Gas and Go
A NASCAR BLOG BY David Exum
Jimmie Johnson's streak to be admired
Do yourself a favor and do not begrudge Jimmie Johnson his success.
Five races from now, if Johnson wins his fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup championship, fans should embrace him for accomplishing the unthinkable.
Instead of thinking that Johnson is nothing but a vanilla driver who only wins because he's racing for Hendrick Motorsports, fans need to realize that they are truly witnessing greatness in an age in which NASCAR talent is at its finest.
NASCAR fans need to realize that this young man from Southern California will go down in stock-car racing history as one of the greatest, and we might not see another like him for some time.
I like to compare Johnson's accomplishments to those of the New York Yankees, who from 1949 to 1953 won five straight championships, or the Oakland A's of the early 1970s who won three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to 1974. There were probably legions of fans complaining about it at the time.
Sure, it's human nature to get sick of seeing one driver or one team win all the time, but it remains important to keep it in perspective that winning that many championships is a feat that cannot and should not be ignored.
David Exum
Hailing from Boston, David Exum has covered NASCAR since 1996. He is in his first season with SceneDaily.com.
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Comments
11 responses to "Jimmie Johnson's streak to be admired". Post a Comment.
STP43FAN said:
Oct 21, 2009 at 4:53 PMIt's engineering and resources, not talent. Johnson's title splurge is forgettable and to be regretted, not admired.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSTP43FAN said:
Oct 21, 2009 at 4:54 PM"We might not see another like him for a long time." How is that bad? Would it be bad if we entered an era where no one could win more than one title, where it was too competitive for anyone to dominate, where we actually could complain that the sport had "too many winners?"
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Oct 21, 2009 at 5:11 PMIf Johnson had only went to Land of OZ with Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man and the cowardly lion and asked the Wizard for a personality!
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» Confirm Abuse Report4-DA-88 said:
Oct 22, 2009 at 10:17 AMGoodness Gwen, LOL, tell us what you really think of Jimmie. Instead of personality he asked for the top crew chief. He may be dull be he ain't no dummy! I am so ready for next season!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportl84somewhere said:
Oct 22, 2009 at 5:03 PMIt's like the people who commented didn't even read the column. No one will care in 20 years whether Johnson told funny jokes when interviewed - they will marvel at what he and his team accomplished. Too bad so many fans today can't appreciate what they're witnessing.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportsstarbraintree said:
Oct 22, 2009 at 6:03 PMHey Gwen when jimmie went to Hendrick he had two choices to ponder.. I can be the most popular driver or win championships HHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Oct 22, 2009 at 9:38 PMOUCH #6...My post was meant as a joke. As everyone knows Jimmie has a really fast car and working on another championship. Just think if he had a personality to go with it. Wouldn't that make the show a little more interesting? So many people are ready for this history in the making to be over with. At least that is what the comments are saying. Dale, Sr. had 7 championships and a personality to go with it, plus a ton of fans. And the seats were full at the race tracks. TV viewing was up to the Max! Fans loved every minute of NASCAR! Now... the seats get emptier every week. TV viewing keeps going down. I am not saying it is Jimmie's fault of course. But when he's in the lead, fans leave the track. I am so ready for Jr. to start winning races again! Most Popular Driver is just an added bonus for being such a likable guy. When Jr starts winning again and he will....fans won't be leaving the race track! 20 years from now...if there still is a NASCAR...what few fans that are left will say Jimmie who? Just like the newer fans are saying.. I only started watching NASCAR when that Earnhardt man got killed. My post was only in fun.:-) 4-da-88.... I am with you on that next year thingy!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportairbrenda said:
Oct 23, 2009 at 1:05 AMJimmie’s only sin is that he’s not a stinkin’ REDNECK. I love Nascar, but it's still a hillbilly organization—if the fans can't embrace a world-class athlete like Johnson it’s because they want to keep the sport in the backwoods where no one can see ‘em dressing up like Elvis and marrying their cousins... Bill France wants to keep it in the backwoods so he can continue to refuse to franchise and stay perched atop a big pile of money that rightfully belongs to the team owners!! If the sport dies out, the LAST folks to blame will be any of the drivers or teams who are out there working their buns off week after week!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSTP43FAN said:
Oct 23, 2009 at 11:22 AMAIRBRENDA - you engage in racism with your belittling attack on fans. "The last folks to blame will be any of the drivers or teams...." Stop. The teams - specifically Hendrick - have priced the sport beyond all reason; they don't need to spend more than $7 million per car to win; they don't need more than three cars to win, but Hendrick has so monopolized the sport with four cars and the biggest engine shop in history that almost no one else can keep up. You CAN blame the teams, or a couple of them, for the sport's problems.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportliv2ryd96 said:
Oct 23, 2009 at 1:38 PMIf it was Dale Jr. instead of JJ going after a fourth consecutive championship, does anyone really think there would be such a hue and cry over that feat? Heck, no! Was there any problem with the King winning 200 races and 7 championships or Dale Sr.'s 7 championships, or Yarbrough's 3 consecutive wins? I really don't understand the animosity toward JJ (not my driver, either, that's Carl Edwards - come to think of it, no one was upset that Edwards won 9 races last year or wanted to tar and feather Rousch because of it). More often than not it is the big money teams that win the championships. It was said so well by the Postman on the radio this morning - if you don't like what you are seeing, then stop complaining about it, turn of the TV and go out and do something else on Sunday afternoon that you would enjoy. Johnson is an excellent driver and Hendricks is a quality shop, and I can still appreciate their excellence even if JJ is not "my dog in the hunt." 'Fess up, complainers, if truth be known it's because your beloved Junior ain't making the grade, even at the best shop in Nascar. For whatever reason he hasn't been able to get his head around the COT, and even Gordon had problems last year but has managed to overcome them and figure it out.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Oct 23, 2009 at 4:59 PMI wish I had a dollar every time I read or hear this, "if it was Jr. blah blah blah" or "it's because your beloved Jr. blah blah blah. I have many drivers that I pull for! Just because I am not a Jimmie fan doesn't have a thing to do with me being a Jr. fan! It just makes people feel better to say that I guess or they can't come up with anything else. What is really funny is when it is said to a fan that is not a Jr. fan and they have to come back and say..." I am not a Jr. fan." You are way off track(pun intended)#10! And know the difference between complaining and making an opinion! If I go by what you posted, then you are a complainer and not making an opinion. Instead I am saying you are NOT complaining and that is just your opinion, just as what I say is my opinion! Can you appreciate that? I can appreciate your opinion.:-)
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