longride

"I'm just sayin', that's all...."

I'm sayin there are plenty of guys more qualified than her. That's all. Just like when they kept giving Michelle Wie exemptions to play on the men's golf tournies. She wasn't qualified, and just took a spot from some guy that was working his ass off to get there. Novelty. Just sayin again.

__________________
I'm a knucklehead

seruzawa

Like Kara Hultgreen. The Navy's first female fighter pilot. Would have been washed out if she were a man. She was pencil-whipped through so the Navy could be all PC. The real world intervened later when she killed herself crashing her F-14 proving once again that lowering standards only results in disaster.

Just hope that if your house catches on fire the firefighting crew isn't packed with people who can't carry an adult out of a burning building.

__________________
"Make no mistake, Communism lost a big argument - one we know today as the 20th century."

A Star Ride

Danica has a consistant record of improvement, a good fan following, and the majority of NASCAR fans are excited for her involvement, myself included.

__________________
White Trash Hick from Appalachia

longride

Dude, don't even get me started on the women in the fire service. Don't even want to go there.

__________________
I'm a knucklehead

longride

Goody for you. She isn't as qualified as the current ASA champion or the thousands of guys racing and winning in lower level NASCAR events all over the country. A 'good fan following' has nothing to do with being a winner or being qualified for the job. She is stepping into an arena where millions are spent and winning is everything. She won't win, and it's just a novelty to sell tickets plain and simple. Buzglyd has a good fan following too, but we aren't going to see him in WSB anytime soon. If she was a guy she would never get a ride PERIOD!

__________________
I'm a knucklehead

seruzawa

Yeah but it's not that important. We aren't talking about an important job like fighter pilot or firefighter. NASCAR is first and only entertainment. So if having her race brings fans and detractors to the track and sells tickets then it's all good as far as NASCAR is concerned. It's not like special rules aren't made for special people in sports all the time. How about special "don't touch His Highness" rule for Michael Jordan in the NBA? Or Shaquille O'Neal's "charging is okay" rule? Or the "we won't look to hard at Mike McQuire's obvious steroids use" rule in MLB? Sports are rife with this stuff. Heck what about NASCAR's nepotism for that matter?

__________________
"Make no mistake, Communism lost a big argument - one we know today as the 20th century."

A Star Ride

WRONG!!
A fan following has whole hell of alot more to do with it then winning races. I word EARNHARDT. Talk about a novelty, talk about unearned opportunity, talk about lack of performance. He dont have tits & kited right up the ranks.... because his last name is Earnhardt WTF, but he sells T shirts, lunchboxes, coolers, action figures, and a whole lot of Amp energy drink, so gues what, he has a ride and will likely keep it. Without going for the numberss, I bet his career earnings last year were higher then the driver 5 or maybe even 10 points rank positions. He generates revenue, he dont have to win the purse to make his (team) owners money.

__________________
White Trash Hick from Appalachia

MOKE1K

The bottom line is there are only two things that get someone a ride their skill or their promotibility. Having a women racer guarantees at least one of them if they are not skilled, and that sells tickets.

I do not mind women in racing, actually I am totally behind it as long as they deserve it. It's almost
impossible to treat them equal until more women come into the sport. They are are not held to the same scale as men in this situation.

__________________
"YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL"

Barbara

Hi Guys,

Please don't misunderstand--in a professional situation where absolute skill is involved--for example, the "controlled crash" that is the average carrier landing--then there should be absolute standards and nothing else should be considered, not race, certainly not gender. You qualify or you don't. Same thing for emergency response teams: if it requires "X" amount of strength, I want the person who responds to have that strength.

Sports? Whole different game. Marketing comes into it, and the question is raised: why not exploit novelty? In the 1930's, Marjorie Cottle got lots of press because she was female and a fantastic motorcycle racer. Same with Beryl Swain. Now, the question: how will women overcome the "novelty" status, if men insist that intrinsically a woman isn't as good as a man in something not involving upper-body strength? If women are discouraged from participating, the one's who dare to cross the line will indeed be novelties. So take your choice: let qualified women come up through the ranks, or accept that the occasional woman is going to get to be a novelty, with all of it's disadvantages and it's perks.

And as for someone who insists that women are inferior because a woman can't step right off the bus and into the winner's circle--well, forgive me, but that's just plain stupid. No man is held to that standard.

And having said all of that, I should admit that one of the little joys in my life is a good argument. Thank you, Gentlemen, for being civilized...

__________________
Barb

Britney the BSA
Big John the BSA
Baby B. the BSA
Gemini the BSA/Triumph
Pip the Triumph T140v--(I have "Great Expectations")
The unnamed 1979 XS 650
Jaelith the '77 XS650/sidecar

Dr_Sprocket

We try. It's alot easier around with out the "one who shall not be named" around stirring the pot.