NASCAR probation for Edwards is ridiculous

I'm sorry, but NASCAR just went from being a fringe sport on my radar, to a complete and utter joke.

After Carl Edwards intentionally crashed Brad Keselowski in Atlanta, NASCAR came down with a "punishment" of a three-race probation.

What does that mean? It means Edwards can still race, and all he has to do is not play dirty in any of those races. Who cares? Not Edwards. He'll still make his money, still profit from merchandise sales, and he'll still feel like he did the right thing by "policing" the race himself.

The last time I saw an intentional attack on someone was Todd Bertuzzi in the NHL. Bertuzzi sucker punched Steve Moore from behind fracturing vertebrae in Moore's neck. What happened? Bertuzzi was given an indefinate suspension, which ended up costing him $500,000 in salary, the team was fined $250,000, Bertuzzi was sued, and he missed the remainder of the season and playoffs.

This is the same type of situation people. Carl Edwards meant to attack Keselowski. He might not have meant to hurt him, but face it, Bertuzzi didn't enter his incident planning to break Moore's neck, he wanted to send a message. The same thing Edwards intended to do.

NASCAR has proved again with this ridiculous ruling and the dangerous standard it has set, that it does not belong in the rhealm of major sports. NASCAR belongs in a class with the WWE, a spectacle, not a sport.

Carl Edwards deserved to be suspended for his actions. He should not be racing. He should be losing money, not making it. Instead, it is a glorified publicity stunt for all involved. NASCAR gets more promotion, Edwards gets more promotion, and everyone goes home happy.

When NASCAR promised to allow drivers to police themselves and settle scores on the track to energize their "sport," all they did was sign the death warrant for a driver to be named later, whether it be in two weeks, two months, or two years.

Wake up NASCAR, your "ruling" on Carl Edwards was a joke and your entire organization is a joke. Probation? You might as well give Carl Edwards a pat on the back and tell him he did a great job "policing" your sport. Something the brains at NASCAR obviously have no idea how to do.

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NASCAR needs to better police drivers

We've seen it all before. A player throws a cheap shot on the ice, which is followed by the team enforcer fighting the guilty party. In baseball, it's the brush back pitch. Hot and high inside will teach you a lesson.

Often, players and athletes are able to police themselves. And then it goes too far.

Recently at a NASCAR race in Atlanta, Carl Edwards intentionally wrecked Brad Keselowski in response to previous nudges and bumps. Is this taking it too far? Edwards was closer to killing Keselowski then to teaching him a lesson.

For all of the heat the NHL takes for fighting, the league also has one of the best systems in place to deal with severe situations. NASCAR has no such policy and has promoted drivers policing each other on the track. In a sport where one mistake could take a life, NASCARs "policing" policy is a little ridiculous.

What about Major League Baseball? Well the brush back pitch and over dramatic bench clearing dust ups are all fine and dandy, but when it comes time for a suspension, even the MLB falls short. Players can challenge a ruling and be back in the line up the next night. If you're a pitcher, you might not even miss a start. Something doesn't seem right there.

The NHL has an interesting mix of self policing and league monitoring. In my opinion, it works. Sure you'll always have goons who go too far, but that is the case in any sport. There will always be dirty hits like Matt Cooke's headshot on Marc Savard regardless of the penalty attached to the action.

Look at Carl Edwards, he intentionally took a life in his own hands and luckily everyone walked away. He could have killed Keselowski and he could have killed fans in the stands. If NASCAR had dealt with Keselowski's antics earlier, this outrageous incident would never have happened.

League's like the NHL and the NBA have been properly dealing with player behaviour for years. It's time other sports including the MLB and NASCAR follow suit. If they don't, the results will damage their leagues, damage their image, and hurt or kill thier athletes.

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