NASCAR’s WWE Moment Draws More Unfortunate Comparisons
Unfortunately, NASCAR and the WWE often have a similar fan base. I say unfortunately, because I am a NASCAR fan, and I don’t like when the two are associated. After all, one is real and the other is certainly not.
Yet I couldn’t help but notice the parallels in the moments that followed last night’s Bank of America 500 in Charlotte. On-track incidents between Brad Keselowski and seemingly half of the field led to numerous post-race altercations. The first few involved Keselowski hitting cars on the cool down lap and the pit entrance, and one car (driven by Tony Stewart) hitting back. But when things really heated up was when the drivers exited their vehicles.
As Keselowski was walking between trailers in the garage area, a cameraman was right on his tail. Suddenly, almost as if scripted, Matt Kenseth (one of several drivers pissed off at Brad at this point), goes sprinting past the camera and mauls Keselowski, putting him in a headlock. Various crew members then get involved in an all-out WWE-style brawl.
Adding to the fact that the film work much resembled that of pro wrestling, where a camera just happens to be in the right place, was that none of the members of the brawl seemed to actually get injured. All that was missing was an announcer screaming out “And here comes Kenseth! Whoa! Keselowski doesn’t see him coming!”
While I know the NASCAR event was a real incident, the similarities are difficult to deny. And it’s this kind of drama that brings the same kinds of crowds toward both events. I just really would hope people understand that while the storylines are at times similar, only one is being scripted. Yet I’m sure that many don’t…
Sidenote: Props to the cameraman at the NASCAR race. Unlike the WWE, he didn’t know exactly where to be, he just made a great judgement call or got lucky. Either way, give the man a raise.
