Top Row Seat - Cheering The Wrecks
Dateline: 07/19/98Recently while the NASCAR Winston Cup stars were racing under the lights in Richmond Rusty Wallace made contact with the back of Jeff Gordon's car. This "rub" in the middle of the corner sent Gordon hard into the outside retaining wall, destroyed his car and ended his night.
Any time a driver is involved in a wreck every race fan's first concern should be for his safety. This time, however, the crowd went crazy and cheered wildly before it was even apparent if Jeff was OK.
I find this behavior absolutely disgusting. Regardless of your opinion of any particular driver no one deserves to have a potentially life threatening incident cheered. Drivers in all types of racing are out there risking their lives and livelihoods every week to put on a show for the fans. If nothing else they deserve some basic human concern when something goes wrong on the racetrack.
Personally, I am not a big fan of Jeff Gordon. However, I want my driver to beat Jeff because he has a faster car, swifter crew or smarter strategy not because Jeff is on his way to the infield care center. If my driver wins because the best drivers fall out of the race it only proves that he is the luckiest on that given day, not the best.
Often when there is a wreck during a race you will hear all of the drivers check in with their spotters to make sure that the drivers involved got out of their cars and are not seriously injured. Regardless of points standings, car manufacturers, or any personal differences that they may have, the members of the motorsports community look out for each other when it counts. Race fans are an extension of that community and should demonstrate the same common courtesy to all of the drivers on the track regardless of whose picture you have on your T-shirt.
Fans in other sports understand this basic human principle. NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball fans all respect the athletes and understand that they are risking their careers every time they step onto the playing field.
Have you ever been to a hometown football game when an opposing player does not get up after the play? You can hear a pin drop in a sold out 80,000 seat stadium while he receives medical attention. Sometimes, if the injury is serious enough, the members of both teams will get together for a prayer. Finally, when the injured player gets helped off the field every single person present applauds. It does not matter what color his jersey is or what the score of the game is, the fans acknowledge that the athletes are still just regular people who are risking it all to put on a show.
One of the great aspects of all of the different types of motorsports is that every person can have his or her favorite driver. Race fans are famous for being some of the most fiercely loyal sports fans in the world. However, this loyalty goes too far when it extends to cheering another driver's misfortune. If you can not show respect for the athlete you should at least show some common decency for the person who just hit the wall at over 100 miles per hour while trying to entertain you.
Your Turn
So is cheering when your driver crashes just another part of being a race fan? Is this the future of NASCAR? Is there any place left in motorpsorts for sportsmanship or has the money gotten so big that the ends justify the means? Stop by the chatroom on Wednesdays at 8pm EST to talk NASCAR with me as we head down the stretch to the championship. Or join in the debate on the bulletin boards and let your voice be heard.
