After NASCAR's dramatic changes were unveiled Thursday, the
sport that always has emphasized itself as "sit and steer" seems
to want to be more like "stick and ball"   CHARLOTTE — There was
a startling takeaway while the smoke cleared from NASCAR
detonating its championship philosophy, and it seemed as much
about a self-help panacea as a self-induced identity crisis.
More than ever before, the sport that always has emphasized
itself as "sit and steer" wants to be more like "stick and
ball," the derisive term that NASCAR personalities have applied
to non-racing pursuits for decades.  The implication always was
that stock-car racing stood superior because of myriad elements
differentiating it from other professional sports. It persisted
in the 10 years since NASCAR adopted the Chase for the Sprint
Cup, a 10-race runoff that incorporated some elements of other
playoffs while still paying homage to racing's title traditions.
But Thursday's unveiling of a new playoff structure marked by
the familiar vernacular o