Monday, November 14th 'What If' Question

This Sunday in Homestead-Miami it will be the end of a five-year era.

Jimmie Johnson will not be crown Sprint Cup champion, instead it will be Carl Edwards or Tony Stewart taking home the big trophy. Johnson and team will be looking to preserve a top five point finish instead. Five-time goes out without putting up much of a fight for a sixth straight championship, left in the dust of Edwards and Stewart who have blazed through the Chase and into the finale.

For the past five years Johnson has been at the top of the mountain as everyone else just shook their heads and watched. Some welcomed his accomplishments more than others. Sure, he may have been respected for making history but it didn't make it any easier or fun to watch him do it year after year.

Some will be celebrating not only an Edwards or Stewart championship, but the fact that Johnson won't be winning another. It is a day that some thought wasn't going to come any time soon. After three, then four and especially five, Johnson was expected to just keep going and going. It's why when he wasn't all that spectacular in 2011 and didn't open a can of whoop ass on the competition when the Chase started it was surprising yet welcomed.

It doesn't however, mean Johnson and his No. 48 Lowe's team won't win another championship. They'll come back in 2012 looking to get back to where they belong and add another page to the record books. There are only two other drivers ahead of Johnson in the history books with more championships, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. It is certainly possible that he could go on to tie and surpass them in that category. He'll have to wait until next year though (something that hasn't been said about him since 2005) before he gets a chance to do so.

But ...

What if @JimmieJohnson comes back in 2012 and wins his sixth championship, will it be more accepted than his five in a row were? #NASCAR

@HarpAmyStabler I think that it depends on if he's dominant or not. If he goes a few years in btwn, then maybe it's okay to break records.?.

@golic_2004 Well the world will not end, as Johnson would need to win 7 straight championships.

@racebird if he and his team wins why wouldn't they be? Takes a team to win!

@ladybug388 I think it will be as a lot of people r now looking at how significant his 5 in a row was

@StrokerAce90 Yes, it would be more accepted. @JimmieJohnson joined twitter, showed #NASCAR fans he weren't vanilla and won over more fans.

@JoJo_6040 Break from JJ winning is nice. For yrs I've said when he doesn't win it, I'd root for him again & I will. Congrts to 5 time!!