It was 19 years ago that Dennis Conner snarled those immortal words to New Zealand designer Bruce Farr, "Get off the stage, you loser".
In those days America's Cup press conferences were more exciting than the racing itself. You could always rely on the bolshy Conner to be
on form.
These days everyone is far too gracious, and just getting the skippers to the press conference is hard enough.
At yesterday's press conference in Valencia for the semifinals skippers only one fronted, Chris Dickson of BMW Oracle Racing.
Emirates Team New Zealand sent tactician Terry Hutchinson, Luna Rossa sent helmsman James Spithill and Desafio Espanol sent helmsman Karol Jablonksi.
So you had a New Zealander representing an American team, an American representing a New Zealand team, an Australian representing an Italian team and a Pole representing a Spanish team.
The most entertaining aspect of the press conference was the coin toss, which determined which side (port or starboard) the teams would enter the startbox from in the first race. They then alternate in each race.
Not just any old coin was used. This one was a special gold 500-peseta (which was the currency of Spain up until 2002).
It was loaned to organisers by the Santander Bank, one of the sponsors of the event.
Entering from the right or starboard is the preferred option as it means you have the right of way.
The lower-ranked teams got to call. Spithill chose heads and won, so obviously picked the starboard entry, leaving Oracle the port entry.
Jablonksi went for heads and lost, handing Team New Zealand the starboard entry.
That is apparently the reason that Hutchinson was sent to the press conference.
Barker reckons his tactician is luckier than him when it comes to winning coin tosses.
If that is the case, then it was a good enough reason for Barker to be excused.
