NASCAR: So What’s the Deal with the Lawsuit?
NASCAR, Race July 7th. 2008, 5:00pm
While A-Rod’s divorce papers are the court story of the moment in sports, there’s a much more significant one looming on the horizon: the NASCAR blockbuster that alleges racial, sexual and gender discrimination. Our NASCAR writer, Nick Bromberg, who has forgotten more about NASCAR than we’ll ever know, offers his thoughts after the jump.
If the allegations in Mauricia Grant’s lawsuit are true, then maybe Don Imus should become a NASCAR inspector. He’d fit right in.
Ok, so Imus may not have a handle on what exactly he’d be doing as an inspector, because heck, I don’t think he knows what he’s doing on the radio anymore. But Grant’s lawsuit brings a gloomy prospectus to NASCAR’s efforts to broaden the spectrum of the sport.
In her $225 million suit, Grant alleges that she was called a nappy-headed ho, told to pop her eyes out and keep smiling by her coworkers as they worked in a dark garage so that they could see her, and also that she was the victim of sexual advances from male coworkers.
The circuit has prided itself on becoming multi-cultural; proud of the fact that Aric Almirola is Hispanic and will have a full-time ride in 2009. Proud of the fact that Marc Davis is an up-and-comer for Joe Gibbs Racing. Proud of the fact that the sport has a presence in every part of the continental US except the Pacific Northwest. Proud of the fact that two Canadians and a Scotsman attempted the Daytona 500. (As of now, only one, Patrick Carpentier, has a full-time ride)
Grant’s lawsuit has the potential to set back all of the efforts that the sport has made to shed the redneck stereotype. Sure, there are still a lot of so-called rednecks that love nothing more than to sit down with some Natty Light and watch the race every Sunday. But the same can be said for other sports as well.
For all the strides that NASCAR wants to show that they’ve made; things like this only serve to reinforce the stereotype. In an economy in which stalwart teams are forced to close their doors because they don’t have sponsors, and attendance is down, the sport doesn’t need another hit. However, NASCAR may be hitting itself.
10 Responses to “NASCAR: So What’s the Deal with the Lawsuit?”
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July 7th, 2008 at 5:19 PM
Not sure what has bigger problems right now, NASCAR or your server.
July 7th, 2008 at 5:42 PM
all i know is, the finish to the race saturday was pretty cool. aside from the not actually finishing the last lap part, but that was some insane crashing
yeah i watch for that kind of stuff, just like everyone else
July 7th, 2008 at 5:43 PM
Has anyone read those allegations.. they are pretty vile.
(TBL, it’s time to call relief, bench Wagner)
July 7th, 2008 at 5:44 PM
This whole server mess deserves its own post.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:38 PM
My brother played high school football (and won a Tennessee state championship in 1997) with David Duke, one of the guys accused in the suit. From what I’ve been told, David is a redneck, but he never behaved in any manor around my brother matching the very outrageous behavior that he is accused of doing. For his sake, I hope the charges are unfounded.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:21 PM
Maybe I’m not getting the whole story here, but did she report these instances immediately and did they continue after the original allegations? Did Nascar sit there and say “keep these people on the payroll, we don’t care what was done or said.”
I understand the girl might have felt her job security would be in jeopardy, but to condemn the entire sports based on a few idiots is completely unfair. This coming from the guy that hates Nascar.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:25 PM
I don’t think she filed the lawsuit until she was fired, which diminishes the credibility of it in my eyes.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:59 PM
um i hope this is a different david duke than the former grand wizard
July 7th, 2008 at 10:46 PM
NASCAR: So what’s the deal with the lawsuit
The headline is pretty close to what was printed in the 7.7.08 issue of Sports Illustrated, just so you know. Check out bullet point number 5 here.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:29 PM
You know, its tough. As a son of the South, much of the South wants to evolve but there are things like this that stunt its potential. It hurts and its damning. For every movement forward you have two pulling you back. The saddest part, its not the majority that’s holding you back but the effort of only a few. I pray that this suit is ill founded but I know that its probably not.