Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

[sir clinksalot]

I'm sorry ... I know NASCAR is considered a sport, but come-on ... I think it's an absolute joke that he got voted AP Athlete of the year. Sure what he's done over the past 4 years is impressive. I would feel the same if a Jockey got voted AP Athlete of the Year.

Jimmie Johnson named AP Male Athlete of the Year - ESPN

[aashee]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

Agreed Clinks. I agree it's a great accomplishment but best athlete?

[sediment]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

Meh. It's just an award, more to recognize the givers than the recipient.

Clinky, I hope you get over this soon. Because it just doesn't matter.

[flynnibus]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

If you don't think driving a racecar takes what people normally associate with atheletes...

things like
- strength
- endurance
- agility
- quick thinking

Then you're tuned out. Go race some real gokarts even and see how worn out you are after just 5-10 minutes. Now amplify that by 100x. Even normally fit or atheletic people can't tolerate the conditions in a race car. When you look at sports like F1 even... most experienced drivers can't even manage to get the lower tiered cars going.. let alone a F1 car under race conditions.

[sgtpeper]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

I got to go with Clinks on this one. As much as people like it, and as much of a dangerous "sport" it is, NASCAR drivers, in my opinion are not Athlete's. I will say it does take skill, but honestly, I consider WWF wrestlers athlete's more than NASCAR drivers. Just my opinion.

[disneyDragon923]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

I consider WWF wrestlers athlete's more than NASCAR drivers

Totally Off Topic: :lol: allow me to correct you, WWF (World Wrestling Federation) got sued and in 2000 by WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) so in 2002 they now called themselves WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) :lol: wow I am such a wrestling nerd :lol:

Okay, back on topic, I totally disagree with what people are saying about NASCAR drivers not being athletes. It not only takes skill and practice to do what they do, but it takes a lot of knowledge and endurance. When these guys are racing and it's like mid 80 to the upper 100's and it's like 90 or so on the track, it can be as hot as the upper 110's to the 130's in the car and with all they wear when they drive, it's strategically proven that drivers lose almost as much as 15 pounds when they drive because it's so hot in the car. It takes a lot of mental preparation to do what they do.

Now I'm not saying that he deserved best athlete award because there's a lot more athletes that are more deserving of the award, but it's not like we're the ones who vote for these guys so maybe they saw something on him that we all don't

[RooBear]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

Isn't he the gent who does backflips off the front of his car when he wins and keeps posing for magazine covers with his shirt off?

Strangely, I don't have an opinion...but I keep watching him for some reason.

Peace,
Roo

[flynnibus]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

I got to go with Clinks on this one. As much as people like it, and as much of a dangerous "sport" it is, NASCAR drivers, in my opinion are not Athlete's. I will say it does take skill, but honestly, I consider WWF wrestlers athlete's more than NASCAR drivers. Just my opinion.

Seriously... go race some gokarts (racing ones, not the kiddie ones you find in six flags or something) for even 10 minutes. You'll be singing a different tune.

[disneyDragon923]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

Isn't he the gent who does backflips off the front of his car when he wins and keeps posing for magazine covers with his shirt off?

Strangely, I don't have an opinion...but I keep watching him for some reason.

Peace,
Roo

No, Jimmie Johnson isn't the one who does the backflips off the car, that's Carl Edwards, whose also another really good driver

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvLkPRAVoEs]YouTube - Carl Edwards Backflip commercial[/ame]

[ChrisFL]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

Seriously... go race some gokarts (racing ones, not the kiddie ones you find in six flags or something) for even 10 minutes. You'll be singing a different tune.

Yes, it does take strength and endurance, part of why they were wondering about Danica Patrick being able to drive a NASCAR as well as she drove an IndyCar, I guess the NASCAR requires more strength.

Having said that, I still don't consider it an athletic sport if people can still be in NASCAR in their 50's.

[flynnibus]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

Having said that, I still don't consider it an athletic sport if people can still be in NASCAR in their 50's.

So Golf isn't a sport? Or running? Or Tennis? etc etc etc

And Mark Martin is the oldest driver right now and he just turned 50 this past year. That's the exception not the norm.

I happen to know many 50yr olds that would kick the #$% of most young people.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

I think this pretty much concludes the argument about "athlete" and car driver.

Denny Hamlin tore his ACL ... not racing his car mind you, but playing Basketball. And he can still race with the injury. Sorry, anybody in an actual sport couldn't play with a torn ACL.

The end.

Denny Hamlin tears ACL, having surgery after season - ESPN

[Darkbeer]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

I am one who thinks NASCAR (and all racing drivers) are athletes, they compete in a sport, just like a Golfer. NASCAR is a very popular sport that brings in a lot of money and high ratings. How many different channels cover the sport, heck, they have their own Cable Channel (SPEED) plus coverage on ESPN/ABC/Fox/TNT and other channels. Heck, I think it gets better ratings than the NBA does.

How many football players use braces and other medical devices to help them play even if they have an injury.

But the AP is the deciding factor, and they said Jimmy Johnson was the Athlete of the year, and that is THEIR decision. I would rather seen an US Soccer player, such as Landon Donovan named, but then, some folks don't think that Soccer/Futbol is a sport, even though it is the WORLD'S Main sport. (Based on TV ratings and fan support).

[Joshnyah]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

I have to say, I have driven the go carts that go like 50 miles an hour and after that your whole body feels like you went ten rounds of boxing. I tease my mom quite often about nascar and Jimmie Johnson because he has been her favorite since he first started it really is a big achievement what he has done. I'm not a fan but the guy has a huge talent.

[startours1]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

Lol, the ad on this page is with Jimmie Johnson,lol.... anyways
Look at the facts Jimmie made nascar history with 4 titles in a row, think of it's history and all the great drivers who have competed in the sport, not even the king Richard Petty pulled off the feat. Secondly look at all the time and effort goes into putting the cars out on thwe track... sponsors,fabricators,engine builders,ect. Their season is almost all year round, they only have a 2 month break before they have to get back in that car beginning with testing in late January, how many sports do u know have a 10 month schedule? Also the physical shape the drivers have to be in, like many have already posted it takes alot out of the driver not just one race but the entire season. Every week your going at speeds of almost 200 miles an hour competing against 43 other drivers to be the best. For someone to continue to dominate the sport every year for the past 4 years, and yes it's a sport,I think he should have more than just 1 male athlete of the year award... oh yeah and may I remind you that it was with Jeff Gordons help that he even was able to get into the sport, when you have the help of someone like him, sooner or later you expect to be a champ. Put all those into the mix, I honestly think Nascar is the toughest sport to compete in. You can debate hockey with the fights,football with the tackling,ect.. you can debate all those but Nascar drivers I think put in the most work and the most effort into their seasons. The wrecks? I can go on and on making a case with the wrecks... to make a long debate short, just imagine the pain that is felt, hitting a wall at 200 miles an hour flipping your car over, everything a driver experiences in such a situation, it's very dangerous and as proven before, very deadly

[The Forbidden Eye]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

"Look! They're making a left turn!"

"Oh they're making another left turn!"

"Look! Another left turn!"

"They're making another left turn! I wonder whats going to happen next!? Come back in 10 minutes! You're not going to miss a dang thing!"

[Darkbeer]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

Oh WOW!, I am watching the Olympics on NBC (with its STUPID Three Hour delay) and watching a couple of guys making a bunch of Left Turns (12 lap Speed Skating).

Sorry, but the folks in the Race Cars but in JUST as much training and conditioning as the Speed Skaters I am watching....

So what is Curling?... (a bunch of folks with brooms cleaning up the ice....)

And as someone who can claim "Hoser" citizenship, I love the sport....

[Darkbeer]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

So how about "pool" (aka Billiards)

Bowling

"X" Games, such as Snowboarding......

How about a Skateboarder

Or a Snowmobile driver....

Or the Biathlon, where you shoot a Rifle...

Heck...

Olympic sports - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Water Skiing, isn't that a Motorized Vehicle going around a specific "track"...

"Power-boating" is listed at the link, what is that?

Motorcycle sports, that is listed at the link above....

Chess, Bridge....

Look, you compete, you practice, and you try to win..... Isn't that a "Sport"!

So yes, I would even call the Gumball Rally a "Sport", and many folks do take it seriously.....

Ok, where do you draw the line between "sport" and competition...

Yes, there are some very popular TEAM Sports, but also many individual Sports.

Is Cheerleading a Sport, some folks think so...

How about Dance Competitions, isn't that VERY similar to Gymnastics... Aren't they BOTH Sports???

[startours1]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

"Look! They're making a left turn!"

"Oh they're making another left turn!"

"Look! Another left turn!"

"They're making another left turn! I wonder whats going to happen next!? Come back in 10 minutes! You're not going to miss a dang thing!"

Your not thinking about the road courses they go to... are you

[flynnibus]

Re: Jimmie Johnson named AP Male "Athlete" of the year?!?!

"Look! They're making a left turn!"

"Oh they're making another left turn!"

"Look! Another left turn!"

"They're making another left turn! I wonder whats going to happen next!? Come back in 10 minutes! You're not going to miss a dang thing!"

You have no idea how hard it is to actually make the said turn at those speeds.

Or do you think they slam into the wall because they forgot which way the turn was?