Jimmie Johnson added another honor to his resume this week. After clinching his record-breaking fourth consecutive Championship earlier this year today Jimmie Johnson became the first race car driver in the 78 year history of the award to be named the AP Male Athlete of the Year.
Johnson beat out tennis' Roger Federer and Olympian Usain Bolt for the AP Male Athlete of the Year. The award is decided by popular vote of the editors of AP newspapers across the country. Tiger Woods was named Athlete of the Decade but only finished fourth in the 2009 yearly balloting.
So what do you think? Does Jimmy deserve to be recognized as the top athlete in all of sports for his achievements?
Comments
Yes he does, I am sure many will feel he doesn’t. But I think race drivers are in there own way. I wouldn’t want to drive at those speeds, watch out for 42 other drivers.
And try to tell the crew chief if the car is handling right.
Yes he does.He has to go thru training of his own sort to be prepared for these races, as such all racecar drivers and crew have to.Congrats to Jimmie Johnson.
jimmy johnson athelete of the year.. are these the same guys who named a horse “A of the yr”?
enuff said!
Yes I as well as others have thought time to time that race car drivers are not athletes. Not in the true sense such as the Olympics, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. However there is much more involved in sports than being on a field or court exerting oneself. I don’t think the average person or even some athletes of other sports could sit in a race car for three some hours at close to 200 MPH and not have to be in some kind of physical and mental shape. Not to mention attitude, personality and someone that folks look up to. I can’t imagine that they don’t do some type of physical training in order to do their job. One thing I appreciate about them is so far a lack of whinning overpaid self serving egotistical “role models”.
An athlete is anyone who competes in a sport. And a sport is an activity governed by a set of rules and engaged in competitively. Physical capabilities are commonly attributed to great athletes, but so are their mental faculties. Sportsmanship is another key factor used to gauge great athletes. So what do I think, I think Jimmie Johnson is a great athlete truly deserving of his 2009 Athlete of the Year honor. Either that or NASCAR isn’t a sport.
Jimmie Johnson earned that award weather you like him or not. The people who say that race car drivers are not athletes or not deserving of this award obviously have brain damage or they are just mad that there favourite athlete never won or they just don’t like racing period. Race car drivers are athletes just like any other sport, drivers have to be fit and be able to handle a 500 miles race without passing out witch takes a toll out of there bodies, that’s why most of them if not all of them have to work out and prepare for a long race, all drivers have to pass a physical and a mental exam in order to race. So don’t say race car drivers aren’t athletes when they are in a lot of ways. Jimmie earned that award, and finally the world of motor sports get the recognition it deserves.