Does Rick Hendrick Belong In The Hall Of Fame?
Dateline: 01/13/98On December 31, 1997 a U.S District Court judge sentenced Rick Hendrick to a $250,000 fine, one year home detention, and he is not allowed to have any involvement with his car dealerships or Hendrick Motorsports until January 1, 1999.
This brings up an interesting issue. As the car owner of the last three Winston Cup Champions in a row and the man who perfected the concept of the multi-car team that now dominates the sport, Rick Hendrick's NASCAR accomplishments should be more than enough to get him into the Hall Of Fame in the future. However, should his ethical (and now criminal) background be cause for him to be left out?
Baseball was forced to deal with this issue regarding Pete Rose and they have determined that Pete's off-field activities were enough to keep him out of the Hall Of Fame. Pete admitted that he had gambled, but also says that he never bet for or against his own team so as to avoid any conflict of interest. Pete Rose is not in the Hall Of Fame, in fact, he's not even eligible until he applies to Major League Baseball to get reinstated.
Earlier this year, Hendrick admitted sending $20,000 in cash to a Honda executive, plead guilty to mail fraud and still faces over 50 lawsuits brought against him by auto dealers claiming unfair competition.
Has Rick Hendrick made some mistakes in his off track life? Absolutely. Has he done a number of things that I personally would not? Absolutely. Does Rick Hendrick belong in the Motorsports Hall Of Fame? Absolutely!
The Motorsports Hall Of Fame should be based solely on an individual's accomplishments and contributions on and around the race track. Baseball has determined that Pete Rose's personal life should keep him from Cooperstown. When the time comes I hope that NASCAR, the National Motorsports Press Association and the Motorsports Hall Of Fame all take a more rational view of things and welcome Rick Hendrick into history.
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