Jimmie Johnson: The New Top Driver To Boo?
Monday, April 2nd, 2007 11:25am CDT
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
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Perhaps I’m the only one to notice this, maybe not. However after an impressive show of wheelmanship yesterday at Martinsville, and holding off 4-time Cup Champion (boss, and teammate) Jeff Gordon while he has his fist solid on the chrome horn, it was apparent as he stepped out of the car. The “Boos” flew, as Johnson racked up yet another win this season.
OK, he’s been getting the boo’s for a while. Anyone care to remember back at Indy last August? When Johnson had won, and accidentally dropped the flag on his victory lap? He got out of the car, picked it up, and as he was heading back to the car almost got hit from behind by a chucked beer can. And not an empty one at that, as it sprayed over the track when it came crashing down. Bet you didn’t read about that anywhere, did you? Think I’m kidding? Find a replay of that race and you’ll see I’m not.
Something that I find ironic in this situation is that Sunday during driver interviews Jimmie’s “boss”, Mr. Gordon, wasn’t the recipient near to the extent of even a season or so ago. It’s been a slowly progressing trend, one that is difficult to gage from week to week, and one that needs to be looked at over time.
Are we seeing a changing of the guard here folks? Is Jimmie the new “man to hate”? That would seem to be the case, yes indeed.
So the question that comes to my mind is why? Why were people so pissed off last July at Chicago when Gordon accidentally got into Kenseth, yet are now pissed off that Gordon didn’t dump Johnson to win Martinsville? I just don’t get it.
So back to my question of “why”? What has Jimmie done to earn the negative attention? OK, he drives for Hendrick Motorsports and some fans believe that NASCAR has this big conspiracy going in favor of Hendrick (and Dale Junior, Roush, or anyone that is successful so it seems). OK, Jimmie is the reining series Champion. Yet even Kurt Busch didn’t receive this much attention. So what gives?
Here’s how I see it, plain and simple. He’s a winner, and he’s supposed to be. He’s in top equipment, with a top team, in the stable of a top owner, and driving the top make in the series. He’s supposed to be good. It’s expected. And apparently, being good when you’re supposed to be is the credentials for you getting the boos as he and Gordon have. I guess people just don’t like winners that are supposed to be winners. They like the guys who aren’t necessarily supposed to be the top dog, yet become the top dog. Or so it seems. A shame, really. Hell, people used to boo Dale Earnhardt too. Yet we forget that now when he’s not here.
And on that note I’ll leave it in the hands of Mr. Earnhardt, who once said that if it’s cheers or boos, as long as the fans are making noise you don’t have anything to worry about. When the stands are silent, then you can worry.
I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the words of wisdom he passed along.
Sometimes, people just don’t like a winner.
Filed Under: Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Hendrick Motorsports #48, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Martinsville, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams, Tracks
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No, it’s not that fans just don’t like a winner. Sometimes fans don’t like drivers that think they are better than anyone else. I will use the example of the Nextel/Sprint commercial with Queenie and the trophy, as far as I am concerned that was uncalled for and it makes me angry everytime I see it. He is NOT any better than Elliott Sadler, in fact the opposite is closer to the truth, without getting nasty about it here. It’s all in the ATTITUDE, but I can’t really blame it on Queenie in the #48 car, after all, he was trained well by the DuPont Dummy in the #24 car, just like he is in the process of training “Shrub”, in the #5 car, to be a moron and a jerk.
You were wondering what fans thought ??? Now, you have one fans opinion. Enough said.
WaltripManiac said this on April 2nd, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Nice, really.
I tend to find that particular commercial funny, as a joke. After all, I’m sure it wasn’t Johnson that wrote it. Some smart ass working for Sprint did.
Had another driver won the title, it would have been them standing there instead. So I can’t personally buy that part. Not defending Johnson here, but what if Stewart went back to back and was in that commercial? Or, any other driver? Is it different then? Does the driver that would then be standing there garner such attention? I’d be willing to be they wouldn’t.
So that kind of brings me back to my original question, really. Any driver out there brags on their team, car, whatever when the chips are piling up, even Mikey did it on Inside Nextel Cup this evening. Yet, I don’t boo him, nor do a lot of people. Why? If one of the boo-recipients said the same or similar to the media, it would be taken different.
So, while I see what your saying, I have to disagree here. I think there’s more to it than simple attitude.