There are times in my life when I could be viewed as a purist. I appreciate tradition, adhere to structure, and I always have.
I've adjusted the way I think about things as I've grown older, the same way mature companies must adjust and alter their approach in an effort to stay relevant, evolve and ultimately prosper.
Having competed in a traditional points structure my entire career (original format) I viewed the Chase as a bit gimmicky at first, so I chose to refer to it as a playoff during my SportsCenter appearances, in large part because our audience could relate to "playoffs," a format that's synonymous with the four major American sports.
Today, I can say without hesitation that the format we have to determine our champion is exciting, dramatic and suspenseful. In other words, I like it!
On Monday, I spent all of my flight from Hartford, Connecticut, to Charlotte, North Carolina, mentally bouncing among the four drivers set to do battle Sunday for the championship.
Which is the favorite? Who among them carries the obvious advantage entering the final race? Who among them possesses the intangible qualities, hidden, but invaluable, in the pursuit of the 2017 title?
We have three former champs, all having won their title in this decade, and among those three, Kyle Busch has had the most impressive season. Quietly (if such a word can be associated with Busch), the driver of the candy car has assembled a season that ranks among his best.
Busch is 20 laps short of reaching 2,000 laps led this season, something he's never come close to accomplishing despite the fact he almost always has a presence at the front of the field. His 43 wins are the most among the four challengers.
Martin Truex Jr. is the fastest and most productive among the finalists, he's passed that benchmark of 2,000 laps lead, and he is our winningest driver in 2017 with seven.
Were it not for some tough luck, Truex could have entered this final race as a double-digit winner, something I consider remote if not nearly impossible in this era of parity.
If there's a statistical favorite, it's the New Jersey native. He is the driver I'm pulling hardest for; he is the driver I relate closest to because I appreciate the path he chose to get to Cup (I competed against his dad in the old Busch North Series).
I like the way Truex goes about his business, the way he competes in the heat of the moment. He has paid his dues and emerged as the most predictable driver on the track. He has amazing car control, similar to a couple guys I competed against that won often, but seldom if ever spun their cars, Mark Martin and Harry Gant.
There wasn't one time in my career while competing door-to-door with Martin and Gant that I worried about getting squeezed or wrecked. They knew their limits, the limits of the car, the limit of the track. They gave you all you deserved, no more, no less. They were a couple of my favorites. That's the impression I have of Truex, that's what we will see of him Sunday.
In some ways, Kevin Harvick has come the farthest this year. He won a title for Stewart-Haas in 2014 in a Chevrolet heavily supported by Hendrick Motorsports chassis and horsepower, but the No. 4 team transitioned to Ford during the offseason.
I cannot put into perspective how difficult and disruptive a wholesale change that is.
in 2001 I won my first race in a Ford, and the success garnered us an offer and extra money from Pontiac. We accepted the change and won Darlington, which led us to an offer we couldn't refuse from Chevrolet.
Three manufacturers in four years spelled the demise of PPI Motorsports and the end of my career.
Our team of personnel was exhausted and overwhelmed from the requirements and deficits of the challenge.
Harvick didn't win an oval track race in 2017 until two weeks ago, because changing cars and engines means all your notes, all your recent success becomes somewhat irrelevant.
Harvick is hitting his stride at the most opportune time. He has an attitude that invites you to dismiss him, only to regret it a short time later.
Sometimes the driver you should favor is the one that worked the hardest to get there, and that would be Brad Keselowski.
Brad, in spite of his four wins this year, seems the long shot among the group, not overwhelming in terms of speed, but savvy enough to always be in the hunt.
I underestimated Keselowski twice. In the early innings of his career, I dismissed him as being average, not realizing the family-owned truck he was driving was at such a deficit when it arrived at the track. Brad exposed that misconception when he substituted for a suspended Ted Musgrave in a Truck Series race where he dominated the day, falling barely short of Victory Lane. The second time I underestimated him was his 2012 championship battle squared off against Jimmie Johnson.
I won't make that mistake again, not just because of Keselowski, but also his crew chief Paul Wolfe, who I consider to be exceptional at his job.
Wolfe isn't the only crew chief I have high regard for. Adam Stevens for Busch and Rodney Childers for Harvick are masters of their trade, they are winners, and like their drivers, also champions.
The only crew chief without a title is Truex's Cole Pearn. There's something, or perhaps several things about Pearn that remind me of Ray Evernham.
All year long I've watched from afar how he acknowledges victory with one day of contentment, but embraces defeat with a lifetime of disdain.
As much as I appreciate Truex, I'm equally confident in Pearn. In full disclosure, I campaigned before the playoffs began that my heart said Truex would win it (in part because of the wonderful human being that is his girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, who is fighting cancer) but my brain said Busch, because I believe he will win three or four titles before he hangs up his helmet.
By the time the plane's tires hit the run way at the Charlotte airport, I had made up my mind that I'm done with my brain, I'm trusting my heart.
Truex, Pearn and team owner Barney Visser deserve this title more than any others. They have set the pace throughout 2017.
I make my living as an analyst for ESPN, and the analyst says Kyle Busch and Adam Stevens.
My heart says Martin Truex Jr. and Cole Pearn.
I'm going with my heart!