A whopper of an illusion is being shattered by Burger King ads -- latimes.com: "For anyone fascinated by advertising as culture, I recommend an afternoon watching a NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car race on TV. I also prescribe an overstuffed chair and a bowlful of M&Ms mixed with No-Doz."

Seriously, though, it raises the question of what has to happen to a sport for advertising to become the point of it, rather than simply a means to stage the events. Must its sporting nature be removed first, before serious sponsors can be attracted?