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Kobe. Jeter. Manning. Tiger? I could go on and on about some of our childhood heroes exiting the game lately. We have lost many baseball, basketball, and football greats the past couple years, and now we are losing arguably the most popular driver in NASCAR history. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has announced he is retiring at the end of the 2017 season.
It’s not necessarily a large surprise that Junior is retiring. He has been racing for 18 seasons and has logged over 600 races. He’s a 43-year-old man who has battled with severe concussions, almost permanently sidelining him last year. He has battled with a sport that killed his own father just a few feet away from him. It’s a dangerous and overbearing lifestyle that seems to have finally taken its toll on Junior.
Earnhardt Jr. has won 26 races in his career and gone to the playoffs eight times. And while his success on the track did not match that of his late father, he has been voted the sport’s Most Popular Driver a record 14 years in a row. Read that again. That is an impeccable accomplishment that I doubt any athlete will ever match in any sport ever. Junior is just such a damn good guy.
Junior, I want to thank you. My dad loved your dad, so it only seemed right that I loved you. I have more die-cast models of your cars than I can count. I even have old #3 AC Delco Busch cars. I have the Looney Tunes car. I have everything. I wore a red #8 hat every day growing up until my giant head outgrew it. I’d go to Richmond and Martinsville every year to cheer you on. I watched you win and I also yelled some cuss words at Kyle Busch when he took you out in Richmond in 2008. You fill all my favorite NASCAR memories.
I know I’m not alone. You transcended the sport into a mainstream attraction. You brought in fans from all walks of life, of all different ages, from countries across the world. You are such a likable guy who I’m sure will have an extended career on television now. So while I may have shed a tear when I heard you won’t be behind the wheel anymore, I at least hope you won’t disappear from the spotlight forever. Thank you, Dale Earnhardt Jr., for all the joy you have brought this here redneck. Congratulations on an amazing career..
Image via Shutterstock
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Unrelated, kind of, but can we get some thoughts on the ESPN layoffs once they’re all announced? The network has changed so much since we were all “sick” in middle school and watched Sports Center 2.5 times straight through while waiting for Price is Right to start. Now I can’t stomach more than five minutes of someone I’ve never heard of talk from a set in Los fucking Angeles and not the studio we all know and love in Bristol. Anyone but Duda for this, please.
They’re letting go of some the last few actual “journalist” in favor of the hacks who attempt to act “hip and cool”, CNN Political rejects and Heather Dinich.
ESPN deserves to die
Except for Shefter, ESPN has gone from reporting to a glorified, televised, hot take factory. Just tell me who won the game and give me web gems from April – September. And another thing!!! I don’t watch videos on the website because a 15 second clip is preceded by a 30 second commercial. Every. Single. Time.
Agreed, I hate the bs commercials. From what I’ve seen Ed Wherder is gone but they kept Stephen A which is stupid as hell.
Rusillo and Kanel are both gone too. God forbid they keep someone on the radio who you can actually listen to.
At least they kept Bucci
Karl Ravich from baseball tonight is also seeing his role greatly reduced. This stuff doesn’t make sense when there’s no clear replacements.
I read Rusillo is still there but with a “significantly reduced” roll.
I really need realDonaldTrump to respond to this.
I haven’t watched a non-live sports event on ESPN in years. They’ve gone to shit and have been injecting politics into everything for years now. Politics is seriously injected into everything these days, but sports should be American hallowed ground and politics free.
Good piece. See ya at Talladega
the username, the picture, did we just become best friends?
I’ve been bragging about going to Dega more than Cheverere brags about Vail
Never been a NASCAR guy but seems like a cool dude.
Never got into NASCAR but damn do I want to get out to a race at some point to experience that scene. Heard nothing but great things
#JuniorNation forever. Great piece, man.
Is there anything worse than the hardo that argues NASCAR isn’t a sport?
Somebody came at me on Twitter yesterday and I have never hit the block button so fast.
I mean it’s inarguably a sport. Arguably an incredibly boring sport.
Buddy of mine has a Dale Jr tire in his living room. Like literally, a real tire off of on of DJs race cars. On one hand I’m like yeah, that’s badass. On the other more adult hand I’m like, you’ve got a car tire as living room décor…..
that’s badass
I’ll be at Bristol night race and MIS for the last race to see him off so pumped!
Most overrated driver of all-time, but I still like the guy.
whose mans is this
Obvious troll is obvious here