Talking Points: Racing's gender inequality






The question was posed recently if Danica Patrick’s imminent move to NASCAR was a testament to gender equality.

The answer is no — it’s a testament to total inequality.

With just one win in her IndyCar career, a checkered flag that was more the result on her taking a risk on fuel than it was her dexterity behind the wheel, Patrick is rapidly moving into Kardashian territory: being famous just for being famous.

There is no way she would be afforded the NASCAR opportunities she has had if she were a man, nor would she have gotten the same seat time if not for her aesthetic appeal.

The Patrick storyline needs to cease soon. Appropriately enough, it’s one that just keeps going in circles.


ESPN’s Malcolm Gladwell makes an interesting point regarding the NBA lockout — or maybe just lockouts in general.

He contends that owners don’t buy teams as a means of making money, but rather for the sheer pleasure of having their own team.

And is this really incorrect?

The likes of Mark Cuban, George Steinbrenner and Jerry Buss never looked at their franchise and thought, “How is this going to get another mansion in the Hamptons?”

It was more like, “Which mansion in the Hamptons do I have to sell to help this team win?”

Sure, there are good owners and bad ones. Ones like Donald Sterling that do sometimes hold their organization’s hostage for the sake of a profit.

But this absolute necessity to lower the profit share in the owners’ favor doesn’t quite seem congruent for what typically motivates a sports team’s top man.

Follow Talking Points on Twitter: