The Boston Red Sox once sold Babe Ruth so its owner could fund a play. The Portland Trail Blazers once passed on Michael Jordan. The Minnesota Vikings once traded five players and six draft picks for Herschel Walker.
None of those moves were as disastrously bad as the one Teresa Earnhardt made when she thought she could call Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s bluff about leaving his late father’s racing team.
Her stepson was serious. Painfully so for DEI.
Thursday at his JR Motorsports headquarters in North Carolina, Earnhardt Jr. announced he is leaving DEI. Whether he is going to drive for his own team or will join an existing competitor is not certain.
What is known is that he’ll still be sponsored by Budweiser, still will drive a Chevy and, of course, still be the overwhelmingly most popular and recognizable driver in NASCAR.
Only now, he’ll be doing it for even more money and even more (if not total) control.
Since his father’s on-track death in 2001, Earnhardt Jr., now 32, has become the driving force in all of NASCAR. He has what, half the fans? Sixty percent? Seventy? Any track, any weekend is a home game for Junior, as a sea of red-clad worshippers make him more beloved than his nearest competitors – the likes of Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon – combined.
When Junior takes the lead the place goes nuts. When someone bumps him into a wreck, they’ll be met, eventually, with a hail of boos and beer cans from the grandstands.
There essentially is nothing else like it in sports. Only Tiger Woods controls golf in the same manner – assuring crowds, television ratings and revenue. But Woods doesn’t play every week, and culturally golf and NASCAR fans are little alike.
Even so, you wouldn’t see Nike Golf let Tiger walk under almost any circumstances. You wouldn’t see Nike co-founder Phil Knight assume he could just rebuild the division with someone else. Nike knows Tiger is the golf division.
That Teresa Earnhardt didn’t see the same in her stepson is stunning. Maybe she really never does show up at the track? Maybe she really never talks to Junior and still thinks he was some silly, hard-partying kid who didn’t know the difference between tens of millions and hundreds of millions?
Whatever it was, it was a colossal miscalculation.
More at Yahoo Sports
- Teresa Earnhardt questions Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s commitment to team, racing
- Statement from Teresa Earnhardt on Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s departure from DEI
- Teresa Earnhardt wants Dale Jr to stay at DEI
- Waltrip says Teresa Earnhardt wouldn’t let go of #15 either
- DEI intend to re-sign Dale Earnhardt, Jr according to Gilmore
well this totally took the words right out of my mouth.
Us fans have been saying this for weeks. Its unbelieveable that she could be this clueless. Bye bye , Budweiser , merchandise sales , most of DEI’s fans and probably a large amount of DEI employees at the end of this year. I hope Step Monsters ego was worth all that.
“Colossal miscalculation.” This guy articulated the situation perfectly.
I don’t care what any business expert says or what Rusty Wallace has to say… DEI is in trouble. Money is the gas that businesses run on. They’re going to be running on empty soon. I hate to even imagine how much Junior rakes in on merchandise and collectibles alone.
theresa is a dumbass..a true dumbass
I would say Alex that he rakes in at least 5 to 8 Million a year in merchandise and collectibles a year if not MORE.
This article sums it all up. I dont care what NASCAR thinks she has put herself in a bad situation. I dont care how she “rebuilds” the business it WILL NOT BE THE SAME! Not when you loss the Sports voted Most Popular driver in Nascar cause someone wants the money for themself.
Once again, I agree with this report, and all of you guys (And ladies
)
Can I seriously get an Amen on this one?
what was that i said about theresa’s head being in her
ass??? guess this prooves it!
can y’all hear Dale Sr bitchin at her from above? I can!!
I’d be willing to bet Jr.s collectable and merchandise probably tops 20 million a year. I wish someone in the know , maybe this website would publish a fact sheet telling what merchandise Teresa makes money off of and what merchandise she gets nothing for. Maybe everything bought now should me Jr. Motorsport stuff…I know she has no stake in that. But the point being , from here on out no merchandise that feeds her purse should be bought. I hope Jr. will start to put out “non-DEI” merchandise. That way his fans can support him without supporting the StepMonster.
Well its clear to see that Jr.’s step mom isnt that brightest crayon in the box thats for sure. I can see that Sr. is gonna roll over in his grave. You cant bluff JR. he has way to many fans to lose him she should have kept a % of the company which would keep her living the high life. Budweiser will follow jr. like a lost puppy they wont get rid of him that would be dumb. Jr. probably gets more merchandise sales then all the other race teams combined. Jr will now be able to buy his dads company for less then she was going to sell it to him for and he will save the company. You can never rebuild something that they had in the past if you lose your star driver. Her decision to try and try and out bluff Jr had to be the dumbist mistake she’s made since Sr. died. The team will fail they do not have anything with out Jr, Jr is the air that keeps DEI afloat when he leaves they will sale 20% more merchandise as fans will want to collect it but after half a year sales will plumit and Jr should come out with his products for his team I want him to switch to RCR as that is a good race team and its not Hendrix. I hope Jr does well unless he’s racing for Hnedrix if he races for them I’ll go insane. The insanity of Jr’s step mom is unbelieveable I can’t believe she did that.
Since Hendrick has 4 teams and to many egos don’t think Jr would be a good fit. I’m a Jeff Gordon fan and I love JR but just don’t see those 2 on a team together.
Jr is the highest paid driver making 20+million a year so money wont be the swaying answer. I
believe everyone will be surprised on where he will go.I believe he will go to Ginn Racing.
To many super stars on the other teams to compete with.
It is DEI not TEI (Teresa Earnhardt Inc.)
Might as well change it to TEI (Teresa Egomaniac Inc.)
i think jr will go somewhere he thinks HE can help the team if it is rcr he WILL NOT be in #3 ( but how COOL!!!! would a RED #3 look on the track not to mention in our hearts)
I have to say ……I TOLD YA SO…..I told ya’ll weeks ago and no one would listen .I knew it was commin when Mikey left DEI that things were fallin apart in the house that dale built………she’s lost to good drivers they’re not great but they are good drivers……….Jr. is way over rated but thats always been i view..before ya’l get mad i like jr he’s just not the super star he’s made out to be,he wins so did mikey mommy dearest just fooked her self out of nascar so hope she has a happy mothers day cause it’s wont be the same after this year…………..later fans