Well...this proves it....NASCAR and WWF

[mayk]

Ahem, I have said all along, my opinion of NASCAR is the same as WWF (World Wrestling Federation) or whatever it is called now....as it is pure staged entertainment. Sure, the wrestlers are athletes and would never step in a ring with one (like that idiot from the series Taxi) and sure the drivers in NASCAR are also athletes as well, but the goal for NASCAR is TO MAKE MONEY! You make money by putting butts in seats, having those same butts buy more merchandise of their driver than necessary, and by making the racing as close and entertaining as possible.....Of course, the term 'racing' is up for debate.

So my point? Heard on the radio today, that two high profile NASCAR drivers were at a WWF match in Orlando last night and were there as managers for two wrestlers.....

GAWD help us all if they actually stepped in the ring as well.....

So there you have it, two NASCAR drivers, participating as managers in a wrestling match.... Oh brother

Me? I prefer how the ALMS drivers throw out the first pitch at Spring Training games during Sebring week or the same for a Cubs/White Sox game when at RA.

Comments?

[Hallen]

Anything for publicity.

I was once stationed in a small town for a 5 week period. I won't say exactly where so as not to offend anybody. Anyway, there were only a few restaurants of any consequence and only one worth a dang within staggering distance of our hotel.

It was a sports bar and served the normal fair. We would go down after our day of training and have a big meal and more than a few beers.

It was normally pretty quiet with a few people playing pool and a few families having dinner.

We came in one evening and the place was packed. We had no idea what was going on. We asked our favorite waitress what the deal was, and she said "Oh, it's cage match night on Pay Per View". There was only one table left and it didn't have a view of the big screen TV. We assured the waitress that it was OK that we couldn't see the screen.

Honestly, I was having more fun watching the locals because where I sat, I could watch them watch the TV.

When those "wrestlers" came out from back stage, all talking in the restaurant stopped. Forks topped with food stopped half way up to open mouths and just stayed there. It was comical.

I had to be careful not to stare and I am sure my jaw dropped as much as theirs did... not because of engrossment in the "Cage Match" but in absolute astonishment. I had no idea there were so many people so in to this form of entertainment. My opinion of the intelligence of Americans in general went down a notch that night.

I am sure many of the NASCAR faithful are the same type of fan. Totally in awe, and totally oblivious to what it is they are really watching. Not all NASCAR fans are that way, but there are more than a few that are.

The NASCAR guys are just targeting their faithful market space. These are the fans I hope that ALMS never, ever goes after because it will mean that our true sport (as opposed to "sports entertainment" like the WWF and Pro Basketball) would be in dire jeopardy if they do.

[Todd Benne]

Race commentator Jeff Hammond and former DW crew chief wrestled in the WWF once a few years back. Jeff went through some heavy weight training and really bulked up for his appearance. So it's not the first time NASCAR has been in the square circle of Mr. McMahon.

[porschefan]

Originally Posted by Todd Benne

Jeff Hammond... wrestled in the WWF once... and really bulked up for his appearance.

'ROIDS!!!

[Magical Trevor]

It's hard... trying to watch.
I like it because there is still plenty of speed, skill, strategy and genuine competition involved; however it gets buried in what to me is entirely unneccesary consolation made to fans of the type described above by Hallen. I know underneath it all is a form of motorsport, auto racing: drivers piloting against each other in (now only slightly) different machines to traverse a certain distance in the least amount of time. However, that is so increasingly difficult to see with all of the advertising, rules manipulation, and obscure technologies grandfathered into a "stock" series that could mean so much more to the American public in general than it does now.