HARRISBURG, N.C. — There’s an old punch line to a dirty joke that begs the question, “So how much is a duck worth?”
With Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s decision to go to Rick Hendrick Motorsports and then to openly manipulate the media into negotiating the rights to the No. 8 for him, saying, “It works pretty good sometimes when you let the media speak for you,” I started thinking, how much is an “8” worth?
Granted, mathematics was never my strong suit, but I remember something about the value of a number being equal to that number — “8=8,” “12=12” and so on.
This is not the case in NASCAR — or any other sport for that matter.

Since this whole thing began with Earnhardt’s defection from DEI, Teresa Earnhardt, who owns and operates DEI, has, in the court of public opinion, come off about as well as some strange cross between the Wicked Witch of the West and Joan Crawford.

Numbers are worth something more than their value. They are synonymous with players or drivers. The No. 43 can’t be imagined without a Petty attached to it. If you think about NFL quarterbacks and the No. 13, you think Dan Marino, unless you’re a really big Tim Rattay fan.
In an effort to determine more exactly what an eight might be worth, I decided to e-mail Dr. Kevin Burke, professor and chair of the department of kinesiology, leisure and sport sciences, which houses a unique motorports business and marketing program at East Tennessee State University.
Burke’s response was not surprising.
It turns out that the No. 8 is sort of like that cherry Harley-Davidson shovelhead. As the buyer, it’s worth exactly as much as you’re willing to pay. But to the seller — in this case, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., it isn’t worth nearly as much without Dale Earnhardt, Jr. attached to it.
That’s what DEI has to consider as it goes forward — with or without the No. 8. Without Junior driving it, it might as well be No. 58, or No. 62 or whatever.
“It is really difficult to value the number,” Burke said. “I believe any number — No. 8 or any other available number — that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. takes will be worth millions.”
We’re talking the silly, might-as-well-be Monopoly money of professional sports. It means caps and die-cast cars and T-shirts and a breakout business for tattoo shops across the country.
It means brand recognition. In the case of Dale, Jr., it means the continuation of his brand. He’s the guy in the No. 8. It’s only been a few years, but it seems just like it’s always been that way. Many of his fans, who seem as concerned with the car number as they were with which team he chose, prove that there is a serious yet bizarre, inexplicable connection between athlete and number.
As requested, I’m here to help broker a deal to help get the No. 8 for him and the Little E Nation.
Since this whole thing began with Earnhardt’s defection from DEI, Teresa Earnhardt, who owns and operates DEI, has, in the court of public opinion, come off about as well as some strange cross between the Wicked Witch of the West and Joan Crawford. That opinion says that she is the evil stepmother who is keeping Dale, Jr. and sister Kelly Earnhardt-Elledge from their birthrights by denying them majority ownership of DEI.
I’m not saying that’s right — or even that it should matter, but that’s the way it is.
What does the No. 8 mean to her, really? It was Ralph Earnhardt’s (father of Dale, Sr.) number, which is how it got into the family business in the first place. Without it, DEI goes on without a beat because it is worth a fraction of what it was with Dale, Jr. driving it, and Teresa Earnhardt would appear to have offered up an olive branch to her stepchildren by giving it up.
Money has been exchanged for numbers before — that’s nothing new. Major League Baseball player John Kruk bought his in Philadelphia for a couple of cases of beer.
But when NFL running back Ahman Green signed as a free agent with the Houston Texans, he sought his “lucky” No. 30 from veteran defensive back Jeff Simmons. Simmons acquiesced.
The price?
Simmons asked Green, who had signed a reported four-year, $23-million contract with Houston, to make the down payment on a home for a single parent in need. Green asked where he should write the check.
DEI could make a similar request of Earnhardt, Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports. Pick a charity.
No doubt, the offer would be readily accepted.
Then we would know the No. 8 is worth more than just millions. To someone, it would be priceless.
All jokes aside.

Earnhardt Joins Hendrick Stable