About two years ago, I wrote one of my first-ever posts for this blog, titled: “Carl Edwards: Hero or bully?”

In response to the “fake punch” incident with his teammate Matt Kenseth, I wrote about how Edwards is well-known as a friendly pitchman, yet behind the scenes a lot of drivers, including his own Roush teammates, didn’t trust him and had less than positive things to say about him.

Funny how despite all that changes, things stay the same in NASCAR. Kevin Harvick renewed this discussion of Carl’s character this week, when he called Edwards out as “fake as hell” while appearing on the "Bubba the Love Sponge" radio show. He went on to say: “You can't be the nice guy, you can't be the bad guy and you can’t be the bully. So, I mean, that's just how I feel about that," Harvick said in reference to the multiple personalities of Edwards.

Being called out that way isn’t taken too kindly by most, and Edwards was no exception. He was pretty point blank in his response.

"I have absolutely no respect for (Harvick). I think he's a bad person. That's my opinion. I've told him that. We've had our deal before and his actions through that ... were so devious and underhanded and cowardly that I just have no respect for him,” Edwards blasted away, ensuring he was still the man in the white hat. “When people like that question me, it makes me feel better because if those people were lined up patting me on the back, I'd be on the wrong side of what's right and wrong. And I truly believe that. I am not trying to be a good guy or a bad guy. That's just who I am.”

Then, he called Harvick out as a “little girl”.
“All those people that say whatever they say, know that if I have an issue with them, I go speak to them. I don't go talk behind their back like little girls, that's what a lot of them do. I learned that wasn't cool in about fifth grade."

This is not a new rivalry, just a renewed one. In 2008, Harvick called Edwards a “pansy” for hanging in the back all day, then racing toward the end at Talladega and causing a huge wreck. Then, Carl left a sarcastic note in Kevin’s hauler, and there was the infamous physical confrontation in the garage (It would be pretty fun to see these guys go at it, now that I think about it.)

So the question is: Are either of these guys “bad people”? I’m going to say no. (Neither one is a little girl, either, for the record.)

What they are is a couple of fierce competitors who really don’t like each other, if their comments are any indication.

And that’s good for the sport, because if everyone likes each other it’s a lot less fun.

Richard Petty hated Bobby Allison … and vice versa. The Allisons and Cale Yarborough weren’t exactly eating brunch together. A good rivalry (minus flying cars and extreme retaliation like we saw at Atlanta) is nothing but good for the sport.

So if these guys never make up, it’s fine with me.


Side note
Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards were pretty nice to each other on the track Sunday, wouldn’t you say … I wonder if a 40-minute session with the NASCAR brass had anything to do with that.

Another side note
I have a theory on these rivalries … they run like dominos. First, Hamlin vs. Keselowski. Then, Keselowski vs. Edwards. Now, Edwards vs. Harvick. Then (after Saturday’s Nationwide race), Harvick vs. Logano. … So who’s Joey going to get mad at next week to keep the string alive?


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