Johnson wins again; good for him, bad for NASCAR?

Whenever I read or see a commissioner of a sports league talk about the need for parity, I can't help but laugh.

You should be laughing, too.

In their heart of hearts, everyone is against parity. To voice an opinion for it is just one of those things you say when you want to be politically correct -- or when your team, or guy, stinks. You don't want parity. Admit it.

There has to be a dominant force for a sport to flourish. Fans have to have something to initiate watercooler discussion, which any entertainment form will tell you is the key to its survival.

Of your friends that watch NASCAR, do you know anyone who doesn't have an opinion of Jimmie Johnson? Not only do they all have one, but it's likely one extreme or the other. They love him or hate him.

You need to love and hate to watch sports.

Strong opinion is what drives sports on its most basic level. Without opinion, there's no rooting interest. Without rooting interest, there isn't sports on television. End of story.

Think about all the "golden ages" of sports in this country. They've all had dominant forces at their center. Golf had (or has) Tiger Woods, the NBA had the Bulls in the '90s and the Celtics before that and baseball has had the Yankees since nearly the beginning of time.

You love them. You hate them. Most importantly, you watch them. For whatever reason, Jimmie Johnson makes you watch. He needs to win.

Another week, another No. 48 victory.

Jimmie Johnson won race No. 48 in his short, nine-plus-year career with a well-timed pit stop at Auto Club Speedway. Johnson didn't have the fastest car of the day, but he was out front when it mattered most.

But as I watched the drama unfold, I chuckled and said, "You've got to be kidding me." Once again, Johnson, Chad Knaus and the No. 48 figured out a way to win when there was no way they should have.

Good for them -- I have nothing but respect for that entire operation. That team should be used as an example of how to do things in the Cup Series. But like the Lakers, the Patriots, the Red Sox and the Yankees -- I'm officially tired of Jimmie Johnson.

And I know I'm not alone.

Poor attendance and ratings can be blamed on numerous things, but one that never gets mentioned is most people don't like to see the same person win over and over. It gets old, and I think it is showing in NASCAR.

It's not Johnson's fault. He's doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing. I blame the field. It's on them to knock off the 48 from its pedestal and they haven't stepped up to the challenge.

Until they do, Johnson will continue to dominate and the casual fan will continue to tune out until the winds of change begin to swirl. If Sunday is any indication, it might be a while.