Thursday, June 19, 2008

More NASCAR Lawsuit Thoughts

Wow. This is my third NASCAR-related post in a week. That's about....three more than I ever thought I'd write. Ever. But, this lawsuit and the stories surrounding it have really piqued my interest.

Yesterday, I read an interview with Mauricia Grant on SI.com by Tom Bowles. I don't know if Mr. Bowles supports Ms. Grant, or if he is trying to make her look not-so-victimized, but I didn't think Ms. Grant came off very well in the article.

From the information in the story, it appears that Ms. Grant's position with NASCAR was her first real job in auto racing. She was interning at Irwindale Speedway in California during the fall of 2004, as part of her training with the Urban League Automotive Training Center in Los Angeles. She was hired by NASCAR in January of 2005.

"I knew that I didn't want to start at the bottom, in any type of oil changing capacity -- I wanted to start at the top. So, I aimed to work in a major league motorsports environment. And NASCAR was it."


That quote is from the article. Ms. Grant was obviously ambitious, and she states very clearly that she was not interested in "paying dues", so to speak. NASCAR, however, is in many ways a "dues paying" profession. I don't believe Tony Eury Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief, was a crew chief for his first job in racing. Ms. Grant's position does not seem to be one that would be "entry level", but it was (apparently) her first job in racing. Her quest to "start at the top" in racing was most likely aided by her gender and race.

When asked what NASCAR needed to do to make changes in the culture of the garage, Ms. Grant had this to say: "They need to stop hiring their ignorant brothers, cousins and uncles of theirs, and start hiring qualified, educated people to start running their multibillion dollar business. Stop giving 'Uncle Frank' a hookup knowing that he's ignorant." When asked if she thought diversity training would help, she said she didn't think it would change anything, then added: "You need to hire people who are well-rounded, educated, capable of stepping into any type of environment and not making themselves look like a fool."

I don't really think she comes across very well in these statements.

The most troubling revelation in the interview, for me at least, is the story of the spreadsheet. She states that in January of 2006, at the behest of her sisters, she began documenting the comments and actions that she found inappropriate. While I don't necessarily think it was a bad idea, I also think that from the moment she made the first entry until the day in October 2007 that she was fired, she was planning this lawsuit. Also, from that day in January 2006, if she ever "played along", or failed to report an incident that she later entered in her journal, then I don't think she should be allowed to sue for anything after that point.

If she reported each incident, and the accusations were ignored, then she may have a case. Plenty of people in offices all over the country tell jokes to and about their coworkers that would be inappropriate to tell people they didn't know. If Ms. Grant ever acted amused, rather than hurt, by a racial- or gender-based joke, without telling her coworkers, how would they know that they had crossed a line with her? I would almost bet that the (ill-advised, perhaps) attempts at humor were a sign of acceptance, rather than hate or disrespect of Ms. Grant.

Even though the interview raises serious questions for me about Ms. Grant's motives, I do not think her case should be summarily dismissed. The charge that two of her male coworkers exposed themselves to her is enough to get the case heard in court, simply because I can't imagine a scenario where anyone would think that behavior would be acceptable. If that allegation is proved to be true, then Ms. Grant will win the lawsuit. I don't think she'll get (or deserve) $225M, but she will win, and get a significant award.



Tuesday, June 17, 2008

UNC 3 Stay; Hickson Goes

All three of North Carolina's potential early NBA departures have decided to return to school.

Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green will all be back in Carolina blue next year, after "testing the waters" and deciding that they would be taken too deep in the draft. Armed with the information they obtained during the process, each player should make great strides over the summer as they work on their games.

It's no longer just the fans saying the Ellington should improve his defense. Or that Green should protect the ball better. Or that Lawson should have a more consistent jumper. Now, the players have gotten those same critiques from their prospective employers.

With the announcement of the players' return, UNC automatically becomes the (probably unanimous) pick to be #1 in the preseason polls. The Heels only lost Quentin Thomas and Alex Stepheson, while adding one the top-ranked recruiting classes in the country. Also, Bobby Frasor should be returning from his knee injury (as long as he stops jumping off of balconies).

Meanwhile, a few miles away in Raleigh, JJ Hickson issued a statement announcing that he had signed with an agent, ending his college career. If anyone was surprised by this announcement, I would be shocked. He was always going to be a one-and-done guy, so I really believe his "testing the waters" announcement was mostly insurance against injury.

As a State fan, I wish he would have stayed another year, but I can't blame him for going. I don't know much about his family situation, but he is in a position right now to impact the lives of those around him, and he is taking advantage of it. Hopefully, he gets drafted in the top 20, even though most projections I've seen have him in the mid- to late twenties.

It's disappointing to see such a talented player leave so quickly, but encouraging that Coach Lowe was able to get him to come to Raleigh in the first place. Hopefully, JJ's entry into the draft will enable Coach Lowe to recruit more players of his skill level in the future. Most of today's top high school players want to know that their college coach can get them into the NBA, so JJ's success would give Coach Lowe another thing to sell to recruits.

One For The Ages

It was billed as a mismatch. By one of the participants. And most others, as well.

However, the playoff to decide the 108th US Open was not a mismatch. It was an example of what makes golf a great game.

Two men whose games could not be much more different. One a 32 year old phenom in the midst of what may be the greatest golf career ever, the other a 45 year old veteran who has been solid, but not spectacular, on the PGA Tour for a long time.

One a physical specimen, one of the strongest golfers on Tour, routinely hitting the ball well over 300 yards, the other a more average player, with drives that were normally 30 yards farther back.

They proved, time and again, one of the first things I was told when I started playing golf years ago:

It's not how, it's how many.

The playoff was great to watch, as the players exchanged the lead several times, and each took a turn in control of the tournament. Both made runs, and both responded to those runs. Normally, when Tiger has a tournament in his grasp, his closest competitors tend to fold. Rocco Mediate stood toe-to-toe, and never flinched. He missed a couple of putts that would have won the US Open, but those putts were not "gimme's."

Rocco Mediate did not lose the US Open. Tiger Woods won it.

Monday, June 16, 2008

MotorSports.....Entertainment?

How convenient.

NASCAR, facing a $225M lawsuit, just happens to get the ultimate positive public relations story:

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR's favorite son, won Sunday's race at Michigan International Raceway.

Now, people who know me understand that I don't consider NASCAR a sport. However, with this weekend's results, I have reached a decision. Taking a cue from the WWE, I have decided that I will refer to NASCAR as "motorsports entertainment."

Much like wrestling, which is a show, not a sport, NASCAR always seems to get the "fairy tale" ending. Dale Earnhardt Sr. dies at the Daytona 500, then, that same year, in the fall race at Daytona, Junior basically passes twenty cars in twenty laps to win. Tears ensue. I didn't cry, but I watched the last thirty laps (or so) of that race, and it was gripping television. It was like watching Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair in a 60-minute wresting classic.

Now, after leaving his father's race team for Hendrick Motorsports, Junior ends his 76 race winless streak on Father's Day. A week after the massive harassment and discrimination lawsuit is filed.

Somewhere in Connecticut, Vince McMahon is chuckling.

Tiger Vs. Rocco

After a grueling Sunday in San Diego, Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate will go one more round, as they prepare today for a rare US Open playoff. Woods forced the playoff with a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation.

The story of the day, rather than the one-on-one matchup, will be Tiger's left knee. He has been battling his surgically-repaired knee for the entire tournament, and over the course of the third and fourth rounds, it seemed as though the knee was winning. Somehow, Woods managed to hold things together well enough to force a playoff.

Now, the story becomes can he be effective enough on Monday to defeat Rocco Mediate?

Thursday, June 12, 2008

NASCAR Responds To Lawsuit

You probably have read that NASCAR was accused of racial discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliatory termination in a $225 million lawsuit filed by former employee Mauricia Grant.

NASCAR chairman Brian Grant responded to the allegations, saying that when the lawsuit was filed, that represented the first time that NASCAR had heard her complaints.

I am torn on this subject. On one hand, it isn't hard to believe that Ms. Grant may have been subjected to some off-color remarks. On the other, it isn't hard to believe that she participated in the jokes, only to become disgruntled and sue. The truth, as usual, is probably somewhere in the middle.

In total, Ms. Grant alleges fifty-seven specific incidents of mistreatment (23 sexual harassment, 34 racial and gender discrimination). FIFTY-SEVEN!! I can't make myself understand why she would tolerate it for so long, unless she was planning the lawsuit and just gathering ammuntion. I don't think I would put up with that type of treatment for any length of time.

Also, the $225M amount is excessive, in my opinion. That equals over $3.9 million per alleged incident. If the incidents were so bothersome for her that they caused "depression, anxiety, nightmares, sleep disturbance, crying jags, headaches and gastrointestinal distress," I don't understand why she kept going to work.

Don't get me wrong. If NASCAR is found to be at fault, they deserve to be punished. Not to the tune of $225M, but punished severely. The amount requested seems, to me, to be overinflated. I would guess that Ms. Grant and her attorneys aimed high, in order to give themselves plenty of room to come down in a settlement, yet still get a nice dollar amount.

I do NOT think that NASCAR should settle this case out of court. Even if the lawsuit is upheld, NASCAR needs its fans to know that it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any sort. In its response, NASCAR claims that several of Ms. Grant's claims are exaggerated, in some cases just plain false.

If NASCAR truly believes that Ms. Grant is not being truthful, the employees accused in the lawsuit deserve their support in court, even if it means taking the risk of losing. Agreeing to a settlement is agreeing to responsibility.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

US Open Thoughts


The United States Open begins tomorrow morning at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.

It promises to be an entertaining tournament, mostly because the kikuyu grass that promises to torment the players. It is a thicker, stronger grass than is normally seen on golf courses, and kikuyu rough at US Open heights could actually be dangerous. It should at least give the course some teeth.

Maybe this year all of the pre-tournament talk about "hacking it 50 yards out of the rough" will actually be true. It seems every year the players and officials talk about how tough the rough will be to hit from, but then you only see a few guys who actually have to really just hack the ball back into the fairway.

Personally, I would prefer the US Open to have thicker, more penal rough, narrower fairways, and not as much length. Torrey Pines is listed at over 7600 yards, even though the USGA says that "most likely" it will play somewhere between 7400 and 7600 (but not over 7600) all four days. The actual length will depend on what they do with a few tee boxes that can be shortened or stretched.

With the length of the course, along with the graduated rough that will be in use, a semi-accurate power hitter will just pound the driver, then take his chances out of the rough. A short hitter has no chance, really, because he has to be in the fairway, and even then he will be hitting fairway woods and long irons into the greens. With today's clubs, a 6- or 7-iron from the rough is just as controllable as a 2-iron from the fairway, so the long hitter isn't really penalized for missing the fairway.

Anyway, the USGA didn't ask my opinion, so on to my "predictions."

Tiger Woods will win. I just can't pick against him. He shouldn't win, because you shouldn't be able to win the US Open when you haven't played competitively since the Masters because of knee surgery. But, he's Tiger Woods, so I won't be surprised if he's right in the thick of things on Sunday afternoon (or night, on the East Coast).

Other than Tiger, I'd probably just use the driving distance statistics to find favorites, then add Stewart Cink and Jim Furyk. Cink and Furyk are not super-long, but they hit the ball fairly straight and putt well. Cink has contended in quite a few Opens, and Furyk has won it. Any one of the long drivers could have a good week on the greens and get lucky, which is basically why Angel Cabrera is the defending champion.

Good luck, gentlemen.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Old Habits



I grew up a Celtics fan. Larry Bird was the main reason why. He was amazing to watch. He wasn't the fastest or strongest player on the court, but he could absolutely dominate a game. Plus, he could take over a game without scoring. His teammates could not afford to sit back and watch him, because the ball may bounce off of their face. Watching Larry Bird and his Boston teams is what made me want to go out in my backyard and practice my jumpshot. He was (and is) my favorite basketball player.

Having said all that, the current version of the NBA Finals stirs up a lot of old feelings. Boston versus the Lakers. It doesn't matter if it's Kobe and Pau instead of Magic and Kareem. It doesn't matter if it's KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen instead of Bird, McHale and Parish. It's still the Lakers versus the Celtics. It's still Showtime versus Fundamentals.

This series is the best thing to happen to the NBA in a long time. Fans that the NBA had lost long ago will tune in to watch the Lakers and the Celtics. It's hard to be ambivalent about this rivalry...people take sides. I am on the Celtics' side, and I have been for as long as I can remember. I probably always will be, I guess.

I am looking forward to a great series, hopefully won by the guys in green. It's not the same as it used to be, because plenty of the players are veterans new to their respective teams, rather than guys with histories in their current cities. That's one of the things that tends to turn people off about the "new" NBA. But, for the next week or two, I don't care about what people say is wrong with the NBA. As long as the Finals are Boston versus LA, the NBA is alright with me.

Go Celtics!


NC State, UNC Reach Super Regionals

Congratulations to the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels on reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Both teams are now just two wins away from a trip to Omaha for the College World Series.

North Carolina will host Coastal Carolina, and NC State will go on the road to face the Georgia Bulldogs.

Best of luck to both teams.