Sports Commentary
TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Supposedly, NASCAR has entered the age of free agency. A year ago the sweepstakes winner was Dale Earnhardt Jr. The process has evolved to the point where Tony Stewart, who isn't contractually available until the 2010 season, has willingly placed himself in the spotlight.
Drivers stop along the track during the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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David Ragan (6) hits the wall the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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Kyle Busch spins out as he hits the wall coming out of turn one during the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Virginia Postic)
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Tony Stewart comes out of turn three during the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. Stewart won the race. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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The fieldrs follow the pace car for the start of the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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Tony Stewart holds the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/C.J. Driggers)
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Flames shoot out of Stanton Barrett's car as he hits the wall the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Tony Stewart, driver of the #20 Old Spice Toyota, makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on May 9, 2008 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: The car of Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 CitiFinancial Ford, is towed after crashing during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on May 9, 2008 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Tony Stewart, driver of the #20 Old Spice Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on May 9, 2008 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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But stock-car racing has never had a reserve clause. It has never had a working agreement between its drivers and teams. The age of NASCAR free agency began in 1947, just like NASCAR. The difference is that deals once bound by a handshake are now brokered by agents, sealed by contracts and analyzed by the media. What would be more accurate is labeling this the age of media frenzy.
Stewart's situation is turning into a process defined by exposure, not negotiation. The two-time champion, who hasn't always been in love with his own image being shaped and defined by cameras and tape recorders, might as well have been Regis Philbin or Dr. Phil. He held a month's worth of press conferences within the span of a single Talladega Superspeedway weekend.
To his credit, Stewart showed no signs of distraction. He won the Nationwide Series race, qualified on the front row and led the most laps in the weekend's Sprint Cup race. Things on the track didn't work out, but it was no fault of Stewart's. A blown tire put his orange-and-black Toyota in the turn-two wall. After pit-road repairs, Stewart had recovered and was mounting a late charge when the No. 20 sped into a hole full of quicksand. A huge crash enveloped him and five others on the 174th lap of the race won by teammate Kyle Busch.
Wrong place, wrong time. It wasn't his day.
It was, however, Stewart's weekend. Apparently frustrated by the slow movement in contract negotiations with his team, Joe Gibbs Racing, word leaked out that Stewart might entertain offers elsewhere. It was pretty obvious that Stewart didn't mind the rumors. If he had, Stewart undoubtedly would have been surly and confrontational.
He made all the right moves. Rather than saying outright that he would fulfill the remaining two seasons (counting this one) of his contract with JGR, Stewart said that he hadn't asked to be released from it. Stewart said he had entertained offers and been "humbled" by what he had heard.
This was the charming Stewart, the self-deprecating Tony. He said he wasn't overly worried about growing old because his age in terms of maturity had been frozen at 12. Repeatedly he used the phrase "in all honesty." He said "we" over and over when grammar would seem to suggest the use of "I."
"This happened the last time that Joe Gibbs talked about renewing my contract," he said, "and it got out in the media, and the next thing that happened was other car owners and organizations started calling and courting us, so to speak. It's happening again this year. There are just a couple organizations that have thrown an extra twist into it that's a little different than what we've seen in the past.
"It's not that we're looking to leave. There's nothing wrong. Nothing's broke; nothing needs to be fixed. There are three great teams at Joe Gibbs Racing that are in the top 10 in the points. We've got two teammates we're working great with, and we've never had this chemistry at JGR. Everything is really good where we're at right now. I think we'd be stupid to not look at what's being offered. It doesn't cost a dime to listen, so we're definitely interested in some of the offers that have come across."
New Orleans Hornets Tyson Chandler (C) hangs on the rim over San Antonio Spurs Tim Duncan (L) and Tony Parker during the fourth quarter in Game 2 of their second round NBA playoff basketball series in New Orleans, Louisiana May 5, 2008. The Hornets defeated the Spurs 102-84 for a 2-0 series lead. (Sean Gardner, Reuters)
Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo (9) is tackled by Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams (24) on a drive to the basket in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA first-round playoff basketball series in Boston, Sunday, May 4, 2008. Williams was ejected on the play. (Charles Krupa, AP)
Track personnel try to hold down Eight Belles after the 134th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Eight Belles was euthanized after breaking both front ankles following a second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. (Brian Bohannon, AP)
Brazil's Paulo Carvahlo, assisted by his coach, warms up prior to a fight during a boxing qualifying tournament for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, in Guatemala City, Tuesday, April 29, 2008. (Rodrigo Abd, AP)
BOSTON - MAY 4: Coco Crisp #10 of the Boston Red Sox is unable to catch a triple off the bat of Akinori Iwamura #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on May 4, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Jim Rogash, Getty Images)
New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins players fight in the first period during Game 3 of an NHL Eastern Conference semifinal hockey playoff series Tuesday, April 29, 2008, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The fight resulted in three roughing penalties charged to each team. (Julie Jacobson, AP)
Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett (5) pushes away from referee Ed Rush as he tries to get to Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson (2) during an altercation that resulted in four technical fouls in the first half of Game 4 in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Monday, April 28, 2008. (Mikki Harris, Atlanta Journal-Constitution/MCT)
NASCAR driver Steve Wallace brings his car to a stop after being involved in a crash during Aaron's 312 Nationwide Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., on Saturday, April 26, 2008.(Dale Davis, AP)
Texas Rangers' Gerald Laird, foreground, picks up teammate German Duran, top, after he scored on a game-winning RBI-single by teammate David Murphy in the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, April 25, 2008, in Arlington, Texas. Other Rangers, background, react as Texas won 6-5 in 10 innings. (Matt Slocum, AP)
Argentina's defender Gustavo Casado (R) heads the ball during the semifinal FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2008 Qualifier football match against Uruguay in Buenos Aires on April 26, 2008. Argentina won 5-3, qualified for the World Cup, and will meet Brazil tomorrow for the final. (Juan Mabromata, AFP/Getty Images)
"Tell it like it is" Tony could have headed up a diplomatic mission. Certain adjectives were being used to describe Stewart -- smooth, polished, tactful -- for the first time.
Joe Gibbs himself joined son and team president J.D. Gibbs in a belated attempt to match Stewart sweet nothing for sweet nothing. "We think we've got a great future for him and for our race team," said the Hall of Fame football coach, and Stewart didn't dispute that notion in the least. Joe Gibbs said it had been "a great ride, and hopefully it will continue in the future."
Taken in total, neither Stewart nor his employer said a whole lot. And Stewart didn't sound at all like a 12-year-old. What Stewart sounded like was Dale Earnhardt Jr. a year earlier.
At almost precisely this point in the 2007 season, Earnhardt had been keeping all options open in the same manner and style. That process ended with Earnhardt moving from his family team, Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), to Hendrick Motorsports, which wasn't only his best option but the best option imaginable.
Hmm. Wonder if the two have talked.
Jeff Gordon, who is almost defined by personality traits Stewart has often lacked, watched from afar with admiration.
"I'm pretty confident Tony is going to get what he wants," Gordon said, smiling.
Unanswered amid talk of ownership, manufacturer switches and future success was the only question that really matters.
What, exactly, does Tony Stewart want?
IN THE STEWART MIX
-- Haas CNC Racing reportedly has offered Stewart a 50 percent share of ownership. That team, with two cars, hasn't produced a top-10 finish this year. There's a remarkable similarity with Earnhardt entertaining offers a year ago from Bobby Ginn, whose team wasn't even in business anymore (it "merged" with DEI) a couple of months later. Another similarity is the overwhelming likelihood that Stewart, like Earnhardt, can do better.
-- Racing doesn't have a draft, but if it did, JGR would have secured the No. 1 pick. Joey Logano, who becomes eligible for competition when he turns 18 next month, is the brightest star on the horizon. He might be ready for Sprint Cup in 2010, which is a major reason why J.D. Gibbs wants Stewart in the fold for the length of his contract.
-- The acquisition of Stewart would shore up Rick Hendrick's four-car team. This can't be comforting to Casey Mears.
-- Richard Childress Racing is adding a fourth team next year. Two teams have three drivers in the current top 10. JGR is one. RCR is the other.
-- General Motors wasn't happy when Toyota wooed JGR away. Stewart owns open-wheel (sprint and midget) teams carrying sponsorship from Chevrolet. Retrieving Toyota's most accomplished, and reluctant, driver would play well in GM's corporate boardrooms, not to mention its dealerships.
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