If the Saturday Nationwide Series race was any indication, this could be the best race of the year. With a lot on the line, the Sprint Cup Series races at Kansas up against the afternoon NFL games on TV once again.
Nicole Briscoe will open the telecast with Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty from the Infield Pit Studio. The choice is to tell the story of the race or concentrate on the Chase. It should be interesting to see what topics are selected to discuss.
Allen Bestwick will call the race with Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree alongside. This trio is having a good Chase, with Jarrett fading into the background. Petree is much more opinionated and often the telecast finds Jarrett agreeing with his points over and over again.
Dr. Jerry Punch, Jamie Little, Vince Welch and Dave Burns will be on pit road. These four will probably being saying the words "fuel mileage" a lot today. Tim Brewer will be in the Tech Garage.
ESPN made a wholesale change in the Saturday race. The network focused on the Nationwide Series regulars and did not interview big names like Carl Edwards and Danica Patrick until the end of the pre-race show. The actual telecast was also different.
The coverage looked like a Camping World Truck Series race on SPEED for the first half of the event. Cameras stayed wide, aerial shots were uses and the director chased the best racing on the track instead of staying with the leaders.
In the second half of the race, the "Hyper-tight" coverage returned and immediately missed a key incident on the track. While the finish line coverage was outstanding, ESPN still cannot resist continually zooming-in on one or two cars at a time. It's a curse.
The weather is great, the stories are good and ESPN has all the bells and whistles to make this an outstanding telecast. Media types have picked Carl Edwards as the car to beat.
This post will serve to host your comments about ESPN's coverage of the Sprint Cup Series from Kansas Speedway. To add your TV-related opinion, just click on the comments button below. Thanks for stopping by.
277 comments:
1 – 200 of 277 Newer› Newest»Hi folks, told Warren Buffet was in the driver's meeting wearing Kyle Busch gear. Hope he gets motivated to open his wallet for some 2012 sponsorship.
Jay Frye should be wining and dining Warren Buffet if he is smart!
It would be awesome if Buffet sponsors. If only the others with $$$ could see the potential in sponsoring a team. I don't understand why more don't. I guess maybe they need more exposure.
Rather see a fan than a Hollywood actor on these opens.
I hope Warren Buffet creates a 4 car Cup team, and hires Ricky Stenhouse, Trevor Bayne, Justin Allgaier, and Ryan Truex.
Roland, that would be an awesome WININING team. Who would be crew chief?
@Sherry4DaleJr Charlie Sheen!
This is so funny. Last week Rusty sat there and said that the 48 was done, and that Jimmie and Chad had run their course and needed to split up. Now he just sat there and said Jimmie will dominate the next few races.
Hollywood Casino 400. Isn't the casino owned by ISC or the France family? So this is kind of a self-sponsored race?
West Coast Diane said:
Good morning all. Hope todays race is as good as the NW race yesterday. Didn't have a chance to post. Something was happening! I wasn't yelling at my TV...lol! I was actually watching the race and not the ticker as much. Wide shots so you could see racing...which there seemed to be a lot of! Thank you ESPN. Please repeat today!
Ps....Watched Bathurst race. Didn't have anyone to share with, then thought of the Planeteers who may watched. My husband and I drove on that track! (He drove I was passenger video taping). It was towards the end of a 6 week trip that our Aussies friends took us on camping in the Outback (only 10% of Aussies have been in the Outback) and other beautiful places, about 3000 miles! The track is amazing. You just drive right on as it is part of the city streets and people live within the track complex. We actually saw another vehicle being towed out of the sand on Conrod Straight in front of someones home. Hope it was ok sharing this, JD. It was a once in a lifetime experience. We need to get our videos out!
You think this content is making up for the awful crew chief vs. driver junk from last week?
The Bathurst race last night was excellent. I stayed up for the whole thing and was very impressed. Great racing from start to finish and Speed did a good job.
Anon, I watched it from start to finish with some hardcore fans on Twitter. It was great.
The most amazing thing was to see and hear DW without having to do his corn-pone FOX act.
He was genuinely excited and his commentary as the only analyst really made the race fun.
Thanks for sharing that memory.
No audio, just in time for Carl to join the pit studio. Im not complaining.
Carl, Carl, Carl....
You have to give it to our troll, if he applies himself in life like he does here, he will be very successful.
@Anonymous 1:11
That Bathurst race was fantastic! And Twitter was probably blowing up with tweets about it. Can't wait for the Gold Coast 600 in 2 weeks!
I liked watching the Bathurst race. The cars were new to me and a lot of other viewers. They explained about the cars but not like we were stupid. They didn't say here is a tire and it works good when air is in it. They talked to the viewer as someone that knows basic racing.
You watch this pre race show and they talk to you like this is all new and you probably don't understand what is going on. Most of us have watched all season.
OK, Brewer, we already saw that fuel can thing several times...
Cannot believe Brewer was on Memorex.
The last time I can recall there was a problem fueling was Watkins Glen.
Actually, I guess somebody tangled up the fuel cans a couple races ago, but that didn't really have anything to do with the design of the fueling system.
I'm hoping the NW race yesterday was a hint at what we see today...from the racing on the track to the coverage by ESPN. They had an outstanding start yesterday, and it kept me watching non stop. I'm going to put the meatloaf in the oven and settle down to watch today. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Oh RaceDay an now on ESPN the talent has been trying quite hard to convince me 1.5 mile tracks are all indeed different; that the rumor there are McTrack cookie-cutter venues among them is not true.
I wonder if they think I will begin to believe it if they say it often enough.
Geez enough with the 48. This is the 2nd segment about them so far in this show. Talk about someone else.
They had good racing yesterday, hope these heavier cars can do the same.
West Coast Diane said:
JD...it was me on Bathurst memory. My blue nic isn't working for some reason so I've gone back to just typing my name :-)
On the fueling. Last week someone mentioned, Andy P?, that getting the last 2 gallons in the car is a problem. The flow slows down at that point and pit crews are getting tires on before fueling is finished. S0 crew chief has a decision of how long to wait on fuel. Although if it is end of race, running out doesn't make sense if you need a few more seconds to get all the fuel in.
Another comment about NW race...don't throw rocks at me. I thought some of the Tim Brewer segments were actually informative. Not, these are tires and they are round stuff.
Papa John's commercial talks about starting off game day with pizza. Great choice for a race broadcast.
Hey, I tweeted Kyle Petty earlier...actually got a reply!
Paul, two summers ago I tweeted that I was mad Kyle left out a driver update after an incident in a TNT race.
Right on the air he said he left it out because they did not know yet and then tweeted me back to ask if that was enough info.
I about fell over.
I did not see any of the races from Kansas yesterday, but I did see some of the Supercar race last night.
It was entertaining if a bit hard to follow as I did not know any of the drivers, but really (aside from wondering how it was the Australians let DW into the country) was how Holden makes a modern day El Camino called the Ute, it is good looking, and I wish GM would import it. I have a great fondness for El Caminos
AR, I think that Nascar and the media keep telling us about the 'differences' in the cookie cutters to convince us. However, the point they just won't get is that, whatever the individual foibles of each track, the type of races they produce tend to be tediously the same...strung out aero parades that usually end with fuel mileage being the deciding factor.
Just was reminded this is the one year anniversary of Shame Hmiel's accident.
I continue to follow him on Facebook. His USAC midget team won last night in Granite City with Levi Joned driving.
Pretty good story.
This better be a good race! It's a glorious Indian summer day here in Michigan...sunny, 80 degrees, and leaves turning fantastic colors!
AncientRacer said...
I have a great fondness for El Caminos
October 9, 2011 1:55
AR:
I have a Ranchero. It's like n El Camino, only better :)
In February, I asked KP to tug his ear on TV as a Happy Birthday to me. He did it!!! It was awesome!
The booth has matching ties! How cool.
Told 43, 00 and 7 missed driver intro's. Going to rear of field.
haha Hollywood called AB "Marty"
Yea....two grooves.
I have Dale Jr on racebuddy and the car noise is as loud or louder then the guys talking on the scanner. Makes it hard to hear the spotter.
@Charlie...they are also swinging the camera on his car around like a drunken sailor!
hi folks, just came in to see how things looked on TV. Really nice weather here in NJ so I'm probably going back outside to take advantage of being able to work outside.
Saw a little racing, they actually showed more than 1 car in the shot - amazing!
Of course they were in commercial when the caution came out.
Hi gang! This comment is a little late; been spending the past few minutes reading all the posts.
I watched the Supercar race last night as well, but I watched a feed from Justin of a local Sydney TV station!
I got to hear their announcers, but also got to watch Aussie commercials, spots, and sense of humor. It was hilarious!
I can hear them calling the restart on the scanner and TV is obviously in delay!
Racebuddy is delayed and the car noise is still to loud and you can't hardly hear the spotter. I don't need this.
Oh good, Jimmie is leading.
Man, this sorted out fast.
Bill, LOL, yeah, since the 48 is in the lead I am definitely going back outside. I've seen this movie before.
Just found out who today's troll is, a person who unfortunately has a lot of issues.
Hoping he finds some sense of peace in his life soon.
Takes all kinds to make a world.
Is this a race. Espn zooms in on a car, talks about that car then moves to another car, zooms in and talks about that car.
I am listening to Dale Jr on DirecTV Hotpass. It sounds good, so far. This race last year was at my home track Auto Club Speedway. Sad they took it away but seems it was the right thing to do. Hated to not be able to attend a chase race so close to home.
Guess we're on 'race by replay' again today.
Sally,
Pretty amazing to see them snap right back into "hyper-tight" coverage.
Charlie, and they wonder why the fans complain? One car shots don't make a race.
That wide one they ae showing now makes more sense.
The first green flag run had some great coverage. This segment is hyper-tight and boring to watch.
See? I told you not to get too excited about the broader shots yeaterday.
Daly Planet Editor said...
Pretty amazing to see them snap right back into "hyper-tight" coverage.
Yep. I'm already only half watching and have begun working on a web project on my computer. If there's any excitement in this race, it sure isn't showing up on my TV screen. :-(
I apologize if this thought has already been addressed, but could the "hyper-tight" and "in car" camera shots be something that NASCAR has requested, so that sponsors of the lead cars get maximum exposure?
This would in turn, motivate teams to lead the race, no doubt putting big smiles on their sponsors' faces.
How can you guys be so happy with yesterday's race and so down on today's race?
Kansas doesn't need two Sprint Cup races a year. ESPN not all to blame - share some with NASCAR and the need to build the Hollywood Casino.
Kansas Cup races have a history of being fuel mileage yawners.
Bill,
It's just ESPN's new style. NASCAR and sponsors have no input. Each of the three Sprint Cup TV partners show the races very differently.
ESPN like to say they are "telling the story" while in actuality they are writing the story and ignoring the reality.
Made us nuts since 2007 and was even worse back then!
It's amazing how close some drivers are to the wall in the corners.
Zoom in on a car then count ...
Zoom in on another car then count ...
Sponsor airtime seconds
(or am I being cynical)
The drivers are pitting earlier than the ESPN script called for.
I wish ESPN used this split-screen for commercial breaks side by side.
Chris K.. Hollywood Casino is a gaming Corp. Based near Reading, Pa.,with gaming interest all over U.S.
Let's see if ESPN updates who gained/lost ground after pit stops besides the #17.
JD - Why didn't you listen to those voices in your head?
The Daly Planet Ends Its Run
Well, color me confused -- with the 2009 season less than two weeks away, The Daly Planet, a widely respected and avidly read blog that dissects the finer points of NASCAR TV broadcasts, is ending its two-year run.
While I can appreciate how a person might get burnt on this whole blogging thing, I find myself perplexed at the following:
Priorities are rapidly changing in the world right now. This includes professional sports from top-to-bottom. NASCAR is deeply affected and talking about the pros and cons of TV broadcasts suddenly has much less meaning.
The first two sentences are unassailable, but I'm afraid I strongly disagree with the third. Understand, that's not to say I think NASCAR is somehow more important than the larger world; it isn't and it never will be – though I do believe that sports become that much more vital during difficult times, be they personal or societal. And there’s no arguing the fact that sports like NASCAR play an exceedingly large role in society, both as entertainment and economic force.
And, right or wrong, TV is the vital component of the 21st century NASCAR experience. TV and the billions it paid in rights fees helped drive the sport's unparalleled growth. And, corresponding roughly to the period when TV started throwing around big money, costs throughout the sport escalated dramatically, ultimately increasing ticket prices and making race attendance prohibitively expensive for thousands of devoted fans. As a consequence, TV has become a primary lifeline to the sport and fundamental to the millions of fans who have otherwise been priced out.
Even more to the point as far as The Daly Planet is concerned, the failing economy has and will continue to directly impact TV and its ability to cover sports in general and NASCAR in particular. Continuing to debate the “pros and cons of TV broadcasts” may have less meaning in a global sense, but if anything, it has a much greater importance in this local sense. How effectively TV does or does not cover and address important issues has great meaning to a good many fans.
TV didn't make or create NASCAR, but the two are very much joined at the hip – you can’t talk about the one without at least acknowledging the presence and impact of the other. In other words, now is perhaps the best, most important time to have a site like The Daly Planet around to keep broadcasters honest and fans informed about the ins and outs of coverage.
AR, no ads with the vast majority of the current sponsors. That is a big issue right now.
ESPN is also doing the same style of "hyper-tight" coverage on other sports and driving those viewers nuts.
In an interview last year, the director says that cut it that way to appeal to viewers of HDTV's. No kidding.
Not sure if someone else mentioned this, but RaceBuddy is presented by truTv today. It put a big smile on my face thinking of all the hilarious truTV discussions here.
This could possibly go down as the strangest day of comments in TDP history.
You mean "Lizard Lick Towing" is not real? Lordy.
Strange comments = another boring race at Kansas. Are you listening NASCAR or "Lil Brian?
Too bad Green Bay vs Atlanta is tonight!
JD...maybe that comment is several years old and got lost in the ether somewhere?
Wow, no follow up from pit stops. Just hyper-tight and Clint Bowyer news.
Cautions out. Commercial in.
Now Pit Lizard Towing would be interesting....
Just compare this race with the ARCA race. What a difference. ARCA had fewer announcers and they just showed the race. Espn tight shots and not showing the race at all.
Espn picks out a car, talks about what that car did yesterday or last week and then goes to commercial.
Sally, always interesting.
Did you guys read Brian France's comments today. Check scenedaily or hamptonroads.com for Dustin's summary.
He sure is out there.
Marc, I have seen lots of them that could have used a wrecker!
And that was before the dress code changes.
Charlie, one of my friends who is now retired from TV calls is classic "over-producing."
Too many cameras, too many announcers and too many agendas screwing up what should be just a straightforward telecast of an auto race.
LOL JD! He answers the easiest questions with the most absurd answers.
In a question about travel costs and moving races to closer facilities like Rockingham, he glosses over Rockingham heritage and goes on about the developing road course in Texas. Stupid.
ESPN featuring Carl Edwards gloves!
Can this coverage get more boring?
Makiki
Honolulu
Man, these pictures are killing this broadcast.
I'm speechless reading the rest of France's Q&A session.
Not that I doubt his skill or anything, because that would be unwise, but I have to wonder what Voldemort has come up with.
Couple of weeks ago he was skulking around the used tires in the Nationwide pits and he was caught on camera doing so then stopped after he noticed the camera.
That cannot be all, of course, he must have figured something out. Weasley has turned around in the last two races (though I know there is a long way to go here)
Jr. just passed about 4 cars since the restart...not a word from TV? You think a few fins might be interested?
Just shows he far removed he is from the day to day.
Jeremy Mayfield hinted that Brian France, the man leading the fight to keep him off the track, is himself a drug abuser.
BF must be living in a box or keeps his head in the sand. He's clueless. Chatting with him is like talking with your great grandmother about current events.
JD, how much does it cost every team to have their chassis approved by Nascar for every race?
Just got home from work.
No view of that "debris" in turns 3 and 4? Now why am I not surprised?
Beautiful day out in Kansas. Wish I was there, not here having to listen to this commercial interrupted by a race.
You know, watching from an in car makes me appreciate how difficult it must be to keep your concentration for an entire race...especially when a car is running by itself.
“All the stuff presented in this book was acquired over a period of time and the majority of it is stuff that NASCAR had people too afraid to write about, in fear of having credentials pulled so they couldn’t write about the sport they cared about”.
“Also, the promise of payoff is far greater than the alternative and give NASCAR credit, it found out real early that the best way to control a media is to keep it fat and happy and taken care of, monetarily.
They must not have cared too much about this sport or they would have stopped and taken a look around them and went from there”.
“But people in motorsports are so blinded they can’t see the forest for the trees and I’m afraid that’s how it always will be”.
"Now, NASCAR is doing everything it can, in a controlled way, to clean up it's drug image although its CEO, Brian France, who has been connected with drugs on more than one occasion.
In the late '90s, I wrote a story in Speedway Scene, a weekly motorsports trade publication, that accused Brian France, son of Bill France Jr., of checking into the Betty Ford Clinic, near Los Angeles, Calif., for drug rehabilitation. NASCAR called me on the carpet for the story, but never did anything, except having my publisher, Val LeSieur, to call Betty Jane France, Brian's mother, and apologize for the story. All the time, the rest of them, gathered at that meeting in Daytona Beach, Fla., were laughing.
Later, I was told by a high-ranking NASCAR executive, no longer employed by NASCAR, the only thing wrong with the story was that Brian France had checked into the Betty Ford Clinic for drug rehabilitation, but under an assumed name. I never have been able to find out that name to this date.
Just can't throw dated allegations against the wall to see what sticks.
France is like every big company CEO, he has those who like and those who hate him.
He is not my fav, but he always treated me fairly and was focused on the business at hand.
I am not the biggest fan of the Chase, but something had to be done to go up against the NFL.
Golf also did it as did tennis, creating a playoff system.
I just cant get into this race. Im spaced out and on the computer the whole time. I cant wait for more banking here at Kansas. To be honest Im just bored to tears.
But the remaining races after today are definitely worth watching. Its just a shame we have to start the Chase with 3 weeks of crap.
A nurse called me and said she had worked for the Betty Ford Clinic at the time Brian France checked in. None of the staff knew who France was because he wasn’t using his real name. Now that NASCAR has two Cup races at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and since France has made it clear he wants a National Football League (NFL) franchise for Los Angeles, his picture is widely circulated in the area in daily newspapers and on TV.
“That’s how we found out,” said the nurse. “A group of us were sitting around one day, watching TV for some reason and they showed Brian France. We didn’t know him by that name. We knew him by another name. But no mistaking it, it was the same man, regardless of the name. “While he was in the Clinic we treated him for drug abuse. He was quite strung out when he got there.”
On another occasion in the ‘90s, Brian France was stopped by a South Carolina state trooper, who charged France with drug possession. Jim Hunter, now NASCAR’s vice president of communications and president of Darlington (S.C.) Raceway at the time, was able to to get the South Carolina state troopers to drop the case.
I just looksd and (though I could be wrong as I often am)it seems (should anyone want it) the domain "Pit Lizard" appears available.
Sounds like a fine grunge band name, actually. Or a bookstore or cookware store or whatever. Makes as much sense as "Amazon"
JD, this is definitely the day of the non sequiter.
WHY IS WORST WICK TALKING...
SOOOOOOOOOOO DAMMMMN LOUD ???
Noo nooo not because he is
height disadvantaged...Bob Costas
doesnt yell his butt off.
Sooooo why is Alan doing it ???
what is the point ???? Sigh and
I know AB went to broadcasting
school.
Bring back Eli Visa Gold.
Could notbe any worse
Are you sure you don't have him confused with Adam Alexander? Sounds just fine to me.
ALAN TRY ONE MORE TIME NOT TO
LOOK AND SOUND LIKE AN IDIOT.
ARGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Nascar is a dead sport
Nascar died a few years ago. They are just now figuring it out. I was involved in the sport for two decades, when the transition went from Bill Jr. to Brain France and his sister, taht was the beginning of the end. Here are the numerous reasons why, and this is coming from someone in the know:
Changing the point system
Changing the cars so that they are IROC Cars
Getting rid of Rockingham, getting rid of North wilkesboro ( which was where the sport originated)
Getting rid of the true fans that got them to where they are now
Brian France's arrogance (his nickname is the cocaine cowboy, what does that tell ya)
Making the cost of tickets so outrageous that a normal family can not afford to attend.
The 1.5 mile D shaped oval, that is the most boring racing ever
Putting races in areas that the France family want to visit and be a big fish, but are unable to do so ( California, Texas, Las Vegas, Chicago, oh and by the way, ther are all 1.5 mile D shaped ovals.)
The COT, boring racing, IROC cars, no one can pass and no one wants to go see the leader run around the front.
NASCAR keeps saying that ratings are up, HAHAHAHA, up from what,
The France family want to run the entire game, but Brian with his fetal achohol syndrome brain can not understand the first thing there is to know about business and finance, canm anyone say lucky sperm
Greed
So other then that, NASCAR is doing great
Way to go Brian and Mike and John Darby and the rest of you greedy **bleep**
Boy, Joey Logano has been having a lousy year. wonder how long he's going to keep that ride?
JD wanted Allen Bestwick - now you got him :(
See ya on Saturdays,,,,
So this is what we get for this race.
Tight shots and in-car cams. Espn figures this type of telecast will keep you watching and not switching to watch the NFL or watching the back to back 50 year anniversary shows of The Dick Van Dyke show on TV land.
I don't think it is working Espn.
What do they think they are showing when they show the 48 alone lap after lap? Total waste of electricity.
I just can't get into this race. Races on these mile and a halfs just seem to go on forever. There was a time when I enjoyed the Chase. Now, my biggest wish is that they dump it, but that would take away from the spectacle.
gee, jd, your troll seems to be in full spate today.
On the left are pit stops and on the right is a Lowe's commercial
More bad luck for Reut.
I think even they are bored. This is the first time all three talent in the booth seem completely bored.
Brian France and I traded trashy women frequently - only difference the only drug I did was Ambien.
I have said it many times but I will say it again. I am not fond of BZF, but the fact is he is there. I like it he has pulled back this season for whatever reason because I do have faith in Mike Helton, who, though not perfect, does his job pretty conscientiously.
I am not a fan of the Chase either, but as much as it pains my traditionalist heart to say so I kind of like this new point system. More movement in the standings, it seems to me, and that makes it more interesting.
Anyway, what NASCAR needs is a star -- a real one. A Dale, Sr. Unfortunately such people just do not appear that often, and you cannot "invent" them or wish them into existence. They come when they come and what they come with is that "something" which if you could bottle it you would make a fortune.
Look, for example, what has happened to the numbers for golf since Tiger imploded. Phil Mickelson, et alia, are fine but none has "It" whatever "It" is.
NASCAR's NEXT BIG THING will show up. We just do not know when, but when s/he does the sun will shine and the birds will sing in Mudville again.
Logano will probably be given another season, Hamlin hasn't been that great either.
@sbaker17:
You nailed it!
Makiki
Honolulu
This 'Nascar nonstop' isn't worth much when they just show one car at a time, is it?
Hey RIP, we are pretty much hardcore fans here and we know all that France family dirt.
Let's get back to the race coverage please.
Told ya races at Kansas are boring...
Same Sh*t - Different Year.......
Two races a year there a two too many.
AR, I asked them a couple of years ago why they would not start racing in warm climates in January and run up to the start of the NFL.
Having the Sprint Cup Series champ crowned the week before the regular season begins would be good TV timing.
It was no go for a variety of financial and logistical reasons.
Well, it was a thought.
Lap after lap of the 48 going around in circles with expert commentary from R. Wallace and Brad D. NOT what I want to watch or listen to.
Sorry about that JD - just woke up from a NAP I started during the 2009 Kansas race!!!
Speaking of TV coverage, think we'll have sun spot activity blackout moments like yesterday taking out ESPN?
So what does the infield studio add to the telecast. Is it something all the Tv fans look forward to.
"Oh boy there going to the infield studio, now I will get some really good information about this race."
I don't think so.
Time for a debris caution.
Daly Planet Editor said...
AR, I asked them a couple of years ago why they would not start racing in warm climates in January
The season used to start in Riverside in January
RIP, no problem at all. I do miss the ability of the NASCAR media to write about any topic.
Seems it is like this in many pro sports, you trade topics for access.
I smell a debris caution!
You smelled it to, huh Sally? LOL
You know, that small, quick graphic they just used that shows 'points position now' for Edwards is a much better alternative to the accouncers 'If the race ended now' BS.
My feeling is that you could start in Jan, run hot and get 30+ races in with no sweat before the NFL hits.
Then, a 4 month break to recharge.
Bill said...
I smell a debris caution!
October 9, 2011 3:52 PM
They should throw one when R. Wallace stars to speak.......
If they started on the west coast, Texas, Vegas, Phoenix, they could get a much earlier start...and heve more time before the Easter break. But hey, why would they do something that actually would make sense?
This is rough to watch. The Ken Squier article inspired me to reflect on the sport earlier in the week. The current serious presentation and nature of the racing is not entertaining. It changed in the last decade from a fun hobby to a sponsor driven business.
Where is the fun in this? Even subtle humor is missed, like Benny's "cue the duck" moments.
Well, this whole spin about ratings being up is embarrassing.
Up over the awful ratings of last year is not exactly a feather in the NASCAR cap.
Jayski has five years of ratings info and that really tells the tale.
When Espn said they were going to keep showing the race while a commercial is being shown I had no idea it would be a tight shot of the track with one car in a little tiny box.
So Brian France feels that losing four Cup teams is no big deal? (2 Red Bull, 1 Roush and 1 RCR)
They will likely be replaced with start and park teams. How good is that for the sport ?
There has to be something else to talk about besides Jeff Gordon's emotions. Come on. Anything.
Anon, there is going to be tons of stories to cover during the off-season about those issues.
Despite France saying good things, there is an economic reality that NASCAR must contend with in order to keep three national series healthy.
I should have more about that down the road a couple of weeks. TV and media plays a big role in sponsor value. They go hand in hand.
Used to enjoy listening to Buddy Baker back on TNT from Rockingham and try to figure out what he was saying cause his speech was so weird with his drawl.
But yeah, its serious now, not much fun in Stalingrad
Somebodys gotta make it interesting and wreck the 48, PLEASE?
came in to see what was going on and well, the answer is not much. Cat has made herself comfy on my lap so I guess I'll watch the eagles losing to the bills for a while.
More exciting than the high speed parade being led by the 48.
We lost all the great print medis writers over the past 2-3 years.
They were the ones who had relationships in the garage area and were not afraid to tell it like it is.
buschseries61, I agree, gee whiz, there just isn't any "fun" in the race coverage these days,
No wonder the booth is bore, the fans are bored, I'll bet even the drivers are bored.
In the last 30 laps, from 16 to 166, we have went "nonstop" 3 times and had one of those annoying Sprint things. Overload.
Been watching the move from print to online and the casualties along the way.
Hope a new website emerges in 2012 that can offer hardcore reporting and tell it like it is for the fans.
Warren Buffet on the #18 box??? Wow! All we need now is all those Wall St protesters out on the race track! Lol
Im sorry 136 to 166
Hopefully we get an update on Austin Dillon sometime soon. I've SEEN his car only once today after 170 laps
Warren Buffet on KYBU's Pit Box. Maybe he will but NASCAR.
That would be interesting.
JD, maybe the coverage speaks to Bill's earlier point - that the reason races are being broadcast like they are sponsor commercials is to get the exposure.
It doesn't excite the fans though.
Anonymous said...
Warren Buffet on the #18 box??? Wow! All we need now is all those Wall St protesters out on the race track! Lol
October 9, 2011 4:02 PM
Talk about a debris caution :)
You have some insight on new print site for 2012?
There is one currently with a bunch of former beat writers but it isn't that good.
lol sbaker - human roadblock across the track. That's one way to stop the #48.
JD, I'm betting that you are the only one with enough guts to present accurate hard core NASCAR coverage. The rest of the media worries about their hard cards.
A lot of the online stuff I see reads like fan fiction and they are about as credible.
I used to religiously read the forums on Jayski. Most became aimless, useless or so blatantly biased that I totally gave up on them. TDP is the only online Nascar site I follow. It goes without saying that I never read nascar.com. Well maybe, if I want to see the weather report on an iffy day.
Two busted axles for MWR today ?
With Bowyer on next year they will have a shot at the trifecta !
There's a few others out there Gina. The Frontstretch is a little overboard with the anti-NASCAR, but it offers some different views and news from the rest of the media.
RIP - David Poole - he had a pair and could tell it like it is in NASCAR print coverage.
Well, Jay has a problem. Teams have all kinds of guidelines and stuff these days.
Not really possible for guys to slip him info and not lost their jobs.
He still has links and a ton of info, but insider info really does not exist anymore.
Buschseries61 said...
lol sbaker - human roadblock across the track. That's one way to stop the #48.
WORKS FOR ME!! Will definitly break the boredom, but ESPN would be in a commercial...
I only go to 3 sites now. Planet, Jayski (for hard numbers and info on deals, trades, etc) and Frontretch once a week for Matt McLaughlin' recaps since I love his writing
The rest is noise, or as Gina said "fan fiction"
NASCAR Insiders are slightly too pro-NASCAR, but they both do a good job informing fans of the realities of the garage area.
A big wheel like Warren Buffet sits on pit box the entire race ? Very cool.
He has more interest than BZF
There's lots of chatter on the 88 radio right now, but it's impossible to hear it over the car noise. Don't remember having this problem before. Anyone else?
Looks like "sun spots" are starting. Solar interference messes up satellites for several minutes at a time in this season.
If ESPN freezes or goes to black, this is the reason. Just give it a couple of minutes.
How about Landon Cassill in 20th!
Now Kevin Harvick is in grouchy-Busch mode. Wow!
Good lord at the commercials. I dont care if it is side by side, its still overload.
Hopefully the sun spot interference will occur when they are in a Infield Studio segment
Busch, that's true, there are a few. I read some of the frontstretch articles and usually dustin long. I'm a big fan of Mad Mikie over at laidback racing, but I still JD would be able to really do it justice.
Jayski's site isn't what it used to be and obviously JD just explained why, which I appreciate.
Nascar.com --LOL - that site is such a joke -- the LAST place I look for information. I couldn't even get the 2012 sprint cup schedule to print correctly.
Looking forward to the sunspot blackouts more than the 48 leading.
looking at the leaderboard, the 2nd place car is 9 seconds back -- yeah baby, what a race!
yep, I've got a frozen pic here in MI.
I kind of feel bad for Jimmie. His dominance came at a bad time in the sport. He hasn't won in 21 races, but there is immediate fan fatigue when he leads.
I just noticed that even with the phantom debris cautions,only 15 cars on the lead lap. We have what, three or four more mile and a half races? Ugh!
Jayski got tamed when he got ESPN for a site sponsor. Still read him everyday, since he started in '96, as well as The Daly Planet and Nascar Insiders.
They're talking about this perhaps winding up as fuel mileage race??? Please don't do that to us.
I turned off the racebuddy program. Car noise was why to loud for me. You could not hear the spotter very well at all.
I love Jimmie Johnson and am wearing my 48 ha right now. I hoe my guy gets maximum points today.
But even as a big 48 fan, I cannot take watching my guy run around the track all by himself. It is so boring I cannot stand it.
This track is just so awful. But the coverage is worse.
The LAST thing this sport needs is JJ #48 to win another championship. Great driver and great team but it erodes the fan base.
Now's a great time to let the pit reporters have some fun and explore the pits. Or update Austin Dillon. Or give Landon Cassill credit. Or give a mention to #46 running the distance.
Busch, I can honestly say that I NEVER feel sorry for Weasley.
My reasons are probably self-evident in my choice of ID.
Funny that everybody complains about debris cautions, but now hoping for one.
Hendrick started this insane spending spree with Jeff Gordon, forcing all the other teams to follow suit. Now you can't run a competitive team for under $20 million/year.
Sure, it's elevated the technology astronomically, but what has always made NASCAR such a challenge was that the teams were forced to work with aging, but tried and true technology.
Now, we're seeing F1 technology creep into NASCAR. I don't care for F1 races because it's a technology driven sport, as is America's Cup yacht racing.
Next year, NASCAR is ditching the carburetor. What's next? DOHC aluminum V-6s?
Auto racing is so deeply affected by a rotten economy, but thanks to Rick Hendrick, we see entire race companies go belly up (or turn into start & park teams) because sponsors can no longer afford the exorbitant cost of funding a team.
Increases in technology have also brought more rules, and more attempts at parity, and what does parity do? Boring, single file racing, and boring drivers who seem to be the only ones capable of staying awake during boring races.
Talented drivers want to mix it up, and have fun, but are stymied by lap after lap of monotony. Might as well hand the trophy to the 48 team again.
Instead of always creating new rules that govern the cars, NASCAR needs to create rules that govern the owners, and how much money they and their sponsors are allowed to spend on their teams.
THEN, apply the "have at it boys" phrase to not only the drivers, but the entire teams as well.
Jets vs. Pats NFL game is looking better than this race.
I feel your pain Gina, Gordon has been one of my favorites for a while. Pit road and aero push are our timeless frustrations. lol
Well, a caution finally. Axes the 12 second lead, brings in fuel mileage. Goddamn it
BofA commercial about every 15 minutes. Must be trying to counteract all of the bad PR caused by their debit card fee.
Love that quad split!
Oh no, JD is watching bodybuilding again.
Wish I were seeing it. Must be one Big Mother of a sun spot. Still nothing but balck screen for both ESPN channels.
Save me some fuel!
Kahne told to save gas after this last pit. Theyre 10 laps short. uh oh, not yet another fuel mileage race.
It's been one of the positive changes ESPN made and kept since Indy, JD.
Just a nit, but we'll still have a carburetor, or at least half a carburetor next year. They've lopped off the air horn (top half) and added the efi injectors controlled by the PCM. McLaren did the best they could. But once again, the teams have to spend big bucks.
HEY! Got pic back just in time for a commercial. So glad I didn't miss it!
Oh no! Sunspot troubles again for me. Have to wait another 5-10 minutes for it to come back like yesterday.
JG: What's the caution for?
Spotter: I really don't know.
JG: You mean if you were honest it would be an answer they wouldn't like.
And then we don't get to see the "debris". #24 crew chief says to save fuel. What else is new in NASCAR???
Philly area (Service electric) just lost ESPN, anyone else?
I can't think of any other sport (except "rasslin'") in which the sanctioning body juggles things around so they get the finish they're looking for. I bet any amount of money, there's no debris on that track. Makes me ill that they think we're so stupid as to not realize what they're doing....but on the other hand, I don't think they care. 'Bout like they care about "safety" of their drivers.
Bill, yer killin me!
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