Bad sports, good sports: Kyle Busch beats a bunch of scrubs, and I am supposed to be impressed?

Posted on August 23rd, 2010 by Alan Spoll

My lead story of the week could be categorized as both Good Sports and Bad Sports. Kyle Busch became the first NASCAR driver to ever sweep all three events at the same track on the same weekend when he won the truck race, the Nationwide race, and the Sprint Cup race at Bristol this week. Busch is a very talented driver, and he put it all together at Bristol, where he has always been strong. The media have grabbed onto this story, extolling the abilities and endurance of Busch and taking the public to task for its constant booing of him. I have a different take on all of that, though. Although I agree that it is impressive to have won all three races, I find it less impressive than some others. Why, you ask? How excited am I supposed to get about the idea of a “major league” driver winning a couple of “minor league” races? I firmly believe Busch should not have been allowed to compete in those races.

Think about it. Busch is one of the best drivers in NASCAR. He has won 18 Cup races in his six year career, and is a regular in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR’s version of playoffs. What is he doing running races in the truck series? Imagine Alex Rodriguez playing in Double A. Do you think he might knock a few out? Would you be impressed if he did? If Roy Halladay decided to play a few games for the Reading Phillies, would you laud him for striking out a lot of batters? Wouldn’t you actually ridicule him if he didn’t? Shouldn’t someone like Busch be expected to win a race in the truck series? The Sprint Cup series is populated by the best stock car drivers out there. The Nationwide series and the Camping World Truck series are not. Sure, there are lots of great drivers in those series, but they are not at the same level as the Cup guys. To be clear, Busch is not the only Cup driver slumming in the lesser series. Friday’s Nationwide race had 9 or 10 other Cup guys running, and yes, Busch did beat those guys. None of them belong there, though, and NASCAR shouldn’t allow it. I realize that they have a business to run, and having big names run in those other races sells tickets and helps television ratings. I think it cheapens the top product, though.

The bottom line is that I am not overly impressed by seeing a guy sweep the weekend like Kyle Busch just did. I may be slightly biased by the fact that I, like most other NASCAR fans, really dislike Busch. Unlike some past targets of the boo-birds like Jeff Gordon, Busch doesn’t get booed just because he is good and wins a lot. Busch gets booed because he is a petulant punk, and he demonstrates that on a regular basis. A talented punk, but still a punk. Stick to the big leagues, Kyle. The fact that you have entered eight truck races this season and have only won three of them should be a source of embarrassment.

Bad sports, continued:

2) Former major league pitcher Roger Clemens was indicted this week for lying to Congress back in 2008 when testifying as part of the House’s investigation into the use of steroids in Major League Baseball. Clemens continues to deny that he used steroids or Human Growth Hormone (HGH) during his playing career. Clearly, Congress does not believe him.

3) Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin was hospitalized this week after collapsing during practice on Thursday. Harvin has suffered from migraine headaches for years, and appeared to have experienced another one that caused this episode.

4) Three-time U.S. Open champion Serena Williams, the world’s #1 ranked tennis player, will be forced to miss the upcoming Open due to a slow recovery from foot surgery.

5) ESPN’s Jay Marriotti was arrested on Saturday and charged with a felony believed to involve domestic violence.

6) The distance between the athletes in professional sports and the fans is smaller than ever. Golfer Juli Inkster was disqualified from a tournament in Portland, Oregon, for using a training aid on her club while waiting for her turn on the tenth hole in the second round of the Safeway Classic. The amazing part is that the violation was spotted by a television viewer, who contacted tournament officials. After a review of the tape, Inkster was notified of the disqualification.

Bonus: Brett Favre is back. Blah blah blah.

Bad Sports, Good Sports appears every Monday.

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Alan Spoll

Alan Spoll is a software quality assurance director from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he lives with his wonderful wife and children. He has spent his entire life as a passionate fan of the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and Penn State. Recent Phillies success aside, you will understand his natural negativity. Follow me on Twitter - @DocAlan02