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Kyle Busch Smashed Guitar After Nashville Win
I know, I said I was done writing about Kyle Bush. Tired of mentioning his childish antics and temper tantrums in my posts.
But, this time I am going to stick up for him.
Why should we as fans care how a driver handles or destroys their race trophies.
Are we going to complain if a Daytona 500 winner has their trophy on a mantel above the fireplace or in an air tight safe or vault? I don’t think so.
The trophy belongs to the driver that won it and he or she can do what ever they want with it.
And in a huge surprise to me I find myself in a friendly debate on twitter (I am @racingdigest) defending Kyle Busch to the bitter end on this one. I never would have thought I would have seen that day.
But Kyle Busch’s intentions for smashing the guitar were so that all team members could take some of it home. I am sure that also includes just trying to tick some fans off along with putting on a good show.
“It didn’t break according to plan,” Busch said. “We’ll go back to the shop and cut it up into smooth pieces so everyone on the team can have one. Then I’m going to order two more for me and [crew chief]Jason Ratcliff.”
There is no way that you can not say that Kyle is showing a little growth by saying that he wants to share the trophy with his team. I will not deny that if he did bad he would have ONLY blamed his team.
But his point to smashing it at that moment was to break it into pieces and share it with the team. The argument was presented to me that this is not the ideal for youth to see. I don’t get that point because if you are part of a team, then you share your winnings with the team.
The guitar painter Sam Bass was a little concerned and even stunned when he heard what happened. But after talking to Kyle and with Kyle apparently being respectful and explaining to why he did it, Sam was OK with it.
“I’ll be honest with you, I was stunned when it happened,” Bass said. “But when I went to Victory Lane to take a picture with Kyle, he said there was no disrespect to me, the speedway or the sponsors. He just said he was going to give each one of his guys a piece of the trophy. In the spirit of rock and roll and, as someone who appreciates rock and roll, he put on a show.”
Hey, let’s cut Kyle a little slack here. I usually don’t and I know you don’t. But his intentions seems good and he seemed to speak about it respectively.
There are other arguments out there that Nashville Superspeedway will hurt because of it or that Joe Gibbs will.
PLEASE. Give me a break. The race track will soak it up (even if they are ticked about it) because it will be more publicity for them and that is the name of the game. Do not even try to tell me that Nashville cares more about that guitar than they do about publicity and making money.
And Joe Gibbs? He doesn’t care. If he cared he would have but the reins on his star driver a long time ago. If he cared he would have forced Kyle into media interviews after races.
That is not saying that Joe Gibbs does not care, but by no means does this incident extend to Gibbs in any way.
I will even go as far as to say that Kyle planned all along to buy more guitars for himself and his crew chief.
There is no big deal here. I understand some feel really burnt because this is a great NASCAR trophy to get. But in all reality it is not a big deal. Especially since I think his intentions were good.
And lets be honest. If nothing else above is true, then Kyle Busch has once again succeded at ticking off fans, bloggers and media sources. This is stuff that he thrives on.
At first I thought this is why he had done this. Just to add to his hate club. But after thinking about it for quite awhile I don’t think so.
While he knew people would be mad, I just don’t think this was an “add to the hate club” move.
It is not that it is just a guitar, it a present from a man that put his all into it. How would Bush feel if the Guitar man smashed his car that has his money and little dedicated work in it?
It isn’t “just a guitar” nor is it “a present.” That guitar is quite a coveted TROPHY. You just don’t smash the race winning trophy. Would you dash the Daytona 500 car on the ground for pieces? Heck no. This is no different. I think this just shows the caliber of man that Busch isn’t. I don’t “hate” him, I simply have no respect for him. And I think he proved he isn’t deserving through this blatant disrespect of the trophy which many drivers long to own.
Totally disagree. Wanting to share it with your team is laudable. Smashing a trophy in victory lane is juvenile & disrespectful.
Sam Bass (the designer of the guitar) and the Gibson people didn’t have a problem with the smash. Kyle is going to buy 2 more and Kyle wanted to give a piece to each of the team members, I don’t really see how this guitar smash is an issue. It’s the spirit of rock and roll!
It’s not your trophy, stop whining about it. It’s not like he burned it or threw it away without a care, it was for his team. I don’t like 99.9% of what he does otherwise, but I think that people are taking this in the wrong way. I mean he tried to do something nice for once and now people that have no connection to the trophy or the race at all are pissed at him….
OK… it is fair, as you say, doing what you want with your stuff… But to me is disrespect and violent and so much protagonic… I love guitars and happen to know well what a Les Paul is, and as a player I went aggghh!!! when I saw the thing happening… We are all free, but I find disgusting watching Madonna kissing other lady singers on TV – it is just so much protagonic – so much XXI century decadence, you know… By the way, I’m no nerd or curmudgeon or anything like that, but in the name of human rights we seem to be loosing a lot of plain sanity… Why he did not reproduce the guitar for the team, or gave them some money or throw a special party o whatever… I mean there a re many ways to please a bunch of guys other than destroying such a fine axe, in front of its builder and millions of people… What a clown!!!
You may be right. NASCAR does not care,The track does not care,and Joe Gibbs may not care. Does anyone know why they give a guitar for a trophy? The guitar,and music are big in Nashville. Kyle Busch shows no respect to the people,and fans of Nashville,or anywhere else. So what if he has more money than he knows what to do with,and can buy more guitars. Can you imagine the winner of the Indy 500 smashing the Borg Warner trophy,and then saying he will just have another one made. I just dont know if Busch will ever grow up.
I hope people don’t get me completely wrong here. I think Kyle is an arrogant spoiled little brat. There is no way I would have done that with any trophy.
And let’s be real honest here. The guitar has nothing to do with it. No matter what trophy it was everyone would be mad at Kyle right now.
Everyone is bent out of shape about the guitar. What a coveted prize it is…and it is. But if that is big gripe, then where is the cut off. What trophies are OK to bust up. Kansas?
But if it’s this guitar, the Daytona 500 trophy or the Borg Warner trophy a driver is fee to do with the trophy what ever he wants.
What is the winner of trophy allowed/not allowed to do with it. Why should we as the fans determine that. That is the driver and teams trophy. It is not your trophy.
And it just seems like a step up for Kyle to want to share it with his teammates.
Once again, I don’t like the kid (except for his driving). He has a lot of maturing to do. A lot of PR classes to go through.
But give him credit for one thing. He knows how to market himself. He know how to keep his name in the headlines and not just by winning. He knows (and loves) how to get more people to boo him each week.
Its sad the man didnt donate the guitar to a charity. At auction that piece could hve gone for 10 grand and helped the world a little bit. Peices of a trashed guitar are called sh–!
For the record, Sam Bass was NOT okay with what Kyle did.
http://tinyurl.com/lzvf52
I think that’s one of the most disrespectful, juvenile things I’ve ever seen anyone do. Beating up a rock and roll guitar is one thing, but this was a cherished piece of art that took weeks to produce. Unbelievable.