This is the Statt Mann Baby!!  Time to Scatt a little bit.

As the drums beat louder on the Jeff Gordon for Champion bandwagon, here’s an interesting take on Jeff’s down years, especially 2005 when he missed the Chase for the Championship playoff series.

It’s from team owner Rick Hendrick who may know Jeff better than anyone.

“When Jeff wasn’t running his best it wasn’t Jeff Gordon, it was us not giving Jeff what he needed,” Hendrick said.

“We’ve had a couple of down years but maybe some of it might have been him going through his divorce and not being settled but the majority of all the situations was we weren’t able to give him what he needed.

“But his life is balanced and the team is in sync and he’s been an unbelievable cheerleader to keep his team pumped up and I guess right now it’s fun to be around him – of course it’s always been that way – but right now he’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”

This all might be why Gordon doesn’t care as much about the idiots throwing criticism at one of the best American drivers ever.

Peace.