I am a sports fan. I am not a fan of every sport, but I doubt if anyone actually is. Of course, to properly ascertain one’s status as a sports fan, one must first clarify what is, and is not, considered a legitimate sport. Is it being shown on a sports cable channel? If it is, then spelling bees, eating contests, and dog shows are sports because they’ve been telecast on ESPN. Is it a competitive event between participants? If it is, then Scrabble, chess, and checkers are sports because of the competition between two players.
There are, I believe, a few things in common that all real sports have with each other, and racing, specifically NASCAR, has these as well.
Admittedly, there was a time, 15 or so years ago, when I did not consider NASCAR a legitimate sport. Like most uninformed observers, I thought NASCAR drivers just drove around in circles, constantly turning left, but without that annoying turn indicator flashing like it does on your grandmother’s Buick. I have since come to realize the errors of my ways, and have become a big fan of the uniquely American sport of NASCAR. Sure, other countries have auto racing, but unlike the open wheel racers of the IRL and European Grand Prix circuits, I actually like the cars in the race to look like cars, not torpedoes with wheels.
NASCAR shares lots of similarities with other sports. Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer are all team sports, and so is NASCAR. Jimmie Johnson, or any other driver would be in sad shape without his pit crew, not to mention the research and development personnel at the home office. At the same time, NASCAR is unique in that it is an individual sport, one driver and one car, dueling with 42 other drivers and their rides. Speaking of rides, is it a far stretch for me to equate NASCAR with rodeo? Bear with me on this one. One “rider” in one car- one rider on one bull or bronco? Let me know.
There is one thing that in my opinion, makes NASCAR unique and special in the world of sports. All other sports, at least team sports, have their ultimate event at the end of their season. The NFL’s Super Bowl, and the NBA, NHL, and MLB have their premiere events after the regular season is over. NASCAR has their version of the playoffs, the chase for the cup, at the end of the season, but the premiere event, The Daytona 500, which starts in less than an hour, is the largest, most prestigious event on the NASCAR calendar, and it serves as the catapult to kick off the season.
Finally, what makes NASCAR special, at least to me, are the fans. NASCAR has tried to attract a more sophisticated and intellectual audience over the past few years. I’ve often said the best way to do that is to stop referring to Dale Earnhardt Jr. as “Little E”, and start referring to him as “Lower case E”. Sorry. A little attempt to interject humor. Seriously NASCAR, like rodeo, is a sport born from a way of life. From the moonshine runners of the prohibition era came the sport we have come to know and love as NASCAR. These fans are by and large blue collar, roll up your sleeves and get the job done, lunch pale toting Americans. True blue and patriotic. NASCAR has among it’s sponsors The Army, Air Force, and The National Guard. It would truly, in my opinion, be a sad day in NASCAR if a team were ever sponsored by MoveOn.org.
The Super Bowl is one week from tonight. The Patriots and Giants will do business in the Arizona desert for the NFL’s top prize, the Vince Lombardi trophy. That’s a whole week away and with the conference championship games last weekend, there is no football this weekend.
The NBA is in the last stages of games leading up to the All Star game next month, and NASCAR gets cranked up in February too.
Fortunately, the Major League Baseball season is about to begin, as pitchers and catchers report for spring training in about two weeks. Last month, December 13th specifically, the Mitchell Report was released. This report, compiled by former US senator George Mitchell, apparently details the extent of steroid and PED (performance enhancing drugs) usage, and it’s impact, on the Major Leagues. One name mentioned in the report (82 times) is Roger Clemens.
William Roger Clemens was born August 4th, 1962, in Dayton Ohio, and moved to Houston Texas in 1977. I have never been a fan of Roger Clemens. From the first interview I ever saw with him in college at the University of Texas, he seemed to me aloof and arrogant. There’s no denying Clemens’ accomplishments on the baseball diamond. He was 25-7 at UT, was an All American both seasons, and was on the mound when Texas clinched the 1983 College World Series, and was the first Longhorn baseball player to have his number retired. In 2004, the Rotary Smith award, given to the nation’s best baseball player, was renamed the Roger Clemens award, and is given to the nation’s best collegiate pitcher. Clemens’ career as a professional is even more impressive. Roger Clemens has won seven Cy Young awards, two more than any other MLB pitcher, in 1997 and 1998, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Clemens won baseball’s triple crown (leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts). He recorded his 300th win and 4000th strikeout in the same game in 2003. Clemens is one of only four pitchers (the others being Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton) to have at least 4000 strikeouts in their career. In 1986, Clemens became the first pitcher in Major League history to strike out 20 batters in a regulation 9 inning game. There’s no doubt in my mind that Roger Clemens will be a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee.
Two incidents come to mind about Clemens that have formed my negative opinion of him, both happened in 2000. In a game against the Seattle Mariners, Clemens came dangerously close to hitting Alex Rodriguez, who would be his teammate several years later in New York. After the game Lou Pinella, then the Seattle manager, referred to Clemens as a “headhunter”. That same year the Yankees played the Mets in the World Series. Most people know by now of the broken bat incident with Met catcher Mike Piazza. A shard from the broken bat bounced to the mound and Clemens picked it up and tossed it at the knees of Piazza as he ran towards first base. Clemens later stated that he thought it was the ball. What? Come on, Roger, the ball? The only thing in my opinion more asinine than that explanation is the fact that Clemens offers no apologies for his actions toward Piazza.
Clemens has also been known to complain for having to carry his own luggage through airports, he’s referred to Fenway Park as a subpar facility, and his on-again-off-again retirement just bothers me. Every year for the past few seasons Clemens has dangled a carrot in front of several MLB general managers about whether or not he intends to play or not, and invariably about June or July (probably when he decides which teams are going to contend for the league pennants) he gives his answer.
I honestly don’t know Roger Clemens from Adam, but as I’ve often said, you need to know less about someone to dislike them than you do to like them. When it comes to baseball, Roger Clemens is an icon. In real life, he may be a great guy to hang out with, go fishing, or drink a beer, although I doubt it. I’d much rather meet Samuel Clemens than Roger Clemens. The title of this piece doesn’t refer to the passage from the national anthem, but rather the red glare in Clemens eye when his name was mentioned in the Mitchell report. Has Roger Clemens ever used HGH or any other PED? I really don’t care. Is he going to pitch this season or not? I certainly hope not.
To me Roger Clemens is the Bret Favre of MLB, with one exception- I like Bret Favre. As for Roger? Please retire, and this time stay retired.
Thanks for reading.
OSL
All statistical information gathered from Wikipedia.
