Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Is the Chase for the Sprint Cup over? Well it seems to be. Jimmie Johnson has once again proven why he’s the best. The 48 team had a less than stellar start to the 2008 season, well at least considering how they typically start out. People were already crowning Kyle Busch the champ. Whether the 48 team weren’t showing all their cards, or they were that far behind Kyle Busch doesn’t matter. When it came time to show up for the chase the guys on the 48 team stepped it up, in a big way.

One of the biggest issues I have seen is that fans and the media don’t give Jimmie much respect. The guy is on the verge of his third straight title and you wouldn’t know he was about to tie history. Not since Cale Yaborough did in the 70’s has a driver won three straight cup championships. That’s a huge feat and Johnson is not even mentioned in the same breath with any of the greats. I know you may be saying don’t crown him champ yet there are three races to go, and you may call me a hypocrite because I just said every crowned Kyle Busch Champ earlier in the season. There is a big difference here, The 48 team knows how to win championships and they know how to them because they have lost a few.

Jimmie didn’t have sway me too much to his side that he is a great driver, but I’ll tell you after his drive last week in Atlanta…. he proved that he belongs with the best ever in this sport. With 8 laps to go Johnson drove from 11th place to 2nd. He picked off drivers one by one. Johnson was able to do this because of the gutsy call by his crew chief Chad Knaus. On the last caution Chad called his driver in to get 4 fresh tires. This call sealed the deal and Johnson was able to extend his point lead to 183 points over race winner Carl Edwards.

This killer instinct is what makes the 48 bunch untouchable on the track. Sure they could have been conservative and ride around collecting points, but they decided to squeeze their foot harder on the throat of the competition. That’s what owning the competition is all about. The combination of Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson do it the best and that’s why they are where they are today.

I said earlier that the fans and media don’t respect Johnson, I think that’s the wrong word. Fans don’t like Johnson. Race fans are the best fans and in the world and they know a good thing when they see it, but that doesn’t mean the have to like it. Someone brought a good point to me the other day. He said Johnson doesn’t get booed at driver intros like some of other not well-liked drivers, so how can you say they don’t respect him. Well that got me thinking, then I decided to say they don’t like him. People tend to not like something or someone they are always hearing about and Jimmie is that guy. Every time you watch the race it’s Jimmie this Jimmie that. I’m sure it can get on your nerves, especially if he is blowing by your driver.

My whole point in writing this was to just make people aware of what Johnson and what his team are getting ready to pull off this season. That is Johnson the driver is getting ready to be the first driver to win three cup title in a row since Cale Yarborough did it back in the 70’s. Crew chief Chad Knaus will be the first crew chief to win three Cup titles. And the owner Rick Hendrick by the way is the mastermind behind all this will have a record eight cup titles to his credit. One with Terry Labonte, four with Jeff Gordon and if things go the way they are now, three from Jimmie Johnson. All I have to say to the people hating on Johnson, don’t hate the player, hate the game.