Fairly often – usually during races – NASCAR drivers bluntly express their frustration with each other or their critics, which only lands them in even hotter water. It doesn’t matter who said something they might want to take back – Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski or Danica Patrick – they quickly become the center of attention.
In a heartfelt, essay-style blog post titled The Fault in Our Stars, Keselowski recognized some of his past mistakes, pointing to his recent comments after crashing at the Quaker State 400 where he bashed NASCAR and later apologized.
But the No. 2 Ford driver used that incident as a jumping off point to address how people react to athletes’ imperfections with constant media coverage, stating the obvious but sometimes forgotten: “The point I’m trying to make is that athletes are human.”
“It used to be that we never knew about the faults of our heroes. Now, it seems like that’s all we know. It’s easier to pick up a paper and find out that your favorite star has a substance abuse problem, or said something offensive, or had an unkind moment with a fan than it is to find out about the good deeds they’ve done. With social media, you find out about those kinds of things in real time.”
Keselowski referenced his own criticism about Busch’s surly press conference after the Coca-Cola 600 in May and the “terrible message” it sent to fans, as well as the time he fought with Jeff Gordon after a 2014 race. He also explained how he thought Patrick took some undeserved heat when an incident involving a fan went viral.
“As fans, as athletes, as members of the media, we’re all being faced with a real challenge. We know and see more about each other than ever before. But what are we going to do with all that newfound knowledge and information? Is this the way we want our world to be?
“And if not, how do we change the way we interact with each other for the better?
“Hopefully, we can find a way to be strong enough to identify our own weaknesses and faults, and tolerant enough to forgive others for having them, too. As of now, though, we’re not there yet.”
