While watching the Busch Series late practice on the Speed Channel Thursday night, something caught my eye. Thanks to the power of the
great TIVO machine I backed up the scene and couldn't believe it! I hit record and grabbed my camera to take this photo of "The GREAT" Juan Pablo Montoya with his middle finger in the air! Yep, it was him! He seemed to catch his mistake and looked at the camera and waived his glove covered hand vigorously as if he knew he had just made one of the worst possible errors of his young career. You could just feel the guilty, sick feeling in his stomach. The "Great Race Car Driver" Juan Pablo Montoya had just been caught! By me anyway.
Now, I don't know if NASCAR caught it or the announcers saw it on their monitors but I did and I'm sure other folks out there saw it too. What to do, what to do. NASCAR has fined drivers in the past for on air words and gestures but is the "Great One" going to be called to the carpet for this first offense or is he so high on the list of favorites that they will turn their heads and act like it never happened?
I will be waiting to see if anything comes of this but I just think it shows he is no better than any other driver, he puts his pants on one leg at a time so stop acting like he is the best thing to happen to NASCAR since pockets on tee shirts! I hope the big fine he gets will bring him down to the level he should be - just another rookie!
What's your thoughts on this? Talk to me folks! Should he be fined or not?
10 comments:
Jaun should be fined, big time, for giving us fans "the finger"! He is contemptable, and should be made to apologize. Many young people watch NASCAR/Busch Racing and I, for one, don't want them thinking that this is the way to communicate with others!
Thank you for allowing us to put our feelings on your site and for bringing this matter into the light of day. Most people missed what Jaun did and it needs to be seen by NASCAR Officials! Now they need to take action!
Sincerely,
A.J.
Tennessee
First, this article is way too biased. You obviously don't like Juan, but that is your perogative
I think he shouldn't be fined. This was during practice in his car, and it is up to the TV crew to catch things like that. What happened to the 5 second delay? Also, the children argument is getting old and worn out. If your kids haven't seen someone giving the finger they are too sheltered. If they see it and start using it that means you are a bad parent. Be a parent and teach them what it is and why they shouldn't use it, don't expect to shelter them.
Whether children watching or not, you can't give the middle finger on television per FCC regulations. If NASCAR has any consistancy at all (I'll wait while everyone has a nice chuckle) they'll fine him. I saw it live and was like "Did he just do what I think he did?" Drivers should not rely on a 5 second delay to "catch" any mistakes they make.
-JD-
He should be made to pay......Being insolent to the fans
and being a sycophant does not make you able to treat the fans like he does.. besides he needs to get the crap out of his mouth so we
Americans can understand what he is trying to say........
I think the next step will be teams saying, "Screw you media. If you are going to do what you want with your in car cameras then we don't want them." If the camera wasn't there this would be a non issue. Remember, he was giving someone the finger, not the camera.
The camera that caught him was NOT an in-car camera, it was a handheld camera with a cameraman and a whole crew with him. BTW, do you think he was directing this at Tony?
Steve Langley
If that is supposed to be the REAL picture of evidence, I do believe there are bigger offenders of truth and decency than the "Juans one up' being discussed...
The picture shows a RIGHT HAND gesture that if thought about for half a second,, I believe all would say depicts a situation that would be physically impossible to get to that window at that angle by a man belted tight into the seat where his helmet gives indication of shoulder location.. It would take a four foot long arm, and there are many pictures on the net to show that is not the case of JPM...
I think that if anybody gets fined, it shouldn't be the guy that REACTS with said sign language on the spur of the moment, but the media group who printed the picture, lie or not, in any publication... Premeditated????????
Who is guilty????
If you don't like the characters you see in racing, or the editing done by those that cover it, watch golf,, they seem to get it done...
CHANGE CHANNELS.....
Outtaget1 (JS)
Sorry JS but many viewers saw this on television Thursday night and I still have it on my Great TIVO machine. I guess JPM does have a four foot arm.
I have been contacted by the BGN (Busch Grand National) folks and here is what I received from them:
"In case you haven't seen other reports since emailing this question, NASCAR said yesterday that they were still looking into it.
Now, I agree with you because a few years ago Hmiel was penalized for doing it to DJ in Bristol after a wreck and a confrontation. He had no idea his in-car camera was going to catch it and being on TV was the farthest thing from his mind. At the time, it was more TV's fault for airing it as they could have edited that out due to their delay - that was being promoted so heavily after a previous cuss word from another driver put it into play...
In this case, JPM intentionally flashed the camera. His reasoning however is that he didn't know it was for live coverage - thinking it could be edited out. Seems to me the driver should be to blame for this one. They shouldn't do things like that thinking it's funny or just for kicks"
It's not the characters I don't like in racing, it's the actions of a few of those characters. That's why NASCAR has rules about how drivers are to conduct themselves on and off the track.
The point I want to make is JPM is a rookie. They keep trying to build him up as the greatest driver to ever hit NASCAR. I want to see some kind of conformaity with their rules to all drivers, and if they do, JPM will get fined.
I apologize whole heartedly for my impulsive commentary.. Upon reviewing the picture, I discovered I had my head on backwards or something and my impression the picture was from drivers side... Since "first impressions" I have seen my mistake, and read what you had to say in the answer to my post... I agree totally to all you say in the context you environ it...
I am not happy with the SHOW we are getting in the name of racing... And all the rules and character molds that seem to be "necessary", in my opinion are making the sport a crock of creep... Don't take the character out of the racer.. It is a hard and calloused sport in reality.. Played by hard and calloused characters... Let them be what they are, in natural.
TAKE THE DANG CAMERA OUT OF THE CAR.
I want REAL RACING, by REAL RACERS......
And the greedy francin' monopolicrats best realize that their stranglehold and choreography thru mandated and distributed components and prettyboy rules are ruining the REALITY of the sport.... If not totally,, at least in the upper echelon(s).
nuffs nuff.
Thanks for the forum, and sorry again for my disorientated viewpoint of the photo... :-)
JS
cT8fP3 You have a talant! Write more!
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