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:
1 – 200 of 257 Newer› Newest»When are we gonna see Ricky Craven at one of the Sprint races? He's the only one giving me insight that I haven't heard before. Often the booth sounds like it's filling in a NASCAR themed Mad-Lib.
ESPN let Ricky get into the booth this season for the NNS series, but DJ and Andy are still under contract for the big time.
Any talk of booth changed for 2011? Or are we waiting for contracts to expire?
Regardless of the actual ratings numbers I predict that NASCAR will point to the weekly top 25 cable rankings which show the GREAT SUCCESS of the Chase. Week one the cup race was ranked 25. Week 2 it was 14 -- nevermind that 14th place ranking followed multiple broadcasts of Spongebob. Just sayin'
ESPN2 for the pre-race show folks!
I'm getting static for sound. Have to try closed captioning. Only on this channel.
Major audio problems. No sound just static. Video is good. May just be me, i dont know
same here glen
Not a good way to start the day! No audio on ESPN2 now for over three minutes.
the cc works, so at least we can read it, lol. Can't blog & read at the same time tho....
Do you think they realize it John, or could they be clueless
Told DirecTV users have audio fine. This is going to be interesting.
pretty irritating so far. missed JJ (no big deal) missed KK (BIG deal)!
I have Dish.
well, it's no biggie to miss Brad & rusty....
John, not all directv viewers do
espn2 is fine here in delaware on comcast. fyi
I have no issues with the sound on my ESPN2 HD channel but the SD channel is nothing but static. Very odd. I usually have issues w/ the HD channel rather than the SD. My cable company is Cable One (local).
Becky is correct. everything is fine on espn hd. but on espn sd nothing but static.
No Countdown at all in Canada, due to NFL Countdown and Ryder Cup. Ryder Cup is also shown on NBC, so big TSN fail!
S&P today: 46, 64, 36 and 71
Maybe: 09, 13 and 7
Looks like ESPN2 SD has no audio and ESPN2HD is fine.
Comcast in PA HD also fine
SD Directv nothing but static on audio in NH
ESPN SD on Dish Network also having audio issues...17 minutes and counting.
Closed captioning can actually be a helpful thing in this instance.
Or with Rusty Wallace talking, maybe not.
Cannot hear anything so I went over to Caws N Jaws to get the broadcast/race/commercial stats for last week @ Dover. Let us see what happens today
Total minutes: 199
Minutes of race broadcast: 138
Minutes of commercials: 61
ESPN2 has lost audio from Bristol, CT. ESPN2HD is fine. Must be fun in the electronic maintenance dept right about now.
OOPS...ESPN2 SD. A crawl on the screen explaining the audio difficulties would have been nice.
Then again, maybe they're thinking everyone has the HD channel on their sets. Sorry, but I don't.
Milwaukee TimeWarner SD is static too!
welp, Bobby Labonte just announced on twitter that he's parking today & next wk, so they can race at Phoenix. God, that sucks so much for him..:(
This is the best commentary from Rusty in 4 years haha
oh, finally a message. Like we hadn't already figured that out.
Just before they fix it.
and they have FINALLY put something on the screen.
oh, sure, they fix the commercials, but not the show, lol.
glenc1...
I turned it off and turned on the Ryder Cup.
Was that the first message stating they know there's a problem - 25 minutes in??
Wow. What a load of junk.
Obviously it's Bush's fault
ESPN doesn't care they are in the HD revolution. They think everyone has HD televisions. They are so bipolar they live in their own world
They'd better get this audio problem fixed for the race.
Then again, I could just listen to the radio...
If you need me i'll be rooting for the Steelers
No update from ESPN, no answer to email or tweets or anything else.
Happy Hopefully Everyone Can Hear Now Race Day Planeteers <3
@Pammmmmmmm--yup just saw that tweet an absolute shame :(. Hate to see Bobby reduced to S&P he's a CHAMPION and I know full well he can still drive :(. Good news he'll be on the Race Chef Charlotte weekend (unless something changes).
Well, that was interesting. Now back with good audio on ESPN2 at 33 minutes after the hour.
Maybe it wasn't Bush's fault after all. Maybe it was Linda McMahon's. She is from CT
that's a shame JD :(.
and the brad/denny thing we have audio for? ughhh.
*giggles* Pammmmmmmmm
That was nice of Allen to address and apologize for the audio issues fans had. He's good people
Nice day for racing. Hope the boys can pass or it's going to be a tough TV challenge.
AB is the best! Just sorry he works for "them".
Well alright time for some racing!!! Audio is fixed here in Chicago and they did say there were sorry for the audio problems
This is going to be fun! Oh and no im not watching no NFL today sorry! :)
crowd dosent looks as good as last year unless the pre race show is taped
Just watching that Jonathan. They usually turn out a really good crowd.
Fantasy Football Now was on ESPN 2 at 11:30 and lost the audio right before noon during that broadcast.
Commercial break on Lap 8. Any wagers?
Seems to be the formula these days.
It's a mile 1/2 not 1 mile it will be lap 6
I certainly hope that ESPN does a lot better with today's broadcast than E2 did yesterday. Total disaster.
I'll be optimistic & go for lap 12. Just be be contrary, lol.
Do they need to insert additional commercials for the ones that aired without audio? Or refund the companies?
Seems like GEICO would want me to hear the Gecko.
Hi all! Just got everything fired up & running to "watch" the race. Pit Command is actually up & running before green flag today. Amazing...
Commercials before lap 10 anyone?
And whats todays script?
today's script is Cuz Carl (cuz it's his home track).
Normally, ESPN would give additional inventory in other programs to any advertiser who has been affected by a technical problem.
sometimes Marty just tries a little too hard....
@ Pammm...and Jamie Mac, too.
Did they not see that car get sideways??
DJ trying to tell the cameras where to go and having no luck.
It's dueling boxes day!
OK, this split screen with no reference to where on the track they are...confusing!
Sally, he's not in the chase-doesn't count.
Just got home from running errands in time for the green flag. Missed the rerun segments I presume from in the pre-race show. The aerial view so far has been nice. Let's hope the 3 in the booth have an easier day than yesterday's race. Hope my guys have good races.
Sorry PammM! forgot for a minute that this is 'chase only' coverage.
JD. Thanks for that answer on the commercial/tech problem's
Is the leaderboard on NASCAR.com working for anyone? It isn't working for me in either Firefox or IE. The scanners don't work in Firefox either. Has NASCAR.com abandoned support for Firefox? I hate when I'm forced to use IE. I'm starting to think they need to hire me to keep things working. LOL
Just read in Scene online that ESPN is trying to blame the 1 PM start times of ratings tanking during the chase! Talk about head in the sand!
9 laps till the first ad, guys!
Lap 9 for first in-race break.
Sally, I will have a feature column on that coming out this week.
The engine noise is drowning ot the booth monkeys. Can't decide if that is good or bad.
@Becky - No leaderboard for me either on NASCAR.com.
@Becky - I have to use IE today Firefox wasn't working at all earlier
We will return to racing on lap 18.
We will return to racing on lap 18.
Thanks, JD. Talk about having your head in the sand!
@Vicky--if you don't have HD you would of had static for 33 minutes anyways. I don't get to watch the other shows regularly so I don't know what was repeat segments or not.
We got one more lap in today w00t! w00t! :p
Sorry. That second one should have read, "talk about having your head up your B***!"
And in other news... so far during today's broadcast Jr. has only been mentioned twice so far.
If not 1 p.m., when would ESPN like to run these races?
Saturday nights opposite the Brent Musburger college football game of the week on ABC?
How about the 4:15 p.m. NFL window which usually has the best game of the doubleheader?
7:30 p.m. Sunday opposite Bob Costas and the NFL highlights leading in to Sunday night football?
There are no winning time slots to be had.
6 laps of racing and back to commercials already!
oldnewenglander said...
If not 1 p.m., when would ESPN like to run these races?
----
Thursday @ 2a.m. ?
espn hates NASCAR fans...
We are the Rodney Dangerfield of sports fans.
First commercial break at lap 9 and don't come back until lap 17. How are people suppose to sustain interest in this race?
Audio guy needs to be fired. Background cars are making it hard to hear the booth monkeys and pit reporters. That would be a good thing, except with no or little lifting the racing sounds are very monotonous and put me to sleep.
Now another commercial break. Blogger having technical difficulties, too! Had to re-type post.
the underwater basketweaving championships is on at that time JoJaye :(
Oh, but wait ESPN says.. Here's what all you fans missed.. Gordon tracked down Kayne, then pulled a pass for the lead off.. Pfffftttt
Looking at the crowd, I would declare it good.
OK missed a pass for the lead, more commercials than racing, dueling boxes, & an audio guy who does not fix the sound... And More Commercials! world wide leader? pfftt....
After spending pre race coverage telling us that you can't call tracks 'cookie cutters', did DJ just say this track races like MIS?
Ya know, it is awful hard to keep my eyes on the race when i am distracted to the score alerts on the bottom of the screen. then i go to that game and may continue to watch that instead. and nascar wonders why ratings are down. just saying....
Can't do that Jojaye,
2 a.m. Thursday would pre-empt the Wednesday 11 p.m. SportsCenter on the west coast.
Ok, later, I want to watch more then commercials. Off to watch the Steelers/Ravens game
@Lou
Trick that works for me is I change the screen ratio to one of my cinema zoom settings. Crops the picture and I lose the crawl. Works for me anyway.
Jeff Gordon won at Kansas in 2001 and 2002. Marty got it wrong.
I dont know Im enjoying this race so far, good balance all around! I like Kansas and yes the crowd got much better I wonder if the pre race is taped
Great crowd, race, and beautiful blue sky
It is almost scarey how any real action on track is going to happen while ESPN is at commercial. well, considering how much they are away at commercials, maybe not.
AncientRacer , thanks, that worked for me.
The ESPN coverage this year has been awful - and I DVR the races and watch later.
Later start times would not have improved the coverage this year!
They might go an entire race and not show anything live. Mayby they already did earlier in the season.
I am watching one tv beside another tv. Panthers NFL on one tv, NASCAR on another. I see visible evidence of inequities. Ahhh! My eyes! They deceive me!
So much pink gear in Ravens/Steelers game - they need a pink football.... is race back from commercials yet?
@gymmie & oldnew - I keep forgetting about those important showings! lol
Is that supposed to be a tease?
"The 48 got pinned...we'll bring you up to date on how it all sorts out..."
Is that supposed to be a tease?
"The 48 got pinned...we'll bring you up to date on how it all sorts out..."
My serious conflict today is with the World Equestrian Games being shown on NBC today! Just discovered it while channel surfing during ads!
Yeah ESPN bring us up to date on how this all sorts out.
For the love of all things good and Holy!!!
Hey, nothing spices up a day like our little tween troll!
He's like the crazed son I never had!
Racing takes up 58% of broadcast time.
The actual mix is about 1/3 commercial time and 2/3 total program time.
It's just frustrating!
@Becky - Just checked, the leaderboard is fixed on NASCAR.com.
Reutimann just backed into Kyle. Maybe he should try the other end of the car.
Have not been able to assess the crowd and attendence but you can bet with two races in Kansas in 2011 that attendence will be down.
Camera gets to the action late so it doesn't look like anything interesting and as soon as it appears to be setting up for actual racing or passing they leave for more missed action or better yet an incar camera angle and I can't tell WTF is going on. This is a mess
Marty Reid sounds like he is calling a golf tourney.
With 2 races next year, I think the attendance will be up. It will just be divided over 2 races instead of all at one.
ESPN is looking in the wrong direction in assessing the ratings decline. It's not from thr 1 pm start times. They need to look in a mirror at their production. Also - what NASCAR gives them doesn't help either.
JD, I'm betting you are very grateful not to have a son like the troll!
ESPN wants to blame the 1 p.m. start time for the problems. ROTFLMHO! Idiots, just idiots, in charge.
they are double boxing us alot..not so much in-car, which is good. we get to see racing in the pack, because jj is there...sigh.
Did they actually tell us the 17 was the leader when he took the lead? I don't think they said anything for several minutes.
I was listening to the race on MRN -- based on that, there's actually a race going on. Not so much on ESPN
With 2 races next year, I think the attendance will be up. It will just be divided over 2 races instead of all at one.
LIKE IT IS AT DOVER, CHARLOTTE, DAYTONA etc with two races? GET REAL. Chicagoland with only one race was a disaster.
This is not a good day for Marty Reid.
Anon 2:06. No, like Fontana
IMO, they need to go to one race at each track and if they are going to continue with the idiot chase, they need to rotate the tracks that are involved so it isn't always the same 10 tracks.
Of course someone with a brain might have thought about that rather than just saying -- hey guys, lets use whatever tracks are in the last 10 and have us a playoff!
Anon 2:06. No, like Fontana
Ohhh forgot that one a prime example. So why do you feel Kansas will fill the place for two races?
Maybe ESPN would like the races on Friday nights? Oh, no, that's high school football night. Maybe they should start them at 9 am on Sunday? How about Monday at noon? ESPN is blowing wind, trying to come up with excuses for crappy racing and even crappier coverage.
The only real solution is for Nascar to end their season the first week in September.
GINA - BZF has to look into the best interests of ISC tracks and his sister. Doesn't matter what the best tracks are for the fans.
Scary thing about JD's troll is that the couple of times I have seen a name attached to one of its posts is that I have a kid that is a tween who has that name. Lives with his mother, though, not me. Thank goodness
Anon 2:12-- I don't think they will fill two races. I think htey will have two races a little over half full. With one race in an area with only one race, it is special. With two races, the fans will decide which one race they will attend,
Gotcha - we are on the same page now.
Maybe the fans will spend more time in the casino that at the track.
Anon -- yep, it's all about the benjamins!
They are banking on that. With ISC owning the casino they win either way. They realize money derived from racing is on the decline and are looking for other revenue sources outside of NASCAR.
Being in "the business", I try not to criticize colleagues, but also being a fan of the 17, whom ESPN admitted needs a good finish, I can't believe they didn't show a single shot of him leading... until they went to commercial.
They didn't actually start covering the 17 until the 14 caught him... and he fit into their preset storyline for the race. BTW, I didn't want to believe the "storyline coverage" theory either, but...
I truly hope ESPN looks inward as they study the drop in ratings.
Allan
PS - Just a thought: If they did show the 17 going to every commercial, he would be the most covered car on the broadcast!
JD - did anyone confront ESPN with their decision to go to commercial with 10 laps left at Dover? Did they have any response?
I bet Brian France and team are praying for an NFL lockout in 2001 - would be quite beneficial to NASCAR.
There has been silence from ESPN since the low ratings and the commercial with ten to go.
It's getting ugly. Lower ratings than this could force some big changes for next season.
NASCAR has to draw the line somewhere.
ANON 2:25
I know you meant 2011, but you may be right about Brian hoping for one in 2001. Just fits
JD Does NASCAR orthe networks have an "escape clause" in the TV contracts? or is it written in stone?
How many times must TB explain spring rubbers per season and in the big box...
Jo,
Lot ratings and money problems bring meetings. FOX already had their off-season meeting and ESPN has theirs during the winter.
The new breed of fan is simply not going to sit through 2:30 of commercials every couple of minutes with green flag racing going on.
Either side-by-side or RaceBuddy or a paid online feed has to be on the table.
Jojaye - ESPN coves 17 races right, so at least that many times. LOL
BTW, I am following the race via MRN and trackpass and only switching over to ESPN once in a while -- I don't have a nielson box so they aren't counting my nose, but there's only so much a person can stand and I hit my limit with the bad coverage a while back.
Once the Eagles-Redskins game comes on, I'll be watching that on TV. Football coverage is a lot better than NASCAR broadcasts -- no matter who is covering it.
Thanks JD. I'm hoping for IRL style commercials.
I have the race on the tv, but I am also watching Phillies/Braves on my computer. Amazing how internet video works.
We rightfully complain about the number and timing of commercials. But imagine watching the race without interruption as it is currently presented. We would all be switching channels out of pure boredom and frustration.
WTF Brewer in big box twice already good lord my head hurts
These Brewer breaks are just killing the pace of the coverage.
As Allen Bestwick always says, racing is never boring if you follow the stories of the race.
ESPN tries to control and script the content. If that does not work, they follow the favorites only.
They will not surrender to what is actually happening on the track and just let televise the daggone race. They must be "in control."
JD, I have no clue how the TV deal works and who has the power to change anything. Who is in these meetings?
JD, that is so totally correct, I just don't understand why ESPN refuses to understand the blind obvious.
Nope, they like NASCAR prefer to be stubborn and do it their way, no matter what it does to competition and racing. Fools!
It looks as if this race will be (thankfully) run quickly.
Oh that's great - we know NASCAR is stubborn and can't admit fault and now ESPN too. Who suffers? The fans of course.
You know it's a bad sign when Tim Brewer is getting more face time than the guy leading the race.
And since I am watching with the other half of my attention the Carolina-NewOrleans game - I just noticed that they followed the action AND showed a great replay.
In major sports and even politics if things are failing miserably the top dogs gets fired or resigns. (a general manager, manager etc.) To me all the gloom and doom points to Brian France.
BTW - what happened to Kahne? he was leading the race early and now is back in 15th - did they say why?
The NFL is putting out a great product in 2010. They are riding a good wave and TV ratings are up. They will do everything they can to avoid a strike in 2011.
Whomever it was that mentioned the Equestrian event on NBC was spot on. I looked. Then came back to the race then looked again at a commercial, then again and now I seem to be watching it a lot. And I don't even like horses that much (since they have never particularly liked me).
At least we now know the 00 Reuti was on the track. Since hes not in the script we don't get to see him..
Anon 2:41 -- but in NASCAR when you own the playing field and are also in control of the sanctioning body, you know he's not going to walk away from this awesome gig, not even if the whole thing collapses on itself
Agree on the NFL. They have parity and a reason to watch each week. Any team can defeat another on a given weekend. In NASCAR it seems like the same suspects each weekend. The product put out by NASCAR had declined tremendously.
@ancientRacer...I ride and show, so I'm taping the event. There is certainly action happening all the time in Kentucky, unlike at Kansas. I'm extremely grateful that I have an alternative to foolball!
GINA - therein lies the entire problem. He watches it tumble on top of him and his family legacy.
AncientRacer -- LOL -- horses can be like cats -- if they know you don't like them, they will gravitate right to you. Its that whole perverse thing.
I may have to check it out.
The prez of the NASCAR Media Group is a guy named Paul Brooks. He is in on the TV meetings and is in charge of the current TV and online contracts.
Nice guy actually!
Hey Marty, we don't care that all the top spots were occupied by Chase contenders..
Anon - yes, the fans understand it, but NASCAR/BZF continues to think the fans are stupid and will just blindly follow while Nero fiddles and the sport burns.
Too bad -- the sport was doing really well and then it just lost its way. Maybe we should chip in and send the suits in Daytona a GPS so they can find their way out of the swamp.
@GinaV24
Cats love me. I decorate with them. Cats, of course, are smarter than horses they would never stoop to jumping over something I might wish them to. Come to think of it cats are smarter than NASCAR leadership -- or am I insulting cats by even using the comparison? lmao
@Gina - its a good idea with the GPS unfortunately they wouldn't use them. They refuse to admit they are lost.
JD - he may be a nice guy, but until someone steps up to make changes, all these nice guys are going to let the sport go down the drain.
ancient racer - LOL, OK, I have to ask - how do you decorate with cats?
Jojaye - that's true -- you have to know you're lost before you can even look for a way out.
Ultimately it's Brian. He works for Brian directly.
And is Mr Brooks a hand selected friend of BZF who answers directly to BZF in the chain of command? I dare say - yes. Mr. Brooks would not want to make waves.
I've been switching back and forth between racing and football. ESPN seems to miss every incident due to commercials or tight shots. Rather than focusing on the race, they are incredibly focused on radio chatter today. There is no direction through the action, the camera just finds a random battle or a Chaser. It is so fustrating to be a fan.
Hope they reset this mess cause I am way confused about who has what
He was with Brian in LA for years. Came into power when the sport consolidated the TV contact.
If you make waves, you don't work there long. Therefore, King Brian is surrounded by yes men and women. When you live in a vacuum, your brains apparently get sucked out.
If the suits in Daytona would just read this blog they would learn alot. Now correcting the entire situation is another issue.
Paul Brooks - a nice guy? They always finish last.
So, Brooks is a France "cronie". Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. surrounded themselves with hard working folks with good common street smarts. Brian isn't even in the garage area on weekly basis. Third generation theory holds true - he has run it into the ground.
@GinaV24
It is easy.
1. Place cats in house with things cats need (food, water, cat box)
2. Cats will respond by arranging themselves on furniture, counters, beds, people etc. in a never ending series of tasteful postures.
ESPN uses split screen, but does not tell us where these battles are. By the time Marty spits is out, the camera has already moved to a new battle.
I would like to read the "minutes" of one of those meetings.
I have believed for years that the race coverage is bought (the script).
"It's getting ugly. Lower ratings than this could force some big changes for next season."
What kind of changes?
My favorite part of the whole TV/ratings thing is that neither Nascar (read BZF) or ESPN can seem to make the connection from the COT and Chase to the ratings going down. Now really...how hard is that?
This is when it becomes difficult to determine whether the problem is the car or tv. Cars battle everywhere within the first 5 laps of a restart. There is so much action, ESPN uses spilt screen. 5 laps after a restart, ESPN resorts to the pit reporters, tight shots, in-car & bumper cams. The field looks spread out and nobody is passing.
Is it that difficult to pass a few laps after a restart, or does ESPN miss it?
The conversation about Mr. Brooks sounds an awful lot like yesterday's conversation about Mr. Helton.
someone once said that a house with cats has no need for statues. So true.
Just recollecting Marty has a head cold--might account for *some* of his weakness today. But overall, I still want AB back.
I sorta buy into the "script" theory. But if JJ #48 wins again I won't. Would think NASCAR would want to avoid that at all costs.
BSeries61--I was thinking the same thing. Looks good on restart & then goes to heck.
I'll let this question serve as my comment:
Did you guys know that Sam Hornish was back on the track... and only missed 20 laps?
Helton, Brooks, Darby - clean house. They were gonna replace Darby but can't find a good yes man.
Yes Allan W.. Marty mentioned it.
COT, Earnhardt's death, Toyota, Brian France takes over, Rockingham, North Wilkesboro, rising ticket and hotel prices, fining drivers for speaking out, the "Chase" can you feel the disconnect?
I'm sure I neglected a couple.
If NASCAR was sold to an independent corporation, the new Board could clean house and put qualified management in charge. Maybe they will sell out when it gets bad enough.
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