The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is proud of the awards that it gives each year.
"The Sports Emmy Awards recognize outstanding achievement in sports television coverage," says the Academy. "For over a quarter century, the National Television Academy has presented the Emmy as a reward for excellence in Sports broadcasting and as an incentive for its continued pursuit." This bring us to the newly-released nominees for the 2008 Sports Emmy Awards.
NASCAR is represented among the normal candidates including the NFL and the US Open. What may be interesting for NASCAR fans is what programs and events are on the list.
Nominated for Outstanding Live Sports Special is the 2007 Daytona 500 on Fox. The network tries to start the season on a high note by bringing the top announcers and the best equipment to Daytona in support of this one event. The competition includes the Super Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and the AFC Championship game.
The NASCAR on Fox portion of the NEXTEL Cup Series from last season is also nominated as the Outstanding Live Sports Series. The competition includes Monday Night Football and the NBC Golf Tour.
Where Outstanding Sports Documentary is concerned, the folks at the NASCAR Media Group get the first of their three nominations. Although the company was called NASCAR Images last year, many fans will fondly remember the fantastic feature presentation that was offered as both a movie and on TV. It was simply called Dale.
This outstanding work will be going up against the Ray Mancini Story and a documentary about Barbaro. Regardless of the competition, this may be a nice moment for NASCAR in general when this team wins the Emmy. Dale is the class of the field.
When we come to the Outstanding Studio Show - Daily there might be a small "moment" for many NASCAR fans. ESPN has gotten the regrettable and forgettable 2007 season of the one-and-only NASCAR Now nominated for a national Sports Emmy Award.
With all due respect to Erik Kuselias and Doug Banks, ESPN also has Pardon The Interruption and SportsCenter nominated in the same category. Even though Tony Kornheiser hates anything NASCAR, and SportsCenter ignored NASCAR as a sport on a regular basis in 2007, I do believe PTI or SportsCenter will pick-up the hardware.
In the Outstanding Sports Personality - Play-by-Play category, I find it amazing that Mike Joy's name is not on the list. Among the candidates are veterans like Jim Nantz, Joe Buck and even Marv Albert. What is surprising is the name of Jim Lampley, a personality much better known for his feature reporting and journalism roles. Mike Joy handled the entire NASCAR on Fox package, and called multi-hour live events without a halftime or an intermission between periods. This category has a big hole in it.
In terms of the Outstanding Technical Teams nominations, both NASCAR on Fox and ESPN got the nod in the "Remote" category. This is essentially event production in the field. The Studio nominations in this category also included the Fox gang. If I recall correctly, 2007 was the first year of the "new look" Hollywood Hotel.
The Outstanding Music Composition category is for original music created for a project. The NASCAR Media Group got their second nomination for the music in the movie Dale. They have a good chance of making it a double-header.
We often talked last season about the outstanding audio from the NASCAR races broadcast on Fox. These efforts were rewarded with a nomination for the NASCAR on Fox gang in the Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound category.
It was the first season of NASCAR on ESPN, and often times newly designed elements catch the eye of the Academy. In the Outstanding Graphic Design category, the NASCAR on ESPN package got a nomination. There was a lot of work put into this "graphics package" and despite some drawbacks in the way it was used, it has survived the test of time and is being used again this season in almost the same form.
There is a Technical Achievement Award each year named after a wonderful man named George Wensel who is no longer with us. George was best-known for his time at NEP Broadcasting, and his tremendous contributions to the technology of putting sports events on-the-air. Tragically, he lost his life trying to help his two young sons who were caught in a riptide while on vacation in North Carolina's Outer Banks. He was only 37 years old.
The Award is intended to celebrate the innovation and creativity that new TV technology can bring to sports television. This year Aim Point is nominated from the Golf Channel's coverage, as is the innovative Swing Vision from the CBS Golf package.
Also nominated as a technical innovation is the always controversial Draft Track used on the NASCAR on ESPN package. I understand SportVision's intent behind the product, and it does serve to help those new to NASCAR understand drafting.
It took on a life of its own in 2007 when Rusty Wallace tried to convince skeptical fans that Draft Track was really "seeing" the air effects of the cars in colored swooshes. Rusty upped the ante when "Draft Lock" appeared as a new term in the NASCAR vocabulary. That will not soon be forgotten.
Finally, the outstanding NASCAR Media Group team that used to produce Behind The Wheel is now hard at work producing a show that I have never seen. Quest for the Cup airs on the VOOM-HD networks, and is nominated for Outstanding Live Event Turnaround.
Apparently, NMG is producing a nationally-recognized program for a channel seen on Dish TV. If anyone has seen this show, please add your observations to the comments.
The fact that this series is not on SPEED is a crime. If it wins another Emmy, perhaps SPEED might wake-up to the fact that there are viable NASCAR program series that are high-quality and award-winning just waiting for a bigger audience.
So, now that you have taken the time to read this list, please give us your comments about the Sports Emmy nominations and how you feel about the programs and personalities listed above. To add your opinion, just click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the instructions.
Thanks again for taking the time to stop by the Daly Planet and help us talk NASCAR TV.
28 comments:
JD... great rundown. I've never followed awards, but it's good to know that extraordinary work is being rewarded. Agree that Mike Joy's omission boggles the mind, but you have to keep in mind how "the biz" at large views a sport as non-urban as NASCAR.
I wonder if Dizzy Dean won any awards in the radio booth.
John, please share with us just how many National Sports Emmys you won during your "forgettable and regrettable" career in the broadcat industry. Also, how many times were you nominated? Please tell us.
No comment on the anonymous post from Bristol above.
The Fiesta Bowl telecast should win hands down. The crazy turns in that game must have tested the everyone involved. They had great camera work on all of the plays, great direction, analysis and reports from the sidelines.
Anon 10:10PM,
During the time I was in cable TV, the Emmy Awards were reserved for broadcast TV only.
We had the Cable Ace Awards, and the sports category was won by network. I think that lasted through the mid 1990's.
The award show was a big deal, and was simulcast on multiple cable TV networks live.
I will check to see if ESPN Speedworld won an ACE Award for NASCAR or Thursday Night Thunder during my time there in the 1980's.
If you are upset over the "forgettable and regrettable" NASCAR Now from 2007 remark, perhaps you could help us understand what you feel that show contributed to the sport in 2007?
You have just as much right to post a positive opinion of that show as I do to call it regrettable. Certainly, the format and the talent and the entire series has changed for the better from the first show of the year previewing Daytona.
If you would like to see some positive ESPN NASCAR Now commentary, I would direct you to the archives for 2008.
JD
Mike Joy just doesn't get no respect! He's a great guy and does a heck of a job and it's a huge oversight that he's not given more credit.
Apparently, NMG is producing a nationally-recognized program for a channel seen on Dish TV. If anyone has seen this show, please add your observations to the comments.
The fact that this series is not on SPEED is a crime. If it wins another Emmy, perhaps SPEED might wake-up to the fact that there are viable NASCAR program series that are high-quality and award-winning just waiting for a bigger audience.
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I keep seeing Quest for the Cup listed on the Jayski TV schedule and figured it was some kind of old rerun since I'd never heard anyone talk about it.
I don't think SPEED cares about Emmys. They canceled Beyond the Wheel after the season in 2006. When it won the 2007 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Event Turnaround the following spring, there was never a hint heard of bringing it back for the Chase or for this year.
BTW, The Ray Mancini Story was tremendous and could easily win that category. I'd actually rank it slightly above the very good Dale if I had a vote. (I didn't see Barbaro.) I wouldn't call that win for NASCAR Images just yet.
Thanks for all the rundowns, JD.
NN from 2007?? No comment. *Sigh* Guess they don't have a "trainwreck award."
Mike JOy should've gotten a mention.
It STINKS "NASCAR" wants special shows on stations I never heard of or for satellite ONLY.
Meanwhile, the station that was supposed to be NASCAR oriented goes down the toilet with garbage tv. Though it's only on digital around here.
The fact that draft tracker got a mention is kind of sad in my book. Remember Rusty's pen drawing of the wall after Jeff's Gordon's accident? Cost, a couple of bucks! But clearly got the message across.
We have too many tech toys. Next year I guess the 'slinghot cam' will get it (Because that's what I would like to aim at the camera angle ;-) )
I thought the DALE documentary was outstanding. Often, a show told with any flashbacks annoys me but this was very well done!
NASCAR NOW DID serve a purpose in 2007. It was so very incredibly bad and insulting that it went a long way to galvanizing fans to complain enough to get ESPN's attention and lead to massive improvements. However, I am convinced it would have taken much longer (if ever) for improvement had it not been for the exceptional insight and focus provided by The Daly Planet. If NASCAR NOW 2007 can get an Empty nomination, what can it be worth?
The Daly Planet deserves much more. Thank you JD.
So I'm guessing the Emmy voters have never actually seen what a real NASCAR news show is, and that's why NASCAR Now was nominated? Either that...or Erik K bribed them..(kidding, just kidding...)
matt
I was trying to think, maybe NASCAR now being the only NASCAR magazine format show, got nominated against itself?
Years ago I remember on another Disney owned Channel, SOAPNET...their one and ONLY TALK show called SOAPTALK got an EMMY!!!! Sigh.
This is not the Disney Company of my youth.
Oh, and I second Richard in NC's kind words of this site.
The SANITY PLANET last season...for a few of us that are more vocal !!
:-)
Marty Reid on NASCAR Now again?
A new surprise from ESPN.
And . . . Marty did the full disclosure about Boris's connection to Roush before discussing Edwards.
Anon 11:21PM,
I would be happy to provide that information to you by email. Drop me a line at editor@thedalyplanet.tv and I will help you with that issue.
Sorry you seem to be upset about the NASCAR Now (2007) version.
JD
I certainly hope the NASCAR Now Emmy nomination goes down in flames. It would be unfortunate for ESPN to be rewarded in any way for this abomination.
Given that "TV people" are behind the Emmy awards--not sports fans--it is conceivable that the show might be nominated, but with any luck, that will be as far as it goes.
JD
This would mean somthing if it were not for the fact that the Networks that air the shows are the ones that submit them for nominations for Emmys.
"In the Outstanding Graphic Design category, the NASCAR on ESPN package got a nomination.
How is the NASCAR on ESPN package any different from the other packages on ESPN. The graphics packages are all the same on ESPN. All the major sports, even NHRA, use the same style graphics.
It could well have been the only one the network submitted.
NASCARNow 2007 edition got nominated for a Sports Emmy???!!!
Beam me up Scotty! There's no intelligent life here!!
JD
I think it very interesting that ESPN did not receive much in the way of nominations for their TALENT-particularly hosts!
On another note, although its not NASCAR racing related, per se, I cannot understand how FOX Sports Net can enter themselves in the category of technical team remote fot he Red Bull Air Racing series? Fox did not produce that series...just as Fox didn't invemt gopher cam
If NASCAR Now can win an award, then the awards are useless!!!
JD,
This really shows how way off base your criticism of NASCAR Now was last year. The Emmy nomination proves it. Maybe the show wasn't good enough for the small minority of people that watch all the Cup practice sessions, but for the general sports audience, NASCAR Now was outstanding, and it is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Your criticism is like somebody panning the works of Claude Monet because the paintings are too fuzzy. Its something you just didn't understand. Or maybe the on screen personalities simply viewed as outsiders, not belonging to the NASCAR clique, so no matter what they did, you would never approve.
Also cudoes to ESPN on the graphics package. That was another aspect of their production that was routinely lampooned here only to receive a nomination as well.
erik,
You are really serious with this post?
Could you help us with how you believe that the 2007 NASCAR Now series on ESPN2 was outstanding?
JD
No Mike Joy that is just wrong.
JD,
I will just let the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences speak about how they felt NASCAR Now was an outstanding studio show. Notice not even Baseball Tonight was nominated.
JD,
I will just let the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences speak about how they felt NASCAR Now was an outstanding studio show. Notice not even Baseball Tonight was nominated.
I've been an Emmy judge.
They're nice statuettes, but if you think they denote quality above all other shows, you ddon't know how the "nominating" and judging processes work.
It sure is a good thing that ESPN did not understand the "quality" of the 2007 NASCAR NOW, otherwise it might not have made the very substantial improvements that have changed N-NOW from "can't watch" to now often "must see."
Hey! Check this out!! Emmy Nominations Video Report!
http://yetmorefun.net/mov.php?v=Emmy_Nominations_Video_Report
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