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| Surreal? Embarrassing? Infuriating? | | Date Created: Oct 11, 2006, 04:47 PM |
 It's been a surreal couple of days... from the highs of a brilliant run by the Bud team at Talladega, seeing Driver 8 make moves lap-after-lap no other driver has the talent or will to attempt. Then, the final lap crash that was like a kick in the gut. After that, things got really weird.
The fans at Talladega - who displayed an appalling display of behavior several years ago when they covered the track with projectiles after Jeff Gordon narrowly topped Junior (and led to the creation of the "Green-White-Checkered" rule) - decided to re-enact the stupidity after Sunday's race. Anyone who launches anything onto the track - during or after the race - deserves to have their ticket rescinded forever. It's not only moronic - it's dangerous.
Yes, people have a right to be angry and to express that anger vocally or in moronic webchat rooms or radio talk shows, but to extend threats of violence to Brian Vickers is incredibly childish and small-minded. I received several emails from seemingly proud Junior fans full of inane bile, misguided hatred (and a ton of misspellings) toward Vickers. It sickens me that people have such low self-esteem that their default reaction is to threaten violence and abuse toward someone. YES, Vickers did make a major mistake and take away victory from Junior and/or Jimmie Johnson, but that doesn't mean threats of retribution or violence are justified.
I can only hope fans would choose to act like Dale Jr. himself: with poise, maturity and grace. Anyone can look good and be magnanimous in victory, but the test of a person's true nature is how they react when things are tough.
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 Peer Pressure: "Fan" is the root word of "fanatic," so I can't pretend I'm completely surprised by the reaction of Junior Nation, but there have been several other reactions this week by people who should know better.
While I have great respect for Humpy Wheeler and Bruton Smith, their cheap stunt of sending a news release Monday saying they would provide added security for Vickers - without asking or telling the Hendrick organization - was offensive. It is wrong on SO many levels. Yes, it is a shame that anyone with half-a-brain would call the track's ticket office to make threats against Vickers, but it's more of a disappointment that the track would exploit this stupidity to send a news release designed to gain attention and sell more tickets to their event.
Perhaps I'm biased: we've needed and asked for additional security at several of Bruton's tracks in the past, and have received no response. Perhaps our requests were ignored because providing needed security for the sport's biggest star doesn't sell tickets or newspapers. |
 The Week's Biggest Outrage: Yahoo Sports sent their lead columnist to Talladega to do a story about the prevalance of the confederate flag at NASCAR events. Yahoo's NASCAR coverage is lukewarm at best, and the choice to send a their lead columnist to the most obnoxious boozefest on the circuit was interesting timing. BUT I am not embarrassed by Yahoo (more power to 'em), my ire and anger is directed at my peers and the NASCAR publicity team.
Putting your head in the sand and pretending an issue doesn't exist is absolutely the most damaging strategy possible. That many of the PR "experts" were both combative and obstructive shows a lack of a bigger view of the sport and the true nature of media and public relations. The belligerent response (or lack of response) seems to only confirm the shame and prevalence of the flag issue. True, it's not an easy issue. There is no easy solution. But pretending it doesn't exist only seems as if hatred and racism is being condoned or encouraged by the powers-that-be. Yes, there are (and will likely always be) racist fans of NASCAR. Racism exists in all areas of America. But that fact doesn't mean the sport can continue to grow and be inclusive of all who call America home.
Sadly, NASCAR has not progressed or learned anything in recent years. Two examples from the 2000 season still stand out about their knee-jerk, incorrect actions and assumptions.
When we brought a Rolling Stone reporter to the Las Vegas race weekend, everything seemed cool. Until they saw the writer Toure was a dread-locked African-American. Suddenly, panic was the reaction - and I was taken aside and scolded as if I were a small child. Their assumption was because of his race, the writer was doing a hatchet job about NASCAR's lack of minorities. It was as if I had fallen into a Twilight Zone episode, and their attempt to lecture me in a manner you would treat a three-year-old was so offensive I still get angry to this day.
The second example was their reaction to the MTV documentary, "True Life." The video crew had followed Dale Jr. for four or five races, but it was decided by someone at NASCAR and/or ISC (they each blamed the other) to deny all media credentials to the MTV crew when the schedule reached Talladega. The producers were stunned. The story was about Dale Jr., but when they were denied credentials, they did what any journalist would do: they began asking questions. Now, their focus shifted away from Junior and toward an effort to uncover the ugly soft white underbelly NASCAR was vigorously trying to hide. The producer bought an infield RV pass like any other race fan, and spent the weekend taping drunken fans in the Talladega infield. The Dale Jr, documentary had taken a dramatic turn: a major section of the show was eventually devoted to the topic of racism and discrimination. It furthered the sad stereotypes, and appeared in the documentary only because NASCAR had tried so hard to hide it.
This issue will not go away: and it will only continue to be perpetuated if the response from NASCAR is to be combative and threatening to anyone who tries to discuss it. I believe this is a major strategic error and I am highly embarrassed it continues.
NASCAR's diversity program is a joke. It is a poorly executed faux-PR program that lacks real support (fiscal or otherwise) from the folks in Daytona Beach. The gains that have been made- and there have been gains - are much more a result of sincere efforts by conscientious team owners like Joe Gibbs, Ray Evernham, Bill Davis and Richard Childress. Some major sponsors have also put their money into the effort. I applaud them all, but I also challenge NASCAR to quit the hollow talk and take real action.
Juan Pablo Montoya is a great bonus to NASCAR, but don't believe it when NASCAR claims him as their own great diversity victory. Montoya was hired by Chip Ganassi not because he's Columbian, but because he's one of the greatest drivers in the world. One hopes this continues toward a time when a woman or an African-American or a foreign-born driver in the starting lineup is not a novelty, but is considered a natural and accepted part of this sport. Every other major motorsports series in America is already there - and NASCAR has a lot of catching up to do. |
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