A Crooked Win!
Home Depot reigns on Stewart, missing ringers, and the Sirius Satellite Radio at Watkins Glen, New York.
Home Depot Lashes Out.........
We are all privy to the majority of the news surrounding Tony Stewart's altercation with Photographer Gary Mook following the Brickyard 400 last weekend. Everyone involved has made their play and have attempted to arrange their media coverage to make themselves appear in the best light possible from this unfortunate incident. Everyone is looking good with the exception of Tony Stewart, who just wanted to return to the sanctity of his team hauler to lick his wounds and wind down before facing the ever present hoard of reporters and photographers. It didn't work out for Stewart, he got caught.
NASCAR was kind of caught in the middle of this one. The sanctioning body found itself in a position to take disciplinary action against Stewart in order to maintain the status quo with the media and to protect its image of being totally accessible at all times. NASCAR also felt that Stewart was provoked by an overzealous freelance operator who jumped in front of Stewart, blocking his path, preventing him from entering an area that wasn't media accessible.
To begin with, NASCAR is not accessible, just try to get some information from NASCAR, or to even have a rapport with them. They only deal with the general public when it suites their fancy in a way that makes them look good. Otherwise, the sanctioning body is a very secretive and aloof dictatorship. They force those who work under their sanctity to be accessible to the general public at all times, but they certainly don't practice what they preach.
The biggest surprise amongst this whole sordid affair is the stance taken by Stewart's sponsor, Home Depot. The company seemed to have taken the lead from NASCAR and used this unfortunate incident to attempt to make themselves look good in the public's eye. They may have succeeded in some circles, but in a lot of circles, they have failed miserably. I've heard several people who aren't even Tony Stewart fans declare that they would never again darken the door to a Home Depot store because of the high-handed tactics used by them in their sponsorship role with Joe Gibbs Racing. The $50k fine and probation levied against Stewart by Home Depot is downright self-serving and sickening. What a bunch of idiots!
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