Dale Earnhardt also got spun around. His Chevrolet was nicked on its rear-left bumper, but he was able to finish the race, with duct tape and a few makeshift screws holding his fender together. Petty took the setback with a rueful smile and a shrug. He didn't kick or slash anybody's tires. He didn't gouge Jarrett's car with his key.
Goodness knows, there's reason enough to expect the worst from our sports figures.
If Jeff Van Gundy had been Petty's crew chief, he probably would have run onto the track and thrown himself on the hood of Jarrett's Ford and held on. If Geoff Courtnall had been in Petty's place, he might have taken a run at Mark Martin, the leader then and at the finish, as the drivers sat on the track cooling their engines while the speedway was being cleared and cleaned. If Randy Johnson had been in Petty's pit, he likely would have told him to throw his helmet at Jarrett's head, just to show he was hot as his carburetor and wasn't going to take it any more. But Kyle isn't petty like the aforementioned New York Knicks coach, St. Louis Blues forward and Seattle Mariners pitcher, all of whom have behaved badly lately. You can debate whether or not stock-car drivers are athletes, but there's no denying Petty is a sportsman.