Keyboard Crew Chiefs… no Wrench Necessary
It has been said that opinions are like butt holes. Everyone has one but you may not necessarily want to see (or hear) them. Again, I find myself expressing my love/hate relationship with social media, especially the ‘anonymity’ and ‘beer muscle’ mentality of it.
RIGHT on TARGET: The climate of the world today seems to be; build them up just to tear them down. From ‘hero to zero’ in an instant. Those driving (or playing) from the preverbal ‘couch’ no longer see the human on the racetrack (or playing field). What they now seem to see, is a target. A target for their hateful words and play by play descriptions of how ‘they’ would have been better equipped to play out whatever (unfortunate) scenario just unfolded before them.
Recently I observed the ‘ Keyboard Crew Chief ‘ mentality in all its splendor. It seems racing (Drag Racing in particular) is a sport that can be performed from behind the keyboard as well as from behind the wheel. Yes, you read that correctly. Of course…. I will explain.
INSULT WITH or WITHOUT INJURY: As we all know racing is a dangerous and at times unpredictable sport. In the blink of an eye, a car can be wadded up like an old newspaper. Thankfully recent events although horrific were a testament to the safety of these race cars because drivers were able to walk away unharmed, well physically anyway. I say that because they may walk away without a scratch but they better not dare to go on Social Media one second after their said incident because that is where the injury ensues. It’s not bad enough that a driver has just seen his or her life flash before their eyes, they are now being schooled as to what caused their situation as well as what they should and shouldn’t have done. Couple that with being called horrible names as if they are in the schoolyard at recess facing the class bully. I’m guessing that is all in a day’s work for ‘ Keyboard Crew Chiefs ‘? Perfection must be exhausting.
RESPECT: Now look. I am not saying that while watching a game, I never said, “Oh, why did he do that” or gave my ‘version’ of what I thought the play should have been. Yes, I have been a coach in the spur of the moment in my living room, not going to lie. I’m sure we all do it! What I believe needs to stop is publicly berating and humiliating those whose performance is deemed less than satisfactory. That determination is being made by the likes of those with little or no experience in the very subject matter they are critiquing. If you are not driving that car or making the play, it is very difficult to begin to understand what transpired at that very moment. We need to begin to respect one another for who they are and what they do. If we do not treat one another with respect as adults, what is that teaching the younger generation?
ACCENTUATE the POSITIVE: Respect and sportsmanship go hand in hand. If children read and are influenced by the awful posts that are so readily available to them, it is just the beginning of a lifetime of thinking that behavior is acceptable. If you think they are not reading it, you are wrong. Not to say we can be an ‘Ozzy and Harriet’ society, but we can surely be more respectful. Social Media while a great place to make friends and build fan bases can be a very dark place full of negativity. Somehow this is me in my futile effort to ‘accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative’. Well, a girl can dream can’t she?
STEP 1. ADMITTING the PROBLEM: If while reading this piece you have taken the first step and recognize the signs of yourself as being a ‘Keyboard Crew Chief’, you can get help. It is a treatable disorder. The treatment is to the point, and will get you on the road to recovery quickly! No meetings needed here. You can accomplish this in the privacy of your own home. All you will need is to go out and purchase a Bug Zapper. To begin your recovery, while watching the next Drag Race be sure to have the zapper plugged in. If an unfortunate incident occurs you may have the urge to post an idiotic comment on Social Media. Here’s where the Bug Zapper comes in. When the idiotic comment urge arises, just lean into the Bug Zapper and stick your tongue out. ZAP it! After a couple of rounds with the Zapper, problem solved! The world is now a happier place!
Disclaimer: Do NOT try this at home. This is merely my attempt at humor and NOT a diagnosis or treatment regimen.
