Anyone But (Your Name Here): Five Reasons NASCAR Fans Dislike Domination
To hate or appreciate? That is the question.
How can such a simple question have such a complex reasoning behind the answer?
Fan bases of teams can tell the story.
Depending who you are, domination can be a reason to rejoice or sulk. Only diehard fans nowadays like one team to continue to win the championship every year.
It also gives other fans a villain to dislike.
Here's five reasons why domination is not appreciated.
1. Target For The Media
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If there is anything that annoys sports fans, it's someone hogging the spotlight.
Dominance is always the center of attention to the outside world.
Teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys are disliked because they are or have been dominant.
NASCAR is no different.
Whether the catch phrase is Anybody But Petty, Cale, Earnhardt, Gordon, or (now) Johnson, NASCAR has had its dominant drivers. It seems that all the media cares about is who wins.
No fans, except diehards, like the same story ending every season.
Come to think of it, neither do the drivers...
2. Target For Drivers
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It's not just fans who are tired of the same driver winning the championship every year. The drivers are just as sick of it as well.
Other drivers tend to race the dominant driver much harder than they have in the past, and drivers are tired of watching Jimmie Johnson take home the hardware for the last five years.
Several drivers have already taken shots at him.
Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Busch have proven that they are more aggressive around Jimmie, with Montoya spinning him out at Bristol, and Busch almost wrecking him and getting flipped off at Martinsville.
Several others have had well publicized feuds.
Johnson was "testing" Jeff Gordon's patience for a couple of races.
Kurt Busch has openly admitted that he would rather lose to anyone other than Johnson.
Kevin Harvick said that Johnson had a "golden horseshoe stuck up his ass" because he was so lucky.
3. Seems Too Familiar
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NASCAR has been consistently losing interest for the past several years. A couple of reasons could be to blame.
Some people don't have the money to go anymore.
Some people don't like the coverage of the races.
Some also already know the ending.
Over the past two or three years, the championship was never in doubt. Most people already knew what the outcome would be. Even in 2010, when Johnson trailed going into the final race, most fans already knew who the champ was going to be.
Watching Jimmie Johnson win five consecutive championships is like watching Vantage Point five days in a row. You like it the first time around. It's not so bad the second time. But it becomes hard to watch the third, fourth and fifth times.
Most fans like variety. Most fans would rather Chex Mix over Pringles, if you know what I mean.
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4. Blame The System
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When teams from the NFL or MLB dominate, the system never comes under scrutiny.
NASCAR is a different story.
Many fans would argue that the Chase is worse than the old points system.
The old system meant the most points scored wins. It meant that the champion had the best statistical season of anyone.
Matt Kenseth won one race in 2003 and could have sat out the last two races of the season. He had the best season, but many felt he didn't deserve it because he only won one race.
NASCAR installed a playoff type format to decide the champion. That was the start of a major problem.
NASCAR doesn't need a playoff system, because every race is a playoff. Every driver competes against each other in every race. Other sports cannot do that.
It's safe to say that Jimmie Johnson has not earned all five of his championships. I'll even guarantee that statement.
Johnson is allowed to have a half decent season, and as long as he gets hot for ten races, he can be called a champion.
Take away the Chase, and he has only one.
5. Out Of Our Control
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As fans, the only thing we can control is the remote in our hands and the money in our wallets.
There is nothing the fans can do to put an end to this dominance.
It's all on the competition to take down this heavyweight. The world is waiting for someone to dethrone the champ.
Anyone who can potentially end Johnson's run will be thought of as a hero to the fans. Anyone who can take the throne will become a fan favorite.
Whether it's someone hated, like Kyle Busch, someone loved, like Dale Earnhardt Jr., or someone totally new, David Reutimann, a new champ will be greatly welcomed.
Let's hope that this is the year that someone new takes the throne.
NOTE: In no way am I attacking Jimmie Johnson. He's a great driver who has accomplished something that will likely never be broken. I just want to see a different face holding the championship trophy.
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