ESPN steps back into the Nationwide Series with live coverage of qualifying at 1PM Eastern Time.
Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will host with Shannon Spake, Jamie Little, Dave Burns and Mike Massaro reporting from the pits.
By now, most fans know that ESPN has been the leader in dealing with the Mauricia Grant lawsuit. NASCAR Now, ESPNEWS and Outside the Lines have all played-back the Grant interview that shoots a racial and sexist bullet directly at the sanctioning body.
Behind the lawsuit drama is the real Nationwide Series. Stories abound in this series with a great mix of Cup drivers and Nationwide regulars ready to qualify for the Friday night race.
ESPN has been solid in the racing coverage, but struggled with the tough-to-televise qualifying. Commercials have to be inserted, but once qualifying begins NASCAR does not stop the action. The TV Producer has to decide if the network is going to tape all the runs and time-shift the coverage so all the cars are seen, or simply stay live and go to break while cars are qualifying.
This post will serve to host your comments about ESPN2's coverage of Nationwide Series qualifying. There will be a new post up tonight for comments about the race.
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JD, decent broadcast so far. Doc's transitions are repetitive though, he always says (speaking of...) Even when it has nothing to do with the previous topic. He got rid of most of the "sailing by's", but now he has a new phrase to annoy us with! Repetitiveness shows a lack of versatility
ReplyDeleteThe "young man" over and over is making me nuts. Even Rusty worked to change, its about time to Jerry to never say this again on a broadcast.
ReplyDeleteJD
Well its almost over and its starting to rain.
ReplyDeleteJD & sean you are both so right!
Docs really stumbling today. Is he ok or just tired?
I am trying to be kind here, but Punch is a mess. Disjointed and off his game.
ReplyDeleteThis does not bode well for a fast-paced race tonight with possible rain delays or a late start.
Sooner or later, someone is going to raise the point of letting Bestwick step-in for practice or qualifying sessions.
Its kind of a shame, ya know?
JD
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ReplyDeleteAnother pathetic effort by ESPN to cover qualifying. I'm tuning in to see cars on the track making qualifying runs and ESPN is constantly covering up the on-track action with long full-screen video packages.
ReplyDeleteWhen cars are on the track making their timed runs we should not be seeing full-screen shots of Brad Coleman and Eric McClure telling us who their heroes in racing were. We should not be reliving memories of Richard Petty winning at Daytona decades ago. We should not be seeing videos of what Brad Keselowski does off the track. And we certainly shouldn't be seeing highlights of Kyle Busch wrecking Junior in the Richmond Cup race or winning the Sonoma Cup race. Please save that stuff for NASCAR Now or pre-race shows when nothing is going on live on the track.
You are there to televise qualifying ESPN, so how about showing us what is going on ON THE TRACK?
Fox and TNT don't cover up the on-track action with nonsense during qualifying, so ESPN shouldn't either. It's not like I'm asking for anything new and groundbreaking when I request to see all of the on-track action when I tune in to watch qualifying. A change of philosophy to covering practice and qualifying would be greatly appreciated if you're listening ESPN.
This is definitely not a good sign looking ahead to the Brickyard. No TV coverage at all of Cup practice on Friday and qualifying coverage during which we'll be lucky to see just the final few seconds of drivers' 2nd qualifying laps because ESPN will be busy replaying Michael McDowell's Texas wreck and showing us videos of Scott Riggs and David Gilliland telling us what they like to do in their spare time. I can't wait!
Yes very strange broadcast. I hope all is OK with Dr. Jerry. Definitely has a long haul this fall :(.
ReplyDeleteGlad I was running errands and missed the wasted junk on ESPN.
ReplyDeleteWe are so screwed when they take over EVERYTHING..once again pushing THEIR agenda in our faces.
Shame.