hugues Gay, who would preside over the judge-only trial. While they took their seats, the photographers who had been outside, rushed in for a quick photo session. They took photos of the lawyers and the judge, and then of the box of the accused, but not of the accused. He was waiting in an ante-chamber until the photographers and journalists could be marched from the court room; he had requested that no photos be taken of him, and that was his right by French law.
The Tony Musulin an artist working for a local newspaper captured on a sheet of white paper later showed a fat, balding man with only a few strands of wispy gray hair behind his ears and in his neck, and a bloated face covered in an untidy gray beard. And the ice-blue eyes which had stared at the world from his Loomis I.D. photo with a child-like innocence had turned a dull gray. In the five months that he had spent in Corbas prison, he had lost his looks. Indeed, had he looked like that – an overweight aging guy – on the day that he had driven off with $16.7 million, he would never have become a national hero and an international Internet star. It was hard to believe that he was still only 39.
Two psychiatrists, Liliane Daligand and Marc Lavie, had assessed Musulin during his incarceration. At first he had refused to be assessed, which was also his right by French law, but had then agreed to one consultation that would take no more than 90 minutes. He had told the two that he was like a little dog. He said: "If you caress me, I am gentle. If someone is nasty to me, I bite." They had come to the conclusion that such an attitude had made him a loner. They said however that despite having cut himself off from others, he had a desire to be noticed which he had always achieved by doing something spectacular.
It was a diagnosis that made sense. Musulin rode to work on a bicycle, yet, at one time his colleagues knew that he was the owner of an expensive Audi, and then later of a Ferrari.
Musulin had his own explanation of his character and of why he had robbed Loomis which he did not fail to pass on to the two psychiatrists. He spoke of his childhood. Contrary to what had been reported at the time of the heist, he was born in France, in the commune of Saint-Martin-d'Hères close to the Swiss border of immigrant Yugoslav parents. His parents had often returned to Yugoslavia for lengthy periods and he had been obliged to leave his French school to accompany them; they had not given him much attention or love, he claimed. At 16, he had passed his school-leaving exam here in France and had then gone to an electro-technical college to qualify as an electrician. Ten years later he had joined Loomis as a security guard. He had been able to buy a Ferrari, he'd told the two psychiatrists because he worked hard and spent little. "I am a self-made man," he had boasted.
In court, that was his line too. He had six bank accounts and €130,000 ($162,000) on deposit, because he'd worked for the money. (It had been reported that he had 12 bank accounts and €100,000 ($144,000) when, in fact, he had fewer accounts but more money.)
He had, he also said in court, driven off with the security van to get back at Loomis. "I had enough of my boss and the company."
Why was that so? He said that Loomis paid him and his colleagues too little for such dangerous work and on top of that the company's security was slack. Also, because he was a single man and without children, the company would never agree for him go on vacation in the summer. The company had also refused to give him a few hours off in order to attend the funeral of a close friend. He had attended the funeral all the same and the company had then started to be tough on him. "They sent me to places where the others would not go," he said.
He had planned the heist in the summer of last year (2009) when he'd been told yet again that he was to work right through the summer to allow men with wives and children to profit from the two-month school vacation.
In reply to such accusations, Maître Chemarin-Maisonneuve repeated what she had told journalists earlier outside the court: Musulin had been a model employee and there had been no conflict between him and Loomis. His claim of wishing to get back at Loomis was therefore not true. She also denied that Loomis was slack when it came to security.
But Musulin did not budge. He was, he said in court, not the hero, the Robin Hood the media and Internet had made him out to be. He was just an ordinary guy, society's "little guy" who the bigger guys picked on. And the bigger guys were his bosses at Loomis so that he had to look out for himself. "I respect the law but at a certain moment I crossed over to the other side because of all the injustices," he said.
He did not want the money he had stolen, he emphasized. He had taken it only to spite his employers.
Where was the missing $3.8 million?
"I don't know," said Musulin. "I don't have it."
He had the people in the public gallery laughing when he spoke of the money. He described something like a scene from the 1960's Peter Sellers movie, The Pink Panther, when he spoke of the moment when he had to transfer the bags of money from the Loomis security van to the small white Renault Kangoo van he had rented specially for the heist. He said: "I was throwing the bags into the van. They would not lie where I wanted them to. They were slipping; they were plastic bags, so they were slipping, sliding from the van, dropping everywhere. It was crazy! I really had a tough time!"
He also stuck to his story that he had left all the bags of money in the lock-up garage he had rented; at least he had left whatever he had had in the Renault Kangoo in the garage, but some of the bags might have fallen under the Kangoo during the transfer from the Loomis security van, and those might have remained lying on the road. Or, he said, someone had stolen the missing bags from the garage. He hinted that the police should maybe have a word with the man from whom he had rented the garage. "I'm telling you, I don't have the money," he emphasized when Judge Gay pointed out that the missing money were all in large bills of 500, 200 and 100 euros.
He also had nothing to say about where he had been for the time that he had been on the run. All that he would say was that he'd rented a motorbike and had ridden to Italy. He had only his own money on him while he was on the run and it was not a large sum, he pointed out. Therefore while in Italy he had done nothing but "eat a lot of pasta."
The trial was scheduled to last at least two days. It lasted just one.
Marc Desert, the public prosecutor, had asked Judge Gay and his team of two assessing magistrates to sentence Musulin to a total of five years for the two crimes. The three had deliberated for just under two hours (during which some time was spent on having a coffee and using the toilets) and returned with a verdict of three years and a fine of €45,000 ($56,000).
Musulin, on hearing the verdict, smiled, but Prosecutor Desert shook his head in disbelief, and once out of his black robe and speaking to journalists outside the court room said that French justice was not going to allow Musulin to recoup the missing money he had "hidden somewhere in Eastern Europe" once he'd done his time. He said that he would be appealing the lenient sentence and the following morning of Wednesday, May 12, he did. Musulin's two lawyers though said that they would not appeal the sentence.
Tony Musulin would therefore have to have another day in court, but no matter what the new verdict will be, he could, when he is a free man again, go and fetch the money and live happily ever after because of the procedural defense system of double jeopardy which means that an already judged crime can not be rejudged. Most developed countries (U.S.A and Britain included) abide by the double jeopardy system. France also does: All Council of Europe countries, which include almost all European Union countries, are signatories of the European Convention of Human Rights which protects a convicted person from facing a double jeopardy, in other words from being tried more than once for the same crime.
It is unlikely that Prosecutor Desert will be successful in having Musulin's sentence lengthened. Musulin had after all received the maximum sentence for "robbery without violence" and was heavily fined for the insurance fraud he had committed.
Therefore, after the five months that Musulin had spent in jail awaiting his trial have been deducted from his 3-year sentence he could be walking from prison in two and a half years – around December 2012.
But another six months could be deducted from his sentence for good behavior which means that he could be released in July 2012.
Tony Musulin might then finally be able to go on a summer vacation. And perhaps as a millionaire.
Free … and perhaps a millionaire:
On Tuesday, November 2, 2010, Musulin's attorneys, having changed their minds about not lodging an appeal, had Musulin back in the dock at the courthouse in Lyon for an appeal hearing.
To the delight of Marc Desert, the public prosecutor, the appeal went against the charismatic thief's three-year sentence and he was to do five years behind bars. (In France, in 99 of 100 cases, an appeal is unsuccessful.)
Musulin was returned to Lyon's Corbas penitentiary but was soon afterwards transferred to Paris's La Santé penitentiary. At Lyon-Corbas he had to be held in solitary because the other detainees did not let a day pass without trying to get from him where he had hidden the missing $3.8 million of the $11.7 million he had stolen. At times their persuasion had been physically violent. On his arrival at La Santé he again had a cell of his own.
Having been given five years that November 2, 2010, but having done six months waiting for the commencement of his original trail plus the six months he had already served of the three-year sentence waiting for the appeal to be heard, he was to be due for release in May 2015.
In 2012 Musulin was back in the news with a book about him and a movie about the extraordinary heist he had carried out.
Then followed oblivion until Thursday, October 3, 2013 when the news hit the headlines that Toni Musulin had been released.
He was released on Saturday, September 28. He was photographed being driven from the prison by Hervé Banbanaste, one of his attorneys. He had a padded jacket pulled up to his pale, lined face, his eyes hidden behind large sunshades, and his hair, grey and long. Where he was driven to has not been revealed.
Musulin had done three years of the five year sentence. Such an early release was described by legal experts as "according to the law of France."
While the French digested the news with disbelief and the police with anger, Public Prosecutor Marc Desert told the weekly news magazine, VSD: "Musulin will not be allowed to enjoy the missing $3.8 million."
Musulin is however free to leave France and to travel wherever he wants.
Few in France believe that he had, as he claimed, abandoned all of the stolen money in that lock-up garage.
Just as they now believe that he had deposited it somewhere outside France in a bank and he will from now on live the life of a millionaire.
The police however plan to have the last word.
"We'll get Musulin, even if it will only be for money laundering," French television networks quoted an anonymous police source.


text: Larger format Moleskine! Moleskine Folio Notebooks offer generous space that can be filled with drawings, projects and writings. They feature a hardbound cover, built-in elastic closure that holds the cover closed when not in use, a cloth ribbon placeholder and an expandable accordion back pocket. Each book contains off-white, acid-free, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper to match its use, whether it's for writing, sketching, drawing or painting, in a durable thread-bound binding.

subset: commoncrawl


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Exclusive-use provisions are commonly negotiated by landlords and tenants in commercial leases, especially for retail properties, but sometimes the most important aspects of the exclusive use provision are overlooked, including the tenant's remedy if the provision is violated. In other instances, the exclusive-use clause may be too narrow to allow the landlord flexibility in leasing. Without a remedy, the exclusive use provision is essentially meaningless, as the tenant has no way to recover damages or losses in the event of a violation. If the exclusive use is overly broad, the landlord may be limited in its leasing opportunities.
Guest Blogger
Making the most of exclusive-use provisions in leases for landlords and tenants
What is an exclusive use? An exclusive-use provision grants a tenant the right to operate a particular use exclusively within a defined shopping area. For example, a tenant operating a Mexican restaurant may negotiate a provision prohibiting the landlord from leasing or allowing other tenants from operating a restaurant serving Mexican food. Exclusive-use clauses are valuable to tenants because they ensure that the tenant won't have to face direct competition in the immediate vicinity. How is an exclusive use violated? Exclusive-use provisions can be violated by the landlord in two general ways: (i) by directly leasing to a competing user; or (ii) by failing to enforce the existing tenant's exclusive use. In either event, the tenant will want to seek some remedy for the likely decrease in sales if a competing user operates in the defined shopping area. What are a tenant's remedies for the violation of its exclusive use? Remedies available to tenants if the exclusive use provision is breached include: (i) rent abatement during the time period that the competing operates, and (ii) the right to terminate the lease if the competing use does not cease within a specified time period. Further, when a landlord does not directly enter into a lease for a competing use, but an existing tenant either changes its operation to a competing use or assigns or subleases its rights to a competing user, the tenant will want the landlord to be held to the standard of using commercially reasonable efforts to stop the competing use. A tenant also may seek to use commercially reasonable efforts at the landlord's cost and expense to stop the competing use if the landlord fails to do so. What incentive does a landlord have to grant an exclusive use? From the landlord's perspective, granting an exclusive-use clause can be beneficial, particularly if tenants are paying percentage rent. By ensuring that there will not be competing users within the same retail center, landlords can maximize each tenant's profits and increase the amount of percentage rent collected from each tenant. Furthermore, by narrowly tailoring an exclusive-use clause, a landlord can grant a tenant the exclusive-use protection it desires, while still maintaining the flexibility the landlord needs to lease up its retail center. How can a landlord narrowly tailor an exclusive use? Using the Mexican restaurant example above, a landlord might seek to permit the "incidental" sale of Mexican food — defined as less than "X%" of another tenant's gross sales. This would allow the landlord the flexibility to lease to another restaurant that serves a wide variety of food with Mexican food making up a small portion of that tenant's menu. Using the Mexican restaurant example above, a landlord might seek to permit the "incidental" sale of Mexican food — defined as less than "X%" of another tenant's gross sales. This would allow the landlord the flexibility to lease to another restaurant that serves a wide variety of food with Mexican food making up a small portion of that tenant's menu.
Further, a landlord would want to include a provision that the tenant's exclusive use is only valid for such time as the tenant is actually open and operating the exclusive use. Using the Mexican food example again, this would allow the landlord to lease to another Mexican restaurant in the event that the first Mexican restaurant decided to stop operating as a Mexican restaurant and instead operate as a Chinese restaurant. In sum, exclusive use provisions can benefit both landlords and tenants when the exclusive-use clause is properly drafted. From the tenant's perspective, a properly drafted exclusive use clause will provide for a remedy if the landlord violates the tenant's exclusive use. From the landlord's perspective, a properly drafted exclusive-use clause will be narrowly tailored to allow the landlord to lease up its retail center. Megan Zaidan practices in the Real Estate Practice Group at Cleveland-based Walter | Haverfield LLP.


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You've been here 3 times in the last 6 weeks for various issues. Each time, as per office procedure, Mary asked if your insurance or address had changed, and each time you said no.
Last week we learned that not only HAD your insurance changed, but it was to a plan I don't take.
When my billing service called you about this, your reaction was "well, if my last insurance covered him, my new one should." Wrong.
And you just left Mary a scathing voicemail claiming that it's OUR fault for just taking your word on the insurance, instead of demanding that we see a copy of your card at every visit. Silly us, we assumed you'd tell us if it changed. That's why we ask each time.
I also loved the part about you threatening to turn me into the state board and "giving you bad reviews on all the internet rating sites" if I didn't forgive the $200.
This is no different than shoplifting. If you stole $200 worth of merchandise from a store, they'd press criminal charges. I can't do that, but I can turn you over to collections. I don't care if you're stupid, pretending to be stupid, or just malicious, but this is what I do for a living. You were more than happy to accept my treatments, and signed a bill after each visit.
Have a nice day.


text: Thursday, September 20, 2012 APTA Members Serve Important Roles in CDC-Funded Falls Prevention Project The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently awarded $800,000 to Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health and the University of North Carolina for a 2-year Policies, Programs, and Partners for Fall Prevention (PPPFP) project. APTA member Tiffany E. Shubert, PT, PhD, is a principal investigator for the initiative. The project addresses the urgent need to identify more effective public health strategies for reducing falls, fall-related injuries, and fall-related rates of emergency room visits among the growing population of seniors. It also will develop strategies and train community health workers in Texas and North Carolina to help raise awareness about falls prevention and refer older adults to evidence-based programs. This includes the evaluation of a training program for physical therapists to understand and implement evidence-based fall prevention and to integrate these efforts with state and national fall prevention policies An important partner in this effort is the National Council on Aging's Falls Free© Initiative, led by APTA member (Bonita) Lynn Beattie, PT, MPT. The national initiative—composed of 42 state coalitions—works collaboratively to increase awareness, bring education and training to providers, and increase investment in effective community interventions. The timing of the award is noteworthy; September 22 is National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. (See related News Now article posted Monday.) Shubert is a member of APTA's clinical practice guidelines (CPG) group that is developing CPGs for falls.


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Brenner Children's pediatric emergency department has moved back to its original location. Learn more
In order to help protect patients, family members and health care workers from the spread of COVID-19, no visitors are allowed at any of Wake Forest Baptist Health's outpatient or inpatient facilities, except in certain situations.Learn moreMore COVID-19 Updates
There's been a lot of discussion over the years about the proper way to refer to someone with dwarfism. Many people who have the condition prefer the term "little person" or "person of short stature." For some, "dwarf" is acceptable. For most, "midget" definitely is not.
But here's an idea everyone can agree on: Why not simply call a person with dwarfism by his or her name?
Being of short stature is only one of the characteristics that make a little person who he or she is. If you're the parent or loved one of a little person, you know this to be true.
Here are some facts that other people may not realize about dwarfism and those who have it.
Dwarfism isn't:
More than 300 well-described conditions are known to cause short stature in a child. Most are caused by a spontaneous genetic change (mutation) in the egg or sperm cells prior to conception. Others are caused by genetic changes inherited from one or both parents.
Depending on the type of condition causing the short stature, it is possible for two average-size parents to have a child with short stature, and is also possible for parents who are little people to have an average-size child.
What prompts a gene to mutate is not yet clearly understood. The change is seemingly random and unpreventable, and can happen in any pregnancy. If parents have some form of dwarfism themselves, the odds are likely that their children will also be little people. A genetic counselor can help determine the likelihood of passing on the condition in these cases.
Dwarfism has other causes, including metabolic or hormonal disorders in infancy or childhood. Chromosomal abnormalities, pituitary gland disorders (which influence growth and metabolism), absorptive problems (when the body can't absorb nutrients adequately), and kidney disease can all lead to short stature if a child fails to grow at a normal rate.
Most types of dwarfism are known as skeletal dysplasia, which are conditions of abnormal bone growth. They're divided into two types: short-trunk and short-limb dwarfism. People with short-trunk dwarfism have a shortened trunk with more average-sized limbs, whereas those with short-limb dwarfism have an average-sized trunk but shortened arms and legs.
By far, the most common skeletal dysplasia is achondroplasia, a short-limb dwarfism that happens in about 1 of every 15,000 to 40,000 babies born of all races and ethnicities. It can be caused by a spontaneous mutation in a gene called FGFR3, or a child can inherit a change in this gene from a parent who also has achondroplasia.
People with achondroplasia have a relatively long trunk and shortened upper parts of their arms and legs. They may share other features as well, such as a larger head with a prominent forehead, a flattened bridge of the nose, shortened hands and fingers, and reduced muscle tone. The average adult height for someone with achondroplasia is a little over 4 feet.
Diastrophic dysplasia is a different form of short-limb dwarfism. It happens in about 1 in 100,000 births, and is also sometimes associated with cleft palate, clubfeet, and ears with a cauliflower-like appearance. People who have this diagnosis tend to have shortened forearms and calves (this is known as mesomelic shortening).
Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasias (SED) refers to a group of various short-trunk skeletal conditions. Along with achondroplasia and diastrophic dysplasia, it is one of the more common types of dwarfism. In one type of SED, the lack of growth in the trunk area may not become apparent until the child is school age; other forms are apparent at birth. Kids with this disorder also might have clubfeet, cleft palate, and vision and/or hearing issues.
In general, dwarfism caused by skeletal dysplasias results in what is known as disproportionate short stature — meaning the limbs and the trunk are not of the same proportion as those of typically-statured people.
Metabolic or hormonal disorders typically cause proportionate dwarfism, meaning a person's arms, legs, and trunk are all shortened but remain in proportion to overall body size.
Some types of dwarfism can be identified through prenatal testing if a doctor suspects a particular condition and tests for it.
But most cases are not identified until after the child is born. In those instances, the doctor makes a diagnosis based on the baby's appearance, growth pattern, and X-rays of the bones. Depending on the type of dwarfism the child has, diagnosis often can be made almost immediately after birth.
Once a diagnosis is made, there is no "treatment" for most of the conditions that lead to short stature. Hormonal or metabolic problems may be treated with hormone injections or special diets to increase a child's growth, but skeletal dysplasias cannot be "cured."
People with skeletal dysplasias can, however, get medical care for some of the health complications associated with their short stature.
Some forms of dwarfism also involve issues in other body systems — such as vision or hearing — and require careful monitoring.
Short stature is the one quality all people with dwarfism have in common. After that, each of the many conditions that cause dwarfism has its own set of characteristics and possible complications.
Fortunately, many of these complications are treatable, so that people of short stature can lead healthy, active lives.
For example, a small percentage of babies with achondroplasia may have hydrocephalus (excess fluid around the brain). They may also have a greater risk of developing apnea (a temporary stop in breathing during sleep). This can be due to abnormally small bone anatomy or because of airway obstruction by the adenoids or the tonsils. Occasionally, a part of the brain or spinal cord is compressed. With close monitoring by doctors, however, these potentially serious problems can be detected early and surgically corrected.
As a child with dwarfism grows, other issues also may become apparent, including:
Not every type of dwarfism has all of these problems associated with it, and proper medical care can help with many of them. Surgery also can be used to improve some of the leg, hip, and spine problems people with dwarfism sometimes face.
Nonsurgical options can help, too — for instance, excessive weight can worsen many orthopedic problems, so a dietitian might help develop a healthy plan for shedding extra pounds. And doctors or physical therapists can recommend ways to increase physical activity without putting extra stress on the bones and joints.
Although types of dwarfism, and their severity and complications, vary from person to person, in general a child's life span is not affected by dwarfism. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act protects the rights of people with dwarfism, many members of the short-statured community don't feel that they have a disability.
You can help your child with dwarfism lead the best life possible by building his or her sense of independence and self-esteem right from the start.
Here are some general tips to keep in mind:
Reviewed by: Angela L. Duker, MS, CGC
Date reviewed: October 2014
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Last week I told you about the accident that killed Robert Aubrey Spink. This is the second newspaper article about the accident and covers the Coroners Inquest held on 20th April 1923.
A second death has occurred as the result of the collision between two motor-cyclists on Wednesday evening on the Leeds and Harrogate road between Moortown and Alwoodley.
It is believed that the two motor-cyclists collided "head-on". The medical evidence at the inquest, which was opened today, suggests that their heads crashed together with such force as to cause the injuries from which they died.
The dead men were.
Robert Aubrey Spink (40) 22, Ash Road, Headingley, postal telegraph clerk, a well known member of the Moortown Golf Club.
Harry Greenwood (19), 16 Union Terrace, Chapel Allerton, market gardener.
The girl who was riding on the carrier of the latter's machine, Miss Peggy Stannard, a tailoress, of 26 Harehills Road, Leeds,, is progressing favourably in Leeds Infirmary.
The inquest was opened by the Leeds City Coroner today, and was adjourned for a week.
Evidence of identification was given by Miss Mary Jane Spink (sister) and by Clifford Greenwood (brother).
Miss Spink said her brother was "one of the most careful riders on road." and never lost his head. He went out to play golf about 5 o'clock, and when he did not come back at 7.30, as expected, she thought something had happened, for his movements were as regular as clockwork. Her brother was a temperate man, and his hearing and eyesight were good.
Mr Greenwood said his brother had ridden for 18 months or two years, and was a cool, collected driver. He was accustomed to carrying a person on the pillion, and knew the difference in dealing with a machine in those circumstances. Witnesses added that his brother was a sober and healthy man, and had had no previous accident, except that he had once run over a dog.
Leonard Bexon, of 128 Street Lane, Leeds, paper merchant's assistant, said he had ridden Greenwood's machine during the last month, and it was in perfect order and was easy to drive.
"It is quite likely that he would be changing gears at the time of the accident," added the witness.
The Coroner: That may be the whole cause of the accident.
Witness said it would necessary to take one hand off the handlebar to change gear, but the change was easy. On the other hand Spink's golf clubs, which he was carrying on his back, might have swung round and interfered with his steering.
Dr Birtwistle said that both men had fractured skulls and severe injuries to the brain. It appeared as if the men's heads had crashed against each other. An operation was performed on Greenwood.
So as far as I can tell no actual blame was attached to either Robert Aubrey Spink or to Harry Greenwood. I wasn't able to find a newspaper report giving the Coroner's final verdict but I am pretty sure that it would be accidental death.


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Parralox :: They've got the 80's covered
Don't call the Australian pop-duo Parralox a "cover band." Just because they are basking in the success of their recent homages to Depeche Mode's classic hits "Enjoy the Silence" and "Heaven," this electro-pop symphonic team are revisiting the 80's and sonically bringing that decade of dance decadence forward into the new millennium.
Parralox is comprised of the singing/songwriting team of John von Ahlen and Amii Jackson. The band has only been together for a relatively short period of time but have already struck sharp comparisons to Erasure, New Order, and come very close to reprising the look and feel of the Human League. "Madonna's always in there, and maybe a little bit of Kylie," Amii admits of her own style, "it's no mystery. They're the obvious influences - those are the artists that I grew up listening to. Those are artists that inspired me, and I molded my voice around those artists."
Their single "Sharper Than A Knife" emulates the European pop melodies that made Kylie Minogue a locomotion on the US charts. It's a workably nostalgic nod to a radio-friendly sound that has all but been drowned out by the advent popularity of EDM (electronic dance music). "Ever since Amii came on board in 2009, I feel that now we're ready to take on America," John von Ahlen says about the teaming with Jackson. "It's all about timing."
Do What You Like
The chemistry between the two artists immediately sparked because they both share a passion for electronic and dance music.
"It was effortless really," von Ahlen reveals about the duo's uniquely retro sound. "It just comes so naturally to the both of us. I suppose it's due to the fact that we both like 80's and 90's music." The commercial popularity of dance has certainly proven golden for Parralox. "It's a matter of taking all the influences that we love and putting our own modern stamp on it."
Jackson is also a fan of contemporary electronic artists such as Robyn and Goldfrapp, and certainly credits them with having an influence on Parrallox's sonic influence. Both agree that although critics may have slammed EDM and dance (including the retro 80's pop they are revitalizing) as having lacked any resonance in content, it's impossible to mention that it has impacted their creative drive.
"At the heart of anything," von Ahlen says, "it's all about the song - the vocals and the emotion. A good song has to be emotional." Where Madonna was often criticized for delivering chart-topping "fluff" like "Holiday," the Human League's unforgettable hit "Human" has certainly stood the test of time. "It's the emotion in that music that has made it so timeless," adds Jackson.
They've Got the Look
Image is also something the group is scarcely ignoring. Parralox's already innovative videos have garnered the band an Internet following. The sharply handsome von Ahlen directed the searing divine Jackson in the kitschy cute video for their single "Sharper Than A Knife." "In the pop world, image is as important as the music," they both agree. "We couldn't just show up with a paper bag on our heads."
Presenting themselves with cutting edge imagery and a revelatory throwback appeal, Parralox is poised for an EDM invasion stateside that is sure to endear them to an appreciative club culture that is ready to be reminded of an era that made music that was fun, frivolous, and still today relevant. "We pride ourselves on bringing that formula back."
Prepare yourself for the principal pairing of Parralox. They're coming to a club near you! Parralox is preparing to release an EP of their current cover tracks, with a fresh offering of original hits to follow.
For an EXCLUSIVE free download of Parralox's remix of the Depeche Mode classic "Heaven," follow the YouTube link below to redeem, become a fan and follow them on the group on their upcoming US invasion. For more on the band go to the webpage at www.parralox.com.


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Friday, November 28, 2008
Best NASCAR TV Pit Reporter Of 2008?
As you can see from the picture of TNT's Lindsay Czarniak above, the 2008 group of NASCAR pit reporters came in all sizes, shapes and ages. Rookies and veterans combined to offer both compelling coverage and awkward moments on national TV where NASCAR was concerned.
This post is going to offer a thumbnail view of the 13 personalities who regularly patrolled pit road in 2008. What we are asking you to do is pick your favorite and perhaps offer some observations about moments you may remember.
SPEED's Truck Series pre-race host Krista Voda recently joined the NASCAR on Fox team as a full-time pit reporter for the Sprint Cup Series coverage. Voda is a well-known TV veteran who has been in various hosting and reporting roles over the past several years. Her upbeat and friendly style makes her popular with both the teams and the TV viewers.
Dr. Dick Berggren is a long-time NASCAR and racing aficionado who continues to be active in the publishing world. Berggren brings a veteran perspective to Fox, but continues to be a nice guy in an industry rapidly filling with tough guys. He has the ability to draw-out comments from drivers, crew chiefs and owners because of the trust he has built up over the years.
One of the busiest men in the NASCAR world is Steve Byrnes. Handling the pit reporting for the Fox package is only the start of his resume. Working for SPEED on Trackside, This Week in NASCAR and as the host of practice and qualifying shows he is on the NASCAR trail all season long. His sense of humor and good nature is well-known throughout the NASCAR world.
Also very busy this season was Matt Yocum. On pit road, he works for both the Fox and TNT race packages. Yocum often flies under the radar, but he is a talented TV-type who always has multiple projects underway. He may be best-known for producing the Tony Stewart radio program on Sirius. Veteran fans may also remember Yocum for his work on both ESPN and TNN's NASCAR coverage.
As TNT began, it was Czarniak who was the outsider trying to make her way into the NASCAR garage. Her full-time job is a local station sports anchor and reporter for NBC-4 in Washington, DC. Czarniak worked on practice and qualifying coverage for SPEED as well as the six TNT races. Her hard work won her a lot of praise from teams and her part-time job seems to have turned-out quite well.
Ralph Sheheen stepped-over from SPEED to report for TNT and walked back into a sport he knows very well. The past several years have seen him working on AMA, World of Outlaws and various sports car series on several networks. Sheheen is another TNN veteran and is now one of the hosts of the re-vamped SPEED Report.
If there is anyone on the TNT crew that has been around racing from the beginning, it is Marty Snider. A regular at Caraway Speedway, he eventually graduated from UNC Chapel Hill and headed for MRN Radio. Since that time, Snider has been on TV and radio continually for a variety of networks.
When ESPN rolled-out the 2008 pit reporter line-up it was anchored by Mike Massaro. He has been a blessing for ESPN with long-time ties to the network and a credibility that has been earned over some very tough years. Massaro became a semi-regular on the Monday NASCAR Now program and perhaps has an opportunity to expand his role for 2009.
Shannon Spake found herself as a full-time pit reporter for ESPN on both the Nationwide and Cup coverage this season. Ready or not, this was her chance to step into a full-time role. Despite some weakness with live interviews and a non-assertive presence at times, Spake kept the details straight and survived the very long season. With little experience on this level, that was a victory in itself.
A veteran with a long and diverse history is ESPN's Dave Burns. This season, the versatile Burns was given the opportunity to host several pre-race shows for Nationwide Series races and did a great job. But, many fans still remember him from standing-by while Leonard Chesser dunked the swamp buggy queen in the "sippy hole" on TNN's American Sports Cavalcade with the late Steve Evans.
A lot of attention follows Jamie Little everywhere she goes. Since moving over to the NASCAR package in 2007, Little has won the Long Beach Grand Prix Celebrity Race and regularly golfs with her ESPN co-workers. Little improved in 2008 and tried hard to integrate herself into the NASCAR culture. A model, reporter and mountain biker, Little may be the only pit reporter with an X-box and Playstation video game on the market.
Smiling all the way to the bank this season has been Adam Alexander. Although somewhat new to the Truck Series, Alexander stepped-in with no problems and handled the live national TV races all season long for SPEED. In return, the network expanded his role with hosting duties on NASCAR in a Hurry and The SPEED Report. He capped the season with a memorable Glinda, the Good Witch performance on Halloween.
Perhaps the most colorful pit road announcer once again is Ray Dunlap. His style is often times hilarious and his ability to poke fun at himself is well-known. This year, Dunlap made it through with no suspensions and no off-track antics that made the newspaper. He has been with the Truck Series and SPEED for a long time and perhaps exposed more viewers to Craftsman Tools over the years than anyone else. Unfortunately, it is going to take the entire off-season to block-out the memories of Dunlap skipping down pit road as Dorothy in a blue dress complete with Toto in a basket.
Since Speedweeks in February, some of these pit road personalities have been working continually on the Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races. While the four ESPN pit reporters carried the heaviest load, the diversity of the overall group is amazing.
For those of you wondering about names like Wendy Venturini, Hermie Sadler and Marty Smith, there will be an additional posting for the reporters who did not participate in the actual race coverage of the three national series.
Please take a moment and share with us your favorite pit reporter choice for 2008 and perhaps some other memories of interviews and moments on pit road that got your attention during the ten long months of the NASCAR season.
To add your comment, just click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet during the off-season.
47 comments:
- Anonymous said...
I vote for anyone who doesn't stick a mic in a driver's face and ask how they "feel".
That in mind, Shannon and Jamie are at the bottom of the list.
Krista Voda is at the top.
- November 23, 2008 at 2:38 PM
- Anonymous said...
JD you give us this list to torture us ;) With so many really good reporters, ok I'm gonna try...
Lindsay C. gets most improved, hands down. No contest there, she was good at the start & just got better, very professional. Knows when & how to ask a coherent question, and when to quit asking.
Ray Dunlap is just awesome. A really great guy & reporter who knows he isn't the story. He gets favorite #2. Very close nexts are Krista, Steve Byrnes & Adam A.
My favorite all time isn't on the list because that 4 letter place had him in the wrong job.
Dr. Dick is tied with Doc as my favorite pit reporters.
OK Doc is 1A & Dr. Dick is 1B.
Dr. Dick just is great at getting answers, good to know he really is a nice guy off camera. I never have met him, but I always thought he would be.
Its about 70 something days till Fox, Speed & Daytona - right?
- November 23, 2008 at 2:38 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Jay has the official Daytona 500 countdown clock over on his jayski.com website.
- November 23, 2008 at 3:14 PM
- Anonymous said...
Krista Voda's the best of the group.
I'd say a close second is Steve Byrnes, followed by Matt Yocum.
- November 23, 2008 at 3:27 PM
- Unknown said...
Ray Dunlap and Steve Byrnes is a too close to call. Completely different personalities, yet they both deliver where it counts.
However I think most of us would pay money to watch Dunlap's out takes :)
- November 23, 2008 at 3:39 PM
- Newracefan said...
Dick Berggren is first for me, everyone respects him in the garage area and he frames his questions is such a way that he gets great answers that tell me something. Now comes the difficult part Krista, Steve, Ray and Matt are next with Ralph, Dave, Marty,and Mike after that. Lindsay comes third only because she's so new with Jamie (who has greatly improved)close behind and Shannon who's better but not good enough pulling up the rear.
- November 23, 2008 at 4:07 PM
- Anonymous said...
Thanks JD for the link, 83!?! whole days... worse than waiting for Christmas! ;)
- November 23, 2008 at 4:33 PM
- Dot said...
I'm with Jo on this one. This is torture.
I can't put my favorites in order, they are all good.
There are two that are my least favorites. I'm not naming names because I don't want to hurt their "feelings".
@ Grover, I'd pay to see them.
- November 23, 2008 at 4:38 PM
- Karen said...
Ray Dunlap is my first pick. You can tell he's got a great sense of humor and he's good at his job. Mike Massaro is my second pick. Krista would be in my top three but for the fact I'm assuming, maybe incorrectly, that she'll be a nominee in the host position.
- November 23, 2008 at 5:28 PM
- majorshouse said...
What a hard choice to pick from. I think overall it would have to be Steve Burns with Krista coming in a very close second and then probably Lindsey right on her heels because of their knowledge and the way that they get their answers.
I think that Dick Bergrin is definitely in a class by himself because of his experience and longevity in the auto sports world in general.
- November 23, 2008 at 5:38 PM
- bevo said...
Ray Dunlap.
If the category is combination show host-pit reporter then it would be Krista Voda.
Dunlap does the best job of actually conveying information from the pits and he has to cover more of them than the reporters for ESPN, Fox and TNT.
- November 23, 2008 at 6:50 PM
- Karen said...
Oh, yeah. I forgot Dr. Dick. As majorshouse said, he's all class and no BS. I feel like I'm being tested in high school; these picks are so difficult.
- November 23, 2008 at 7:12 PM
- Anonymous said...
If you want a collective group of pit reporters. As a group the truck series blows any collective out of the water. They never give the appearance of being at a loss for words.
Maybe its because the same group covers the series all year but its a more friendly environment and they know the boundries of when to not ask the stupid questions.
And to all those making fun of the halloween. That was so funny it hurt. The pure shock of Hornaday was well worth it.
- November 23, 2008 at 7:18 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
There will be some on-air talent that will appear in more than one category. Right now, we are limiting things to the pit reporters in the three national NASCAR series races.
- November 23, 2008 at 7:24 PM
- Anonymous said...
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- November 23, 2008 at 7:28 PM
- Anonymous said...
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- November 23, 2008 at 7:28 PM
- Anonymous said...
#1. - Matt Yocum
#2. - Dick Bergren
- November 23, 2008 at 7:51 PM
- red said...
my brain hurts!
thanks for making this a two-day column, jd: i need to REALLY ponder this one for a while. so many good choices, so few "less than stellar" ones.
(and i'm still laughing about "dorothy" and hornaday!)
- November 23, 2008 at 8:14 PM
- Anonymous said...
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- November 23, 2008 at 8:37 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
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- November 23, 2008 at 8:46 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
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- November 23, 2008 at 8:48 PM
- Anonymous said...
Dr. Dick Berggren is my #1 pit reporter.
Dave Burns is my other favorite.
Krista Voda is a good reporter.
I like Jamie Little.
Marty Snider is dead last. He does nothing for me and he somehow annoys me the most.
- November 23, 2008 at 10:38 PM
- Cranky Girl said...
My list...
1. Steve Byrnes
2. Dr. Dick Berggren
3. Krista Voda
- November 23, 2008 at 10:55 PM
- stricklinfan82 said...
Another extremely tough decision here. As was the case with the analysts, there's not a single pit reporter I dislike. Even the two newest reporters that have received a lot of criticism here made very noticeable improvements towards the end of the year, in my opinion.
Having said that, since a decision must be made I narrowed my list down to the top 3:
3.) Ray Dunlap
- The pit road TV face of the Truck Series for many years. He always does a very solid job with more pits to cover due to the smaller on-air crew, and certainly deserves to be carried over to Fox if the Truck Series ends up on that network again in 2009. No more leaving Ray behind when the Trucks moonlight on the "big boy network"!
2.) Steve Byrnes
- Fox's "Mr. Everything". Pit reporter from February through June, play-by-play man from June through November, and TV Host of NASCAR Live, Trackside, and TWIN all year long. Certainly one of the hardest working people in all of NASCAR TV, and he always does a great job no matter what hat he's wearing.
1.) Dick Berggren
The modern-day "dean" of NASCAR TV pit reporters. His constant level of outstanding performance over his nearly three straight decades working NASCAR TV broadcasts certainly makes him deserving of nothing but the utmost level of respect and admiration this fan can offer.
- November 23, 2008 at 11:51 PM
- tom in dayton said...
Mr D:
Your columns on the best on-air talent in each category are good, but, in each case, basically boil down to how their slice of the NASCAR TV season is received among posters at THE DALY PLANET.
Certainly, each individual(in each category) has talent, on-camera presence and tries their best to do a good job in the positions they're assigned. Some have better knowledge than others and some have individual behaviours that set them out from the rest.
But it really becomes the responsibility of the producer of the broadcast to use the on-air talent in a way that it best showcases their strengths(not only to advance the talent's career, but also to advance their company's broadcast (which also benefits their own careers)).
We've seen, and in many of your columns over the two years, how the best of on-air talent both surpasses and fails due to those behind the scenes. The SPEED producers & directors in their many programs know how to get the best almost all of the time. FOX as well(except for Digger(and I still hope Sophia treasures her very own "Digger" mug)) and our own mutual pleased suprise with TNT this year allowed us to see what good production & direction combined with seasoned talent could bring to the screen. Finally, the lowered expectations we had with ESPN, along with the disappointments with the Sprint Cup broadcasts, certainly affected our opinions of their talent.
To this old curmungeon, the female on-air talent are pleasing to the eye while the men are the kind you'd like to spend an afternoon at the race with if you could be so lucky!
That said, Voda has been super, Lindsay is really good(especially on NBC-4) and Byrnes is the best of the youth (Dick B. is better, but Byrnes will get there when he gets to that age...)
Thanks again!
- November 24, 2008 at 2:21 AM
- Anonymous said...
Dr. Dick Berggren is the best. I'm fairly new to NASCAR-watching but to me he's the standout.
- November 24, 2008 at 6:39 AM
- Tom said...
Dr. Dick. He is someones who knows the difference between what really happens in racing and "feelings" He deals in real racing issues, not hype. Mike Massaro is another favorite, but where he comes up short is how he handles some questionable circumstances. He has been in a situation where clearly the producer was yelling in his ear to find out how someone (JR) was "feeling" about crashing, missing the chase etc. I am guessing if the producer yelled that in Dr. Dicks ear, he wouyld resist and find a way to ask those questions with more dignity and class.
Most of the others are good enough, and I havent seen anyone who makes my blood boil since they got rid of Jeanne Zalesko (sp)?
Inverness, FL
- November 24, 2008 at 7:24 AM
- Anonymous said...
Dr. Dick Berggren is my favorite, but I also think Mike Massaro and Dave Burns are exceptionally good. Mike and Dave also seem like you could plug them into other roles (host of pre race; host or features/investigative reporter for NASCAR Now) very easily.
I second Lindsay Czarniak as most improved. She was also great as the host of the nightly Summer Olympics gymnastics coverage on Oxygen. And trust me - some of the hosts on NBC cable channels' Olympics coverage were terrible, including Tiki Barber and his female partner on MSNBC. Because of that, I imagine she's gotten some notice from other networks and also for the Winter Olympics. Probably depends on what she want to do.
Regarding Matt Yocum, I like him. JD, you mentioned his Sirius connection.There are some rumors that Tony Stewart's Sirius show was not renewed after the recent last show, and apparently Dale Jr said on his last show he's still waiting to hear if his show will get renewed. Guess Sirius/XM is getting out of the NASCAR driver business; Jimmie Johnson's show only lasted one season, I think.
One less NASCAR media outlet, I guess. Too bad, since the drivers don't have that kind of outlet on TV.
- November 24, 2008 at 10:11 AM
- Nan S said...
Ray Dunlap brings a lot of enthusiasm to the position.
- November 24, 2008 at 10:19 AM
- Anonymous said...
I have to admit I did'nt like Berggren because of those goofy hats he wears. Guess he's good enough if you hear him on the radio,tho. I also admit looks DO count, so Krista, Shannon, Jamie,Lindsay,you are all right in my book. Keep it up!
- November 24, 2008 at 10:45 AM
- red said...
still a very tough question for b/c, as tom in dayton pointed out, alot of how valuable a pit reporter is to a broadcast relies on the producer, not the reporter.
but that being said:
i have to give top billing to dr dick berggren. he's seen the sport thru so many changes and he has a strong historical background on whch to draw for his questions. i have never heard a stupid question come out of his mouth on air.
BUT! very, very close on his heels are two truck reporters and they stand shoulder to shoulder for me: krista voda and ray dunlap. intelligent questions, concise recaps, obviously solid relationships with the teams, which enables them to be welcome at the tough times and still be treated with respect by the drivers.
the balance of the nominees are mostly ok: some are over-used by their network, some just haven't been consistent. and still others need more time to really become solid, dependable pit reporters.
i have to give a shout-out to two who are relatively new to it all: lindsay czarniak and adam alexander. i believe they will both be even better in '09 and i wish we could have czarniak all year long! i see these two as the "up and comers" in pit reporting.
- November 24, 2008 at 11:10 AM
- Anonymous said...
Mike Massaro is a class act. Steady and calm and he gets to the point. I vote for him.
- November 24, 2008 at 12:38 PM
- majorshouse said...
I chuckle everytime I think of the Halloween antics that the Speed crew pulled off and what fun from all involved.
- November 24, 2008 at 1:04 PM
- Anonymous said...
My top 5 and why:
1. Matt Yocum: Classy, always asks the right questions which is reciprocated by drivers giving great answers, and he shows humor when it's the right time. There is a reason he's the only pit reporter again working for more than one network. I really like his stories during the race on crew guys and officials.
2. Dr. Dick Berggren: The veteran pit reporter in NASCAR. He's the original (yes in the early days, there was just one) pit reporter from ESPN. Dr Dick B. likes to crawl under a car with the best of them, and his enthusiasm shows week in and week out. He asks great questions, highly respected in the garage, and I love to read his magazine too! However, I prefer him in his #3 Dale hat vs his current hat.
3. Lindsey Czarniack and Krista Voda: Voda is good in the trucks, but Czarniack is great on the Cup series. Czarniack's only negative? She's around for only six races each year. I think Czarniak has done a fine job on her pre-race stories, they seem to be off the beaten path like riding with the truck driver. It was funny seeing her brush her teeth along side the road.
5. Ralph Shaheen, Mike Massaro, and Vince Welch when he does the Nationwide Series races. All three of these gentlemen do a solid job every time they are on the air. Good questions. Good stories during the races. Ok ok, if you go by the rules, there should only be one name in number 5, since there is a tie for 3rd, but I couldn't pick just one.
- November 24, 2008 at 2:17 PM
- Anonymous said...
hmmmmmm...number one is easy, I have to go with Dr. Dick Berggeren...all that experience and knowing how to use it...I can't imagine disliking someone because of their *hat*, but personally, I like it and thought it was cool of the 41 team to make up a special one for him after he complemented Sorenson. Anyone remember the time they gave Kurt Busch a mike and he was doing his Dr. Dick impression? I'm no fan of Kurt's but had to admit, it was good, thought pale in comparison to the original!
Second...I guess I'd put Krista and Steve--they get extra credit for being multitaskers in addition to pit duty and they never miss a beat. Dave, Matt, Ray, Ralph and Marty in 'group 3'. I can't say I prefer one over the others, they all seem very professional. Mike, Adam and Lindsay probably next, though part of it is nothing stands out particularly weak or super strong...and if I'd watched more consciously I might have had them in group 3... and then Jamie, who really did seem more on target the last couple races. Last is Shannon. She may be able to improve, but I'd give her one more season & if she can't cut it, she should go.
- November 24, 2008 at 2:33 PM
- Anonymous said...
Number 1, Dr. Dick for sure. Anyone that continued to get advancing degrees, so he could afford better motors for his sprint cars, is #1 in my book!
- November 24, 2008 at 2:48 PM
- Anonymous said...
I vote for
1. Dr. Dick
2. Ray Dunlap
- November 24, 2008 at 3:02 PM
- Steve L. said...
I am a still photographer and shoot several races per year. Before and during the races, you would NOT believe just how hard these people work! With each pit reporter there's also the camera guy, a monitor carrier, and two or three other people that I'm not sure what they do.
All during the race, they're running up and down pit road to get to the story of the minute. And I mean flat out running. Don't forget how hot it is on pit road and being on pit road, you must have pants, shirt, and shoes at all times. Those July-August races are brutal! It really takes a lot out of you.
I know they divide up the pits with however many reporters they have, but let me tell you, some of these pit roads are VERY long. Even if you cover a third of the drivers, that can be a very long distance to run back and forth all day long!
I respect each and every one of the pit reporters for the physical aspects of what their job requires.
They all get my vote for just having the job and being able to do it.
My personal favorite this year is Ray Dunlap. He's fun, full of information, and very good at his job.
- November 24, 2008 at 6:18 PM
- Anonymous said...
Why, why, why, why, why , oh, why is Jamie Little and Shannon Spake even working in Nascar??? I'm not a chauvenist, but please, no more women on pit road, except Wendy Venturini because she actually knows racing. It's the dreaded ABC/ESPN way of sideline reporting. They know nothing, and show it. "Dale Jr.. How do you feel?" God please put them out to the same pasture as Jerry Punch...
- November 24, 2008 at 6:28 PM
- PammH said...
#1 tie Steve Byrnes & Dr. Dick. Krista, Wendy & Ray strong seconds. The rest are okay, except for the blondes on ESPN-they have to GO!!
- November 24, 2008 at 8:34 PM
- Anonymous said...
anti-ESPN...you say
"I'm not a chauvenist, but please, no more women on pit road" and then you compliment Wendy. Who's to say another woman won't come along who's as good or better (hard, I know) than Wendy? Don't complain because they're women, complain because they're poor at what they do, then you get it.
- November 24, 2008 at 10:54 PM
- Kevin said...
The best has to be Krista Voda. Dick Berggren is a strong second, although I feel he tries to over-dramatize things a bit at times. Krista is all business, yet she's of course beautiful, talented, and fun to watch. Steve Byrnes comes third, followed by Dunlap.
- November 25, 2008 at 8:13 AM
- kbaskins said...
Dr. Dick is definitely the best. He brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, knowledge, intelligence and common sense to his reporting that makes me appreciate him so much.
The rest of them are all excellent pit reporters, with the exception of Jamie Little and Shannon Spake. I don't know if those two are being told what to ask of if they're coming up with the questions on their own, but either way their interviews can only be described as moronic.
I'd like to give a special shout out to all the SPEED pit reporters for their wonderful sense of humour. It must be a job requirement at SPEED.
- November 25, 2008 at 10:58 AM
- Anonymous said...
Doctor Dirt, Ray, Steve B, Wendy, Krista (when they let her)
- November 25, 2008 at 11:12 AM
- Lisa Hogan said...
Third time trying to post in this one. :)
1. Dr. Dick Berggren
- November 25, 2008 at 11:58 AM
- GinaV24 said...
Dick B, Krista Voda are my top picks. I like Steve Byrnes too and Dave Burns (when he's not doing stupid stuff). Matt Yocum and Marty Snider, along with most of the female contingent are on the bottom of the list. Ask intelligent questions, for heaven's sakes!
- November 25, 2008 at 12:55 PM
- Delenn said...
I am not going to be critical of these hardworking folks individually, as the scanner listener at MIS (I think) said they were being directed on what to do. However, to those who ask how do you feel, or what is it like - don't. Ask something sensible.
Now, of the 13, I am going to do the top 2 categories.
The top bunch are: Krista Voda, Lindsay Czarniak, Matt Yocum, Ray Dunlap
Voda and Czarniak: both come up with good information, consisely, and decent interviews.
Yocum: Probably my favorite, always top quality info. Like when he worked for Fox and NBC, he should be in every cup pit lane.
Dunlap: He has grown on me, and I will miss seeing the new Craftsman tools!
The second bunch are: Steve Byrnes and Dave Burns. As well as capable multi-taskers, they too provide valuable information.
The rest are OK, remembering the first paragraph.
- November 27, 2008 at 2:00 PM