Remember a few weeks back when the press asked Chris Culliver of the San Francisco Forty-Niners if there were any gay guys on the team? He says “ No, we don’t got no gay people on the team; they gotta get outta there if they do; can’t be with that sweet stuff…….”.
Did you know that one of NASCAR’s premier guests at the Daytona 500 gets to the track and tweets to his 8 million followers “Damn, I don’t see no black people!" Yep, 50 Cent showed real class with that one.
All three of these incidents received quite a bit of press , which we unquestionably heard around the world of racing and entertainment. Do any of you find one or more of these offensive?
Let’s examine these a little further. As for Joan Rivers, she is Jewish. Her husband’s family was killed in the Holocaust so you would think she would be more cognizant of such statements. She has steadfastly refused to apologize. She justifies her statement by saying that humor is a way to educate the unknowing about the Holocaust. No extreme fall out here.
As for Chris Culliver, well, watch the interview and consider the source. But, after the NFL got hold of him, an attorney/PR person wrote a really nice speech for delivery to the press by Mr. Culliver, in which he says the statement about the Gays was not “what is in my heart." He went on to play in the Stupid Bowl with no further issues.
Okay, time for my two cents on 50 Cent. I think his tweet was rude and crude and not what NASCAR would have expected from a “guest” at their premier event. I understand he “withdrew” the tweet for reasons unknown, but as far as NASCAR making an official statement, if one was made, it cannot be found. I did some research on Curtis Jackson, the real name of 50 Cent and found that he believes there is a way NASCAR and the rap culture can get together. Having discovered that bit of Mr. Jackson’s wisdom, I went researching lyrics to his efforts, which I refuse to classify as “music”, regardless of Mark Martin’s abiding love for the noise. What I found, not only in 50 Cent’s lyrics but in Lil Wayne and T. I., before I ended those searches, was some of the worst language I’ve heard since my days in the Navy. I found constant use of the “N” word and I’m not talking NASCAR. Just as liberal was the use of the “F” word and I’m not talking France. Not only the language, but also the intent of the lyrics, is repulsive to me and I think most of you listening would agree. For those who do not, I apologize for my lack of appreciation for your choice of entertainment.
The examples above are only THREE incidents that have happened in the past month that show us that political correctness has gone so far that it is now only laughable to even be considered as a measure of how one should act. We, in this country, are getting so inundated with what we can and cannot say, that most prudent folks will soon withhold comment on anything. Some are already so hesitant to speak their minds that there are no new ideas coming from anywhere.
Most of you probably have guessed that I’m approaching comment on the Jeremy Clements issue. You can read it in our own Forum posts or on a couple dozen other sites, or even on NASCAR.com. What you will NOT read is what Jeremy said. What you will NOT hear is what Jeremy said. If you read our own Forum posts, it starts out with allegations of negative remarks about Danica Patrick. Heaven forbid!!!! D. W. would have been out of that booth and in Jeremy’s hauler quicker than Clint Bowyer can run through a pit area. Then suppositions went from Danica to other women drivers to racial issues, all the while with only three people as I hear it, Jeremy, an MTV reporter and a NASCAR official, actually involved. There were no cameras, no recording devices, and the MTV guy allegedly only made written notes while WALKING along to find Johanna Long’s hauler. I have read every news feed available and even the lame, idiotic quotes from MTV’s “genius”, and nowhere is the exact quote for which Jeremy incurred the wrath of NASCAR. Yet, Jeremy is on indefinite suspension and must undergo “sensitivity training” before being allowed to return to the track.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is an injustice of the most blatant kind. At the very MOST, the NASCAR official who was present should have privately reprimanded Jeremy and asked him not to say whatever it was he said again. It would have been over and done with and there would have likely been no publicity. I don’t even think the MTV “reporter” would have thought it an issue if NASCAR hadn’t over-reacted. What NASCAR has done to Jeremy for this season is inexcusable and there is no justification for such an action by NASCAR. Would the same penalty have been imposed if Dale, Jr. had said whatever it was Jeremy said? What about Danica? If she had said something out of line, would she have been penalized? And don’t tell me Dale, Jr. and Danica have more “class” than Jeremy. It’s not a question of “class”. Jeremy was helping the MTV guy find Johanna Long’s hauler and was conversing as he was walking along. I doubt the MTV guy was smart enough to have asked leading questions along those lines, but I would bet, considering the show known as “The Guy Code” for which he was in Daytona, that he was leading Jeremy down the path for specific comments.
Whatever the reason, NASCAR, you are wrong! This time you are grossly in error! You have effectively prevented Jeremy from earning points in ONE race thus far. How many more races must he sit out? Seems like you guys didn’t even have a full field at Phoenix. With B.S. like you pulled with Jeremy, there may be even less next time. Oh, and by the way, only 43 cars came for the “Premier” series qualifying? Why? Is it more than the economy? Is it more than the Sequester? I’m sorry NASCAR; I’m being very positive about your efforts this year; I applaud the Gen-Six car, and getting rid of the top thirty-five farce, but to do what you did to Jeremy Clements is simply out of line. I know you had the actor from “Oz, The Great and Powerful” give the “most famous words in auto racing” command for the Daytona 500, which, by the way, he messed up severely. I realize that you, NASCAR, have always believed yourself to have more power than any manmade creation in history. I realize that you, NASCAR, have illusions of Godhood and display that on a weekly basis. I love the sport, but you swaggering excuses for management need to get on your knees and apologize to the fans and to Jeremy Clements for what you have done... to actually entice 50 Cent to be a part of the Daytona 500 and to punish Jeremy for something that would have never been an issue had you kept it within your offices.
Brian, Mike Helton, the unnamed NASCAR official who was a part of the conversation with the MTV reporter, please listen to the lyrics of any 50 Cent rap. Or Lil Wayne, or T.I. Is that what you want to be a part of NASCAR? Is that the fan demographic you’re seeking? God, I pray not. If the stands are filled with those thugs, the “family” image you have tried so hard to project is going down the toilet. Oh, you can ask Mark Martin about the lyrics. I understand he listens to that all the time.
Wake up boys! You have a good thing going with the Gen-six. You are, or at least I thought you were, beginning to listen to the fans, even the old timers like me. Wake up and see what you are unleashing on NASCAR. You can ask a certain pit road reporter, again a NASCAR effort to attract big names in entertainment without the slightest knowledge of racing, about an incident on pit road prior to the running of the 500. What does that tell you about the overall acceptance of 50 Cent types in the sport?
Ok, that’s enough. I have never met Jeremy Clements but everything I’ve heard about him, and some of that from well respected members here, says he’s a good man. He has apologized for whatever it was he said and I’m guessing we will never know. He probably needed the same speech writer that wrote Chris Culliver’s apology speech, but I guess he’s not a big enough name in the sports world yet. I would say he needs a good attorney to take down NASCAR in this one, but from what I understand, NASCAR has never lost in court. Sort of like J.R. in the Dallas television series. But, you know what? Last night, J.R. died on the show. No, not pretend this time, for real. J.R. always won. Now J.R. is dead. NASCAR, I can’t help but think that with such actions as you have pulled with the Jeremy Clements issue that you are slowly working your way to the grave.
-Tim
Email: legendtim83@yahoo.com
Twitter: @legendtim83
If you've enjoyed your visit so far, we invite you to check out the Stock Car RacersReunion site by clicking here. By simply creating a log-in you will have access to over 100,000 vintage racing photos and thousands of articles, stories and conversations, some with legendary participants whose names you will recognize. As part of our racing family, you are free to enjoy the Chat Room and all Forums will be open for discussing your passion for racing with others of like mind. RacersReunion truly is where legends and fans unite.
(Editor’s note: Tim Leeming is a member of the regular cast of the Tuesday evening racing show ” Racing Through History”, presented on Zeus Radio Network by RacersReunion®. Archives can be found by following the link. Live broadcasts can be heard from 7:00-9:00 PM every Tuesday. Please feel free to join us in the RacersReunion® Chat Room for the show.)
