I like Jeff Gordon

[smyler]

Well, this is my 300th post on here.  Wow.  I figured I would say something provocative to get the ball rolling this weekend.  I am a fan of Jeff Gordon.  He's not the only guy I root for but he is my favorite.  I have decided to write a list as to why I like him.  Lots of other people can say why they don't like him.  I've seen tons or reasons, but most of them seem to have more to do with the fact that he isn't whoever their favorite driver is than it does with who Jeff actually is.  Anyway, here goes.

• Jeff is a nice guy
  Jeff donates huge sums of money, both publicly and privately
  Jeff is a good driver.  He's master of the bump and run.  He doesn't usually wreck a guy if he taps him.  I did like the move against Matt last year.  It felt cool to see the retaliation for Bristol.
  Jeff doesn't name call.  If he has a problem with another driver he normally just settles it in private.
  Jeff is friends with most of the other top drivers, including Tony, Kevin, Jr. and Jimmy.  The point being that these guys respect one another.
  Jeff has a large number of crew members who have been with him for several years.  People don't normally tend to stay with people they don't like.
  Jeff is nice to his fans.  There are tons of stories of Jeff taking extra time at autograph sessions to visit with the fans.
  Jeff has won at all of the tracks that any Cup driver could care about.
  Jeff has won 5 championships (4 as driver and one as owner) plus the other junior league championships.
  Jeff admits when he is wrong.  He even admitted that sometimes he does whine.
  Jeff usually makes funny commercials that I don't mind seeing several times.
  

Having said that, I have to admit I didn't like how he had the shotgun wedding.  They say that they didn't know she was pregnant till the week after the wedding, but Jeff is famous for being a Christian.  He frequently has given his testimony in church's in the towns where he is racing that week.

I've matured in how I watch races.  I used to be one of those guys who would stop watching a race if my guy wrecked, but I haven't been like that in several years.  Now, I have a half dozen guys I can root for and I don't mind if over half the field wins.  Yes, I do have 4 drivers that I hate to see win, but it's all about how those guys treat other people.  I don't like to see jerks succeed.

Ok, now, let's hear from the other Jeff fans.  If you Jeff haters respond, give real reasons and back up opinion with facts.  As for me, I like Jeff Gordon.

[highbank]

Im not a fan... .....but about all I can disagree with is "takes blame". He's gotten better....but thats not the COMPLETE thruth.  (I can think of a first lap incident with Tony Stewart at Sonoma...and a few bumps and runs for the win)

I'll take this as notice that Gordon Fans will now be confusing the issue on Championships by including a .5 Owners Championship. I guess if you spent all that money on Drive for Five t-shirts.....you gotta do something with them! 

[FS_Amy]

The main reason I like Jeff Gordon?  He sure knows how to pick a great driver-he's now a championship car owner as well as a driver

[Tyyrus]

Huuum...I respect Jeff for one fact , he can bring a well set up Competitive Car to the Front. I more recently have begun to respect the person also..probably due to his increased maturity. I think what he has gone through with his former other half..has instilled some Character into his former Boyish Bravodo ! I also think that he has gotton past his former whining stage...again maturity has a lot to do with that also. I Hope he remains in Nascar a few more years...would like to see how competitive he can remain after 40..I know he has the Talent ..just wonder about the drive factor..he has accomplished an amazing record , in quite a Short amount of time !

[PlanoHarvickFan]

Great post, Smyler.  I now like and have always liked Jeff.  I think a lot of fans don't like him because he's won a lot (especially the year he won 13 races); he's not from the southeast like many of the old time racers; and on top of that, he's always been a very nice person (shoot, the time he pushed Matt Kenseth after the race really surprised me).  There aren't many drivers I don't like at all (in fact, I don't even mind Kurt Busch...he's grown up quite a bit too.

[PuglieseVT]

Jeff is a good driver.  He's master of the bump and run.

Kind of a contradiction in terms.


I agree with everything else on your list, but this is actually one of the very few issues I've had with Jeff Gordon over the years. Bumping Rusty out of the way twice at Bristol on the last lap, the Jeff Burton incident at Darlington on the last lap, wrecking Ken Schrader at Talladega, turning Earnhardt over at Daytona.....

It always bothers me to see a guy run into the back of someone then celebrate in victory lane. It dosen't take a whole lot of skill to nail someone in the middle of the corner. One might argue that it does take skill to hit them and not spin them, but that also has to do with the abillity of the guy getting hit to hang onto it.

Jeff is an awesome racecar driver, he has done wonders for our sport, is a genuinely nice guy, but he dosen't have to resort to those kind of tactics. If he didn't do that, I believe he'd have a lot more fans, just as many championships, and maybe only a handfull less wins.

Rubbing is racing, banging fenders and donuts on the doors are cool. Popping someone in the middle of the corner on the last lap and celebrating it.....Busch (and I don't mean Grand National) League, and frankly I think beneath him.

[smyler]

I have to ask, if you don't like how Jeff bumped Rusty in Bristol, was it ok for Dale to do the same thing to Terry?  Dale did it to LOTS of people, but unlike Jeff, Dale would frequently crash his victims.  I'm not saying that to dis Dale, it's just a point of fact.

[falcon325]

Jeff's on the pole at Fontana.   

[highbank]

I'm knocking the bump and run for the win.....but if you do it...take responsabilty.

[Copperhead]

I once saw Jeff Gordon attempt to do a victory burnout right in front of me at Indy, and he forgot to turn off the traction control. It was the damndest thing, the tires would not with 800hp break loose and the car took off like it was on rails. The tire marks left on the track told the tale, they alternated from dark to light, dark to light, dark to light for about 25 yards down the track and alternated about every foot. That told me that the tires started to break loose and the TC would kick in and back off the power for a second and then start all over again. I was there, I saw it and I know what it was. This was around 1999 or 2000, and shortly after that Gordon was not as dominant as he used to be, and my opinion is that Nascar also saw this and quietly came down on the team.

I'm not saying Jeff is or was the only one out there with Traction Control, but I saw with my own eyes that on that day he most definatly had TC.

Copperhead

[flamehothead]

Well smyler, I wanted to ask you if the picture below is how he settles thing's in PRIVATE??


P.S. Could you reply ASAP so I can get him OFF my page PLEASE. I would HATE for my Computer to CRASH LMAO.

[flamehothead]

I have to ask, if you don't like how Jeff bumped Rusty in Bristol, was it ok for Dale to do the same thing to Terry?  Dale did it to LOTS of people, but unlike Jeff, Dale would frequently crash his victims.  I'm not saying that to dis Dale, it's just a point of fact.

I think ya have to look at how MAD Jeffy Pooh was when Rusty paid him back at Richmond. The thing that get's me is how he did the Bump and Run on Rusty and then had a BIG Celebration in winners circle and During the Interview he said "That's Bristol". BUT when they Interviewed him after Rusty did the Bump and Run on him at Richmond he said "Nascar should look at that". He loves that Bump and Run unless he is the Bump part of it.

[falcon325]

I think ya have to look at how MAD Jeffy Pooh was when Rusty paid him back at Richmond. The thing that get's me is how he did the Bump and Run on Rusty and then had a BIG Celebration in winners circle and During the Interview he said "That's Bristol". BUT when they Interviewed him after Rusty did the Bump and Run on him at Richmond he said "Nascar should look at that". He loves that Bump and Run unless he is the Bump part of it.

Rusty didn't nudge Jeff out of the way for a win.  Rusty wrecked Jeff in retaliation. 

I can see how a Tony Stewart fan would not want NA$CAR to start policing on-track temper tantrums.  That boy would be missin’ more races than Mikey.     

[Tyyrus]

I once saw Jeff Gordon attempt to do a victory burnout right in front of me at Indy, and he forgot to turn off the traction control. It was the damndest thing, the tires would not with 800hp break loose and the car took off like it was on rails. The tire marks left on the track told the tale, they alternated from dark to light, dark to light, dark to light for about 25 yards down the track and alternated about every foot. That told me that the tires started to break loose and the TC would kick in and back off the power for a second and then start all over again. I was there, I saw it and I know what it was. This was around 1999 or 2000, and shortly after that Gordon was not as dominant as he used to be, and my opinion is that Nascar also saw this and quietly came down on the team.

I'm not saying Jeff is or was the only one out there with Traction Control, but I saw with my own eyes that on that day he most definatly had TC.

Copperhead

I remember Nascar in 1999 issuing a directive in regards to the Penalty for any form of traction control advantage to Teams....I do not remember your incident , but it surely lends credibility to Nascar's concerns..back then..Eh !  Good Post..Thanx !

[Tonyfan14]

Well I think everyone knows that I do not like Jeff one bit but I still respect the heck out of him. And I'll admit I don't really have a good reason for not liking him, he just wasen't the driver for me. And some of his fans make it even harder for me to like him. If you go on thatsracin.com you know what I mean.