Martin joins Hendrick, removes any doubt that he is a liar and a jerk
Posted By Paul on July 4, 2008
FOX Sports on MSN - NASCAR - Martin joins Hendrick, replacing Mears next year
Several years ago Mark Martin had a big “farewell tour” as he marked his ‘last’ year driving NASCAR cars. He sold millions of dollars worth of specially branded merchandise so his fans could be a part of his final year. He made many public declarations that spending time with his family, in general, and his young son in particular, was much more important than him continuing to drive a race car.
Of course, as anyone following NASCAR knows, Martin went back on his word and kept on driving for a different team, albeit on a “part-time” basis. And now today he announced that next year he is going to be back to driving full-time.
His actions speak much louder than his words, as it seems obvious his family does not really mean that much to him. I’m quite sure he has not returned any of the money he stole from unsuspecting former fans who thought his word meant at least a little and bought those all those “farewell” mementos.
It’s time the NASCAR pr machine quit trying to build this jerk up as some kind of saint. He’s a liar and a jerk, plain and simple.
Though I confess I’m puzzled by his decision, I’m not going to be as hard on Mark as you are. In a career that has exuded decency and excellence, which has earned him more respect as a driver and a human being than just about anybody in the garage, it’s hard to label him a “liar” and a”jerk”. It looks to me more like this: Mark said some things prematurely that he shouldn’t have said (as opposed to intentionally lying); once he got away a bit, he realized, as so many athletes from so many sports do, that it’s tougher to walk away–particularly when you’re still on the top of your game in many respects–than he thought it would be. I tend to doubt that “stole” is the appropriate word for what he “did” to his fans, and I’d even bet that if an incensed fan wrote him and asked for his money back, Mark might find a way to make it happen.
How many of us make statements we believe to be true, only to later realize that we’ve spoken too quickly, not realized the impact our stated intentions would have on us, etc. My guess is that his family is cool with his decision, else he wouldn’t be making it. For a guy who is respected by everyone in the NASCAR garage to the degree he is, it seems to me that giving the benefit of the doubt is the order of the day…
Here’s another writer who seems to share my sense of disgust and disappointment with Martin: Can we trust Martin after latest flip-flop?
And another blogger draws a similar conclusion about another athlete who keeps pulling the same stunt in a different sport: Enough Already! The Nutso Brett Favre Saga