I bought gas from Nicki Paterson of Motherwell, Scotland last week right here in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Nicki gave himself away when he gave me change ... "fef-tee ate (58) cents."
The Des Moines Menace, the soccer equivalent of a single-A baseball team, is owned by the Kum & Go (actual name) regional convenience store chain baesd in West Des Moines. Menace players get basically zero pay. I think they get some room and board stipend or something.
So, when you see random heavily accented 20-somethings working in a Kum & Go store hereabouts, it's a pretty good bet they play for the Menace.
Me: You play for the Menace?
Nicki: Yes, number 14.
Me: Were are you from?
Nicki: SCOTLAND!
Nicki: Las Vegas. (Pretty sure he attends and plays soccer for UNLV.)
Me: OMG, the ultimate American experience, Las Vegas. I'm trying to picture a Scot in Las Vegas.
Nicki: Please don't.
Me: Do your parents come over?
Me: Do they like Las Vegas?
Nicki: Ab-so-lutely luv it.
Me: Ever heard of Dario Franchitti? He's from Scotland.
Nicki: (Thinking for a second.) No, I don't think so.
Me: He won the Indy 500 a few years ago.
Nicki: I didn't know anyone from Scotland won the Indy 500. I'll have to look him up.
No love for Dario from his countryman! That's cold, man. There are 5 million people living in Scotland, which sits astride England (Austin Power's voice: "Oh behaaaaaave!") in the United Kingdom, so the guy can't know everyone, I guess.
But the guy did recognize the Indy 500, which made me proud to be an American. Viva Las Vegas!
Wasn't Dario the second Scot to win the '500 - what about Jim Clark? Ain't this guy ever heard of him?
Posted by: Speedy | July 04, 2008 at 10:06 AM
doubtful .. the guy is like 23 years old.
Posted by: pressdog | July 04, 2008 at 10:43 AM
He might have heard of Jim Clark, his is much more of a well known name than Franchitti's although I give you it is fading a bit with time. He 100% will have heard of Jackie Stewart. Shame Coulthard announced his retirement this week.
You see that little blue and yellow inset box at the bottom of the map? With the little sticky out bit of land just above it? Just to the left of that land, before the county border line, that's where I'm typing this message from.
Keep meaning to comment on more IRL - sorry Tony, IndyCar - posts but I'm running a bit behind on watching the races whereas I see F1 live.
Looking forward to Watkins and Silverstone, where it'll be raining.
Posted by: PatW | July 04, 2008 at 03:52 PM
Cool. Greetings from the colonies! I may go watch Nicki play soccer --- er, football -- tonight, as a matter of fact.
Posted by: pressdog | July 04, 2008 at 04:02 PM
Have fun - I can't stand the game!
Does he spell his name that way? That's the girls' spelling... Hmm, he's from Motherwell so that makes him a Weegie (Glaswegian) so it might be better not to mention it to him if you value your face! (joking! I'm sure he's a nice guy really, most Scots are)
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|Motherwell
Posted by: PatW | July 04, 2008 at 04:48 PM
Go back and ask him if he thinks the character of Fat Bastard is racially and ethnically insensitive...
Posted by: Dale Nixon | July 06, 2008 at 07:47 AM