Thursday, October 9, 2008

Edwards, Harvick spat spices up a rainy day

So Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick got into it a little bit on a rainy Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway -- Read that story by our own Jim Utter here.

Hey, I don't have a problem with this. The brief timeline of events: Edwards caused a wreck in Talladega with his over-aggressive driving (he admits this). Harvick ripped Edwards on TV after the wreck, which also wrecked Harvick's day.

Then Edwards got mad about that, left a "funny" note for Harvick where he cursed him and signed it, "Love, Carl." And then we got the verbal and physical altercation between the 2 that spiced up today's otherwise gray day.

NASCAR needs guys like Edwards and Harvick and Kyle Busch, and it's a shame that Busch -- the best black-hatted villain currently in the game -- isn't better than his current 11th in the points chase. I'm at the LMS track today, and the Harvick-Edwards scuffle is all anyone is talking about.

I explore the "black hat" phenomenon in NASCAR in this column in Friday's Observer (and on our popular thatsracin.com website). Darrell Waltrip, a black hat turned white hat himself, had some great comments about it.

5 comments:

Monkeesfan said...

Where does NASCAR need Pacman Jones-style antics a la Kevin Harvick and company? Why can't the sport have professionals - guys who act like men, comport themselves like men, who go to race and not to start fights?

I'm tired of this "NASCAR needs black hats" crap. It doesn't. It need professionals.

Anonymous said...

Hey Monkeesfan...this is why it's intresting, cause you HAD to read the article.. I agree it makes the sport more intresting and besides it's about time someone put Edwards down. Way to go Kevin...I don't buy the Richie Cunningham act on Edwards, he went after Kenseth and now he deserves what he got from a driver that never plays pansy.

DiamondDave said...

The sport needs rivalries between these drivers. I have seen the fans get into altercations for as something as insignificant as a like/dislike for a particular make of car or driver over the years. That being said, I can certainly understand how the drivers can get physical over situations like those that occurred last Sunday. These little confrontations add some color back to the sport. I dare you to find another sport (and NASCAR is a sport) where the athletes do not get in each others face. Okay, golf does not count. Snorecity!
Edwards admitted fault to the accident. Harvick has ALWAYS had a smart mouth (reminds me of early Rusty Wallace)since arriving in the sport but, I admit to enjoying seeing these guys showing some passion about their work and see nothing wrong with these guys standing up for themselves and their teams. Occasionly, mixing it up a little is understandable as long as it does not escalate into something where others on/off the track are affected or hurt.

Anonymous said...

It is amazing that when this happen @NASCAR. NASCAR needs this. But when it happens in Basketball or Football, these guys should be banned, they are thugs etc. I never heard anyone mention the world thug in NASCAR. When did this become the WWF sport?

Jeffrey said...

I have an opinion gilster, but it would set off a firestorm in here.