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February 05, 2006
The Daytona 500 of pro football
By DAVID GREEN
Isn't there some big-deal ball game on TV tonight? Oh, yeah -- it's the one that everybody refers to as "the Daytona 500 of pro football."
OK, OK. So nobody really refers to the Super Bowl that way, except maybe a few overly optimistic NASCAR fans.
Anybody who makes any comparison between the two events, though, usually brings up the point that the Super Bowl takes place at the conclusion of the NFL season and determines its champion, while the Daytona 500 is at the opposite end of the annual NASCAR calendar.
Good, I say.
The complaints about having the biggest event of the season at the beginning usually come from traditional stick-and-ball folks, who are accustomed to seeing hockey end with the Stanley Cup playoffs, college basketball with the NCAA championship tournament, baseball with the World Series, and so forth.
Funny how I have never heard any criticism about the Masters occurring in April, nor the Kentucky Derby for being held on the first Saturday in May.
That could be because there's no undue emphasis on a season championship title in golf or horse racing. The signature events are perceived in their proper context. Of course, professional golf has other major events and horse racing has the two other events in its Triple Crown. But these don't detract from the significance of each other.
If the Daytona 500 were anywhere other than first in the Nextel Cup schedule, the struggle for "those invaluable Nextel Cup points" would probably steal some of the thunder from the event itself. It will be a miracle if, during Daytona 500 coverage, someone doesn't point out sagely that, "if the season were to end now," whichever driver happened to be leading at that time would be the Nextel Cup champion of 2006!
So, how do we take the emphasis off "those invaluable points" and put it back on races, where it belongs? By giving a disproportionate share of points to the driver who wins each race, of course.
That's not likely to happen. So, thank goodness the Daytona 500 merely starts the madness and is not obscured by it.
February 5, 2006 | Permalink
Comments
Top ten reasons why I didn't watch the Superbowl
10. Just recieved an SOS from the Tidy Bowl Man.
9. It’s 84 degrees and the weeds are taller than my corn.
8. Tired of answering the daughters persistent question: “Daddy, why are those guys larger than the Incredible Hulk?”
7. More excitment can be had watching my Crock Pot bubble its contents of Five Alarm Chili.
6. Rumor has it that Oprah will nominate another book to her “must read” list. (Hey even phoney lying authors are better than the Superbowl)
5. The local mini-mart has a special on fish sticks.
4. Bill Cowher’s scowl frightens little children and blue-haired old ladies.
3. Had a “wardrobe malfunction” and will spend 3 hours darning my left sock. (or 5 hours. 12? 24? Oh hell, the entire 2 weeks prior. It’s a BIG sock!)
2. Lost my fascination for watching grown men patting each others asses.
And the number one reason to not watch the Superbowl – I hate Gatoraid!
Posted by: Marc | Feb 6, 2006 4:23:08 AM
That would be: Gatorade
Posted by: Shirley | Feb 6, 2006 9:30:21 AM
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