'But, it's the last lap...'

By DAVID GREEN

All of us face deadlines. We may not call 'em that, unless we work in the news bidniz. But there are tasks that must be completed at or before a certain time -- like filing income taxes. Students have end-of-class deadlines for some assignments and due dates for out-of-class, long-term tasks.

We all know how the anxiety level ramps up as the clock ticks down. We understand how fumble-fingered we may become, how bleary-eyed we may feel from thrashing to get to the point where we have a realistic chance of completing the assigned task by the prescribed time.

We fudge on rules. If we're running late for work, we may be more likely to execute one of those "rolling stops" at the red octagon sign.

The sports world is no different. As fans, we all know about the drama of the bottom of the ninth inning, the fourth-and-goal play, the time when the clock in the basketball arena starts measuring tenths of a second.

And in racing, there's the last lap.

Many fans, and many competitors, voice the sentiment, "Well, it's the last lap, so anything goes."

Before I proceed, let me verify that I understand -- that's the reality of it. That's the way things are.

Having said that, let me add, that's wrong.

"It's the last lap" is no defense for somebody who wrecks a competitor in order to win or gain a position. A dirty move on lap 1 or lap 51 is still a dirty move after the white flag has waved. In fact, the offense might be seen as more onerous, as the victim has little or no time to recover lost ground.

Now, let me elaborate -- as I went to great lengths to explain, yes: Your adrenalin level goes up, your motor skills and ability to exercise judgment may be impaired as the deadline approaches. Those who handle these situations best are those who are least affected by the pressure, who can make the same decisions and perform the same actions -- or even do a better job -- when the pressure is on.

Translated, that means it is much more likely that someone will make a mistake under pressure.

Also, it merely takes a little common sense to acknowledge that, with time running out, there is much less to lose, so a competitor may become a little bit more reckless than he might have been inclined to be earlier in the contest. That may lead to incidents.

None of that should be interpreted as justification. When a guy makes a mistake under last-lap pressure, he should not use the old "it's the last lap" cliche to excuse himself. He should say, "I was just trying too hard and I (fill in the blank). I'm sorry it happened."

The most beautiful moments are when competitors battle furiously, under last-lap pressure, and DON'T cross the line into behavior that would be unacceptable to the masses on an earlier lap -- like the Jeff Burton-Matt Kenseth fight in the waning laps at Dover a couple of weeks ago, or Ryan Newman versus Tony Stewart at New Hampshire last year. (Or, I feel compelled to add, any of a dozen or so finishes in Indy Racing League events over the past couple of years.)

When it comes down to the most extreme result, such as David Pearson-Richard Petty in the 1976 Daytona 500, Davey Allison-Kyle Petty in the 1992 The Winston, or Ricky Craven-Kurt Busch at Darlington in 2003, it's genuinely the result of two guys trying as hard as they can and putting themselves in jeopardy, not one guy cold-bloodedly dumping the other and cruising on to victory. Both drivers are caught up in it, and neither gets a particular advantage from it.

Sometimes the two guys don't even make it back to the finish line -- such as Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough at Daytona in '79. But again, it was two guys risking all, not one guy putting the other guy in his crosshairs and taking him out.

Again, I know this is all a lot of idealistic rambling. I know that players in all sports push things to the limits and I know well that officials don't call fouls or penalties or even safe/out of ball/strike exactly the same when the pressure is on.

That doesn't mean it's right. The rules of the game don't change in the last inning, the last minute -- or the last lap.

Or, at least, they shouldn't.