The Nickname Game. Junior, Junebug, Little E, Dale Jr...all one in the same!

   
     As a part of NASCAR nation, fans get involved with their favorite driver to the point where it becomes personal. We eat, drink and breath our drivers. We have everything from toothbrushes, suntan lotion, and embroidered toilet paper carrying their names. (Oh wait...or is that just me?) One thing that has always amazed me is the nicknames fans come up with for drivers. Now, I have my own names for my favorites Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski (Kaseyboo and Bradybear, I know...odd!) so I don't find it odd at all. I just love exploring the different names fans and the media come up with over time.
     Everyone knows the everyday "Smoke" for 2 time champion Tony Stewart, "Happy Harvick" for rebel Kevin Harvick, "Bradass" for Brad Keselowski and "Junebug", "Little E" and many more for the sports most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
     My personal favorites though are the ones that come from fans. @Cruetten calls Juan Pablo Montoya "Cigar", while @VickersGirlAsh calls Ricky Steinhouse Jr. "Ricky Ticky". Some you will never understand like @KaseysGirlBritt, who calls Denny Hamlin "Hammy" and "DaHam" and @VickersGirlAsh who chooses to call Brian Vickers "Ice Cream". (The ones that make little to no sense are my personal favorites!). Some come from anger or hatred of or towards a driver. @VickersGirlAsh gave Kurt Busch the name of "Double Douche", regardless of the fact that she says she still likes him. :) @Ampdog88 showed off his dislike for both the Busch drivers, calling them the "Busch Sisters" and Kyle "Kyle Poutybusch" and "Pee Wee".  Finally, some just sound cool, like @Cruetten calling Brad Keselowski "Polish Express".
     We may not understand them, we may not approve of them, nor may we like them, but the nicknames for drivers pile up over the years. But what ever you choose to call your driver whether its "Pee Wee" or "BradyBear", we all know that gaining a nickname in this sport, most of the time, is an honor, that most of the drivers, media, and fans love!

Thanks to my Twitter friends, @Cruetten , @VickersGirlAsh , @KaseysGirlBritt , @Ampdog88 for there nicknames! Everyone follow them on twitter by searching the names listed! :)
Follow me on twitter also @BradassKrazy4KK !
Thanks for Reading!

OPINION:My top 12 of 2011 (Will Dale Jr make my list?)

The 2011 season is upon us. Now its time for predictions. Starting Tuesday, I will be doing my Top Twelve Countdown to Daytona, putting the spotlight on each guy i think will make the chase, down to my 2011 Champion. Check it out and comment!
1.) Kevin Harvick
2.) Denny Hamlin
3.) Tony Stewart
4.) Mark Martin
5.) Jeff Gordon
6.) Jimmie Johnson
7.) Kasey Kahne
8.) Jeff Burton
9.) Brian Vickers
10.) Clint Bowyer
11.) Matt Kenseth
12.) Carl Edwards

Sorry Jr. Nation, he doesn't make my list. Personally, I don't think this year will be much different than years past. He still seems to have no motivation what so ever. Bob Dillner said it best himself. "At one point, Dale Jr. needs to look in the mirror and see that everything on that team has been changed except for him. He needs to make the change in himself, it can no longer be done by flipping in and out crew chiefs every year."

NOTE*** This isn't bashing Dale Jr. I bet most Dale Jr. fans feel the same way. I just think he needs to make a change within himself, and stop expecting everyone else to make a change, if hes not even willing to make one. But if he steps it up, starts to have some intrinsic motivation, and believe in himself and his team, it will shoot him up a few spots in points purely on moral.

OPINION: Does Dale Jr have what it takes anymore?

     Lets take a walk down memory lane, and step back all the way into 2003. Who was the man everyone thought would be running for the championship? Dale Jr. And he did. He finished a career high of 3rd in points, making fans across the nation happily bleed Budweiser red. In 2004, he kicked it off with a Daytona 500 win, and 5 other wins along with it. He made the inaugural chase, and finished 5th in points. Then, 2005 hit...

     I don't think I need to recap what happened in 2005...2007...2009...or 2010. There were a few glimpses of hope in 2006, where he made the chase, but wasn't a real championship contender, and in 2009 when he first put his hands in a Hendrick Motorsports auto mobile. Why did the excitement stop in 2005? The media, fans, and even outsiders have tried to find out what happened to "Little E". He had no significant changes personally, nor did he severely change psychologically. There has only been one thing that really changed besides the Hendrick Motorsports move. ( The downfall started prior to the move to Rick Hendricks team) His crew chief.
     For most of Dale Jr's career, he has had one crew chief. Tony Eury Sr. He has had many others, including his cousin Tony Eury Jr, the one that just got taken off the #88 pit box, Lance McGrew, and his new one, Steve Letarte. Dale Jr has not had a season with multiple wins since his last season with Tony Eury Sr. Nor has he been the same over the radio. You can clearly hear (and Dale Jr fans, realize I'm not saying this in a rude way, you know its true) he is much crankier, frustrated, and has a hard time trying to communicate with anyone other than his Uncle.

     Dale Jr just became too accompanied to the way him an his Uncle communicated. This is NOT a bad thing though. For some reason, myself and other NASCAR fans are the only ones that have thought that. If thats what works best, then you don't break up good communication between people. Throwing more crew chiefs at Dale is not the answer. They need to bring back the old to bring in new hardware from victory lane.
     Steve Letarte is a very talented crew chief, but hes not aggressive enough to fit with Dales racing style. Tony Eury Sr. is one of the few people in the world who won't take any ones crap, even Dale Jr's. Hes strong, and even if Jr doesn't agree with a decision Tony Eury Sr. is making, he trusts it. Trust is essential in ANY driver/crew chief relationship. You have clearly seen that Dale Jr didn't fully trust Tony Jr, nor did he trust Lance McGrew.
     Overall, I just had to let this out. If you know me as a fan, you know that I have a strong dislike for Dale Jr, but I can't stand seeing someone fail year after year. I know its no fun, and I don't like seeing another fan hurt by it when there is a simple solution that many fans agree with.