Column: No need for NASCAR, WWE with short track at Olympics

By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Columnist

BEIJING (AP) — NASCAR and pro wrestling are not sports at the Beijing Olympics. That’s OK. There’s short track. Daring skaters whip around a track set up on a hockey-sized rink. They bump and draft. They dole out an elbow here or a shoulder there. The unfortunate ones wind up slamming into the thick pads cushioning the outside boards. Dale Earnhardt would’ve fit right in with this bunch. When the race is over, things really get intriguing. It usually comes down to the almighty word of the chief referee. He seems to wield at least as much power as Vince McMahon.