Playoffs. As exciting as they might be from time to time, they are simply a gimmick to keep interested those who are not all that interested in the first place. Still, as long as they do not go beyond the pale, to be too stupid in presenting their post-season tournament, they can create a measure of excitement.
The latest NASCAR proposal that has come to light would have 16 cars enter the Chase. Rather a large number, but actually in line with what some other sports welcome among the season’s championship contenders. Then let us whittle that group down over the ten race “playoff” until we just have four left in contention in the final race. That might work, except for the 39 other guys who have no business even being on the field of battle.
Imagine the upcoming Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Let us play the game in San Francisco before only 49er fans, as we know just how much they love them Seahawks. Then, let us have the New England Patriots supply all the officials, on the field and beyond. While we are at it, let us have a few folks from the remaining 28 teams call a few plays, heck, let them even run a few themselves. Obviously, this would be a stupid idea, but thankfully no one in the NFL is stupid enough to institute it. NASCAR, however, might actually be thinking of implementing something just as stupid.
There is a reason they have a World Series. In 1903, they wondered who might be best, the champion of the National League or the American League. So, they played a series of games to answer the question. In 1969, Joe Namath and the New York Jets won the American Football League title, and then played the NFL champion Baltimore Colts to decide which champion was the best. Back in the spring of 1976, Guy Lafleur’s Montreal Canadiens were the best in hockey. Or were they? If they had played Bobby Hull’s Winnipeg Jets in a NHL/WHA showdown, we might have received a different answer. In each of the above cases, there was no cross-over, no common opponents. The only way to decide who was best was to have the two champions showdown for all the marbles.
There was no showdown prior to late October last year between the Red Sox and Cardinals, so the best team from each league needed a final series to determine the best. It’s the same this season in the NFL, where they can play no more than 16 of their 31 rivals during the course of the regular season. As Seattle and Denver have yet to play each other this campaign, we still need that final game to sort things out.
In NASCAR, we had the same 30 cars go head-to-head in each and every one of the 36 Cup races over the course of the season. From that number, Jimmie Johnson was the best over the season, beating Kevin Harvick by almost an entire race worth of points. Oh, but they had a 10 race Chase playoff, yet Johnson proved to be the best again, by 19 points over Matt Kenseth. Jimmie Johnson was the best over the season, the best in the playoffs, and any cockamamie system that would have deprived him of a championship would have made a mockery out of the sport.
Back in 2003, Kenseth won the title with but a single win (in the third race of the season) and that horrid occurrence spawned the Chase. Instead of giving out more points for a win, NASCAR decided it needed a playoff like all the other guys. In short, an attempt to artificially create some sort of excitement instead of being content with simply honoring the best over the course of the season. Maybe what they needed to do was rejig the points system at that time while adding more bonus points for victories, then possibly we would not even need the Chase. I mean, they had gone without it for 55 years just fine.
To be honest, we do not yet know the details of this plan, how 16 contenders would be whittled down to four over the course of ten races before determining a final champion. We do not even know for sure if this is the real deal. However, I think most of us have learned that when you hear someone proposing something stupid and you say nothing, don’t be surprised when you end up with stupid. If they want to trade legitimacy for drama in declaring a NASCAR champion, might I suggest a coin toss? It would save us all a lot of time and money.
I feel bad already for this years champion. They will never be recognized as the champ by anyone except their fans. This is very disrespectful to the sport itself. If they dont listen to the chatter, their in trouble
Since the powers that be want Nascar to be a stick and ball sport, why not just put 42 teams in a bracket each weekend and have 2 car head to head races in a single elimination format to determine who that race winner is that weekend.
Its not any dumber than what Brian France is proposing
Apparently when Nascar want to change something, they always send out a “feeler” to the media to get a pulse on what the responses might be. Hopefully this one will be extremely negative so that they shelf this idea.
if this plan goes through I will sell the tickets I bought for the 600, aug Bristol race, and the fall Talladega race and use that money to support the world of outlaw late models brainless’ plan is so foolish ive been a nascar fan since the days when you only saw it on wide world of sports if you were lucky how many old time fans like myself can nascar afford to loose? I saw nothing wrong with the racing in the past if jj wins the championship by a huge margin so be it at least we will have a real season long champion not a manufactured one
Exactly Ron that is what I have been saying for the last 10 years. In Nascar you play all your competition every week in other sports you don’t.
It’s really scary how Brian has conducted himself since his ascention to the throne. Total disregard for the core fan base, and his pandering to anything money. Yes it is a private company and they can do what they want at will, but along with that power comes responsiblity to all associated with your empire. I don’t know why teams and sponsors don’t boycott, only then, maybe a lightbulb will finally go off. I am amazed teams and sponsors have been patient for so long, I know I wouldn’t be. A spoiled child is at the helm, and it shows.
The only boycott that might be forthcoming will come from the fan base…what is left of it.
Yep, another stupid idea from Brainless. Well, I’ve gone from watching every minute of racing on TV and going to as many races as I could afford to being a casual fan. With this new system in place, I may move one step down from that as in – I’ll check the internet and see what the results are on Monday.
Bad ideas abound from Brainless, but man, he still keeps throwing them out there and as long as the TV and “official sponsor” of NASCAR $ keeps coming in, he’ll just keep running the sport into the ground.
I think France would be happy to throw a yellow on the last lap of every race. Manufacturing excitement. The best driver is the one who gets the most points in the full season as far as I am concerned. Trying to imitate the NFL diminishes the sport of racing.
I have been a full time fan since 93, I watched before that but it took an Earnhardt charge from 31st to 7th in about 15 laps to really pull me into by far the worst addiction of my life, in the past 20 years I have missed about 15 races total. The past few years, the coverage, the commentary and the addition of soooooo many more commercials(cuz we’re stupid and didn’t notice them) the TV coverage goes to break when someone is about to challenge for the lead all the time, but we have to stare at horrible camera shots or worse, gerber food explanations of loose,tight and of course….. Digger? Put the points back, FIX! the TV coverage and stop F*&%#n with the sport I love. I am not a JJ fan but if he does the best and wins the championship… so be it. I don’t know how many more Sunday’s I can justify losing watching something that looks nothing like what I fell in love with in the first place.
BTW, Brian France is the worst thing that has ever happened to Nascar period, I can only hope he realizes it and steps down before its too late to save.
NASCAR does not seem to give a damn as to the inferior television coverage, but with this proposal I think maybe they just don’t give a damn…period.