Gordon wins, Gordon wins

One week after tying Dale Earnhardt for sixth place on the all-time NASCAR wins list, Jeff Gordon passes the Intimidator with his 77th victory — the Aaron’s 499 Nextel Cup race in Talladega, Ala. Talladega Speedway is in Dale Earnhardt Country where he won 10 of his 76 races there and even more symbolic, Sunday would have been Earnhardt’s 56th birthday. When Gordon won his second straight race, he was greeted by the Earnhardt fans who threw trash and beer cans and whatever they could get their hands on, at Gordon’s No. 24 car.

The only thing more perplexing than why this race is only 499 miles is how a NASCAR fan would dare part with his beer, even if it is the hated Rainbow Warrior in victory row. All that lunacy and spilt alcohol is reminiscent of the 80's when Harry Carey and I did Cubs telecasts together. I’m not saying Harry Carey was a drunk, but I did have to animate him with puppet strings while he sang ‘Take me out to the ball game.’