It's a Bird, It's a Plane -¦ No, It's Jimmie Johnson

Guest Column By Cathy Elliott In her classic pop song "Big Yellow Taxi," Joni Mitchell posed this question: Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? Sadly, the answer is all too often yes. Someone did me a very good turn a week or so ago, prompting me to end the thank-you note I sent in return with the words, "my hero." The very next day I was watching the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix and heard someone refer to Jimmie Johnson, who won the event, as a hero. This in turn set me to thinking about the word in general, and what it really means to be a hero in this brave new contemporary world we're all doing our best to muddle through. Do we use the word too often, or too seldom? What defines a hero, anyway? Well, lots of things. Heroes are brave and true. Strength, endurance and forthrightness are usually part of the job description. Sometimes they come dressed in medal-laden uniforms, other times in bad spandex capes and tights. Heroes can be political or military figures, real or fictional. A hero is someone who is transformed from ordinary to extraordinary by chance, or by circumstance. Regardless of how we define the word, or in what context it is used, what it all boils down to in the end is that a hero is usually someone with a good heart, good intentions and good aim, who through his actions becomes the object of others' admiration. Sometimes, though, those who should stand out are instead overlooked, or disregarded altogether. The sports arena offers some notable examples. Which brings us back to Jimmie Johnson. Johnson has a loyal fan base, but I wouldn't necessarily describe them as rabid. Number 48 tattoos, for example, are hardly ever seen at the track. Johnson has won a lot of races, but he didn't accomplish that by habitually knocking other drivers out of the way. He just quietly shows up on race day with a faster car and a better crew than the other guys. What a concept. Johnson does a lot of media interviews, but he doesn't use the time to trash NASCAR, or individual race tracks, or his fellow competitors. He just thanks his sponsors and talks about the race. To win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship requires the perfect combination of talent, luck and timing. To win more than one is simply remarkable. Johnson, who had won 40 races and two consecutive championships going into the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, is rewarded for his hard work and achievements by being routinely referred to as boring and bland. This is hardly a new phenomenon. Flashier competitors with a higher popularity rating have eclipsed other athletes really great ones throughout the course of history. Pete Sampras holds the record for Grand Slam men's tennis singles titles, but was always overshadowed by rival Andre Agassi, although Sampras won 20 of the 32 matches they played. Roger Maris was the first baseball player to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record, but all the fans were rooting for Mickey Mantle that year, and some actually booed Maris' historic achievement. It seems important to note that the Olympic diver who makes no perceptible splash is usually the one who goes home with the gold. We have all seen Jimmie Johnson celebrating in various Victory Lanes on numerous occasions. That's a very public thing and is always accompanied by lots of fanfare and flashbulbs. But take it from me, because I have witnessed this firsthand. When the cameras are nowhere in sight and you watch Johnson donating his time and attention to a Make-A-Wish child, for example, that's really something to see. It may seem like the photo negative of a superhero, since it happens quietly and behind the scenes, but in a small way, it makes a big difference in someone's life. It doesn't happen very often, but once in a blue moon we have enough sense to recognize a good thing when we see one, before it has left the building and it is too late for us to appreciate everything it has brought to our table. So although he may be too boyishly clean-cut or too carefully glib in his interviews or just too non-controversial in general to suit our personal preferences, let's not be too quick to dismiss Johnson as nothing more than a modern-day Clark Kent. Don't be fooled by that mild-mannered facade. When we take a closer look, we can see that mask and cape, safely tucked out of sight in his back pocket.