NASCAR's Cubs

With his fourth place finish in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega on Sunday, Dale Earnhardt Jr has now gone 101 races since his last victory. Jr did factor in determining who won the race however, as his drafting partner, Jimmie Johnson, finished in first. As a symbolic gesture to than Jr for his assistance, Johnson gave him the checkered flag from the race.

Since Jr last won a NASCAR race, Johnson has won the points championship three times. Barack Obama became president. NASCAR created a Hall of Fame. Kyle Busch has won 60 total races (12 Cup, 31 Nationwide, and 17 Truck). Monday Night Football moved to ESPN. And Jr has won the 'Most Popular Driver' award three times.

Traditionally, losers, or losing franchises, are not treated with the level of respect that teams like the Yankees and Celtics receive. Typically, they are laughed at, or completely ignored. However, Jr has managed to remain popular in the eyes of NASCAR, despite his lackluster finishes over the past few years. Of course, he did receive a built in fan base with his late father's fans heading his way with the passing of Dale Sr, yet he has managed to retain them. In a way, he is the NASCAR version of the Chicago Cubs.

Both Jr and the Cubs have come close to finally breaking through - Jr with his second place finishes at Daytona in 2009 and the Cubs in 2003. Both have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, Jr with his multiple wrecks when having a strong car, the Cubs with the Bartman game (amongst others). Both receive an unparalleled amount of support, despite there being more successful teams in the same garage/city (Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon are Jr's teammates, and the White Sox also call Chicago home). Yet, the popularity of both continues to endure.

Dale Jr has seemingly come to the brink of breaking through with a victory. This year, he has two top fives and five top tens in eight races. He is presently third in points, his best showing through eight races in his career. He has been competitive, flashing some of the promise he had back when he was younger and a factor almost every week.

Unlike the Cubs, Jr looks ready to win. But until then, he is NASCAR's version of the Lovable Losers.