August 2, 2010
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Before the season began NASCAR officials mandated a new policy wherein they wanted drivers to be more aggressive on the track and to be themselves. They wanted drivers to show more character so that fans could identify with them. Apparently however, the new "Boy's Have at It" policy wasn't drawing in the fans that NASCAR wanted it to.
During the early part of the season, several drivers took advantage of the new policy and used aggressive driving to their benefit without worrying about repercussions from NASCAR.
Carl Edwards was recently fined $25,000 and docked 60 championship points as well as being placed on probation until the end of the year -- for policing another driver that was too aggressive with him. Something that NASCAR asked of drivers as part of the new policy. Previously, Edwards was only placed on probation for three races for an identical infraction.
That action by NASCAR was the death knell for the "Boy's Have at It" era.
The recent announcement that two top tier drivers were fined for comments detrimental to the sport hammered the coffin shut.
Those two drivers have since been identified as Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman. The amount of the fines were undisclosed, but speculation is that Hamlin was fined as much as $50,000.
If officials want their drivers to be more aggressive on the track and to be free to express themselves, why the stern penalties for drivers doing exactly what NASCAR asked of them?
It would seem that a new ear of NASCAR racing has begun. The "Boy's Have at It" era has been replaced by the "Toe the Company Line" era.
There's nothing wrong with either stance, but NASCAR should take a position and stick with it, not flip flop back and forth just because their original position didn't appear to be working.
Of course, NASCAR's position is that they are only concerned about their sport's image.
"It is the sanctioning body's obligation on behalf of the industry and our fans to protect the sport's brand," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston was quoted as saying in a David Newton article on espn.com. "Any action taken by NASCAR has nothing to do with the drivers expressing an opinion -- it's focused on actions or comments that materially damage the sport."
So much for the drivers showing character. Fans watching post race interviews will have to wonder if drivers are voicing their own opinions, or if they are merely repeating what they have been told to say.
"I don't want to lose any more money but I just want to be myself," Hamlin was quoted as saying in a Chris Stanfield article on nascar.com. "That's all I can say and that's what I've told them over and over. I said, 'What if I don't agree with something? What do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie and tell something I don't truly believe in because I've never been brought up to do that?'"
A sanctioning body fining its participants for disparaging remarks is nothing new. All other major sports have done it. However, having character among its drivers is something that fans of NASCAR have always identified with; it's what makes NASCAR different from the stick and ball sports.
One of NASCAR's new catch phrases is "NASCAR: Everything else is just a game."
It would appear that instead of trying to distance themselves from the other "games" that NASCAR is instead striving to become more and more like them. And in the end, that is going to drive fans away, not bring them back.
If you would like to learn more about Matthew, please check out his web site at matthew-pizzolato.com.
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