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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
ROBERTS: Why The ‘Danica-Mania’?
One of the main subjects of conversation during the first three races of the 2010 season has been Danica Patrick...
John Roberts  |  Posted March 03, 2010   Charlotte, NC
John Roberts is the host of NASCAR RaceDay, NASCAR Victory Lane and NASCAR Smarts on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)
Whenever an athlete in any sport garners substantial media attention, it tends to ruffle the feathers of fans and other competitors.

Considering recent developments, the following may not be the best example, but when PGA golfer Justin Leonard shot a 62 at Avenel about 10 years ago, the first question he got concerned Tiger Woods. Leonard was none too happy that this new sensation of a golfer overshadowed his own achievement.

By the same token, one of the main subjects of conversation during the first three races of the 2010 season has been Danica Patrick. Okay, probably the main topic.

When an internationally-recognized celebrity goes anywhere, he or she attracts media attention. If the media ignored a star’s presence, they’d appear crazier than some writers in the blogosphere. Face it - the root of the word “news” is “new,” and Danica is something new in which fans are extremely interested. If you disagree, just check out TV ratings from the ARCA and Nationwide races at Daytona. It’s amazing that one person can move the needle that much. But we simply can’t ignore her or pretend her move to NASCAR amounts to just another face at the track.

Most news takes on the form of “man bites dog,” not “dog bites man.” You wouldn’t report a dog bite because it is commonplace, but the converse would be a story simply by virtue of its unusual and bizarre nature. The fact that Danica, a female driver whose popularity is off-the-charts, has arrived is big news and was treated as such.

Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch made some comments concerning “Danica-Mania” during Speedweeks at Daytona. However, their words were not aimed at Danica but rather were lobbed at the media for the insane amount of attention being paid to her.

Drivers know NASCAR is not the witness protection program and all publicity is good for everyone involved in the industry. What Danica is bringing in the form of attention only serves to put the entire sport on an even larger stage.

We heard several comments that the publicity wasn’t warranted after Danica finished 35th in her first Nationwide race because generally speaking, 35th rarely makes the next day’s paper. As the hype machine continued to crank at Auto Club Speedway, scrutiny of her performance persisted, and we again found ourselves in the unusual situation of zeroing in on the driver that finished 31st.

I think the TV partners deserve a round of applause for the balanced nature of race broadcasts on which she debuted. And we challenge anyone to find news missed as a result of around-the-clock Danica updates. But while some may disagree, legions of fans wanted to watch her every move whether they root for her or not.

In the same sense that we don’t normally discuss the guy who finishes in the back, we also don’t generally expect a driver to light the world on fire in just their second or third NASCAR race. Danica is new to the world of NASCAR and it is an entirely new ballgame. We need to show some patience across the board here.

Let’s all take a step back, loosen up a bit, enjoy monitoring her progression and allow her the necessary time to become a top-tier NASCAR driver. If Danica indeed has what it takes to become successful down the road, we all will truly benefit … the fans, media and NASCAR as a whole.

John Roberts is the host of SPEED’s popular pre- and post-race programs, NASCAR RaceDay Built by the Home Depot and NASCAR Victory Lane. Roberts also hosts NASCAR Live! and NASCAR Smarts on SPEED. He graduated from James Madison University and still jokingly considers himself a prospect for a top-rated college basketball team, namely the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

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