Earnhardt Jr - I see the handwriting on the wall...

[Checkeredflag]

Now whether she is an honest businesswoman or not is still open to debate. If she isn’t then she deserves to have her ass handed to her. I did read up on what she did to Rondeau and think it was beyond dishonest. Even if she did not sign the contract it was implied and correct me if I’m wrong but an implied contract holds the same amount of water in a court of law. Her actions of paying him for his work and allowing him his position within the company AFTER he signed the document are as close to a signature as you can get. I could be wrong or the laws of that particular state may not be the same as California’s but the last Business Law class I took covered the basics on this and it seems to be an implied business deal to me. I hope he took legal action against DEI.

I believe North Carolina, as most of the other 50 states, is an "at will" employment state.  That means you can be hired or fired for any reason, or no reason at all - except if you have a signed contract, which may or may not stipulate how any relief of duties would come about.  In the case of Pete Rondeau, because HE signed the contract, he was bound by its terms and conditions.  But, because no authorized representative from DEI (and it doesn't necessarily have to be only Teresa who can bind the organization, there could be other individuals who have been granted that power, but we can't know that without seeing the Corporate minutes), DEI was not bound by it.

Obviously, the law hates unjust enrichment.  So, had Rondeau not been paid the going rate for wages for a crew chief at a top Nextel Cup organization, a contract for that would have been implied - you do the work, the person you did the work for was aware you were doing the work, you're entitled to get paid.  I think the media frenzy was over separation pay.  Absent a valid contract, signed by the party to be bound, the law will NOT imply one, nor should they.  These aren't kids, each party had the right and the ability to find counsel, if he chose to start working without a contract, well, while I may find it personally distasteful, it's a mistake that won't be made again.

You can't force someone to sign a contract.  If he did bring them to court over it, all DEI has to say is that it wasn't signed because there were other issues that had been brought up, and that they were in the process of re-working some of the terms and conditions in the severance package when the crew chief change was made.  Obviously the unsigned contract would be some evidence of that, as would any later draft, signed by DEI but not Rondeau.  Then what?  It's easy enough to do.  Which is why he just went on his way to another organization a little wiser in what to do next time.

[AfterShock]

The Rondo contract (or lack thereof) is one of the sleasiest things I had ever heard of, and if anything, it will make it harder to attract top notch talent - unless they or their representatives require that someone in authority at DEI sign the contract first.  But, did she or someone else make that call?  We'll never know...

Regarding Junior's name - I don't really blame her on that one.  You're not talking about the actual name, but rather the marketing of the entire package - Junior, his stylized signature, #8, Budweiser, etc.  By granting Junior the marketing rights to his name, it merely means the disclaimer at the bottom of advertisements has to add a few more words, and there will be one additional royalty check issued by each company that negotiates for the rights to use his name.  But, I hope the name rights were transferred over to JR Motorsports, and not back to Junior the individual, for many legal and a few practical reasons. 

I understand why Junior wanted the rights, and I don't blame him either.  But, I hope he's using his head about what he's planning on endorsing outside the world of NASCAR.  With DEI (not Teresa, but DEI) owing those rights, he was limited by what they were willing to allow him to do.  Now, he can do whatever he wants.  Had the rights been left with DEI, it would have been easy enough to negotiate that all the royalties specifically attributed to them be paid out to him.  It did not have to become a media firestorm, and really shouldn't have, because it is not a huge issue - no matter what the media would have you believe.

Whether Teresa is a gold digger who got lucky, or whether she truly was the driving force behind DEI is debatable, and known only to 2 individuals - herself and her late husband.  I can't speculate on that.  But, honestly, to me, her comment just sounded like frustration - the same frustration I have heard over and over again from my parents regarding me!!!   "Decide what you want to be when you grow up - and can you please hurry growing up already!!  You're "X" number of years old - figure it out". 

 

Exactly!

Remember Famous Amos Cookies?
Boy they were good!

But Amos saw money, sold the company
and his rights went with it.

He can no longer be "Famous Amos", nor can he use any reference like it.
He's had the name for years, but he doesn't own it anymore. Instead, a corporation does.

Of all the mistakes he's made in his life, the man who used to be known as "Famous Amos," admits that selling his name was among the worst.

Famous Amos also said, and believes, "When life deals you lemons,....
make lemonade."
But he still can't call it Famous Amos (Bitter) Lemonade.

And, by the way, Famous Amos cookies DON'T taste like they used to anymore.They're not as good. But they still display another man's name like an endorsement. If folks don't realize ol' Amos ain't baking them anymore, what are they thinking?
Can't trust Amos for the quality he advertises?
Even if it ain't ol' Amos anymore, he still gets blamed.

Now, it seems Dale Earnhardt Jr. has that same potential to make the same mistake ol' Amos did. June Bug better get some reading glasses so he can read ALL of the fine print, ----- possibly through blood-shot eyes.
Otherwise, we might be seeing ads for DEJ Condoms and sex toys ---- forget collectables. The Brian already takes a big chunk off the top of those sales, now that the Brian owns all but one of the toy manufacturers that make those items.

Good Golly!
Can y'all imagine what it would be like if the Brian owned June Bug's name?
Cha-CHING! $$$$$

I like Dale Earnhardt Jr.,........the driver. But I don't know if I could work for or with him.

I doubt Teresa wants Jr. to drive for another team. I can't bring myself to believe she doesn't know which side her bread is buttered on. As for being in it for the racing, shouldn't that include the team as a whole? And don't "teams" work TOGETHER?
Where goes the team if the kingpin isn't firmly in place?

I think it would be in the best interest of D.E.I. to retain the son of the founder, but not at the expense of the team(s) involved. Trickle down effect can cause doors to close just as easily as a lack of money. And moral is a fragile thing. Much easier to replace lost funds and/or a lost driver, than lost moral, I think.

When Teresa first made the announcement that she intended to keep D.E.I. intact and on the track, herself, ....... I remember the doubts as to the logic of her decision as well as her ability to do so ---- successfully.
How many years ago was that now?

If a power-house within a corporation insists on unreasonable demands, all things considered, should the head figure cave to those demands?
Teresa doesn't tell Little E how to drive his race cars. For good reason.
Would good reason also indicate that perhaps Little E shouldn't attempt to drive Teresa's desk?

Under Teresa's leadership, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has become a hot commodity, helped, no doubt, by the name Earnhardt in and of itself. One can only wonder if that name would be where it is today if Dale Jr. had complete control of the name. Sometimes, although it might be hard to realize or admit, it just might be in the best interest for all involved if SOMEone ELSE is paying very close attention and watching for ambushes.

Easy come, and easy to lose it all too.
Where do I sign? should be the second question.
The first question should ALWAYS be, WHAT am I signing?

I'm thinking if money is all that Teresa is after, she would have sold Dale Earntardt Jr's. name long ago.
But she didn't.
Hmmmmmmmm
I wonder why?

One aspect of this discussion disturbs me though.
I see absolutely no reason to bring someone's looks into the picture as any reason to draw any comparison to the job they do, or don't do, as the case might be.
Before OR after.

As for not doing ANYthing ALL those years married to Dale Earnhardt, well,...........
am I to understand support, devotion, and dedication don't count for nuthin'?
Hmmmmmmm

Maybe Big Dale shoulda kept her just a barefoot and pregnant house wife. Keep her in her place cookin' and mendin' and such.
But, then again, from what I've read,.....it was Teresa'a contribution to the marriage that begat the business interests that became a successful empire. Dale himself has admitted that without her pushing him, he wouldn't have cared less.
Hmmmmmmmm

Danged women!
Just look at how she made her man sufffer through all her demands.
Maybe that's why he was such a good driver ---- tryin' to get away from it all.
Ya reckon?

[Chris]

everyone seems tyo have totally missed my point I was making,.. and how it all tied together from when she first met Sr,.. how she was a homely looking country girl,.. come from nothing,.. and home it all transpired to now she is taking an empire and twisting it and screwing people like she did Rondo.
Power corupts, and people thats never had money never know how to properly handle being in charge when left in total control.
I am sure Teresa may of had a hand in doing some of the stuff while Dale was alive,.. but I am also just as sure Dale had the final say so before everything was done.
Common sense tells ya,... Dale was the driver... It was HIS name, etc.  Sure she may have come up with the idea to market some of the stuff,... but he gave the approval to anything that was done.
 

[falcon325]

To some degree, it seems to me that the value of a driver's name is created at least in part by the organization.  How much would the name "Kurt Busch" be worth if Jack Roush hadn't plucked him up and put him in a CTS truck?  OTOH. I understand that part of the reason for the split between Roush and Busch is that ol' Jack figured since he made Kurt, he should be the one getting the lion's share of the profits from sales of items with "Kurt Busch" on them.  It's a deal that has to be worked out between the party and really, the dynamics change with time.  That's why there are time limits on contracts. 

Lilly's name was probably worth more out of the gate.  Tresea and DEI probably were not giving the boy his due and that's why he had to fight.

The Rondeau thing just plain sucked and, frankly, reflects poorly on Junior too.  He should have stood up for Pete, at least the to point of seeing to it that he was fairly compensated.  One thing I admire about Hendrick is that, even when their people leave, they try hard to see to it that they leave on good terms.  For example, a sponsorship deal screwed Front Row Joe out of the 25 car, even after he had won at Richmond.  But HMS saw to it that his new ride had Hendick engines.

I see DEI just signed some black record comapny producer to head their marketing efforts.  Hope he got Teresa to sign the contract.   

[AfterShock]

everyone seems tyo have totally missed my point I was making,.. and how it all tied together from when she first met Sr,.. how she was a homely looking country girl,.. come from nothing,.. and home it all transpired to now she is taking an empire and twisting it and screwing people like she did Rondo.
Power corupts, and people thats never had money never know how to properly handle being in charge when left in total control.

<And when Teresa first met Dale Earnhardt, he was a homely looking country boy,.. came from nothing. The rest is history.

As fas as "taking an empire and twisting it and screwing people (like she did Rondo)", I'm not sure that's entirely correct. Especially since she has been given credit for being a part in the building of that empire. Just might be that Dale got the better deal in that marriage. And it sure doesn't appear that she held Dale back any. She showed Dale how to put his money to work making more money. Sure, Dale had a say in the matter, ---- and I'd say he said the right things. Including, "Yes" and "you're right honey."

I thinking we all might be a tad surprised to learn just how instrumental Teresa was in the creation and running of that empire that she helped to build.
Where whould she be without Dale? And where would Dale have wound up without Teresa?
Team work?
I'd say so.
They complemented each other and had a common goal. A racer's wife with innovative ideas. There are champions, and there are successful champions. Teresa helped Dale become a successful champion. And now Teresa is carrying on that tradition.

IMO, if Jr. isn't content driving for Teresa, he won't be content with whomever he drives for. Who's going to give him more than he's getting now?
True, Jr. is a hot item now.
And that's probably how some team owners will see him too. "Hot Item" = more money coming in for whomever he's driving for. As long as he's popular. Take away that popularity, and what's left? Can't claim to be a champion yet. Might never happen, at D.E.I. or any place else.
Jr. is ridin' high now, but he could just as easily take a fall.

I wonder if Jr. could do any better than Teresa has done for D.E.I.?
Does Jr. know which side HIS bread is buttered on?
Has all this popularity gone to his head?
Driving the race car isn't the whole picture.

Wouldn't it be a hoot if Jr. left D.E.I. and floundered while the replacement driver chased the tail all the way to a championship before Jr.?
If that happend, maybe Jr's. name wouldn't be worth a plugged nickel. Maybe couldn't even GIVE it away.

I think Jr. better consider all his options and follow his potential decisions to a logical conclusion. Better yet if he could find a girl just like step-mom. Then, he could sell his bride  1/2 of his name. Even if she's a homely country girl,... come from nothing. Seems to be a successful combination.>

I am sure Teresa may of had a hand in doing some of the stuff while Dale was alive,.. but I am also just as sure Dale had the final say so before everything was done.
Common sense tells ya,... Dale was the driver... It was HIS name, etc.  Sure she may have come up with the idea to market some of the stuff,... but he gave the approval to anything that was done.

<So, are you saying Dale (the dad) was smart?
"Common sense" tells me Dale drove the race car, and Teresa drove the bank account to even greater porportions as a direct result of the empire THEY built, --- together.
Win--Win.
No?>
 

[flamehothead]

everyone seems tyo have totally missed my point I was making

I read ya loud and clear Chris. Granted I wasn't a Dale. Sr fan until the late 80's. I don't have a problem with her running the Business but she is RUINING IT.


As far as the sponsor goes, Her only job there is to keep them HAPPY.Most of the time the sponsor will stay with the driver no matter what team he drives for. Earnhardt. Sr had NAPA before he had M.Waltrip and you see who NAPA is with now. Same thing goes for D.Jarrett, He left RYR and took UPS with him but as long as the sponsor is happy then it will stay that way. I would also say the same thing for Menard because if he left on bad term's then I don't think they would stay either. I guess what BURNS me up is that she sit's back and say's look at my EMPIRE but what she doesn't seem to realize is that if she lost Jr then she loses BUD. And if she loses Menard she loses Menard's then what does she have. And as bad as I hate to say it, If Jr left then she would probably lose Bass Pro Shop's also thay are there for Jr too. The point I made in an earlier post is that there are no driver's unless you want an Old-Schooler or a Busch Rookie.

[Chris]

FHH,...
You say some of what I am trying to say better than I am...
Bottom line is... Teresa didn't make DEI... Dale Sr did...
She just ran what he put in place.

Everything that is there now, was prety much there then.  She hasn't really had to go and make any "executive" decisions.
You are 100% correct,.. If Dale Jr leave,.. BUD goes with him.  If Menard leaves,.. so does Menard.  Knowing her reputation for shoddy business, and how she handles contracts,... she could have problems replacing sponsors with the amount of money those sponsors put in.

Finally as I said WAY back in an earlier entry... IMO I'd like to see Jr go to race for RCR.  He has said he'd like to race for Childress, Childress expressed an interest in it, and it could strengthen an already strong team.
Childress took a young, brash Dale Sr, and turned him into a winning championship CUP driver.  SUre he won one in 1980 before he hooked up with Childress,.. but Childress took all that energy, and bridled it, and redirected and made Sr a "Championship" driver.
In short he jerked a knot in his tail and let him know who was boss, and what was expected of him.
Doesn't that sound like another young Earnhardt that could need the same thing.

[flamehothead]

Chris, Your not the only one who has trouble getting your point across.

I will admit at first I wanted Jr to stay at DEI for thet simple reason that his father built that Empire for him but I feel you should never over stay your welcome. The more I see Teresa tearing down what Sr built then I think he should leave and go to RCR. I must admit that be would one HELL of a team with all of the talent bundled up in one race shop. You have J.Burton the Old-Schooler who gas been there and done that, Then you have K.Harvick who has the I'm gonna win and your not attitude, And Jr is the one with the cool head on his shoulder's, And last but not least you have C.Boyer who is saying to himself, Damn I want to be like those guy's. What more could a person want in a team because this would be The Dream Team. And look at the sponsor's. Cingular is one of the largest Cell Phone Companies, Hershey's which we all know what they do and nobody does it better, Shell Oil On every corner, Jack Daniel's THE BIGGEST Whiskey Disstilery, And of course the most popular Beer BUD. I mean if you sit back and look at that it is Pretty AMAZING to say the least. I've also read some post's about Dale. Sr winning before RCR and that is true but who is to say that after he won in 1980 he may have never won again if he would have hooked up with the wrong team. I think a perfect example is Jammie McMurray. When I seen him drive the wheel's off of Sterlin Marlin's car at Charlotte I thought this guy is for real and look at him now. I think he has potential but he is not the same guy I saw that night for sure. So the question is, What happened to him? IMO I think he hooked with the right team at the wrong time because Roush is having Internal problem's right now and I'm sure he will get them worked out soon. In my closing I would like to say that I would like to see Teresa let Richard Childress take over the Day To Day operation's of the racing side of thing's at DEI. I know everybody is going to say I'm nut's but that is what need's to happen at DEI and IT IS NOT BECAUSE SHE IS FEMALE. I just think that someone who has been there done that need's to take over but still let her own it and oversee certain thing's just not the racing side.

[Tyyrus]

Huuuh..pretty interestin readin in this here thread.Eh ? I do not have a lot of previous info on the Internal Running of DEI , other than presumption that Dale Sr. Initiated prior to his Death while running for RCR. Who actually ran the business side of the Organization..Manager..have no idea..it may have been Teresa..most
likely not Dale Sr. he would be busy racin. I would imagine he started the ball rollin and then had a business
manager hired to run the show. Any how wether Teresa was Ugly or "A-10" is not the point , Chris stated
as I have read that Teresa & Junior seem to have different opinions on something ? He may move on
apparently ? I hope if he does it is to RCR , with Budweiser or even better the Black #3 Goodwrench..Baby!
As far as his name or it's likeness..that's his unless he has as Shockey mentioned sold the rights..I doubt
that ? If he did Teresa is quite clever..since she apparently is running the "Show" today. As far as the other
business with Rhondo...Wrongful Dismisal..is a sueable offence..if a signed or expressed contract is inplace
but Rhondo seems to have carried on ok..so whats up with that..Eh ?  I guess we will just have ta wait an see
huh..just love this racin..Baby !

[AfterShock]

Huuuh..pretty interestin readin in this here thread.Eh ? I do not have a lot of previous info on the Internal Running of DEI , other than presumption that Dale Sr. Initiated prior to his Death while running for RCR. Who actually ran the business side of the Organization..Manager..have no idea..it may have been Teresa..most
likely not Dale Sr. he would be busy racin. I would imagine he started the ball rollin and then had a business
manager hired to run the show. Any how wether Teresa was Ugly or "A-10" is not the point , Chris stated
as I have read that Teresa & Junior seem to have different opinions on something ? He may move on
apparently ? I hope if he does it is to RCR , with Budweiser or even better the Black #3 Goodwrench..Baby!
As far as his name or it's likeness..that's his unless he has as Shockey mentioned sold the rights..I doubt
that ? If he did Teresa is quite clever..since she apparently is running the "Show" today. As far as the other
business with Rhondo...Wrongful Dismisal..is a sueable offence..if a signed or expressed contract is inplace
but Rhondo seems to have carried on ok..so whats up with that..Eh ?  I guess we will just have ta wait an see
huh..just love this racin..Baby !

Pretty interesting, Indeed!!
And it feels good!


As I reflect,

If things are how they seem as explained by folks here whom I respect, Who's Who? at/in the D.E.I. shindig seems to be causing some friction.
Not a good thing!

For whatever reason(s) that friction is present, to continue on without blowing up, that friction must be eliminated. In NASCAR, and correct me if I'm wrong here, that ain't good for moral. Tension like that is felt by all and causes performances to be less than desirable, from the top on down.

Truism, business wise, life without Dale Jr. just wouldn't be the same.

Could Teresa keep D.E.I. on it's wheels without Jr. driving for D.E.I.?
Hmmmmmm
That would be interesting to learn.
What could happen?

Dale Jr. moves to Childress?
Fits right in and feels more fire than he ever has, team drivers complement each other and they work together on the track as well. THE DreamTEAM.

Dale Jr. has been thought to be displaying a lackluster attitude as of late, and friction could be the cause for concern.
In which case, I'd support the idea of a change of scenery. The object is to win races so the championships fall into place. Often.
It's a mental thing too. Maybe in a big way.
Martial Arts teach one to think past the objective. Translate that into NASCAReze, You'll go farther if you can think past the championship.

At least, I think, Jr. hasn't lost sight of the championship. Might need more concentration on each race though.

Somebody before me suggest Richard Childress might just be the incentive Jr. needs.
Hmmmmmmmm

I think so.

I'm thinking Richard is more like Big Dale than Teresa is. That could make ALL the difference. And Jr. in the #3,....................................Yes! Sends chills.

But where would that leave D.E.I.?

I'm sure Dale Earnhardt had his son in mind as he watched his organization grow. And I'm sure he would want to see Jr. succeed. If not at D.E.I., I'm thinking Childress would be his answer. Daddy didn't envision D.E.I. as a millstone around Jr's neck --- dragging him down and holding him under.

If the combination Isn't working at D.E.I., by golly, ---- gotta move on. Becaues it's the right thing to do. Sad? Yup.
But,............

If D.E.I. goes belly-up,..........who's next in line at the helm to put it back on track?
Jr.?

Could that happen?

And Rhondo, ------ Perhaps a class act on his part?
Imagine the friction that would be caused by airing out dirty laundry in front of D.E.I. headquarters? Sure wouldn't be pouring lubricants on the issues. By accepting what happend and moving on has to have prevented stuff that would cause more problems.
I'd respect that.

[Bryan Blanton]

I heard prior to joining richard childress i've heard dale sr. was actually interested in maybe joining another team.

I heard that maybe in 84 or 85 while he was with childress that maybe he was even interested in joining another team but he decided to stay where he was.

The 2 teams i've heard that dale sr. was interested in was junior johnson's team and also digard racing which was owned by bill gardner i think that was his name.

[Tyyrus]

 Sorry Bryan..not to be critical..but what does that have ta do with our current topic..Huh ! I mean where
discussin Teresa and Junior..what is the revelance..please ! I must be missin somethin..here..please advise !

[Bryan Blanton]

Could dale sr. have won the championship again after 1980 if he had went with junior johnson or someone else?

[Bryan Blanton]

Is it possible that 1 day that dale jr. might form his own cup team like he did in the busch series?

Is that his team or is that team that he runs in the busch series part of dei?

[Tyyrus]