Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
I love sports, and thus enjoy reading the opinions of most sports columnists.
I'd say "all" sports columnists instead of "most," but there's just one problem with that: Every once in awhile, I come across opinions so ignorant and uninformed that they deserve their own special place in the spotlight.
Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Norman Chad of the Washington Post.
You may know Chad as an ESPN poker "analyst," a job in which he contributes cheesy jokes to the broadcast and somehow gets paid for it. That's a topic for another day.
In his spare time, Chad apparently enjoys writing about real sports. And wishing some would no longer exist.
Chad, in an epically bad column, is calling for the end of all auto racing.
"It's time we...recognize auto racing as obsolete and end the around-the-oval madness," Chad writes.
Oh yeah. And there's more.
Chad's reasoning is NASCAR, which he calls "so last century," leaves a terrible carbon footprint and is an environmental "serial killer."
He goes on to say that "auto racing wastes hundreds of thousands of gallons of precious fossil fuel" and contributes to global warming.
But according to NASCAR's numbers, the entire Sprint Cup Series uses roughly 135,000 gallons of fuel per year while the U.S. Energy Information Administration says Americans burn 362 million gallons of fuel per day.
What's next? Will Chad criticize hockey for wasting precious water by filling up ice rinks all over the country? Or will he rip baseball for using chemical fertilizers to make the fields greener?
As if the mass amounts of power used by casinos for the poker tournaments at which Chad commentates is somehow more environmentally friendly.
Chad has a tongue-in-cheek style, but if he's trying to be funny here, he failed. He concludes by saying of auto racing, "It's time to put it in park."
The same could probably be said for his column.
12 comments
Comments
Norm Chad is an ass
Wow, what a horrible article. If it was meant to be tongue in cheek, he did a bad job at it. and remember, the article was written by a guy that tells viewers what cards a player is holding.
by Racetime2010 on Jun 1, 2010 12:06 PM EDT reply actions
Dito
I was totally about the post a similar comment about this…but you beat me to it…
But seriously, this guy does “play-by-play” for poker…
by kyleocker on Jun 2, 2010 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions
LMAO
Jeff, thanks for the laughs. Whether this dude is serious or not, that gave me LOL’z. The dude obviously has an over-inflated value of his self worth. Maybe he should be covering the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, how much fuel is being “burned” down there? Follow me on twitter… @MPRacing
by MPRacing on Jun 1, 2010 12:07 PM EDT reply actions
As far as NASCAR, I can see the argument.
The idea behind the creation of racing was ingenuity and to see who could go fastest. Manufacturer’s got involved as a way to essentially do some research and development to improve their product lines. That is present in many other series’ that are on the cutting edge of technology. However, NASCAR is far from cutting edge.
We’re just now talking about going to fuel injected engines? We just recently switched to unleaded fuels? In addition, the box that crews can play in to improve their cars are getting smaller and smaller, removing that ingenuity that played a part in the foundations of auto racing.
So with the combination of the down turn in the racing product on track that is less and less to fan’s interests and the museum technology that is found in stock cars these days NASCAR isn’t a helpful sport except to those who have a monetary interest in it’s success. Because of that, there’s no way it’s going anywhere, nor really should it.
by Jon Doble on Jun 1, 2010 12:10 PM EDT reply actions
And I have always wondered....when did POKER become a "sport"?
by lizd on Jun 1, 2010 12:19 PM EDT reply actions
Agree that this was a very stupid column. He should look sometime at the amount of fertilizer and water wasted on golf courses. But somehow I don’t think he’s going to call for the abolition of the Masters. He’s just shooting at what he thinks is an easy target.
by Commish24 on Jun 1, 2010 12:23 PM EDT reply actions
him got balls
Attacking NASCAR and the NRA at the same time, Guys got balls…LOL
Do the pay him to just fill space or what?
by Don Bennington on Jun 1, 2010 6:24 PM EDT reply actions
Self Appointed Motor Racing Czar
This just reeks of oppression.
by Carl Yaleboro on Jun 1, 2010 7:14 PM EDT reply actions
It would be nice if he had done some research before he spouted off. He obviously doesn’t have a clue about NASCAR or racing period.
by MT Hundley on Jun 1, 2010 7:55 PM EDT reply actions
since when are F1 and NASCAR the same?
he talks about them both but only uses the NASCAR name. what an idiot
by hotrodjess on Jun 1, 2010 7:56 PM EDT reply actions
Can you see me rolling my eyes???
by Sky inLas Vegas on Jun 2, 2010 12:51 AM EDT reply actions
This is a terrible article
1) Since when does carbon dioxide create holes in the atmosphere?
2) Wouldn’t people with RVs have them anyways, regardless if NASCAR exists?
3) How does driving to a race make it like eating hot dogs before a hot dog eating contest? Wouldn’t it be more apt to say, I don’t know, skating to get to a hockey game? And if the hockey game were on a lake, wouldn’t that make sense? Suppose you the Army Corps of Engineers built a road to the race track for you, would you then be against the troops if you walked.
4) Doesn’t posting “save the environment” articles on the internet further expand the woefully ignorant opinion that the internet doesn’t require electricity. Said electricity, of course, being mainly derived from the burning of fossil fuels and coal.
5) NASCAR has developed automobile safety in ways that would be unimaginable if you’re not hurling yourself into metal cages at 200 mph.
6) Who wants to watch three-legged races anyways?
by riversformvp on Jun 2, 2010 10:57 AM EDT reply actions
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