The Spin Out Zone – Mickey Mouse Gets Bumped & Quick Bumps

Hold on – here is the bump and the SPIN OUT!

Survive: to endure or live through; AND that’s exactly what I’ve done since
last week’s column. Mercy, I tell you what, the Gordon fans were out in force
and gave me a bashing for my SPIN OUT of Jeff Gordon. To be honest I expected it
and enjoyed the debate, however to my surprise MANY and I mean MANY people
agreed with me. I even had a FEW Gordon fans agree with my column. To bad they
where Robby Gordon FANS.

QUICK BUMPS

MOTHER NATURE: Need I say more?

BILL DAVIS & JACK ROUSH: How long have you guys been in this
business? JEEZ, quit whining about Joe Gibbs taking your employees! If your
employees are such an important part of the team, then you should have been
doing something about RETAINING them! Jeff Burton who lost his top tire changer
Mark "Hollywood" Armstrong to Joe Gibbs Racing said, "We try real
hard. We don’t always succeed. But over the years we have put increasing effort
into employee morale. Next year you’ll see the next phase of it." UH JEFF,
next year might be a little too late my friend! Certainly there must be a morale
problem at ROUSH or WHY would they have a detailed phase by phase plan? Hmm.

BODYONICS PINNACLE: If you are scratching your head on this one
wondering what in the world I am talking about then you must not have seen their
full-page advertisement in STOCK CAR RACING MAGAZINE. They make a product called
"Horny Goat Weed" and its closest product competitor is VIAGRA. It
states "a remarkable 2 of 3 subjects reported significant benefits with
Pinnacle Horny Goat Weed." OKAY, first define SUBJECTS? Are we talking
about actual GOATS? My question is when are we going to see the Horny Goat Weed
DODGE racing in the Winston Cup Series? Just like the ad says, "GENTLEMEN,
START YOUR ENGINES!" Try explaining that one to a ten-year old!

BROOKE GORDON: I know I am walking on thin ice when I bring up this
subject, but what the HECK, no one else wants to touch this with a 24 foot pole.
First it was the loosing streak, now it’s the winning streak, but what about the
championship? You can’t win the championship from JAIL. For those refusing to
look at the GORDON DIVORCE because it’s too personal, wake up because his team,
his sponsor and his owner are doing just that! Bottom line, it’s getting ugly!
The Palm Beach Post reported that Jeff switched beneficiaries in a life
insurance policy worth $10.2 million. He did this two days before his attorneys
wrote Brooke’s attorney to let them know that there would be no material change
in the finances of the couple during the divorce proceedings. A court order
preserving the finances and documents was entered in May. Jeff switched the
policy, naming his mother the beneficiary and Brooke HIT THE WALL. Guess she
wasn’t too happy, SO she brought it to the judge’s attention and now the judge
may rule on the issue during a hearing early next month. If the judge rules
against Jeff, he could be fined or JAILED if he refuses to reinstate Brooke as
beneficiary of the policy.

OKAY, is Brooke being GREEDY or is it just me? COMMON! She files for divorce
and NOW if Jeff has an accident on the track, even though she does not want to
be married to him, she wants the $10.2 million anyway! GIVE ME A BREAK. Not even
half is enough for her and I don’t care what Jeff did to cause her to file for
divorce, this takes GREED to an entirely different level. If I were Jeff, I
would refuse to change the policy! I’d go to FREAKIN JAIL if that’s what it
takes! I would give her HALF as the LAW requires plus I’d throw in a bag of
FRITOS and a PEPSI for the road! Next time you want to get married Jeff, I would
go the PRE-NUP route!

THE SPIN OUT!

What does Mickey, Daffy, ABC and ESPN all have in common? Disney owns them
all. Quick warning, this week’s SPIN OUT is not for people with heart problems.
I am sure I will hear from the RPM 2NIGHT loyalist, but here goes!

It has been announced that RPM 2NIGHT will be ending their weekday show. Many
have followed this story and understand that there are two sides to this battle.
ESPN has been very vocal about NASCAR not giving them access to the garages and
NASCAR has been very resolute about keeping them out.

Last year, RPM 2NIGHT’S senior coordinating producer Barry Sacks said about
the situation, "NASCAR is thinking, We’ll put RPM out of business."
"Because of the loyalty of the drivers, crews and our fan base, that hasn’t
happened. Nor will it happen."

Well Barry, hate to break it to you buddy, but it has happened.

However the deep thinker that I am, I sense there is more to this story than
we will ever know. First, recently ESPN agreed to renew the Truck Series
television contract that basically was loosing them money. But, NASCAR to sugar
up the deal has added more races next year and committed full support to ESPN
for their efforts. But, you have to ask yourself, if ESPN, ABC, DISNEY were so
upset at NASCAR, why would they agree to renew a contract that was not
profitable? Well, because in their own little way NASCAR was able to negotiate a
deal based on future contracts. NASCAR won the RPM issue and DISNEY finally made
a solid business decision.

FOX and NBC/TNT are in their second year of a six-year contract and ESPN is
seeing the pain of what they lost when they let NASCAR get away. They didn’t
want to play two years ago and now it has cost them a very successful RPM show.
A breakdown in ESPN’s better business judgment happened when they refused to
fork out the BIG BUCKS as Fox and NBC/TNT did. ESPN took the TYPICAL attitude
that are above all others and because they felt pushed out by NASCAR, they took
it personal. ESPN in an egotistic manner even refused to follow their own
"DISNEY" copyright policy and insisted that NASCAR open the gates of
freedom to report at the tracks. It got them NO WHERE except on the HELO PAD.

DISNEY hurt the sports FAN, hurt the NASCAR FAN and hurt the ESPN BRAND by
doing battle with NASCAR. They constantly raise cable cost year over year and
they deliver less and less. Now they are trying to save a relationship with
NASCAR to hope for a future opportunity. Do what you have to do, but in the
meantime, RPM is gone and KENNY can now concentrate on the #23. Guess life after
RPM won’t be so bad after all!

This weeks SPIN OUT goes to – DISNEY, ESPN & RPM 2NIGHT. Don’t let the
door hit ya, where the good Lord split ya!

Until next week, happy bumping!