It Wasn't a Hate Crime

While some of the power of this image has changed, let it not
take away from what was a good moment for NASCAR.

I wrote about Bubba Wallace yesterday.

I spent probably 15 minutes of my show about him and the noose found at Talladega today.

And, it turned out, it was a pull rope in the garage. It had been there since last year.

Not a noose.

No hate crime has been committed against Wallace.

Look, I don't blame him. He was told it was there. He reacted.

He's not Jussie Smollett.

But, it allows the conspiracy theorists to think otherwise.

It makes the media -- and it makes me -- look bad. Like we're not doing our job.

I'm personally embarrassed -- not because I supported Wallace but because I made such impassioned speeches about the situation.

And it turned out to be a pull rope.

Of course, I don't regret thinking and saying we can all do better, because we can.

But, let's not misunderstand yesterday's race either. The support for Wallace was still deserved and served as a nice step in a sport steeped in good ol' (white) boy mentality.

While the "noose" story turned out to be nothing, the images were still powerful.

I still have a strong, healthy respect for Bubba Wallace. If that's the net result of a pull rope then so be it.

But, I'm sad that I thought the story was solid and wonder if I rushed to judgement.

And, clearly, I did.

I'm glad it's nothing.

But, I'm bummed as well.

And that probably makes no sense at all.

*****
Oh, and baseball is back. Training camps open in early July. Games in late July.

You don't like the number of games? Don't watch.

You think it's foolish and dangerous? Don't watch.

I wish there were more games. I wish we'd stop with a lot of what the game is doing.

But, I work in and around baseball, and sports.

I love baseball.

I'm going to watch.

Haters and pessimists can hate.