"NASCAR Now's" Erik Kuselias Steps Over The Line

"Why this place could be wild...and maybe dangerous if Jeff Gordon wins."

Those are the words of NASCAR Now show host Erik Kuselias broadcast on national television on Thursday, April 26, 2007.

Kuselias is speaking about Talladega, a fast track steeped in a tradition of big wrecks, exciting races, and strong feelings for the Earnhardts. He is not talking about three-wide racing, the tricky entry onto pit road, or a controversy about Goodyear tires.

He is trying to incite a riot.

This former sports radio talk show host has done everything possible to insult the sport of NASCAR during his tenure as the host of this show. He has posed hateful questions, forced ESPN analysts to "choose" one argumentative point or the other, and most recently has begun using the ESPN2 airwaves to suggest that violence and anger should play a more prominent role in NASCAR.

He believes this because of his love of stick-and-ball sports that regularly feature fights, ejections, and demeaning trash-talking. He knows bloody hockey fights, bench-clearing brawls in baseball, and NBA players going-after fans. This is the ugly world from which Kuselias has come. This year, he has been thrown into an entirely different group of people that he does not understand.

This group has very different values, a very different way of living, and a very different view of this country. Unfortunately, Kuselias has never met them, gone to a race with them, or respected them. They are NASCAR fans. To him, they are nothing.

For the past three months, Kuselias has treated the millions of NASCAR fans in North America as idiots. He knows absolutely nothing about the sport, and his only understanding of competition comes from the whiny millionaires of the stick-and-ball world. They bring their felonies, unwanted pregnancies, angry physical altercations, and endless steroid and drug problems to the field each-and-every day. And radio talk show hosts like Kuselias eat-it-up. They feed on it. They live for it. They even encourage it.

Now, Kuselias is in NASCAR. We have Tony upset after not winning, Montoya flipping the digit, and Junior taking over at DEI. No fights, no felonies, no gun shots, no strip clubs, and no steroids. Kuselias is lost. We have about forty-five drivers who live within thirty miles of each other and go fishing on Mondays in Lake Norman. We have the "guys" coming over and racing go-karts at Clint Boyer's place each week. We have crews that have Bible study before PT. We don't race on Easter.

This weekend, Jeff Gordon is one of forty-three drivers who have a chance to win the NEXTEL Cup race on Sunday. There will be strategy, competition, excitement, and lots of sheer luck involved in crossing the finish line ahead of the field. Families will picnic, camp in their RVs, and fill the grandstands for a fun race at a great track. These facts are lost on Erik Kuselias and the producers of NASCAR Now. They will not interview the fans. They will not show the reality of the NASCAR experience. ESPN cannot believe that other than racing...this really is...all there is.

Over the past two months, this desire by Kuselias to "create" something controversial has been documented in The Daly Planet time-and-time again. While hilarious and embarrassing to actual NASCAR folks, Kuselias is clearly trying to appeal to the same sports radio fans that chant obscene slogans, hurl objects, and make most professional football, hockey, and baseball games a nightmare for a family to attend.

Now, he has his eye squarely on Talladega. He has begun to pitch the scenario over-and-over again that if Gordon beats Earnhardt to-the-line, "something bad" just might happen. Of course, NASCAR Now has replayed the "great beer can throwing incident" each and every time Kuselias "suggests" that "something" might happen. So, they even suggested what the "something" should be. What great guys.

How much lower and dirtier can ESPN2 and NASCAR Now get than suggesting that fans should misbehave and "harm" Jeff Gordon if he wins? Kuselias actually said that Talladega "might be dangerous if Jeff Gordon wins." On NASCAR Now, on national television, on a Thursday before the race.

Jeff Gordon is a stand-up guy. I have worked with him countless times on TV shows and races. He is funny, talented, and comes from a well-rounded family. The best part is, he can drive the wheels off anything that comes his way, and he chose NASCAR. Now, years later, he is still regarded as a threat every race week.

Erik Kuselias is a hack. He is a sleaze artist. He talks down to anyone associated with NASCAR, as if they live in a trailer and watch COPS a lot. He has bullied drivers, upset reporters, and angered fans with his arrogant and demeaning behavior. Now, he is suggesting that Jeff Gordon might be "in danger" if he wins, and passes Earnhardt Sr. in the record book. This cannot be allowed by NASCAR to "just pass by."

NASCAR is over fifty years old. The sport races from coast-to-coast, and demands that drivers and team members give their entire year to it. There are charities, fundraisers, and time-honored traditions that make America what it is today. Anyone who has witnessed the national anthem and a military fly-over at a NASCAR race on a sunny Sunday afternoon knows they are creating a lifetime memory with their family.

Simply put, it is time for Mr. Kuselias to take a long time-out from NASCAR Now. It should happen without any hesitation on ESPN's part, and it should happen right now. It should be quiet and personal and come from the most senior management at the network. Do it now, and the "NASCAR nation" will allow ESPN this mistake in their first year back to racing.

But, if ESPN leaves this man in-place after his threatening words and sleazy innuendos, they will have cemented their return to NASCAR as a total failure off the track.

Unfortunately, if there is a Yankees-Red Sox game on in the ESPN Newsroom, no one will probably notice this "little issue" with NASCAR. Of course, we already know that no one at ESPN cares.

The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click-on the COMMENTS button below, or email editor@thedalyplanet.tv if you wish not to be published. Thanks again for stopping-by.

Sirius Satellite Radio Helps "NASCAR Now" With Content Problems

Tuesday, despite the presence of top NASCAR reporters on its own staff, NASCAR Now chose to credit The Associated Press as the source for the show's "lead story" on DEI negotiations.

The resulting anger from NASCAR Now's own reporters just added to the "ESPN vs. NASCAR" tension that has been building on this program since Daytona. Its a struggle between the non-NASCAR "hype guys" of ESPN and the "real NASCAR guys" on the show who live the sport every day. It is very real, it comes through clearly on-the-air, and its about to get ugly.

On Wednesday, in a move that still has heads shaking, NASCAR Now lead the show by actually playing-back over three minutes of audio from the "Tony Stewart Live" show on Sirius Satellite Radio. Let me say it again. They played the Tony Stewart Show on ESPN2. I bet that got the attention of the ESPN Sports Radio guys. Maybe the big Sirius logo on the ESPN2 TV screen helped.

I know it got the attention of the NASCAR Now reporters. They were the ones Tony did not speak to at the track. They were the ones unable to report on Tony after the race for ESPN2. Now, they are the ones sitting-on their hands while NASCAR Now plays-back a national Sirius Satellite interview of almost four minutes on their show. And its of Tony...on his own show. I wonder how that is working for the stress level in the NASCAR Now newsroom?

In the TV world, we call that "importing content." Taking a block of information from one source, and using it in another show. Normally, it is information not available elsewhere, or something very newsworthy at the moment. In this case, Tony Stewart kept his mouth shut until he got back to Sirius, then provided exclusive content for that network. You see, he works there. Along with our friend Matt Yocum as Producer, Tony has his own national network show. Its very popular and sometimes controversial. Now, Tony and Matt have basically re-aired an entire Sirius Satellite Radio program segment on ESPN2.

The popular NASCAR Now reporter Marty Smith was then brought on-camera, basically to speak to the Sirius Satellite Radio story. Marty confirmed Tony Stewart was not required to go to the media center after the race, and then confirmed that NASCAR can do anything it wants to fine a driver for his actions of comments. Looking directly at show host and "hype king" Doug Banks, Smith said that the answers to these questions..."are obvious." Marty was not smiling.

Somewhere at ESPN, someone made a very bad decision. The NASCAR Now reporters could have come on-the-air and dealt with this Tony Stewart issue in thirty seconds. A driver blows off the media and then talks about himself blowing off the media on his own exclusive satellite radio show. Then, the exact same media he ignored takes exactly the same content and re-airs it on a TV network. This must be the reason they make Motrin.

They "hype kings" roared in this program, including the fake story of Gordon and his flag, Kyle Busch "leaving" his car, whether the Busch Series will start "a chase to the Cup." As a topper, they played-back video of Montoya jokingly flipping the digit as if he commited a felony. One Daly Planet emailer suggested this show has become "Access Hollywood" meets "Around-The-Horn."

In closing, Doug Banks eventually read scripted questions to top reporters Marty Smith and Terry Blount right off a page. They knew them in advance, Doug rehearsed them in advance, and the entire "news" portion of this program was a sham. The best part is, the two reporters knew it. You could see in their faces that this joy ride was coming to an end. The only question will be, how ugly will it get?

A while back, ESPN Program Director Julie Sobieski promised change in NASCAR programs as the network evaluates their performance. After a great show on Monday filled with hard news and lots of information, this show again showed that NASCAR Now does not know "who to be" on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The show refuses to acknowledge the other NASCAR racing series, refuses to acknowledge CASCAR, and refuses to do any behind-the-scenes profiles of anyone involved in this sport. No wonder mid-week is slow! Anyone ever hear of viewer mail?

Let's hope that cooler heads will prevail, and NASCAR Now can right its ship before things get any worse. Making quality national reporters employed by ESPN2 dance like puppetts while answering scripted questions is not going to attract viewers to this show. Airing entire segments of other network's programs on NASCAR Now while the reporters watch may elicit a much different response. Without the news, NASCAR Now is running on empty. It might be time to check the fuel gauge.

The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click the COMMENTS button below, or email editor@thedalyplanet.tv if you wish not to be published. Thanks again for stopping-by.

Big thanks to Dave Moody and the entire crew of "Sirius Speedway" for allowing me to chat with them about NASCAR's TV issues. I had a great time, and hopefully, we can return for more with Dave as the season rolls-on. Thanks to all once again.