![]() ![]() It’s not that NASCAR is scared of politics - its chairman and a number of drivers, including star Chase Elliott, endorsed Donald Trump at a rally in 2016. How many even feel the flag should go? It’s hard to say. It might call for them to stand up and say, “If you want to root for me, don’t bring that flag. To do that would require them to take potentially uncomfortable and unpopular positions and speak in ways they rarely have in the past. It’s the drivers who could potentially make it uncool to display it. By explaining why the Confederate flag isn’t appropriate, how it’s viewed by others or simply the need to leave it at home because their favorite sport’s future is reliant on racially, geographically, politically, religiously and generationally diverse crowds. It’s the drivers who, if they agree with Wallace, can work on educating the fans. ![]() It’s the drivers who influence the fans - there’s a reason major brands pay to be associated with them. It’s the drivers who connect with the fans. The NBA doesn’t have to seize Confederate flags because no one brings them to games in the first place.Ĭan NASCAR get there? It would be a long process and have little to do with NASCAR itself and a lot to do with Wallace’s fellow drivers. If NASCAR and Wallace want the flag gone, the best way is to make it socially unacceptable to bring it in the first place. It’s on bumper stickers and license plate frames and T-shirts and so on and so on.Ĭonfederate flags, like these flying in 2015, are not as prevalent as they once were at NASCAR races, but they still do exist. NASCAR races aren’t three hours inside an arena where you have to pass through security, like the NBA or NFL. As a practical matter, this is a recipe for disaster. The sport needs to find a way to appeal to the most potential fans as possible … without losing the ones it already has.īanning the flags is a step, but this move will require security patrolling the infield or campgrounds around the track and seizing flags. That is especially true of younger generations, not to mention corporations. The Confederate flag may be popular with a segment of current fans, but there are many potential customers who see it and immediately head the other way. NASCAR is struggling and keeping a race team afloat requires significant revenue. From 2001-13, the Daytona 500 averaged 14.1 million viewers for non-weather delayed races. Viewership for weekly races are down from about 5 million as recently as 2015 to 3 million in 2019. The sport’s leadership is well aware of the trend lines, too - smaller crowds, fewer sponsor dollars, declining races. Its opposition to the flag isn’t simply an opposition to the flag it’s an attempt to secure its very future. “No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. “Get rid of all Confederate flags,” Wallace said. Wallace said it’s about creating a more welcoming environment for those who find the flag threatening and offensive. Especially something this entrenched in certain segments of society. The more you “ban” something, the more some resist. It will need the full-throated support of NASCAR drivers who hold far more sway over fans.Ī NASCAR directed edict will be viewed by some as an invitation to actually fly more Confederate flags. So is a full-on ban even possible? If it is, it’s going to need to come not just from NASCAR. ![]()
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