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Letters, 7/24: Don’t stop with NASCAR

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Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 - 12:24:19 am CDT

This is in regard to Len Hoggatt wanting to eliminate NASCAR racing to save gas (letter, July 16). Maybe we shouldn’t stop at just NASCAR, maybe we should have the government ban all sports activities.

Think of how much gas is wasted by Husker fans driving from North Platte to attend a football game, with maybe two people in a car and possibly four in a huge motor home, and all the gas wasted. Not to mention the tailgate parties where motor homes sit with the generators on and waste all that propane for grilling. The Husker fans are not alone; all the college games waste thousands of gallons of gas.

Let’s not stop there. Maybe we should eliminate NFL games, 50,000 or more people had to get to the stadium some way, you take that times maybe 10 games two to three times a week, over a million cars that probably drove 20 or more miles round trip, plus the idling time, probably 3 million gallons of gas wasted going to those games.

Or maybe baseball. Maybe not as many fans, but just as much fuel wasted going to those games. Just try and get past the Salt Dog stadium after a game on Sun Valley and see how long you have to sit while the police allow all the fans to leave instead of allowing traffic to flow on Sun Valley. 

A tremendous amount of sports are night games, and televised also. How much fuel is wasted lighting up the fields? And running the generators for the TV crews?

Eliminate NASCAR, and you take away a multi-billion-dollar industry, and eliminate several hundred thousand jobs.

So to be fair, you cannot pick on just one sport, you would have to eliminate all of them, because they are all just as guilty of wasting fuel for the entertainment of the masses.

Mitch Whiteley, Lincoln

Petition badly promoted

My family was disappointed to hear that the State Fair didn’t get enough signatures to stay in Lincoln. I feel that they were trying hard, but it was not promoted properly.

I took a petition around and gladly had people sign it. I know there are a lot of others that do not want to see the fair go but didn’t know where to go to sign it.

I am hoping that the next step to save the fair is a big success. It needs to stay here in town. It has always been here and needs to stay here. Lincoln and Omaha are a bigger population than Grand Island and the other cities in the western area.

Kristi Burklund, Lincoln

Let’s all try biking more

Thanks for the excellent article on bikes as transportation in the Sunday A.M. section on July 20!

Matt Wills and his wife are wonderful examples of how we can have fun, get exercise, avoid polluting and save money by biking — to work, to the store, to day care!

I applaud Matt and Karen Wills, Bob and Mary Torell, Matt McClure and all the others who bike to work. I urge others to consider trying it just for a couple of days.

For those who worry about danger, I point out that you can cut your risk by 80 percent by following the rules of the road — stopping at stop signs and red lights, riding on the right with traffic, yielding when entering the street or turning, using the full lane when it's too narrow to share, riding in a straight line, and being careful.

Also, more than 80 percent of the bike collisions with cars in Lincoln occur when the cyclist is riding on the sidewalk — it’s two to eight times more dangerous to ride on the sidewalk. Collisions to cyclists riding in the street are actually very rare.

Bicycles are not toys — they’re legally vehicles — and very useful ones! Get out on your bike and ride!

Bob Boyce, Lincoln


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JMK wrote on July 24, 2008 7:32 am:
" All very good points Bob. If people on bikes would stay to the right, and actually stop at stop signs and red lights they could be a lot safer and everyone else would have much more respect. In all of this summer, I have only seen two people on bikes stop at a stop sign, the other hundreds all blow right through them.
But now be prepared for those self rightous bike riders to pummel you with the old we have as much right as cars do stuff. and if they followed the rules and stayed to the right, I would agree with them. But they (or at least 80% of them) don't. "

 mitchy_v wrote on July 24, 2008 7:43 am:
" Ok, if Lincoln does keep the fair, what will be done to fix it??? If you keep it here with no major changes it will die. If it moves to GI, we DON'T KNOW what will happen. It could fail, or it could be a success. It will have a fresh start and hopefully fresh ideas. If you are determined to keep it, be ready to pay for it. "

 Petition wrote on July 24, 2008 7:59 am:
" I, too, was disappointed in the petition effort. My concerns are multiple.
Just where are the tax dollars going to come from for moving and rebuilding, especially when the study showed it was cheaper to renovate current location?
Building UNL’s Innovation Park is also going to cost tax dollars. Where will those come from?
Will the lottery dollars continue to support the new state fair location? That is not what I voted for. I voted to approve dollars to restore current location.
I feel like I’ve been deceived. "

 SB wrote on July 24, 2008 8:00 am:
" I think it’s subtle , but you missed the intent of the NASCAR letter; everyone complains about gas being too high yet don’t want to make any real life sacrifices (riding the bus, biking, limiting vacations, combining trips, decreasing energy usage overall). They just don’t want it to interfere with their oil addicted lifestyle (missing a INSERT ANY GASONLINE USING ENTERTAINING EVENT HERE event). Don’t let your love of watching cars race in circles, mullets, and tall boys interfere with common reason. "

 Whoa Mitch wrote on July 24, 2008 8:19 am:
" I thought the whole NASCAR thing was silly and did not deserve the effort to respond in a formal letter to the editor. I can't imagine Len was all that serious, and if he was, well we can draw our own conclusions about that. Actually, more people watch these kind of events on TV. When they are watching TV, most are not driving (Save for the fools who watch and drive on the interstate. Please work on killing yourselves in a way that does not endanger me). So the good argument is for more TV coverage of the events. Don't let the people who only see NASCAR as a "Bubba" sport get you down. They are probably at home watching bowling or golf. "

 Doug wrote on July 24, 2008 8:20 am:
" I'll bike to work when they put showers in at the office. Sitting in a cube sweaty and stinky is not my idea of good. "

 JB wrote on July 24, 2008 8:25 am:
" Wow, listen to these people defend NASCAR! It's hillarious. Some of you are ill educated, and don't realize that car racing was in fact cut back in the 70's during the last fuel crisis. I don't think NECKAR should be scaled back because of the people traveling to the events, I think it should be scaled back simply because of how dumb it is that these cars are wasting so much gas driving around in a big circle! Comparing car racing to football, baseball, track, or any other REAL sport is like comparing apples to oranges. "

 MarkyMark wrote on July 24, 2008 8:34 am:
" Boy that Nascar letter the other day struck a nerve. Like I said before, Nascar actually saves gas. What else could keep Millions of American Rednecks glued to the tube and off the streets for 3 hours? Over all it saves gas. "

 NASCAR wrote on July 24, 2008 8:39 am:
" Are you kidding me? Not only does NASCAR involve people driving to the race, just like your examples, it also involves burning LOTS of oil products during the race. Last time I checked, a football player didn't use any oil to run for a touchdown. I don't think we should get rid of NASCAR at all (even though I don't watch it), but I do think that they should do something similar to Indycars and move to running on pure alcohol (such as ethanol). That would be a positive step for alternative fuels, as well as taking away the argument for eliminating a so-called "wasteful" sport. "

 Mark wrote on July 24, 2008 9:04 am:
" Just what this town needs. More bicycle's on the streets is not an answer. Many, many people who ride disregard traffic laws. Bikes and cars do not belong in the same vicinity of each other. It is just plain dangerous. It's no wonder more people riding bicycles are not killed. A 3000 lb vehicle vs a 10lb bike. The car will win every time. Some riders will say it's the drivers who are not aware. There may be some truth to that, but at the same time, drivers cannot run red lights like bikes do, they cannot weave in and out of stopped traffic like bikes do, and they slow the already snails pace of traffic in this town. There is no reason a bicycle needs to be on the streets with cars, specifically where traffic is extremely busy already. "

 RMM wrote on July 24, 2008 9:07 am:
" Most adult bikers I will assume are licensed automobile drivers, so how come the rules of the road seem to leak out of their heads? Just yesterday a bike rider in appropriate protective garb approached my vehicle on the WRONG side of the road, seeing me at least a block away (on a residential street) and REFUSED to move to the appropriate side of the street causing me to make the necessary correction to avoid a collision. Perhaps bikers would get more respect on the road if they showed same. "

 pr wrote on July 24, 2008 9:13 am:
" JMK, yes, having fun (less stress,) getting exercise, avoiding polluting and saving money by biking all pale in comparison to not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. Try riding a bike and learn a whole new perspective. "

 Big Chief wrote on July 24, 2008 9:27 am:
" Doug makes a good point about riding a bike to work about getting hot and sweaty and not being able to take a shower. I wonder how many millions of dollars employers could save by not having to provide huge parking lots for all their employees.

A good place to start might be our own High Schools and the University of Nebraska. Why should taxpayers provide the huge parking lots at these institutions of learning for young healthy students? Replace hundreds of this parking lots with businesses that bring in tax revenue. "

 MarkyMark wrote on July 24, 2008 9:29 am:
" Economics 101. All of the events mentioned, not just NASCAR, help drive our economy and our American psyche. Take these things away and the terrorists have won, by accomplishing most of their main goals. "

 Re NASCAR wrote on July 24, 2008 9:40 am:
" When will NASCAR come out with hybrid race cars, or solar energy cars? Maybe they should try out just one race where it's eco friendly and see what happens. "

 Jeff wrote on July 24, 2008 9:51 am:
" It's over Kristi. My family showed our horses at the STate fair for about 6 years. We enjoyed doing that. But clearly the State Fair was not receiving the support it needed, and it is clear that it wasn't going to get better. The land can be used for more productive purposes for the state that will be supported. We'll probably give the Grand Island location a shot. "

 My two cents wrote on July 24, 2008 9:53 am:
" With the state fair gone, and the technology park built, we will have more jobs in Lincoln. The plans for it look very nice, instead of some border line condemed buildings that are used once a year. GOOD BYE STATE FAIR, I, for one, won't miss you. "

 daily bike commuter wrote on July 24, 2008 9:54 am:
" For what it's worth, I bike to work every day, and I stop at stop signs and stop lights (and I hand-signal my turns and lane changes). I do see a fair number of other cyclists run lights and stop signs, but I also see a lot of car/truck drivers who are clearly running well over posted speed limits, and who change lanes and turn without signaling. It cuts both ways.

I stay to the right whenever feasible, but do keep in mind that there are times when it's necessary (and legal) to "take the lane," as Bob pointed out in his letter. When you're on a narrow road, or when you're traveling next to parallel parked cars on the right, or when the edge of the road is in poor condition, you have to take the full traffic lane for safe travel. Sometimes it seems that drivers feel cyclists are taking the lane to be jerks, but if you see that happening, look at the road width and parking and maintenance conditions, and you may understand what's happening more clearly. "

 Sean wrote on July 24, 2008 10:18 am:
" NASCAR..biking...PLEASE! If any of you were serious you'd shut down all technology. Period. The petroleum used to produce and operate computers, televisions, packaging..etc. etc. Yep, let's shut down the entire system so you Green folks can have your huggy-kissy Al Gore moment. Yeah, right,like that's going to happen. So how ya gonna watch Ed Begley Jr. recycle using his solar stove if you can't plant yourself in front of your idiot box? "

 Nina wrote on July 24, 2008 10:42 am:
" Many of the cars you see during rush hour have license plates from surrounding counties, and likewise, many of the cars I follow leaving Lincoln each day with Lancaster plates are traveling into the rural surrounding area. Bikes, buses, taxis, etc. aren't going to help there, and it is a significant number such as you'll find in any state where large cities are few and far between. Lincoln provides the jobs, and we workers spend a goodly share of our income in Lincoln in return. Just be glad you don't have to commute mega miles each day; we might move to Lincoln, but it's just so hard to move a farm! "

 FYI wrote on July 24, 2008 11:01 am:
" Sorry daily bike commuter, there is nothing in statute or ordinance that allows for a bicyclist to "take the lane". If you are travelling at the speed limit there is no issue. However if you are travelling at less than normal speed, you must stay as close to the right as practical. I would advise all bicyclists to actually read Chapter 10.48 of the Lincoln City Code. It states all the applicable regulations, which are not exactly the same as for motor vehicles.

10.48.010 Traffic Laws Applied to Persons Riding Bicycles.
Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle under Title 10 of the Lincoln Municipal Code, except as to special regulations in Chapter 10.48, and except as to those provisions of Title 10 of the Lincoln Municipal Code which by their nature can have no application, or which are expressly excluded.
(Ord. 15649 §1; July 9, 1990: P.C. §10.64.005: Ord. 10246 §5; September 7, 1971).

10.48.180 Riding to Right of Roadway.
Bicycles proceeding with the normal flow of traffic shall be operated in the right-hand travel lane of a roadway. Bicycles proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall stay as close as practicable to the right-hand side of the right-hand travel lane except when passing or preparing for a left turn. (Ord. 15649 §18; July 9, 1990: P.C. §10.64.120: Ord. 11981 §7; May 16, 1977: prior Ord. 5699 §1512; April 12, 1954).

When I ride my bicycle I keep in mind all of the rules of the road. I take responsibility for myself, I watch out for the other driver and ride as defensively as possible. I will always lose the battle between a 3000 pound vehicle, whether or not I am right. "

 Ridiculous wrote on July 24, 2008 11:26 am:
" This is ridiculous. Doesn't anybody have anything to do at work besides sit here and stereotype every NASCAR fan as a redneck. You all need to get a life and make better use of your day than sitting on a LJS blog. Do your employeers know how much time you waste on here? "

 Your right Sean wrote on July 24, 2008 11:28 am:
" With most of the Right Wing coming out of the enviromental closet now, (including Bush Jr.), they are making Al Gore look like a real Prophet. "

 Biker wrote on July 24, 2008 11:33 am:
" I wonder how much of the hostility towards bikers is really just ignorance. Yes, I am sure that most everyone knows that bikes are legal vehicles, and are supposed to be ridden on the street not the sidewalk. But how many of us have ever really been taught how to ride, and how to drive around riders?

As a kid, your bike is your first real vehicle. At age 12 you can roam the neighborhood, ride to the store, run errands for your mom, and basically feel free. You ride through lawns, on the sidewalk, and expect drivers to watch out for you. As a kid, you develop bad bike habits that linger into adulthood.

And, as a young driver, you dont always learn how to deal with a biker on the road. I think in driver's ed, all those years ago, the teacher said something about it. However, it was probibly only a minute or two of bike information. Learning to control your car took up most of the class!

We need to learn good bike habits early. We need to be taught how to drive around bikes early. Parents, be a role model. Dont just let your kid ride wild. Teach them the rules of the road, even when they are a little kid on their first bike. Obay the signs, watch for cars, be responsible. Start early, and we may have less agrivation on the road. "

 stignob wrote on July 24, 2008 11:38 am:
" By sheer number of cars on the road, drivers dis_obey the traffic laws more than the bicyclists. People act like bicyclist are the only ones breaking traffic laws. Riding bikes is the fastest way to oil independence... "

 Alan wrote on July 24, 2008 11:45 am:
" The decision on the State Fair Park was made over 10 years ago. UNL plans to sell 2/3 of the land to private developers. If the decision was made to sell the Fairgrounds for development then why didn't the state just sell it? Why let UNL buy it for a fraction of the FMV and let the profits disappear into some UNL Foundation account? Why not let all taxpayers benefit? The people have been lied to at every step in this process. Millions will disappear into foundation accounts while UNL has its hand out for tax dollars to build and staff the new buildings. "

 fair wrote on July 24, 2008 11:58 am:
" By law the state fair couldn't sell the ground, it had to be offered to a public organization like the University before it was put to sale. "

 correction FYI wrote on July 24, 2008 12:04 pm:
" It's legal to take the lane when needed--that's the point of the "as practical" terminology in the law. "

 CS wrote on July 24, 2008 12:22 pm:
" Actually, Mark, my bike weighs about 30 lbs before I get on it, its a legal vehicle as defined by the little book you were supposed to read to get you operators License for a vehicle in this state, I can pace traffic in slower parts of town and travel 10 miles faster than I can drive it-and on trails so I don't break any traffic laws. I have no love for cyclists that break the rules either, but you could stop assuming that all of us are ignorant, too. We aren't the ones contributing to the pollution/gas problem and we still pay taxes on roads since a majority of cyclists still own a car. "

 Huh wrote on July 24, 2008 12:30 pm:
" Wait til your 75 Mr. Boyce, and see how much fun it is to ride you bike?
I hadn't notice cars driving down sidewalks having accidents with bikes
either!!!! "

 Huh what wrote on July 24, 2008 12:40 pm:
" Sidewalks are wildly more dangerous at points where they reach intersections and driveways. Drivers aren't looking for such fast-moving traffic coming on sidewalks, and the accidents tend to be collisons when a car makes a turn at the same time a sidewalk-cyclist meets the corner. In contrast, drivers are much more likely to see the cyclist traveling on the road and be aware of them when preparing for a turn.

Pedestrians are also not ready for fast cyclists to approach them on sidewalks. It's called a sideWALK. Bikes belong on the street. "

 CS wrote on July 24, 2008 12:52 pm:
" I know a 75 year old the rides over 100 miles a week, and sometime races and does distance on the weekends as well. Sidewalks cause more accidents because 1. a vehicle (bike) injures others, 2. sidewalks are not made for 'traffic', 3. no division between pedestrian and vehicle as bikes go from one to the other (see DT Lincoln-Grrrrrr), 4. Inattentive motorists that don't stop before turning. Bikes don't need to be on, or belong on sidewalks unless ridden by children or unless the only choice is a mojor highway or a sidewalk in a high traffic area. "

 To JB... wrote on July 24, 2008 12:55 pm:
" obviously you have never driven a car of that caliber for 500 laps. You have no idea what it does to the body and mind. "

 LC wrote on July 24, 2008 1:08 pm:
" Biking in heavy/fast traffic: A little situational awareness please. The number of times I have seen a bicyclist cruising along at 20 mph on a 40 mph street when there is a long, smooth, empty sidewalk right next to it... This is confrontational behavior, plain and simple. It is demanding the right when completely unnecessary - and dangerous. Yes, ride on the street and obey traffic laws - WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO! There is legal, and there is smart and considerate. Sumner street is not the same as east O street. Use some common sense. "

 Ben wrote on July 24, 2008 1:39 pm:
" Lets also drain the lakes and close the camp grounds around the state. All those pickups and RVs hauling boats and campers and jetskis. Those boats and RVs love to drink up the fuel.

Come to think of it, ban all air conditioners in vehicles. Cars and trucks used to come with those nifty little "smokers windows" that if you angled just right, you could get a nice wind on you. "

 wow wrote on July 24, 2008 1:57 pm:
" It is ridiculous to assume that everyone who watches Nascar is a redneck. It is also a ridiculous assumption that eliminating Nascar is going to solve our energy crisis. Wake up people. This problem has been around for a some time. And Bushie has done nothing to move the country towards cleaner energy sources....oh but I bet John McCain will. I'm sure all you republicans will be thinking of this editorial when you vote for him in the fall. Good luck! "

 CS wrote on July 24, 2008 1:58 pm:
" So move over. That's what the left lane is for. There is no posted 'minimum' speed limit. If this was a car I doubt you'd have as much of a problem with it. "

 If any wrote on July 24, 2008 2:08 pm:
" of the people who make fun of Nascar racing ever got out of the state to see one, they may change their minds. I live in a state with a nascar track and I believe it brings many millions of dollars to the state economy. That will never happen in nebraska as the citizens and officials think its a redneck sport. It happens to fill track bleachers with over 100,000 and more fans each race. Sometimes you can't get tickets within two months. If nebraska didn't have its head in the sand and make fun of other states who are progressive, the rest of the 49 states wouldn't make fun of nebraska. If there ever was a state full of hillbillys its exactly where you live. Look around at the people around you. Betcha every third person is a Nascar watching, redneck hillbilly. It seems like jelousy rules in nebraska. "

 JB wrote on July 24, 2008 2:39 pm:
" Actually Ben, Mythbusters on TDC has proven that you actually SAVE gas by driving with your car's air conditioner on. Opening your window... any window... creates wind drag that lowers your gas mileage. Do some research.

And it's become obvious from letters like this that Nascar fans are the most insecure people on the planet. If you like Nascar, why do you care what other people think? Trying (and I stress the word "trying") to defend yourselves only makes the stereotype worse. "

 Dustin wrote on July 24, 2008 5:03 pm:
" Truth is, during the 70's when gas skyrocketed NASCAR was proactive by cutting many races by 50-75% of the distance. I don't see why they can't do the same thing now.

By the way, stop referring to NASCAR as a sport. Tony Stewart is one of the top drivers and could barely run 100 meters. Driving requires no athletic ability at all, i.e. Jeff Gordon. "

 goodness wrote on July 24, 2008 5:49 pm:
" Where on earth do all of you people work, those who "ride bikes to work"? At my job, I'm expected to be clean and presentable. Hard to stay that way when your riding in 90+ degree temps and super humidity. I know that few workplaces have showers or other conveniences for washing up. You may think your co-workers don't notice or care but I assure you, they do. Really. "

 Nope Dustin wrote on July 24, 2008 6:08 pm:
" NASCAR drivers are athletes that ARE in top notch physical condition. You try and sit in 120 degree vehicle for 4 hours with out breaks being bounced and pushed around at 100+ MPH and tell us how easy it is. Most NASCAR drivers work out daily lifting weights. "

 Yes Dustin wrote on July 24, 2008 7:11 pm:
" I completely agree that sitting in a car requires no athletic ability. I just drove today for 3 hours and my cars AC is busted. And I'll admit that I am not athletic.

"Top notch physical condition"?!?!?! You must be crazy to even put those words and NASCAR drivers in the same sentence. So you're telling me that Joey Logano, Mark Martin and Kyle Bush lift/workout daily?!?! There is no way K. Bush or Logano could bench the bar. They're string beans.

These guys are just fuel crazy and the sport needs to change directions to promote alternative fuels and put their engineers to work in that direction rather than MORE HORSEPOWER! *grunt* "

 Goodness its not so bad wrote on July 24, 2008 7:21 pm:
" Lincoln isn't a huge geographical area. If you ride a bike at a moderate pace for 10 miles or less, you're not going to get wildly sweaty and stinky on your way to work. And you can certainly keep a change of clothes at work, or bring it with you if needed.

And really, extreme temperatures don't last terribly long in our climate. One or two months of temps over 90, one or two months of really cold temps. Even if you chose to skip the hottest and coldest months of the year, you could still commute by bike another 9 months or so!

In reality, it might take a little bit of planning to figure out how to make it work, but it's not much harder to plan and successfully bike commute than it is to look for excuses for why it won't work. "

 RE Yes dustin wrote on July 24, 2008 8:09 pm:
" If you would quit watching cartoons long enough to watch a show on Nascar drivers you would see they train with weights every day. Some even ride bikes for leg strength. Just open mouth and insert foot, that seems to be the norm for some of you people. "

 I wonder wrote on July 24, 2008 8:17 pm:
" CS if your referenced 75 yr old has had 2 heart attacks, M.S., arthritis,
allergies, high blood pressure stents put in both legs and thyroid problems. Oh, I forget, here in Lincoln when you turn 60 they take ya out
shoot ya cause your not worth anything !!! "

 CS wrote on July 24, 2008 9:02 pm:
" Im a salaried program support and testing person in a standard office environment, that works with clients in 3 states. It takes ten minutes to clean up after riding 6 miles to work. If you spend 5 minutes looking around you can find all sorts of tips on how to be 'presentable' at work after biking in. I don't carry that set of panniers on the back because I think they 'look cool'. I stage my clothes in my office, I shower before I ride in, and I dress in appropriate wicking (bike weirdo) clothes that functionally pull the sweat off me and evaporate it. Its not that difficult. "

 Tom Stormcrowe wrote on July 24, 2008 9:15 pm:
" Hi FYI,

One small point to consider here from your post:
10.48.180 Riding to Right of Roadway.
Bicycles proceeding with the normal flow of traffic shall be operated in the right-hand travel lane of a roadway. Bicycles proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall stay as close as practicable to the right-hand side of the right-hand travel lane except when passing or preparing for a left turn. (Ord. 15649 §18; July 9, 1990: P.C. §10.64.120: Ord. 11981 §7; May 16, 1977: prior Ord. 5699 §1512; April 12, 1954).

Note the part that says as far to the right as practical. Sometimes, as far to the right as practical is occupying the lane due to hazard, avoiding debris, or a lane which is too narrow to safely share. Under those circumstances, I'll occupy the full lane and then move back to the right just as quickly as is safe.

The other time I might occupy the full lane is a situation where I am trying to avoid being right hooked, such as at an intersection waiting for a light, then I move as close to the centerline as possible to allow a motorist to still be able to turn right on red where legal, but not allow them an opportunity to make that right turn right into me if the light is green by trying to cut around me and immediately turnoing right. "

 Oh Kristi wrote on July 24, 2008 10:25 pm:
" Grand Island is NOT WESTERN NEBRASKA. Not even close. Central, yes. Western, NO! "

 Hamon Righ wrote on July 25, 2008 1:08 am:
" Nope Dustin...... NASCAR is not a sport, especially as defined by the standards you posted. Sitting in a 140 degree car? That's just plain silly. And so what? They prove they can get hot? And sitting in a car without a break for 4 hours? I do that every time I drive to Kansas to visit friends and family. Maybe I'd consider it sporting if they had a back seat full of kids. Maybe they lift weights, but I doubt it's a lot of strenuous lifting. Those drivers are usually as small and light as they can get. Not a lot of muscle being built.
And about the bike situation. I see far more drivers running red lights in Lincoln than I've ever seen any city I've lived in. I've lived in a lot. It's like everyone seems to think that getting that extra 30 seconds will make all the difference in a town that's no more than 10 miles from end to end in any direction. "

 mitchy_v wrote on July 25, 2008 7:27 am:
" based off of your comments "Top notch physical condition" So a 300+ lb lineman who needs knee braces to stand up, waiting for a heartattack is in top notch physical condition. You call them "string beens". What about Lance Armstrong? John Stockton? Any NFL kicker? Based on you criteria, they are not athletes. I guess some are just too nieve to understand the physical demands of racing. "

 Reality hurts wrote on July 25, 2008 7:36 am:
" "Ride bikes for leg strength"???? Seriously, your points are getting weaker and weaker. NASCAR is not a sport that requires athletic ability. I'll give you that it requires fast reflexes and good hand eye coordination, but they are not "athletes". Athletes commonly have low body fat, high stamina and can do various sports competitively. NASCAR drivers... not so much. Maybe if you would stop wasting 4 hours every sunday watching them go around in circle and go to a gym or real sporting event you would see what real athletes look like. I have a much higher respect for professional tennis players and golfers than I do NASCAR drivers as far as athletic ability. And it goes to show that most "athletes" do as well as they continue to point out that these are two sports that they try but continue to have difficulty with. Take a poll of real athletes and they'll put tennis/golf ahead of NASCAR 99% of the time in athletic ability.

NASCAR is simply a gas guzzler that wastes great engineers on worthless boys toys. These guys need something better to do like progressing alternative fuels in cars. And yes I have watched NASCAR and other racing leagues and am well versed on the subject. At least the IRL uses 100% ethanol in their cars and soon will be using ethanol from other biproducts. NASCAR should do the same. "

 Hamon Righ wrote on July 25, 2008 10:07 am:
" Mitchy- Lace Armstrong can ride a bicycle over 200 miles a day,up mountains, in a race against others. John Stockton runs back and forth for long periods of time while dribbling a ball and covering other players. Stockton, by the way, is not a "string bean". I understand though. Eyesight can be strained when one sits too close to a tv watching objects go around in circles for hours on end.

There was a poll about why NASCAR fans enjoy watching. Most replied that there's a chance for a wreck... that was exciting. What a great indicator of the intelligence. People that like watching things go around in circles for hours on end and do so in the hopes that there will be violent collisions with possible harm. I'm surprised that the cars aren't all painted bright silver so that they can be a shiny as possbile.

One other thing I never understood about car races; they're are so LOUD. I've been to a couple because friends thought it would be fun and it hurt my ears. That in itself ruined any prospect of enjoying the event. Other people seem to get a kick out of the noise. WHY??? "

 Defending the BMOC wrote on July 25, 2008 11:11 am:
" Those 300+ lb linemen will leave you in their dust in a 100m race. Many of their 40 times are in the 5.1-5.5 sec range. You couldn't get 40 yards in 7 sec and I doubt many NASCAR drivers could either. "

 mitchy_v wrote on July 25, 2008 11:32 am:
" Dictionary.com defines Athlete as “a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.”

Do Nascar Drivers fit that definition ? Well, they are trained or gifted in contests involving agility and stamina, and yes, strength too. They are a participant in excercise, or a game requiring physical skill. So far so good. The only thing left to determine from the definition of athlete is, are they a participant in a sport. So now we must determine what is a sport.

Sport is defined as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.” Does racing require skill ? Why yes, it does. Does it require physical prowess ? Sure it does. Is it of a competitive nature ? Beyond the shadow of a doubt it is.

So from that, we can all see, Nascar is a sport, and it’s drivers are athletes. "

 Paul wrote on July 25, 2008 1:18 pm:
" When does a nerd that made a dictionary determine a persons athletic ability. There words are arbitrary at best. It's obvious to everyone NASCAR drivers are not athletic. All it takes is to watch one race and get the "in-car camera shot". All these guys are doing is sitting in a seat and turning the wheel a little to the left. The only difference between them and the guy watching on TV is that they don't get to eat cheetos and drink beer during the race. NASCAR is a waste of great engineers for the entertainment of the simple minded. "

 littlewaywelt wrote on July 30, 2008 9:09 am:
" JMK, I'll tell you what, when cars stop speeding, dui, parking in bike lanes, running intersections, etc, then your comments will have merit. You need to respect bikes regardless of the behavior of some. I run stop signs in suburban settings when there are no cars at intersections and I can clearly see there is no hazard. I don't do it if any cars are approaching. The point is, cyclists, like cars can determine what's safe behavior at any given moment, and cyclists don't present the same danger to others as cars do when they do that. Sure some do stupid things, but they aren't representative of the group as a whole. 80%? That's ridiculous. "

 daily bike commuter wrote on July 30, 2008 5:00 pm:
" FYI, I think you'll find that the Lincoln Police Chief's latest blog supports the concept of "taking the lane" under the kinds of circumstances my Boyce and I brought up: http://lpd304.blogspot.com/2008/07/share-road.html "

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