– BUT DON’T COMPARE HIM TO PETE TOWNSHEND!
Typically, I LOVE it when my two of my favorite addictions combine to produce a double-header event. I’ve been a fan of British rock band “The Who” since the early 70’s, and a NASCAR fan for almost as long. The two rarely coincide, but this past weekend they certainly did.
And I HATE it!
If there is anyone out there who has yet to see the debacle that was Kyle Busch’s trip to Nashville’s Victory Lane after Saturday’s Nationwide Series victory, here is the ignominious video:
Worst yet, John Roberts commented the following morning that Kyle Busch’s attention-getting stunt was performed “in honor of Pete Townshend.” HUH? Would Pete consider THAT an honor? I doubt it.
No sooner did the video hit the Youtube airwaves than the inevitable comparisons between Busch and Townshend started hitting the Google engines. “Busch Goes Townshend on Trophy”…. “Somewhere, Pete Townshend must be smiling” “Busch’s Townshend-like Antics” are all over the net. Apples to rotten, smelly oranges, I say.
For starters, folks, that was no mere “guitar” – it was a one-of-a-kind Gibson Les Paul TROPHY painstakingly handpainted by legendary artist Sam Bass. Initially, the NASCAR media mob reports lead readers to believe that Sam was “cool” with Kyle’s stunt, and knew in advance that the guitar was not long for this world. No so, we now learn. In fact, Sam has gone on record saying that he was “heartbroken” over the situation, and had he known of the stunt in advance, arrangements would have been made to give Kyle a “prop” guitar in order to preserve the real thing. “I wonder how Kyle would like it if I took a hammer and smashed his race car?” stated Bass. “I was so shocked that I just stood there,” said Bass of the incident that has the racing world buzzing. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was heart-broken.”
Busch’s proponents (and yes, they’re out there) contend that the trophy “belonged” to Kyle, and he could therefore do anything with it he pleased. I beg to differ. Kyle contended that he had planned to smash the guitar and “share” the pieces with his team mates. Granted, winning a race is a team effort, but I can’t imagine that any of the crew would prefer to own a splinter of wood & metal over having the ability to gaze at the entire trophy – the intact symbol of their hard work - enshrined in a case at the shop. Nonetheless, since Kyle was unable to even do a “decent” job of smashing the beautiful trophy, he stated that he intends to “send it to the bandsaw” to be divided up amongst his team. How classy.
Webster’s Dictionary defines “trophy” as: 1: something gained or given in victory or conquest especially when preserved or mounted as a memorial. So much for preservation, Kyle! The Nashville trophy was a unique work of art, and although Busch stated that he planned to reconcile and “order two more” from Sam Bass, he added insult to injury by alluding to the fact that Sam would “make more money” replicating the trophy. Sam’s reply? “I don’t think get gets it.”
Understandably, many in the NASCAR media masses are LOVING Kyle’s fiasco. Of course they are – it gives them something to report about and keeps the peanut galleries abuzz with controversy. It’s true that the NASCAR media folk moan the “antiseptisism” of the sport as it makes their jobs more difficult, but I’d far rather watch a report on a driver or team who undertook an act of class and dignity than read rants about rewarding the bad behavior of a select few NASCAR punks. For more on Kyle’s recent on-track Dover fiasco, check out http://www.snafam.blogspot.com/. Seems his aggression isn’t limited to inanimate objects, as he spent the previous weekend attempting to wreck the entire field!
True, Townshend has been the instrument of destruction for many 6-stringed instruments over the years, but one thing makes Pete’s artistic auto-destruction different than Busch’s – Pete’s broken guitars were NOT given to him as trophies -- objects of honor and appreciation. He broke the ones he used – and paid for (even if “after the fact” in the early days of the Who). With a few exceptions, staged for charitable purposes, Pete Townshend STOPPED smashing guitars when he felt that the act started to become rehearsed and shtick-y. As any Who-O-Phile knows, Townshend’s first smashed guitar was an accident (Railway Hotel, Harrow in September of 1964 – listed in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of '50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock & Roll), but the audience loved it so much they thought it was part of the act. Subsequent guitars met their demise at Pete’s hands as a result of his expression of ANGER and RAGE – NOT as a part of a victory celebration or a PR stunt!
Kyle Busch should be punished, penalized or reprimanded for his outrageous stunt. If not, who knows what ridiculously disrespectful shenanigans he’ll pull the next time he has a hankering for a little attention and limelight? Drowning puppies & kittens, perhaps? Kyle should publicly apologize – not only to Sam Bass, the Nashville Speedway and race sponsors – but to fans AND to Pete Townshend, who’s name he’s invoked in disgrace. As for me, I’d love to see Kyle perched upon the Victory Lane stage, with Townshend batting him in the arse with a Gibson SG a-la Abbie Hoffman at Woodstock! THAT would be justice!
Typically, I LOVE it when my two of my favorite addictions combine to produce a double-header event. I’ve been a fan of British rock band “The Who” since the early 70’s, and a NASCAR fan for almost as long. The two rarely coincide, but this past weekend they certainly did.
And I HATE it!
If there is anyone out there who has yet to see the debacle that was Kyle Busch’s trip to Nashville’s Victory Lane after Saturday’s Nationwide Series victory, here is the ignominious video:
Worst yet, John Roberts commented the following morning that Kyle Busch’s attention-getting stunt was performed “in honor of Pete Townshend.” HUH? Would Pete consider THAT an honor? I doubt it.
No sooner did the video hit the Youtube airwaves than the inevitable comparisons between Busch and Townshend started hitting the Google engines. “Busch Goes Townshend on Trophy”…. “Somewhere, Pete Townshend must be smiling” “Busch’s Townshend-like Antics” are all over the net. Apples to rotten, smelly oranges, I say.
For starters, folks, that was no mere “guitar” – it was a one-of-a-kind Gibson Les Paul TROPHY painstakingly handpainted by legendary artist Sam Bass. Initially, the NASCAR media mob reports lead readers to believe that Sam was “cool” with Kyle’s stunt, and knew in advance that the guitar was not long for this world. No so, we now learn. In fact, Sam has gone on record saying that he was “heartbroken” over the situation, and had he known of the stunt in advance, arrangements would have been made to give Kyle a “prop” guitar in order to preserve the real thing. “I wonder how Kyle would like it if I took a hammer and smashed his race car?” stated Bass. “I was so shocked that I just stood there,” said Bass of the incident that has the racing world buzzing. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was heart-broken.”
Busch’s proponents (and yes, they’re out there) contend that the trophy “belonged” to Kyle, and he could therefore do anything with it he pleased. I beg to differ. Kyle contended that he had planned to smash the guitar and “share” the pieces with his team mates. Granted, winning a race is a team effort, but I can’t imagine that any of the crew would prefer to own a splinter of wood & metal over having the ability to gaze at the entire trophy – the intact symbol of their hard work - enshrined in a case at the shop. Nonetheless, since Kyle was unable to even do a “decent” job of smashing the beautiful trophy, he stated that he intends to “send it to the bandsaw” to be divided up amongst his team. How classy.
Webster’s Dictionary defines “trophy” as: 1: something gained or given in victory or conquest especially when preserved or mounted as a memorial. So much for preservation, Kyle! The Nashville trophy was a unique work of art, and although Busch stated that he planned to reconcile and “order two more” from Sam Bass, he added insult to injury by alluding to the fact that Sam would “make more money” replicating the trophy. Sam’s reply? “I don’t think get gets it.”
Understandably, many in the NASCAR media masses are LOVING Kyle’s fiasco. Of course they are – it gives them something to report about and keeps the peanut galleries abuzz with controversy. It’s true that the NASCAR media folk moan the “antiseptisism” of the sport as it makes their jobs more difficult, but I’d far rather watch a report on a driver or team who undertook an act of class and dignity than read rants about rewarding the bad behavior of a select few NASCAR punks. For more on Kyle’s recent on-track Dover fiasco, check out http://www.snafam.blogspot.com/. Seems his aggression isn’t limited to inanimate objects, as he spent the previous weekend attempting to wreck the entire field!
True, Townshend has been the instrument of destruction for many 6-stringed instruments over the years, but one thing makes Pete’s artistic auto-destruction different than Busch’s – Pete’s broken guitars were NOT given to him as trophies -- objects of honor and appreciation. He broke the ones he used – and paid for (even if “after the fact” in the early days of the Who). With a few exceptions, staged for charitable purposes, Pete Townshend STOPPED smashing guitars when he felt that the act started to become rehearsed and shtick-y. As any Who-O-Phile knows, Townshend’s first smashed guitar was an accident (Railway Hotel, Harrow in September of 1964 – listed in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of '50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock & Roll), but the audience loved it so much they thought it was part of the act. Subsequent guitars met their demise at Pete’s hands as a result of his expression of ANGER and RAGE – NOT as a part of a victory celebration or a PR stunt!
Kyle Busch should be punished, penalized or reprimanded for his outrageous stunt. If not, who knows what ridiculously disrespectful shenanigans he’ll pull the next time he has a hankering for a little attention and limelight? Drowning puppies & kittens, perhaps? Kyle should publicly apologize – not only to Sam Bass, the Nashville Speedway and race sponsors – but to fans AND to Pete Townshend, who’s name he’s invoked in disgrace. As for me, I’d love to see Kyle perched upon the Victory Lane stage, with Townshend batting him in the arse with a Gibson SG a-la Abbie Hoffman at Woodstock! THAT would be justice!
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