Another Viewpoint Archives
Debbi Willis, Daw613@bigfoot.com
Winners and Losers
>
Everyone loves winners, right? Does that mean no one likes losers though? I
doubt that since ALL the drivers have a fan base. In competitive sports,
there's always more losers than winners since only one can win and everyone
else loses. Only the Olympics rewards 2nd and 3rd places. In Nascar, every
race brings about one winner and 42 "losers". Compound that by the 34
races and that's quite a bit of losing, even if some of the winners along the
way are also "losers" periodically. Enter the points system and the highly
touted parity Nascar strived for now and the playing field gets downright
complicated. Statistically, a driver can finish consistently in the top 5
and maybe only win one or two races and be crowned the season champion.
Bobby Labonte could do that this year. Terry Labonte's championships were
won both years with only two wins each season. The rest was consistency. So
now, a "loser" most of the year, actually wins in the end. Thoroughly
confused yet? Hope not, stay with me here. Like the parity of this season,
the point, like the championship isn't real clear yet.
The labels of winners and losers are just that: labels, for an outcome under
a set of circumstances. Winning is a fleeting moment of victory when the laps
wind down and a driver has done their best to outrun or in some of the more
notorious cases, "out-bump" everyone else to the finish line. I say fleeting
because Mother Nature can have some say in it, as well as someone's
temperment or temptation to change an outcome in the closing moments. Losing
is not a bad thing though, despite the nature of Dale Earnhardt to abhor it.
Even he realizes, finishing is the key. However, if a win's within his
grasp, like one of the GM Goodwrench ads with Dale says: 'There aren't any
guarantees out here. Except if you're between me and the checkered flag,
you'll wish you weren't.' And yet, many are proud of outrunning him. Losing
is the act of persistence and competition on a regular basis without the
favorable outcome. Not everyone can win. Losing means being in the game and
there's alot to be said for that in itself these days. Not everyone
succeeds when aspiring to make it in Nascar. For several years during
Golden Boy's reign as champion, winning was made to look so easy and simple,
that suddenly the perspective caused everyone else look worse than they
actually were. All the time though, it was strategy with a wise crew chief
and excellent training in a young man. The 2000 season shows very little of
that dominance from those years by Gordon, but is revealing a more mature
young man growing into the sport now.
Not surprisingly, there are a handful of drivers currently running Winston Cup
who possess the quality of persistence and endurance that keeps them in the
game but have never won a race in their careers (not in Cups). I would never
remotely consider them losers. Standards set by society often go by
appearances and don't always measure the real values present. Most admirably
at the top of that group, more than 430 races later in his career, Michael
Waltrip is winless in Winston Cup. Should he never win a race, might he walk
away feeling like a loser? I wouldn't if I were he. At least he was there-
he never gave up or gave in, which is why I say "most admirably". Michael's
sense of humor prevails at all times. He's so upbeat, he's the kind of
person I'd want in a disaster with me. At the other end of the spectrum but
still several seasons into their careers are the likes of Steve Park, Jerry
Nadeau, Mike Skinner, and Johnny Benson. All these drivers have come close
but no luck or worst yet, bad luck has struck. And yet, I wouldn't call any
of them losers, either. The very fact that they go out week after week and
participate to the best of their ability and equipment is a credit to them
all. Like armchair quarterbacks, we fans can sit and point fingers and say
how it should have gone better, but in the end, we're not in the game, they
are.
Don't misunderstand me either here. Winning is the goal. Winning is the
reason everyone runs hard and pushes limits. Everyone wants to win. The
ultimate challenge is to win, but should they lose, they really haven't lost
if they've done their best. That's the whole difference. The real losers
are those who don't try, who give up at the first sign of calamity and
complications. Those who, if they have no chance of winning, they'll just
quit and put it away for the day. Paying dues comes from this concept.
Believing in yourself is critical, if you're not worth it, why should anyone
else think so? Drivers earn respect in everyone's eyes just for persisting,
trying, fighting to stay competitive. Ever wonder what makes a driver come
back out onto the track when he's mega laps down? Sure, points factor in the
notion to return, but moreso I think, because it's part of their nature to
finish. They don't just give up. Incredibly, I've watched drivers fight
their way back up a couple laps down and be in contention to challenge the
leaders. Everyone has watched as broken up and badly injured drivers (some
not physically but emotionally, as well) climb in and out of their cars week
after week to compete. Those are awe-inspiring moments. Sheer determination
wills them to press on.
Now is the time to take stock of the sport we all enjoy, and perhaps remember
that there are no losers in this sport, at least not in this writer's eyes.
There's really no place for booing anyone, and certainly considering the
losses we've known in recent months, appreciating them all is more in order.
As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "It is not the critic who counts, not the
one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might
have done them better. The credit belongs to the one who is actually in the
arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives
valiantly; who errs and comes up short again; who knows the great
enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who,
if he wins, knows the triumphs of high achievement; and who if he fails, at
least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those
cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." Remember, it's
their spirit and drive we enjoy and celebrate. Ultimately, there are no
losers, just participants finishing under the winner.
Another Viewpoint Home
Winners and Losers
>
Everyone loves winners, right? Does that mean no one likes losers though? I doubt that since ALL the drivers have a fan base. In competitive sports, there's always more losers than winners since only one can win and everyone else loses. Only the Olympics rewards 2nd and 3rd places. In Nascar, every race brings about one winner and 42 "losers". Compound that by the 34 races and that's quite a bit of losing, even if some of the winners along the way are also "losers" periodically. Enter the points system and the highly touted parity Nascar strived for now and the playing field gets downright complicated. Statistically, a driver can finish consistently in the top 5 and maybe only win one or two races and be crowned the season champion. Bobby Labonte could do that this year. Terry Labonte's championships were won both years with only two wins each season. The rest was consistency. So now, a "loser" most of the year, actually wins in the end. Thoroughly confused yet? Hope not, stay with me here. Like the parity of this season, the point, like the championship isn't real clear yet.
The labels of winners and losers are just that: labels, for an outcome under a set of circumstances. Winning is a fleeting moment of victory when the laps wind down and a driver has done their best to outrun or in some of the more notorious cases, "out-bump" everyone else to the finish line. I say fleeting because Mother Nature can have some say in it, as well as someone's temperment or temptation to change an outcome in the closing moments. Losing is not a bad thing though, despite the nature of Dale Earnhardt to abhor it. Even he realizes, finishing is the key. However, if a win's within his grasp, like one of the GM Goodwrench ads with Dale says: 'There aren't any guarantees out here. Except if you're between me and the checkered flag, you'll wish you weren't.' And yet, many are proud of outrunning him. Losing is the act of persistence and competition on a regular basis without the favorable outcome. Not everyone can win. Losing means being in the game and there's alot to be said for that in itself these days. Not everyone succeeds when aspiring to make it in Nascar. For several years during Golden Boy's reign as champion, winning was made to look so easy and simple, that suddenly the perspective caused everyone else look worse than they actually were. All the time though, it was strategy with a wise crew chief and excellent training in a young man. The 2000 season shows very little of that dominance from those years by Gordon, but is revealing a more mature young man growing into the sport now.
Not surprisingly, there are a handful of drivers currently running Winston Cup who possess the quality of persistence and endurance that keeps them in the game but have never won a race in their careers (not in Cups). I would never remotely consider them losers. Standards set by society often go by appearances and don't always measure the real values present. Most admirably at the top of that group, more than 430 races later in his career, Michael Waltrip is winless in Winston Cup. Should he never win a race, might he walk away feeling like a loser? I wouldn't if I were he. At least he was there- he never gave up or gave in, which is why I say "most admirably". Michael's sense of humor prevails at all times. He's so upbeat, he's the kind of person I'd want in a disaster with me. At the other end of the spectrum but still several seasons into their careers are the likes of Steve Park, Jerry Nadeau, Mike Skinner, and Johnny Benson. All these drivers have come close but no luck or worst yet, bad luck has struck. And yet, I wouldn't call any of them losers, either. The very fact that they go out week after week and participate to the best of their ability and equipment is a credit to them all. Like armchair quarterbacks, we fans can sit and point fingers and say how it should have gone better, but in the end, we're not in the game, they are.
Don't misunderstand me either here. Winning is the goal. Winning is the reason everyone runs hard and pushes limits. Everyone wants to win. The ultimate challenge is to win, but should they lose, they really haven't lost if they've done their best. That's the whole difference. The real losers are those who don't try, who give up at the first sign of calamity and complications. Those who, if they have no chance of winning, they'll just quit and put it away for the day. Paying dues comes from this concept. Believing in yourself is critical, if you're not worth it, why should anyone else think so? Drivers earn respect in everyone's eyes just for persisting, trying, fighting to stay competitive. Ever wonder what makes a driver come back out onto the track when he's mega laps down? Sure, points factor in the notion to return, but moreso I think, because it's part of their nature to finish. They don't just give up. Incredibly, I've watched drivers fight their way back up a couple laps down and be in contention to challenge the leaders. Everyone has watched as broken up and badly injured drivers (some not physically but emotionally, as well) climb in and out of their cars week after week to compete. Those are awe-inspiring moments. Sheer determination wills them to press on.
Now is the time to take stock of the sport we all enjoy, and perhaps remember that there are no losers in this sport, at least not in this writer's eyes. There's really no place for booing anyone, and certainly considering the losses we've known in recent months, appreciating them all is more in order. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the one who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumphs of high achievement; and who if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." Remember, it's their spirit and drive we enjoy and celebrate. Ultimately, there are no losers, just participants finishing under the winner.
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