Bubba Wallace has consistently remained one of the most divisive drivers in the NASCAR world. It would be easy to blame the hate against him on racism but there could be forces deeper at play. The No. 23 driver of 23XI Racing has given fans a lot of reasons to stand up against him through his actions on and off the track. And it has led to him making the list of the most hated athletes on social media.
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Sports prediction platform Pickswise recently published a list of the most abused professional athletes on social media. NBA Superstar and RFK Racing minority owner LeBron James led the line followed by soccer player Marcus Rashford. James has had an abusive messages count of 122,568 over the past 12 months. Rashford trails him with 32,328 messages.
And the man in the Toyota Camry, Wallace, stands fifth on the list with 21,750 messages. The enmity against him isn’t limited to social media. It has become common for him to be booed during every driver introduction at every track. The most recent example unfolded in Bristol this weekend. The fans jeered at him as he walked the stage in the Last Great Colosseum.
Over the past 12 months, Marcus Rashford has been the second most abused professional athlete on social media.
(Source: @Pickswise) pic.twitter.com/dsF5EHNjdd
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) September 19, 2024
The words of Dale Earnhardt come to mind watching the reaction that Wallace gets from fans. The legend once said, “Doesn’t matter if they’re booing or cheering as long as they’re making noise.” The driver has been mired in controversy every so often over the past few years. But none of his actions warrant getting abusive messages of hate from fans.
Bubba Wallace impresses with a top-5 finish at Bristol
Wallace came into Bristol this weekend after signing a contract extension with his team. Denny Hamlin, 23XI Racing’s co-owner, had told the press that the lengthened offer was made keeping Wallace’s potential in mind. However, he did warn the driver that the expectations from him are to perform at a higher level and qualify for the playoffs every year.
Energized by the confidence put in him, Wallace sped to a third-place finish in the night race. He was the best driver of the non-playoff lot and stood out. To put up an impressive performance on a night ruled by Kyle Larson, who led 462 of the 500 laps, was a positive sign of things.
Hopefully, he will be able to carry this momentum into the rest of the season and reach the victory lane to break his winless streak. Doing so will not only provide him and his team owners optimism but could also help better his image with the fans.
