No question about it the newest Sprint Cup Champion is not
afraid to tell it like he sees it. Many fans have come to admire that quality,
while others have responded more negatively. With NASCAR in the social media
revolution that includes Twitter Bad Brad Keselowski is truly seeing it from
both sides.
A champion of Twitter himself he gained recognition after
his famous tweet during last year’s Daytona 500 during the red flag. But as he
entered this season it seemed the title of Sprint Cup Champion had everyone
asking his opinion about anything, and Brad responding with his opinion.
Sometimes not even being asked it seemed he offered up what he thought.
What bothered me at the outset of the year when teams were
doing all of the media obligations for Fox cutaways and such Keselowski made
the comment in one interview that he made it a point to ask the producer what
the other drivers did because he wanted to do something different. At the
surface that is fine, but for me it seems like he’s going out of his way to be
different. Clint Bowyer is different, and he doesn’t ask what others are doing
so he can be different.
Recently USA Today reporter Jeff Gluck had posted a link to
a story about Jeff Gordon supporting lights at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and
having the Brickyard 400 as a night race. Gluck made the comment on Twitter
that the novelty might wear off. Bad Brad chimes in with “You mean, like double
file restarts?” He continued after Gluck said the restarts are still interesting
with, “depends on how you quantify interesting.”
Many of Bad Brad’s comments seem to be against NASCAR, such
as the double file restarts. He felt after Texas that NASCAR was targeting
Penske. Whether NASCAR was or was not targeting the Penske pair is a different
debate. He has already taken a trip to the NASCAR hauler for comments made in a
news article. For Brad to have an opinion is one thing, to constantly have to
give it is another. As he grows as a driver and a champion I would think he
would eventually learn to pick his spots.
Because the more you offer up your opinion, the more it will eventually
become white noise to everyone. Eventually people will view it as ‘Oh that’s
just Brad being Brad’ and move on, not really listening to his opinion.
But also as his opinions continue to go against NASCAR he
will again find himself in trouble. And if they have not already delivered this
message, certainly the message of ‘You need NASCAR more than NASCAR needs you’
will be delivered.
