Why Is Danica Patrick So Polarizing? Many Reasonable Responses, Some Nasty Ones

So, earlier this week I asked OutKick and Fox readers for a pulse check on Danica Patrick ahead of Sunday's Indy 500. 

I saw last weekend that Danica received a … not very nice … reception when she returned to the Indy 500 Fox booth for the first time, and I needed to understand why fans hated her. 

I love Danica. Didn't love her when she was in NASCAR, but she's done a complete 180 since. And by that, I mean she's been red-pilled (like most sane Americans, by the way). 

Anyway, I figured her being a MAGA (mainly MAHA) gal was what turned a certain section of race fans off. The lib ones, specifically. They hate her politics, so, naturally, they hate her. It's right out of the Dem playbook. 

So, I wrote about it, and left it up to you folks to fill me in, once and for all. Do we hate Danica? Do we like her? Is she hot, but annoying? Is she good at what she does?

Shockingly, I received an absolute mixed-bag of responses – both via social media and my email. 

Strap in. 

One crowd is more pro-Danica Patrick than most 

See? All over the map. Some love her. Some don't hate HER, they just think she doesn't bring much to the booth. And that's fine. I'm cool with that. 

People rave about Pat Summerall all the time, and I've got a secret for you that I've never told anyone … 

I think Pat Summerall was boring as hell. There, I said it. I know it's super unpopular, but that's just where I stand. So, it's fine to hate Danica because you don't think she's very good. Maybe she isn't. 

Also … that last one? He's 100% right. All female announcers generally stink. I'm not trying to be sexist, just honest. Remember the Jessica Mendoza years on Sunday Night Baseball? Truly awful. 

Anyway, that was just Twitter. The response on Facebook was also a whirlwind. Let's cherry-pick a couple comments out of the staggering 374 (!!!!!!!!!) responses. 

• I'm a fan of Danica. She's not only a highly skilled driver, she's also beautiful, intelligent and on the side of common sense. 
• I understand we all have different opinions, I respect hers and it has no bearing on her talents. 
• Intelligent, Beautiful, Entrepreneur. 
• No, she is universally hated everytime she is on TV covering a race. Even NASCAR, or F1. 
• Big fan! I go to the Indy 500 every year.
• I would be Danica Patrick's boyfriend. 
• I really disliked her until she became MAGA! I now totally respect her!
• Love her and if she pisses off the woke mob by existing it’s just an added bonus. 
• Nah, she left IndyCar for Nascar. And a little bratty B. 
• MAGA has nothing to do with it. She was super cocky when she was in INDY car. That really rubbed the fans the wrong way. It’s just a hangover effect.
• Don’t care what anyone thinks about her, she’s independent, beautiful , and still sexy as hell.

At least we can all agree on one thing 

Obviously, the Facebook crowd is a bit more pro-Danica than those who reside over on Elon's app. That makes sense, given the age-gap. Although, to be fair, most of them seem to really account for Danica's good looks, which I respect. Again, I'm pro-Danica – and that includes the fact that she's a smokeshow. 

Finally, let's head to the mailbox and check in with some fan mail on this very topic. 

From Alex R:

The whole Danica thing spans so much...

- She was insufferable when she drove Nascar. She was the female Bubba Wallace at the time. But she does have knowledge and experience. Her recent support of the President has gone a long way to get her back in the graces of the Nascar crowd. She should do more of those races.

- She did drive Indy and won a race, so she knows this too. She should absolutely be doing Indy race coverage.

- F1 she has zero experience and is insufferable because she does not belong in that world. It is not even the liberal thing, F1 is a different wonderful European thing, and she doesn't fit just like the British Commentator on the NBC NASCAR coverage. It does not work. 

Thanks, Alex! All fair points. I do think NASCAR fans really soured on Danica during her tenure, mainly because she was sort of a prick to everyone. Those wounds are still healing. 

From Chris B:

I grew up going to the Long Beach Grand Prix. I also went to many races at Riverside Raceway watching stock cars and Ascot watching the World of Outlaws. I remember seeing Danica Patrick being plastered all over the track in Long Beach one year as she was racing in the Indy Lights. 

Being a horny 20-something year old, totally on board with Danica. I think the issue with her as she became more mainstream was she was being handed opportunities because she was hot and really nothing else. She never dominated anything, and she had this attitude that she was better than everybody. 

She got more money and chances than other fans' favorite drivers and people resented that she never really earned the position given to her. 

Besides the angry lib, I still don’t think people take her seriously due to her past, and those who don’t think a woman knows more about cars than them. Guess what, she does.

I would think people would respect her more now as she’s doing her homework, she speaks what’s on her mind, and has shown more of a personality than in the past. Plus, as you mentioned, still very attractive.

Thanks, Chris! Excellent insight here. Thorough, which I expect from our readers. Y'all know your stuff, which is why I went straight to you all earlier in the week. 

Again, Danica has credibility, but some folks don't realize that yet because they're too stuck on her NASCAR career, which obviously wasn't great. 

For example … Michael R:

People don't dislike Danica because she might be "MAGA" or because they suffer from TDS - people who say those things aren't true race fans. 

TRUE race fans don't like her because, in spite of what you said, she DOESN'T have ANY credibility, she sucks at analysis and giving commentary, and she isn't legit. Nobody she raced against liked her. 

Thanks, Mike! 

Danica Patrick obviously has credibility. She's raced in Indy and NASCAR. Despite what people think, she's been plenty competitive in both at times. That's hard to do. The fact that she finished third in an Indy 500 immediately makes her among the most credible analysts on this weekend's broadcast. 

Anyway, we're 1,000 words into this, and I'm not sure if I have a definitive answer for you on Danica Patrick. 

Frankly, she seems like your typical broadcaster. Some love her. Some hate her. Like Tony Romo, she's polarizing as hell. That's not a bad thing, by the way. 

As for me, I sort of fall in Jim D's camp:

She's a STUDETTE! And quite honestly ... grounded. She has money, fun, etc etc.. Yet she backs Trump and the MAGA viewpoint. She's "All Good!"

Amen. Let's go racing.