Category: friday feature

By David G Firestone

So I was originally going to discuss some racing news this week. However, a few things happened, independent each other, that prove something that I’ve been saying for some time. I’ve been a wrestling fan, and wrestling fans give wrestling fans a bad name. Well, as it turns out, football and baseball fans can also give their own fan bases a bad name.

We start with Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell. During the Wildcard match-up between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell took it upon himself t berate and curse out a female Packers fan. He called her some very nasty and vicious names, and made an ass out of himself. He didn’t realize that he was being filmed, and the footage went viral. Well, Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell is no longer a true Eagles fan, as he has been banned from all Eagles home games, and I suspect many other stadiums might ban him too.

Well, as these things go, it went from bad to worse. Since Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell worked for BCT Partners…a DEI-focused management consulting firm based in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Well, BCT Partners issued a statement via social media on January 14, 2025, which reads as follows:

“We, the management of BCT Partners, have concluded the internal personnel investigation regarding an employee who was caught on a video outside of the workplace making highly offensive and misogynistic statements. In keeping with our company values, which are firmly centered on respect, dignity, and inclusion, we have decided to part company with the employee. This separation is effective immediately.

We condemn our former employee’s conduct in the strongest possible terms. This individual’s conduct and language were vile, disgusting, unacceptable, and horrific and have no place in our workplace and society. Such conduct is not who we are and not what we stand for.

At the same time, again to be true to our values, we can condemn the actions without condemning the individual. None of us deserve to be remembered for actions taken on our worst day. We have offered grace and support to our former employee. We hope that he will grow and we all can learn from this deeply disturbing incident. That’s what real inclusion is and does. That is also who we are and what we stand for.

We sincerely apologize to the victim and for the many ways in which these events already have impacted so many people. We remain committed to gender equity and fostering a culture of respect and dignity for all.”

Ryan Caldwell has had his life ruined by his own actions. Rather than just come out and apologize for his actions, Caldwell had a different take on the situation. According to Caldwell himself:

“While attending an NFL game last Sunday to support my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, an incident occurred that I deeply regret. What began as banter with two Packers fans sitting near me escalated to something more serious, and I said things that were unacceptable. In the heat of the moment, I chose unforgiving words to address one of the fans, Ms. Ally Keller.

I want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Keller for those words, and to my wife, family, and friends, my former employer and colleagues, Packer fans, Eagle fans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the City of Philadelphia, and all who were offended. That said, there are two sides to every story. The video clip circulating online does not reflect the full context of what transpired, and my actions were not without provocation. I will live with this experience, and I am certainly paying a personal price. For those who don’t know me, this incident does not reflect my values or the respect I have for others and is not indicative of the person I am.”

Ryan Caldwell needs to learn the concept of “let them be the idiots.” Just because other people are acting like idiots doesn’t give you the right to act like one too. Be the bigger person and not respond. You gave the world the rope they needed to hang you with, and now you’ve lost the ability to go to Eagles games, as well as your occupation. Hope you like working at Target. By the way, do you know how shitty of an EAGLES FAN you have to be to be seen as the worst?

The second story took place during game four of the World Series in New York. As Mookie Betts tried to catch a foul ball, Yankee fans Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen interfered with the catch. Well not only did they get ejected, but Major League Baseball took action. In a letter sent to the duo, the MLB was very clear about their stance on the situation.

“On Oct. 29, 2024, during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, you interfered with play by intentionally and forcefully grabbing a player. Your conduct posed a serious risk to the health and safety of the player and went far over the line of acceptable fan behavior. Based on your conduct, Major League Baseball is banning you indefinitely from all MLB stadiums, offices, and other facilities. You are also hereby banned indefinitely from attending any events sponsored by or associated with MLB. Please be advised that if you are discovered at any MLB property or event, you will be removed from the premises and subject to arrest for trespass.”

It’s good to see that the teams and leagues are stepping up and kicking fans out of the fan base. These are not isolated incidents. Two fans were banned from MLB for running on to the field and made contact with Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr.. In Braymer, Missouri, the Braymer C-4 School has been banned from participating in high school basketball games because of bad fan behavior. I could go on, but the point is that bad fans need to be dealt with.

I’ve said this before, I’ll say it again, fan bases need to eat their own on a regular basis. Fan-bases need to identify the liabilities in their own groups, and expel them from the fandom. If they don’t, then the teams and leagues will, and they will NOT show mercy. The EAS scenario community is a community that will expel their own when needed, and they have not hesitated when needed.

I get being a fan, I get supporting your team, and I get having a good time in the stands. This does NOT justify abusive behavior in any capacity. This does not justify running on to the field, or court. This does NOT justify cursing out other fans. Go to the game, support your team, but behave yourself. As the fans I discussed found out, attending games is a privilege, not a right. Your bad behavior will come back to haunt you in this day in age.

Next week, back to racing news…hopefully.

Sources cited:

https://nypost.com/2025/01/14/sports/internet-sleuths-found-repulsive-eagles-fan-and-his-life-might-be-ruined/

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/nfl/eagles/2025/01/15/philadelphia-eagles-fan-banned-verbally-abused-green-bay-packers-fan/77717513007/

https://nypost.com/2025/01/15/sports/eagles-fan-ryan-caldwell-breaks-silence-on-vile-video/

https://www.abcactionnews.com/sports/yankees-fans-who-interfered-with-mookie-betts-during-world-series-banned-from-all-mlb-games

https://apnews.com/article/braves-rockies-acuna-fan-0b9cf0752440a7f93429bae4341be025

By David G. Firestone

I had a few racing stories that I wanted to discuss, but there were a couple of WWE stories that happened that I feel the need to discuss. Two dark skeletons from WWE’s past came back to haunt them. Interestingly, these two stories happened independent of one another, and have nothing to do with each other.

Let’s start with Hulk Hogan. On January 6, WWE Raw debuted on Netflix. To commemorate the occasion, the debut episode was over the top, with a lot of former WWE stars in attendance. Well, one such star was Hulk Hogan. Hogan and Jimmy Hart came out, and Hogan cut a promo about how great the fans are and how they made WWE what it is. Hogan was mercilessly booed for the entirety of the promo. Hogan also announced that his Real American Light Beer, which is actually somehow weaker than his in-ring work, is now part owned by WWE. It was also announced that Hogan will be part of Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 25th.

The booing of Hogan is yet another reason why nostalgia in wrestling is never a good idea. There are a few former wrestlers who are decent and good people, but they are a minority. Between drug use, sexual improprieties, crime, backstage politics, racism, and a plethora of other issues, we see these people for who they are. Modern wrestling is a different animal, since most modern promotions will not hesitate to eat their own. Look at the careers that came to an end after Speaking Out.

Which brings me to my second story. A few days later, it was announced that Vince McMahon and the Securities and Exchange Commission settled that a settlement had been reached. Specifically, McMahon will have to pay a $400,000 fine, and reimburse WWE $1.3 million, and McMahon will not have to admit or deny any wrong doing. There is also a “cease-and-desist from violating certain provisions” but not much was available in terms of what that meant.

Vince, for his part, wasn’t exactly remorseful, and posted the following on Twitter:

“The case is closed. Today ends nearly three years of investigation by different governmental agencies. There has been a great deal of speculation about what exactly the government was investigating and what the outcome would be. As today’s resolution shows, much of that speculation was misguided and misleading.

In the end, there was never anything more to this than minor accounting errors with regard to some personal payments that I made several years ago while I was CEO of WWE. I’m thrilled that I can now put all this behind me.”

It says a lot about the two personalities that made WWE what it is today are persona non grata in WWE today, in terms with the fans. The fact that Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon are seen for the evil people that they are says a lot. Hogan was the on-screen talent, Vince was the man behind the scenes moving things into place. Both of the two are reviled, both inside and out of the wrestling business. Both still have their fans, but neither will ever be at the level they once were.

Nostalgia in wrestling isn’t a good thing. For one thing, as has been just discussed, wrestling has to come to terms with the evils of yesteryear. Second, wrestling is a shell of what it once was. 30 years ago, 10 million people watched wrestling every week, and now WWE draws 1-2 million people, and AEW can’t average over 650,000 people on a good week.

This is not a new thing, since in 1999, Heroes of Wrestling took place at Casino Magic Bay St. Louis in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. According to Wikipedia:

“The event was meant to be the first in a series of pay-per-views that would feature popular wrestling stars from the 1980s and early 1990s, but plans for the franchise were abandoned following the event, which suffered from a poor buy rate and several controversies, including the calamitous main event where a completely intoxicated Jake Roberts teamed up with Yokozuna in a tag team match, only to lose to Jim Neidhart and King Kong Bundy.”

For those who have never seen Heroes of Wrestling, it’s available on YouTube. As a wrestling event, it was a disaster through and through. All of the talent was either too old to have a good match, or high on drugs, or both. The result was almost unwatchable. Even if you get nostalgic wrestlers who are good people, like Mick Foley for example, in this day in age, all they can do is cut a promo.

While there are other athletes who are scumbags, it’s never been as prevalent as it was in wrestling. While it got swept under the rug at the time, now it’s coming to light how bad these people were. These chickens have come home to roost. We all saw the reaction to Hogan, and I can promise there are more skeletons that will get dug up. I predict that there will be more things that come to light soon.

Next week, some racing news.

Sources cited:

https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/43358951/former-wwe-ceo-vince-mcmahon-sec-reach-deal-settlements

https://x.com/VinceMcMahon/status/1877743380349714910

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_of_Wrestling

By David G. Firestone

Back again this week, got a few stories to talk about, so without further ado, let’s get started.

Our first story centers around a couple little details about the new NASCAR Cup Series charter deal. Apparently, as part of this deal, according to Jayski:

“Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass confirmed Friday that the new charter agreement limits teams to three charters going forward.

Teams with four charters – Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing – are grandfathered in and can continue to run four chartered cars.

Those teams that operate with three charters can enter a fourth car in races and run it as an open team.”

It was also revealed that Front Row Motorsports had finalized a purchase of one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s charters, which came about as part of a court order in the anti-trust lawsuits. Noah Gragson will be driving the #4.

Is it just me, or has the charter system caused more issues than it fixed? Again, look at all the chartered teams that have gone bust since its inception. Look at how none of the teams are profitable right now. When HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS can’t make a dime of profit for years, you think the smaller teams can?

While I get the idea of cost-cutting, at some point you just have to look at all the damage this system has done, and look at all the issues it’s caused, and realize it has failed. The charter system is not sustainable, it never was. NASCAR needs to assess its options, and work with the Race Team Alliance to come up with something better. The original system wasn’t great, the negotiations and their end were a disaster. This new version isn’t much better.

NASCAR and their teams need to realize the survival of the sport is at stake, and with this bullshit streaming deal starting in 2025, that survival is even less stable. The NASCAR Cup Series has six races on Amazon Prime. They lose an average of 1.2 million viewers from broadcast to cable. I can’t fathom how many users Amazon Prime will hemorrhage, including THE COCA COLA 600! How anyone thought this will work is mind-boggling!

Speaking of mind boggling, let’s talk Rick Ware Racing. Rick Ware Racing is a punching bag for NASCAR fans, and justifiably so. Between the length of time and number of teams they fielded, four cars at one time, to their TOTAL lack of on-track success. Rick Ware Racing has proven themselves as a joke.

But for a while in 2024, thing seemed to be looking up. They snagged Corey LaJoie from Spire Motorsports, as well as having Zane Smith as well. It actually seemed like they finally started to make the right moves, and start moving forward. It was really nice while it lasted. Not only did they lose Zane Smith to Front Row Motorsports, but they cut Corey LaJoie from the team as well. Now, while they only have a single-chartered car, the #51, they will run the #15 part time. So, who did they get to replace Corey LaJoie? Well, according to Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass…CODY FUCKING WARE!

WHY?!? Who in their right mind would replace Corey LaJoie with Cody Ware? Why would you replace Corey LaJoie with Cody Ware? Who, outside of Rick Ware, thought this was a good idea? How out of touch with racing is Rick Ware to replace Corey LaJoie with his son? Cody has done nothing, and I mean NOTHING in his life, let along his career, to justify a full-time Cup Series ride! Corey LaJoie was the best and most obvious choice to race full-time, and they just blew that up!

Is this real? Is this reality? How in the name of all that is good do you give CODY WARE a full-time ride over COREY FREAKIN’ LAJOIE? I’m struggling to comprehend the logic here! I really am! I get you want the best for your son, but sometimes, you just have to cut your losses! Which is more important, your son’s career, or Rick Ware Racing as an organization? I ask that seriously, because they are on the verge of losing their charters for lack of performance, and this doesn’t do them any favors! SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?

This whole thing is almost like being a Chicago Bears fan! I say almost, because the Bears just beat the Packers since the first time since 2018! Even the Shad and Tony Khan Jacksonville Jaguars can win four games in a season! Even the worst teams can find some success sometimes. Rick Ware Racing has NEVER found success, 10 years after they should have stopped trying! At this point, I predict within the next three years, Rick Ware Racing will either go bust, lose their charters, or sell their charters. There is no other option! At this point, Rick Ware should focus his attention on Clay Millican’s Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA, since Millican can, not only win, but win multiple races in the same season! Clay Millican is Rick Ware’s best option, and I’m willing to bet he will mess that up too!

With that, I can’t rant anymore so, I’ll just call things here. I’ll be back next week.

Sources Cited:

By David G. Firestone

So I’m back from winter break. Santa dropped a new laptop and some parking meters down the chimney this year. I’ve been following a few stories, and I’m going to discuss them. Since the various filings about the NASCAR anti-trust are in legal terms, which are hogwash to me, I’ll hold off on talking about them until later.

Let’s talk about IndyCar, specifically the race at Thermal. The 2024 edition was a shit show, and that’s putting it nicely. The prize money didn’t materialize as hoped, so it was only a $500,000 race as opposed to a $1 million race. Ticket sales were abysmal, due to high ticket prices, and general apathy about IndyCar. The race itself didn’t go over well, with teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans all talking about how bad it was

So you are IndyCar, and you are planning a new season for 2025. You have a deal with Thermal for a 2025 race, what do you do? Well, IndyCar literally didn’t learn a single lesson, and is planning the same event, but in a different year. At the time of writing, it’s back to a $1 million race, no points, just money.

What the fuck? Last year’s event was a certified dud. Nobody liked it. It simply didn’t work. If at first you don’t succeed…WHY? WHY AGAIN? Sure, it failed in every way it could, and yet doing the exact same race in 2025 will somehow yield different results…how does that work?

I’m going to give IndyCar an idea that could save the race. This could be a million dollar idea. Here goes: Take the Thermal race, make it an all-star race, and gimmick the hell out of it. It goes something like this: Every driver who won a race in 2024, and all former champions are locked in. The drivers on the outside will race in a series of heat races, and the winners get into the main event. Qualifying is also done through heat races. The races are a series of races, with new tires and fuel added at the end of each stage.

Sound familiar? This is how the Busch Clash and All-Star races are held in NASCAR. Every all-star game is a gimmick at this point, so why shouldn’t IndyCar follow suit? The marketing writes itself: “The best of the best in IndyCar racing at the most exclusive race track in the United States with a million dollars up for grabs.” Seriously, that would work wonders to get people in the door, and watching on TV?

When Roger Penske took over IndyCar, lots of people, myself included, were optimistic that IndyCar would change for the better. Sadly, it’s become clear that this is another case of “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” IndyCar continues to stagnate, and, unless some new things are tried, it will continue to stagnate. Sadly, I fail to see any change on the horizon, and I hold out little hope.

Now we move on to wrestling, because a couple of things happened while I was away. First off, WWE revived Saturday Night’s Main Event. The big theme with this version is nostalgia. It was meant to bring back memories of some of the best events of year’s past. It sounds cool on the outside, but it does raise some issues.

First off, nostalgia in sports is a double-edged sword. I’m not saying that it’s truly a bad thing, but in sports where their best years are behind them, all it does is to bring back memories of how much better things were. NASCAR has had this problem for years. They aren’t good at marketing and making stars, so throwbacks and nostalgia serves to remind fans how good things to be.

Pro wrestling is even worse. Wrestling constantly moves forward, not backward. What was good in 1984, and 1994, doesn’t really fly as well in 2024. But the other issue is much more prevalent in 2024.

Wrestling is coming to terms with the fact that many of the wrestlers were very problematic, be it behind the scenes, or after their careers ended. For example, this most recent Saturday’s Night Main Event featured Jessie “The Body” Ventura. Ventura is a notable personality, and was the governor of Minnesota. He is also a right-wing crackpot conspiracy theorist.

Of the other commentators, most are dead, or are so problematic that WWE can’t bring them back. Hulk Hogan is so problematic, WWE can’t bring him back, as is the case with Vince McMahon. It’s amazing how awful these legends are. This is not limited to WWE, as even wrestlers who weren’t in WWE are now being seen as the horrible people that they are.

WWE didn’t do themselves any favors, given all the lawsuits they are currently facing due to actions of their staff and leadership. Focusing on the present is a much better strategy than focusing on the past, as far as wrestling is concerned.

Now we move on to a big wrestling story, this one from TNA Wrestling. At Final Resolution at Center Stage in Atlanta, The System, a team consisting of Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards, faced The Hardys, Matt and Jeff for the TNA World Tag Team Championship, with the Hardys retaining the championship.

During the event, an incident between Edwards and a fan occurred. I will take this description of the event from Cageside Seats:

“Edwards competed alongside Brian Myers in a tables match against the Hardys at Final Resolution (Dec. 13, 2024). The crowd was hostile toward the System and vocalized several chants with curse words. One fan in particular must have muttered something uncouth, then he flipped the bird. Edwards took exception and knocked the fan’s beverage out of his hand. The fan reacted with a slap across the cheek. Edwards retaliated with a much crisper slap to the face. Officials intervened to make sure the incident didn’t go any further, and security escorted the fan out of the building.

This fan didn’t appear to be a plant for story-line purposes. After the knucklehead move, the fan didn’t put up any resistance in his forced departure from ringside. Edwards brushed it off and carried on with the match.”

Look, I get that heels are supposed to get heat with the crowd. I get that heels should be seen as the evil bad guys. However, under no circumstances should the heel physically confront a fan unless in self-defense. If a fan jumps the rail, then the wrestler can defend themselves. In this case, words being exchanged is NOT a reason for either party to slap the other.

This could have severe repercussions for TNA. Lawsuits could be filed against Eddie Edwards, TNA, and more critically, the venue. Venues do NOT like having to deal with lawsuits from fans over incidents like this, and I’m willing to bet that this will cause issues with TNA and Center Stage.

I’m not defending Edwards, and I’m not defending the fan, both parties are equally guilty. I’m saying that this whole thing was handled badly by everyone involved. You are allowed to cheer and boo as you please, but do NOT physically involve yourself with the wrestlers, you will get arrested, and may get beaten. Alternatively, any wrestler who physically assaults a fan could open the door to a lot of legal issues. It’s just not worth it.

This has been an issue in wrestling for decades, and recent events are compounding the issue. I really don’t agree with any attack, but stupid people do stupid shit.

With that, I finish this week’s episode, and I will continue with news stories next week.

Sources Cited:

https://www.cagesideseats.com/2024/12/14/24320992/eddie-edwards-slaps-fan-incident-tna-final-resolution-2024-kicked-out-local-police-no-script-reacts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Resolution_(2024)

By David G. Firestone

I’ve been thinking about the NASCAR anti-trust lawsuit. The question that’s come before this whole thing is “Is NASCAR a monopoly?” Well, the obvious answer is yes, it clearly is. But the bigger question that should be discussed is “is that a bad thing?” From where I sit, I say that it isn’t. Now before you light your torches and gather your pitchforks, just hear me out.

Let’s say we are living in an alternative timeline where stock car racing exists , but NASCAR never gets founded. What would happen? Either another sanctioning body becomes what NASCAR currently is, or something like the National Wrestling Alliance forms, but instead of wrestling territories, it oversees regional stock car groups. In either event, both entities would be critical to the sport’s survival.

One of the big issues that NASCAR has and is dealing with are bad racing promoters. Guys and gals who will promise stock car racing to make a quick buck off the fans, and then disappear with the cash. This was one of the reasons NASCAR was a necessary evil. Before regulation, there were a lot of promoters and track owners who were seedy to the umpteenth degree, and NASCAR rooted them out. This is also the case for teams, drivers, owners, sponsors, and various other things related to the sport.

Is NASCAR perfect in this respect? Absolutely not. However, it has done a good enough job to keep the bad elements out and keep the sport legitimate. It’s the same no matter what sport you are talking about. Say what you want about the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB or whoever, at the end of the day, they are all tasked with keeping the sport in line, the good elements in, and the bad elements out. Sometimes individuals might get thrown under the bus, but that happens in every industry.

At the end of the day, it’s NASCAR’s sandbox. You might want to play, but they own the box, and they own the sand. If you think you know better, go ahead and try, but it probably won’t work. NASCAR will always put the product over the teams should the situation warrant, and sometimes that won’t work out well for some.

Now, when it gets to 23XI and Front Row, they need to consider this: Did you really, after everything that happened, think you could possibly force NASCAR to capitulate to better terms? How? How did you think this would go? There were years of fruitless negotiations between NASCAR and the teams, and the final deal was the best you could get. The fact that two teams had the idea that they could force NASCAR to renegotiate the contract after everyone else fell in line is baffling. This was not a good situation, but two teams trying and failing to get blood from a stone is just moronic.

I have no idea when it became the individual employee over the company, but it is not a smart idea. The overwhelming majority of employees in companies are expendable. If a company can fire the CEO, you honestly think you aren’t getting sacked? I can get sacked at any time. I’m replaceable, you’re replaceable, we all are! If KFC can survive without Harland Sanders, you think you are secure? NASCAR existed long before Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing existed. They aren’t as critical to the existence of NASCAR as they think, and if they go under, they will be replaced. Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses, suck it up, and sign the deal.

Another detail that has come to light is that, as part of the proceedings, sponsors can leave the teams. Well, this is another aspect where Front Row and 23XI should be worried. This isn’t 1996 anymore. Sponsors aren’t as loyal as they once were. If they feel like they won’t get the exposure, a better option is available, and they can leave, they will. This is compounded by the fact that, as I’ve discussed, sponsorship money isn’t as plentiful as it once was. If I am an employee of Front Row, or 23XI, I’m thinking positive, but getting my resume ready…it might come in handy sooner rather than later.

All in all, this whole situation is a mess, and I don’t think that the teams will come out on top here. If that’s the case, than they will join the ever growing list of defunct teams in NASCAR. It sucks, but life is unfair, and the sooner you accept it, the better.

With that, I’m done, and now we’re going to switch to the Paint Scheme Awards for next week.