I nearly always feel at least a little disgusted with myself after spending a Sunday afternoon watching a race on television. There usually is so much more I could have been doing ... clean out the truck, get started on one of those woodworking projects I want to complete, read a book.
Instead, I sat in front of the TV, watching a lot of millionaires have fun.
Sometimes it is less disgusting. Those times when a race is so close or has some individual performance that lends it a "sports moment" quality.
But usually after the checkered flag falls, the repetitive post-race interviews come to a close and the last beer commercial has been sung, I ask myself what I gained during the preceding few hours and I don't like the answer.
Some Sundays, I manage to complete the chores that must be done, do the visits and shopping that are necessary, but, when they are done, I wind up back in front of the tube.
Same thing happens with football, but we're talking about racing here. Specifically, last weekend's NASCAR race at Talladega.
If you were interested, you already know what we're talking about. The race that had provided some of the tightest, most skilled driving we've seen in a long time ended "under the yellow," with the racers following in order behind the pace car like ducklings.
It made the event a total waste of time.
Now time was the only thing I wasted, but fans at the track had wasted both time and money, and faced the prospect of wasting more by the time they got home. They reacted angrily, throwing cans and other trash onto the track during Jeff Gordon's victory celebration.
You get the feeling they were not so much throwing stuff at Jeff Gordon as at NASCAR.
ESPN.com's Jerry Bonkowski and its "Gas and Go" column both addressed the issue this past week. They report that their e-mail was virtually all upset with NASCAR's decision to end what had been developing as a classic, end in a parade under the yellow.
NASCAR did follow its rule, with less than 5 laps remaining, they will not stop the race for cleanup so it can finish under the green. They say that a couple lap shootout would be too dangerous.
We think the rule needs to be changed. It seems so simple to declare that, if the yellow has to fly ten laps or less from the scheduled end, the laps under caution don't count.
In the "local bullring" style of racing, where there are heats, B-mains and features, yellow flag laps aren't counted, giving spectators a better show.
NASCAR should also be concerned about putting on a "better show."
Pretty soon it'll be football season and we'll have another group of millionaires have fun.