Sheriff Buford T. Justice is on the case. Some further investigation seems to be needed judging from the comments, tweets and emails already arriving.
The first conflict arose when the Bristol Motor Speedway again had hyped-up driver introductions with each driver picking their own theme song and making a brief statement over the PA system. SPEED helped the problem along by ending RaceDay with reporters talking about these introductions as they were about to happen.
Then Chris Myers, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond appeared on the FOX pre-race show without being able to address the topic. Instead, fans got upset because what had just been teased by SPEED was not followed-up by FOX. The pre-race show was a jumble of topics. The situation was exaggerated by the fact that FOX moved the outside pre-race set to the head of pit road.
Either the FOX program had been recorded earlier or somehow the entire speedway reacting to the chosen driver music and comments was magically muted. It made for a wild TV transition for those who had been watching RaceDay.
After several hours of SPEED and ESPN2, it's still a rough change to the act Chris Myers does on FOX. Like it or not, Myers has adopted a "goofy guy" approach and repeats it on every pre-race. It is a complete and total act.
FOX proudly uses its philosophy of shooting NASCAR races in a "hyper-tight" style. This is the style the network team has used all year and it appears that they will run it all the way through the FOX portion of the season.
At Bristol, there was no opportunity for TV viewers to have a perspective of the racing on the track. Rarely under green was the entire track or even half the track show on-camera. "Hyper-tight" shots and in-car cameras dominated the day.
At one point of the race, under green, FOX actually had split-screen views of two in-car cameras on drivers. There they were...driving. The philosophy of jumping from one tight shot to another and just identifying the cars on the screen is certainly an interesting one.
As we spoke about in the live blog post, the pit reporters and the Hollywood Hotel gang disappeared early on in the telecast. Green flag racing with super-tight shots of only two cars made field recaps and updates on big name drivers non-existent.
Fan attendance is not an issue for this blog, but FOX certainly took every precaution to not show the grandstands. We all know hotel prices, tough economic times and gas prices are affecting the sport. That is one reason TV coverage needs to be so focused on telling the stories of all the teams in the race.
Mike Joy is having a tough time because he must react to the pictures on the screen as the primary source of his commentary. Jumping from one two-car battle to the next just loses the flow of the race and makes him look out of the loop.
The big crash was with about 60 laps to go. FOX was on a tight shot and when the large crash began to unfold chose not to cut to a wideshot. Instead in-car camera angles caused TV viewers to miss virtually the entire incident. Literally, the commentary from the announcers did not match the pictures for a good ten seconds.
FOX immediately began to flood viewers with replays. This is the primary way that the network offers information on what has transpired on the racetrack. It is a direct result of the "hyper-tight" coverage philosophy.
After choosing to show only the winning car cross the finish line in the first few races, the FOX director was forced to cut back to one race among three cars in the field when Mike Joy called out for coverage. Those three were the only other cars shown finishing. This "single car finishing" appears to alwo be a part of the new FOX production philosphy.
There is no doubt that the technical folks are producing good pictures and sound. There is no doubt that Mike Joy and the pit reporters can offer solid and accurate information. There is also little doubt that this style of production will continue through the end of the FOX portion of the season.
We welcome your comments on the FOX production of the Sprint Cup Series race from the Bristol Motor Speedway. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting.
104 comments:
I'd seriously have watched Smokey and the Bandit instead if it were on.
About half the reason I even bother putting the Cup series show on is the lack of anything interesting on basic cable.
And the fact that I'm reading something.
I agree with everything you said. The tight shots really don't show you what's happening on the track. And I'd ban the in car/bumper cam/roof cam shots for live broadcast. Since they are so badly abused just use them for replays only.
I'd end by saying after watching this mess since the green flag, I really don't feel I saw the race. Very frustrating.
Today's coverage was highly unorganized and disjointed. It truly makes me wonder if there is not some problems happening behind the camera in the production truck.
JD, I always loved Smokey & the Bandit movie but where do you find that terrific pic??? Race coverage was 10 years behind what anyone would expect from FOX for these days. It's so disappointing what they could really do.
All the tight shots make it impossible to get the feel of the race. One looks just like another, looks just like another. We need wide shots to know where thecars are making up ground or falling back. We need wide shots to see "racing". Sad state of affairs when FOX even sucks the life out of Bristol.
If they sit down and review this race at FOX, and see it from our viewpoint, someone should be fired, and changes should be made. But won't, and won't.
On to California, where we'll see which is worse....the racing or the coverage.
Well, Fox was lucky in its first 3 races, they got a new face for the 500, a return to VL for Phoenix and well, I forget what happened at Vegas (obviously nothing I was interested in), but after today's broadcast "shot in hyper close up", I'm not going to waste my Sunday's sitting inside trying to watch NASCAR on TV when Fox refuses to show me the race.
I'm not sure who it works for, but this style of broadcasting isn't working for me.
I sat in front of my TV all afternoon but didn't see the race. The coverage took the small track coverage and turned it into a generic oval race. Nobody would attend a race at Bristol based on what they saw on TV.
The noise coming from the booth had little to nothing to do with what was happening on the track.
I can't remember a race that was more poorly presented on TV. We have no way of knowing whether it was a good race or not.
I guess the tight shots are to keep from showing all the empty seats. I also guess that Mr. Myers feels he has to dumb "hisself" down in order to speak to all of us yokel NASCAR fans.
I DVRed the race and kept it muted most of the time. I started watching almost an hour after the race started. I followed the real-time racing on the Planet and Twitter.
I timed it perfectly and caught up with the actual racing on the DVR with 5 laps to go.
Mr Editor -
What we have here is a failure to communicate ...seriously doubt the production team is treating race coverage in this manner because they enjoy it ...borderline incompetence as far as I can see, simply putting in time for a check ...very little, make that no pride in their work ...slap in the face to a fan and to any potential fans ...clearly fan abuse week-after-week ...TNT coverage cannot come too soon for me ...signed 1 of 60,000 fans who can dressed as empty seats
Walter
LOL, Greta, well IMO Mike Joy didn't make any friends with his comment about "concrete being the state flower of NJ" in my mind.
I was shocked the first time I saw Myers do a NFL broadcast and realized he was a knowledgeable person on that topic. I don't know who thinks his "no nothing" act is a good idea, but for me, I quit watching the pre-race show 2 years ago.
I love the ability to fast forward through the commercials and trash from the booth.
Note to Fox -tell DW it is NOT all about him- his day is over he is supposed to be a broadcast pro.
Act like one, you are not paid to be a fan.
Mr Director - wide shots, show the action please - live not just replays.
Mr Joy - please post your address so I may send you rolls of duct tape so we can hear you do what you do best call a race.
I usually defend Fox. They have really tried to bring out all the dogs for this season, however, this was indeed poor coverage of Bristol. To many changes of the cameras not enough focus on any particular thing. I felt lost and almost dizzy. I'm sure its harder for them at a track where they whip laps off at 15 seconds tho.
DVR was my friend today. FF through commercials. Rewind trying to track down what happened since the booth didn't cover much of the cars racing.
DW was resigned. So now that will just confirm that his blabbering is needed and he probably got a great pep talk that everyone loves him and would love to hear more of his act. Mike Joy, not sure if it's mailing it in or just tired of being run over.
Was the pit link cut today? Seems there was a lack of decent coverage from them.
Tight shots on a short track. Really? It took away anything that made the track special for all I know they spliced in another race because it was so nondescript.
But on the flipside. I just went to the DVR to watch the whole 1.5 hours of the 12 hours of sebring coverage that was supposed to be on today and there is women's tennis. So at least there is something to attempt to watch no matter how horrid it is.
During the live blog I had two words for FOX:"ZOOM OUT"
I now have two letters:
PU
A perfect example of what's wrong with the 'Hyper-tight' coverage is in two incidents:
1)The booth told us about Harvick's spin, but we only saw it after he came to stop sideways on the track. that is typical of Fox's coverage. The control room isn't a fan, obliviously.
2)While seeing a tight shot of Mark Martin on the track, the camera missed the #38 spinning RIGHT NEXT TO MARK! We knew nothing until the replays. The cameramen aren't fans either. If he would back the view up just a tick, we woulda seen it unfold. We woulda seen the spin. We woulda known why.
FOX! WAKE UP! A race is between two or more cars. Please show the race. Oh... and lose the gopher
Thank goodness I only watched the first 100 laps attentively.
This telecast was nothing more than tight shots, in car cameras, sponsor promotions, and arena similes. Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip were watching spins & wrecks on the track that the viewers could only see on replay.
Instead of covering the actual race, FOX picked a driver for the announcers to discuss for 10 laps. The camera zoomed in until his eyeballs were visible through his helmet visor. Once again, if anything went wrong on track, FOX would eventually show us on replay. Dozens of laps were missed due to commercials and recaps. Rounding out the coverage as usual, FOX ignored 75% of the field finishing the race.
The finish is the sole reason why 43 cars take the green flag and drive as fast as they can for 500 laps. But we don't even get to see half the field finish. FOX has taken this rich sport, grabbed the pieces that suit their agenda, and thrown the rest in the trash.
It's sad to see the glory days of Bristol behind us. Many seats were empty, the racing we could actually see was boring to watch, and the tv coverage was terrible. Fontana will probably drain the remaining hope out of the 2011 season. I'll be back at Martinsville.
Because I've been a life long race fan, my son has tried to develop an interest in NASCAR. However, he has frequently pointed out that watching a race on TV is boring. This year, he joined a fantasy racing league where he works, and has been frustrated by the inability to watch his selected cars during the race. "All they show is one or two cars at a time", he laments. Without exposure for his "team" drivers, he loses interest. About half way through today's race, he decided to go to a local park for a jog. He can't understand why anybody (me) would sit through hours of single car parade shots. He'd rather just check on his fantasy team on the 'net.
I don't know how NASCAR / Fox expect to build support and ratings when, despite their technical excellence, they consistently produce broadcasts with no soul.
What could I possibly say that you dont already know. Bumper Cam, Qual Cam, DW, more DW, zooming in on Harvick while other cars wreck..................
This may be the worst effort I have seen in years and I say this honestly. Most of the time we are overly critical regardless of how poor the tv is but today was honestly the worst ever.
Atleast raceview worked today....
Lather, rinse, repeat. SOS. When Harvick spun out and FOX "CHOSE to go with in car cam?" instead of real time spin outs, I was done.
My brother & I watched the race & found it boring & pics did not match the announcing.
We also find that GIANT FISH EYE HALF CIRCLE THING Totally useless for watching a car race.
Somebody loves looking thru a fishbowl lens & thinks it's amusing.
It's just another toe being shot off of FOX as the horrid coverage continues. I googled ideas for the garden & read some comments on Twitter.
Mike Joy & the boys TRIED to tell us what was going on but the super delay from the truck was nauseating & dizzieing from playing with their motion sickness inducing cameras.
My Grade? F for camera work.
Booth? B
I had high hopes.......I said I had.like most of you, my head still hurts from the constant closeups, not to mention ol you know who getting his brothers name inserted. I thought for a second I was watching ESPN Classic when I saw 3 cars on the track at the same time.But at the end it was same ol same ol. One car crossing,it takes 15 seconds at the most for a lap. I assure you if Ol you know whos brother was running 4th, they woulda showed it.The closeup thing with Fox isnt just on racing, they do it during baseball as well. in between pitches all you see is closeups, batter, pitcher, managers,visiting clubhouse attendants.
Well i see fox televised the race. It's back to normal i suppose. What a joke telecasts of NASCAR has become. If i want to watch Gomer Pyle USMC, i'll watch the real Gomer Pyle USMC not Mike Joy and all his stooges. If the ratings are down i won't feel sorry for Fox. not one iota
1. Anytime Fox does
"" CRANK IT UP ** I like it !
Since I suggested it back in the
day. Yup I did. Love it or hate it
2. Of course we need MICROPHONES
out side of cars ! To get the
authentic feel of the engine roar.
3. Cameras : Great speed shots.
How about some shots of the
entire joint. The Big Picture
4. And finally HD makes it all
worthwhile SAY NO TO
EVIL ETHANOL
I just can't understand five people in two booths trying to cover the race. The "crank it up" segments were wonderful. We could hear the engines and watch the cars. Booth talk should be limited to what is actually happening on the track and not Dw's fantasy about Kyle Busch not touching the brake pedal. I don't want to hear folksy anecdotes. As Joe Friday famously said..."just the facts maam." I had no problem covering the front three in a wide shot at the end. The wide shots give perspective but a highlighter is often necessary because, for example, there are so many black cars. The truck always has a problem showing accidents or incidents on the track in a timely fashion. All in all, you've got to give Kyle credit. The kid can drive a race car. He makes it look easy no matter what he sits in. California will be a better matchup for Fox in my opinion.
How many more weeks of Fox do we have? I want to circle that date on my calendar.
Horrible, horrible race coverage.
They also need to run all their commercials before or after the race at tracks like Bristol. Went to a commercial at lap 109 and came back at lap 131.
Pathetic.
I wasn't home so "watched" the race on Twitter and had a great time except maybe for the ending. I'll probably watch what I DVR'd in FF to see replays of issues and then maybe the last 20 laps or so. Looks like it's not worth actually watching. To bad Twitter had a great race.
I am going to have to call a "personal foul" on your blog. This is all about being very nit picky and just out right bashing. The vast majority of fans watching the races have no problems with the TV coverage.
ANON: @ 6:40 pm - Is this Pete Pistone ?
WOW that was bad coverage by FOX! I dont get this but whatever I could sit and type a long page of stuff but I guess it is what it is. FOX has football guys producing this stuff so they could care less. Nascar is about the only tv I watch so I will never stop watching cause Im die hard. But come on I saw 2 times today where there was wrecks that the booth was talking about and they didnt even bother to hurry up and switch to the right camera. FOX come one guys I like you i realy do but today was bad... NO UGLY!!! Cali in 2010!
I give fox a flat out F on this broadcast
ANYWAYS im glad next week we go to one of my favorite race tracks CALI! I know most hate Cali but I love 5 wide racing all around, heck Novembers race from last year at Cali was in my book the best race of the year. they are 2,3,4 wide all race long. Cant wait
Fox, you have a problem: The coverage of this race was so un-riviting that I can't recall ever seeing digger or some promo to buy stuff at dwwhatever.com. I'm sure they were there. If my eyes aren't glued to the screen, how do you expect me to pay attention to the commercials and the promos?
I never thought I would miss a race at Bristol.
I had a feeling that it would be the "tight shot 500",so it was a nice day here in the northeast,and I went out and did some yard work. Reading the comments I see I made the right choice. Speed Center is on now,It's all I need to see.
Several problems in play here:
1. Yes the FOX coverage leaves alot to be desired.
2. BUT.... the product that NASCAR is delivering also leaves alot to be desired.
3. Everybody drinks the NASCAR Kool Aid and buries their head in the sand. They all wear rose colored glasses and think or publicly state that all is well within the sport. The crowd at Bristol was an all time low - AT BRISTOL !! Wait til California next week.
Anon 7:07PM,
Can you help with some additional information about why you think the racing was a problem?
Thank you.
JD
Anon 6:40 - ha, you gotta be someone who works for Fox, NASCAR or Sirius radio.
We call it like we see it - unfortunately. When the TV coverage is good, we say that too.
I'll be skipping the telecast of cali-boring. Wake me up when TNT covers the races.
Just not the same Bristol track it once was. The reconfiguration has changed the racing there.
Not speaking in terms of Bristol only but other venues - Daytona with the 2x2 racing deal.
The tire debacle didn't help the weekend.
Overall as with many longtime fans, the sport has lost is's lustre.
after it was done, i went to go play on the PS2 and i actually forgot there was a race that ended 3 hours ago (until i got on the computer) that's how boring it was
anon at 6:40 pm
Come on you know damn well these telecasts from fox are abysmal. Speed last week put on an outstanding telecast at Darlington. Fox is just not listening to our demands and does not seem to care. And you are not a NASCAR fan and that is oh so obvious.
If you like these broadcasts i'm surprised you did not get a headache yet.
Fox has got to be one of the worst insecure, arrogant and vile people ever to put on sports broadcasting. Mainly NASCAR.
The ratings have been sky high this season. If the TV broadcasts were bad, that would not be the case. If the racing was bad, that would not be the case.
The attendance at Bristol has everything to do with the economy, and nothing else.
All that some people want to do is stir up trouble, and nothing else.
Anon 7:49 pm could be right. Then again, maybe the ratings were up in spite of lousy TV coverage????
Just want to thank JD and all the Planeteers for providing a quality blog site.
I was pretty optimistic after the first 30 or so laps. Quite a while (25 laps I think) until the first commercial break, nice wide shots that showed the whole field go past. But as the race went on, the commercials became more frequent and the cameras showed less and less. They were NOT as zoomed in as in Las Vegas two weeks ago, which is worth noting, but FOX used way too many in-car and bumper cams. Bumper cams are fine when you can see down the road, but too often all that could be seen was the car directly ahead. And those in-car cams show no racing, just the driver.
At one point, FOX was in a rhythm of coming out of commercial, showing Digger, ads, or old race footage while you could hear the race going on in the background, a few cameras shots that showed almost nothing, maybe a replay, commercial--but first see our comic book gimmick!
The camera work near the end was especially bad, somehow failing to capture any of the many accidents near the end of the race.
And something I've noticed on all the networks: why do bumper-cam replays switch randomly from the front bumper to the rear bumper? I noticed this when FOX was replaying Clint Bowyer's view of the big wreck. The view switched to his rear bumper just before he hit McMurray, so that we didn't see the impact. There seems to be no good reason for this, and I remember ESPN did it when Kyle crashed in the NNS race at Vegas.
It's too bad Fox can't show the race like it should be done but we find it is not quite as hard to watch as long as we can get the race on radio. At least that way we are not tormented with DW's stupidity.
I gave up about lap 150 in total frustration. Did yard work instead. Too hard to watch, and I figured yelling online wasn't going to do any good.
Anon 7:49PM: Ratings last season were affected by the Winter Olympics. If you noticed, FOX always says "up versus last year" in the press release.
To put things in perspective, an original episode of "Jersey Shore" on MTV (cable) has twice as many viewers as the FOX races (broadcast).
Remember, FOX is the only outlet for coverage. Having a bump in ratings has to do with the athletes and the storylines, not the coverage.
That is important to keep in mind as things go through the TNT and ESPN portions of the year.
Zetona,
The in-car cams are run by a group called BSI and housed in a different production truck. They are shared by all the networks.
When TV takes an in-car camera, the director takes control and can call for instant switches of the angles inside that car.
Basically, it's just guys playing with gizmo's!
we'll see how this race did against the NCAA games.
JD, "guys playing with gizmos". That pretty much describes ALL of the camera work during the race. it sure doesn't seem to have anyone with the intention of showing the actual RACE to the fans at home.
Not to be sexist but 'boys and their toys" seems to describe it.
Abyssmal coverage. If the racing was exciting at the track, I have no idea from what I was on TV. Makes me even happier that I didn't renew my season tickets this year...not because I can't afford to go to the race, but because Bristol is no longer unique. It's just like any other cookie cutter track but with more traffic.
The race today wasnt spectacular, but it was competitive. There was lots of great side by side racing throughout the field. Ive got the race on the DVR so ill watch it later this week. Felt bad for DW I watched him run from the pre race outdoor set to the booth and he had to walk up about 100 rows of seats. Hopefully that tired him up.
Attendence was depressing. Bristol just charges way to much for tickets. $93 is the cheapest ticket you can get. Thats just unacceptible in this economy. Place was half full, Entire campgrounds were empty, less souvenir rigs and displays too. Nascar was off to a flying start hopefully thats not fizzled out.
The racing at Bristol hasn't been the same since the track added the progressive banking. It isn't the wreckfest it use to be.
From reading many of the comments on here, it looks like some people say they will be skipping the Fox broadcast from California next week. I look forward to reading their critique of the broadcast next Sunday night.
i have tried a variety of strategies in order to watch the races this season on fox. today, i tried just watching the race and having only twitter running. i decided i'd stay away from any other sources of input, including TDP, until after the race and then read whether my impressions were supported by others who were offering feedback live. and here's my decision:
i'm finished. i won't be watching next week -- or any week -- until tnt takes over.
the whole broadcast was such a cluster but the tipping point for me wasn't the first or second or even third time waltrip unequivocally stated that kyle busch wasn't using the brakes -- at bristol. think about that statement for a moment: we were being told at least FOUR times that a driver wasn't using his brakes at bristol. i know it's reconfigured and all but c'mon, man! that's the biggest load of inaccuracy to ever come across a fox race broadcast in years. and that's just a single example.
so, i'm done. at best, the tv will be on mute while i stay connected to what's happening in a variety of other, non-broadcast ways. i gave up pre-race a few years ago so i suppose it's not completely unexpected that i'd finally be giving up on fox broadcasts.
but i'm discouraged and sad and disheartened.
I'm sure it's been mentioned, but they can't show drivers intros because they don't have rights to the music.
Love this tweet from ol DW
"weather man saying it was going 2 rain all weekend hurt the walk up crowd today,those that were there say great racing and coverage was good"
Speaking of pistone.....i put that idiot in his place on twitter on friday.....proved him wrong about the ncaa and then blasted his charlie sheen bashing as overdone and pushing of his own agenda
Anon @ 10:10
DW's tweet is a bunch of bull.
There was a bigger crowd at the Busch Cup snow race a few years ago than what we saw today.
JD-better save that picture of the US flag done by the fans in turns 1 & 2, won't be seeing any of that any more if today is any indication.
Only way that would have worked today is if everyone moved down to those corners and then I'm not sure that would have been enough.
Can't wait to see how they spin it though.
As far as the coverage being good . . . whatever you say DW.
My two cents:
I agree that many of the people commenting here are going to complain every week, no matter who is doing the broadcast. It's quite the echo chamber.
But I also think that FOX has picked up one of the worst traits of the ABC/ESPN broadcasts - the tight shots w/jump cuts to random cars. It's maddening to watch and it seems obvious to me that it throws off the announcers as well.
Today was a rare occasion that I watched in "live time", not fast-forwarding on the DVR. I doubt that I'll do that again this season.
As we wrap up the Sunday night comments and move into Monday I want to make a couple of points.
1 - Everyone has a right to their opinion. TV is subjective. What one person hates another loves. It's like looking at a painting on a wall. One person loves it and one person laughs at it.
2 - When NASCAR drivers are racing at speed, the race is never boring. The new trend in TV is to somehow say to the fans that because there is not a lot of passing or accidents, the race is dull. That is ridiculous. It is the job of the TV coverage to get into the stories of the race and let them unfold using the pit reporters, interviews and comments from the experts. Any race that appears dull on TV is the fault of only one group. That is the TV team.
3 - Darrell Waltrip may be the face of FOX, but he is far from being the decision-maker for the telecasts. DW has worked long and hard in the sport. It is unfair to single him out when he had nothing to do with not showing the finish or keeping the cameras on "hyper-tight" shots all day. From his perspective in the TV booth things might have been fine. Maybe when he gets home and tries to watch the race without Fast-Forwarding he will recognize the pain that the telecast caused for so many fans.
Keep the comments and opinions coming. Your views are what ultimately changes the sport.
JD
Wake me up when TNT returns.
As somebody that loves the college basketball tournament, my normal routine for a race where the two events conflict would be to DVR the race. I did not even bother today. During the race, I muted my TV with the basketball running and listened to Bristol on the radio. There, I had a very pleasurable and informative experience. During the break between the first two games, I caught two whole segments of Fox coverage at Bristol and just a little bit more. It did not take long to see that, at least for me, I had made the right choice as Fox was stuck on disjointed, video-game-style bumper cam and in-car coverage that never gives anybody a true sense of the event.
I also tried tuning back in when the radio announced Bristol's "big one" but could not believe what I saw from Fox...or, more like, what I did not see.
Even after tournament games stop conflicting with races, I think I am going to stick with radio for most of the remainder of the Fox portion of the 2011 schedule. Going back to a comment I made elsewhere on this blog maybe three or four years ago, it is getting to the point every week that I have seen local cable access channels do a better job of covering a sports event than the so-called professionals at Fox...and I for one am no longer going to waste my time being cheated out of getting proper race coverage when we all know they can do much better.
Before I close, one comment about Fontana...folks, please remember how much better the racing was there when they shortened one of the events to 400 miles. The only problem will be that Fox won't show it to you.
The best example of why tight shots don't work.....when David Gilliland spun today all we saw was a tight shot of Martin Truex slowing down. Who is directing this mess. WIDEN IT OUT FOX IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK. GET THE HINT!
Ain't much more to be said other than SOSDD.
Of anyplace to choose to show all the tight shot, in car, bumper cam, Bristol in not the place.
They've reduced one of the greatest stock car racing venue's into to a snoozer. There is no continuity in the broadcast. It's all over the place. I'd get a prescription for Ritalin if I thought it would help me concentrate and figure out WTH is going on. Better yet, give it to David Hill and the production manager.
I've been a 3rd shifter for a lot of years and always set the TV in the bedroom to come on when the race starts. I don't record them. Over the past 3 years, I find myself waking up less & less..or falling back to sleep.
It's a real shame. Racing fans are treated like 2nd class citizens or like they are stupid.
Between NASCAR, the Media, and some track owners, it's all going to the drain.
It is just such a shame for Bristol. Any bets on where those increasing early season numbers go after this fiasco? California next week.!!!!
BSPN better hook up electric shock for the Chase. Nobody will be watching unless you like close up's and want to know who the start and parks are.
Signed up for Raceview today. Watched it and listended to scanner/PRN. Great race. Nuf said.
Switched from FOX to Hot Pass on Directv after first caution.
Since HP still has FOX in one box and their audio (btw, much better audio on Directv so you can hear scanner over FOX booth) I could see that it was the typical 1 car on the screen, bumper/in car cams. Nothing there that made we want to switch back.
That goodness HP usually has JR so I have an outlet.
Someone asked how did JR get to up to 11th. He actually passed people. And many times, others were passing him.
So, FOX, there was a lot of action in the 10 to 25 positions most of the race. I saw them....on HP.
Looks like I will lose the battle to stop for weekend on trip home to watch Fontana :-). Not sure I care.
Did Fox have pit reporters for the race? I rarely heard them.
The Harvick spin shown from the in-car camera was a big goof. No way should a director go to that shot live. Fox needs to get a director that knows something about racing. I don't know if Artie Kempner is still the director, but he needs to go back to doing baseball or the NFL.
As of 9:39am Eastern time there have been 65 posts on this blog subject. Some are repeat authors giving responses to other posts. I'm trying to put into perspective the people that are even aware of this site don't make up .001% of the total viewers that will have watched the Bristol race. Although our comments on this site may help us vent frustrations or shower praise that each of us feel, we are not even close to being a cross section of the masses that tune in each week to follow their passion which is NASCAR.
Anon 9:48AM,
Happy to leave your post up, but you did not add your comments on the FOX telecast of the race from BMS.
JD
JD& Others,
VERY DEPRESSED after reading Indycar news that Wally Dallenback & Mike Wells have joined their team!!!!! love those guys, of course, for IRL but if this means no Mike Wells for TNT's 6 races, we are left with this crap junk in car mania ALL SEASON for NASCAR.
Because if Wells, is gone, so is ANY hope I had for a break of decent coverage ...
Can't wait for Indycar of course, being the little engine that COULD in my eyes as opposed to Arrogant NASCAR (Camera operators) being the little engine that WON'T (Give us better TV views)
Totally depressed about not seeing summer Daytona wide open if yesterday's ongoing choice of cams will be all we see on that.
We missed everything LIVE as it happened & it was like watching a highlight real as Fox had to go back & replay from many (again poor camera choices) I want to see spin outs from a spectators views as if at the track ..not an in car cam giving me vertigo & NO perspective.
When Harvick spun out & they went from showing the cars avoiding/wrecking behind him & went to Harvick's in car cam, I knew this in car virus had taken over.
It's like the Ebola Virus. This viral in car/bumper cam/fender cam/Tight shot camera work Virus has finally eaten up any remaining Love for NASCAR.
Now for those partiers & yakkers watching the race on tv, and getting buzzed on adult beverages, i'm sure they still like it.
For those who loved "watching the race from our couches"...those days are gone.
Sorry to repeat myself again but just saw the Indycar news & JD wondered what you knew, if anything, if Mike will work by 'remote' (HA) to keep the TNT work like it used to be for TNT's NASCAR.
Looks like the fans have not attended Bristol as in the past. Probably because it is so hard and expensive to find a place to stay. Stands looked mighty empty. One of the drivers hinted that the new Bristol is quite a bit easier to drive than the old one, which also has something to do with attendance.
As for Waltrip saying Kyle isn't using the brakes shows just how far removed from the actual sport he has become. Just some more of his usual blather to make sure he keeps his top dog status. I can say if Kyle isn't using his brakes he isn't driving very hard. Or maybe DW meant in a Sprinter. Oh well, the golf and hockey game were presented pretty well.
I would like to watch a race where its not easy for the drivers to drive. I do not want a rambling commentary for every second of the day, either. Don't care what someone would have done back in the day, its irrevelant to the here and now. Bristol is no longer the draw it once was. People want to see shoving and the bump, not side by side. Granted Drivers like it, but it makes very poor t.v.
I tune in to the first 50 laps, check in about lap 200, and then usually try to watch the last 10 laps because that's when the unknown happens. Bristol is no longer an unknown....its quality of freshness is lost.
To Anon-you can coo all you want about the rating being up from 2010, however, they are still significantly lower than 2009. Its not about the economy, its about the product being presented via Fox with its announcers. Can't wait for TNT and ESPN.
From Sports Business Daily: NASCAR Sprint Cup at Bristol earns 3.9 overnight yesterday on Fox...down 7% from a 4.2 last year.
I missed the first 150 laps since the races start way too early, but the parts I saw were just terrible. I could not tell what was happening. The use of in-car cameras is just terrible during live action.
The DW stunt at the end of the coverage (acting tired) was so unprofessional I really don't know what to say.
The silliest commentary on the day though was when Junior restarted 17th after his penalty, then moved up to 12th after five cars in front of him wrecked, and Larry Mac and DW complimented him on his driving.
At least we got some decent post-race coverage for a change, though.
Let me off at the next exit, please.
Was there a race on Fox? What I saw was a bunch of gimmick shots from roof cams, bumper cams, wall cams, and in-car cams with what looked like a Cup practice session wedged in between commercials.
If this was the actual Fox race coverage then it deserves an F-. Absolutely horrendous. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse it does.
The only plus side to it, if you can call it a plus side, was DW and Larry Mac weren't doing as much cheerleading and shilling as usual. Maybe what was being called race coverage threw them off their game?
I can't say the Crank It Up segments were even good as they were so disjointed and used so many tight and gimmick shots it made my head spin.
Time for the annual Fontana snooze-a-thon this coming weekend. Bottle it and sell it as a cure for insomnia NASCAR/Fox.
JD said:
"2 - When NASCAR drivers are racing at speed, the race is never boring. The new trend in TV is to somehow say to the fans that because there is not a lot of passing or accidents, the race is dull."
Just curious. Who specifically has said that to the fans? I'm not clear on who you mean. I know people say that but are you referring to someone on the broadcasts?
I hope nobody says Cali is dull because like you said, no race is ever dull.
After examining this blog and seeing these "hyper tight" coverage topics, I paid close attention to that in the race yesterday. I watched the race in 1080p High Definition on a 40 inch TV and I saw 3-4 cars at a time for much of the race.
Perhaps the high definition vs. standard definition broadcasting change is causing this problem. I think that in many cases production teams are trying to get the same "picture" in HD they got in SD in terms of what's shown on the screen, but this is not the way to do it. HD was designed to show 22% more picture. In NASCAR lingo, you should be able to see another car in HD compared to SD. I think that mioght be part of the problem.
I do think the race commentating was boring. I fell asleep for the last 150 laps of the race. I wish the broadcasts were a little more exciting.
I must also express my distaste with how many GoDaddy.com commericals there were. They got really annoying after a while. I understand they were the sponsor of the race telecast, but I think FOX should have still called the race the Jeff Byrd 500. The race was named in tribute to the former Bristol President, and I'm sure his family is real happy that TV viewers turned off their TV at the end of the race with Joan Rivers as the new Go Daddy girl as the most previlant thought in their mind.
Anon 3:27PM,
Do you remember the big flare-up between NASCAR and ESPN?
The network announcers said the race at a superspeedway was dull and NASCAR fired back that the coverage was dull.
The reality is that you either put the effort in as a TV production team to use your resources to entertain the NASCAR fans or sit back and blame others.
Only recently has there been this strange belief that somehow the NASCAR of old consisted of passes on every lap and side by side racing at every track.
When I worked at ESPN in the 1980's, guys used to win races by laps and not car lengths! That is when we joked they were stinking up the show.
Maybe the video game generation has a very different expectation of what they will see when they attend a race or watch on TV.
JD
I thought the race was unwatchable, constant references to things we could never hear the entire story about. I am moving on, California will be me hoping to catch the last 20 laps or so to see who is leading by 1/4 track.
I do love the new sport by some of the NASCAR owned media blasting the fans for blasting the TV coverage, that will help guys.
I spoke with someone on twitter who said the back stretch along with 3&4 where completely empty, he is not renewing his season tickets and might not come back for the night race at Bristol. The race was a Charlotte race on the worlds fastest half mile, Bruton ruined that track.
Gonna love saving keystrokes and time watching the races, Fox and NASCAR don't care anymore about the fans.
I watched on DVR! The "hyper tight" production sucks! It's annoying! Frankly, watching Fox isn't as entertaining as the radio call of the race which is more entertaining than being assaulted with the "hyper tight". I listened on the radio. I have a DVR and a computer and a smart phone and chose to listen to the radio. It was great.
Just call the damn race! Don't force feed me your techno camera angle crap! The coverage is shameful, childish and annoying!
JD, thanks for that comment. I get so tired of hearing how boring races are because someone dominates; when in reality; it's much more competitive than 'the old days' when Petty or someone would lap the field. I'm also tired of hearing how they've 'ruined' Bristol, when in reality, I think Tony Stewart said it right--before it was more wrecking than actual racing. Racing was happening, we just couldn't see it with the tight shots. I couldn't figure out where the field was running half the time so I just gave up & looked it up on ESPN (should have turned on the radio, probably, although I know many here are not fond of PRN as opposed to MRN, it had to have been better than FOX...)
And can I say, I HATE the crank it up thing. Biggest waste of time ever (you're never really going to feel like you're there unless you are...). It went on so long I thought maybe one of them was taking a break. And I totally agree on Chris Myers. Why do they make him act like that?
The empty seats and general lack of interest in racing are due to several factors.
Part of the problem is the economy and the price of gas but much of it is caused by the track, NASCAR and the TV networks.
The track contributed to the problem in two ways. They changed the track from a down in the mud tackle football type of race to a touch football type of race. People won’t pay to see touch football. Many tracks dropped the price of tickets when attendance declined. The Bristol track has refused to adjust their prices. You can see races for $25 or $30 at many tracks but it will cost you $93 or more to attend a Bristol race.
NASCAR has contributed to the problem with the implementation of generic cars that are identical except for the bumper and decals. Rules that are made up on the fly with inconsistent implementation makes the sport resemble Professional Wrestling. There is not a lot of people who will pay to watch something that not viewed as fair.
The TV networks have made the races almost unwatchable on TV. The close shots, in-car cameras and missed action on the track makes a race at Bristol much like a generic race on cookie cutter tracks elsewhere. You don’t see the actual race and the loud mouthed commentators don’t tell the viewers what is going on in the race. They are far more interested in reliving the past and giving us off the wall opinions on things we don’t care about.
Just watched NASCAR Now and it is very apparent that Ricky Craven and Ray Evernham are sadly missed. It makes you think ESPN wants you to hate what they do no matter what.
A few minutes ago I finished watching, commercials and all, -- no skipping -- the DVR of the Bristol Race I attended Sunday. I wanted to do this because being there it was, while not a great race, a good entertaining one well worth going to. So I was confused (not that difficult for me). From the comments left by Planeteers I had a difficult time accepting that the telecast could have been as poor as was said.
I should not have doubted. The race seen in your collective living rooms had only the barest resemblance to the race I attended.
Had FOX set out to deliberately sabotage and destroy by means of direction and production a race "product" they could not have done a better job. There were, in point of metaphorical fact, no survivors. All were lost due to pilot error.
Simply put, it the worst translation of reality to TV I have ever seen in any sport and that is saying something. Were it up to me; were I King; I would fire everyone "professional" responsible.
It was worse than awful. It was a full-on display of incompetence and/or give-a-squat phoning it in.
I am muchly soured. I feel your pain. I do because it is my pain too.
AR
@James: I watched NASCAR Now too and I thought the guys at the roundtable did a great job! I will agree that Ricky is a great asset to ESPN, but Rusty, Andy, and Marty had great analysis tonight!
Bristol crowd = way down
TV Ratings @ Bristol - way down
This does nor bode well. After the first three races, NASCAR suits proclaimed all is great and the sport is on the rebound for 2011. When Bristol has results like that it's bad news.
BTW - Chocolate Meyers, and the Sirius crew were all drinking the NASCAR Kool Aide today - all is GREAT in NASCARLAND.
I was at the race and was impressed with the racing. I've been to the last 3 races at Bristol and this was the best one so far. There were good battles around the field and several pit strategies. It's a shame FOX adjusted coverage to mask empty seats. I don't understand why FOX would choose to hide empty seats. Why does it even matter to FOX. Doesn't more empty seats mean more viewers (in theory). As for attending the race, I'm going to defend the track on this. Bristol is doing everything they can to try to get fans to the track. If you have ever talked with Ben Trout at BMS, you know they are doing everything they can to get fans to the race for cheap. I have not paid for a ticket to Bristol in the past 3 races. I've won tickets on twitter. I talked to Ben Friday and he informed me that he had several tickets available for driver to give away and made it known to them but they didn't take him up on the offer. That's really no one's fault but the drivers.
The other issue is nothing Bristol can control: food & lodging prices. I went out to eat with some locals at a local restaurant and they informed me the menu we were eating off was not the normal menu. The prices were more expensive!
Given that, I still think 120K fans is pretty impressive considering the track is 100 miles away from any major metropolitan area.
JD said:
"Do you remember the big flare-up between NASCAR and ESPN?
The network announcers said the race at a superspeedway was dull and NASCAR fired back that the coverage was dull."
Yes I remember that and if memory serves it was when NASCAR made some new rules about bump drafting at Dega and in "protest" the drivers decided to just ride around single file around the top of the track. I got the sense from your post that we were being consistently told this by the tv broadcasters. Anyway, thanks for the example. When was that anyway, 2009? I'm sure it was before "have at it boys".
The race was boring, as usual. Sure, the coverage is terrible - especially when a Waltirp is involved, but nothing can help NA$CAR at this point. Its going down in flames. I just wish the Waltrips were going down faster!
Just because the ratings were marginally down, that does not mean the coverage has anything to do with it. Considering how down the track attendance has been at Bristol since the reconfiguration, the ratings should be down even more than they have been.
Yep the big problems are with lodging prices and "race week" menu prices.
Fans can afford the ticket prices but not the travel related costs.
Anon 8:03PM,
That certainly is an interesting take on that chain of events.
JD
Imagine if they showed a football game this way. Someone makes an 80 yard run for a touchdown but all we see is the runner's helmet.
Miraculous interception to take the lead before halftime but all we is the pass and a pileup on the quarterback. The actual catch is shown twenty times in replay from six different angles but each of them only shows someones hands.
Opposing teams kicks a field goal to regain the lead but the broadcast team doesn't show it because they have an amusing story about Ben Rothlisberger which they illustrate with photos from his childhood. An attempt is made to mention the extra point but the color commentator interrupts with an anecdote about hurting his knee playing basketball in a pickup game.
Amazing come from behind win. Broadcast booth shows none of the players, deciding that we'd rather see the faces of the losing team and the wives of the winning team's coaches.
For the people who complain about the racing at bristol on the new surface... you really have not seen the race in person. I seriously cannot believe people actually think it's boring racing. Unless they were sitting 50 rows up. I was in 19th row and had the chills while everyone was snoozing and rooting for junior's pass for 20th.
Thank you people for not showing up. We took advantage of the nice seat upgrade 4 rows from the track that I really got to watch racing the way I love it: right in my face.
If you want to know how disconnected DW is from reality, he tweeted that it was a great telecast. If that's a 'great telecast', I'd hate to see what he considers a poor one.
JD, the racing, in actual fact, may not be boring, BUT if the presentation to the viewer is poorly done, then it may appear to be boring.
If it appears to be boring or disjointed, then people won't watch and won't be interested in paying money to go and see a race in person because they think what they see on TV is the same as what they see on the track.
this is why it just doesn't make sense to me why all of the tv partners wouldn't make their best efforts to show the race in its best light, rather than this really short-sighted manner.
Like Ancient and others, I've been to the race track and then tried watching what I recorded and the two things are worlds apart.
Also you said the DW is not to blame for these things and that is quite true, but as you pointed out he is the "face of NASCAR on Fox" and certainly he shares the responsibility for making the broadcast the best for the fans. IMO, he isn't currently doing that as well as he could and certainly not as well as he did in 2001.
"I am going to have to call a "personal foul" on your blog. This is all about being very nit picky and just out right bashing. The vast majority of fans watching the races have no problems with the TV coverage."
March 20, 2011 6:40 PM
Sure! And the TV ratings for NASCAR aren't well below what they once were. Fox doesn't really care if you like the coverage or not. As long as the ad dollars keep rolling in, they're fine with it. The key to change lies with the advertisers. When they're unhappy, changes will come, but not before. I'll tune back in when TNT takes over.
Don said it all! The NFL is #1 AND the viewing experience is #1. The game that is played is the game that you see on the telecast. Every important part of the game is shown. Every part of the game is a PRIORITY on the broadcast of an NFL football game.
Nascar is a great sport but what we see on TV on Sundays has nothing to do with what is happening at the moment on the track. The viewing experience has become pathetic. The race is like an excuse for DW to babble for 4 hours. CALL THE DAMN RACE!
(tongue-in-cheek) AncientRacer, you have it all wrong. DW said it was a great broadcast so it must be. You're obviously one of those nit picky out right bashers ANON 6:40 said everyone is.
Seriously, thanks AncientRacer for enduring the DVR of this weekend's event after attending it in person. I appreciate your perspective and comments, confirming what many of us suspected.
So after going through this exercise and armed with a unique (and probably most valid) perspective what do you think FOX needed to do differently to bring reality and the broadcast closer into sync?
I kept thinking during the race - Bristol is the PERFECT track to show wide angle shots that will often show most of the field. Don't know if a blimp can be used there, but a blimp with a long-distance camera would seem to be the perfect thing there.
Was VERY upset about the tease on the introductions, and then - nothing! It appeared SPEED knew these would not be shown ("we're not allowed to show them, but what song did you pick?") so why mention something we can't see unless trying to put pressure on NASCAR?????????
Tried to use Radio with TV on, but the 7 second disconnect (which often is a lot more) made things even more frustrating).
Fox's coverage of races has turned me into a part-time viewer. It somehow manages to bore me and anger me at the same time.
I tuned in to Sunday's race for the first tiime around lap 50 to see how things were going. I watched for 15 to 20 laps hoping something would interest me and draw me in. It didn't, and I repeated the process around half hour intervals through the rest of the race. Nothing changed. I watched the last 20 or 30 laps. When it was all over, I didn't feel like I had missed anything worth watching in the Fox broadcast.
I do not blame the track configuration, NASCAR, or the drivers. I am perhaps in the minority of commenters in that I did not like the previous concrete track. I prefer competitive side by side green flag racing to frequent wrecking followed by lengthy cautions or red flags. I also preferred the old asphalt track to the "old" concrete. I am perfectly happy with the racing on the present track. My only complaint is that Fox chooses not to show it to me.
The choice of camera shots is terrible. The frequent use of in-car and roof-top cameras rarely contributes anything to the understanding of the racing. The bumper cams are the worst for me as they contribute nothing but a mild case of vertigo. As others have pointed out, Bristol is the perfect track to show groups of cars racing for position. You have 40 or so cars on a half mile track, and it would seem hard not to see lots of racing. But Fox managed to avoid showing the racing that draws me in.
Whoever is controlling the overall broadcast quality seems to have no personal interest in auto racing. It's as if a group of techno-geeks with a bunch of toys were assigned to broadcast a sporting event. They have no interest in the event itself so they amuse themselves by playing with their gadgets. They might as well be at a hockey game or tennis match.
The booth doesn't help the situation. Mike Joy seems to be phoning it in. The few times I heard him show much enthusiasm or excitement, it seemed to be forced and artificial. It seems like he has finally worn down and given up the fight for a good broadcast. Larry Mac has his moments, but he mostly seems to have no greater awareness than a veteran fan. I expect more than that from someone in his position.
I don't expect perfection from anyone, but it seems to me that the broadcast crew is making more mistakes than they used to. When I only tune in for five minutes every half hour and catch them making mistakes, they are really off their game. Of course DW thinks they had a great broadcast. He was able to engage in a stream of consciousness ego trip for hours. Along the way, he got to remind viewers of how great he was and demonstrate his ability to read the minds of currrent drivers as they race. His little act of being exhausted at the end was pathetic. As another commenter suggested a while back, DW should retire to the rocking chair Dale E Sr gave him on his retirement from driving.
I will continue to watch Fox broadcasts about five minutes each half hour in hopes that Fox will eventually show me a race. I am not optimistic that they will change voluntarily. I agree with other commenters who say that nothing will change unless and until they start getting pressure from sponsors.
That Bristol race was not a boring race I can tell you that! I for one love the new Bristol and I couldnt imagine being there seeing em 2,3 wide on that little track! Had that same race played out at say IRP in the Nationwdie Series Im pretty sure everyone would be talking about how great of a race it was... People just love to hate the new Bristol why I dont know I like it oh well
Fox dosent help either that was one bad broadcast
@KY1WING
I am flattered. I could do that, but I do not have time until this weekend.
However, if JD wants I will and e-mail it to him, and he, as Panjandrum of this Planet, can then decide whether or not to publish
AR
For just this brief moment in time...I get to be the first to comment, and the last! Til later.
Does that mean I get really awesome camera coverage?
I put my money exactly where my mouth was. After posting my comment I went and watched - uncensored for both - Smokey and the Bandit, and Stroker Ace.
I saw better camera coverage, better race commentary, and better in-car shots on Stroker Ace - and better storylines on Smokey - than in my very limited but enthusiastic tenure watching three series that are supposed to be Premier, and amazing, and the pinnacle of American Racing.
Difference between the two? I enjoyed those sober. I need some liquid oblivion to honestly tolerate anything but the truck racing...Speed does an unappreciated good job.
I'm okay with cars being billboards; look at Wrangler/#3.
I'm okay with a few promos, and some tastefully placed commercials - Speed rarely annoys me.
I'm okay with focusing on the top three or four toward the end - that's where the fightin' is.
But the rest of it? If I had a project car or baskets to weave, I'd do that instead. And, that said, seemingly 40 zillion commercials for the same stuff, replete with in-show shots - you're gonna make me run like heck, not buy your products and services.
Canerawork? So the stands are empty...that's why we're watching on TV. Tracks are getting their cut regardless. Anyone watching this understands that, or is just set in their ways.
I remain disappointed, and I hope for good weather up here. It's just not worth my time, and I feel for the people racing. They deserve a little more respect.
Sorry Adam Wood, I have a 50" 1080P HDTV and I can tell you for a fact that we just get tight qual style shots all the time.
I mean for Gods sake we zoomed in on Harvicks roof rail while other cars were clearly wrecking!
I have likened it before to being about as stupid as zooming in on the baseball in the pitchers hand as he gets the signs from the catcher or zooming in on the quarter backs helmet for the whole play and missing the blocks and routes being run in football.
so tv ratings down 7% from last year
looked like 30 % of the seats were empty
NASCAR fiddles while the sport burns
Just now watching the telecast I DVR'd while I was up in Bristol. The pre race show was awful. I love the outdoor set but the show itself was a complete waste of time. One live interview for cryin out loud! Thats awful. As for the telecast Im about a quarter way through. Camera Work isnt that bad as I thought it would be based on the comments above. Ive never been a DW hater but Im so tired of hearing that man talk, and Im only 1/4 of the way through!!!!!!
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