We're at the end of the decade of the 2000s, and we're running down some of the most memorable moments of the past ten years. NASCAR fans love to debate the sport, and today, we indulge you, serving up the greatest arguments of the last 10 years. Please, no bloodshed; conversation only.
10. Which TV network is the best? NASCAR splits its season across three networks -- Fox, TNT and ABC/ESPN -- and each has its advantages (widescreen racing with in-race commercials) and disadvantages (Digger). So which network is your favorite? Is any?
9. Should NASCAR open the doors to more tire manufacturers? 2008 wasn't a good year for tires. An uncompetitive Atlanta race and a wretched Indy sent all of NASCAR nation and a good portion of the drivers against Goodyear, and increased pressure on NASCAR to open the door to more tire manufacturers. Of course, NASCAR did nothing of the sort.
8. Are the many cookie-cutter tracks a mistake? There are several hundred 1.5-mile "cookie-cutter" tracks in NASCAR, or perhaps it only seems that way. While the tracks can provide predictable racing, "predictable" can have both positive and negative connotations.
7. Do foreign manufacturers belong in NASCAR? Toyota's arrival in NASCAR set off torrents of America-first screaming. Should NASCAR remain an American-manufacturer sport, or should American manufacturers step it up and take on all comers?
6. Is the Chase a good system or an atrocity? The Chase was designed to put a playoff atmosphere into NASCAR, but it hasn't worked out that way. Is that the fault of the Chase, or a testament to the skill of Jimmie Johnson?
5. Kyle Busch: budding antihero or whiny jerk? Kyle Busch has made plenty of enemies on the track. But he's also earned plenty of fans, too, largely because he's phenomenally talented. So which side will win out, the skill or the complaining?
4. Does the Car of Tomorrow make NASCAR better? Developed in the wake of Dale Earnhardt's death, the Car of Tomorrow is the safest stock car ever made. But it's also boxy and tough to legally reengineer, and certain drivers -- Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. chief among them -- have had significant difficulties adjusting to the new ride. So is the increased safety worth the competitive tradeoff?
3. Is Jimmie Johnson one of the all-time greats? He's won more consecutive championships than anyone in NASCAR history. But he's done it under a Chase system that plays to his strengths. So does he belong in the company of the immortals, or is he just forrtunate enough to be born at the right time?
2. Was NASCAR better in the old days? Sure, engineers could tinker with the cars, and there was bumpin' and bangin' and real men behind the wheel. But races were often won with only a handful of cars -- sometimes only one -- on the lead lap. And if you didn't see the race live, you'd have to listen on radio, at best. Today? More competitive, every second on TV ... but far less charismatic drivers. Which do you prefer?
1. Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. really any good at all? He's a chameleon, that Junior -- sometimes hypertalented, sometimes completely lost. Is it the car? The crew chief? Him? Does he have his father's talent, or just his last name? This is the question above all questions, the one which won't ever get answered to anyone's satisfaction ... probably not even Junior's.
All right, your turn. What's your take on the arguments above? Any others we need to add to the list? Go!
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