Why isn't Jimmie Johnson considered when talking sports champion dynasties?

Answer 1

There are a few reasons for this (not neccessarily fact, but generally acknowledged within the NASCAR fanbase). Since 2004, the sport has experienced a significant drop in quality with new corporate management, new rules, and a new points system. With the inclusion of the Chase for the Sprint Cup points system, all drivers in the top 10 in points, along with two wild-card drivers, have their points reset to 2,000, with an additional 3 points for every win in the first 26 races; this makes the points race much closer for the final ten races as compared to the 26th race. Because of this, a driver needs only to make the Chase for a shot at the championship, then race hard for the final 10 races, rather than race hard/consistently for the entire season.

Since 2004, there have been seven Chase for the Sprint Cup champions (Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson); but only three of those times has the champion scored the most points in the season, suggesting that the other four champions didn't deserve to win the championship. Johnson has won the title every year since 2006, but only twice (2006 and 2009) has he earned the most points in a season, meaning that while he may be a five-time champion, three of them were only won because of th Chase. This wouldn't be as big a deal if the Chase was critically successful in the NASCAR community, but since it isn't, and due to the fact that Jeff Gordon would be a six-time champ instead of a four-time champ if it wasn't for the Chase, this concept has been met with unpopular results (including lower attendance and tv ratings).

So in conclusion, Jimmie Johnson may be a five-time champion, but in most people's eyes he is simply a three-time paper champion. A dynasty is a team which has dominated their sport for anywhere from 5-10 years in a row, but in Johnson's case, he has only been the benefactor of a faulty system.