Disliking Busch one thing, disrespecting him another

The invective chokes the e-mail box like plaque in an artery, gumming the works with antipathy and contempt. He's a girl, he's a crybaby, he's a whiner, he's a jerk, he's arrogant and condescending. He's every type of curse word George Carlin ever uttered. He's a despicable human being. He's a spoiled rotten brat with no good in him. He's a dirty driver and a disgrace to his sport. He has an attitude problem. He needs to be suspended and fined and docked points and fired.

And they're just getting warmed up. Any misstep, whether perceived or real, brings a torrent of criticism down upon Kyle Busch that's so hateful it's depressing. It's difficult to fathom how some people can harbor such malevolent feelings toward someone they've never met, but clearly those folks are out there -- transferring anger over shortcomings or failures in their own lives, perhaps, or maybe unable to manifest their fanaticism in any other way. Whatever the reason, it's sad that so many who dislike the current Sprint Cup points leader have stooped to the level of personal attacks.

Hey, this is America. You can like or dislike any athlete or driver you want. And it's easy to see why some people don't like Busch -- his headstrong driving style can be interpreted as recklessness, his manner in front of the camera can be seen as aloofness, he's (God forbid) traded paint with Dale Earnhardt Jr. He's a successful 23-year-old with a lot of money and a pretty girlfriend, a guy who isn't afraid to mix it up on the racetrack and can sometimes come across as dismissive in public. For fans with a lot of animosity stirring inside them, that's a combustible mixture.

But it's not an excuse for character assassination of the magnitude we're seeing from the lunatic fringes of the anti-Busch brigade, people whose sheer hatred seems to know no bounds. In the wake of last weekend's tiff with Carl Edwards at Bristol, things have blown all out of proportion. Judging from the hundreds of e-mails I've received this week -- a handful of them referenced above -- you'd think the guy had burned a flag on pit road. While I realize that those who write in represent only a small fraction of the NASCAR fan base, it's clear that some people need to grow up. Or seek therapy. Or both.

A little perspective is needed here. In the eyes of some people, Busch can never do anything right. Banging into the back of Jimmie Johnson's car before his comeback win at Chicagoland brings objections that he's cheating, even though guys bump one another every week. Blaming Earnhardt for getting into the back of him at Kansas last year brings complaints that, well, he must have checked up. Running into Edwards on the cool-down lap at Bristol brings a howl of protest, even though some drivers have been applauded for doing the exact same thing. His rather tame comments after the event -- "It's just his normal fashion. That's fine. I've grown to know that now" -- are seen as whining, even though some of his peers might have blown off the interview room all together. (Continued)