Well, we are in that part of the year, with the calm both before and after the storm. There is not much going on in the NFL for fans this time of the year. We closed the book on the season, so any headlines are going to be either mostly about the front office… or drama. Fans can certainly follow stuff like this, but it pales in comparison to games, draft buildup, free agency, etc. The Combine starts next week, if you call that a story. The draft is a bit of a topic now, but it’s more based around drama and failed boycotts than anything else.

My point is… a typical NFL fan needs something else to do right now. For me the answer is pretty simple: pivot fandom focus to other sports. I was going to do that anyway. My position is clear: I have never met a sport I don’t like, and this is helpful because I always have something to watch. I have written about my love for English soccer, and that was awesome on Saturday.

Another sport I enjoy is NASCAR, and that consumed my Sunday.

All My NASCAR Love

I will start this section by listing some things I dislike. Weird, right? It should make a bit more sense shortly. My biggest gripe with NASCAR is the constant changes in the car, format and rules. It is an annual rite of passage to review the new rules, points structure, and championship format. I find it quite exhausting, reactionary, and silly. After 2 decades of following closely I cannot tell you exactly how the points calculate to score the champion. The races break into 3 segments. The car leading at the end of each segment gets extra points during the playoffs or something like that. I have a feel for the overall rule, but not the nuance. This is a personal choice to not get in the weeds… and I normally like to get into the weeds. In this situation, I view it as fabricated narrative.

Why would NASCAR do something like this? –> Because the fans asked for it. This, like many of the rule changes, are reactionary. Direct reactions to fan sentiment. NASCAR cares

deeply about how fans perceive the sport and their place in it. Professional wrestling is the only other sport I would put on its level in this department. NASCAR is on it’s third fundamental points structure since I started watching the sport. Meaning champs over my time invested in the sport won 3 different ways. Picture the NFL crowning a champ in 2 alternative ways to the Super Bowl since 2000. That thought cannot rationally enter your head.

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The NASCAR Attraction

So why does NASCAR do this? Because the fans demanded it. I started watching NASCAR around 2000, and became quickly obsessed. My opinion prior included things like non-athlete, stupid turning left, redneck nonsense, etc. I gave it a fair shake when a college roommate pressed me to look closer. What I found was a group of brilliant physicists and engineers competing to go fast, and it was not as simple as using the pedal on the right. The moment that got my attention was a commentary about air pressure on one side of tires, and how effective a 1 PSI change was for the car in question. I could no longer view the race as low brow. Fox appeased fan curiosity by showing analysts with cutaway sections of cars (see below). This was visual candy, and also an unprecedented amount of insight.

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I have never been a gear head, but I know my way around things that require tools. NASCAR took concepts and made them accessible. That made the sport interesting for me. However, I was still a ways from being all in. I wrote previously about getting into soccer, and the key moment was investing fandom to a single team. My NASCAR path was similar. I had to pick a driver. But first a step back to the rules.

NASCAR Champs

I mentioned that NASCAR is on it’s 3rd title structure, and I will expand a bit more on the what and why. My first real attention to the sport came in the 2001 season. Jeff Gordon — a California guy — won his 4th and final title that year crowned the Winston Cup Champ. He achieved that title by accumulating the most points over the course of a 36 race season, which included winning 6 races. Most lifetime fans of the sport considered that somewhere between 3 and 4 too many titles for Gordon, and demanded correction. Two seasons later Matt Kenseth — a Wisconsin guy — won the 3rd race of the season, and then won the points total to become Champ. NASCAR fans were furious. This was not only two non-Southerners, but also a non-winner. Kenseth raced his typical brand of conservative, and gave his typical boring post race interviews. The worst champ.

Fans demanded change and the 2004 season unveiled the Chase, which was a playoff system. The format was simple: races 1-26 set the top 10 in points. And the final 10 races counted points for those 10 to crown the Champ. The 2004 Champ was Kurt Busch, a Vegas guy. I watched the final race wire to wire, glued to my seat, and the TV. NASCAR does a fabulous job of updating standings live, and that race became a two horse race between Busch and Jimmie Johnson, a California guy. In 2014 NASCAR tweaked the playoffs a step farther by eliminating drivers every 3 races to create a 4 driver showdown for the title on the last race. Additionally, the playoff field is now 16 drivers. Both of these were largely a reaction from too much winning by Jimmie Johnson, which ticked off the fan base.

Picking YOUR Driver

Closing the loop on the first topic: I kind of hate the constant rule changing, but I love NASCAR’s commitment to giving fans what they want. Pro wrestling is the only other sport that cares this much about what fans think. I called out where the drivers mentioned are from. This is important. NASCAR’s roots are in the South. The sport was born from moonshine runners racing their cars. I also mentioned the traditional NASCAR fan. Let’s stereotype a bit: the majority of NASCAR fans grew up with this sport, and have ties and/or affinity for the Southern roots. I don’t feel terribly bad making this stereotype because many are willing to volunteer the information. About every driver can fit into one of these categories:

1. Good ‘ol Southern Boy: they say their ma’ams and just can’t imagine being around anything but racing. Some examples are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott, and Clint Bowyer (from Kansas, but fits the bill)
2. Aggressive Southern Boy: open and eager for on and off track conflict. Not afraid to speak their mind and ruffle feathers. Some examples are Tony Stewart (from Indiana, but fits the bill), and Dale Earnhardt Sr.
3. Non-Southern Outlier: grew up somewhere other than the South. Some examples are Kevin Harvick, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson

I listed some highly successful, close to household names for each group, and it is no mistake the largest group I mention came from #3.

Northern Invasion

NASCAR is an undeniably Southern sport, but the reach and driver composition is much wider. I outlined the rule changes to the championship format, and added the background for the non-Southern-born drivers. Both of the fundamental changes in the points system resulted from fan demand. The first demand was a result of how Kenseth won. Playoff field expansion and elimination resulted from the frequency with which Jimmie Johnson won. These drivers have one important trait in common: they are very non-Southern. Matt Kenseth is the reserved Wisconsin guy you can find at any small townie bar Up North, and Jimmie Johnson is California cool. I am not sure either of the rule changes happen if it’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning all the titles.

The true Northern Invasion has to credit Jeff Gordon. Gordon arrived in 1993, and Dale Sr. won his 6th of 7 titles. Dale won his 7th in ’94, and Gordon won his first in ’95. After that Gordon reeled off 3 more titles in the next 6 years. NASCAR changed for good. A kid from California stormed the castle, broadened the fan base, and revolutionized the sport. He also ticked off the legacy fan base as he and team own Rick Hendrick simply won too much. The Southern sympathizers ire against Jeff Gordon equaled massive new TV contracts and great hero villain dynamics. It was complete time and place poetry. Jeff Gordon was the New York Yankees.

My Tribute to a Legend

Dale Earnhardt is a legend, and his death turned 21 two days before this Daytona 500. The list of 7 time champions is 3 deep: Richard Petty (AKA The King), Jimmie Johnson (more on him in a bit), and Dale Earnhardt. Dale’s nicknames were: The Man in Black and, The Intimidator. Names like that are another wonderful NASCAR feature. His open face helmet, black Goodwrench car, and #3 are iconic in life, not just NASCAR. Dale also has another contribution to the sport: safety measures. He died on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 when he hit the wall at an odd angle and broke his neck. Since then the sport has enhanced their safety in the head restraint and wall cushion areas. It is his unfortunate, but eternal contribution. Many consider him the greatest driver of all time, and I cannot directly disagree.

My personal feeling is, he is the reason for my full investment in the sport. I started paying a loose amount of attention to NASCAR in the 90s due to the Jeff Gordon effect. The college roommate I mentioned was the biggest Earnhardt fan. Dale’s death rocked NASCAR and its fan base, and my friend was no different. I vividly remember him describing his feelings to his NBA loving girlfriend: watching #3 hit the wall was the equivalent of Michael Jordan dying while making a buzzer beating, game winning 3 pointer. Dale could have been contended to possibly winning that race, but he was holding up the field for a couple of fellow Chevy’s, because those cars were his race team. Plus, they were race winner: Michael Waltrip and his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr.. The Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of NASCAR. I followed that race, and have been all in ever since.

Picking My Driver

My roommate got me into the sport. I started watching races with him and becoming invested in the results. Similar to my soccer story the next step was investment in a driver. All NASCAR fans gravitate to personalities, but car brands matter too. I am not a gear head, but I am a Chevy guy. My uncle worked for the local Chevy dealership. I grew up on a farm and all the vehicles were trucks.

The farm ran Chevys and we were Chevy guys. Ford = Found On Road Dead, and Dodge is cute for thinking it belongs in the conversation. For the record F-150 is a great truck and so is the Ram, but you have to pick sides. So, I was a Chevy guy. Next step was driver.

Dale Sr. drove Chevy for Richard Childress and also owned his own Chevy team, which included Dale Jr.. Childress and Earnhardt made my first cut list. However, The Chevy team — then and now — was Hendrick Motor Sports. Jeff Gordon’s team. Hendrick Motorsports is the basis for Days of Thunder. Winners and innovators. Rick pulls the top talent and disregards the optics and fan disdain. In 2001, Rick Hendrick, with the recommendation and financial backing of Jeff Gordon, secured sponsorship from Lowe’s and added Jimmie Johnson, the self proclaimed jackass from El Cajon, to his team in the 48 car.

My Guy Jimmie

I knew I was team Chevy, Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr. got serious looks, and my love for Jr. and Jeff are strong, but it felt like picking Yankees or Red Sox. I did not want to be that guy. I am not a Southerner, and often take time to point out that Kansas was part of the Union. The Hendrick route spoke to me more. If not Jeff then why not his guy, Jimmie. It felt right to me, but an event sealed it. That first 2004 Chase for the Cup did it. I followed the whole season thinking Jimmie’s my guy.

The final race saw him in contention, and I was rooting. He fell short to Kurt Busch by 8 points, which was 2 spots in the final race. The loss hit me, but I was also all in on NASCAR and the 48.

My college roommate stuck with Earnhardt and went Dale Jr. He also got mad at my Jimmie choice. His stance: Hendrick = evil empire, Gordon = the anti-Christ, and Jimmie = garbage. I understood then, and understand now, where he was coming from. He got me into NASCAR only to watch me pick his mortal enemies. Jimmie Johnson is one of my 3 favorite athletes of all time. He joins a list that includes Patrick Mahomes and Harry Kane, who is the striker for Tottenham Hotspur and the England men’s national team.

Jimmie is also the most successful sports rooting interest I have ever had. I watched that guy win 7 titles, 5 of which were consecutive.

My Guys

I could write a full column for all 3 of the guys I mention. They are what I love about sports. All 3 have a few things in common:

• They came out of nowhere
• Achieved at a much higher level than expectations and logic suggest possible
• And they seem quite approachable

Every single one of these guys are in relationships with women that pre-date their rabid success, and appear truly in love. Celebrity relationships are disposable, but true love stories exist. These guys appear to have that. They also appear to be 10/10 on the would have a beer with scale.

How Bout Those CHIEFS

I promised 2 things for the non-football season: weekly, long as usual columns, and tying back to the Chiefs. My comments above equally represent the 3 dudes mentioned. I will take this time to expand on Patrick Mahomes.

That guy loves football — and his soon to be wife (in March of 2022) — I truly believe that. Does she act like a jackass sometimes? Sure. So does Patrick’s brother Jackson. All of these people are in their 20s, which is the perfect time to act a fool. We all did it, but what we did not all do is, go through our 20s rich and in the spotlight. The loyal we of Chiefs fans need to view Patrick and Brittany as our royal couple. These two are cool, in love and our own.

Jackson Mahomes is a bit unwound and needs some personal growth. I believe he will get there. The Brittany hate is downright ridiculous. Her biggest “sin” is spraying champagne on fans after the Bills game. My message to anyone who was “afflicted” and upset by this incident: stay home. Seriously. I would love to have a story like that in my personal lore. It takes a special form of negativity to attend that game, celebrate with our QB’s family… and then leave feeling anything but joy. The Chiefs, Patrick, and Brittany will ignore this, and they should, but it makes following this team and it’s stars, a bit less fun. That’s unfortunate because they are fun people.

Stepping down from this soapbox to step onto another

The Eric Bieniemy Situation

This is another one that is spiraling out of control. I read and shared an article this past week. My personal belief is there was plenty of both fact and story. The overall takeaway: the gig is up. Eric Berry — EB — is ready to be a head coach and the Chiefs are also ready to find a new Offensive Coordinator. NFL seasons are a grind and coaching is hard. Add the money and ego and we have all the ingredients for tension stew. This does not make anyone bad or evil in this situation. I have referenced the movie “That Thing You Do,” and the Del Paxton scene, previously. The setup is the drummer for a hot band meets a jazz legend at a club. Said jazz legend makes the point that bands are temporary. That is my take on the current EB situation.

Bands come and go and it’s time for a new bass player (they replaced the bass player in the movie).

The staff has been together too long and EB has not taken the expected step. In this situation is seems the solo records have released, but no one is buying. I know what it is like to feel qualified for a promotion… and I also know what it is like to interview, feel good about the process and then miss out. I do not blame EB for being upset and even bitter. It sucks that this may have impeded a Super Bowl trip. The Chiefs do not have a time machine or 1.21 Gigawatts and a DeLorean handy, so forward is the only way to look.

It appears to be time to find a new bass player.

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Josh Kingsley — ArrowheadOne

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You can follow Josh on Twitter @mkechiefsfans

Plus, please visit ArrowheadKingdom.org for more Chiefs content.

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