Let the show go on

So now comes the fallout for the Tussle in Texas, and it is illuminating to say the least.

In other words: There wasn't much falling out to the fallout.

NASCAR handed out penalties to a few crew members who were throwing down during the post-race scrum, both Jeff Gordon guys and Brad Keselowski guys. But the drivers themselves -- including Kevin Harvick, who really got it all going when he shoved Kes from behind -- were assessed no penalty at all.

What this says to me is NASCAR kind of liked being front-and-center in a November news cycle for once.

What it says is what a lot of us suspected, which is that NASCAR doesn't want its sport to devolve into the WWE on four huge tires -- but, damn, look at us up there on Good Morning America again. Didn't see Tom Brady or Peyton Manning there, but Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski were.

So it's a win, sort of, over the NFL beast, and on  the show will go. Phoenix is next -- the last elimination race before THE elimination race at Homestead -- and if you think the ruckus-ing is over, think again. It's only gonna get cranked up another notch with four more drivers set to be cut out of the Chase.

Harvick and Keselowski are two of them. Gordon is one point ahead of Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth for the last spot in the Final Four. Let the chaos/mayhem/hatin'-on-Keselowski begin again, with NASCAR's tacit approval.

Because, listen, they're no dummies, Brian France and Mike Helton 'n' them. They knew they had to come down on someone for the brawl in Texas, but not anyone the public cares about. And that's because they also know that what happened at Texas makes Phoenix must-see TV, and Homestead even more so.

And that's exactly what they were hoping would happen with the new elimination-style Chase.