Monday, April 17, 2017

30 Day Challenge 16: A card of someone you appreciate but don't like

Another tough one. I like most people in sports. And the few I don't like, I don't appreciate either. If they have done something to get on my "dislike" list they have to have done something pretty bad. I don't randomly hate people because they were drafted by a team that isn't randomly in a geographical area in proximity to mine...I'm far too smart for that.

If I had the one and only card of John Calipari from his time with the Nets I would show that here, but it's not in my collection. Oh wait, I couldn't show it anyway because it has to be somebody I respect, but don't like.

So I think I will have to go with Kyle Busch.
 Why I don't like him: He complains a LOT. He's used his car as a weapon multiple times. (That's the big one). He races in just about every Busch and Truck race despite being a successful Cup driver. Nothing annoys me more than Cup drivers in the lower divisions. (For you baseball guys that would be like Babe Ruth playing in minor league ball to pad his stats and pocket book)

Why I respect him: He's a good father. He's one of the most talented drivers I've ever seen. He can do things with a race car most people wouldn't even try, let alone be able to accomplish. If he had a better personality, I'd be a big fan. I was a fan, a long time ago- back around 2000-2001, NASCAR literally made a rule to keep him out of the Truck series because he was so much better than everyone else- and he was only 15 at the time. He's a year younger than I am.

I have long suspected that part of his "bad boy persona" may be something NASCAR is pressuring him to do. Once Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed NASCAR didn't have anyone to be the "bad guy" and it seems to me like they may have pushed Busch to act that way. I sort of hope that's the case, but if it is, it's a pretty low thing for NASCAR to do. Just a couple of interviews he's done, a few things he's said, lead me to believe that.

I don't hate Kyle Busch, and he's not my least favorite driver in the sport- there are a couple I neither like nor respect- but I don't celebrate when he wins either.

4 comments:

  1. Again, haven't watched NASCAR in a few years. But Busch is one guy that I never cared for, for the exact same reasons you listed. I can't stand guys who run every single race on every circuit, and my goodness does he complain. His talent, I respect and admire. But I'm certainly not a fan. Glad someone else agrees with me! And that's still a pretty sweet card!

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    1. I'm looking forward to the end of the season when they are prohibited from racing the lower levels. The races will actually have meaning again. This card actually came out of a blaster a few years back. I didn't list which set because I can't remember and didn't care enough to look it up, but I think it came out of 2012 Legends.

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  2. I agree that he is a good dad. And I would not put it past NASCAR and that idiot France to want Busch to be a "villain"; although, I can think of a few who would be better at that than Kyle Busch.

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