2009 NASCAR running thread

You know, when I want real journalism without shit being thrown against a wall or information gained by "working" her way through the garage, I definitely turn to Lee Spencer.

 

What if it really is right as they say, then someone from totally outside the sport has allowed an athlete to sidestep the agreed rules of the sport. The next time some baseball player tests positive for something and get suspended we will now have legal wrangling out the ear.

Whether Mayfield is guilty is not is not the point. The point is the legal system is now involved in the rules of sport.

 

This is new?
Do any of you guys cover prep sports?
In W.Va court interference into sports is a regular as the mail.

 

The "rules" of sports or any other business or organization are not allowed to violate the laws made by our freely elected representatives. That's what we call "constitutional democracy." It's that whole "nation of laws, not of men" deal.
I have no idea if Mayfield is right or wrong. Perhaps the judge has more facts than myself.
As for high school sports, having covered a good number of legal actions related to the MIAA (Mass school sports governing body), may I say that there probably wouldn't be so much litigation if high school sports administrators weren't such total fuckwits.

 

I'm the opposite.
I find it to be the parents who are the problem. Little Johnny breaks the rules, parents don't like the punishment and head to friendly local circuit court judge, who sides with his constituients, errr, I mean plaintiffs.

One of the reasons, I got away from sports - the inmates were running the asylum.

 

Dear Evil: I'd say in my experience, it was about 50-50. Half the lawsuits involved administrators screwing up, and half were initiated by overwrought parents.

 

Getting back to NASCAR:
Guess Mayfield won't be in the race this weekend. Car sponsor doesn't want him driving, accoridng to AP. Mayfield wasn't in the garage when it opened this morning.

 

For any of you who have ever dealt with the fine staff at Atlanta Motor Speedway, you've doubtlessly loved working with Marcy Scott. A great woman who takes her job seriously and was a huge help to me many times in my four years on the beat.

She's facing the fight of her life right now after being diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer. Any prayers, positive thoughts, etc. you could send would be appreciated. She's started a blog at marcyscott.blogspot.com.

 

Marcy is indeed one of the most helpful people in the sport. I hope for the best for her.

 

So what? Since when should sports be above the realm of legal principle?

 

Well, let's see MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL suspends and fines people all the time for any number of infractions. When a coach/player gets fined for criticizing officials isn't that a violation of their First Amendment rights? When a pitcher gets fined or suspended for throwing in batter's direction whether he hit him or not, why is he in trouble when he really didn't DO anything? Will the NFL get dragged into court when they don't let Vick or Burress back into the league? Crew chiefs get fined and and suspended for tinkering with the cars even if they did something that isn't strictly forbidden, just doing something it doesn't say they can't do.

I'm not debating Mayfield's guilt or innocence, just that the legal system doesn't have any business in the matter when it is really a matter of sports rules enforcement. If you want to appeal, take it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. You don't have legal RIGHT to participate in any sporting event.

 

The thing is, Shoeless, you DO have the right to participate in a sports event, if you have been unfairly banned by your organization. And the courts have the DUTY to enforce that right while the facts are adjudicated.
There are entire legal databases full of Supreme Court cases involving whether people have the right to participate. Remember Casey Martin?