Weekend That Was: 'Dega

Most NASCAR fans get the fact that the Dale Earnhardt-Jeff Gordon "rivalry" never truly existed.

Some, on the other hand, are still throwing full beer cans on the racetracks every time Gordon wins another race -- as they did Sunday when Gordon won at Talladega Superspeedway, registering career win No. 77 and passing Earnhardt for sole possession of sixth place on the all-time Cup victories list.

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While the Gordon-Earnhardt angle has been a good one for media to work two weeks running (Gordon tied Earnhardt one week earlier with a win at Phoenix), the best story in the garage last weekend was Tony Stewart. In fact, you could argue that the best two or three story angles revolved around Stewart.

First, there were Stewart's brazen comments on his Sirius radio show last week -- when he accused NASCAR of inventing debris cautions late in races for the sake of spicing up competition and said it reminded him of something that might go on in professional wrestling.

Stewart later claimed the comments were made in part because he did his radio show with a 105-degree temperature. It was surprising that excuse was so widely accepted, because most physicians will tell you that a 105-degree temperature usually warrants a trip to the hospital.

Heck, Rush Limbaugh wouldn't even do his radio show with a 105-degree temperature -- at least not without taking something first. And here's an idea, Tony: if you really are that hot, take a couple Tylenol before going on the air. Works wonders. Or if you're into remaining more loyal to NASCAR, try some Goody's headache powders (then again, loyalty to NASCAR is not something that seems to interest Stewart, even as he cashes one enormous paycheck after another year after year).

But please, don't go on the air with a raging fever again. Your comments are controversial enough with the accompanying hallucinations.

Next there was Stewart's involvement in Saturday's Busch Series race at Talladega. He drew the ire of young Kyle Busch by triggering the horrific accident that sent Busch's car spinning and tumbling down the track, parts spewing off of it in all directions and in a highly unpredictable, dangerous fashion, much like the words that often come rushing out of Stewart's mouth (watch video).

Stewart later engaged in a thrilling finish in which he was out-dueled at the stripe by Busch teammate Bobby Labonte, and afterward he said all the right things (watch video). You could tell Stewart actually felt good about Labonte's win, and he was just as passionate about expressing that as he was a few days earlier when he railed on NASCAR for allegedly failing to run fair races.

Finally, there was the capper to Stewart's wild week -- when he got wrecked at the end of Sunday's Aaron's 499 Cup race. Running sixth on a green-white-checkered finish, he at first thought that Jamie McMurray was the guilty party and later came to determine that it was instead David Gilliland that ran into him from behind. (Continued)