Sports Commentary
Does NASCAR need villains? Why, of course. Isn't there something missing in the NFL now that the Oakland Raiders have disappeared from the playoff radar?
Joe Gibbs M&Ms Toyota team members push their driver Kyle Busch out of the infield after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Life Lock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, July 12, 2008. REUTERS/Robert LeSieur (UNITED STATES)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Samantha Sarcinella and Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&Ms Toyota prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, races Matt Kenseth, driver of the USG Sheetrock Ford during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Busch went on to win the race. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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Kyle Busch spins his wheels in the soft grass after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Life Lock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, July 12, 2008. REUTERS /Robert LeSieur (UNITED STATES)
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Kyle Busch (18) races Jimmie Johnson for the lead during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Life Lock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, July 12, 2008. REUTERS/Robert LeSieur (UNITED STATES)
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Kyle Busch (L) talks with a crew member prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Life Lock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, July 12, 2008. REUTERS /Robert LeSieur (UNITED STATES)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota leads the field to the start line during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota drives through turn three during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&'s Toyota, races Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 USG Sheetrock Ford during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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The late Dale Earnhardt never lost sleep when the fans booed him. Jeff Gordon somehow became a villain in the 1990s for nothing more evil than winning over and over. Still, that was enough to supplant Earnhardt as the fans' chief target. Earnhardt told Gordon, essentially, that noise was good. Whether by cheers or boos, Earnhardt had learned that if the grandstands erupted when your name was called, it was going to be worth a lot of money.
Now, along comes Kyle Busch, a former teammate, to wrest control of Boo Bottom from Gordon.
"I think if he had his choice, he wouldn't be the villain," Gordon said of Busch. "I don't think he wants to be that. I know Kyle's a good guy, you know, and he's an incredibly talented race-car driver. There's no doubt about that.
"He just gets himself into situations, you know, where it just follows him. He needs to accept it, go with it, but, you know, be himself, and I think there's an opportunity here for him. Not that he wants to go crashing Dale Jr. very often. I don't think that's going to do him too many favors, but having a love-hate relationship out there with the fans is not a bad thing."
As a villain, Kyle Busch is a perfect storm. His villainy runs perfectly parallel to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s popularity.
Like Earnhardt Jr., Busch is a legacy. Among several whose thunder he has stolen is his older brother, 2004 Cup champion Kurt, who has obligingly stopped running particularly well just at the point where Kyle has become NASCAR's biggest winner.
Busch doesn't limit his domination to the Sprint Cup Series. While leading the Cup points, he's near the top in both support series, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck. There are more opportunities to boo him than anyone else.
** FILE ** In this July 11, 2008 file photo, Brad Keselowski drives during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The 24-year-old Nationwide Series driver is second in the season standings heading into this weekend's race at St. Louis. Off the track, Keselowski is learning about the things he didn't really worry about while making his way through the ranks. (AP Photo/Tim Stewart, File)
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** FILE ** In this July 10, 2008 file photo, NASCAR driver Ryan Newman smiles as he looks at his crew member in his garage before the Sprint Cup Practice at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The Penske team announced Monday, July 14, 2008 that Newman, projected as a possible teammate for Tony Stewart on the two-time NASCAR champion's new team, will leave Penske Racing at the end of the 2008 season. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
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** FILE ** In this July 12, 2008 file photo, Ryan Newman (12), Jimmie Johnson (48) and Carl Edwards, right, drive during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The Penske team announced Monday, July 14, 2008 that Newman, projected as a possible teammate for Tony Stewart on the two-time NASCAR champion's new team, will leave Penske Racing at the end of the 2008 season. (AP Photo/Tim Stewart, File)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge drives during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: A.J. Allmendinger, driver of the #84 Red Bull Toyota leads Elliott Sadler, driver of the #19 Best Buy Chevrolet during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli watches his drivers from the #2 Miller Lite Dodge pit during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 USG Ford pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: NASCAR legend Richard Petty receives an award celebrating his 50th anniversary in NASCAR during pre-race festivities prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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Joe Gibbs M&Ms Toyota team members push their driver Kyle Busch out of the infield after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Life Lock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, July 12, 2008. REUTERS/Robert LeSieur (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
JOLIET, IL - JULY 12: Samantha Sarcinella and Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&Ms Toyota prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 on July 12, 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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"Go with it"? Busch didn't need Gordon's advice on that. Gordon said that Busch doesn't want the role, but that's not the way it looks. After winning at Darlington on Saturday night, Busch played it to the hilt. Rowdy Roddy Piper would've approved of the way Busch climbed out of his car, stood on the roof and bowed grandiosely to the growling masses. In the post-race press conference, Busch said he was disappointed that they only threw empty beer cans at him.
"I'm here to win," he said, unrepentant. "If I win, just makes them more upset and crying on their way home. ... By the way, somebody threw a beer can at me. Next time just make sure it's full so I can enjoy it out there, all right?"
Whoa. Wonder if "Nature Boy" Ric Flair was watching?
Kyle Busch is 23 years old. He's the youngest driver ever to win at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR's toughest track. He's not just tracking Gordon in boos, either. In the season in which he turned 23, Gordon reached nine career victories. The latest victory was Busch's ninth. This season is far from over, however.
Storm clouds had already been gathering. Busch's Richmond run-in that eliminated Earnhardt Jr. on May 3 in Richmond set off the sound and thunder. The Darlington victory put Busch at Category 5. Next up is the Sprint All-Star Race, a slam-bang, segmented hullabaloo that holds historical significance in the past notoriety of Earnhardt Sr., Rusty Wallace and others.
This is the perfect time at the perfect place. Lowe's Motor Speedway is the track at stock-car racing's epicenter.
Carpe diem. That's Latin for "seize the day." At a lower level of discourse, Larry the Cable Guy might say, "Get 'r done."
WHAT GIVES KYLE BUSCH THE EDGE OVER OTHER VILLAINS?
--Tony Stewart doesn't like to be booed. Some even think he's matured.
--Booing Jeff Gordon has gotten old. He's been around a long time.
--Jimmy Spencer, Kurt Busch's chief foil, now only yammers on television.
--He's a role model for young punks everywhere.
--Dale Earnhardt Jr. is just the guy you want to pick on.
--He's both controversial and articulate. And, shades of the young Darrell Waltrip, he's got a big mouth.
--All Jimmie Johnson does is win.
--Being a spokesman for sponsors is like a restrictor plate for most drivers. It limits their personalities but doesn't seem to trouble his.
--NASCAR officials won't admit how much they love it.
--Oh, by the way, he's really, really good.
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