There’s no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny, and on Sunday, another fallacy was disproved: that Joe Gibbs Racing is clean and would never cheat.What can we have faith in anymore?
That's sportswriter Jerry Bonkowski asking the question that many are asking this morning. Not that there's any proof that outspoken Christian Joe Gibbs knew about the magnets under the gas pedals that NASCAR inspectors found in two of his team's race cars but scandal, itself like a magnet, usually pulls in anyone even remotely connected to the source -- especially the guy at the top.
And Gibbs didn't try to duck it or make excuses.
“We will take full responsibility and accept any penalties NASCAR levies against us,” team owner Joe Gibbs said in a statement. “We will also investigate internally how this incident took place and who was involved and make whatever decisions are necessary to ensure that this kind of situation never happens again.
“The expectations we set for everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing begins with me, and I personally apologize to NASCAR, our partners and our fans for the negative light this situation has cast upon all of us.”
A negative light indeed. As Bonkowski puts it, "For an organization that prides itself on racing with Christian principles and running a clean, non-cheating ship, much of the NASCAR world is now scoffing at both."
But, to their credit (and not surprisingly), Gibbs is stepping up and assuming the responsibility, knowing full well that his personal reputation has been seriously harmed by members of his team who were looking for an unfair edge.
...His company will take its lumps, accept the forthcoming penalties and continue forward, knowing that JGR has disappointed countless numbers of its fans – not to mention others that will look at the organization as a whole in a far different light.
“I want to apologize to NASCAR, to our partners and to Toyota,” Gibbs said. “A couple of guys chose to make a decision here that really impacts all of us..."
