Having tired of the circus surrounding the death of Anna Nicole, the mainstream media has turned its attention to the cheating scandal at Daytona Int'l Speedway.
Prior to a few days ago, it would have been pretty good being Michael Waltrip.
NASCAR star.... team owner.... hooked in with Toyota... money out the wazoo.... TV star.... Buffy (say no more!) .... etc.
Now.... not so much.
The negative treatment Mikey is receiving might finally take the incentive out of cheating.
NASCAR's fines, suspensions and double-secret probations didn't do it.... but this might.
No one likes to be associated with a cheater. After this incident, would anyone risk having their sponsors and partners look at them the way that Toyota and the media are looking at Michael Waltrip right now?
It's just not worth it.
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6 comments:
Maybe he will finally shut his yap for a while....we can hope!!!!
Isn't Bonds getting 15.4 million and he's the biggest cheater of them all... just the anti-japanese contingent focusing on the Toyota rule bending and not the other manufacturers
I think the treatment he is receiving is ridiculous, and just a by-product of Nascar's increasing growth...they all cheat, it's the nature of the game...they should take these conversations off-line in the future, the fans don't need to know and it's really not helping NASCAR as a whole.
Now what they are doing is forcing Waltrip to single out one guy in his organization as the scapegoat and his career will be ruined...it didn't need to go down like this.
Old Rookie,
I think you're right about the scapegoat thing.
On the other hand, the "I had no idea that some unnamed person in my organization did this without my consent" routine is beyond lame.
When Waltrip sues the mystery man for damage to his reputation and costing him millions in future endorsements, then I'll believe that he wasn't in on the deed.
The bottom line is that it will be a long time before someone pulls a stunt like that again. The downside is just too painful... especially for someone with a sponsor
Points and wimpy probations weren't a deterrent. But apparently public humiliation and the wrath of your new partner are.
Anyway, any press is good press to NASCAR. When's the last time they were the big story on the Drudge Report without someone dying?
Here's my take...there are two underlying messages that are delivered to these teams by sponsors, manufacturers...one, conduct your self ethically because our reputation is on the line, two, make the daytona 500, at all cost, we don't care how you get it done just make sure my car is in the daytona 500.
So, when everyone else out there is cheating and you are under that kind of pressure you have to push the envelope...that fact that TRD wants to throw the guy under the bus for it makes me respect them a lot less.
You didn't hear anything from Dodge about their "factory" team having all three cars thrown out, so why go so hard on Waltrip?
Yes, there are pressures to make Daytona, but things have changed and the teams will have to deal with it.
The days of it being cute when Smokey Yunnick wrapped 10 miles of fuel line around his car are gone.
For whatever reason, it's not nudge nudge, wink wink anymore.
Now, you're Barry Bonds.
As for Mikey being ruined, I'm sure he'll be fine. They were already treating him like Rocky Balboa during the 150-milers yesterday, overcoming obstacles to get into the big show. Nevermind that he was the author of his own misfortune. Apparently, his crimes are already ancient history.
If they like you, they pump you back up again. By Sunday, Mikey will be the underdog and the whole world will be pulling for him.
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