NASCAR Sues AT&T Over Sponsorship

This has to be the stupidest thing I read all weekend.

NASCAR filed a $100 million counter claim against AT&T Inc. on Sunday, accusing the wireless provider of interfering with its exclusive sponsorship agreement with rival wireless company Nextel.

The suit also asks that NASCAR be granted the right to kick AT&T — and all telecommunications companies other than Nextel — out of its top series in 2008.

Why in the hell would NASCAR want to drive all of the other telecommunication companies out? Because of the Nextel/Sprint sponsorship of the Nextel Cup? Are they kidding? Do they really think if Nextel/Sprint is the only telecommunications company mentioned during a race any of us will actually switch to them? HELL NO.

In fact, if NASCAR wins this lawsuit, and does kick all telecommunications companies out of Nextel Cup sponsorships, I am going to boycott Nextel/Sprint.

Why would I support them? It may be the Nextel Cup, but I sure as hell would never own a Nextel phone now, that's for sure. I know, I know, corporate sponsorships are worth billions of dollars, but guess what? I don't give a shit. As a fan, I don't care who sponsors who or what. I've never purchased anything or changed my shopping habits because any of the drivers I support have a logo splashed on their hood. Well, except Jeff Burton, and the reason for that decision is based on NASCAR, not AT&T.

When this whole brouhaha started and NASCAR said that AT&T could not update their logo on Jeff Burton's Cingular Wireless #31, I decided I was switching to AT&T for my wireless needs. My contract with my current carrier runs out the first week of August, and I will be signed up with AT&T when it expires, I can tell you that right now.

NASCAR is seeking a ruling that it "may take certain actions for the 2008 season in order to protect NASCAR and all participants in the sport by placing NASCAR into full compliance with the terms and conditions of the Nextel Sponsorship Agreement."

HAHA. Protect NASCAR? HAHA. If that's isn't the biggest crock of shit, I don't know what is. What, or who are they trying to protect? I didn't hear NASCAR crying all these years that Alltel and Cingular have sponsored cars. I didn't hear them complaining about the money flowing in from fans who support Ryan Newman and Jeff Burton. Nextel/Sprint must be really scared of AT&T and NASCAR must think they need to protect them.

Pitiful, really.