Interesting comparison

buckaroo

buckaroo

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I got a PM from a fellow fan here asking me to compare the "hatred" for Jimmie Johnson to Earnhardt the senior and King Richard. Not to go over those thoughts, but it did make me think of another comparison. There is much "hatred" for both Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch yet the two are very much different in style and composure. So what is the most "negative/positive" aspect of a racer that determines your opinion of him? I could give you mine, but that would be very oxymoronic. :)
 
Mine would have to be how well they can drive. I have respect for not only Jimmie Johnson, but Jeff Gordon, Hamlin, Harvick, Busch, etc. If you can handle a 800 HP machine while managing to not wreck yourself and come out in front, then you got talent and I respect that talent.

However, there are other drivers who annoy me because they're so popular and are in the best racing team and yet they're lackluster. I am talking about Jr. I still think if it wasn't for his last name, he wouldn't even be in Sprint Cup. He has yet to prove himself in the Sprint Cup circuit.

It's even more impressive when a driver can come out on top and you look back and see that they've ran a clean race. Which is why I like Mark Martin, he's just one of those drivers who doesn't race dirty, and I can respect that alot.

There's alot of other factors that I won't go into, mainly dealing with sportsmanship and how they handle a bad day at the track.
 
Don't recall ever hearing bad stuff said about the King.

Sr is a different story.:)

Jr wouldn't be where he is if not for Sr.

Mark is, IMHO, the class act of all of them. Not many drivers out there today he hasn't helped in one way or another.
 
SST55 said:
Don't recall ever hearing bad stuff said about the King.

Sr is a different story.:)

Jr wouldn't be where he is if not for Sr.

Mark is, IMHO, the class act of all of them. Not many drivers out there today he hasn't helped in one way or another.
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Oh my friend, talk to old Pearson fans and you will hear what I'm talking about.

I would compare Mark with Handsome Harry Gant. Not many people who didn't like either of those two. Yet, neither of them ever won the big title.
 
I don't know abouit the comparison of feelings. Any time anyone has a long run of success, they also automatically get a bulls eye painted on their back and the people come out of the woodwork with statements like: "He must be cheating!," or "Now that he's winning he's getting uppity. I liked him better when he first started."

As far as disliking the guy, speaking only for myself, I'm apathetic. Where Richard and Dale had distinct personalities, Jimmy's personality seems to be marked mostly be a complete lack of one. He never seems to do anything objectionable, no scandals, no misbehaviour... He just seems to smile a lot, speaks well and give good interview. He's kind of the the "Anti Kyle."
 
John Galt said:
As far as disliking the guy, speaking only for myself, I'm apathetic. Where Richard and Dale had distinct personalities, Jimmy's personality seems to be marked mostly be a complete lack of one. He never seems to do anything objectionable, no scandals, no misbehaviour... He just seems to smile a lot, speaks well and give good interview. He's kind of the the "Anti Kyle."
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I agree. Hating Jimmy Johnson is like hating Windows XP. Both can piss you off, but you just reboot them and you are good to go.
 
I truly think that fans tend to dislike people who win often. It is this way in almost all sports. Everyone says that they think Kyle is a jerk and that he is too hot headed, he complains.....while Jimmie is the almost the exact opposite of that.

The bottom line is people get tired of watching the same person win...not much to do with personality in my opinion.
 
Gordon_Fan24 said:
I truly think that fans tend to dislike people who win often. It is this way in almost all sports. Everyone says that they think Kyle is a jerk and that he is too hot headed, he complains.....while Jimmie is the almost the exact opposite of that.

The bottom line is people get tired of watching the same person win...not much to do with personality in my opinion.
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Remember the "Anyone but Gordon" days?:D
 
buckaroo said:
I've got several examples of fans of his getting snubbed, and I don't mean at the track.
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Wouldn't surprise me. The man died and everyone expects everyone to remember Earnhardt as a great man and great driver -- we're even told stories from the media about what a great man he was. But I remember something totally different when he was alive.

Great driver, yes, but he was an a**hole for a human being.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Wouldn't surprise me. The man died and everyone expects everyone to remember Earnhardt as a great man and great driver -- we're even told stories from the media about what a great man he was. But I remember something totally different when he was alive.

Great driver, yes, but he was an a**hole for a human being.
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Actually, Dale was a great friend to other drivers even though when on the track, they were his enemy. The racing community seems to be very helpful to other drivers and owners when they need help. Earnhardt was no different. He just didn't have any time for anyone other than his friends and those in the racing community. But I agree, he was quite the butthole.
 
SST55 said:
Don't recall ever hearing bad stuff said about the King.
Sr is a different story.:)
Jr wouldn't be where he is if not for Sr.
Mark is, IMHO, the class act of all of them. Not many drivers out there today he hasn't helped in one way or another.
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What a way to be known. As the classiest driver of all time. Mark Martin certainly deserves that accolade.

Richard Petty. In his heyday, there were many people who disliked "The King." Rumors were rampant about cheating, being lucky, special treatment from Big Bill France, better equipment, winning because he had factory sponsorship and, because he was a constant winner. Petty always had time for his fans and had he not stayed after races signing autographs for everyone, his popularity would have been substantially less.

Jimmie Johnson is the best driver in the NSS today. Five straight championships and fifty plus wins in nine years should more than prove his ability to his skeptics.
 
SpeedPagan said:
Mine would have to be how well they can drive. I have respect for not only Jimmie Johnson, but Jeff Gordon, Hamlin, Harvick, Busch, etc. If you can handle a 800 HP machine while managing to not wreck yourself and come out in front, then you got talent and I respect that talent.

However, there are other drivers who annoy me because they're so popular and are in the best racing team and yet they're lackluster. I am talking about Jr. I still think if it wasn't for his last name, he wouldn't even be in Sprint Cup. He has yet to prove himself in the Sprint Cup circuit.

It's even more impressive when a driver can come out on top and you look back and see that they've ran a clean race. Which is why I like Mark Martin, he's just one of those drivers who doesn't race dirty, and I can respect that alot.

There's alot of other factors that I won't go into, mainly dealing with sportsmanship and how they handle a bad day at the track.
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I agree with your first paragraph, but the rest I don't agree with.
Martin has lost a lot of repect from me with all his retiring / unretiring over the last 6 years. I used to like him, respect him, think he was a good racer if not great, but now think he is just another average driver.
Jr has proven himself in Cup a long time ago, granted he has lost focus of late, but winning those races after his Dad died proved to me he could drive at the Cup level. I'm not sure Jr really wants to win a Championship, maybe he is happy to be competitive, he has a lot of other business ventures going on....like Jr Motorsports. I see him as an Owner at the Cup level sooner than later, thus getting out from behind the wheel.
 
buckaroo said:
Actually, Dale was a great friend to other drivers even though when on the track, they were his enemy. The racing community seems to be very helpful to other drivers and owners when they need help. Earnhardt was no different. He just didn't have any time for anyone other than his friends and those in the racing community. But I agree, he was quite the butthole.
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so from what i am reading you and Andy both personally knew him
 
Chad is that Senior Vice President at work that tells you "there are no planned layoffs" when he knows that he's cutting 20% of the workforce next week.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Dale Sr wasn't hated because he won all the time. He was hated because he was an a**hole.
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Earnhardt Sr. wouldn't be remembered as this great, kind, loving kind of guy if it wasn't for Teresa Earnhardt. She made her goal after his death to present him as this wonderful caring guy. I remember before she came along him refusing to sign autographs after races and refusing to give interviews, gee kinda like Kyle. I absolutely hated Earnhardt's (Sr.) guts before she came along.

Mopardh9 said:
Martin has lost a lot of repect from me with all his retiring / unretiring over the last 6 years. I used to like him, respect him, think he was a good racer if not great, but now think he is just another average driver.
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Martin used to be my favorite driver and agree with your statement 100%. That's why I said in another thread Patrick needs to get Harvick or Kyle to mentor her instead of Martin. Those 2 would teach her to drive fast, smart, and more aggressive.
 
Whizzer said:
What a way to be known. As the classiest driver of all time. Mark Martin certainly deserves that accolade.

Richard Petty. In his heyday, there were many people who disliked "The King." Rumors were rampant about cheating, being lucky, special treatment from Big Bill France, better equipment, winning because he had factory sponsorship and, because he was a constant winner. Petty always had time for his fans and had he not stayed after races signing autographs for everyone, his popularity would have been substantially less.

Jimmie Johnson is the best driver in the NSS today. Five straight championships and fifty plus wins in nine years should more than prove his ability to his skeptics.
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Seriously? Martin classiest driver of all time?
 
Whizzer said:
Got a better choice?
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Certainly not him, probably some one from the 60s and 70s say.....oh I don't know Richard Petty, maybe Ned Jarret, oh then there was David Pearson (the silver fox), maybe even Bill Elliot. I'd say Martin might be in the top 5 barely, but certainly not #1.
 
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