The bumper sticker read "God needed a driver..."

The above photo was not taken by me... but it has been seen by millions all over the internet and it seemed appropriate that we all take a good long look at this picture as today marks the official opening of the NASCAR season with the Daytona 500.

It's been five years and a day since #3 checked out... and I don't really want to inflame the Nascar Dads (or Moms, or kids for that matter) but can we give it a rest for God's sake??? Should you need any more evidence that we're spending entirely too much time and money on worshipping a guy who made a living by SPEEDING... read this little piece copied from the Earnhardt family website:

"Dale Earnhardt fans can cruise along the Dale Trail tour starting in mid- to late September. That's when the self-guided tour of the late NASCAR star and Kannapolis native's old haunts will debut, said Cabarrus County tourism officials who helped create the project."

THE DALE TRAIL? Just when you think there might be hope for the South to shake all the Elvis-trailer-park-slept-with momma-til-he-was-15-years-old stuff... Somebody creates The Dale Trail.
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Fact. Race car driving is not a sport. Not anymore. It's more of a game - on par with today's Playstation games. Today's Daytona 500 is 800 left turns... with no speed limits. It's unlimted gas, tires, and a motor club that doesn't just show up when your car catches on fire... they put out the fire - rebuild it and push start you back into the race.

And really, thanks to Earnhardt's tragic death, technology will actually prevent many others from suffering the same fate... which actually makes the whole Nascar thing even less of a sport.

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The race coverage was on NBC today from 1pm to 6:30pm. Over five hours of this...

Save me, save all of us, move NASCAR to SPIKE or ESPN 19.