March 8, 2010
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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The 2010 NASCAR season is still relatively young, and Jimmie Johnson has already won multiple races. No one should be surprised, yet many fans are crying foul, saying that they are tired of that 48 team winning all the time. It would seem that Johnson and his team have taken up a permanent residence in Victory Lane.
Moreover, some people have even gone so far as to say that Johnson's recent domination of NASCAR is bad for the sport. A more ludicrous statement was never made and likely stems from jealousy. How can one man's success be bad for anything?
Johnson's unprecedented, history making achievement of winning four Championships in a row has made quite a splash in the media in recent months and if anything, has brought more fans to NASCAR, not driven them away.
Jimmie Johnson is living the American dream. He was raised in a trailer park and no doubt his family made untold sacrifices so that he could one day realize his dream. There is nothing more American than that.
"I feel really fortunate and appreciate where I'm at today," Johnson was quoted as saying in a Terry Blount article on espn.com. "I know how hard a climb it was. I had to go out there and make it happen. And I know it won't last forever."
He knows that it's not going to last forever, so he's going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Domination happens in all sports, whether it's the Dallas Cowboys of the early 1990's or the New England Patriots of this decade; no one claimed their success was bad for the National Football League. In that light, the idea that Jimmie Johnson is bad for NASCAR is simply preposterous.
However, fans have drivers that they either love or hate, for various reasons. Yet, what is there not to like about Johnson? He always races other drivers clean and doesn't whine or cry after losing. Heck, he doesn't cry after winning, which is more than can be said for some drivers. But don't hate Johnson just because he's that much better behind the wheel than everyone else.
"I know it's frustrating for people that aren't 48 fans, but that's athletics," Johnson said in the same article. "That's sports. It happens, but it's not bad for the sport."
There have been several suggestions about different ways to beat him, ranging from changing the races that make up the Chase, which is made up primarily of mile and half tracks that Johnson seems to excel at, to doing away with the Chase altogether.
Despite all of the suggestions, the most obvious way to end his domination is not mentioned. And that is to beat him on the track. Until another driver is able to step up and compete, Johnson and the 48 team will continue their winning ways.
Right now, Jimmie Johnson has reached the pinnacle of success in NASCAR and anyone else that wants to knock him off his pedestal has to beat him on Sunday. It's as simple as that.
If you would like to learn more about Matthew, please check out his web site at matthew-pizzolato.com.
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