Darrell Waltrip Told Not to Talk

It's a good thing that FOX Sports analyst Darrell Waltrip has the weekend off from NASCAR.

After a visit to a Nashville-area doctor who's treated many entertainers with vocal problems, Waltrip was told to minimize any talking for a while. From the Charlotte Observer:

Fox TV analyst Darrell Waltrip, who lost his voice during last week's race at Bristol, has been diagnosed with severely inflamed vocal cords and is under doctor's orders to severely limit his speaking for the time being.

Waltrip definitely had no business being in the booth on Sunday. He didn't add a whole lot the broadcast, and I know I cringed several times just listening to his voice. Fellow analyst Jeff Hammond could have easily filled in.

The whole situation does make me wonder if FOX was being mindful of how NBC treated the situation with Benny Parson's when he was battling cancer during his final season. NBC wasn't always completely up-front about Benny's situation and not having him in the booth caused some worry.

Dick Vitale, another quite-vocal commentator, had similar vocal problems for much of the NCAA basketball season before returning after a month or two off. I do hope Waltrip can be back for Martinsville in two weeks.

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