Here’s the story as it reads now.
Sporting News reporter Bob Pockrass asked Kurt Busch if being on probation caused him to race a fellow competitor a bit differently after the two had some minor contact on the track.
“It (the probation) refrains me from beating the [expletive] out of your right now, because you ask me stupid questions. But since I’m on probation, I suppose that that’s improper to say as well. If you could talk about racing things, we could talk about racing things, Bob,” retorted Busch.
“This is racing.”
“It’s not racing. You’re in this just to start stuff. That’s all you’re out here for.”
Due to that tirade by Busch (yet again!), NASCAR has opted to give Kurt the opportunity to watch the upcoming Pocono race from a cozy spot on a friend’s couch. Or, as is more likely the case, alone on his own couch.
Not to be outdone, another media darling, Tony Stewart, just had to go spouting off when asked about the situation on a special edition of Tony Stewart Live.
“I’ll be honest, I liked [Busch’s] answer,” Stewart said. “I kind of thought it was good when it pertains to Bob Pockrass. Bob’s a decent guy. But there’s just so many good things to write about in our sport. There’s a couple of reporters that strictly want to be tabloid journalists.
“Unfortunately, he’s one of them. Sad but true: Kurt is right, Bob Pockrass is probably the biggest mixer in the whole media center. Everytime he interviews somebody, it is strictly about something controversial.”
OK, now it is MY turn!
First of all, I will say that I’m not here to wave a big banner for Bob Pockrass. I cannot intelligently speak on the writing habits of Bob. I’ve met him at time or two, although he probably doesn’t remember, but that’s about it. I don’t read his stuff and I seriously doubt he reads mine.
That said, I will say that the original question involved, about how Kurt raced, WAS a legitimate racing question and not ‘controversial’ in the least. Anyone who can’t see that is either obtuse or dumber than a retarded rock.
It was a question directly about action on the track.
Pockrass didn’t ask Kurt why his wife left him, if he had rage issues or even how it feels to have about the same number of fans (perhaps less) as Osama bin Laden did here in the states. THAT would be ‘tabloid journalism.’
No, the question was a good one and trust me, in many a post-race interview, good questions are somewhat rare. I have witnessed many a reporter ask the same tired, stupid questions about “how the car felt,” “what where you thinking when you were upside down” and many more, the answers to which are as obvious as the nose on one’s face.
As for Busch, his response is just further proof that he is one mentally messed up person and is about to lose what little grasp on reality he has left. Want to hear another ‘sad but true’ tidbit about Kurt? No one was/is surprised by this latest outburst. If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you knew it was not a case of if Kurt would break down again but when.
My final word on Busch. He is a has been that had a few shining moments but managed to piss it all away (respect wise) and no one really wants to be around him anymore. Let’s hope Kyle will learn from his brother’s mistakes and take a better path.
Now for Stewart …
Ironically, the very question about the question in question is what is controversial, but apparently Stewart felt the need to respond. (You may need to re-read that a couple of times. I’ll wait.)
OK, I’ll translate better for you. If Stewart is against ‘tabloid journalism’, why is he spewing his nonsense about it all? Why is he trying to throw gas on the fire? Here’s a better question; Why don’t you just shut up Tony? You ain’t helping anything and you know it. The proper response would be to say it is none of my business. THAT is how you put a reign on tabloid journalism. Simply don’t give them the sound bite they want.
The only real differences between Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch is that MOST of the time, Tony has learned to be a bit more sly when he insults reporters. That and he has three times the Sprint Cups on his mantle!
Here is one more thing I find comically ironic; Years ago, Busch left the team that made him a champion, Roush Fenway Racing (then Roush Racing). One of main reasons he stated then was that he wanted to re-brand himself. Look where he’s at now. When it comes to business acumen, he’s right up there with Theresa Earnhardt.
Stay off the wall,
Jeff Meyer
The Frontstretch Staff is made up of a group of talented men and women spread out all over the United States and Canada. Residing in 15 states throughout the country, plus Ontario, and widely ranging in age, the staff showcases a wide variety of diverse opinions that will keep you coming back for more week in and week out.