Feud: Martin giving J.J. slight push with two races to go
CBSSports.com's Brian De Los Santos and Pete Pistone provide analysis on three weekly racing topics.
We welcome your question submissions. If you have a question or hot racing topic you'd like to see discussed, post it here .
| Pete Pistone | Brian De Los Santos |
| 1. Jimmie Johnson's wreck at Texas allowed Mark Martin to creep within 74 points with two races remaining. A mere hiccup for Johnson or do you think Martin can complete the comeback? | |
| In order for Martin to pass Johnson he'll need another hiccup from the 48 bunch which may be a tough order indeed. Let's face it, what happened to Johnson Sunday in Texas was about as rare as my brother-in-law picking up a dinner check, which, trust me, is once in a blue moon. For it to happen again over the course of the next two races at Phoenix and Homestead might be a little too much wishful thinking for Martin's fans who want to see him end Johnson's quest for four consecutive titles. But I didn't expect Johnson to be in a melee that eventually handed him a 38th-place finish at Texas and it was an example of how important qualifying can be to get an upfront starting spot and not be back in the pack where issues have a tendency of taking place. Johnson will need to return to his previous bulletproof self the next two weeks and it should be enough to make history. | Something happened on the way to anointing Jimmie Johnson a four-time champion before he even reached the finale at Homestead -- reality. The reality of racing is that no matter how good a driver or team may be, there's no accounting for the intangible that is, for lack of a better description, pure luck. There are so many things that can go wrong out of a driver and his team's control: wrecks, flat tires, broken parts, untimely cautions. It's amazing how time and time again Johnson has been able to avoid those pitfalls during his championship run. Based solely on performance, I wouldn't expect Martin to catch Johnson. That's not because Martin isn't good enough, but because I don't expect Johnson's team to err at either of the upcoming races. With the things it can control, I expect the 48 team to be spot on. Johnson has been especially strong at Phoenix, winning three in a row at the track before Martin ended the streak back in the spring. If Martin can gain a few more points on Johnson at Phoenix, it'll certainly make Homestead very, very interesting. However, unless Lady Luck intervenes again, I still think Johnson will be the one hoisting the championship trophy at the end of the season. |
| COMMUNITY GUEST 'D2Moo': It is very possible to make up those 74 points in two races. Johnson would just have to have a couple of top 10-15 finishes and Martin a couple of top fives with a lap lead. So it is possible. Probable is another story though. J.J. and Chad Knauss don't stumble often and when they do, recovery is usually quick. Hiccups don't last long for the 48 crew. All it takes though is a piece of debris blowing a tire or damaging something in the engine, an over anxious driver accidently blowing through the 48 or any number of the pitfalls that await a driver on the track. It would be a great story if Martin could somehow pull this off. The problem is that Chad and Jimmie have the paper and pen right now and they want a different ending. | |
| 2. NASCAR has been unhappy with criticisms levied by analysts at its TV partners over the past few weeks. Should NASCAR expect a more positive approach from its broadcast partners or should race analysts be allowed to voice any opinion even if it's critical of the sport? | |
| I think fair criticism is fine in all sports and NASCAR is no different. But I also believe there are forums when opinion can take center stage and maybe it's not always within a race telecast. If a television or radio announcer is asked for an opinion in a newspaper story or call on a talk show, he or she should definitely be allowed to express whatever is on their mind. However I don't think it's right for part of an announcing crew to speak out about the state of the sport or a particular issue if it doesn't pertain directly to that telecast. Their job should be to tell the story of the race, analyze officials' calls or team strategies and generally bring the viewer as complete a picture of the event as possible. That's not to say they can't have opinions or be critical of anything within the sport, but rather find another outlet to express those thoughts other than the actual race broadcast. | I have to say I'm in NASCAR's corner on this one. "Partner" is the key word here. They're in it together. What one does impacts the other. In essence the networks and its analysts are ambassadors of the sport. Ambassadors are generally expected to represent their cause in a positive manner. That's not to say analysts should be muzzled and never be critical, but it should have context to the events of a race. But it's also a two-way street; NASCAR needs to give its partners a better product. If the TV partners are disappointed in the product, that's something that should be discussed between the two parties behind closed doors, not a national television audience. Another problem is that many analysts are playing both sides of the fence, serving their own self interests outside the TV booth with their own shows and/or internet columns. In a way, they're biting the hand that feeds. I think NASCAR officials have every reason to be upset. |
| COMMUNITY GUEST 'D2Moo': It's a fool's game to attempt to censor your media partners. Fans can see through transparent commentators. Very few people respect shills. Now, NASCAR has a right to ask for a bit more positive coverage. Heck, I have the right to ask the boss for a big raise, too. Doesn't mean I'm going to get it. The best broadcasts are the ones where the play-by-play men and commentators can just call the action and feel free to react to the action without fear for their positions. Fans know when criticism is genuine versus someone with an ax to grind. As long as the negative comments are not an attempt to damage the sport, NASCAR should just let them go and not worry. The openness might even help the ratings. | |
| 3. Tony Stewart blamed the media for fan backlash that the racing at Talladega was boring. Has the media been fair or do you think it has been too cynical in its NASCAR reporting? | |
| I had to laugh when Tony Stewart made those comments because wasn't he the guy asking his crew to help him stay awake at Talladega and making No-Doze jokes over his in-car radio? I don't think the media has been too unfair about anything this year in NASCAR, and particularly the Talladega parade that made up the bulk of that race. Whether it was an organized protest or not in response to NASCAR mandating the no bump-drafting in the corners rule -- which every driver afterward denied by the way -- or simply guys trying to save their cars to be in position to race for the win at the end, the bottom line is the middle portion of that race was boring. And we heard that word from many drivers including Stewart. But it's much easier to blame the media than to take responsibility for your comments or actions. | A lot of whether the media has been fair or too harsh depends on where you choose to get your information. The internet has really opened things up in recent years. Everybody has a voice nowadays. There are some websites I visit and TV programs I watch that never seemingly have a good thing to write or say about NASCAR. Of course, there are others on the opposite side of the spectrum that gloss over the issues. Overall I think the media leans as being a bit too hard on NASCAR. It seems so many media members -- and fans as well -- have this belief that the racing was so much better "in the good, old days." As if every race was side-by-side for the lead from the drop of the green to the checkered flag. It's a bunch of nonsense. My experience as a fan dates back to the mid-80s and the racing is much the same as it ever was if you ask me. Things have changed for certain, but it's not the great divide so many make it out to be. As for Talladega specifically, I think Stewart's comments are misdirected. Drivers were some of the harshest critics of the racing at Talladega. Stewart himself was joking with his crew about trying to stay awake in his car. In this case, the media was simply reporting what the drivers were saying. Did the media pile on? Perhaps, but fan backlash would have happened regardless. |
| COMMUNITY GUEST 'D2Moo': Tony, Tony, Tony. All the media did was report on comments drivers made during the race. Don't you remember that everyone has access to your comments while you are behind the wheel? If you're complaining that someone needs to keep you awake during a race -- and not due to a CO2 problem in your car -- members of the media are going to report it. Most media coverage is fair from the individuals that cover NASCAR on a regular basis and has knowledge of the sport. Cynicism is there, but usually it is used as a tool by some to make sure the sport is making good decisions and not hasty or poor ones. Some of the stick and ball guys or elite types who want to stereotype the sport and its denizens might not be fair at times. In the end, when half the folks complain the media are too easy, and the other half complains they're too hard, the coverage is probably just about where it should be. | |
| Previous Feud of the Weeks: Sept. 22 | Sept. 29 | Oct. 6 | Oct. 13 | Oct. 20 | Oct. 27 | Nov. 3 | |
