It's hard to decide which off-field sports duel of the past week was the most interesting. Was it Shani vs. Chad or Tony vs. Matt?
On the one hand, we had Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick … two American speed skaters competing in the XX Olympics in Turin.
In the 1000 meter finals, Hedrick skated before Davis and posted what at that moment was the quickest time. NBC's cameras then spent a lot of time watching him as other skaters, including Davis, posted lower times, eventually pushing Hedrick out of contention for a medal. Davis took the Gold.
The most telling reaction by Hedrick was his lack of reaction. No tempered applause, handshake or congratulations to a teammate for his success.
That continued later, when Davis took another gold and Hedrick the silver in the 1500 meter race. The two were in a joint new conference but, according to those at the scene, never acknowledged each other.
Then we have the vision of Tony Stewart, swerving to the left to force Matt Kenseth into the grass during NASCAR's Daytona 500 last Sunday. That was followed soon after when TV cameras caught Kenseth trying to push Stewart into the grass as the two returned to the track from the pits.
The irony being that, just a week earlier, Stewart got lots of camera time and ink with his warning that the practice of "bump drafting" would result in someone getting killed. In reaction, by the next weekend, NASCAR officials were warning drivers against what they called "aggressive driving."
Hey NASCAR, "aggressive driving" is what got your sport where it is. Be careful what you wish for…or demand.
So we wound up listening in on Kenseth's communication with his pit as he protested, "But, I didn't do anything wrong!" Interesting that those generally are the first words out of the mouth of a criminal when he or she is caught.
"Aggressive driving." I'm pretty sure that NASCAR officials don't really want to eliminate it from their sport altogether. It's what fans spend so much money to watch. But if they really mean it, there's any easy way.
Make the consequences of "aggressive driving" bigger than the rewards. Right now, that's not the case.
I doubt also that NASCAR is really too worried about the Stewart/Kenseth feud. Fans love a feud.
Controversy between Davis and Hedrick isn't going to do speed skating much harm, either. The dislike evident between the two men reportedly came to the front when Davis decided to not take part in a team race with other Americans. His reasoning was that it would distract him from the 1000 meter race, which was his main target.
Hedrick thought that Davis should have been more of a team player … and said so.
This speed skating, if you weren't aware, is not really too interesting unless you're into it. It features only two skaters, loping along, not really, usually, racing against each other. They are racing against the clock, trying to post the lowest time.
It's a sport that Davis, an African-American from the South Side (gasp) of Chicago, reportedly made his life's goal. The story is that his dedication to that goal kept him out of trouble, as if, as an African-American from the South Side of Chicago, he was predestined to get in trouble.
Hedrick, on the other hand, was an inline skater, on wheels, on boardwalks, in shorts, in the warm, in front of girls in shorts … who was watching a friend of his compete in the 2002 Winter Olympics and decided he could do that too.
The story is that he was watching from Las Vegas (gasp) at the time.
So, who will prevail on the ice? The Bootstrap Kid from Chicago or the SoCal Johnny-come-lately?
And who will prevail on the pavement? The Cassandra in the Number 20 or Number 17 from Denial?
Stay tuned, soap fans.