Comparing Earnhardt and Gordon
Let's Stop With The Dale Earnhardt vs Jeff Gordon Comparisons!
Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt's careers have been compared profusely over the past several weeks.
Enough already! Ever since Jeff Gordon won his 77th career NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Talladega more than two weeks ago, we have been inundated with comparisons between two of NASCAR’s all-time greatest drivers.
There was even a special airing of the popular SPEED TV program Wind Tunnel featuring a side-by-side comparison of the seven-time Champion Dale Earnhardt and four-time Champion Jeff Gordon on Wednesday evening. Fans were encouraged to call in and state their opinion as to which driver they felt was superior. The show hosted by long-time motorsports analyst Dave Despain was an obvious attempt to augment the television ratings. Former NASCAR Champions Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace appeared as guest analysts.
Other than an upsurge in ratings, there was really no point to the show. Why compare the two drivers? What does it accomplish? It is not like there is conclusive evidence as to which driver is superior. And the show did not really shed any light as to which driver is superior. All it really did was stir up the debate that has been present ever since Jeff Gordon tallied 13 wins in 1998 and won his third Winston Cup Championship.
The bottom line is, if you are a Jeff Gordon fan, then Jeff Gordon is better, and if you are a Dale Earnhardt fan, or a Jeff Gordon hater, then Dale Earnhardt is better. Bias pretty much determines who is better between the two NASCAR icons.
Instead of comparing the two, and pitting Earnhardt fans against Gordon fans, let us salute both drivers separately, and let their careers be separate. Obviously, they will forever be linked to one another, but it really is not fair for either driver to be compared to the other.
Unfortunately, the media and fans will continue to compare the two NASCAR greats, mainly because no other two drivers have had as much of an impact on the sport as Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. But comparing the two careers is and will always be a waste of time.
No one really knows how Jeff Gordon would have performed in the bigger and heavier stock cars of the 1980’s. No one really knows how Dale Earnhardt would have performed after his tragic accident in 2001, if he were to have survived. And a side-by-side comparison is also imbalanced, as Jeff Gordon’s paramount years came during Dale Earnhardt’s worst years.
Fans, debate all you want as to which driver is superior, you will never really know for sure which driver actually possessed more talent behind the wheel. And while you are at it, compare the careers of Tony Stewart versus Richard Petty, or Jimmie Johnson versus David Pearson, or how about Matt Kenseth versus Bobby Allison. Throw in a Kurt Busch versus Cale Yarborough comparison as well.
