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[elmono311]

What an ass. Whatever little respect I had for Kurt Busch (which wasn't much to begin with) is now totally gone. Sad that he's taking over a true legend's (Rusty Wallace) car next year:

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio released the police report of the Nov. 11 incident with Kurt Busch Thursday, along with a statement of how the "antagonistic" Busch was stopped for reckless driving and even refused a deputy's request to submit to a field sobriety test. But although the lengthy report details the belligerent manner in which Busch dealt with the officers involve- at one time, according to the report, saying, "You have no idea what you're doing. You have no idea who I am. You have to be the dumbest cops I've ever met" - it also says he later passed both a preliminary breath test and an eye test.

An unnamed female passenger in the rented Ford Expedition told police that Busch was driving because she had had too much to drink. Busch told police he had consumed one margarita at a Mexican restaurant. According to the report, Busch's blood-alcohol level was .017 percent, well below the .08 intoxication limit in Arizona. Arresting deputy Glenn Powe had attempted to test Busch earlier on another breathalyzer machine, but it was found to be out of tolerance, police said. Busch was handcuffed, told he was being arrested for DUI, and brought to a command post, where he agreed to the other tests. There, "I did not see any obvious signs or symptoms of alcohol impairment," wrote one of the three deputies involved in the incident.

But the Roush organization said it suspended Busch for his hostility toward the deputies involved. According to the report, Powe tried to stop Busch after he noticed the Explorer following another vehicle too closely, and swerving across a solid yellow line to avoid an accident after the first vehicle slowed to make a right turn. According to Powe's narrative, Busch handed the deputy his NASCAR credential in addition to his driver's license and rental car agreement. Powe wrote that he asked Busch if he worked for NASCAR, and received "a long-winded dissertation about his celebrity status, listing his accomplishments as if he were reading me his resume."

After asking Busch to exit the vehicle, Powe wrote that the driver responded, "This is bull----." Later, according to Powe, Busch said, "You guys are a joke. Punks. Aren't you supposed to be directing traffic somewhere?" Powe wrote that Busch refused to finish the field sobriety test, saying, "I'm not doing this gay (expletive) test." Powe wrote that as he powered up the breathalyzer machine later found to be out of tolerance, Busch said, "You're only doing this because you're a Jeff Gordon fan."

[disnut8]

OK - it took me the entire 75 minute drive to think about this reply.

When I first started following NASCAR, Kurt Busch was my favorite driver.  I thought I'd go against the mainstream and not follow Jeff or Junior.  But then I got into NASCAR and the different drivers and their personalities and I decided that Kurt Busch was not a driver I wanted to be following.  RichN still gives me grief over that.  Now I can say I'm a Jeff and a Junior fan.  Almost unheard of in NASCAR but it can be done.

So when Kurt had his "falling from grace", I was not that disappointed.  Drunken driving.  Wow.  A NASCAR driver on a Friday night when quals are Saturday and he's driving drunk.  He deserves everything that is thrown at him.  Didn't expect the suspension but figured he'd have a hard time.

Then he's suspended before the reports are filed.  Then we find out he wasn't drunk.  Far from it.  OK, the police overreacted so I'll give Kurt the benefit of the doubt and actually admire him for not being too cynical about the legal system in the country.  Police makes mistakes, they take things too far.  I think everyone in my household is full well aware of that.  However, they are The Man and they should be treated with respect since they are doing their jobs.  And I want them to do their jobs.  But with any job, there are exceptions to being perfect.

So I read the police report.  Any ground Kurt Busch gained from me in the last week went out the window.  And he's now relegated to status behind even Oompa Loompa in my book.  Copping (no pun intended) that kind of "do you know who I am?" attitude is just wrong.  Who the hell cares?  If you do something wrong, you are no different than Average Joe on the way home.

The second thing that gets me is this unidentified woman in the car.  Kurt Busch is engaged.  Has been since last year.  Where was the lovely Eva as she was so fawningly called last year when Busch won the championship?  OK, Kurt wasn't drunk and this female said he was driving her home since she was intoxicated.  Towards the track?  Anyone know if Phoenix has condos like AMS does?

The third thing is that sports figures, just like any other kind of people in the public eye, are just that - in the public eye.  I am not a fan of the photographers who track celebrities and report on their every move.  But that's not what happened here.  These people need to realize that they should be role models.  They have young fans out there.  Those guys don't have to be perfect but if they do mess up, they need to take accountability for it.  A "sorry officer, I'll take whatever test you want me to" would have worked wonders, especially since Kurt wasn't drunk and he knew it.  It's the attitude that bothers me.  If celebrities would drop the "I'm better than anyone else" crap, we wouldn't have situations like this.  We don't need it.

Best line, though.  "You're only doing this because you are a Jeff Gordon fan".  Bawawawa.  Yeah, like Jeff has a ton on you this year Kurt.  Well, I guess he does.  It's called CLASS.

[elmono311]

Just about anybody in that garage area has more class than Kurt Busch now. It's not really surprising that Busch acted like that. You could tell he's the mouth off kind of guy from his interviews.