It came out earlier this week that NASCAR had penalized two drivers for allegedly making disparaging remarks about NASCAR. Their names were not known until sources revealed the drivers were Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman.
Hamlin was fined for commenting about a caution during a race. Newman was fined for allegedly making derogatory remarks about NASCAR after the spring Talladega race. I thought we had something called the First Amendment to the Constitution that gives all Americans the right to freedom of speech. NASCAR drivers (and everybody else) should be able to speak their minds without intimidation or fear of reprisals. This is political correctness run amok.
I know there is one school of thought that says NASCAR was just doing what any company would do if their employees openly criticized it. That sounds good on the surface but it should be noted that Hamlin and Newman are not NASCAR employees. Hamlin is employed by Joe Gibbs Racing, Newman by Stewart/Haas Racing. It is true that NASCAR is a sanctioning body and there are some things NASCAR should be allowed to regulate,such as a code of conduct,on-track behavior,etc,but whether or not drivers should be penalized for simply stating opinions is ridiculous. If drivers were employees of NASCAR itself,I would understand,as employee loyalty is important with any company but drivers are team employees,they do not work for NASCAR directly.
Some argue that Major League Baseball,the NBA,and the NFL do the same with their athletes. In the spirit of consistency,it should be said they are just as guilty as NASCAR.
Certainly NASCAR is big enough to take some criticism. It would not hurt NASCAR to listen to the fans and the drivers once in a while. I have no idea how it hurts NASCAR. NASCAR has been suffering from declining race attendance and sagging TV ratings. Those things started happening before the recession. NASCAR is clearly at fault for its own troubles, not fans or drivers. The economy is likely a factor but to a lesser extent because these problems plagued NASCAR before the recession began. The recession has added to NASCAR's difficulties but is not the cause of them.
Earlier this year, NASCAR announced they were going to let drivers police themselves, yet NASCAR wants to regulate what drivers say. NASCAR cannot have it both ways. If drivers are allowed to police themselves on the track, they should be allowed to speak their minds as well. There is such a thing as constructive criticism. NASCAR would do well listening.
NASCAR dishes it out so they should take it as well.
