Daytona 500 2012: Winner's Chance to Meet Mavericks Is Strangest Incentive Ever

There are a lot of fantastic traditions for champions of major sporting events that have stood the test of time.

Hockey players getting a day with the Stanley Cup. Football players shouting, "I"m going to Disney World!" after winning the Super Bowl. The winning driver of the Indianapolis 500 drinking a bottle of milk.

Don't expect to add "The winning racer of the Daytona 500 gets to meet the Dallas Mavericks!" to that list anytime soon.

And yet it's happening this year.

From ESPN Dallas:

"

Texas Motor Speedway has arranged for the winner of NASCAR's season-opening race to attend the Mavericks-New Jersey Nets game at American Airlines Center. That driver will visit with the 2011 NBA champions and coach Rick Carlisle, who will present a personalized jersey.

The driver also will meet with fans, who have the opportunity to win a pair of suite tickets and a meet-and-greet with the Daytona winner as part of a promotion through Texas Motor Speedway.

"

Yes, because NASCAR and the NBA go together like peanut butter and jelly. Forgive me, but I'm not seeing the crossover appeal on this one.

I mean, I guess it is cool for the driver to meet with the Mavericks, and likewise for the players on the Mavericks' roster who follow racing.

But it's not freaking Disney World, that's for sure.

This just struck me as one of the oddest post-victory obligations I've ever heard of. It seemed so random, though I guess the Texas Motor Speedway connection makes sense. And I'm probably coming at this from a Northeast perspective.

I mean, if the winning driver of the Daytona 500 showed up at a Philadelphia Sixers game, most of the crowd would have no idea what the hell was going on.

Wait, so he drives a car in a circle for 500 miles? What if he has to pee?

So no, I wouldn't expect this to become one of the great traditions in sports. But hey, who doesn't like a personalized jersey?

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