Danica Patrick needs to take a lesson from the past on how to treat fans

The King started the trend in the 70s

I heard about the incident that happened last Friday at Pocono with Danica Patrick before most fans on social media did because a facebook friend posted her video and it wasn't even everything that was said.  Danica did get booed by a couple of fans, and had she just keep on walking I wouldn't have even thought about writing this article today.

Reading comments from fans the past I seen some think that getting an autograph is not in the driver's job description, however, I want to go back about 45 years to when Richard Petty really began this trend in this sport where drivers sign for fans and don't even think a second about it.  The King's autograph is probably the least rare of any driver in the sport but it is because he took the time and energy throughout the years to spend time and give fans the respect to sign a shirt, maybe a diecast, or a piece of paper from the local news where he won the week before.

This is the man that led NASCAR from being a moonshine stream to being mainstream.  There is a story of Richard Petty that has been told where he sat in the heat in the 1970s and signed for every race fan until everyone left.  He was who changed the sports fan cultural around and made it different than Major League Baseball and the NFL where most athletes charge you for their John Hancock.

So here is where we are with Danica Patrick.  I think that every driver in the garage area has been booed at one time or another and they just keep on walking and ignore the fans that did it.  She came back to the group of fans that had one or two men that did the booing and gave them all a lecture, as I said the friend of mine was part of this group and she had nothing in this.  Instead of signing a few autographs to people that didn't make the gesture she goes and gives everyone a lecture on her feelings being hurt.

"Since I'm old, instead of taking the booing, I want to tell you guys...I do the best I can.  I mean, if you're a real fan you know that I'm not just -- my job is not to sign autographs right?  My job is to drive a car and to tell the crew chief what's going on."

"I don't appreciate the booing.  It hurts my feelings I'm a f'n person, you know what I mean?  I'm a person too.  I have feelings."

To me she should have just walked away if she didn't want to sign autographs for the group of fans that was standing there instead of lecturing fans about her poor feelings.  I seen several people tweet over the weekend about meeting Trevor Bayne and what kind of a great person he was to meet.  There are some fans that think you aren't a true fan if you don't agree with what Danica did on Friday afternoon, however, I can tell you; as a fan and a former crew member fans shouldn't have to listen to a driver cuss them.  It's one listen to hear it on TV or on the radio, however, she stepped over the line when she did it in their face.

You can defend Danica Patrick but her actions this past week was not a solid representation of what drivers in this sport should be like.  What makes it worse for her is that she is fighting for sponsorship and if I were a sponsor I certainly wouldn't want a driver that makes that kind of a statement to fans at the race track.

Richard Petty set the prime example.  If you look at the man's signature today, I still don't think it has changed at all in the last 50 years.  It's why he is the most respected man in this sport.  Maybe Danica Patrick should take a lesson from the KING!