Kurt Busch has been the center of the media’s attention since his emotional breakdown after a mechanical failure that ended his race early at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season.
There is no denying that Busch has had his fair share of anger issues and that his passion for the sport get him caught up in the moment. However, the problem is, is that the media shows video of Kurt angry on the radio and running away from interviews. What they don’t show you is the other drivers who do the same thing. Basically what I’m saying is, is that the media portrays Busch as this NASCAR badboy, when in fact every other driver on the NASCAR circuit does exactly the same thing.
Just this past weekend after a pit road incident, ESPN aired video of Kurt’s in-car camera while playing the audio that was heavily censored. It’s like this every week after a strong run for an underfunded team when something goes wrong for Busch that ESPN, TNT, or FOX air his audio. Of course the driver is going to be angry after racing hard and getting caught up in an accident.
NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is exactly the same way. (See video here) If something doesn’t go right or he gets caught up in an incident he expresses his anger just as Busch does. There really is no difference. Both drivers when caught up in heat of the moment curse and let out their anger on the team radio. But the media portrays him as a good boy who does no wrong.
Three time champion, Tony Stewart also voices his displeasure on the radio as Busch does too (See video here). But, you wouldn’t think he has anger issues because the media again portrays him as a good boy.
Now, I am not saying that these guys are bad people because they curse on the radio, but what I am saying is that the media needs to be fair to all drivers. All drivers curse, and not just Busch. So quit the bias towards him and quit labeling him as some kind of bad person.
Kurt isn’t a bad person at all. In fact he’s quite nice. Fans who have met the driver speak of how nice he is and how he enjoys spending time with his fans. In fact, Kurt spends as much time as some drivers if not more than most drivers working in the community and charity. He enjoys spending time with his girlfriend’s son, treats him as his own son, and they always have a smile on their face. So quit the labeling and offer fair coverage of all drivers.
I hope one day that we can get an interview with Kurt here on Beyond the Flag because I think everyone should know the real Kurt. When luck isn’t on his side, he gets angry. When luck isn’t on my side, I get angry. When luck isn’t on your side, you get angry. Everyone gets angry with things don’t go their way and their passion for something gets them caught up in the heat of the moment. I don’t blame Busch one bit for wanting to avoid the media after the races because they never have anything positive say. It’s a shame because I find it negative for our sport.