Update 1/2/08 - Due to the incredible reaction to this column, we are leaving the COMMENTS section open. After you review the column, please take a moment to read the thoughts of the other NASCAR fans on this issue. As usual, please feel free to add your own. Thank you for the encouragement to return for next season, we will keep you posted on our decision.
There are a lot more important things to ponder on this New Year's holiday than NASCAR. After we reflect on our personal and professional lives, we create a list of things that we would like to improve in 2008. That is the priority.
But, sooner or later the big question of this off-season rears its ugly head. It is the question that is sent to me every day by email. It is the question asked in The Daly Planet comments, and on websites and blogs all around the Internet.
Many of us have been NASCAR fans for decades. I watched Ned Jarrett and Inside Winston Cup Racing from my VCU dorm with my friends every weekend during the season. I had the chance to work on the NASCAR races with ESPN. I had the chance to put together This Week In NASCAR with Eli Gold for Prime Network. I even had the chance to work at Sunbelt Video and coordinate the production of NASCAR TV programs.
While all of that created the foundation for my enjoyment of the sport, these are very different times. This past season on TV for the NEXTEL Cup Series started with so much promise and ended in complete chaos. There is just no other way to put it.
The way that I "consume" NASCAR racing is television. The fact that 2007 was the first year of a new TV contract with a new line-up of TV partners is the reason we started this blog. We wanted to find out how Fox Sports, TNT, and ESPN/ABC would do producing our favorite sport.
Put aside the Truck and Nationwide Series for the moment. Put aside the support programs like RaceDay and NASCAR Now and Trackside. The question on the mind of many veteran NASCAR fans only has to do with the 2008 Sprint Cup Series. It is a simple question that has been phrased many ways by fans across the Internet. Here it is:
"Considering the way I felt after this season, should I come back and watch the races next year?"
While some fans on other websites complained about the switch to the COT and the quality of the racing, they usually included something else. That was the TV coverage. Other fans pointed specifically to the TV issues as the reason they might not return.
Since we deal with TV on this site, I would just join those fans in saying that I never thought it would be a tough decision whether or not to return. But...it is.
Not returning and spending ten months of my life watching races on TV for thirty-nine weeks now seems like a realistic option. That is the fall-out from the lousy job the NASCAR TV networks did this season. Check the Internet, this refrain is everywhere from NASCAR.com to SceneDaily to SPEEDtv. I am certainly not alone.
The memory of the Daytona 500 finish is great. It is blunted by the fact that Fox only showed the winner finish in the rest of the races. Unforgivable, and yet never changed by Fox's David Hill or Ed Goren who profess to be "NASCAR friendly" TV executives. A great TV crew, great pictures, and then no one finished but the winner. Frankly, I do not want to see that again.
TNT's promotional announcements were only interrupted by advertising and occasional glimpses of a NASCAR race that was running in the background. Bill Weber and Marc Fein looked like they were going to duke-it-out during the pre-race show, and Weber's condescending and arrogant on-air attitude made him impossible to watch. Only the hard work of Larry McReynolds, Kyle Petty and the pit reporters gave the TNT broadcasts some credibility.
It was during this six race stretch that many fans discovered their local MRN or PRN radio outlet, or decided it might be a good time to pay for that Sirius contract. Even the public relations stunt of moving commercials around at Daytona could not save this mess. The anger of the fans still smarting about the Fox problems grew a notch. But, the hope of ESPN returning to the NASCAR trail was on the horizon.
The first race back for ESPN was the Brickyard 400 from Indy. This is a portion of the column from The Daly Planet that ran after the race broadcast:
The email started pouring in minutes after Tony Stewart crossed the finish line of The Brickyard 400. It came from many different locations around the country, and represented fans of many teams in the sport, except one. Not one email was from a Tony Stewart fan, and that was for one reason. He was the only driver who fans saw cross the finish line at Indy.
In what may be the most colossal sports blunder since the Heidi Bowl, ESPN welcomed themselves back to NASCAR by failing to show anyone other than the winner of The Brickyard 400 finish the race. ESPN had asked fans to join them for a one hour pre-race show, and then a three hour race. Unless you were a Tony Stewart fan, the reward for your efforts was...nothing.
If your driver was fighting it out for a top ten, or struggling for a top twenty finish, it did not matter to ESPN. All the stories they had been following for three hours suddenly did not matter. The fundamental fact that race fans want to see the battle to the line by the field did not matter. Even basic knowledge that people get passed in the final straightaway could not change ESPN's idea that what fans wanted was drama and not racing.
This was the start of perhaps ESPN's biggest struggle for credibility in a professional sport in the 25 plus years of the network's existence. Hip-hop blaring, Brent Musburger talking and Draft Lock "smoking" will always be in the minds of the fans.
Then, strange things started to happen. ESPN refused to reset the field before a restart. They refused to talk to the drivers coming out of the Infield Medical Center. Once, they left my driver Dale Jarrett sitting in the middle of the track in a crashed car...and never mentioned him again. I wasn't upset, I was livid.
What ESPN failed to understand was that we were not watching who was leading. We all had our favorites, and we were trying to watch...the race. I have been following Dale Jarrett for his entire career. It was only Kyle Petty's later apology that informed ESPN viewers of what had happened. We never were told if Jarrett was injured.
The last straw for many viewers was Mike Massaro being forced to continue to pound Dale Earnhardt Junior with questions after he fell out of a race, and missed The Chase. Remember that? In a scenario that is still tough to watch, ESPN threw aside the kind of dignity and respect that is the hallmark of the sport, and shot themselves in the foot on national TV with the most popular driver in NASCAR.
What part of this makes us want to return? Where are the NASCAR executives who are going to step-up and say this is not going to happen again? In a November column, we mentioned Brian France as saying ESPN was in the middle of a "learning curve." He then went on to say the following:
"The production and fan expectation they (ESPN) have to be at is much higher than before," said France. "They are finding that out."
So, here we sit pondering our return to NASCAR. Everyone will be in the COT, Gibbs will be Toyota powered, Junior will be at Hendrick and Kyle Busch will have something to prove. On one hand, it should be interesting. On the other hand, will we be able to see it?
Since we are on the fence, it would really help if you told us your thought process as you make or break the commitment to NASCAR for 2008. Ten months of your life and over one hundred hours of live TV is what is on the table.
The countdown clock over at Jayski.com is now under 49 days to the Daytona 500. Are you planning on the TV networks learning from their mistakes and making sweeping changes for 2008, or are you going to step-away from the sport because of this season's problems?
Take a moment to tell us your New Year's NASCAR TV resolution.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below, and follow the simple instructions. We do not want your email address, and there is nothing to join. We just want to know if you will be coming back to NASCAR in 2008?
231 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 231 of 231As always, thanks JD.
I have been a NASCAR fan all of my life. I have attended multiple races every season. I am another of the ignored and/or insulted veteran fans.
In the past, I have watched all three series whenever possible. I plan to watch all of the Truck Series races during 2008.
The Nationwide Series is a question mark because of ESPN.
I will start the season watching the Cup series on FOX. How long I watch the TV coverage depends on the quality of the coverage. FOX is second to SPEED as to quality of race coverage; but there were changes in their coverage during 2007 that I did not like.
My watching the Cup Series coverage on TNT and ESPN is hanging by a thread. After reading the remarks of Julie Sobieski, vice president of programming and acquisition for ESPN, I don’t believe I will be a viewer of the ESPN coverage. I have a mental image of the decision makers at ESPN, all together in their isolation booth, praising each other on the great job they are doing.
I want to watch the race. I don’t want to watch a show that is advertised as a race. While chasing the “new fan”, the networks and NASCAR have forgotten that exciting races and unique personalities of drivers capture a new fan and turn them into a veteran fan. If a network advertises a race and then shows everything but the cars on the track, they will not capture the new fan and will say good-bye to veteran fans.
During last weekend, I watched a Truck race and a Busch race from early 2007. During the Truck race, I was actually talking to the TV with “Oh, no!” and “Way to go!” because I was excited watching a race that I had already seen. Next, I watched the Busch race. I was left with a high frustration level and the feeling of leaving the table hungry. I think that sums up ESPN for me.
I want to see cars on the track. I want to watch the race, the whole race. If I cannot watch the race on TV because of poor coverage, I will turn to the radio. Like Sophia, I don’t want to multi-task to follow a race.
I just want to watch the cars race!
I came on to post the views of two more British Nascar fans (who work where I do), but I'd like to make a couple of comments first.
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The only reason NA$CAR decided to go with the current car is because they think it'll attract more international fans
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Guess why this international fan found Nascar - because it was different.
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I just read at racingone.com that ESPN is bringing back the same exact crew for this next season. They actually think that Kolber, Daugherty and Musburger bridge a 'gap' for new fans. ???? What????!!
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I knew they wouldn't listen. These TV execs never do - they always know best. See you all through 2008 JD.
Now, my 2 colleagues. One gave up on Busch 10 races, as ESPN was annoying him too much. He fast forwarded Cup since Fox left.
The other began only watching the last bit of each race, roughly equivalent to the last pit stop and run to the flag. Sounds like an interesting idea. He said, when even Bristol is not Bristol, the end is near.
JD- Given EXPN's arrogance it would not surprise me for the same faces to be on its NASCAR broadcasts in 2008 - heaven help us. However, as I read the RacingOne article it does not appear that Sobiesky is being quoted as saying "the same core group is expected to be back in 2008." Who knows what the "core" is, other than the part of the apple you throw away.
For me the bottom line is that I will definitely "watch" or record a good bit of many NASCAR races on EXPN- BUT the audio will be MRN or PRN like 2007 unless there are big changes and improvements at EXPN.
Thnx JD for this blog, it helps relieve stress from the continuing degradation of broadcasting by the networks - all of them.
It seems that even my local stations continue to refer to NASCAR as the "good ole boys" raced at.... again today and blah blah won.
2007 saw my passion for racing wain about the time the chase began, and by the last race - I wasn't watching because the coverage was so terrible, the TV and I became strangers and my outdoor activities picked up.
For a moment, can you imagine any NFL announcer announcing what a forward pass is and what the intended purpose was supposed to be when the thrown ball was intercepted? Don't thing so, however, why must all of our beloved announcers tell us one again how the draft is supposed to work or what happens when a driver misses a shift??? It's lame coverage that treats any fan as an ignorant, bumbling, shade tree mechanic, and it's insulting. Why would anyone watch a telecast and continue to be insulted by the coverage?
My viewing for 2008 will, unless greatly improved, be similar to 2007 where the beginning of the race was exciting, then after 30 minutes of watching the lead pack follow each other with out any coverage of the remaining drivers, the TV was turned off. Windtunnel had the best show regarding racing coverage and that's where my NASCAR fix is satisfied. Probably the same in 2008.
The COT stinks! Parity? Who cares about parity? Do the NFL teams all line up and weigh in before and after a game to ensure that one team doesn't have a weight advantage over another team Don't think so - it's the coaching and the desire of each team that really counts. Therefore, shouldn't NASCAR be based on bring what you got concept, safety being considered? Think Kyle Petty said it best when asked about how he felt w/the arrival of Toyota. Paraphrasing here; I'd like to see more companies involved in NASCAR because that's what competition is all about and that's the roots of NASCAR. Dodge, Plymouth, Nash, Packard, Ford, Chevy, Chrysler, Mercury, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, etc. Competition made some companies great and others failed. But isn't that the reason for competition? It's not about parity it's automotive competition and the drivers ability.
Hopefully the networks, advertisers, Mr. France, and the automotive industry get their act together to put on a competitive event that will be enjoyable to watch - in it's entirety in 2008.
Ron - Dayton, Oh.
I'm staying. Call me a sellout if you want, but it will take a ton of crap to drag me away from my NASCAR racing. A lot of stuff may have gone on that corrupts the presentation of it, but at its core, there is still a RACE going on every week. A lot of times, I don't even notice the commentary because I am so into the race. A lot of people complained about Jerry Punch's call of the Busch finish at Talladega, but I didn't even notice the call until I re-watched it on the tape. My parents and I were cheering at the exciting finish and didn't even hear the live commentary. Same with the Daytona 500 and Pepsi 400 finishes. My dad is a mechanic who owns his own garage, and his dad owned a race car many years ago. It's very interesting to watch a race with my dad, because he will see things cars are doing and comment about it. In fact, we often sit around talking with each other about what we see going on as we watch. If you have multiple NASCAR fans in your family, I might suggest that you try this. It makes race day a whole lot of fun and brings a social aspect into it. Just remember that at the core of it all, there's still a race going on.
JD, thank you for this blog.
The only NASCAR series races I'll be watching on TV is the Truck Series on SPEED.
For the Sprint Cup races, I'll probably watch the FOX coverage... maybe TNT... and I might give ESPN one more chance. If it's anything like the 2007 coverage, I'll be trading TV for MRN/PRN very quickly. I love racing, but I'm disappointed with the coverage. It's not worth my whole Sunday afternoon anymore. I know I'll see the interesting tidbits from the TV coverage on the post-race programs.
During one of the late-season 2007 races, I listened to MRN/PRN for the first half of the race... and then turned on the ESPN coverage. I could have sworn it was a different race. Even though there was more "action" in the televised half, I could *see* more of the race when I listened to the MRN/PRN broadcasters. And they updated me on my favorite driver's position and the condition of drivers who had crashed.
Until now, radio has been my backup plan for when I couldn't watch the race on TV. Now it's far more interesting, far more exciting, and -- more than anything else -- far more complete. How sad.
I have never yelled at the TV so much to show me RACING instead of cutting to the reaction of the "person of the day" as I did during the 2007 ESPN coverage.
For the first time in years, I'm more likely to be running errands on Sunday afternoons and listening to the race -- than to be staying home and watching the race.
My favorite driver was Ted Musgrave. Back in 1998, he lost his ride with Roush Racing, landing in Bud Moore's #15.
ESPN panned to the back of the field at a race in Michigan, where Teddy was battling Kevin Lepage (who took over Teddy's ride for a partial season) for something like 31st place. And they followed the two drivers for a half-lap, explaining the irony.
And in 2000 at Bristol, Teddy was driving Kenny Irwin's car, in 4th place, when he was spun out. The spin cost him a chance at a win. Benny Parsons cried out "Oh no, oh no, oh no".
If you're a fan of an obscure driver, all you ask is that somebody bothers to tell you about him, bothers to show you his ups and downs, and is willing to share some emotion when something bad happens to him.
I think the racing is exciting if the networks decide that the racing is exciting. It's one thing to "go through the field". It's another thing to honestly care about 43 different drivers.
And really, it's good for advertisers if the networks care about all 43 drivers.
I'd love to see more split-screen action. Show me the leader on one half of the screen, and show me the battle between Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield for 27th place on the other half of the screen.
Honestly, I like the races on Fox. The entire team has history, chemistry, and passion. And I think the ESPN broadcast has potential. Have Mr. Bestwick host the pre-race show, if he's not allowed to announce.
I watch less each year, not because of the coverage, but because my generation of drivers are being phased out. I need younger drivers that I've seen at local tracks, coupled with more coverage of back-markers, to keep me interested.
NASCAR needs to take lessons from the NHRA, it might not be all live, but you get to see each of the professional catagories qualifing runs, and the top sixteen cars and matotrcycles in the top professional catagories run till there is a winner in each class, better than NASCAR, I'm about done with NASCAR.
I REALLY hate when the reporter asks the car owner/driver/crew chief, "What are your emotions right now?" All I want to hear is how the car is running?
Brent M. Go Home.
This may have been said alresdy BUT the whole reason that TV covarage Sucks is that the almighty dollar has ruined NASCAR !
Dave
Having been a nascar fan since I watched my first race, The Kings last win at Daytona, I have seen a lot of Nascar coverage. I have attended 20 races or so in person. During all of that time my life was, much to the dismay of my wife and family, scheduled around NASCAR racing on Sundays. It din't matter what was happening in life, all that mattered was watching from green to checkered o Sunday's. 2007 changed all of that for me. The networks coverage of NASCAR was so lousy with all the draft trax.....what seemed like 100 different commentators fighting over air tim and lets not forget the lets watch only the leader mentality. When will these guys learn that NASCAR fans are diverse and we all have different favorites and we would like to see mid pack and back of the pack racing going on. Lets cut down the prerace shows and add some air time to the post race. Show all the cars cross the fininsh. Alas I fear that if they did broadcast what we want to see all the time we would be disapointed in the damage Goodyear has done to the sport by making tires so hard. Gone ae the days when driving made a difference....Good passing was created by guys going fast early or saving tires and coming on late in a run.....I know David Poole would go gonzo on my a** for saying that about the competition....I like to see the passing and while the competition is tighter now than it ever has been it does no good if cars all go the same speed....we need some passing back in this sport. My program thisyear is the races on Sunday are not a priority unless something changes and there is a reason to make the effort to watch this year. I enjoy them but need to see the changes the veteran fan longs for.....what happens when the vets leave the stands and the tvs? Will NASCAR and the networks make an effort to attract us like to cater to the "NEW" fan? I think NOT.
I have been a nascar fan since the late 70s , I have wattched , listened and been to many races. I live in New Hampshire where the future of our track is undecided. I think NASCAR is on the downside due to Corporate takeover of the sport. Fan support is dropping quicker and quicker due to changes by corporate actions. Who wants to go to a race that ends at 7:00 pm at night. I used to love 12:30 starts. Sponsors who cares what is on the car anymore They all battle too much, it should be open to all companies. Tv is the worst , commentators that are not well recognized, or informed. With all that said I think my track here in New Hampshire will lose a race due to all these changes, and the fact that SMI wants 2 races at other tracks. I will still watch when time allows, and thank god for Sirius and MRN radio to cover the sport.
Thanks a long time race fan from New Hampshire
I will be watching in 2008, but my attention WILL be diluted from the TV broadcast by the use of FoxTrax to keep track of who is fast, who is slow, and where my guys are because the ticker is too often interrupted by gimicks AND by my use of Nascar.com's scanner. If I can get Kyle Busch's channel I will not pay much attention to the TV audio except for accident analysis on Fox.
If ESPN doesn't demonstrate that its shaping up in its Busch/Nationwide coverage I'll seriously consider whether I can afford Hot Pass even though I don't think that Kyle Busch was a Hot Pass driver even once last season.
What is so hard about a straightforward, professional, presentation of the event as it actually unfolds?
I know only 2 or 3 people will ever see this, but here goes anyway. I have been a NASCAR fan since my 10th birthday. That was 44 years ago. I don't like what has happened but its been going on since the late 80's. It is no longer about racing, its about "maximizing the return on your investment". The worst sympton? I worked the Daytona 500 for a racing electronics firm. I could not find a single souvenier or scanner that had not been made in Communist China. And in working the 500 for 2 full weeks, I was never given the opportunity by my employer to even get NEAR the track. As a result, even though I was right there, and rented personal video viewers, I never, ever got to see so much as the blacktop of the racing surface.
It's time for a STOCK car RACING series. I heard something like that is going on in Australia...
Here's my answer.
I will read Jayski every Monday and follow what happened over the weekend, but I will not watch a single race live in 2008. Odds are, I will not record too many races either - the exception being the 500 to see if JGR does anything with the 'Yotas, and the Bristol/Martinsville races. On a whim, I may record a couple other non-1.5 mile D-shaped ovals here and there.
Now, as to why. For one, there is not enough racing and too much, well, garbage thrown in via graphics and musical intros/outros. Just cut back to the race, I don't need to see 30 seconds of a computer generated car going around a computer-generated track and hearing "You're watching NA$CAR on ____". 2 seconds of seeing stock cars on TV tells any viewer with a brain what they're watching - and they likely already know what channel they've tuned in to. Cut out all the nonsense and just SHOW THE RACE!
Too many commercials, and very poor execution on the timing of commercials. There is no excuse for missing a restart. Like mentioned before, go with the IRL's idea of split screen viewing. Plus, I don't need to see the same 4 commercials 100 times each during the race - that's even more annoying than just having too many commercials.
Get some announcers and a crew that know what's going on and love the sport and have as much interest in the race at hand as the viewers do. Report on and show EVERY DRIVER in the race. 5 drivers do not make up all of NASCAR. Focusing only on the top 5 is a dishonor and a slap in the face to the other 38 guys (and their sponsors) that are in the race.
I will NOT PAY EXTRA to subscribe to other media forms to watch a race that is already on TV (especially races on cable, which I'm already technically paying to watch). If your TV coverage stinks, I'll simply find something else to do.
Shorten the races. Watching 43 guys parading around just logging laps so they have good equipment to start actually racing with for the final 50 laps SUCKS. Plus, when the weather is nice outside, there is no way I'm going to give up 5 hours of sunlight to sit inside and watch anything on TV. I'll give up a couple hours, maybe 3 if the race coverage is excellent and exciting (The IRL gets this, why can't NASCAR?). If the coverage stinks and the race is a snoozer, the TV goes off and I find something better to do.
*Just to note - I think many races this year that were snoozers could have been successful programs if the crew and announcers were better at bringing the human element to the show. If the racing isn't interesting, talk about some lesser-known drivers and keep our interest with interesting stories/information about the people we are watching.
Give points for the pole in qualifying, and do away with provisionals. Fastest 43 get to race. The points for pole should be enough to entice teams to "go for it". The current qualifying setup is not exciting, and unless you're outside the top 35, there is no excitement or pressure to perform. Then maybe, just maybe, qualifying on TV might be worth watching too - if the program is done right.
NASCAR needs to step back from their heavy-handed approach towards "sanitizing" the sport. It has made their superstars bland and boring. While I don't condone Tony Stewart beating up reporters, at least he was showing some EMOTION that was pure, real, and unscripted. This is what NASCAR needs - not guys beating up reporters or endangering workers int he pits, but stars that are allowed to BE HUMAN and vent some frustrations without fear of a big smackdown in the Big Red Truck. Plus, ease up on the "aggressive driving" penalties unless it's blatantly an attempt to take someone out. Fans LOVED Earnhardt Sr. for his aggressive driving style. In today's "clean" NASCAR, he would be fined $25,000 and docked 50 points after every race!
Another peeve is the Corporate Greed and pettiness that is pervading the sport. Nextal lost all of my respect in it's battle to keep AT&T out. I dislike Goodyear for the same reason (that, and their street tires are junk IMO). NA$CAR should not allow ANY sponsor to "lock out" any competitor's sponsorship for any reason. Imagine if Lowe's decided to not let the Home Depot or Menard's cars race in Charlotte... that's what the sport is coming to, and I don't like it. I go out of my way to NOT SUPPORT sponsors who display such pettiness.
Big Teams are ruining it as well. I know there will always be the haves and have-nots in any game/sport, but it's rediculous IMO, that unless you drive for a 3+ car superteam that the only realistic chance to win is at Martinsville, maybe Bristol, or a road course.
And finally, I do not like "The Chase" in it's current form. I don't mind having the top 10 or 12 guys racing for the title, but they should have their own separate points system to decide the Champion. I think this would go a long ways towards keeping The Chase much tighter down to the last race - which is what NASCAR wanted, right? If not, they should just go back to the old system.
Thanks for letting me/us rant. Hopefully someone will listen, because quite frankly when a non-NASCAR fan says they see it on TV now and then and don't see what the fuss is about - I have no ground to stand on to defend the sport. I have to agree with them.
I have to agree with all of the comments that I have read so far. Get rid of the idiots in the booths.Keep both Waltrips, Larry Mac, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett,Alan Bestwick and the guys from the truck series booth. And this one is for the folks at Directv..... $99.00 is just too much for me to bother to renew the hotpass for 2008. I really liked the service, I could follow what was going on on the racetrack and all, but when you dumped Jr. to follow the top twelve for the last ten races, that was it.More than 1/4 of the season, I have no hope of seeing my driver on hotpass, even though he is the most popular driver out there. Ain't wastin my money again!!! So I'll try to watch every race for 2008, but I can guarantee you that if it's just a replay of the crap from 2007, I will be done. Know anyone who wants season tickets for Bristol in the spring????
JD. I hope your blog can do what so many disgruntled fans have been complaining about.
I am a bonafide NASCAR "junky" that will not miss a race, but I do it at more cost to myself, but I want to get the most from the race as possible. Have my Hotpass going and track pass for leader board if my favorite driver is not a Hot Pass driver that week.
I was so thrilled to hear ESPN would carry the races. I could not have been more disappointed. The announcing team is pathetic. I loved Dr Jerry Punch years ago when he was a pit reporter, but the poor man cannot keep track of what is happening on the track, and often forgets what driver just spun or took the lead. So sad. As for his cohorts. Do Musberger, Little, and the basketball gentleman know what a NASCAR fan wants to see and hear. Evidently not the race. Poor Rusty he is too busy telling us what our drivers' are thinking or what he would do in the situation. Please we just want to watch the race. The FOX bunch are a little better, but we have too many personalities in that crew talking "back in the day" when we are screaming to see the race.
Do you think Dale Junior might have some of those "Back in the Day" films from the 80's and early 90's when fans got to see what a race was. Today's commentators should be made to watch them like an announcers 101.
When will the NASCAR brass stop blaming fans and Drivers for poor ratings. Granted Dale Junior had a bad year, but he is my favorite and I am going to watch for him first or last. So do not lay it at the drivers' feet.
Brian and the powers that be need to take the blame. NASCAR is no longer fan friendly. Tickets are high. They sell their show to the devil to make money Too bad fans.
The networks. Give us a split screen during commercials. We are already paying enough to sponsors! Dang the cars are billboards on wheels.
You count if they go to commercial there will be a caution. The viewer is brought back to a crumpled car on the track praying drivers involved are ok. We may hear later or we may not what happened to the drivers involved.
Even Speed channel is losing the pulse of the fan. Gone are the early shows like Totally NASCAR and Nascar Nation. What did they give us? NASCAR news. Please do not even compare ESPN'S attempt with NASCAR NOW.
Give me Krista Voda and Jim Byrnes any day.
My announcers dream team would be Allen Bestwick, DJ, Kyle Petty, and even Wally Dallenbach. Pit reporters would have to include Krista Voda and maybe even Dr Jerry Punch.
Maybe Brian should quit hiding behind his "power" and actually get out amongst the lowly "fans" that helps pay his expensive lifestyle.
Keep it simple Brian. Give us coverage of the race. The actual race not a "show." Let the drivers be themselves. If they end up in scuffles or spouting words as each other let them go for it. We know we are not watching ballet.
Well JD nothing will probably change after all the complaining, but you have given us a great blog to vent.
I must say I feel much better. Go Junior #88 in 08 and the other 42 drivers as well. I too want to know what all of them are doing on the track not just my man.
Diane
Just wanna add my thoughts on this discussion. I will continue to watch this year via the broadcast as well as with Hotpass. Never thought i would have to pay to watch a NASCAR race on tv, but with the horrible coverage the last half of the season by ESPN i had to finally give in. Im only 25 but have watched races on tv for the past 20 years. Growing up with ESPN and TNN was an awesome experience and as they progressed so did the sport. Thinking that i was going to see the same quality simple race coverage that ESPN used to give i was excited to see them come back....It didnt take to long to forget that rather quickly. Besides coverage alone...i think the sport as a whole has suffered in recent years. Its just not the same exciting sport that it was even just a few years ago. With NASCAR controlling drivers attitudes and tempers there just is not that natural person that you and i can relate to any more. What was so great about this sport was that personality that either was like us or like someone we knew...so we all could relate to situations if something happened. I miss the NASCAR of the 90's along with the quality tv coverage of that era....i personally think the chase is something that never was needed. We were all used to a champion that deserved it didnt matter if he won by 400 points and had it locked up with 4 races to go...he deserved it and worked hard all year for it...not just put together a good last 8 or 10 races of the year to come out on top and win instead of being in 9 or 10th place....So to answer the question asked i will continue to watch NASCAR coverage via the networks as well as my Hotpass subscription. I will continue to do it because i still love and have always loved MY sport...NASCAR...just wish NASCAR loved us as much as we love it!
P.S. Thanks for the great read all season long JD i hope you continue with it this year!
Chris
Halifax, PA
I have been a NASCAR fan since 1962
but because of ticket and motel ripe offs I have stopped going to the races around 1995.Now I watch it on most networks but after last years coverage and the fact all networks left me with the feeling that
no matter what is happening live on the track Dale Jr. is the only racer out there,I am about do give up Nascar all together.
As much as I griped about ESPN's coverage upon reflection I've decided that I am so fortunate to have race coverage period that I can put up with a lot in order to watch the sport I have loved for 30 years. As a Canadian for many years the coverage we received was hit and miss at best. When Nascar finally hit the mainstream networks I thought all was well in my Nascar world. Although of course anything on TNT or FX was usually out of reach. I became extremely nervous when I found out ESPN was returning since ESPN is not available in Canada however TSN picked up those races resulting in all 36 races being shown in Canada (although sometimes tape delayed). I may not be a fan of the coverage but I sure am a fan of the sport. I will record more for viewing at a convenient time due to the later starts but I'll be watching.
I started taping the race and watching it Sunday night several years ago. If NASCAR cannot respect the fans enough to show restarts or run down the field, I cannot show the sponsors enough respect to watch their commercials.
I can watch a race in 2 hours, and leave Sunday afternoon to spend with my family.
I attend 10 to 12 races a year, and it amazes me that the race I attended is not the same race shown on tv when I watch it when I get home.
The networks need a fan to run the show, someone who is a true fan of the sport and understands and respects all the nuonces of the sport. I hope and pray that day comes, but I no longer believe in the Easter Bunny either!
I'm planning on watching Daytona, Bristol, Martinsville, & Richmond. That's it!!!! The rest of the time I will be at my local dirt track supporting the local drivers. I am upgrading my directtv to get the speed channel so I can watch the trucks. The trucks put on a good race and the coverage is decent. I have been a NASCAR fan since I was 8. I'm now 37. If this is the way of the future, I think I will keep myself in the past.
If I hear..."I'm back in the saddle again"...for god sakes!
I will be watching ,but only in parts this year. Instead of putting aside time like I do for a full football or baseball game, I'll watch the start...some of the middle..and the end.
It's frustrating to listen to the coverage on TV.
Wally Dallenbach is horrible. The constaint reminders of what a "push" is are getting so old.
Lets not forget Rusty"he got a rocket ship" Wallace showing us what dirty air versus clean air loooks like coming over the hood of a car!
MRN rocks! They make listening to a race seem like the old days. When the TV go off...and it will...I'll go to my shop...work on the modified and listen!
I long for the old days so much it hurts!
My plans are to use trackpass and MRN and/or PRN. FOX is ok as Mike Joy makes it somewhat bearable. TNT and ESPN have totally turned me off to it due to shoving commercials and the networks programming down my throat.
I would watch again, (and someone sugguested this) have a NASCAR Network (not SpeedTV, who's FOX's little cousin) - who's sole purpose is to cover all things NASCAR, and is funded primarily by NASCAR (commercials are unavoidable, but hopefully could be less).
The ESPN crew was horrid. Kolber and Mushmouth have to go...hell, take Brad too and find a whole new crew.
I missed the last 8 races of the season last year. ESPN's coverage just sucked. Actually, all the network's coverage sucked.
I should have just taken a page from some of my friends and just listen to MRN for the races. I ended up listening to them during the Homestead race when I was out driving and didn't realize what I was missing.
As for this season's races, I plan to watch the 500, but unless the TV networks can show major improvements, I won't be watching anymore. I'll just catch the highlights on some NASCAR related website.
I agree totally with your column. I never thought I'd be able to catch up on so much sleep watching a Nascar race.
The C.O.T is a complete joke. Is this Honda Civic bolt on wing supposed to attract the Hispanic viewers? With all the space that has been created in the cockpit of the C.O.T. why can't the teams install big amps and subwoofers?! I'll tell you what would even make it more interesting. "Drifting" That would really draw the new fan base if these guys had to hang the tail out every lap. We wouldn't have to worry about finishing order anymore if a driver was penalized for a bad drift! Finally, put a hot Asian chick up in the flag stand! Toyota would love it and Nascar could drag in Nissan and Honda, too. Who needs Chevy and Ford? But do not despair! Real racing is back at "The Rock" in May 2008! I urge NC fans like myself to send B.France a message by attending this Arca event in May. Thank the Almighty for Andy Hillenburg and Rockingham. This will be the only live race I will attend this year. Unless I decide to go back to "The Rock" in Oct. for the Hooters Cup race. Bye Bye what used to be racin'. You lost me. You can find my heart at Rockingham.
Wow! This article has taken on a life of its own. 228 comments, and counting.
JD, I hope you will publish a follow up giving us your opinion on whether the broadcasting, and NASCAR decision makers are reading this. And, your opinion(s) on what may be done about this outpouring of very negative emotion.
The following is not on subject, but I want to say it. I have never published on a blog before. I prefer to e-mail someone directly, (old schooler since the 80's days of IBM's PROFS). I hope others will see this post, and write to ask you for a follow up as well.
I am thinking that, with the statements I have seen you make over the last few days, that you will be continuing this project throughout 2008. I certainly hope so. It is one of the first things I link to when I am looking for NASCAR news, and articles.
Best of luck in the new year.
I am a 67 yr old grandmother and have been a nascar fan for longer than I can remember. I was so excited when the races began to be televised many years ago. The music does not bother me. My grandchildren play all kinds so I'm used to it. I attend the Texas race every year and look forward to it. In all these years, I have not missed watching more than five races, however, last year was the least interesting. I want to see at least the top ten drivers cross that finish line!
The short answer is NO!! I will not spend hours every weekend and month upon month watching the television coverage of Nascar. I have chosen to follow the sport using alternative means. Will I never watch a race? That would not be true. I will sometimes. I love racing in most all forms, and I follow several drivers. The Nascar coverage last left a fowl taste that I sill have.
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