Under the Toronto Sun: Is there a professional bias against Danica Patrick?

Monday, July 26, 2010

Is there a professional bias against Danica Patrick?

If there is a professional bias against Danica Patrick, she has no one but herself to blame. On the one hand Ms. Patrick wants to be respected as a professional driver, but on the other hand she continuously sabotages her own career by posing seductively in sleazy outfits, casting a surreptitious glance at the camera.

Various sport stars endorse the products of their sponsors, but the majority does so in a classy, sophisticate and often humorous way.

As a connoisseur of healthy foods, Tony Stewart encouraged the viewing audience to eat healthier by promoting Subway sandwiches. Jeff Gordon drew attention to Pepsi; while Jimmy Johnson did his bit for Gillette shaving razor blades.

The difference between the men doing these commercials and Danica Patrick promoting her sponsors is that the men kept their clothes on.

If Ms. Pattick wants to be on the same level with these drivers, she has to stop parading around in her barely there knickers and push-up bra. She may also want to reconsider being coifed and made-up like a porn star.

Simona De Silvestro is an Indy car driver too and is first and foremost a professional driver. When photographed she is wearing her fire suit bearing the names of her sponsors or a respectable outfit.

Voted among the ten most beautiful female sport stars are Maria Sharapovain tennis, Michelle Sung Wie in golf and Kari Traa in skiing. All these women have promoted their sponsor's products, but none of them sink as low as Danica Patrick does.

As for driving talent, let’s have a look at the current Indy car series. All drivers race Honda engines, with a Dallara chassis and FS tires. Yet while Dario Franchitti leads with 246 points, Danica Patrick trails along in 11th position with a mere 158 points.

When trying her hand at NASCAR’s Nationwide Series, Ms. Patrick didn’t do much better. Ranked 66th she is 1958 points behind the leader. In the first race she crashed her car, in the second race she finished but was several laps down, in the third race she again crashed her car.

What Ms. Patrick lacks in talent she makes up for in attitude. She has been known to throwing tantrums, including yelling at her pit crew, throwing her helmet around and stomping off to her trailer. In short, a driver sports fans love to hate.

Perhaps if Ms. Patrick concentrated more on driving and less on publicity she would get some respect from her fellow drivers and the public alike. Even is Ms. Patrick doesn’t win a race, is it too much too expect that she actually captures or pole position or leads a couple of laps?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, the following are worth a whole dictionary.

Danica Patrick