It was Chris Myers, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond who started the day in the Hollywood Hotel. They had a one-hour pre-race show that contained a wide variety of features and interviews.
Waltrip moved to the booth and joined Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds. On pit road were Krista Voda, Matt Yocum, Dick Berggren and Steve Byrnes.
This race took place under sunny skies after a rainy week. The track was fast and the TV crew had no technical issues. The race had no big wrecks and ran quickly on TV.
This is your opportunity to post your opinion of the NASCAR on FOX telecast now that the race is over. This is the most widely read post of TDP during the week, with many in the industry reading your opinions. Make your comment count.
To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thank you for stopping by with your comments on this event.
94 comments:
JJ is killing my interest
Well they were at the right track, I guess that is a positive remark right?
Once again I found Slice of Pizzi surprisingly funny with an offbeat sense of humor and delivery. I enjoy seeing the drivers engaging in a bit of levity.
It's not easy being hailed as "Digger's replacement" but I like Slice of Pizzi a lot, I like what it's trying to do and I hope Fox gives it a chance to develop and find it's groove.
And I think Daly's hit job was disgraceful.
Well between the commercials with 20 laps to go and JJ winning yet again, I am going to be saving a ton of $$ by selling my tix and not spending any $$ at NHMS this year in July and Sept.
This one person, JJ has ruined my 30+ years passion for this sport.
Call me when he retires!
Well, the race finally had some really good action there at the end, and FOX cut to commercial during an awesome battle for the lead, thus missing the pass that determined the race. All and all, I would say that's a pretty big fail, and that pretty much sums up FOX today. Looks like I'm gonna go back to MRN until TNT gets here.
I am absolutely at a loss for words. The Canada-U.S. hockey game just ends, they update the score for all the viewers that flipped over, there's a thrilling battle for the lead with 20 or so to go... AND THEY GO TO COMMERCIAL AND MISS THE WINNING PASS!!!!?????
I don't give a damn about commercial obligations. There shouldn't be any full screen ads to begin with, but that not withstanding the producer is supposed to plan them out so they don't interfere with a battle for the lead with 20 laps to go.
Awful awful awful awful. And no I'm not going to feel better when Mike Joy comes on the air next Friday and tries to justify his network's actions and breaks him arm patting his people on the back.
Gotta be honest...watched hockey only to turn over to see wannabe Jr beard man win again.
Kinda over it.
Seriously killing my interest in the sport. Least Harvick's still the points leader. :-/
Any good hockey games on next week?
FOX was a mess all day. Lost, disjointed, confused, disinterested, you name it.
Finally did a through the field, with 10 to go. Commercials were ill timed, no explanation of the caution light problem or how they solved it, missed THE pass for the lead, it was just a mess.
Joy struggled. Daytona all over again. He brought it home unlike JP was able to but he just waded along until 30 to go. Can't do that as the lead guy.
Pre-race. Ugh. I use that time for my shower.
No flying heads was a plus.
gotta find a better balance for crank it up, using it on restarts misses too much potential for action/passing/wrecks.
FOX heading in the wrong direction in my eyes, hope they can get it together soon.
No excuse at all to miss the winning pass..even if it is freakin' Johnson making it.
Do we miss winning touchdown passes, basketball shots, goals, etc? No..only racing misses the important stuff to bring us a commercial we've already seen 44 times today.
And please retire DW,please. Your game is stale.
What a hot mess of a telecast.
Its not Newman Haas Racing, if that name is a inside joke explain it or drop it.
There were more than Rick H cars on the track according to Pit Command & the radio - some one tell Fox.
Tone down DW - let Mike Joy call the race.
Wide Angle shots please.
I'm grateful I no longer watch the pre race junk. Based on what I read I missed zilch except being aggravated
I have always been a critic of Fox's NASCAR coverage but my main points of contention have usually been side issues (graphics, attitude, Chris Myers, Digger, etc.). There have also been some broadcasts that really stunk but that will happen to anybody who does week after week of any type of TV show.
I am just mystified by what we have seen in these first three races. Camera selection is getting worse instead of better. DW is adding nothing but pap. Mike Joy -- Mike Joy -- seems like he's on medication with all of his ups and downs in mood and tone.
I would almost bet dollars to donuts that there is something going on behind the scenes causing this. When Mike Joy cannot deliver a solid performance for this long, something somewhere is wrong...very wrong.
Jojaye, Newman-Haas is the name of an old CART team, of course all parties in the new meaning were never involved in the old one. So maybe someone's age is showing lol
Flipped over from hockey and was looking forward to a great battle between the sport's two best drivers. What I got was a commercial and a recap of the pass I wasn't allowed to see live. If I want to see highlights of the winning pass I'll watch Sportscenter! When I watch the live coverage on Fox I expect to see things happen LIVE!!! Guess I won't bother with the live broadcast any more since they give me the same thing as SC - taped highlights.
This was such a mess. Today the race had long green flag runs. The farther the cars ran, the more confused the director got. Our perspective went from 43 cars to about 12. Field recaps were needed, especially with green flag stops.
- The overuse of toys remains a problem.
- Commercial timing is still fustrating. Especially the last commercial when the final pass for the lead was missed.
- The booth was all over the place today.
- I was happy the floating heads finally are gone. FOX almost has the checkered flag figured out.
Once things got chaotic, FOX was never able to regain control.
Final Rating: ** / ***** (2 out of 5)
Love it, FOX scrambles off the air, not super fast but still only a 10 minute post-race for COPS! That hour long pre-race sure is looking better and better, NOT
No one complained about the racing. We are discussing the COVERAGE of the said race which was horrid.
I dont know what to say about this broadcast that i didnt say before, all I wanna do is thank JD and everone for making this sight what it is.. heck I enjoy this more than the Foxs broadcast of the race. At least yesterday we had the best of both worlds a solid broadcast and a solid sight but cant say the same for today.... Hope everyone has a great night have a beer for me!
Try it again Jeff, without that one comment please. Thanks.
First, I tried to listen to race with cold compresses over my eyes AND we lost our local FM MRN/PRN affiliate but I didn't want to switch rooms with laptops so listened to FOX. I mainly just relaxed while on phone and a few emails.
Personally I am ok with the guys in the announce booth as the production booth fails to bring us the goods no matter what anon said earlier. If the DIRECTOR cannot decide what to show us, I want names and addresses of "suits or sales execs" issuing the shoddy camera work.
I will repeat what I said on the in race comments.
FOX is not even remotely thirsty for knowledge on HOW to show us a race to we, at home views.
I don't know what the heck the deal is but ya know what, oddly, I'm just annoyed....why, because I am losing interest.
Deleted yesterdays NW race before viewing after reading results and highlights on tv. ENUFF.
Life is too short to chain ourselves to a tv to view this monstrosity of camera work.
To put on DVR & FF to the end all the time...well, it's just weird for me so I just do other things during the race.
But it's cold, dreary and snowy still. Once nice weather comes? I'm gone.
TNT I hope still has Mike Wells.
FOX camera work is dysfunction junction.
Cursing the loss of free over the air MRN to listen to in different rooms of the house.
The broadcast looked like it was done for the first time by new employees and the booth consisted of a mike slipped into a beer drinking party watching the race on TV. PATHETIC!!!!!
Randy Lajoie is on the PRN post-race radio show. It sounded like he's had a hip replacement not too very long ago.
Sophia, there are some radio stations that stream MRN and/or PRN online - such as WBRF FM and, for PRN, WSJS AM, although I have not actually tried WSJS online.
I'm done with 1.5 and 2 mile tracks (except maybe Altanta and Charlotte for the 600). Almost 20 yr fan and I'm cutting back on watching this year. Races on those tracks put me to sleep, JJ wins most of the time (or at least it sure feels like it), and the commercials... Bring back the full-version DIRECTV HOTPASS!!! With that and RaceBuddy every weekend, I'd continue to watch, even if JJ continues to win.....
Anon, you know what my problem is? I feel the same way. Never thought I would, but I do.
We will see what happens next.
I watched the Hockey Game, flipped over, and I had to laugh when I noticed that Fox missed the winning pass.
NBC didn't miss any action with hockey game due to commercials.
Loved the race and loved the production. I am sure the haters of this blog will simply complain again about the 48 winning and complain about everything from the hilarious Pizzi to the excellent call of the race. Nothing can make you guys happy, so complain away.
But this fan LOVED IT!
I still think the glass is more than half full. I've been a fan since the 1960's and being able to watch all the races on TV sure beats seeing an occasional race, or a part, on TV, listening on the radio, and having to rely on our so-called newspaper, which for years and years virtually embargoed NASCAR news after the end of the season in order to package it in a Sunday supplement (full of ads)right before Daytona.
I sure got increased respect for JJ today for his obvious disdain for the Pizzi thing, which appeared to me to have been dreamed up by someone with a background in sports talk radio, or some other juvenile.
Day and night difference between yesterday's Nationwide coverage by ESPN and today's Fox coverage. Fox is just a mess. Missing the winning pass speaks volumes about how important the actual race is to them. And DW is having too many senior moments.
I have been a racing fan since 1972 and let me tell you -- it is really easy to figure out which fans have only been watching since year 2000 or later --- they are the ones who nitpick over every little thing about the broadcast and then complain that they won't watch any more racing until the coverage meets their unwritten standard.
Well, back in my day, we didn't even get to see the races. And all you babies crying about how your driver never gets interviewed. My god, in 1974, there were six drivers they interviewed all season, and if you didn't like on of them, you were out of luck.
The racing is better is 2010, the show is better, and the TV coverage - which used to be a fantasy - is better. I think if you could time transport all these modern day fans back to the 1970s and force them to watch the season in real time they would appreciate what we have today and not cry and whine over every little detail. At least you have a race to watch!
Richard. I agree the coverage is superior to what it was in the "old" days but so is everything else that is electronic. It's like saying a 1980 model car is better than a 1960 model. It is but it is not nearly as good as a 2010 model. Why accept a glass half full when a full one is available? It doesn't cost the networks more to do a good job than a lousy one. They just misuse their toys. Sometimes simple is better as well as cheaper.
Other than the Montoya vs. McMurray incident, this race had no great story lines. JJ winning again - it's going to be a long year with waning interest.The ratings are sure to take a huge hit vs. the hockey game.
@Debbie227
See ya. Good riddance. If the best driver, on the best team, in the sport dominating is wrong to you, then you obviously don't know what you're watching. This isn't little league or pop warner football where everyone gets a ribbon and trophy and a good job, this is RACING and RACING is about WINNING. So you're basically turning your back on a sport because one team is doing what they're supposed to be doing.
Enjoy watching crap like Big Brother and American Idol. Oh wait, you won't be because THAT'S ABOUT WINNING TOO!!!!!!!!
As for the rest, I won't even bother with Daly's weekly hatchet job. He murdered ESPN for 4 months last year and I guess he's decided to murder Fox now. How long until he decides TNT is the worst network around too? As usual, his sheep ate it up hook line and sinker.
Thank goodness it's only a small portion of the sport's fanbase who are gullible enough to fall for Daly's tripe.
Bet this race gets the hammer in TV ratings.
Even DW's ego is not big enough to overtake the USA / Canada gold medal hockey game.
The end of the race was a horror show by the production team.
-God awful timing. Going to commercial as the 48 is all over the 24. Everyone in my living room immediateiy knew we'd be missing the pass for the race win. Only reason there wasn't more uproar was because none of us could care less whether one Hendrick guy wins or the other..
-Jimmie Johnson then 'checked out' but that didn't stop the producers from focusing on him going around the track by himself. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick was catching up to Gordon for second place. Darrell Waltrip even made a comment, something like 'check out where the 29 is' but we never saw the action at home. Finally, when Harvick is in the process of makeing the pass, Fox decides it's something worth showing.
-As cars are crossing the finishing line, some side by side, we get a split screen of Jimmie Johnson and.. Chad Knaus??? Yeah, that's just who was I thinking needed more TV time. Chad Knaus. Poor guy lives in obscurity.
I actually enjoyed the broadcast today. But I admit I was distracted some. I brought in the small HDTV from the shop at placed in alongside the big one. The hockey game was perfect. Barbara rooted for Canada & I the USA.
Spokybob
Already had a enough of DW for the year and we are only three races into 2010.
How can FOX fit his head into that tiny broadcast booth and still have room for Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds' egos?
This is the 2nd week in a row that I've left the house to do errands during the race. The pre-race has sunk to new lows, Mike Joy is letting DW walk ALL over him, the camera work is awful & my interest has waned. And I couldn't wait for the season to start...:( I'm sooo disappointed right now. And yes, I'm a newer fan (since 2001), but I've seen much better from FOX in the past. I just don't understand what's happened in the booth & truck. Going to comm'l when you could SEE JJ was gonna pass Jeff was just unexcusable, imo.
Nick,
Would that be the same ESPN that moved Jerry Punch to pit road and brought in Marty Reid to call the races? Just checking...
JD
Who would of thought, at the end of the 2009 season, that ESPN would improve dramaticaly while FOX would start to nosedive?
BTW Mr. Daly, any word on Monday's NN roundtable panel?
Anon @ 6:10 pm said
"JJ is killing my interest"
I'm with you, man
The last lap, booth is calling racing between Joey & Matt and tv is showing JJ driving over the line completely by himself. Finally saw them crossing the finish line in a replay. Need better broadcast - Mike Joy needs to pick it up a couple of notches and DW needs to tone it down. Maybe the broadcsts would be better then.
Kudos to NBC for knowing how to show a sport. They did not break for commercial during the sudden death overtime for Canada/US. Smart move.
Like others, I'm getting tired of the Hendrick show. JJ and the rest are going to kill this sport. And don't pull the "if you want to win, just get better and beat Hendrick", because no one has the deep pockets of Hendrick. The one with the most money wins.
Again, the pre-show was stupid, and the Pizzi segment was as lame as ever. Caliendo was funny, but Hill's attempt to make the Nascar pre-race show as successful as the NFL pre-game is failing miserably. You aren't going to attract the 18 to 29 demographic by attempting, and failing, to be hip and cool. You want to attract more viewers? Make the racing more competitive and interesting to watch.
I'll have the full Monday schedule updated shortly! Working on it now.
They must sell a commercial spot with 20 laps to go. Missed last weeks race, but it can't really be a coincidence that Phoenix and Daytona both went to break with 20 to go. It was obvious that unless something unexpected happned we were going to come back with a new leader.
I mostly watched hockey today, but I do remember the last few laps differetly-it seemed to me that from 10-the white flag they barely showed the 48 at all.
I haven't honestly noticed much difference on Fox this year, but that might be because DW has always been a gigantic annoyance to me. I've not idea why I dislike Daryl so much, but like Michael even more than I dislike his brother.
Anon @ 7:18 - I have to be frank: times have changed, popularity has boomed, competition has grown, technology has grown, billions of dollars are involved, and expectations are much higher.
With the various media available to follow the sport, fans should not have to accept watching disjointed, sloppy coverage. We have seen this with TNT and the new ESPN. ESPN listened to the fans and the quality of the broadcast is much better this season.
There is no excuse for missing the winning pass due to commercial. Everyone knew it was coming soon. FOX has some work to do to improve its product.
For what its worth, I used to happily listen to the live commentary on Fox but now I just turn down the tv volume and crank up the Scanner. I'd rather hear spotters and crew chiefs than lame jokes from DW. And the commercials at the end of the race are calculated by Fox and really making me angry.
I agree with some posters. Johnson is really turning me off from the sport. I have been watching NASCAR since I was a youngster. I compare it to watching a tv series. If you knew the ending would be the same on your favorite show every week would you watch it again? Today I just knew that JJ would come out of nowhere to win the race at the end. Then I get mad at myself for spending 4 hours of my life watching a race and then end result is not there.
Didn't bother watching the pre-race stuff, not on Fox and not on Raceday. They waste 2 hrs saying nothing of importance.
I was flipping back and forth between the hockey game and the race, but when I was trying to watch the race, I was left wondering why I wasn't getting any PXP from Mike Joy, why DW has become more incoherent than usual and what the heck is going on with the camera work. Wide shots, people, wide shots. In cars should be used sparingly and certainly not when there is real racing going on - save it for cautions.
The kicker came at the end when Fox went to commercial. Believe me when I say that I didn't want to see Johnson make that pass, but as a race fan, I should have seen it. Live in real time, not in replay. Absolutely inexcusable and unbelievable.
Let's see, we are 3 races into the new season and I find myself angry and unhappy with the coverage on TV and bored already with the fact that it's looking to be another year of domination by the 48 team.
It's a good thing I have trackpass and can get MRN cuz if I was depending on Fox for my coverage, I wouldn't know what was going on at the track.
NASCAR on Fox is the cream of the crop. The personalities on Fox are second to none. Larry Mac and Darryl Waltrip are the best analysts in the sport. Mike Joy is still the top announcer. I must say I also enjoy Dave Moody, lead turn announcer on MRN. Fox's pit reporters are solid. My only complaint are some of the mistimed commercials and camera shots. Other than than that, another great job by Fox!
You know the idea of just not watching any races on 1.5 tracks kind of appeals to me.
It's just kind of groundhog day with the same driver winning on those tracks anyway.
OSBORNK- Yes, I'd like it to be better, and it could be, but I still appreciate how much more coverage (TV and other) there is now than there used to be.
I think the problem is that FOX is taking advantage of their reputation as the #1 Nascar broadcaster. They take it for granted that people will want to watch what they show because they are the "best". However, this ignores that both TNT and ESPN have been getting their act together and that FOX is no longer the dominant broadcaster.
If I had to offer any changes, I would revamp Nascar on FOX around the solid combination of Mike Joy and Dick Berggren and focus on racing-oriented broadcasts (see the Modified races Speed aired last year, for example). But that would involve the ruffling of way too many feathers for anything to happen...
I'm sick to death of DW's & Larry Mac's obvious biases during races. Today was no different. The race was putting me to sleep until the end when there was a fight for the lead and what did they do? They went to commercial! Unbelievable! Half the time they were talking about someone other than who we were seeing on screen.
I am happy we get to see all the races, but I do think when one is in a business you should be open to constructive criticism and want to improve in whatever way you can. FOX needs to seriously consider some changes in the booth and also get someone to direct & produce who knows when and when not to go to commercial.
The radio called a good race. TV? What a waste.
@ Nick Santoro
Spoken like a true JJ fan. Hope you didn't break anything jumping on that bandwagon.
If you dont like what JD has to say, why are you here reading what he has to say?
I have my opinion as do you. You have every right to yours as I do mine.
How dare you attack me because of my opinion? Yes the success of the 48 team is great for them, for the success of NASCAR not so good. NO ONE likes to see the same team/person dominate week after week. You know, I used to be a huge fan of a driver that won 10 races a year. Sure it was nice, but it was also nice to see others win. There are 43 drivers out there in NASCAR. Not 42 other drivers at the JJ show.
You have no clue as to anything else I watch on my tv, so please do not tell me what to watch or what my opinions are on that either. Not that any of it matters to you.
Good day sir!
As a fan that has been watching full-time since 1998 I can honestly say a few things for sure. 1 I appreciate that broadcast TV has the races over cable because at times when the cable was shut off it was awesome to catch a race on CBS or ABC. When they weren't I was livid. But at what price has that come with FOX? Like another poster said: Why be happy with a 75% full glass when you can have one that is 90 or 95% full?
Jimmie Johnson is doing something that is quite amazing. We ALL have been spoiled by the 2000-2005 run this sport went through where no one driver had the sport locked up and the spotlight week in and week out year in and year out but that day has passed. Do I like that Jimmie wins all the time? Heck no! But I'll be darned if he doesn't continue to amaze me especially given the fact he is doing it in this day and age. Call whatever pro-Hendrick conspiracy that you want but facts remain Chad Kanus and that whole 48 group DO their homework, and put themselves in the best position to take advantage of their opportunities. He had to learn by giving multiple races and championships away though, lets not forget that before 2006 JJ was the consummate choke artist.
On topic though, FOX could have done a much better job today. During the green runs a through the field would not have been too much to ask for. Shifting crank it up back 2 or 3 laps wouldn't be asking too much on restarts either. I never thought I would say this last year but ESPN is putting FOX to shame right now!
Walking away from NASCAR because JJ is winning is the silliest thing I ever heard. Nothing lasts forever. You should have been here when Gordon was doing this at a faster pace!
Now if FOX keeps showing and calling races like they did Sunday, I may start watching more on mute and with alot louder scanners! Its already pretty close now!
I realize that everyone has their own opinion - is this year the same or worse than past years, especially as to the performance of Mike Joy.
One telling bit of proof came late in the race when he was commenting on the graphic about the tie for most wins on mile and a half tracks. He said that was a misleading stat because for many years Charlotte was the only mile and a half track.
Um, I believe Atlanta and Charlotte both opened the same year, and the last time I checked, Atlanta is (and always has been) a mile and a half track as well.
Not at all like Mike to make a mistake like that. Maybe something is wrong.
J.D. and fellow Planeteers,
It's been nice knowing you all. I'm just not interested in giving up another 10 months of weekends to watching the 5th coronation of the 48. I don't want anything horrible to happen to Jimmie Johnson, I just don't want to see him win.
I'll watch a Nationwide or two, but as of now, I'm removing NASCAR Now and NASCAR Racehub from my DVR. I'm unfollowing all NASCAR on Twitter. I just don't have the time or desire to watch Mr. Vanilla take all the marbles.
kenn formerly West Coast Kenny
Once again this week i watched the race with some people who weren't familier with NASCAR , and they had some very pointed comments concerning the constant , unfunny , uninformative , drivel that comes out of the booth and the hotel on FOX . They compared the announcers to the NFL and NBA announcers who they are very familier with , and the NASCAR announcers didn't fair very well . Of all the reasons that NASCAR is losing fans , and there are many reasons , one of the biggest is the terrible announcing . They repeat unimportant info over and over and over during a race weekend . They talk over each other . They admit that " we haven't talked about him today " and they're right . They haven't . They've been too busy impressing us with their vast knowledge of the sport and repeating the same several catch phrases over and over . Catch phrases delivered in hillbilly or pompous know it all mode . All three in the booth need to be replaced with some of the talent from other race telecasts . And there are some . And please tell me what function the hotel serves .
As to the track size being part of the problem , Charlotte usually puts on decent races . These other 1.5 mile tracks need to be identical to Charlotte . They aren't . And the differences are what create the incredibly boring racing .
The FAUX coverage has reached a new low that I didn't think was possible. I had thought it was bad before but this race took the cake.
NASCAR needs to cancel their contract with FAUX and give those races to TNT. At least they know how to cover a race and provide some decent commentary.
Needless to say, the coverage was so bad I only lasted to about the half-way point and took a nap. I found out who the winner was when I watched the rest of the race on DVR before bedtime. It was the perfect sleeping pill.
For the second week in a row, Fox cuts to a commercial with 22 laps to go and a battle of the lead brewing. That is absolutely inexcusable.
Like others have commented, the split screen and audio for the 'crank it up' sections is not good. Action on the track is being missed and you really can't enjoy the audio because two sources are being played at the same time.
I think even the Fox crew is getting tired of Jimmie Johnson winning all the time. Once he passed Gordon for the lead, they went into another mode.
Have to agree w/ most of the posts....Fox continues to make this sport even more boring than it has become on it's own! Missing the winning pass was just ludicrous...WTH???? That entire race was a major snooze fest(& I am a JG fan) then missing the lead pass by going to yet another commercial...I am assuming they aren't aware of DVR!!! FOX/NA$CAR has lost another fan for the year!!!!
If anyone wants to know how play by play should be called I hope you watched the hockey game. A game that went into sudden death overtime. The play by play was Awsome the entire game.
Then I switch to the race, I believe with 29 laps to go. Heard an update for the fans about the hockey game that were not watching the hockey game. That's fine, that's good actually. Then Fox goes to commercial and IGNORES all the people who just switched to the race from the hockey game. Thats stupid.
Fox should of done a brief overview of the race for the olympic fans joining them. But no, they go to commercial, missed the pass for the lead, again. And left the entire audience, weather watching the entire race or switching from the hockey game, wondering, what the h@!!
Enthusiastic & informative announcing, drama, great camera work, good interviews with the winners & losers – what a great broadcast!!!! Sorry I was writing about NBC Olympic Hockey Coverage.
I think I’m living in the Bizarro world – ESPN good – FOX Horrible!
I said it yesterday blogging on this site, and I'll say it again: The "pull my finger" humor can stay in high school, or junior high school for that matter. We are people with taste, and I don't want to be dumbed down for someone else's sake. David said it best: Disjointed, et al.JJ winning AGAIN I still believe is one of the myriad of reasons why rating continue to drop. If you go to a movie for the 48th time, you always know the butler did it. Boring.I wish I could go to my day job and mail it in. My boss would have my a**.Well, unless he's David Hill.
While I would agree that Fox needs to step it up, I think most people would have felt a little better if JG had one. But combine a poor telecast with JJ besting JG and everyone else.....again, and well, it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
By the same token, I suspect alot of people felt better overall when JJ wrecked at Texas last year or ran out of fuel at Michigan.
So yes, work is needed to present the races better, but in my opinion the dominance of the 48 team just makes alot of people extra cranky.
As much as I like Mike Joy and still think he's the best P X P'er in racing, he has lost a step this year. I've heard him make a bunch of mistakes and said to myself "what?"
No problem with the racing. I like the Vegas track, wish they had 2 dates. Exciting, from the right sources.
This week we're coming down on Mike Joy. You are one of the best PxP and a fount of knowledge... what's happened??
FOX absolutely needs to get a handle on the commercial break timing. This problem alone kills their ratings and yes, I was one of the ones switching back after the Olympic hockey final.
The pre race show has not improved. Again thinking Mr. Pizzi is worse than a cartoon rodent. Skipped the rest. Maybe Jeff Gordon should be their new comedian.
And for those crying about Jimmie winning again, boohoo! I'm not a 48 fan, but I sure never gave up on a sport because of a team winning too much because they were that good! Maybe its because I'm from Philly & we got used to longtime sports pummeling. Hello, NY Yankees!
About the coverage, Hendrick,Joe Gibbs, Childress always say you win with people and put the right people in the right places.Mike Joy and the pit reporters are very good. But that pre race show gets worse and worse. They have the wrong people. Viewers are tiring of DW, Larry, Hammond, and Meyers. People have had their fill of these guys and their unique style, which is offending many viewers.It's time for them to do what ESPN did, shake things up. Larry was great on TNT in that role.As far as DW, he is really alienating a large group of fans.Something has to change or the downward slide will continue.Fox has the wrong people in the wrong places, that's for sure.
I really don't understand most of the complaints. It seems everyone has a short memory. Too short to remember how bad ESPN was just a few months ago. This race production is so head-and-shoulders above the ESPN product, it is crazy. Just watch the Nationwide races -- removing Jerry Punch is like putting a bandaid on a gunshot wound.
FOX is the best. Maybe the best ever. ESPN classic has some old races on all the time, and let me tell you a lot of the memories of better broadcasting are romanticism. I'd like to see this blog watch a 1980s race on ESPN Classic and pretend it is a modern race and there would be many if not all of the same complaints.
Hey John, Good call on the hockey announcers. That guy had virtually no commercial time to regroup and still called an outstanding game non-stop. What a PRO. If Fox "booth monkeys" had even half of that ability they would be taking bows every week. And anyone that can shut Waldrip up will get my utmost respect.
I enjoy Victory Lane with Kyle adding alot to the show.
Get rid of Pizzi. Not funny, just plain dumb. Lost it.
Waltrip, retire. You are not funny, you constantly talk over others and try to be center of attention. It's pretty pathetic really. Retire soon.
JJ and chevy. Wow. Causing me to lose interest rapidly. I will still Tivo the race and fast forward through, but I'm losing all interest in pre/post race shows, weekly shows, and I turn off as soon as JJ takes the checkered. Just like when shrub does it in the Joe Gibbs Invitational Nationwide Series.
Let them test Nascar!!! Let them test so we can get some true competition on the track!!
Ratings are going to plummet if the JJ/Chevy domination continues.
Also, it's time for a YOUNGER personality. Find someone young that can replace DW, just make sure they know their Nascar!! Larry Mac works his tail off. If DW were gone, I think he'd shine even more. Meyers is OK on the pre race, Hammond I can take or leave. But put some youth in the broadcast in place of DW.
Oh I fully remember how bad ESPN was, but that is NO excuse for FOX to be WORSE than THEY were last year!
I'm just glad Hammond was able to explain to me about how the cars don't have speedometers!
Seriously, it is time for a new paradigm in NASCAR television coverage. What we get now is an insult.
So if FOX is selling commercials and guaranteeing they will be shown with less than 20 laps left, couldn't FOX just tell Chad which laps they are in commercial so Jimmie can hold off on making his inevitable pass for the win until they are back?
How many Toyota mentions does Darrell Waltrip have to make per race to get his other paycheck from Akio Toyoda?
I've read two posts today saying we should not complain about coverage today because it was, one-worse in the 1970's, two-worse in the 1980s.
No Da Sherlock's.
But I don't have 8-tracks or cassettes or 33rpm records anymore either. I've got cd's.
I don't have a Beta recorder or Vcr anymore. I have a DVD recorder, and might get a DVR soon.
That comparason is out the window in this fans mind.
Don't think I'll trade in my new car for a 70's or 80's car either.
All the fans ask for is the best media presentation possible in TODAYS age of 2010. Simple as that. And right now it's not by a long shot.
Sorry JD, most likely been to active today. But after seeing the professionalism of that hockey game yesterday then compairing it within seconds of Nascar was eye opening. Blew me away at how Nascar looked so silly on tv.
I am a JJ fan, have been since before he won his first championship. But I can appreciate and understand the frustration of the non-48 fans.
However, what is the solution? Do you expect Jimmy and Chad to start sandbagging and just let others past? Would the other teams get the same sense of achievemnt have won a race knowing that the 48 was just cruising around? Doubt it.
So what can NASCAR do to slow the HR cars down in a competitive way? I have no idea.
Mike
I DVR'd the race.. watched the hockey game.. Tried to watch the race on the DVR.. was increadibly boring.. I'm really losing interest in the sport and have been a diehard NASCAR guys since I was growing up in the mid 1980's.. The TV coverage is so "phony" anymore.. Digger..DW acting like a hick.. I can't take watching anymore..
Kenn Fong, totally understand where you're (not)going on weekends. We'll miss you on TDP. Stick around for the trucks, okay?
Mike Joy needs to find a new line of work. It goes to show you just about everyone can suffer burnout, even if its something you love to do.
the race was boring...as usual. The Fox team is simply terrible and seems to actually get worse every race.
It is time for the networks stop acting like every viewer is a new fan or a complete idiot. Some of the things like sway bars, bump stops, and things like that are something not often discussed. But the demos on using a tachometer instead of speedometer and some of the other things they show make it look like every viewer is an idiot.
I always thought Fox's pre-race show has been stupid from Day One. That's why I rarely watch it. The only time I watch it is if there is nothing else of interest on at the time. Do like I do - don't watch it or skip over it with the DVR.
Dear Anon 2:28:
Atlanta is NOT a 1.5-mile track, but 1.54 miles. They've made two rebuilds on it over the years, one in 1970, the other in 1997.
When the race 500 miles at Atlanta, it's for only 325 laps. When they do it at Charlotte, it's for 334.
I only got to watch part of the first half of the Vegas race and I thought the FOX guys did a good job, so I really cannot comment on how the broadcast may have gone downhill from there. My earlier point was that I do appreciate how much more and better coverage there is now than there was years ago. I'm not saying I'm satisfied or that anyone else should be satisfied - just that, in my view, the glass is more than half full, but full is always better.
Some of y'all sound like you think they deliberately cut to commercial during the winning pass. When exactly would you like that last commercial to run, at the halfway point? Johnson looked like he was going to pass Gordon several times between 35 and 20 to go. If they had gone to commercial with 30 to go and the pass had happened then, would that have been any better? How about with 40 to go? How about if it had been the next-to-last pass?
Stuff is going to happen during commercials occasionally. We're never going to get a letterbox format like soccer on a weekly basis. As long as the networks are paying NASCAR huge fees for broadcast rights, they're going to get their money back from somewhere. Would you rather the races be on a pay-per-view basis? If so, write Mike Helton.
NASCAR on Fox is like being caught in a very bad dream. Since the actual racing is mediocre at best the broadcast team must be to carry the load. All we have is a LOAD from Fox. Pre-race is akin to a root canal without Novocain. Totally mindless and painful.
Mike Joy needs to go back to the car auctions and take Larry Mac with him. DW needs to just go away. Myers and Hammond should run away and join the circus. Two complete clowns.
NASCAR is always wondering why people think of it as a third rate sport. They need to start looking at the teams they have selected to present their product.
Hacks, just plain hacks
The racing was boring. The pre race show stink they cover ever thing but racing. I don't understand who has what roles on Fox. When there is good close racing Larry Mac and DW call the action I thought Mike Joy was the PxP and Larry Mac talks about driving and DW talk mechanical. They just need a redefining of their roles. But all broadcasts are Nascar spin, remember all is well. Exciting not boring.
Week after week,we hope that witness a competitive race...This is why we,as fans,refuse to abandon this sport...For now...Week after week,NASCAR,Fox and the track disappoints us fans...In the last five years,NASCAR Inc. has raked in the money,assuming the sport would sell itself...Throughout this period,they forgot one important goal;to keep the sport ENTERTAINING...The "trading paint" ads are an illusion used to keep us all thinking "This will be the race that brings us back as fans"...A desperate plea by a very out of touch NASCAR.You know what NASCAR...The fans are getting RESTLESS...The exodus has begun but it is not too late for redemption!
From reading all these posts I noticed a common theme. Those that watched the hockey game turned to Nascar AFTER the game was over and not the other way around.
People are asking if there is a behind the scenes issue with Mike Joy. I'm wondering if Mike is getting tired of DW talking over him all the time. He could be just plain fed up with it all. If this is the case FOX better be careful. People like listening to Mike more than DW and if Mike leaves FOX, it won't take him long to find another job. He's one of the best in the business. I just feel for him every Sunday having to deal with Daryl and his other brother Daryl.
Jimmie winning all the time isn't the main reason people are getting fed up. The racing is just terrible at those cookie cutter tracks. No passing and strung out cars single file. Add Jimmie into the mix and its just plain unwatchable.
How many times did Chris Meyers say, " I only kid because i care" during the pre-race show. fox needs to switch it up, 10 years of the same type of broadcast is getting old.
I agree with Palmetto: "Some of y'all sound like you think they deliberately cut to commercial during the winning pass. "
As long as we aren't paying to watch each race, there are going to be commercials. FOX had a choice to run them with 20 to go (while there was a battle, or wait till there were only a few laps to go. What would you prefer?
An early comment says "Well between the commercials with 20 laps to go and JJ winning yet again, I am going to be saving a ton of $$ by selling my tix and not spending any $$ at NHMS this year in July and Sept. "
Why would you not go to the race at NHMS because of FOX's broadcast, and JJ? Fox doesn't even cover the races at NHMS, and JJ hasn't won there since 2003.
Everyone complains so much about FOX's coverage, but with all of the audio problems last year on TNT (background audio so high you could here commentators) and ABC/ESPN bouncing coverage all over multiple channels, I prefer knowing exactly where I can get my racing. Even when I'm traveling, and may not have access to cable/satellite.
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