Once again this week, the TV coverage will begin on ESPN2 with the pre-race show and shift to ESPN for the race itself. This is a function of the races being moved from ABC to ESPN and the network already having an NFL show in the 11AM - 1PM timeslot.
Allen Bestwick is hosting the telecast today from the Infield Pit Studio. Brad Daugherty and Rusty Wallace are alongside. Tim Brewer is in the Tech Garage. The focus should again be on the Chase with perhaps a news item or two breaking into the line-up.
Marty Reid is back in the broadcast booth with Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. Reporting from pit road are Dr. Jerry Punch, Jamie Little, Dave Burns and Vince Welch.
ESPN is once again struggling with bad reviews and low ratings. Fans have chimed in with all kinds of suggestions about the reasons why NASCAR is having a tough time in the playoffs. Hopefully, good action on the track may help the cause today.
There are no weather issues and there should be a good crowd today. Kansas has a history of turning out a lot of race fans for NASCAR events. This speedway is a pet project of the ISC and having a successful event here is very important to the France family.
TV has fun at Kansas because there are many great views of the racing action. The aerial view shows the facility while the speed shots work to relay how fast the track actually is for these cars. ESPN struggled on Saturday with the NNS event, using tight shots that rarely showed more than three cars and missed most of the action.
ESPN has a formula for these events that fans and TV viewers know all too well. It puts a continual emphasis on the Chasers and lets the actual events of the race slowly slip away. It's a tough challenge to cover both inside one race.
This week is going to be pivotal in the Chase. Not for the racers, but for the TV network. ESPN needs to deliver an interesting and focused presentation that keeps the fans watching TV and lets the emphasis be on what is happening on the track, not what the network chooses to show.
Over the last several weeks, ESPN has gone to the first in-race commercial before lap ten. They have run the final commercial inside of twenty laps to go and once within ten. No one understands what is happening with this company that was once a critical partner with NASCAR in the growth of the sport.
This post will serve to host your comments on the ESPN presentation of the Sprint Cup Series race from Kansas Speedway. To add your TV-related comment, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
257 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 257 of 257AncientRacer -- that's awesome and so correct. I had never had cats live with me until a few months ago when friends of mine were in a terrible auto accident. They needed someone to take care of theirs while they recovered out of state, so I volunteered. We had a few false starts while I figured out what they wanted from me, but at the end I didn't want to give them back.
I'm going to get my own very soon since I enjoyed having them around so much. I had always had dogs, but with my work schedule, having a more self-reliant pet seems more sensible.
Whats with all the NFL commercials. This is a NASCAR race. Get a clue espn.
Title sponsors driving out competing sponsors doesn't help anything either.
JD, yes it does all come down to Brian. Unfortunately he does NOT get it as evidenced by any words that come out of his mouth, incoherent though they may be.
Well, I think ESPN has finally driven me away from NASCAR. It seems to me that they realize they have a lot of 'dead air' in the booth and some genious thought they could make it less obvious if they just turned up the volume of the racecars. Well, we sure don't hear all the awkward silences from the booth, but worse, when they do say something, we can't hear what they're saying. The constant noise got so annoying that I muted the TV after about 30 minutes. And I discovered that without the sound, the picture is pretty boring. Another sign that ESPN knows the booth is in trouble: There's way more time from the infield studio this year than in the past, way more than the usual pee breaks every hour or so. There is a lot of complaints that they only cover what they decided to cover before the race. You know why? Because they don't know anything about racing. ESPN's attitude is, "We know you watch us because we're ESPN, and it really doesn't matter to you or to us what we're showing, since we are so special when it comes to broadcasting sporting events." Remember folks, these are the guys that brought us cartoon flames and 'draft-lock'. And they still don't have a clue.
So if this is the best ESPN can do, I probably won't make it to the end this year.
And they wonder why they're losing fans. Gee, you don't suppose it's because of the crappy broadcasts, do you?
RWar24 said...
Yes Allan W.. Marty mentioned it.
Well then, I stand corrected.
I must admit I was distracted by Raceview, Scanner & Hotpass to help keep me up to date.
Thanks!
@Anon 3:28 good list. May I add the rise of "super teams" HMS dominance, older 1 car teams being forced out or into S&P roles, very young drivers with bad attitudes, and bad TV coverage to your list.
@GinaV24...please go to your local animal shelter and give one a forever home! I've had wonderful cats from mine, and it makes me feel so good!
Someone said only three ideas to sell to:
1. Bill Gates
2. Disney / ESPN
3. Warren Buffett
There use to be talk of Brian buying an NFL team and getting out.
Anon 3:28 -- Darlington loses the Southern 500 so Cali can have 2 boring races.
I found that ironic too - promoting the NFL on commercials.
NASCAR suits may not read this blog, but I know first-hand that some network suits do (they turned me onto the Planet). That signals that there may be a reckoning with Brian the Clueless when contract renewal comes up.
As GinaV24 sed: It's all about the benjamins, and the nets would certainly like a way to get certain vendor's "product" cheaper.
"Limiting" an owner to 4 teams hasn't helped, either.
"Someone said only three ideas to sell to:
1. Bill Gates
2. Disney / ESPN
3. Warren Buffett"
And NONE of them have any interest in NASCAR racing.
If no interest in Nascar gets you on the list, add Brian Z's name.
JD - will the next TV negotiations / contract bring a much lower rate ?
ESPN would be at a loss if Paul Menard won a race. No script for that event, and they do not adapt to changing conditions. No real-time observation and analysis in the truck.
Kasey Kahne is back on track. Will ESPN mention it?
add Dale Jr always running middle of the pack to that list. It has not helped the sport.
Sally, yes, I plan to get one that way - I agree that helping out an animal that needs a home is something that I wish more people would do.
Good for you, Gina! You won't regret it a bit!
AncientRacer -- yes I think that part of the problem is that the networks paid too much for the product now that it isn't "the next big thing" and so they have to use more ads to drive revenue.
Of course the problem with that is that more commercials means less racing on TV and more annoyed fans who watch less racing. A self-fulfilling prophecy
Spay or neuter too, Gina. All mine are rescue cats.
Also, the confusion after the restarts, like now, could be helped by a wide shot from the blimp with the arrow boxes pointing to cars on the track. Context, context, context. Cannot understand a race without it.
Just remember, ESPN has many years left on the current contract and they are never going to have NFL football on Sundays.
If they could get the NNS to SPEED and side by side breaks on these telecasts, it would be huge.
Sally, I'll let you know when I get them.
I'm thinking about naming one Gordon -- LOL guess why?
40 laps to go...... basically 20 mins of coverage without a caution. Can we get this home w/o commercial?
@GinaV24
Why? Ummm, because you like gin?
Could not resist that
Just look at these blog entries. We are talking about NASCAR management, TV contracts, NFL and cats. Anything but the race in progress. What does that tell you?
You bet, AncientRacer. I have many friends who like you and Sally, say the same thing. Get animals from a shelter and help a furry friend.
JD -- OK, so if ESPN knows they won't ever have football on Sunday, why can't they just give NASCAR a fair shake and broadcast it like they care?
If there was side by side IRL style commercials I wouldn't be switching over to the NFL everytime & watching for long periods of time.
Ancient Racer -- LOL - one of my friends wanted to know if it was because I liked one of the band members from Phish.
Anon -- if they would show the race, we could probably talk about it, but since they aren't at least JD gives us a place to talk about life, the universe and everything -- thank goodness!
JD, do you have a ball park figure on what a company pays to become an 'official sponsor' of Nascar, as opposed to an indivual race team?
Gillette Young Guns was a prime example. A NASCAR team courted them for sponsorship, then NASCAR grabbed them for an Official Sponsor.
Panthers vs. Saints - great game less than 2:00 left.
It's funny how parts seem to stay on cars better and not fall off for debris cautions once the Chase races are ran. Interesting!!
WTF is this behind points leader crap. I'm a 48 fan but really what is the point
JD who is today's director? Same as last week. Pictures when I get them seem better. Better shot selection than last week. Or maybe it is due to the camera positions?
BTW Here come Jimmie!
BTW2: I'm really p.O.'d at Reuti since I like Kyle.
I think there is still a huge audience for good auto racing coverage out there.
But what we are being offered is just not working. That is frustrating for all parties concerned.
ESPN's producer and director have been operating on a formula that has not worked for four years now.
I expect changes at the end of the season.
JD, but will they be the RIGHT changes?
And will they have finally frustrated the fans to the point that no one is going to bother watching any more?
Tough to regain a customer once they are gone.
There for a second, switched to an in-car at the worst possible time, then switched back to the battle for position. What was that, a hand slap?
wow,somebody get a memo or something. no commerical break w/10 to go. yeah..
I don't want a close chase, I want a close RACE
When you make a big enough stink, things happen. No late commercial today.
Kansas track lends to boring racing. Biffle with 8 second lead. zzzzzzzzzz
Isn't the adage that a happy customer tells one person and an unhappy one tells 10?
If you guys are leaving for football, make sure to give us a race wrap-up on the "Your Turn" post that is up on the main page.
Thanks as always for hanging with us, there is going to be an extended post-race show on ESPN.
I have to say, I don't remember being this totally disinterested in racing...ever. I don't care who wins the race, don't care who wins the chase, just flat don't care.
Thanks for no last 10 laps & no commercials.
Congrats to DaBiff
Thanks for your hard work JD
Wish we could have seen the field cross finish
Off to Redskins/Eagles game
Sally-You said it for a lot of us.
Well, the race broadcast was not a dismal as last week, and the conversation was good. I'm off to the Redskis game too. Dollars to donuts it is on in the Gibbs hauler.
Bye!
I'm off to the Equestrian Games.
Well, everyone - hope you all have a nice week. It was good spending time with everyone - its a shame there wasn't actually a race to watch but we had a lot of good discussion anyway.
Johnson didn't win today, but I guess he's now first in the points -- who cares? That will only result in my watching LESS racing on TV if he wins the 10 race trophy again this year.
Leave us a post-race comment on the main page before you go.
Lots of folks leaving for the 4PM NFL games.
Allen just said that there's been some good racing in these chase races - too bad we haven't seen it! Thanks ESPN.
OK folks! Moving comments up to the new "Your Turn" post.
Thanks again for dropping by!
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