NASCAR Thanks to Dave for this great article on the rise of NASCAR, now the number two sport in the U.S. My mother, who is a third grade teacher, says it is by far the most popular sport among her students. And yes, you did catch me calling it a sport and not a "sport". Don't see that as anything other than keyboard laziness.

The article raises an issue we've heard before about NASCAR: it's all good 'ol boy racists, only white drivers, etc. And that's definitely a major problem. But I find this alternate take on the increasing popularity more interesting, and I think that it also has a lot to do with why John Kerry wasn't so electable after all:

People like us?

There's also the possibility that what is going on is less about race and more about the perception that wealthy professional athletes in traditional American sports have come to see themselves as rock stars.

ESPN Magazine, for example, is cutting edge in the world of sports but is definitely playing to a young, urban mentality. A recent cover story on Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick didn't show him throwing a pass or avoiding a tackle. Vick, by most accounts a pleasant and personable fellow, was decked out in black leather and heavy silver jewelry, standing in the dark street in front of a black Cadillac, practicing his rap star scowl.

That may be perfect for ESPN's youthful audience, but to the work-a-day daddy in the middle class, a picture like that - or the sight of an elaborately tattooed NBA player such as Allen Iverson - looks like a postcard from a parallel universe. Middle America had the same reaction when it saw those stoned, long-haired rock stars and hippie war protesters in the '70s. Who are these guys?

It had the same reaction when it saw John Kerry windsurfing in that famous ad. Too bad it didn't see ads with W on a five week vacation. What NASCAR fan has a five week summer vacation (other than teachers, of course)?

Anyone out there a NASCAR fan? For now, watching the recap on Sports Center is enough for me.  ¶ 11:46 AM