Racin\' Round: Bash Busch baby!

news@theheraldnewspapers.com There was a recent story in USA Today that involved NASCAR bad boy Kurt Busch. In the article Michael McCarthy and Jodi Upton write about the light sentences that athletes seem to get in today’s justice. I agree with them, after the O.J. Simpson fiasco and Koby Bryant there have been several other athletes that have gotten off for serious crimes. Those crimes include drug possession, DUI, domestic violence and murder, or alleged murder. These athletes get minimal sentences or are acquitted, it seems sometimes because of their names or status on the court, field and so on. The journalists contend that athletes that get community service receive preferential treatment with services such as throwing out the first ball at a baseball game. What they don’t mention in the article is that Busch will also have to do some public service announcements about safe driving. Unlike basketball and football players, drivers could sway a young mind with these announcements. I mean face it, an announcement about safe football? What I don’t agree with is putting Kurt Busch in the same realm as these athletes. If someone didn’t notice, it was a traffic stop, not a felony. His stop didn’t involve alcohol; only the fact that he didn’t take a field sobriety test on the side of the road outside a racetrack where fans were driving by and anyone could have seen him. He chose to be taken inside to take a test and was proven innocent of any alcohol related charges. Should he have used his fame and smart attitude to try to gain an advantage on the cops, no! At the same time should writers of a national newspaper use their influence to put a NASCAR star in the same story as some of these other criminals? I have been an advocate of the fact that the stars of NASCAR aren’t in the news constantly with their families saying they are beat up, or the law saying they have them in custody for drug violations. The stars of the sport keep themselves clean for the most part. The worst of the worst have been busted for minor drug possession, Shane Hmiel and Kevin Grubb. Both of these drivers chose their course and are now living with their decision to continue to do whatever it is they do. To group Busch’s follies with this type of crime is a crime. Why would two journalists take the time to include Busch in their article, not only in the print, but also with pictures? Only one reason I can think of, hit a man when he’s down. With NASCAR quickly becoming a household word, and the stars becoming more and more popular, the nations largest newspaper finds it necessary to include a driver in a smear tactic. Is it because they have no other crimes to report on NASCAR drivers, or do they feel it necessary just because the sport is getting to be so popular? If journalists have nothing else to write about, they shouldn’t include minor infractions with the major things athletes have done. They should ask hard questions to the athletes that deserve those hard questions. I’ll bet if you got down to the brass tacks of the situation with Kurt Busch, you’d find out he wishes he could take back all the things that happened that night in Phoenix. I’ll also say that he won’t mess with the Maricopa Sheriff’s Office again. Kurt Busch won’t look good in the stripes that Joe Arpio makes his prisoners wear, or the pink underwear. Till next time, keep turning left.