By MIKE HARRIS, AP Motorsports Writer

 

A slip of the tongue on TV cost Dale Earnhardt Jr. first place and $10,000, penalties imposed by an increasingly image-conscious NASCAR.

 

Earnhardt was docked 25 points Tuesday in the Nextel Cup standings for using a vulgarity in an NBC interview after his victory at Talladega Superspeedway, dropping him to second place with seven races left in the season. He will appeal the point penalty.

 

Earnhardt still gets credit for the 14th victory of his career Sunday, and he has plenty of time to make up the deficit on new leader Kurt Busch, with up to 190 points available at each race.

 

Nonetheless, the punishment was criticized by Earnhardt's team as too harsh, and it served as another example of how NASCAR is trying to shed its image as a sport that traces its roots to Good Ol' Boys running moonshine through the hills of Georgia and the Carolinas.

 

"The popularity of this sport is based on colorful personalities and the fact that everyone can relate to these drivers and their emotions," said Richie Gilmore, director of competition for Dale Earnhardt Inc. "Now it seems like that's a detriment."

 

Enjoying tremendous growth in mainstream popularity lately, the racing league landed a $2.8 billion television contract with NBC and Fox that began in 2001, and this season switched the sponsorship of its top division from cigarette-maker R.J. Reynold's Winston brand to telecommunications giant Nextel.

 

As part of the whole scrubbing-up process NASCAR president Mike Helton told drivers in February to watch their language on radio and television. Less than a month later, he showed he meant it: Johnny Sauter lost 25 points for swearing during a radio interview after a Busch Series race in Las Vegas.

 

Ron Hornaday Jr. also was fined and lost 25 points for cursing during a live radio interview in June during a Busch race in Dover, Del.

 

"Helton made it clear ... that we, as a family sport, were taking this very seriously and adhering to FCC guidelines," NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said. "The timing is unfortunate for Dale Jr., but NASCAR also made it clear to the competitors that we would police the last 10 races just like we did the first 26."

 

It's also part of an overall trend in sports and media, the most talked-about example being Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during her halftime performance at the Super Bowl. CBS was fined a record $550,000 by the FCC for Jackson's breast-baring, and federal regulators cracked down on other objectionable content on TV and radio.

 

"I know the FCC has been hard on everybody since the Super Bowl mess, and we should have clean language. Mike Helton tells us to act like there are people from 8 to 80 that are watching us, but it's tough," driver Elliott Sadler said. "I can understand if we do something stupid on the race track to get penalized for it, because it might be putting somebody's life in danger for doing something stupid, but as far as cussing or saying a bad word, maybe they should be a little lenient on that."

 

Networks have installed delays of up to 10 seconds for some programming, and ABC's "Monday Night Football" is using a 5-second delay this season. NBC does not give itself a chance to censor its NASCAR telecasts, though.

 

That's why viewers in nearly 7 million homes were able to hear Earnhardt use a vulgarity when he was asked about the significance of his fifth victory at Talladega. Earnhardt told NBC, "It don't mean s--- right now. Daddy's won here 10 times."

 

Earnhardt's father, easily the most popular driver of his era, was killed in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001.

 

Father and son won the adoration of millions in part because they built reputations for saying whatever they're thinking. Some fans have criticized NASCAR for trying to turn its drivers into colorless automatons, who show little emotion and whose choreographed postrace celebrations revolve around repeated mentions of sponsors.

 

"This whole incident is going to force everyone in the sport to rethink showing any excitement in what should be a jubilant moment," Gilmore said.

 

Little E wasn't available for comment Tuesday. On Sunday, he defended his use of colorful language.

 

 

 

"I hope they understand that it was in jubilation and I know me and those other guys that got fined let it slip, but it's two different circumstances. I think that when you're happy and joyous about something and it happens, I think it's different than being angry and cursing in anger," Earnhardt said.

 

"If anybody was offended by the four-letter word I said ... I can't imagine why they would have tuned into the race in the first place."

 

absolute silliniess

I must admit, I'm surprised to see NA$CAR do this.

 

It's good that they're treating everyone the same now.

A company built on the strenght of it's alchohol and tobacco product sponsers is too big to have a little vulgarity. Who knew?

What an idiotic penalty. Whoever made up this rule needs a kick in the balls. I hate NASCAR though so who cares?

A company built on the strenght of it's alchohol and tobacco product sponsers is too big to have a little vulgarity. Who knew?

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tobacco is in the past of nascar. alcohol is still around though

 

i dont like jr that much, but taking away points he earned on the track for a minor incident after the race is stupid. fine him, but dont take away points

A company built on the strenght of it's alchohol and tobacco product sponsers is too big to have a little vulgarity.? Who knew?

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tobacco is in the past of nascar. alcohol is still around though

 

i dont like jr that much, but taking away points he earned on the track for a minor incident after the race is stupid. fine him, but dont take away points

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Regardless, for thirty years NASCAR made a killing off of their Winston sponsership. Until it became uncool to promote cigarette use.

 

Who cares if the guy uses foul language? I didn't see them fining him when he did that naked photo shoot (he took pictures of girls exposing their breats and twats). That's worse to me than saying a cuss-word. If you curse, at least you're a normal guy, if you take pictures of naked women for some slutty magazine and DVD then you're trash.

 

The fact is, NASCAR is NOT family sport. I've been to a couple of NASCAR events. When you get that many drunk people together things are bound to get a little racy (women baring their breasts, people puking under the bleachers and screamed curse words).

 

They don't come down this hard when Tony Stewart gets in fights and curses at the press. JR's just being made an example of.

 

Wow, I just posted a long thing about NASCAR...

they have been doing this all year on all levels of racing.

 

 

 

thank the FCC for this fine and docking of points.

It's lame. Want to fine him? Fine. Docking 25 points is lame.

I don't agree with the call, but it's good news for my Driver Mark Martin. Who's 4th in points. :captain

Does NASCAR decide penalties on a case by case basis or is it a blanket rule, if it is a blanket rule than there isnt musch that can be said, but if it is a case by case basis I do agree that it is wrong to take away accomplishments that the driver has done on the track for an incident done off the track...

 

With that said I dont know much about NASCAR and their rules, all I know is that I am glad that NASCAR isnt bending over backwards to protect its biggest star in Little E, atleast they arent showing favortism, but they may have come down a little too harsh because he is the biggest name in NASCAR and they dont want to look soft

Well first off the rule is BS and I can guarentee after this year it will be changed. BUT Nascar cannot make exceptions for its superstars so in this case Nascar did make the correct ruling, but its still a BS rule. After the season they will change it to a $50,000 fine or something like that instead of the points thing.

i understand fining him but taking points away from him affecting his chances at the title is way to much.

The significant thing that ya'll haters don't understand is that they have been taking driver points away from other guys for almost 2 seasons now for similar fouls.

 

Should NA$CAR had not done so with Junior, it would confirm... .err, show their favoritism towards him.

The significant thing that ya'll haters don't understand is that they have been taking driver points away from other guys for almost 2 seasons now for similar fouls.

 

Should NA$CAR had not done so with Junior, it would confirm... .err, show their favoritism towards him.

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Exactly

What an idiotic penalty. Whoever made up this rule needs a kick in the balls. I hate NASCAR though so who cares?

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Agreed 100 percent, couldn't have said it better myself.

The significant thing that ya'll haters don't understand is that they have been taking driver points away from other guys for almost 2 seasons now for similar fouls.

 

Should NA$CAR had not done so with Junior, it would confirm... .err, show their favoritism towards him.

584394[/snapback]

 

 

thats true.

 

 

and like i said....its being done because of the risk of fines by the FCC primarily.

In this situation he should be fined, but you can't stretch the rules - even for my boy with his own KFC bucket.

In this situation he should be fined, but you can't stretch the rules - even for my boy with his own KFC bucket.

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what rules are being stretched.

 

 

 

every driver uttering whats considered a vulgarity, has recieved the exact same fine and loss of points.

In this situation he should be fined, but you can't stretch the rules - even for my boy with his own KFC bucket.

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what rules are being stretched.

 

 

 

every driver uttering whats considered a vulgarity, has recieved the exact same fine and loss of points.

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Yeah. I guess I miswrote. What I meant was while it is unfortunate that this punishment cost him first place, just because he is in this position doesn't mean he got jipped. What I meant was they should remake the rule coming with a punishment as a fine not a standings hit.

In this situation he should be fined, but you can't stretch the rules - even for my boy with his own KFC bucket.

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what rules are being stretched.

 

 

 

every driver uttering whats considered a vulgarity, has recieved the exact same fine and loss of points.

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Yeah. I guess I miswrote. What I meant was while it is unfortunate that this punishment cost him first place, just because he is in this position doesn't mean he got jipped. What I meant was they should remake the rule coming with a punishment as a fine not a standings hit.

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I can tell you right now that $25,000 dollars mean about as much to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as a penny means to you.