Down Goes the Patriot! Down Goes the Patriot!

In an upset that will surely go down as one of the greatest of our time, Commerce Bank ended years of Patriot-News dominance with a stirring victory in the 2008 United Way Trike Drags. Hyperbole? Me? Never.

The members of Team Patriot, which apparently wins every year, should have known they were in trouble as soon as they saw their t-shirts. Commerce Bank’s shirts were bright, angry red. Standing next to them in the starting gate had to be like pulling up next to a cherry-colored corvette at a stoplight and hearing it gun the engine. The Patriot? Daisy yellow. Think a teenage girl driving a Jetta with zebra-print seat covers.

CHECK OUT MY PICTURES FROM THE TRIKE DRAGS ON FACEBOOK OR FLICKR

Early on, it looked like the Patriot was going to pull it out again. They cruised early and cemented their spot in the finals less than 45 minutes into the festivities largely on the strength of the absolute dynamo who raced in their anchor slot. Commerce, on the other hand, had to fight back from the B-Bracket (losers bracket) just to make it to the finals. Even once they were there they had to beat the Patriot twice in a row to secure the title.

The crowd was firmly behind Commerce by the time the finals began. Just remember newsies, everyone gets tired of the dynasty after a little while and you’d become the New England Patriots of tricycle racing. After Commerce took the first race to set up a win-or-go-home final heat, the contingent from Capital Blue Cross even started a “Comm-erce Bank” chant. It was very Rudyesque. In the end, the last heat wasn’t even that close. Commerce blitzed the Patriot on the first leg and held on for the victory.

This was my first exposure to the Trike Drag, and it was interesting to say the least. I had no idea that people could get so fired up over adults in goofy helmets riding machines made for kids. You can check out my photos from the event on Facebook or Flickr. Fridays, huh? Have a good weekend all.