The pressure was on, and Allen Bestwick dove right into the deep end of the pool.
It was the first edition of the new and re-vamped Monday edition of NASCAR Now on ESPN2. This time, the stick-and-ball network might have hit a homerun.
Without the fuss and hype of last season, Bestwick guided the program straight into the Bud Shootout highlights and then into Junior's post-race comments from the Media Center. It was clear right from the top of the show, things were going to be different.
Last season, a Rusty Wallace or Andy Petree sighting on NASCAR Now was rare. Now, less than four minutes into the show Wallace and Petree were on-camera from Daytona and breaking down the on-track happenings.
For the first time in a very long time, the host and guests were talking NASCAR without any scripts and with a clear mutual knowledge of the sport. Wallace is effective in this role, and is a fun and exciting guest because of his personality.
If there was any tension between Petree and Wallace, it certainly did not show as the single camera kept both men in the picture during the entire liveshot.
Bestwick set a blistering on-air pace, and quickly recapped the pole qualifying and then brought in Michael Waltrip by liveshot. Good old Michael promoted SPEED's new This Week In NASCAR program and his XM Radio show without missing a beat. Bestwick asked good questions, and during this interview it became clear that he had single-handedly changed the tone of this entire program.
Newcomer Nicole Manske was also on-scene in Daytona, and is just beginning to get her feet wet in this sport. She filed a solid report about team and driver changes in the series, and featured good and fresh driver "sound" addressing this topic. It should be interesting to see her get more comfortable in her new roles as both studio host and on-site reporter.
Lead Reporter Marty Smith joined the show from the track, and chimed-in with his facts and opinion about the Tony Stewart vs. Kurt Busch controversy. Bestwick and Smith are going to be keys to this program all season-long.
Defining this on-air relationship and using Smith in the right manner can raise this show to the level many expected it to achieve in 2007. Free from the scripted questions and un-informed hosts, Smith will finally get a fair shot at delivering the goods.
In 2007, The Daly Planet was begging for Brad Daugherty to be allowed to conduct interviews and file feature reports. His personality and knowledge of the sport as a fan would be a wonderful perspective for a program like NASCAR Now.
Monday night, Daugherty did an upbeat and insightful interview with Richard Petty. As a follow-up to the classic Daytona finishes feature, it worked quite well. Hopefully, ESPN will continue to allow Daugherty to expand his role and then judge the results.
Bestwick did an extended interview with Marty Smith to clear-up any remaining issues from both the on-track and garage areas at Daytona. Bestwick pushes Smith for opinions and conclusions, without putting him on the spot or demanding "yes or no" answers.
In place of the roundtable discussions, which will begin next week, the program aired a Daytona feature that may have NASCAR fans talking for a long time. With parts pulled from the outstanding Ultimate NASCAR series, the highs and lows of the legacy that surrounds the Daytona 500 was featured in dramatic and emotional fashion.
In a very good piece of producing, the program brought-in Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree in the final segment to follow-up a solid feature on the greatest Daytona driver. This gave the key members of the NASCAR on ESPN team the opportunity to once again establish their presence on this show, and speak freely about various topics within the sport.
Closing the program with a "roll-out," it was clear that the changes made by ESPN during the off-season would pay-off. This program did not even resemble the Monday hours of 2007, either in tone or content.
From start to finish, the is exactly what the network needed to begin the season on a positive note. Welcome to NASCAR Now, Mr. Bestwick.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the simple instructions. Thanks again for stopping by.
52 comments:
I really enjoyed the show. There was good information and the content was very rich. I enjoyed the Petty/Daugherty piece. Daugherty seemed really enthusiastic about interviewing Petty. It was good to see.
Ok I'm impressed AB and company did a great job. I will admit when I saw Rusty and Andy I was worried but they did a good job and AB handled Rusty well when he obviously added and kept going when the producer thought they were done had the shot had shifted back to AB in the studio and the comments were worth it. Brad also impressed me he did a fantasic interview with Richard Petty. This is what Nascar Now should be I'll keep watching if they keep giving me this kind of show.
Pretty good show. But who exactly decided that Marty Smith was the Lead Reporter for NASCAR Now, as Allen said? Did ESPN promote Marty to that position above the other Insiders and Spake, or did Allen just "decide" to call him that? Marty is listed as a plain old Insider along with the others in every article and announcement I've seen.
If Allen did that on his own, (calling Marty the lead reporter), then that's not cool. Wonder what the other Insiders, Blount, Newton, Chengelis think of that, along with Spake.
Also noticed Allen did not introduce himself at the beginning of the show like Ryan does (a caption showed his name), and he did not introduce Nicole Manske with a title. He just said "Nicole Manske joins me"...
I'm assuming next week's Monday show will have Nationwide and Truck series coverage after those weekend races.
AB was good. He was very professional and hope his suit did not turn anyone off.
I liked the way the program began right away. Then after they showed a re-cap clip of Friday, they wnet into the regular program intro. Several other shows do that and it's effective.
I did not care for the back and forth clips on the show, but it was still enjoyable. I mean they showed a clip from Friday then Saturday and then went back to Friday.
It sure was great to see Michael with a smile when talking about being on the track. Rusty, Andy, Marty did a good job.
On the technical side: the sound of Jr's press conference clip was just awful. And on the second clip from that conference, they showed cars on the track as Jr is speaking and the whole clip was not related to what he was saying. I kept wondering why they were showing it and finally they came on the Tony-Kurt incident. Poor coordination.
I liked going down memory lane to the old races. Very nice touch.
FINALLY ! !
A wonderful show that really conveyed the information.
AB knows the sport from A to Z and it shows in the questions he asks.
There were a few slightly disjointed moments, but over all --I give it an "A".
Great job.
I've always liked AB and it's good to hear his voice connected with NN. Brad D. and Richard Petty was really good, Richard is his hero and he wore #43 in his B-ball career because of him.
I'm not buying that Marty is the "lead reporter" until I see some kind of press release. Technically on the ESPN site, Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis are not listed as ESPN employees, they are instead listed contributors to coverage, and Angelique still covers NASCAR for one of the Detroit papers. David Newton and Terry Blount are listed as reporters for espn.com.
So I'd be very surprised if ESPN designated a contributor (marty) as the main NN reporter. If so, something changed from last week, I watched all the shows with Ryan Burr last week and I'm sure he said the traditional: let's welcome in NASCAR Insider Marty Smith, let's welcome in NASCAR Insider David Newton - like he did last year with all the NASCAR Insiders.
I really liked the show. It was so much fun. Didn't like the pimping of their favorite 500 deal but the rest was solid. One last deal every time I hear that intro music I keep hearing Eric KAsilius or whatever. That is all I can think. Please change the music on the intro...
If Allen did that on his own, (calling Marty the lead reporter), then that's not cool.
==========
But IMO it may give us a clue to the puzzling issue as to why Bestwick always seems to hit a ceiling where he works. Could be he takes over in areas where it's not his place to do so.
Or possibly it could have been a honest mistake by Bestwick. Let's see what Nicole and Ryan call Marty Smith when they host.
Changing the intro music is not a bad idea at all. The show was still a little Hendrick focused for me, I guess I'll get used to it.
You guys are worrying about something so insignificant. Who cares who someone thinks is the lead pit reporter. As long as money is not involved in the "lead or not" issue, Spake should not care. She does not seem like someone with that big an ego.
David said...
Please change the music on the intro...
February 11, 2008 9:12 PM
you know how hard it can be to create an entire new music package for the show? I think ESPN would rather you get used to Erik not speaking after the music, than changing the entire music pakage for that small issue.
the music is the SHOWS identity NOT the anchor's.
Anonymous said...
You guys are worrying about something so insignificant. Who cares who someone thinks is the lead pit reporter. As long as money is not involved in the "lead or not" issue, Spake should not care. She does not seem like someone with that big an ego.
February 11, 2008 9:32 PM
You must be self-employed. Anytime anyone is singled out as "lead" or "senior" when previously in a group of equals is always ripe for attention, money or not. It doesn't just affect Spake. From Jayski and the NASCAR Now new season announcement: "Contributors include analysts Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said and Tim Cowlishaw, along with NASCAR insiders Terry Blount, Angelique Chengelis, David Newton and Marty Smith, as well as D.J. Copp, a member of Bobby Labonte’s team." It goes on to list the race day crew, including Spake, as additional contributors.
Notice Mr. Daly singled out Smith in his excellent review of the program.
"Lead Reporter Marty Smith joined the show from the track, and chimed-in with his facts and opinion about the Tony Stewart vs. Kurt Busch controversy. Bestwick and Smith are going to be keys to this program all season-long.
Defining this on-air relationship and using Smith in the right manner can raise this show to the level many expected it to achieve in 2007. Free from the scripted questions and un-informed hosts, Smith will finally get a fair shot at delivering the goods."
Hey guys,
Thanks for bringing up that point. Allen called Marty the Lead Reporter on the show tonight.
They all work for ESPN and it is their show. In writing my column, I repeated the title that the host of the show used in the program.
Since you brought it up, I will contact Marty and see if that is something that changed recently or that is just the new line-up.
Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
JD
Anon 8:46PM,
Will you drop me an email at editor@thedalyplanet.tv when you have a chance?
Your comment was deleted for hate speech and that will not be tolerated in any way toward me or any other poster in this forum.
If you want to discuss it, just drop me an email. You are welcome to alter your comment and re-post.
JD
Nicole looked really nervous, though we thought she did a good job. Nicole, if you happen to see this, looks like you've got the clothing thing taken care of and you've been looking professional in all your ESPN appearances so far. Since that's taken care of and we can focus on your reporting, don't be nervous!
I don't understand why my comment at 8:46 was deleted for "hate speech." All I said is that from reading your writing, John, you appear, over time, to lean towards one host over another. No matter what one host does, in your eyes, he can do no wrong, yet another host, no matter what they do can do no right.
In the case of NASCAR Now, I'm simply implying that no matter what Allen Bestwick did this evening on the air, in my opinion, you were going to give him a good review anyway. You did the same thing last year with Ryan Burr and Erik Kuselias.
I didn't use any hateful words. I didn't attack anyone. All I said is that you tend to rarely give a fair shake, either way.
Anon 2:02AM,
That is not all you said. I have tried to help you understand that the way this works is you come in and give us your opinion.
If you disagree, make your case without being mean to others. This is not a chat board and you are going to offer your opinion without being mean to others or your comment is going to be deleted.
I have written hundreds of columns in the last twelve months. They have sparked thousands of comments of all kinds from all different kinds of fans.
I you dislike AB, tell us why. If you dislike NASCAR Now, tell us why. Just make your case without insulting others.
JD
John, I think it is pretty clear that if someone disagrees with your opinion, it will be deleted. I read the comment and I did not find it a "hate" comment. It was constructive and I believe it was true. I think that comment was written in what I consider the spirit of this site. I think you should post the comment again and not be practicing censorship.
By the way, I'm so glad you felt Allen "saved" NASCAR Now!
AB did the usual solid job,it was nice not to focus on the host as a negative factor. If this is the way the show is approached all year, we will have a 75% improvement.
That said, the sound issue on the JR press conference was very disturbing. Clearly someone was just taping JR without a direct sound feed. Was this a momentary technical issue, or is it something we have to look forward to for the first half of the season? Is Fox/Speed preventing ESPN from a direct audio feed? While it may seem like a minor thing, the fact that a winner's interview was provided with extremly poor quality, with no mention of "technical difficulties" worries me that we may see more.
Tom
Inverness, FL
Anon 7:16AM,
Actually, it is a game with some folks. They come in, and when I ask them to email me they do not and then re-post again in the comments section.
We always settle any issue with a couple of emails, and I have done this since I started. This site will remain safe for any person of any age to post any view as long as it does not cast a negative light on another person.
I would invite you go to back through my archives and the thousands of comments. Everyone has an opinion, and it does not have to come down to agreeing or disagreeing with me.
When someone does not email me to follow-up, I know they have a reason why. Thanks for your comment.
JD
Anonymous said...
You guys are worrying about something so insignificant. Who cares who someone thinks is the lead pit reporter. As long as money is not involved in the "lead or not" issue, Spake should not care. She does not seem like someone with that big an ego.
February 11, 2008 9:32 PM
AB's comment is important..it shows the main reason he is always the " the odd man out" at the networks.
I don't think Alan's intro of Marty is in any way related to behavior that has any effect on his various jobs--that's an awfully big leap. The TV business is a competitive one and decisions are made for all kinds of reasons. Yes, I work in an office and I get the heirarchy deal, but I don't see how anyone can read that much from one small reference. I would be interested to hear what JD finds out about that though.
Overall the show was a great relief to me--professional and well put-together, very smooth transitions and interesting topics. Whew! I thought Nicole was fine, and the show even felt comfortable enough to make references to the other networks. This is what we've wanted.
Good show! I like Allen and it was a really refreshing change from the way Nascar Now was done last year. Personally, I don't care one way or the other whether or not, AB "promoted" Marty Smith or if ESPN did. It was nice to see the folks who know NASCAR being able to talk about a variety of topics without it feeling stilted. I may not watch this show on other nights, but Monday nights will definitely be a night to tune in.
Come on now everyone! Let's all agree that it was great to see AB back doing what he loves to do and doing it with his usual pizzazz. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and it was wonderful to have information that I and I know others feel is important. Even Rusty was palatable - assuming he's not used too often to start whining again! Mr. Daly's opinions on this show were spot on in my book - and the nice part about this blog is that we ALL have a chance to vent our feelings! No fighting guys!!!!! Let's hope this is the start of some great things from ESPN - after all, they only have to read John's blog and the comments therein for help!!
JD,
Bestwick did do a Great Job,
But the Connecticut Posse's hands were still all over this show.
AB in a Studio far away from where the action is right now, wearing a Jacket and Tie and reading somebody else's words.
Who cares what AB called Marty Smith?! Marty Smith has become a "Talking Head" now, he use to be a good reporter, but now has become a company mouth piece spewing what ever ESPN tells him what he is suppose to say. "Marty, come out of the box and start reporting with your heart again. You've become to "Vanilla."
II found the Brad interview with Richard Petty a waste, They should have had Alan Interview Richard Live in Daytona or in Petty's new shop, that would have been an awesome interview. Nothing against Brad, he tries, but ESPN still insists on using "Stick and Ball" players where they don't fit.
I will say that the current "ESPN NASCAR bimbo of the season" did a good job. Maybe somebody who knows a little about racing worked with her to get her up to SPEED......sorry I could resist the pun :) ( Hey has anybody though of getting Liz Allison back in front of the camera???)
We will see how tonight's show goes when things return to normal, with out AB....
Or do you think ESPN will be smart enough to put Alien on back to back episodes??? I doubt it, but who knows starnger things have happened.
Last night's show was an improvement, but ESPN still has a very long way to go........ All the way to a Charlotte Studio would be a Good Start!!!
RJP
ron p--Liz Allison is a nice person but on camera she was dreadful. You have to find a balance between announcing ability and knowledge--both are important. I too have been known to doubt some of the female choices, but I also think you have to give them a chance to show what they can do--everybody has to start somewhere.
"Personally, I don't care one way or the other whether or not, AB "promoted" Marty Smith or if ESPN did."
You'd care if it happened to you at your job, that one of your peers got a new title that may or may not have come from the actual company - and you didn't get that same designation. Titles aren't meaningless in life, you know, especially in a visible job like broadcasting. How would you like it if one of your (equal)peers simply decided to give another one of your (equal) peers a "promotion" and introduce said peer differently from you at a meeting? I'm guessing you wouldn't like it one bit.
Like others, I'll wait to see if JD finds out anything on that front.
I enjoyed the show, for once.
AB did his usual professional job. He's always prepared and interacts great with all the other "personalities".
I could care less if AB called Marty the lead reporter or the garbage man. Marty usually gives us good stuff and that's all I care about.
Nicole was fine and I think she'll grow into her role.
I'm still not sold on Brad. It's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole for me. He just doesn't fit or come across as creditable with me.
Andy and Rusty did a good job also. I'm not a Rusty fan, but I can put up with him in small doses. ;-)
I still wish ESPN would rent a studio somewhere in the Mooresville area and have the interviews done face to face. That would be a great opportunity for them to send someone like Shannon Spake out to the various race shops to do interviews. So far I haven't seen much if anything from the shops.
All in all, a vast improvement from last years Monday night shows.
NN homerun?No,but AB put them on base.It remains to be seen if the others can get it to home plate.
It seemed to me that Mikey,Marty,etall enjoyed working with AB,rather than just answering dumb questions.
I already wrote my impressions on AB and his first NN. At the time I had not read the current column. So now I just want to make some additional comments. While I think he did a pretty good job, I do not think it is because he is not “scripted.” Any program that has any kind of format is scripted. The difference is in the delivery.
We saw the evidence when the television writer’s went on strike. All the late night talk shows went to re-runs. Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan, etc. Why? Because they are all scripted. Do they look it? No, of course not. They are pros. They want to deliver their monologues as though they are talking off the top of their heads, not as though a team of writers has written every word. The skill comes in the delivery, not in the script. Some think the news is the news, and yet for years CBS evening news has come in a distant 3rd after ABC and NBC. It turns out more people don’t like Katie Couric reading the nightly news. It’s all about delivery. The other anchors are also reading, they aren’t making it up as they go.
When AB was talking with Michael, he would ask @30 word questions!! That’s not normal. He would give some background or foundation for his question and then ask the question. Then AB asked Michael “How busy have you been (after qualifying?)” And of course, as a professional, MW answered the question put to him. (I'm not sure that is seemed to me that he was "promoting without skipping a beat.)" He really expressed in a very humble way how grateful he was to Napa and Aaron’s for staying with him. Times were so dark, and yet they stayed and now he could pay them back a little. Very touching. Michael is a multimillionaire, but he often expressed how he worried about his employees. (Unlike Ginn)
When AB was interviewing Marty, at one point he cut him off so he could add a joke: “Do you think NASCAR is going to add a boxing ring to the office?” If you taped it, you can see how he just wanted to add that joke. It did not work well, too rushed. Of course it was in the script and AB had to get it in. AB has to be sure that Marty knows and can answer the questions quickly without pausing. Marty goofed (long answer to previous question) and AB showed that the boxing comment (scripted) was to be included no matter what.
I could tell nothing about Nicole. She appeared for a couple of seconds and announced the next segment. When she came back she answered a question and then just narrated a previously taped segment. I did not see much personality. For me, the jury is still out on how she will do.
I have to agree with Tony when he said during Media Day that there were no new questions. Everything had been asked at the end of the season and nothing has changed.
It doesn't matter who you watch and who is interviewed. Many of the same questions include opinions of HMS, JJ repeating, chemistry in HMS, Jr and stress,will Jr win, favorite 500, best 500 driver, what would winning mean, etc.
I will continue to watch NN now and hope the whole crew continues to hone their craft.
It is so much better than last season. Is it excellent? For me, not yet.
John, you say that people will not be allowed to come on here and be mean to others. Yet on numerous occassions, people call Erik Kuselias "Erik Klueless" or they call ESPN, "ESPU." Clearly, this is being mean. I mean, I've always been led to believe that if you call someone a name, or make fun of someone's name, you're being mean to them.
So let's really tell it how it is: if someone on here makes fun of that you have a low opinion of, say, ESPN for example, then the comment stays. But if someone doesn't make fun of you, yet suggests that your opinions are influenced by personal feelings against a network/anchor/reporter, then the comment gets deleted.
And why should I email you? I don't want you to have my email address. I don't even know you.
Titles aren't meaningless in life, you know, especially in a visible job like broadcasting.
February 12, 2008 10:11 AM
Very good point. For all of those folks who 'don't care' about Marty having a lead reporter title (and Blount, Newton, Chengelis not having it), here's a imagined scenario: Nicole Manske is assigned the title of host of NASCAR Now; AB and Ryan are assigned titles as the 'substitute hosts' or 'guest hosts' of the show.
So AB goes on Sportscenter or ESPNNews to update a NASCAR story and is introduced as 'NASCAR Now guest host Allen Bestwick'. Do you think he'd like that? Do you think the viewers and SportsCenter staff would view him and his credibility the same way they would view the 'real NASCAR Now host Nicole Manske' in that scenario?
Please.
Finally someone at ESPN did some thing right. Putting Alan Bestwick in charge of Nascar Now was a great move. The show was wonderful and fun and interesting to watch. Now if ESPN would just put Alan in the booth to call the races the world would be perfect.
Finally a great show. Anytime Alan B. or Mike Joy talk I listen, they are the two best announcers out there. Keep up the good work Alan.
o.k., I'm greedy. I want Bestwick in the booth, in the infield studio, in the pits, on Nascar Now. Since this isn't going to happen, I'll enjoy him when I can.
I thought he did a great job on Nascar Now. I will be watching the Monday night programs.
Unless I blinked, Marty was the only "reporter" on last night. I took Bestwick's comment as humorous.
Unless I blinked, Marty was the only "reporter" on last night. I took Bestwick's comment as humorous.
......
I don't think so. What was humorous about it? All those guys have always been referred to as NASCAR Now Insiders, whether they're the only one on that evening or not (often they are, they seem to alternate appearances).
It's ironic people are reacting to somebody being called the "lead" reporter.
Have you checked out espn.com? Just about all of their writers are "senior" writers.
While Bestwick may have committed a faux pas, titles at ESPN are meaningless.
What a great show. My wife isn't the biggest NASCAR fan, but she watched the old Daytona clips and shed a couple of tears during the Earnhardt, Sr. segment.
She commented that it was a nice change from last year, and said that I still have permission to DVR it.
Nice job and keep it up.
Good job, ESPN! I actually look forward to watching NASCAR Now, unlike last year.
To respond to Tom's question: It appears that some of the noise was from a post-race rock concert, perhaps in the Fan Zone nearby.
As for Marty Smith's new job description, I thought nothing of it until other more observant people brought it up. Even if AB overstepped his bounds, it does not rise to the level of substantial punishment. It is not as if he used a profanity or hate speech.
I stated my opinion of the show under discussion. My opinion is as valid as the next.
Why are so many of the anons cranky-pants???? Maybe that's why they are anons.
(JD-delete at will. :) )
JD, do you get the complete rating list by Nielsen that shows cable shows? Like for NN.
I see that Fox got 7.89 for the Bud Shootout. Buried the competition.
I haven't read any comments here that think Allen Bestwick should be punished in any way for describing Marty Smith as the lead reporter on NASCAR NOW, if that turns out not to be accurate. People just want to know if he came up with that himself. I myself noticed the new phrasing (yes I put myself through the torture of watching the program most of last season). I suppose JD noticed it too since he repeated Allen's phrasing in his blog entry, and I wondered why I hadn't seen the new job description on Jayski or somewhere.
This was a good show. I'll be looking forward to every NASCAR Now on Mondays if they keep this up.
As far as Allen Bestwick reading from a script, yes, he does. How else do they put the right info in the chyrons at the bottom of the screen? But I think Mr. Bestwick is able to go "off-script" and improvise when the situation merits. He's able to respond to an interviewee's answer and not just automatically go to the next question. Also, I'm sure he's writing his own script and not just reading someone else's.
It was nice to see both Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree together on the show. Mr. Wallace seems to have loosened up a little. Did I hear him correctly when he named Jeff Gordon as the best Daytona 500 racer?
(As an aside, earlier in the day when ESPN Classic broadcast last year's 500 I was really surprised to hear DW's "Boogity, boogity, boogity". I'm glad they didn't edit it out, as I thought they might - there sure was an awful long pause between Larry McReynolds' setup and DW's line.)
All in all, a very good episode of NASCAR Now. Based on this show alone I'll be tuning in at least on Mondays from now on.
Lisa Hogan said...
I stated my opinion of the show under discussion. My opinion is as valid as the next.
Why are so many of the anons cranky-pants???? Maybe that's why they are anons.
(JD-delete at will. :) )
February 12, 2008 2:29 PM
I can use anonymous, Chad Little, Mr. Bush etc...what difference is there.
Lots of nit picking going on in here, all I can say is that this is the first show and already a head above shoulders improvement from last year.
I believe it will only get better with time. Go A.B you are the man!!
The Daly Planet should be commended, for I personaly believe that without this format we would still be stuck with whats his name.
On Tuesday's show Ryan Burr welcomed in "our NASCAR Now Lead Reporter Marty Smith". Guess Mr. Bestwick was correct after all.
Unfortunately Time Warner had some sort of hiccup & I was unable to record N-NOW for later viewing - but from long-time experience, Allen B is always on and often better, and Erik K last year never seemed interested in trying to know what he was trying to talk about, as if learning about NASCAR was beneath him. It is not hard to be complimentary of someone who is talented and always gives 100% - nor hard to be critical of someone who just went through the motions in what appeared to me to be a condecending manner.
Also, in my view it is clear who is the "lead" NASCAR reporter for ESPN - Marty Smith - whether he has the title or not.
Besides JD's knowledge and insight, one of the things I have found most attractive about this site is that opinions can be shared and points discussed without it becoming a food-fight like I see on many sites.
I saw Ryan say Marty the lead reporter too. I didn't see yesterday so I just heard about it here at Daly Planet today.
I do recall last week watching and Marty was called an insider, so this must be a very new change. Maybe the other insiders will be more on the website (they already do the chats and Marty doesn't) and Marty will be more on TV.
Anyone watch Sportscenter today? they had a round table NASCAR discussion host by Marty smith and included all the Hendrick drivers. I caught the last 10 minutes of it.
I fully expected Allen Bestwick to be great on NASCAR Now and he was. Whatever role the guy gets put in he delivers with professionalism, knowledge, a passion for the sport, and a sense of humor.
ESPN has surprisingly taken great strides in fixing problems from last year. Maybe Jerry Punch will do better with DJ in the booth, but if not I hope that they will make that one extra move next year and put Allen in the booth calling the race. As far as I'm concerned he has the best voice in motorsports broadcasting, and his talents are being under-utilized as a race host or pit reporter.
I've been so impressed with him over the past couple of years and how he doesn't appear to harbor any bitterness over the curves NBC and SPEED threw his way. In Sirius radio interviews that I've heard, he always says that he's thankful to be involved with the sport in any capacity. He's just a class act.
According to the tease at the end of tonight's show, Marty Smith's roundtable discussion with all 4 Hendrick drivers will be on NASCAR Now on Wednesday.
Also, Larry McReynolds was on tonight's show for almost six and a half minutes, wearing a "NASCAR on FOX" shirt. Glad to see that ESPN and FOX are working better together this year and not denying the other's existence anymore.
AB is simply the best!!! He's the only reason why I watch the show. He's so talented, smart, funny, knowledgable and handsome!! AB, if you are reading this, keep up the great work!
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