Gordon vs Stewart or "here we go again" or "been there done that"

You know what I used to love about NASCAR? The rivalries between the drivers. It was fun and made their product all the more exciting. Not to mention the NASCAR video game, where the computer’s AI remembers past incidents. They are the modern cowboys, the cars are their horses, the track is the old west and NASCAR’s the sheriff, who keeps quiet until something serious comes up. So when two drivers yap through the media about one another, it was like two gunslingers declaring a duel at the OKAY CORRAL. I figured it was part of NASCAR’s phenomenal rise to the top of sports in America. It was fresh, it was exciting and with the lack of “Tyson’s” in boxing and the WWE seemingly imploding, it was the only game in town that featured genuine one to one rivalries! It is/was clearly the new West.

But after the incident on Sunday between Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, I was less than thrilled with the words afterwards. Hearing Jeff Gordon threaten Stewart publicly left me rolling my eyes and saying “here we go again”. Maybe NASCAR has endured too many of these “rivalries” and “threats” the last few years. Especially since they all seem to involve Stewart in one way or another, the whole thing seems played. Of course, when you have 42 cars on the Monster Mile, things are going to get a little bumpy and teams will get ‘ticked’ at one another. But leave it on the track. Yap and complain all you want, just don’t do it through the media. This “threat” handed by Gordon doesn’t really impress me anymore. Not to mention that threatening to hit or bump someone when going to speeds of 200mph isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for the product.

I certainly don’t mind when a driver questions another driver. I’m all for rivalries. When you interview so and so and he/she says “I don’t know what the 49 was doing out there today. Someone get that guy driving lessons”, that’s funny and makes a point. When Gordon basically says “I’m going to attempt to hit him going at 200mhp, if he lives, I’ll do it again” isn’t as funny. And, like mentioned earlier, its becoming a little played.

I think NASCAR knows this also. Naturally they won’t kill the horse they rode on, but I don’t think they encourage the same amount of ‘yapping’ through the media. Drivers and teams are getting fined more frequently. NASCAR has a great product, great fans and a solid foundation. These empty threats by the drivers really aren’t significant or needed anymore. And, more importantly, are starting to wear real thin. NASCAR has a great crop of young drivers who represent the future of the sport. Hopefully they won’t turn back into the old NASCAR.