Friday, September 16, 2005

I Love It When People Don't Get It

A letter to the editor in last week's Sporting News wonders why "with gas prices skyrocketing in this country, shouldn't the 'sport' of auto racing be banned?"

First of all, let me address his inference that racing is not a sport (as evidenced by the little quotations aroudnd that word). Auto racing is a sport. Period. I normally let people speak their piece on anything, but if you're going to say auto racing is not a sport, just shut the hell up. Really. Quick quiz: Where do you find the results of auto races in the newspaper? On what cable channels will you find race results? So let's just drop that lame argument, okay? You could make a better argument that figure skating is not a sport, because it's judged, there are no clear winners, just opinions of judges. But racing is a sport.

Do I like all forms of racing? Hell, no. I prefer stock car racing. BTW, that doesn't automatically mean I like NASCAR, the sanctioning body, because I don't. But I do prefer stock cars to open wheel.

Now, back to the letter. First off, the writer shows his ignorance in suggesting that stock cars and Indy cars must just pull up to an unleaded pump at Road Ranger and dump in 20 gallons of 87 octane crude. Whatever. To put pump fuel into a Nextel Cup car would be like putting Lipton Ice Tea in your street cruiser: Start it up, put it in gear, floor it, and BANG!

If this jackhole really wants to do something about gas usage, I have a better idea. How about major league baseball ending it's season tomorrow, thus saving the gas of 10-20,000 street cars driving to 10-15 ballparks across the country every night for the next month.

Or, if that's too drastic, how 'bout we say that no one can go to an NFL game in person this season, thus saving the drives of 60,000 people in 30 cities eight times each this fall. Or, (and this is my favorite, BTW) how 'bout every person in America who drives cannot start the car and move it until all seats are occupied, meaning every vehicle on the road is full, cutting down gas usage by 3/4 based on four occupants in one car replacing one occupant each in four cars, as you can see every freakin' morning.

Ban racing to save on pump gas? Just shut up.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

But BJ, major leage baseball teams plan in Big Cities on the east and west coasts. IE: Blue States. NASCAR is a red state sport. Therefore, baseball good, NASCAR bad.