Almost as soon as Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line at Auto Club Speedway last Sunday a segment of the NASCAR Nation let out a collective sound.
Yawn.
Yes, Johnson had won again: for the 48th time in his career. This coming off a year where he won seven races and a historic fourth consecutive championship. 2010 has barely begun and there’s that Johnson boy winning again.
It didn’t take long for message boards all across
It’s a common theme among some that has been around a little while:
“It is a sad sad day when Jimmie Johnson wins a race. There are many drivers that could and should win races. Jimmy is ruining the nascar races by his winning year after year. I will not watch any more nascar races to see Jimmie race,” -karenkekm2 (AOL Fanhouse)
“I said, at the end of last year, that I am done watching Sprint Cup after the next J. Johnson win. Good bye. Sorry it was such a short season. I'll watch Nationwide and trucks, and other forms of Motorsports. My wife gained interest in Nascar about 5-6 years ago. J.J and the silly season stuff has totally destroyed,” - jambrozio (AOL Fanhouse)
“its so boring another year of jimmy show please the guy is so boring racer i mean at least the 42 and the 18 make the races interesting they races the drives and the tracks i'm just saying” -JRSFLAME88 (FanIQ)
“Nascar sucks now and has sucked for the last few years. FIXCAR is what it should be named. The team who has the most money-( hendick)is given every cheaters break possible. Its a scam. Jimmy jonson wins pole, jimmy johnson receives caution flag when needed, jimmy jonsons team buys off the Fixcar inspectors, jimmy jonson wins race, and over again and again. While other teams struggle. The cars are the same and the motors are close with power being limited. Jimmy jonson is NOT a Magic man driver who just so happens to win every race with talent. The team are CHEATERS and nascar is FIXED” -1 800 no illegals (Topix.net)
Aside from some fans' command of the written part of our communications that we call English, do these fans have a point? Is Jimmie Johnson ruining NASCAR?
Of course not.
Did Michael Jordan ruin basketball, Babe Ruth baseball, Tiger Woods golf (despite getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar)?
Of course not.
If anything, anytime an athlete or team dominates a sport it tends to bring a level of excitement to the game or sport. Fans of the athlete or team watch more to cheer them on. Fans of other athletes or teams watch to see if someone can knock the king of the hill off the top. Still others want to be witness to history, to see how far it can go. And those who may not ever watch the sport tune in just to see what all the fuss is about.
Like any winning pro athlete, Johnson and his team do have luck on their side, seemingly a ‘golden horseshoe stuck up their ass’ like Kevin Harvick so eloquently put it last Sunday. But that element is present in all sports, not just NASCAR.
The truth is Johnson and the No. 48 team are on top of their game right now and show no signs of losing that momentum any time soon.
For NASCAR it’s no different than the years when Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, or Dale Earnhardt Sr., were dominating the sport. We now talk about those days as historic eras in NASCAR. And a lot of us were around during those days and can now look back and say we were watching history being made.
One of the biggest questions as this season precedes will be can anyone catch up, knock the crown off Johnson’s head? Richard Childress Racing right now looks like the biggest threat. But no matter what happens this season; whether Johnson goes on to win a fifth title, or implodes and falls by the wayside, two things are for sure.
Jimmie Johnson isn’t ruining NASCAR, and years from now we can all say we were witness to history.
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Comments
I admit I'm one of the fans that lets out a yawn when Jimmie takes control of a race; then again, I've NEVER been a fan of his, even pre-NASCAR. Is he ruining NASCAR? To some extent, I think yes. It's human nature to cheer for the underdog, and because of the 48 team, and really HMS in general, almost all of the other drivers have become underdogs.
I don't think there was a single person who was angry or upset that Jamie McMurray won the 500. Look at it: Just 6 months previous, he wasn't sure if he was going to have a ride. He hasn't had much in terms of results, and he's at an organization that, let's face it, hasn't had a lot of success in recent years. He fits the underdog character perfectly.
Now, when Jimmie wins California...yawn. We've seen this show before: Lead, take the checkers, do a little bit of a burn out, do a bland interview in Victory Lane, and that's it.
Krista "and because of the 48 team, and really HMS in general, almost all of the other drivers have become underdogs. "
Well then, in that case you have a buttload of underdogs to root for. You do have another point right?
Lemme rewrite the posts title a bit.
Did Dale earnhardt Sr ruin NASCAW when he won 6 of his Cups in a 9 year span?
Did Richard Petty ruin the sport when he won 27 or 48 events, at one point winning 10 straight and 14 of 17?
Did NASCAR's first mega-team owner Carl Kiekhaefer and his hiresd gun Tim Flock ruin NASCAR when Flock won 18 races and Kiekhaefer Chryslers won 22 of the 39 in 1955.
Did Cale Yarborough ruin the sport when he won three straight Cups starting in 1976 with a winning percentage over 30 percent for the 60 events?
None of the above drivers ruined the sport and Johnson damn sure isn't doing it now.
It's all BS whining.
The other drivers you mentioned all had Personality and Va JJ doesn't. NASCAR has revised the points system how many times to make the chase more interesting? If I recall NASCAR has stepped in and stopped other teams or manufacturers from doing certain things because they were not in the competitive spirit of the sport, give me a break. Hendirck has the cash, NASCAR wants JJ therefore he will win. Sorry, gotta go take a nap berfore the hockey game.
I don't think it is the 48 team that is ruining NASCAR it is the other 42 teams that are losing too often. The real issue is that in NASCAR your team does not just have to beat one other team each week and then you don't see that team again for a while. Instead each week your team races against basically the same 42 other teams, limiting your chances of winning. It just so happens that the 48 team is in the midst of one of the greatest runs ever. Other drivers need to prepare as hard as Johnson, other crew chiefs need to prepare as hard as Knaus, and owners need to put together top notch talent and keep them together. Until that happens the 48 team is going to stink up the show for everyone but us 48 fans. Stop complaining about how often the 48 team wins and start complaining about how often your team loses.
jimmy johnson ruining nascar?
I don't see it that way. Nascar in ruining it all by themselves.
example. Danicamania.only a fool thinks she will win anytime soon.
Dale jr. made out to be the next super star,super hero. just an average racer at best.
The tv announcers always looking for a story. Forget it, its about the race. Not about who can stop the fastest,that isn't how local racing is. Real hard to make that connection.
Brian Frace living is LALA land. Always chasing the almighty dollar.
Jimmy jonhson is only ruining racing for those who don't get it.
This isn't foorball,baseball, hockey or basdetball.
People love to cite baseball, football, and basketball stars when they tell this type of story but there is a profound difference.
In those sports, 50% of the teams playing WILL WIN every single game. No matter what, half the teams playing will be winners, at least for that week.
In Auto racing there can only be ONE WINNER.
All others regardless of how good they did on that day are ultimately losers.
Now do I really think that Jimmie Johnson is ruining the sport ? No, the uniqueness of this sport leads to that unfair categorization.
Having said that I will say this. Racing as in all sport is about excitement, but with predictability comes boredom.
The racing has become predictable, and in return some are turning away.
It is totally unfair to blame Jimmie Johnson for it because he is doing the job he is paid to do and doing it well.
Eventually his skills will fade and a new hero will replace him. . . and we will hate that person as well.
Hendricks has way too much capital to spend on the 48 car. Re-used parts? Never in the 48. Lowes dumps a crap load of money in Hendricks lap. Old Gordo in the 24 lost a lot of money from Dupont, hence, Gordo is off the map. It almost makes me physically puke with every 48 car wins. Too much money has ruined NASCAR. The Nationwide and truck series produces some really good racing. Sprint Cup competition is trying to be sold by DW, Larry Mac, etc as being great. Wonder what race they are watching!
I watched the race on Sunday. California is boring anyway, but I always enjoy the long 500 mile nap. However, the 48 team just got lucky. When he pulled into the pits, it was a regular pit stop for them...green flag if I remember right. As luck had it (or cheating as some put it) a caution was thrown. His crew got him out just in the nick of time. If Burton would have slowed just a couple of tenths, Johnson wouldn've won. So...Greg...I think it's actually the #31's fault Johnson won. Just my take...
Dang....how'd I do that? Two posts for the price of one? Three now!
JJ hasn't ruined NASCAR but it sure has dropped the interest level. I don't care when he wins but I don't watch it either. When one team has the most money that enables them to buy the best talent and parts, what can you expect. I'm not interested in watching numerous bought championship runs.
allen "Danicamania.only a fool thinks she will win anytime soon." Who are these fools you speak of? I haven't seen anyone aside from one or two of the misguided who claim she would win out of the box. So... just who are you referring to?
Allen continues: "Brian Frace living is LALA land. Always chasing the almighty dollar."
Not sure how to break this to you fella but every major sport in the world is about the almighty dollar.
brian "Old Gordo in the 24 lost a lot of money from Dupont, hence, Gordo is off the map."
You're entitled to your own opinion, go ahead puke your gits out, but you're NOT entitled your own facts.
FACT: January 26, 2010, 07:16 AM EST DuPont Co., the third-biggest U.S. chemical maker, reported a fourth-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates as job cuts reduced expenses and demand increased for automotive plastics and electronics materials.
Net income was $441 million, or 48 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $629 million, or 70 cents, a year earlier, Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont said today in a statement. Excluding some items, profit was 44 cents a share, beating the 41-cent average estimate of 14 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
So, brian, about that faulty analysis, would you care to correct it?
Let's see, JJ came from humble beginnings, happens to get hired by a top drawer team due to a conversation with a then champion, works hard, is married to a model, and has done something none of the past NASCAR greats could do - and is viewed as boring, by many. Could it be that most of the media has become just too biased and lazy to be able to write a good story?
I'm not really a JJ fan, but I've been a NASCAR fan long enough to be real amazed and impressed by what he's accomplished.
Oh and money buying wins - doesn't work that way. Toyota in about 8 years spent over $2 billion in F1 without ever winning. It's almost impossible to win without money, but money alone is not enough - people still matter.
with all of the knowledge marc has, perhaps he could help pull nascar out of its tailspin. whoops, he will want to know exactly what tail spin I am talking about. how fast it is and how far to fall before becoming a dust dart. probably will want to know the amount of dust it will create.
Marc,
Dupont openly stated a few years ago they were cutting major funding to the 24 car. They are still giving them sponsorship money but not like the wheelbarrel full like they use to get like the 48 team is getting now. So, when Gordo was getting mostly unlimited funding, also came unlimited wins. I don't need any corrections! Thanks, have a great day.
That's funny thomas in a sad attempt at being critical of me you perform the very same thing you allege, offer no solutions.
That's very typical of someone who can't counter what's posted, in other words facts matter and BS walks.
Brian
"Dupont openly stated a few years ago they were cutting major funding to the 24 car."
Then why didn't you give an example of this?
Perhaps this is why: Sept 2009
"Unfortunately, the downturn in the economy has also taken its toll on one of NASCAR's most storied car sponsors. DuPont recently announced they would pull back on many of their track-side hospitality promotions due to their fiscal state of affairs."
"The cost cutting measures have unfortunately trickled down to their NASCAR sponsorship. While the funding for the sponsorship of the car has not yet been affected, DuPont will reduce its entertaining at the track from 37 races to six this year."
"The economy has had a huge impact on us...the current environment, along with the high cost of hospitality, have forced us to make significant cuts," said Larry Deas, Dupont's motorsports manager, to Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal.
See, no cuts to Jeffy's racing program, you stand corrected.
Sorry Marc, let me bow down to the king of " Click and paste." I don't have your power to waste my time and look for this stuff to post, but I do remember a statement make by Hendricks that they were having conversations with other sponsors to deflect the cost of sponsorship money they would be losing from Dupont. So feel empowered that you think you are correcting me, and all the power to you. Go treat yourself to a cookie! Bottom line here is that Lowes dumps a bargeload of cash in Hendricks lap for the 48 team and teams with the best equipment can outshine less funded teams. I raced stock cars for 2 years with a very small budget. I did well to ok, but never won. I didn't have the money to buy the better parts. Now another driver, with less talent, but more speed would beat me down the straightaways, but never in the corners. Straightaway speed in my division was king!!!
brian..... "Sorry Marc, let me bow down to the king of " Click and paste." I don't have your power to waste my time and look for this stuff to post,"
But you do have the time to post remarks that are utterly false. As for time wasted, try google, it takes seconds, count'em seconds to find what's needed if not in your memory.
brian.... "but I do remember a statement make by Hendricks that they were having conversations with other sponsors to deflect the cost of sponsorship money they would be losing from Dupont."
Well then if that's the case just where are those other, or new sponsors on the 24? That said if you think Hendrick is spending less on a 4 time champ you're misguided.
brian.... "Bottom line here is that Lowes dumps a bargeload of cash in Hendricks lap for the 48 team and teams with the best equipment can outshine less funded teams."
Easy to say wasn't it? Yet have made zero effort to prove it.
I can say that Jimmie Johnson over the past 4 years has stopped me from watching NASCAR. I will look at the results of a race, but since about halfway through the Chase last year, I haven't watched a lap.
DUBB "I can say that Jimmie Johnson over the past 4 years has stopped me from watching NASCAR."
Do/did you quit watching other sports, say the NFL as its dominated by one team? Did you quit watching NASCAR when Dale Sr. won six of his seven Cups in a span of only 9 years?
Do you need someone to call a Whaaambulance for ya?
Jimmie has hurt Nascar. You can not compare NASCAR to other sports and how one player out of multiple hundreds did not ruin a sport. In other sports there are multiple teams with multiple teams winning everyday. This is why it doesn't hurt other sports. In racing there is only 42 drivers who have a shot every week and one winner per week. This is why it is ruining the sport. Michael Jordan didn't play against the same team every single week!!! If he did, it would have ruined basketball as well!!! NASCAR is becoming worse than the old indy car days when the same few drivers win every single week. It has become quite boring. I used to be an avid NASCAR fan, and I am a huge Hendricks fan, but this is getting overwhelming. oh yeah..... by the way.... I think it has more to do with Chad Knaus and Jimmie staying together for so long and having that chemistry, rather than Jimmie dominating the sport. If Ray Evernham would not have left the 24, the same thing would have happened!!
Its not Jimmie Johnsons dominance that is uninteresting. It is the fact that Jimmie Johnson lacks any type of personality. He isn't aggressive and doesn't create controversy. The difference between he and Dale Sr. is that Dale would create drama. Jimmie starts at the pole and finishes there. It's a combination between Jimmie's boring persona and driving style and teh fact that the competition is so week. Nascar is ruining Nascar
All I can do is laugh, you are all tools!!!!!!!!!!!! The experts are trying to compare racing to TEAM sports, what a laugh.
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