March 3rd, 2011 
T.C. I think sometimes it can be easy for those of us who work in and around the sport to lose a little perspective. We get caught up in the daily BS, and we forget what it is exactly that we do. We aren’t curing cancer, or fighting crime, or making laws. Our job is to travel the country and be apart of the spectacle that is NASCAR. From the drivers, to the crews, the support people, and those who cover the sport, we all need to remember that this is supposed to be fun.
It’s still very early in the season, but so far we’ve seen some very good storylines emerge, and we’ve also encountered some that are not so good. The inspiration for this post came from some of these public stories, and from some things that I’ve encountered in my world. My goal is to not sound preachy or patronizing, but to hopefully help redirect some perspective.
A perfect example of how we should all approach our jobs in this sport is to look at Trevor Bayne. I realize this kid just won the Daytona 500, so he automatically has something to be smiling about. But even before his big splash, when did you ever see this kid without a smile on his face? He’s having a good time doing what he’s doing, and to his credit he’s stayed grounded (hopefully that continues). We all know he still has a long way to go in his development, and there are still going to be some ups and downs, but he’s doing it the right way.
For those of us that work on the competition side of the sport, there is a great deal of pressure to perform. The teams themselves and the companies that sponsor us have a lot riding on what we do. And speaking from my own experience, it can be very easy to let that pressure get to you. But, as I was reminded not long ago by a friend, there are a lot worse things we could be doing to make a living. And I think we would all be better off if we were reminded of that once in a while.
On the flip side of my involvement in NASCAR, I think we’ve seen in the last two weeks that those of us who cover the sport can lose perspective also. I realize that there are codes of conduct and ethics that should be abided by, but why can’t the media work hard, be professional, and have fun too? Many are, after all, making a solid living doing nothing more than being the eyes and ears for the race fans. That sounds like a pretty solid gig to me.
NASCAR is off to Sin City this weekend, and if the first two weekends are any indication, we should be prepared for anything to happen. There have been a lot of positive indicators so far this season for NASCAR, and combined with the product we are getting on the track, we could be in for one hell of a season. What could be better than that?
Posted in 
It is easy to get caught up in the bubble of whatever environment you spend the most time in week in and week out.
This could be a very interesting season… I can hope anyway.
-W
Bravo!!! Well done.
Bob
Right On T.C.!! After all NASCAR is an “entertainment sport” and as such we should ALL be entertained…whether watching, reporting, or participating in the event..it’s SUPPOSED to be an uplifting entertaining experience. When I hear about such silly riffs in the journalists camp it makes me laugh…come on now guys…you’re not reporting on the Middle East…lighten up, enjoy, act human! And SI….get a life..and get over yourselves…to fire someone because they clapped? We live in a lopsided world…..but until someone proves you can’t “clap” and report an event “objectively” I say CLAP ON!!
Absolutely in agreement. I love to read articles where you can feel the passion that the author has for their subject.
Frankly, if you’re not passionate and emotionally involved in whatever it is that you are covering as a reporter, perhaps you should find a different calling. Good on the journalists who showed enthusiasm in witnessing history and owned up to and defended their actions. Those who cheered and said they didn’t and those who say that cheering by journalists is wrong have their own biases, it is human nature. By not cheering you are just pretending that you don’t. In my opinion that is far worse and less ethical. I don’t even care if what people write shows their bias or subjective view, if I don’t like it, I won’t read that authors reporting. It’s that simple!
Well said, great perspective.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas.
Avoid the slot machines.
Enjoy the weather we have for you this weekend.
“Storylines” and “product.” Racing is a sport. NASCAR is a business.
Let’s all give SI the clap.
Some of those “professional journalists” are as biased as they come. Check out what they write in their articles versus what they say on Twitter. Hypocrites.
The TV coverage and commentary? Biased.
The only way to truly enjoy the racing is to be at the track where the talking bobbleheads and media clowns don’t interfere with what we’re seeing.
I thought NASCAR was a sport and not entertainment? The WWE is entertainment. Testosterone filled soap operas for males. NASCAR is supposed to be a sport which involves athletes (drivers and crewmembers) and motorized competition. Maybe I’m wrong.
NASCAR is fun! And as fans, we are lucky – we have no one giving us rules to follow! We can yell and clap and root for anyone we want to, when we want to. We can read an article and yell “BIAS!” and take the journalist with a grain of salt forever more, and find the writers we trust
We can roll our eyes at the onscreen personalities or love them to death or mute the feed and listen to the radio.
We can gripe and yell and dislike the five-time champ for, well, being the five-time champ and twenty years from now we can brag about where we were when he won #5.
It’s all good.
And “The Mad Man” has a point – this is all put into perspective for the folks that can see a race in-person. Everything else is just window dressing!
I hear you TC. I was never more robbed than when I decided to turn my passion for racing into my job. And you know what? It became a job, I got way too serious and eventually I hated it. But I am convinced decades later that it was poor personal management on my part, because I am convinced that guys like you can do it as a job and still have great fun, just as long as you take time to remember what it is all about. So good for you for realizing what is probably the single most important thing for prolonging your career!
And I think the reporter getting fired for celebrating at Daytona will prove to be the single stupidest thing that will come out of this entire season.
Thanks TC, for a reminder to enjoy our NASCAR! As for SI, as an employer, they can (and will) set & enforce their own hiring and firing policies. There are reporters, columnists, and radio personalities I want to follow…and others I will run away from! But let’s agree that any employer can handle their personnel policies the way they see fit. If an employee feels he’s been treated unfairly, he can take advantage of legal recourse, should he choose to do so. Now, VIVA LAS VEGAS!