Radio chatter needs some limits, but don't complain

DOVER, Del. -- Be careful what you wish for. You just might get more than your virgin ears can handle in the sport of NASCAR, where off-color office talk is played loud and clear for public consumption.

We all partake in water-cooler discussions in our daily work lives and we take for granted the gossip and commentary won't leave the circle of trust among our colleagues. No one wants to get called to the matt for mud slinging -- it's awkward and unpleasant.

Sort of like the time Clint Bowyer shouted over his in-car radio that Michael Waltrip was "the worst driver in NASCAR" at Bristol Motor Speedway for a wreck Waltrip didn't cause.

Waltrip wasn't mad but blames broadcasters for replaying the audio, much like a colleague spreading office gossip.

If you're a NASCAR driver, whose office is a stock car hooked up to a sophisticated radio system, everyone -- fans, media, teams -- is privy to each and every unfiltered thought and opinion that leaves the driver's mouth.

NASCAR prides itself on serving up unfettered access via audio scanners to its superstars; it's an advantage the sport holds over other professional leagues. As much as we would like to have heard what Philadelphia Eagles players had to say to DeSean Jackson last week after his premature touchdown celebration, we can not. In NASCAR, however, we hear everything.

A driver's radio transmissions, the catalyst by which to communicate the performance or lack thereof inside the car, is free game and lately a target for criticism because of foul language and crew chief abuse.

But what fans and other critics should consider is that judgment should be reserved. We are offered the listen-in feature as a bonus and shouldn't become enraged if we hear something we don't like.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., at the forefront of the most recent string of complaints, put it best.

"I don't mind if ya'll listen, but keep your opinions to yourself. Because I am doing business out there and I am doing my job and that is how I do it," he said. "Ya'll can listen all you want, but if you hear something that upsets you, don't come crying to me or whoever said it on my radio. I don't want to restrict the fans' access. I like the access."

No one in the garage is calling for restricted radio communications or violating drivers' First Amendment rights just yet, but some suggest ground rules be implemented. (Continued)