Jeff Gluck: A day later, I still don't feel bad about Talladega finish
Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards bounces off the catchfence in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. // LaDon George, NASCAR Scene
COMMENTARY
I don't feel bad. I don't feel guilty.
That race yesterday at Talladega was one of the most exciting in years, with maybe the best ending of the decade.
And I'm supposed to feel sorry about that?
Spare me.
I'm not going to apologize for enjoying that race or that finish. It was awesome, spectacular, mind-blowing...whatever you want to call it.
But reading my peers' stories today makes you wonder what people really want: Is NASCAR a thrilling sport or a safe, boring game? Maybe we should all just go play Scrabble, where no one can get hurt.
Check out some of the headlines this morning:
• Weekend of terror at Talladega must bring about changes
• Let's not miss the point on Talladega insanity
• Changes needed at 'Dega before tragedy strikes
• Will it take tragedy and death to change racing at Talladega?
• The Big One signals need for big change
One writer sent me an e-mail last night after reading some comments about how much I enjoyed the race and said, “You’re nuts.”
I think the rest of you are nuts. Have you all lost your minds?
We all complain about the boring racing week after week, then we get an unbelievable race thanks to restrictor-plate racing and you complain about that, too? Geez, NASCAR really can’t win sometimes.
People are upset because they say Carl Edwards almost got killed. Well, no, he didn’t. He was so alive after that wreck that he was able to run across the finish line. He didn’t have a scratch on him.
How is that almost getting killed? The car did its job. The safety equipment did its job. The fence did its job. Everyone is asking “what-if” questions. But why? Everything worked the way it was supposed to.
The drivers know before every race that they could be seriously injured or killed when they strap into those cars. But they understand the dangers and do so anyway, and they are very well-compensated for it.
And then there are the fans. People feel bad for the fans who were injured, and of course I wish that woman hadn’t broken her jaw.
On the other hand, she could have also broken her jaw at a baseball game if a ball or bat sailed into the stands. She may have been injured on a golf course, when an errant tee shot struck her. What if she were hit with a hockey puck?
Spectators at sporting events take risks. Especially if you sit close to race cars going 200 mph.
Look, this is an intense sport. So are football, hockey, mixed martial arts, boxing, rodeo, etc. You name it. That’s a major reason why we watch, to see something spectacular.
I don’t want anyone to get killed, of course. And guess what? No one did.
So why make the fans who enjoyed the race feel guilty? Stop it.
I’ll remember that finish yesterday for the next 30 years and retell the story to readers and fans a generation from now. It was that amazing.
And that’s something I refuse to feel bad about.
