I dunno, Junior . . .

On paper, signing with Hendrick was probably the best thing you could have done.

But in reality, I don't know how your fans are going to react to team orders for you to cooperate with the most hated man in Earnhardt Nation.

I suppose that's one way to get your fans to stop throwing beer cans at him.

And I don't know how you're going to handle the transition from Big Fish In A Medium-Sized Pond to Just Another One of The Guys.

I was hoping you'd sign with Joe Gibbs, and if Joe couldn't get past the beer thing (which I don't really understand, since unlike Petty he allows "Bud Pole" decals on all his cars), bring back the old yellow and blue Wrangler paint scheme.

Or (and NOBODY was talking about this possibility) Kyle Petty moving to broadcasting full-time, Bobby Labonte moving over to the 45, and Junior taking the seat in the 43, bringing back the Petty Blue paint scheme and STP as the primary sponsor. I know you wanted to stay with a Chevy, Junior, but you forget that Petty himself didn't always drive a Dodge. Maybe he could be convinced to switch the 43 team to Chevy.

I hope Bud will go with you. And I know it's almost certainly not going to happen, but I hope Teresa (or NASCAR, whoever's decision it ultimately is) lets you take the number 8 with you. Your fans could accept you in another number, but I don't know how easily they could accept another driver in the number 8.

Don't let all the bloviators get you down with their insistence that you should have stuck with DEI because it's what your dad would have wanted. They seem to forget that you did just that the last time your contract was renegotiated. You took one for the team, and in the time since the team made no effort to meet you halfway.