Do Not Crown Jimmie Johnson Just Yet
Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards Are Still In The Championship Hunt
Oct 28, 2008
There is only a select few who refuse to crown Jimmie Johnson as champion until mathematics state otherwise.
Sure, Jimmie Johnson has an authoritative 183 points advantage over Carl Edwards and a 185-point advantage over Greg Biffle. Sure, the Chase for the Championship is sleep inducing thus far. Of course, there are far more Jimmie Johnson detractors than admirers, so the last three years have chased away a bevy of casual fans. However, nothing is over until it is officially over.
Jimmie Johnson has put together a prodigious run of consistency throughout the 2008 Chase for the Championship, just as he did the previous two years. What he is about to achieve is not only mind-blowing, but also unique. For some reason, countless fans are having trouble embracing Johnson’s possible historic feat.
Cale Yarborough won three consecutive titles when the competition, as far as equipment and resources is concerned, was inferior. However, the talent behind the wheel was at an all-time high when it was Yarborough, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, and Benny Parsons duking it out each weekend.
Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team have performed peerless thus far in the Chase for the Championship, but one major slip-up, such as a blown tire, and parts failure, will allow Edwards and Biffle right back within striking distance. That is still a possibility with three races remaining.
For instance, say Jimmie Johnson cuts a tire and brushes the wall early in the race on Sunday. His 48 Chevrolet crawls to the garage for repairs, and is able to resume and collect points. However, what if the attrition level is low, and the highest Johnson can finish 39th? He would score a mere 51 points, and that is only if he leads a lap. Meanwhile, Carl Edwards leads the most laps and wins, scoring 195 points. Greg Biffle finishes third after leading at least one lap, scoring 170 points. Johnson’s lead in the Sprint Cup championship standings would shrink to 39 points over Edwards, and 66 points over Biffle, with two races remaining. Does that not sound much more exciting that what we have now? It is plausible to believe that Edwards and Biffle can outperform Johnson at Phoenix and Homestead.
Of course, you can never count on Jimmie Johnson and the 48-team making mistakes, but there is still that small possibility that something peculiar could occur and transform this championship snoozer into an exhilarating championship showdown. Fans, do not give up on the 2008 championship fight just yet. The fat lady has only begun to warm up her vocal cords. She could still catch a cold; therefore, the song would be delayed.
