It is such a bitch to have to travel in private jets, hang out with rockstars and supermodels. Did I mention I only made 7 million last year? Pay me and I'll sign that autograph.

I don't know if I can compare it to other sports as I don't follow a whole lot of other sports too closely. I do understand that the constant run run run of a Cup driver's life can wear on a person but I am with you here. If they dislike it so much they are free to drop out of Cup and drive for an ARCA team.

This attitude I believe is pervasive in our society in general. I'm sure we all know people who complain about their job, lack of money, living situation, anything. I think we (society in general) lack the ability to reflect on the positives.

With JJ joining the whiners club, I think the drivers are trying to influence NASCAR into letting the teams have a little more wiggle room when setting up the car. They whine about the tires and Goodyear brings a good combination to Texas...

I would think the sports like Hockey and Baseball etc, would actually have more travel? I know when I used to follow hockey that they would have extended road trips and the Red Wings at the time were one of the few teams that had a "team jet". Most of the teams had to fly commercial. So I echo Buck's sentiment ... I know that Carl has a real positive attitude and his favorite saying is 'I'm living the dream". (great new picture btw, new haircut too?)

No, I don't think NASCAR drivers complain more than any other professional athlete. Owners, drivers, and their crews have always complained about issues concerning the tracks, car setups, etc. for years. It just hasn't been broadcast on the news, splashed on a website, or played over a podcast within moments of it being voiced. Plus, alot of the complaining has to be considered a form of constructive criticism and should be expected as they try to get just the right setup (downforce, tires, bump rubbers, weight distribution, swaybars (swaybars?), etc., etc., etc.) in this transition to the C.O.T. Everybody wants to win (or at least be competitive) now (I guess that's why they call it "racing")?

As far as Ryan – & all the Cup drivers, for that matter – stop worrying, get acclimated to the time zone, soak up some rays and relax! Remind yourselves of where you are and of this great opportunity you have all been blessed with and make the most of it! Most importantly – ENJOY IT!!!

Amen, sister! Tell them spoilt little brats where they can get off!

It's that sense of entitlement that gets me. Having been to a few races and seen how some of these guys interact or ignore fans has turned my stomach on a few. Part of what helped grow this sport has been the accessibility of the drivers and fans being able to relate to them on some level. As we get further and further away from the days of Petty and Senior racing we seem to lose track of that. These guys seem to sure enjoy their multi-million dollar paychecks but ask them to mingle with fans and some of them would surely throw the hissy fit to end all hissy fits.

Becky you're right. Hockey, baseball, and basketball are probably the worst. Those guys play 10 game road trips over 3 weeks and never see home until they get back. Those guys play 3-4 games a week too instead of the one race (maybe two or three for those in other series).

I hear the whining about the west coast and I just think what asshats! Those of us that are fans here on the west coast enjoy a live race in person as much as the guy in South Carolina. I understand it started down south but get over it, think about the life you're living and the other guys that would give their left nut to do it.

Man we've come a long way since the Greatest Generation where they were just glad to have food and a roof over their head and worked their ass off for everything they got.

There are athletes in all of the professional sports that seem to have that sense of entitlement (one of the many reasons I have lost alot of interest in the MLB, NBA, NHL, ATP, & now even the NFL). Unfortunately, they are like anyone else that seems to get some sort of position or title (we see it in our everyday lives), they tend to forget the privilege and begin to believe it's all about "ME!"; – and so they begin to abuse it and most of the time those of us that are around or at times so-called "under" them. (Buck & Bass – I'm kidding, I'm kidding!)

Wanted to also point out that our modern American society, with the improvement of technology and the such, has gotten so it expects everything to be just a certain way and they expect it to be that way – right now! There is no longer any patience. Many of our younger people (I'm 46) have been raised to be somewhat coddlled and admittedly alot of the them have never experienced anything else – so why would they behave any differently?

That is why I wish our government would stress that there needs to be more emphasis on 'life lessons' in our public schools, especially now that – more often than not – both parents are having to work (many times more than one job) and are unable to put in that quality time to teach 'our' children how to behave properly. [Sorry, is this still a NASCAR blog?]

I was thinking the same thing about the old rocket. However, the cup schedule is brutal, and Nascar isn't always the best at setting a schedule that is practical or makes geographical sense (travel). I think Newman would have gotten more sympathy if he had said, "WAHHH, I SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON MY PRIVATE JET."

You're totally right. I think Ryan would stop complaining if he had to go back to the days when they drove to all the tracks.

Amen Sister. If you want to talk about somebody who has a right to whine how about "the boys back at the shop" those guys work with very few days off. The ones that go to the track don't get the private jet, motorcoach right beside the garage and work from daylight to dark. You think those guys might like to spend a little more time at home.

Anytime a celebrity complains about the travel or "being away from home" I always wonder how they'd enjoy having a real job like the people sitting in the seats watching them, act, sing or drive in circles.

I like your haircut, Sadie. As for the whining, I think that it is also related to the number of sponsor activities scheduled. That is also tied into the big paychecks. Choices and prices boys........

Just watch plenty of ESPN to see that *everyone* complains!