Rodney Crowell, better known to some of you as the “ex-Mr. Rosanne Cash” once produced an album whose title greatly amused me. It was called “Life Is Messy.” I’m just guessing, but I’ll bet Tiger Woods would agree.
Among other battles coming down the line for “Mr. Golf” is the damage to his image, the damage to his relationships with his family, and a load of distractions that will no doubt keep his focus off of preparing for 2010.
It’s left me pondering what would happen if something similar occurred to a high-profile NASCAR driver. Like golf, NASCAR is driven by truckloads of sponsorship dollars, and image is a factor in that. You’d better believe if marketers thought we were really a bunch of penniless, inbred hayseeds, they wouldn’t be paying tens of millions of scratch to get their corporate logo on the hood of “your guy’s” car.
A number of you complain of political correctness on the track and in the garage. I’d think we’d all agree some of this has to do a fear that a FedEx or Office Depot might run the other way if their guys became a pariah like Michael Vick. And we consider this matter at a time when more sponsors are getting out than they are coming in.
Admittedly, it’s a very different ballgame for the NASCAR driver than it would be for Tiger Woods. While guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon- and to a much lesser extent- Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards- have recognition outside the motorsports public, no one, not even Junior or Gordon enjoy quite the same status as Woods. The man is a GIANT.
Given the fact they have a bit of a frat boy image, I seriously doubt Earnhardt or Kahne could do much worthy of a gasp of horror. These dudes are single, so who’s there to answer to if there’s a pit lizard in every town? Johnson? Given his “vanilla” image, and the fact that he’s married would raise some eyebrows, but with no children involved, his image would take nowhere near the hit than if he and Chandi did.
Now Jeff Gordon might just have a bit of a taste of the angst Tiger now knows. The rumors of a dalliance with a perfume clerk persisted enough that I know of a number of fans (particularly women) who despise Gordon over it. This especially because of the spiritual values he espoused. By same token, he’s remarried, become a dad, and has more or less returned to being the Jeff Gordon fans thought they knew. It also bears noting that while he was very well-known, I doubt seriously he’s ever enjoyed the iconic status reserved for guys like Woods, Tom Brady or Michael Jordan. He’s not even the most popular figure in NASCAR nation.
It IS quite possible Carl Edwards would experience something of a similar sting. Edwards is now married, an expectant father, AND his brushes with Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick aside, he has crafted a squeaky clean image that has landed him sponsorship money from Aflac- a company that it’s safe to say strives for an image similar to Buick, American Express or even Gatorade.
You know what I’m saying? I truly believe the expectations of a driver sponsored by a company built on class and integrity has a much bigger problem with all this than a beer maker or energy drink company. Hmmm, what do you think the fall out would be for a driver sponsored by Extenze or Viagra? One must wonder. I digress.
Given its rough and tumble roots, the NASCAR driver might be given latitude that a player in the “gentlemen’s game” of golf may not have. When Kobe Bryant experienced his fall from grace, some actually made the argument that his indiscretions may have gained him “street cred.” For reasons we won’t get into here, the standards are different for the basketball player, the footballer or the baseball man (does A-Rod ring a bell?). In that way, it may be different for the NASCAR driver.
I’ll pose you the question: if your favorite driver is a respected driver, married with a reputation for high morals a la Jeff Burton or Mark Martin, how would you react- especially if word got out he were a serial philanderer? Is it different to you if the driver we’re talking about is a “bad boy” in the vein of a Kyle Busch or even a Dale Jr.- whose reported wildness is not easily seen by the public?
How about the sponsors? After all, it’s what you think about them that they’re really worried about.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
While i believe if certain of drivers..such as JJ or Mett fell into the “thinking with yer weenie” trap that befalls the majority of “stars”..the impact would be miniscule compared to the impact Tiger’s stupidity will have..Tiger is the singular face of a total sport…sure you can toss in Mickelson or Singh on occasion..but its usually only when they go against Tiger and its usually..”do you think they can challenge him”..and its usually..no..Nascar is a sport of many faces..some are known to be somewhat wild and some are known to be sedate downhome types..gold has Tiger..noone else..the sport’s health literally depends on Tiger..he single handedly brought it back into prominence and got the money rolling..his racking up the ho-chain numbers will affect all involved in PGA as sponsors will turn thier heads with thoughts of..why put money there..the star is a useless cheating womanizing trash….if one Nascar driver does that..there are at least a dozen names as big to carry on happily for the sport..nuff said (except i hope Elin bankrupts Tiger :P )
oops..Mett=Matt..as in Kenseth :P
@Rob. I think there is a validity to what you’re saying. TV ratings for golf fell thru the floor when Tiger was re-habbing his injury in 2008.
I just hope this causes the NASCAR to consider carefully how they spend their off-hours. As we can see here, the potential for personal recklessness to ruin you is HUGE. I think the problem is these guys live in a world where everybody caters to them, and they think they’re bullet-proof. A scary notion in our YouTube, Twitter and Facebook world. The world is watching.
Don’t be so naive…. This has been going on in racing since the beginning. Wallace, Waltrip, Gordon, dale jarret, ect….
It has been common knowledge that all of these racers have had many affairs. There have been rumors and speculation that Michael Waltrip had to put aside his differences with Dale jarret for having an affair with Buffy Waltrip to have him in his stable for a guarenteed spot in the races when he started his team. This affair was retaliation from Buffy after she found out about the numerous affairs that Michael had in the past. Even the King has had rumors floating around about him for his extra marital affairs.
I have to come to the defense of all of these racers and even tiger. I realize that this is going to irritate the vast majority but, look at it this way. If you were in the same position as these men are with all of these women, very beautiful and willing women, throwing themselves at them and willing to do anything at any given time to satisfy, it would be very difficult for ANY man to say NO! That is just reality! It’s just not the rich and famous it is all men of all status and title. I do apologize if this offends anyone and the rumors are just that but, if you hear something enough times it tends to be true. I have personal relationships with many in the nascar communtiy so, no, I don’t have direct proof but, people talk and it is what it is!!
@just. You may very well be right. Can’t prove it, haven’t even heard the same rumors. However- let me be clear: I wouldn’t be surprised, just disappointed. It wouldn’t say much about any of the persons involved. It may be old-fashioned and naive on my part, but we’re not yard dogs. This world is full of fine, honorable men, quite capable of keeping their pants on. It’s not impossible, believe me. Just because we think we CAN do something doesn’t mean we SHOULD.
It is a cautionary tale to those who revere athletes. They aren’t really heroes to me though I enjoy watching them do things few human beings can do, and join in celebrating their achievements. The REAL heroes don’t wear firesuits with logos on them. They wear camaflauge and dodge bullets, risking and sometimes sacrificing their lives for others- whether it be on battlefields, on the streets at home upholding the law, or wearing firesuits of another kind to protect life and property.
The more I get to know about a lot of NASCAR drivers, the more I see them for the deeply flawed human beings they are, and some I wouldn’t regard any higher than a lot of actors and musicians….and that ain’t sayin’ much.
I think many, if not most, people in the sports media give their athletes a pass on personal behavior. When it hits the fan and becomes public knowledge, then all bets are off. How many times do we hear about an athlete’s personal life AFTER he has been traded to another team?
Dodge Boy From Canada
To just a fan, talk is cheap and rumors are even more so. I don’t care anything about unfounded rumors. What I will point out is that actions such as Tiger Woods has been accused of, have in fact been going on for years. That does not make it O.K. I can think of one Nascar driver who was single, and loved the woman. I loved him as a driver and still think he was one of the best to ever drive a racecar, but he is no longer with us and his poor choices in “who to sleep with” are the reason why he is no longer with us. All men need to keep in mind that the decisions they make can end thier life and others. I agree it would be hard to say no to many beautiful woman, but that is where character comes into play. Sometimes doing the right thing isn’t easy, but it is the best thing in the end. Just my 2 cents worth.
@ just a fan…
I will agree with most of what you said about it being difficult for a man to say no when attractive “groupies” throw themselves at them. I said difficult…not impossible. A married man of good character and strong faith can and should say no regardless of how many women shake their booty in front of them.
Money and fame would probably change just about any person, but but it doesn’t change what is wrong or right.
Women don’t have to THROW them selves at drivers. Trust me, there are plenty of NASCAR drivers out there looking for trouble. Iv’e seen it with my own eyes. Some NASCAR drivers are far from faithful.
Actually, it HAS happened to one of my favorite drivers who had such a squeaky clean image he was forced to hold a news conference to explain why he was getting a divorce. And there were rumors of infidelity. His image took a minor hit, but most of his fans stayed blissfully unaware of the personal problems or – like me – just didn’t care. People are not perfect. Even those with “strong character” and “faith” make mistakes – lots of them. The Tiger story is overplayed. And so is the HYPOCRISY of NASCAR fans and bloggers who seem to believe that in the history of NASCAR, no “married with children” driver has ever had a fling with a pit lizard.
It has happened before, it is probably happening now. And if not for an outing incident like the middle of the night encounter with a tree, no one knows, and that is fine with me.
Racing has always been a Joe Sixpack, or pint in a brown bag, grease under the fingernails, sport. It’s NASCAR that’s trying to promote a squeaky clean image. An image that’s never been accurate, & IMHO, never will be.
That’s why they tried so hard to sweep Tim Richmond under the rug.
Back to your question. Remember the old barroom adage, “the bigger they are the harder they fall?” (not strictly accurate, I might add.)
In this case it is accurate. Tiger is the biggest there was. No one would fall as hard.
Kyle Busch could probably get by with it.
Cousin Carl could not. Just remember that a drivers image is sometimes carefully crafted. What you see is not always what you get.
@Rachel. You’re entitled to your opinion and certainly you’re not alone on how you feel. I think the point you may be missing is when these PUBLIC FIGURES endorse products or espouse a particular belief system, they do so leveraging their notoriety as a platform to advance a cause or a product. In mayn instances, they’re saying “I tried, used, believe this….it works.” Explicitly or implicitly they are suggesting “It worked for me. It can work for you. Belive me.” Do you not think that credibility becomes compromised and that figure’s credibility lost when they fail to live up to a vow they made before God?
People fail. I fail. Opportunities present themselves for forgiveness and redemption. It’s possible for good to come out of bad. MY hope is those who enjoy on such platforms consider in a moment of temptation the impact of their actions: on themselves, the ones they love, and those who trust them.
Ithink, Rachel, you and I may be fans of the same driver. He’s not asked for my forgiveness, nor does he need to ask it. His actions don’t affect me. On the other hand, his believability would be compromised with me if what has been said is true. And if that be the case, if he should say “Trust me”….I think I’d pass.
Jim, thank you for your response but I don’t think I am missing the point; we just disagree on what the point is. Tiger endorsed Buicks, Nike?, probably some golf equipment, and a bunch of other consumer products. Whether he cheated on his wife would not affect my likelihood to purchase any of those products. As a fan of his, it also does not affect my hope that he has a successful season on the Tour in 2010 and wins a couple more majors next year. What he does off the course does not affect his credibility with me endorsing “stuff.” If he were endorsing some religion or political belief, I might care, but even then I would weigh the “preponderance of the evidence” before I decided to reject his religion or politics. (Slightly off-topic, but Bill Clinton could probably have won a third term in a landslide if he were allowed to run. Do we set higher standards for professional golfers?)
And I still kinda think my favorite driver may not be the same as yours. There is more than one divorced-remarried driver out there.
@Rachel. And perhaps to your point, my decision to drink Gatorade is irrespective of whether or not Mr. Woods endorses it. As for gear, I’ll be the best for me even if Hannibal Lecter endorses it.
Like you- I have not chosen to reject a sports figure because of any mistakes he’s made- though I applaud those who strive to make themselves better and take responsbility for their actions. Now if the guy is marrying my daughter…different ballgame.
If the guy is pitch man for my products, that too, is a different game, and I think I am within my rights to drop him like a hot potato, and I think the guy would understand. I don’t make it my business to read contracts between companies and endorsers, but I am sure there are butt-covering clauses to address such matters.
As for Mr. Clinton….well….thank God for term limits. I don’t dislike the guy but his politics, IMHO sucked. Just an opinion, but it’s mine.
Thanks for the intelligent discussion to you and all here.
The one name that comes to my mind is
“Tim Richmond”
Tiger is lucky this hasn’t happened to him, yet.
Well, since everybody wants to bring up Tim Richmond, although the cases were different since Tim was not married, I will add my opinion on that as well. I believe that the way the “family” of NASCAR treated Tim was more despicable than anything Tim ever did or might have done. Almost everyone in NASCAR treated Tim like a pariah and let him die alone.
And interestingly at the time, Darrell Waltrip said something like, “I hope this is the only time this happens, but it may not be. I hope guys learn something from it.”
So, it seems that sexual escapades were a fact of life well known in the garage area even if NASCAR always wanted to pretend the drivers were a bunch of choir boys. If anything has changed, it is probably that most of the married drivers now seem to travel with their families, which cuts down on extracuricular activities, but doesn’t completely eliminate them. It would be naive to assume they don’t still happen.
I’m thinking Dale Jr. with his bar and drinking could be a potential candidate.
Rachel, ditto about Tim Richmond. NASCAR should hide their head in shame for the way they treated him.
Take a look a t Geoff Bodine. He was found having an affair with Tanya Tucker back in the early nineties (after he bought up Alan Kulwicki’s team (RIP.) He was winning races and doing well, then the affair started. I don’t think NASCAR liked the publicity and then he started to struggle badly with the help of NASCAR. Fastforward to Ray Evernham. His Dodge team was just starting to become a force to be reconded with and then he started cheating on his wife with Erin Crocker. Then, his team nosedived too. I don’t think NASCAR liked that either and helped him struggle too. NASCAR does not like this in their “family sport.”
Well, “the lifestyle” choices has killed the career of a driver in NASCAR since his sponsor decided to pursue other avenues of marketing. Most sponsors can’t work with him because of the notority of his choices.
But this guy is so spoiled, he really believes that he can overcome any image issue he has by threatening people with lawsuits for libel. He just made them worse. But he has his other league to driver for so he won’t starve. His money is just going to fly out the window to cover his decisions. He won’t have NASCAR to use anymore.
NASCAR did try to help Ray Evernham. He became an announcer. Why do you think Jeremy Mayfield was watched and then kicked out first chance NASCAR got. Now, Ray is taking about getting a team together and NASCAR really wants him back. They want Erin too in some capacity. But Jeremy is going to pay the price for the rest of his life for shooting his mouth off one too many times.
His team was nosediving because he had too many teams and tried to personally manage them all.
But his team ended because his wife wanted to move on with her life and she owned half the team. Ray needed to sell quickly.
Well, how about Hall of Fame member Junior Johnson? He was screwing on around on his wife with a younger woman and Tim Brewer apparently took Flossie’s side in the argument which caused a feud between Tim and Junior which in turn probably cost them a championship in 1992.
In those days, the sponsors and media did not get involved, but there was still plenty of impact, especially to the innocent parties who were members of the team and just wanted an owner and crew chief who were on the same page on race day.
The more we talk about this and the more examples people bring up, it seems that Tiger’s situation is only unique because of his super-superstar status, plus the Internet which spreads info and rumors unlike anything we have had in the past.