Tiger needs to make room at top for Jimmie Johnson

Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Two races remain on the 2009 Sprint Cup schedule, but they're mere formalities, almost exhibitions.

And there are nearly two months left in the calendar year -- plenty of time for amazing feats by Kobe or LeBron, Peyton or Tebow.

But when The Associated Press Sports Editors conducts its annual poll of members for male and female athlete of the year, one vote is already assured: Jimmie Johnson.

Mind you, this is coming from someone who's not a NASCAR fan and once needed convincing that race-car drivers are indeed athletes. (Pro bowlers and poker players are another matter, despite what ESPN chooses to broadcast.) But you can't ignore someone who's about to accomplish a feat no one in his sport's history has. Unless Johnson oversleeps twice or comes down with H1N1, he'll easily win an unprecedented fourth straight Cup title.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. never did that. Neither did Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty or Jeff Gordon, who join The Intimidator to make up NASCAR's Mount Rushmore.

Comparing accomplishments in different sports can be like equating apples and oranges. But Johnson's feat deserves to be ranked with Lance Armstrong's seven straight Tour de France titles, Roger Federer's six straight Wimbledon crowns or Tiger Woods' holding all four PGA major trophies at once.

Armstrong, Federer and Woods have enjoyed a stranglehold on the AP male award in recent years, but they should move over and make room for Johnson.

Yes, Johnson drives for deep-pocketed Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR's answer to the New York Yankees. He enjoys the finest technological advancements. But so do Tiger and Federer in their respective sports.

(And if money is the sole criterion for NASCAR success, why isn't Dale Earnhardt Jr. thriving for Hendrick? Despite similar equipment, he has lagged far behind teammates Johnson, Gordon and Mark Martin. Isn't it time to admit that Junior inherited his father's name but only a fraction of his driving ability?) But back to Johnson, who seems to be getting more dominant than ever. After winning his first three crowns by 56, 77 and 69 points, he literally may be able to skip this year's final race at Homestead and still claim the Cup.

And this is in NASCAR's relatively new Chase for the Championship, which gives the top 12 drivers an almost equal shot at winning the Cup. Brian Vickers' 600-point deficit was erased after he earned the final Chase berth at Richmond; he entered yesterday 556 points behind Johnson.

That's because Johnson was the only driver to finish in the top 10 in each of the first seven Cup races. And unlike Matt Kenseth, whose boring 2003 consistency (25 top-10s, one victory) caused NASCAR to come up with a playoff, Johnson has won three of the first seven Chase races.

Johnson has qualities that define champions in any sport: competitiveness, consistency and an ability to rise to the occasion. Gordon, who was once NASCAR's Golden Boy, has them, too, but even he can't keep pace with his teammate.

NASCAR is undeniably morphing from a Southern passion to a global sport. The influx of international drivers from other racing disciplines (Juan Pablo Montoya, Sam Hornish, Patrick Carpentier and, soon, Danica Patrick) is evidence of that.

That's why the sport should celebrate Johnson's achievements and promote him worldwide as a star. He's already got one admirer.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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