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Because of something Keselowski said, those Westboro Baptist nutjobs are threatening to protest NASCAR

http://queers4gears.com/2013/03/09/west ... r-protest/

They'll get eaten alive by the fans.

I thought America was pretty big on freedom of speech? Not NASCAR, it seems. Say what you like. Just make sure it's what we want to hear.

That's another thing that's been bugging me. You can throw around the "first amendment" argument all you want, but guess what? I can't show up to work tomorrow and blast the hell out of my superior's superiors. It doesn't work that way. Either you're careful with what you say, or you suffer the consequences.

He's still subject to the sport's rules and regulations, and if NASCAR thinks he hurt their credibility and ability to (of all things) develop a new race car, then that's their call.

Throwing the free speech argument around in this particular instance doesn't sit well with me.

Surely fining Hamlin hurts their credibility a lot more then what he said.

Granted NASCAR could have handled it more discreetly but I'm with Andre completely on this. I'd like to see some of those touting freedom of speech and all that democratic jingoism try badmouthing their workplace on a public forum. Then see if saying 'I was only voicing my opinion' makes it any easier to get a new job once you're fired.

Difference is with NASCAR is that this particular workplace relies heavily on its employees actually having personalities. Fining its drivers for not being PR robots is only going to fuck NASCAR over in the longrun.

So not being able to bitch about the company due to whose existence you are earning millions of dollars equals stripping of personality?

Um, well yeah. I don't want to hear 43 drivers getting out of their car and going "OMG THIS CAR IS FANTASTIC RACING IS FANTASTIC NASCAR IS FANTASTIC EVERYTHING IS SAVED". I want to hear what they're actually thinking, whether I agree with it or not.

And as far as I'm aware Denny didn't do any bitching about NASCAR.

Point is simply that you can have a personality in many different ways but badmouthing your company's product is not one of them.

Tell that to BTCC drivers. Works just fine over here.

A motor racing series (or any sport for that matter) is a bit different to your average workplace. Drivers saying what they think = drama = viewers.

They are welcome to say what they think about other drivers, teams, etc. Maybe even punch out a foe like in the good old days, and we've had that in recent years quite a bit. That stuff is fine and makes for good drama but throwing your own sport under the bus is negative publicity brought on by one of its own and I'm not sure why any sport would want to encourage that?

NASCAR is most certainly not afraid of its drivers having personality. Look at the way Stewart commented about the Talladega race a year or so ago; he most definitely got his point across, and though he made it clear that he didn't like the quality of racing, it wasn't a knock on NASCAR's ability to run things. Besides, Smoke is a champion, just like Dale Earnhardt Sr. was a champion when he made those infamous comments after the 2000 Daytona 500.

Tony's earned that respect from NASCAR, as had Dale Sr., and they were inclined to hear those sorts of complaints out.

Much like how NASCAR has had to reign in Brad Keselowski's outspokenness about subjects he doesn't quite understand, much is the same about Hamlin. I mean, the dude is a hot-head who hasn't proved his leadership on or off the track, and here he is criticising the hell out of a car that has had one race. How is the sanctioning body supposed to react? Let some quick-mouthed hotshot rub their names in the dirt?

To Andre, what exactly did Hamlin say that was so out of line? As far as I heard, he didn't even blast the new car, and he didn't even say it was bad. The only thing he said was that it was hard for him to pass and the racing seemed like it was when the old car first came out. So unless I'm totally missing something, he didn't really insult nascar or really say anything actually, he just commented on how his race went, which is totally justified and undeserving of any penalty imo.

They should plan it for the Texas race, that'll work out well.

The TV interview wasn't all that bad, but with other media outlets, he wasn't as kind. "I hate to be a Denny Downer (I honestly lol'd at that one)", then went on to say how much of a daunting task it would be to get the cars to turn, and how none of the work done so far had mattered.

Never mind the fact that he started 43rd and finished 2nd (pit strategy or not, he passed lots of cars). Never mind the fact that Jeff Burton went from something like 22nd to finish 9th on that last GWC. The fact of the matter is that it was never easy to pass at the new Phoenix to begin with, and Denny is solely placing the blame on the car... which, again, coming from the guy who finished 41 positions higher than where he started, sounds like a bunch of BS.

Here is my opinion on this. I get some of the analogies that were said above, but this situation still doesn't sit well with me. I get that in other situations involving employment, if you were to speak badly about your product in public, you'd be quickly shown the door. I really do get that.

However, the way I interpreted Denny's comments is that the product isn't perfect yet (did we expect it to be?) and that there are certain things that could be improved. For him being honest with the media (and by proxy, the fans) NASCAR has punished him because his comments weren't 100% positive.

With NASCAR fining Denny, I feel NASCAR damaged their own product even worse than anything Denny could have said. It's nothing to do with the confidence in the car, but rather the drivers. Now, how am I supposed to believe anything a driver says? If a driver says the car is perfect in the future, how are we supposed to believe them? It makes me lose a lot of confidence with the sport, and more disconnected with the drivers that we are supposed to be feeling close to.

In the end, we as fans will see visually how the car is doing on the track, but we won't know about how genuine the drivers are acting, or whether their thoughts are actually their own.

I still don't understand why most of you don't get this. If I came out and said that I don't agree with the way my company is running something or that I think my companys product needs improvement, id be shit canned. It is an honor for Denny to run in the upper tier of American auto racing. Now I understand he wasn't calling the car shit, but his words came across completely wrong for his intentions. He should know better. Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, and... I hate bringing Sr up.. but he wouldn't say this either. Dales comments after the 2000 500 was due to a shock rule change. Not about the car or NASCAR itself. The 2000 Monte Carlo was actually a great car. So let's look back to 1995 when the new Monte Carlo destroyed the competition that year. It was insane that Chevy won 21 races that year. Guess what, 2 years later Ford won with 19 wins.point being shit changes.

My point is Dennys comments were bold for 2 races for a product in which he makes millions off of. I don't like Denny, I dont hate Denny... But NASCAR gives you a paycheck, always remember that.

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One race, technically. You can't learn a whole lot about the car from Daytona or Talladega.

Denny's just another one of those guys who doesn't know how much of a privilege it is to be running this series, period. Another reason I fuckin' hate the guy.

Denny Hamlin has one of the shortest tempers in the sport. He is never happy even if he were to lead a race wire to wire.