Bench Racing With Patrick Reynolds: Dale Earnhardt Jr. & Tiger Woods

When Jim and I were discussing via email the prospect of me writing a regular feature here at Bump-Drafts, he allowed for quite a bit of latitude in my subject matter. I can write about pretty much whatever topic I would like to. As we formed a plan and worked out some details he requested that he was looking for columns with focus on what nobody else was writing about. This idea sat well with me. I did not want to write about what most others were tackling.

How many articles were written over the winter wondering if Jimmie Johnson could win four straight Sprint Cup championships? Could Carl Edwards wrestle away the crown from Johnson? Will Jeff Gordon break the winless streak? I believe I recently heard something about Matt Kenseth winning two in a row. All are valid issues that many fans have interest in. All were also covered very thoroughly in the media. I was not interested in writing about what many already have.

In sticking with that theme, it brings me to this column’s issue: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

It is appropriate to chuckle right here, I wrote that last sentence tongue in cheek. Arguably Junior is the most popular and most recognized personality in North American motorsports. And your argument would be very strongly in favor of that fact. Exploring a facet of Junior’s popularity is what appeals to me here.

I compare the third generation racer to another icon from a different sport, Tiger Woods. Woods popularity in golf is the same as Junior’s in the auto racing world. The PGA has a symbol in Woods, one that is recognized beyond the links and into mainstream media. He is marketable and good for the sport. In this business era of advertising and promotion Woods is valuable to golf.

The same qualities can be said about Earnhardt Jr. He is popular, marketable, and an icon for the sport. A person who is recognized outside of speedways and in mainstream America. He is valuable to NASCAR.

Both men have legions of loyal and knowledgeable fans devoted to auto racing or golf respectively. Both also have fans that, because of each athlete’s extreme presence, do not know much about that particular sport but simply identify with the name.

Case in point would be I and my knowledge of golf. I do not know much about it nor do I follow it closely. I see a little bit of tournament play over the course of a year and I am interested in who wins The Masters. But that is about it. That is not meant to be disrespectful of golf fans, that is just my preference. I am an auto racing guy.

When I am asked who my favorite golfer is I suppose I’ll reply with “Tiger Woods”. The honest matter is I don’t know how many other golfers I could name. I just don’t follow the sport closely enough. But if I can rattle off Wood’s name does it make me sound educated? Or does that make me sound like many other Americans who are aware of the sport’s icon and little else? Press me with hard, insider-type golf questions and my answers will make me sound woefully ignorant.

I grew up with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus being kings of the hill. Admittedly, my knowledge hasn’t progressed much. But if I picked either to win the next PGA tour stop, I would sound like someone who had Donnie Allison in last week’s Auto Club 500 office pool.

At the same time I am sure there are golf experts that admire Woods and they can be counted as his biggest fans. But just by stating his name to me is not a way to wave the flag of a well-informed golf follower.

Shift gears to Earnhardt Jr. and the situation is similar. So many people outside of racing know of, and about him. But they don’t necessarily possess and display stock car history skills.

Junior has been seen in commercials, television shows, and music videos. He was even a presenter at MTV’s video music awards one year. Talk show hosts, actors, musicians, and other athletes would do well to rub elbows with Junior for the publicity, and they do. But how many of them head off to the local short track when they are finished filming and recording their latest project? Or at the very least are even familiar with A.J. Allmendinger or Regan Smith?

I have the same state of mind with race fans. If you are a diehard Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan you may be some of the most knowledgeable in all of motorsports. You perhaps could rattle off statistics from Glen Wood to Tim Richmond. I just won’t jump to that conclusion when you stand up and shout “JUNIOR!” as your man takes the lead. A few more questions need to be asked to see what you really know about racing. I’ll bet my Tiger Woods T-shirt on it.

PHOTO CREDITS- Junior in sunglasses by aranem. Tiger Woods by thatswetblog. Junior postcard bytrishautographs. To find more from these photographers, check them out at flickr.com.