I heard something on the radio broadcast during the race last week in Charlotte that really bothered me. It was not the first time I had heard it, but for some reason it just really got to me this time. John Andretti was a guest commentator and made a comment that Mark Martin "deserved" to win this championship. My question is, how does someone "deserve" a championship? Championships are given to the winners; not the best attempt.

This trend of giving out trophies for effort is the latest instance of PC run amuck. We see it in Little League ball, and that does bother me a little. But this is not Little League; this is the best of the best and nobody "deserves" a championship. Is it because he has come in second place so many times? The late, great Dale Earnhardt had a great quote concerning second place. He said it only means you were the first loser. On this level of performance, you don't get a trophy for effort.

I know that Mark Martin is the sentimental favorite and I completely understand that. And I think it is great! He is in what was billed as his final year of Cup racing (although those plans may have changed at this point), and coming so close more than once makes some view him as the underdog. And who doesn't like pulling for the underdog? That is built into us as humans.

However, I have to admit something here. When I first started seriously following NASCAR, I pulled for Martin because a friend of mine was huge Mark Martin fan. So, naturally, I went in that same direction. Then I started hearing Mark talk. No, the problem is not his accent. I talk with a Southern drawl and I can appreciate that. The problem is that Mark Martin may be THE most negative person I have ever heard in my life.

I would listen to him in interviews and it was just negative, negative, negative. I remember one instance of a post-race interview in a race that he had won and him making a comment that he was just "waiting on something to go wrong." And that he was waiting to hit the wall or something. How totally uninspiring. That very day, I stopped pulling for him and started pulling for Dale Earnhardt. Dale was called the Intimidator because he expected to win and he was getting to the front and if you were in his way, you would not be in his way for long! He felt he deserved to win it and he expected to win it, and he had seven championships to show for his winning attitude. For me, that was the attitude I liked to see in a competitor, and that may be why he had seven championships and Martin has none.

All of us create our own environment, and our attitude has a lot to do with what we do in life. If you expect failure and disappointment, I would say that you will not be disappointed when it comes. Last year, three or four races into the Chase, Martin said that their chances were "over" and they could not possibly win; and they didn't. He got exactly what he said he would get. Maybe it is some sort of reverse psychology that Martin uses. I don't understand it, but I don't have to. Mark seems to be a great guy and in spite of this criticism, he is a fierce competitor and one of the best drivers in NASCAR, and he very well may win this championship this year. If he does, then he will have deserved it. But that trophy should go to the champion that outperforms his competitors. If he deserves anything it would be a sportsmanship or humanitarian trophy; I don't think you will find a nicer guy to pull for. But the championship trophy should (and will) go to the man that goes out there and kicks everyone else's tail.

keith48@gmail.com