The biggest growing movement in NASCAR does not involve the COT, the Chase or even the pink Martinsville hotdogs. Instead, it is the groundswell of teams, drivers, bloggers, reporters and officials who use Twitter to get their messages out to the fans instantly.
The social media revolution is in full swing in NASCAR and growing by the day. Race winner Denny Hamlin has only been active on Twitter for several months, but he has become a regular user. Sunday, he drove home the point about the importance of this technology.
Hamlin thanked his Twitter followers on TV from Victory Lane, then sent the following message minutes after the race. "That's what I'm talking about!!! Whooo!! I told ya we would win another!" tweeted Hamlin.
After a quick ride home once the Victory Lane TV, radio and print media was done, Hamlin had another surprise. His house had been draped with a homemade banner celebrating his win. So, what did he do? Snapped a pic and sent it to his almost five thousand Twitter followers directly. That is the picture above. Just think about that.
Meanwhile, Juan Pablo Montoya finished third and got done with his post-race media rather quickly. Montoya is one of the most popular NASCAR drivers on Twitter and has about 30 thousand who follow him. Instead of the hard-charging driver, fans see a family man with a wicked sense of humor who likes to fly RC planes and windsurf.
"Had a good day in the office!!!" tweeted Montoya. "The team keeps doing an amazing job again that is really nice to see!!!!" Later, he arrived back home in the Miami, FL area. "Back to reality, laying in bed with the kids and we are watching TV."
While these examples happened after the race, what was in-progress before and during the race itself was amazing. SPEED's Wendy Venturini, Hermie Sadler and Kenny Wallace are all on Twitter and offer live updates during the RaceDay program about interviews, guests and behind-the-scenes tidbits. Once the race gets underway, the information really starts to fly.
Multiple reporters were updating the details of the race live from the Martinsville press box and media center. NASCAR itself was tweeting leaders, penalties, updates and information. Bloggers like me had running Twitter conversations that included thousands of NASCAR fans. Jayski and other NASCAR websites are also updating live on Twitter during and after each race.
All of this takes on an entirely new meaning due to the absolutely horrible race coverage being provided by the distant and disinterested ESPN production team. Fans desperate for NASCAR information have flooded Twitter and found salvation.
Here is the info on who NASCAR is warning, who got a lap back, who is racing hard and what is actually going on in the entire race. ESPN's microscopic focus on Jimmie Johnson and the race leader becomes almost comical when the Twitter feed is rolling with the live race. So much information never makes it on TV.
It was Kyle Petty who made a Twitter believer out of me. This summer, Petty interacted with fans during the live TNT races through Twitter. During one race, he answered a question on the air I had sent to him directly moments earlier. Then, in the next commercial, he sent me a message asking if that was the answer I wanted. Needless to say, an entire new world of communication possibilities was opened right in front of my eyes.
If ESPN let Allen Bestwick and Brad Daugherty use Twitter from the Infield Pit Studio while they sit there and wait for a break in the action, the telecasts would change tremendously. If a Stage Manager in the TV booth took Twitter questions, Jerry Punch would perhaps not continue to call out car numbers, driver names and hometowns for three hours.
Many fans told me they are using ESPN/ABC for the video only with the audio muted. They are actually listening to the radio call of the race and keeping updated with live online scoring and Twitter. That shuts out the ESPN broadcast team entirely and should be a big wake-up call for that TV network.
One thing is for sure, Twitter is exploding with NASCAR content. From the sophisticated presence of teams like Hendrick and Gibbs to the often hilarious updates from driver's wives, Twitter offers a wave of NASCAR information that is free, easy to access and portable.
Think about accessing Twitter for the remaining races if you have not given it a try. There is nothing hard or complicated about it, especially if I can do it. Head to Twitter.com and just start a free account.
We are at twitter.com/TheDalyPlanet and you can find tons of NASCAR folks simply by typing NASCAR into the "Find People" search box.
Let's use this post for those using Twitter already to talk about your NASCAR experiences. We can also help anyone who has questions or has heard bad things about Twitter being complicated or worthless. Nothing could be further from the truth.
To add your opinion on this topic, just click the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to review this column and for stopping by The Daly Planet.
64 comments:
"That's what I'm talking about!!! Whooo!! I told ya we would win another!"
Wow, what a revolution (eyeroll). Sorry, but Twitter may make fans "feel" connected, but if this is the best it can do, I'd say it's a pretty shallow revolution.
I mean, really, Denny Hamlin tweeted "Whoo!" and we're supposed to be impressed? Sign up for Twitter? Quickly start following his tweets so we can see the next time he tweets something like "Just got to the track, gonna grab some lunch" or "Qualifying went well, now to get ready for practice."
Sorry, but this whole Twitter thing is all hype.
I have never rated twitter personally, but it does go to show what ESPN are missing with their telecasts. Twitter, radio, online resources etc would all be unnecessary if ESPN did their job.
TBH, I do not want to have to have a computer, streaming radio, ESPN pictures, Trackpass etc to watch a race. Those who enjoy multitasking - it is great you have the option. What I want is for ESPN (and Fox) to produce a good telecast.
Gotta agree with anon at 3:34am JD,
to me, this Twitter nonsense is a flash-in-the-pan that'll fade as quickly as pet rocks, mood rings, earth shoes and MySpace. (remember MySpace, that FOX paid billions for?)
It IS a sad commentary on the state of race coverage when fans feel they need Twitter to fill in the ESPN gaps, but c'mon, its not as though we're learning what the details of car setup is!
Bray kroter
ESPN spent the whole race making sure viewers at home could not see the empty seats.
I guess it depends on what you want to get out of NASCAR. I usually enjoy the information I get from Twitter. Of course getting the same information from multiple people during the race is a little bit of overkill. As much as the fans want the broadcasts to cover their driver, in reality there is no way to cover all 43 (ok, maybe 37) cars in the field. To get the information about your particular driver, you are going to have to go to other sources. If the broadcast relayed information about every car on every pit stop and every transmission about the car's handling, there would be no time for play by play and all we would get are pictures, which we are getting when we turn off the sound.
I'm a relatively new fan and do not know a NASCAR Cup race without Track Pass, except for maybe the first 10 I watched. In the last 3 years I have rarely watched a Cup or Nationwide race without multi-tasking and having a live leaderboard. But that is off topic.
If you want to follow one or a few drivers not named Jimmie Johnson or Dale Earnhardt, Jr., you are going to have to find a way to get more information. Online sites and social media are the way to go.
The beauty of twitter is that you can follow or unfollow anyone you want (although if someone has their account locked, it is a bit harder.) You want to ignore all the NASCAR tweets during the week, don't sign in or unfollow everyone. Sure, you will get some crazy tweets during the week or the weekend, but the information given out is much more valuable if you are a fan of a driver other than a star. The PR accounts give out links to the pre and post race reports as well as articles written about the drivers, the drivers share what they do off track and let you into their lives a little more, and the reporters keep you updated.
ok, i'll step up and defend twitter use during a race. beyond that use, folks are on their own: i've found one either likes or dislikes twitter for whatever reasons so i want to focus solely on using twitter during the races.
i am a multitasker, even during tnt coverage! i enjoy getting chunks of information and i use my laptop aggressively during the broadcast. with espn, it has become a necessity to do so if i want to know what's happening during the race.
with twitter active on my laptop, i get information that the broadcast doesn't provide. i found out yesterday that 2 drivers had been cautioned about aggressive driving: never heard that on espn. does that matter? well, if their bangin' had led to a wreck that took out, say, the leader, then it would have.
from twitter, i learned which cars had been taken for post-race inspection and that the engines of the top 3 hendrick cars continue to be taken to the R&D center for inspection so that little moment between nascar and hendrick is on-going. could i have found that elsewhere? maybe, but it was on twitter by 7pm last night.
on twitter, i learned that hamlin says he did see the debris that caused the last caution but he saw it as early as lap 100. that tidbit sure made me wonder.
not a big fan of young mr busch but twitter kept me informed as to what his car was doing and his mindset about it. again, important in hindsight? maybe not. but at the time, it would have added understanding if his driving style had impacted the leaders.
for me, the additional information that twitter provides is interesting and often important. in addition, i can also add my 2 cents directly to some of the nascar media who are covering the race in the media center. i would like to think that hearing more directly from fans, as the race unfolds, may have some impact on these men and women. twitter gives fans a way to add our voices to the coverage, to bring a new dynamic to the process.
fans now have a choice: we can continue to be the silent partners in this venture, watching what's put on the air for us and getting our race fix that way. we can also become more involved in the event, asking questions directly to men and women in the media, following the secondary and tertiary stories that never make it to the broadcast.
peel back one's personal dislike of the more inane or mundane aspects of twitter and ponder the experience jd had in his post: tweeting kyle petty about a fan question that we had on TDP, petty answering on air and then following up to make certain it answered our question. i truly appreciated that moment and it was the "aha!" moment for me as well. there was now a channel into the booth, a way i could ask a real-time question and have the opportunity to get it answered in the same time frame. that's pretty impressive to me.
which one chooses is a personal decision. for me, i appreciate twitter for the additional insight it gives me into the race and the period leading up to it. anon@3:34 and bray, you may be absolutely correct and it may all fade like fog in the sun. but until then, i'll be using it as another tool to gather information and impressions that, for me, add to my home race experience.
anon at 813....i was there. i was stunned when i walked into the track to and saw the crowd. at the green flag, i saw maybe 3 gaps in the stands otherwise it was over 90 percent full. i havent seen any numbers but it looked great to me. after the green flag there was more empty seats to be seen but that was from the customary beer and bathroom runs. from where i was working, i could see people leaving as early as lap 100. dont understand that honestly, but i thought the crowd was great. just thinned out as the day went on.
After making fun of it most of this year (twits), a friend convinced me that immediacy of info was worth it and so I signed up for Twitter after the Richmond race, to use as another info stream to augment my usual internet/radio + TV pic combo I have been doing for more than 2 years to follow the races I don't attend. Just my personal choice to do this, but then, I've always followed live game stats, treating NASCAR as a sport same as ice hockey, football, baseball, and NOT as just an entertainment to be passively watched.
I will say about Twitter, with so many accounts out there a massive amount of info comes in now and much of it repeat, so I have had to limit who to monitor, based on my personal faves and tastes. And I can always drop or pick up someone's stream at any time, I have also come to enjoy the pre or post race bits of info from my preferred individuals.
Knock Twitter all you want, but it sure beats website updates, emails, IM or text messaging in the info immediacy race. So as long as it's useful and until something better comes along, its a keeper.
Time-shifting via DVR and twitter are mutually exclusive and for me, Time-shifting > twitter.
Hey Midnight Riders,
The example of Denny Hamlin was the winner of a Cup race thanking his Twitter users in VL, sending them a note right after that and then taking a pic when he got home.
When has that type of direct and immediate contact with the fans ever existed?
NASCAR news from Jayski, SPEED, ESPN, Fox, scenedaily, thatsracin, and many other top organizations is offered almost in real time.
Twitter makes surfing the net obsolete. It is just a menu of teams, series, drivers, bloggers, reporters and even fans that you choose to follow.
Bray, my only challenge to you is to use it once and see if you still think its a fad. It's hard for me to hear you talk about something that you have never tried and clearly do not understand.
Thanks for the comments, always interesting to see how folks deal with new communication technology.
JD
One of the great things about Twitter for NASCAR fans has become Tweetups. Writers like Jeff Gluck (and now Nate Ryan)are using Twitter to arrange weekly meetings with fans at the track to learn what's on our minds, ask us questions, etc. It gives us a level of interaction at the track that we just don't get standing around a stage or sitting in the seats. No shilling of toys, no "comedians," no pimping the night's soap opera, just direct information. Twitter's kept me interested in a year when NASCAR and the networks have done their best to bore me to death. Love it!
JD,
I hope ESPN/ABC hears you out loud and clear.But who are we kidding.ESPN/ABC are so stubborn to listen to fans feedback. Until they listen we are going to be getting the same bad coverage they provide.
Thanks for Twitter though.
It's no surprise that I follow Marcos on Twitter during the race. When you're 17th in points, you're not talked about during the race. I find out a lot things I would never hear about him on TV. I think it's cool that someone on the other end actually tweets back to me.
I also follow some NASCAR reporters. They are a wealth of information. TDP and Twitter are must haves for keeping up on the race. TV partners, are you listening?
@ JD, thanks for allowing us to post updates of our drivers during the race.
I was an anti twitter guy until JD started posting random good comments on the front page.
It turned me around to go find out what else the guys and gals had to say in the nascar world.
Kevin Harvick and his wife are fun to follow. Also the #19 spotter is a funny guy.
I agree with Red it definitely can put you in touch with some of TPTB. I had a nice convo with Ramsey a few months back. And the writers are very nice!
Sure not every driver will respond but it is nice when they do. Mad Max has taken several hours out of his evening to answer our Tweets.
The spotters are great and fun!
And yes having a lot of NA$CAR folks does end up with a lot of duplicate information but there are some programs like TweetDeck that allow you to filter tweets. So you can group folks and say have only a handful of updates coming through instead of all 8 billion. Or do the unfollow/refollow game.
Sure some things like Denny being happy for his win aren't earth shattering news but it can be informative and just fun to see what they're doing.
Thanks for the info about an add-on like TweetDeck, maybe next year as I'm not quite there yet, I'm still thinking of these accounts as "personal" like text messages, and those are the type I subscribe to. So for now I'll just stay with the handful that specifically deal with my drivers/ teams, a few official outlets and a few reporters. For balance. I have found some that I don't like, I quickly drop monitoring of accounts that seem to mostly forward links to websites.
Anon 10:31PM,
ESPN is a huge machine. Each year during the off-season, they have made changes and then let those changes playout.
Just think, they may be one or two changes away from having top of the line TV coverage.
Imagine tuning in next season with Marty and AB splitting the PXP assignments while JP makes himself at home (finally) in the infield pit center.
As you heard over the last several races, Marty is not going to let the TV truck miss the racing. He flat-out called them out on the air. He also noted all the S&P cars and even gave them some grief.
Bestwick has challenged Punch several times in the races on the air because he knows just how much damage this bad TV is doing to the sport right now.
By staying consistent, fair and open with our comments we are presenting a real picture of the struggles of the fans watching this uneven TV presentation.
We are only weeks away from seeing the most recent changes put in place. Let's hope for the best.
I do think it is a crime that no one from the live ESPN telecast is on Twitter.
JD
I do not do any social media except Twitter, some friends tried to facebook me once and when I realized the effort involved I baled. Twitter took me 2 minutes to set up and it's be off to the races ever since. I can watch a race with many of my "friends" from all over the country including people from the media and those directly involved with the teams. I use Twitter the same way Red does during the race but I also try to keep up to date during the week too. I find out when the cars taken to the R&D center pass (as a 48 fan who's car is there every week lately that's a good thing to know). I get to see pictures of Harvick's latest prank or someone's child. I get to see these Nascar drivers/teams/media as people and it's on their terms and not because some paparazzi invaded their space which I for 1 very much respect. I also find out about charities, contests and appearances, not to mention Tweet ups which was a not miss for me at Dover, thanks Jeff Gluck. I really don't think Twitter is a fad perhaps a stepping stone. Twitter is now the first thing I look at when I get home and the last thing I look at before I call it a night. (perhaps it is a good thing my office has it blocked from company computers ;)
Some of the tweets are interesting...but I don't really care about it one way or the other. I don't participate in any 'social networking' online except a few message boards with my friends. Mostly because I don't need other people to know my business, and much of the time, quite honestly, I don't care about theirs. I don't get the narcissistic personalities that feel the need to post their photos (Facebook) and tell every detail about what they're doing (like the commercial where the dad tweets 'I'm sitting on the patio' and the kid says 'I *know*...' I could see some useful things about it, particularly when people have family long distance. But I think there's way too much information about people. There are also a lot of security concerns about it. Quite honestly, when I see these people out and about, eyes glued to the 'crackberry', I just roll my eyes. Granted, those are probably the one percent of people who are creating 99% of the tweets...do I care than Juan Pablo is with his wife and kids? No (I'm glad he's enjoying himself, but I really didn't need to know that.) I wouldn't say it's a fad, because even businesses are finding uses for it, but I think its importance is overrated (and like the internet, there's a potential for obsession...maybe they have a name for it, like 'Tweetheads' or something, lol?) I can follow the races just fine without twittering from the track. I think some people are so busy multitasking they forget to enjoy the race in the first place.
I do not do Twitter, tried Facebook and got tired of that after about a month. So, I cant comment on good/bad Twitter.
But allow me to pass along to ABC/ ESPN Executives.....
For the past 6 or 8 weeks I will ONLY watch NASCAR events on DirecTV's HOTPASS. Much Much more enjoyable for me, a NASCAR fan of 30 plus years.
I no longer complain about Punch, Daugherty, Brewer & the lazy production because I DO NOT WATCH ESPN/ABC or listen to the AUDIO.
For the ABC/ESPN advertisers....
I do not watch the commercials or promos.
For NASCAR....
2010 better include COT rules changes & a better points system or you too will lose even more of your fan base. Quit blaming the economy on the empty seats, give us better races and we will buy the seats.
I too am one of those fans that use multiple sources of informmation during the race. I also am one of those who does not use the ESPN audio. I either use the Sirius receiver or switch to HOTPASS either way, JP is silent in my house. Along with the Sirius receiver, Foxtrax and TDP, Twitter is one of those sources of info I use. I enjoy it because sometimes you get some "behind the scenes" info. By following the various journalists as well as drivers/teams, you also get to hear about scanner chatter or other issues that the drivers may be facing.
I also follow twitter and Ross Kenseth tweets so much better info on Matt's pit stops than the Bobbsey Twins. The last couple of cups races we have depended on Hotpass and yesterday's broadcast was super. Flooding in Houston today so I had to leave the office (in a floodprone area) and come home. Darn!
I have to side with JD on this one. I've been using Twitter for a while, and would be lost without it on race days, especially.
Several years ago, I came across a site called Jayski.com, which made my life much easier as a NASCAR fan. Finally, one site that carried nearly all the racing information I was looking for.
These days, Twitter provides me with news, quotes, and virtually everything I'm looking for. You have to figure out who to follow, who posts information and who doesn't, but it's a huge resource for me.
Thanks to Twitter, I know a lot of what I'll read on Jayski before Jay posts it.
I am not a fan of Twitter. I think it has some very practical applications and uses, but I have yet to see it used in a worthwhile way in relation to a driver.
So, given the article on this website, I went to Denny's Twitter page.
The first tweet below his race victory tweet says:
Austin beez waxin his ears!!! Yuck and there is a photo of a crew member with a candle in his ear. Um, okay...
Here is another selection:
Heading to go play some ball.. Bobcats look pretty good last night.. Henderson our new rookie is a beast!!
...and...
Had a fun night of cards with the guys...great games on tv tonight too
and this gem:
watching football...and surfing the net.
I am not sure if this counts as a revolution, except maybe a revolution in minutia. Do you "feel" closer to Denny Hamlin if you know he is watching football and get an update as much on your phone?
To me, this is worthless drivel, the type of stuff that even the president of a fan club might yawn at. I just don't get the appeal.
I love Twitter for following sports. I have more information about what is happening than I ever have. What is cool is you can not only follow those that follow the race in a general manner but also those who are driver specific. Imagine a person Twittering what the driver and crew chief are saying over the radio as you listen to the broadcast. At the same time, you hear about #NASCAR warning another driver from another twit. And I control it thru who I follow. Twitter has made up for the lack of information from ABC\ESPN and made #NASCAR exciting again. MLB and NFL are really missing the boat.
Anon 2:07PM,
You just don't get the appeal? How is that humanly possible?
What do you want to know about? NASCAR, NFL teams, MLB playoffs, entertainment, news, what?
I only used Denny as an example of the direct contact between fans and drivers. When did that exist before?
You want Victory Junction Gang Camp pictures? KHI updates? Jayski news? What?
Twitter is a menu from which you select. It never forces you to message, never makes you follow anyone and has over 15 million users from Larry King to Shaq.
I guess if you live in a "glass half empty" world, then nothing is every good enough.
JD
anon@2:07: as i said in my post, either one likes being looped in like that or one doesn't: you don't. no harm, no foul. BUT . . .
i would encourage you to try twitter again during the race itself: not pre-race, during the race itself. grab a coupla of the folks from the media center, follow them for the race and see what you learn.
if it doesn't appeal to you after that? again, no harm, no foul. just close your account and be on your way.
but i think it's becoming a new way for some of us to view the race at home and during the week. do i really care what's going on in the life of a driver? some days, yes. some days, no. but it'a a viable choice for me. (by the way: my drivers do not tweet but the spotter and pr guy for the 88 do and those i find highly amusing for any number of reasons, none having to do with the driver!)
and many thanks to those who mentioned tweet-ups! i met jeff gluck that way and was able to speak with him, one on one, expressing my opinions without filters and without restraint. it was gratifying to be taken seriously as a fan of our sport and i did feel that what we were discussing was of interest to jeff. does it change how he views the sport? i have no idea. but it changes how i read his work, i know that!
I guess I might as well put in my two cents on this. First I have to thank JD for getting me hooked on twitter. I say that in a good way, and have said that on previous posts or an email to JD). I was one who really had doubts about twitter.
but a couple of things happened in a good way that i did not expect. The first and formost is that I can tweet w/other posters on thedalyplanet and get an instant reply to my tweets if they so desire to do so, public or through a direct message.(JD has yet to follow me for that, but we do have his email address). Also it is nice to be able to send a msg to a print/tv reporter/writer and get a quick and honest response, and many of us who follow see that and appreciate that. I now also have found new friend locally who I may not have known otherwise. Do I expect Mr.Hamlin to respond personally, no I do not. but having had some personal responses and read some of the personal responses to those i follow there is a connection there that you just do not get elsewhere as far as i can tell. and it connects w/me as a long time 30yr+plus fan of the sport who has had a very frustrating season of the poor coverage from espn/abc. JD is correct, Kyle Petty actually took the time during a broadcast to tweet back to someone, and acutally do a follow up. OH, yes, i remember. it was the best six weeks of nascar coverage for me. and kyle...you get the idea.
Yes, I did not multitask yesterday for the first time in a long time.(no TDP or Twitter or nascar.com ) But I will say this after reading TDP comments and scrolling through comments on twitter. the parts of the race i did not watch, i was up to date without the gang from espn. just think how much the sponsor of commercials lost again due to the ineptitude of espn not to get w/ the program. But as JD has told us many times, hang in there. there may be changes next season.
Yes, blogs and other social media to me have changed the way i spend my race weekends.
JD, just do not know how long i can hold by breath.
JD...I can get all the info I want from other sources....so yes, it is humanly possible not to get the appeal of twitter. I'm not anon 2:07, and I differ in that I can see the appeal to others, but I signed up and found it amusing but not necessary. It's true, reading news sites and other things are not as immediate as twitter, but I am not the sort who needs instant gratification. Some people think racing is just cars going round in circles--I may not agree, but I do believe it's humanly possible for others not to enjoy it just because I do. I like having info available to me, but I don't need to be that connected. I see no harm in it, and I can see why it appeals to some, but it doesn't particularly appeal to me. All I need to know while watching a race I can get from other places. I have message boards for my driver where people keep it updated (and it's usually not hard to find out what happened to the other 20 guys ESPN never mentions.) I can surf Jayski, I don't need to Twitter him. Heck, I don't even keep my cell phone on, it's just for emergencies. Some people don't even (shock, horror) have one!
Anon 3:51PM,
So, your point is....what? All we are doing is encouraging fans to try it. If it does not work for them, they at least tried to get more info than they can on the TV broadcasts. That's all.
If you want to be "old school" that's fine, but understanding that the rest of the sport is moving on into new technology is pretty fundamental.
JD
FOX is a huge machine also. Imagine next year tuning in with Mike Joy, Ray Evernham, and Ricky Craven doing the races, or a very similar lineup. To me that's more important as Larry and DW are far worse than anything ESPN gives us.
twitter.com/haus14 ----that's me
I am new to twitter. I follow a few Nascar drivers. Kyle Petty is a good one to follow. Twitter is not the first thing I check when I get up but I do check it and see what the people I am following have to say.
Other people I follow are Lance Armstrong, Davis Love III, Lauren Bacall, 2 Green Bay Packer players and also an Astronaut named Jose Hernandez. He was on the last space shuttle and sent tweets from space. This weekend Jose Hernandez (@Astro_Jose) posted a tweet that he was flying to the Oakland football game to give an Oakland Football flag that he flew while in space to the Oakland Raiders. I thought that was cool.
Twitter can be what you want.
One thing to look out for if you are using twitter is the people that choose to follow you. In the top right of your home twitter page you will see where it says - followers. Under followers you will see a number of followers you have. Keep an eye on this. If you see the number go up, click on followers and see who has been added. It is sometimes a something or someone you don't know or want. It list the twitter name. Just to the right of the name is an option to block this name. Do it if you don't know this name. After being blocked that name is gone from your list. If it is some name you don't know you may get the temptation to click the name to see who it is but it is best not to do this, just block them.
If you set your option in twitter you may also get an e-mail that will say someone has chosen to follow you.
If Espn would allow AB and the folks in the infield booth to twitter it would be an interesting thing.
If AB Twittered, it might just put JP out of a job. Hey, a girl can dream.
Imagine a person Twittering what the driver and crew chief are saying over the radio as you listen to the broadcast.
Ugh. At some point you just need to get some friends.
@Dot... That's funny!
More seriously, I don't tweet nor am I a tweet peeker. If it adds to your enjoyment of the sport, good on ya.
At the risk of sounding like one from the "black helicopter" crowd, the social media sites are a game changer for NASCAR and other sports. Call me Capt. Obvious, but there's a sidelight that cannot be ignored. The major players (teams, networks, etc.) can use these sites to "game" the court of public opinion.
Consider this hypothetical. There's a Cup driver who's known to drive aggressively and has a short temper in the pits and on the "traditional" media. His team/handlers could build a Twitter campaign on him that shows his lighthearted, funny and family oriented side. In fact, none of the tweets could be from the driver at all. Just a PR campaign being passed off as a driver's tweets. Has it happened yet? Don't know. Will it happen? Undoubtedly. (Disclaimer: The hypothetical driver is fictional and has no relation to any driver, living or dead.)
From the TV network side, ESPN/Disney has pulled Twitter from their air personalities. Will others in the traditional media follow? Once an media entity can figure out how to push their corporate messages whilst maintaining the audience perception that it's all candid, they will.
JD... would you agree? If you don't then I will defer to you as you have more experience with this than I. Perhaps I've seen one too many Glenn Beck shows. (grin)
For those that like Twitter and the other info outlets, knock yourself out and enjoy. There's no doubt that fan intimacy and enjoyment has been increased. I'm in favor of anything that gets more accurate and honest information to the fan.
OK guys-
I got my account (there just ain't no names left, I mean, Aintnobodyhome as a moniker?), so as a noob, who should I follow to get a good look at Twitter's contribution? I have no real favs, so who should I listen to for entertainment...for track info...for the inside story... for enhancing my experience as John has tried to urge?
Give it up, Dudes! I did this for you, ya know?
Mik-Jeff Gluck for one. JD will give you the link for Nascar folks, I'm sure. Off to watch KyBu & JoLo on WWE??? Scary..
T'anks, Pamm
I ain't gonna acknowledge further responses as I'm tired of 'capchas' for the day. But I 'preciate the input
@MiK: so, a few others who i follow (no particular order but know that the last in this list is first!):
dustin long
jim utter
bob margolis (who goes under nascarwriter)
ryan mcgee
bob pockrass
jenna fryer
marty smith
jeff gluck
and of course TheDalyPlanet!
these folks cover the races and the events leading up to and coming out of them very well. just search by their names, check out their more recent tweets and see what you think.
you can find a ton of other folks by searching by nascar on twitter but it becomes overkill at some point. some drivers are legit, many aren't, so i tend to stay away unless they've been verified.
i really like 19spotter, spotterstand, and tjmajors: just a spotter's perspective. and since my driver is the 88, i follow mike davis, his pr guy.
so, have at it, don't take it uber serious and feel free to delete folks with impunity: keep it just to the folks who you want to follow on a regular basis. the rest, you can touch base with on a random basis w/o following.
I signed up awhile back for Twitter but quickly realized I just don't need that much information, whether it be for races or anything. I've been a NY Giants fan since the early 80s, but do I need daily Twitter updates about players and such. No, I just don't feel the need to be that close and up to date. Does that make me less of a fan? I don't think so.
Does that make me old school or not into technology? No, of course not. i work in the computer field so I'm right at home with technology. Heck, I just got my Roku box for watching Netflix Instant Watch movies.
But I'm simply not interested in Twitter. I get my fill of NASCAR stuff during the race in other ways with Raceview(speaking of technology), listening to driver channels, what ESPN tells me,etc.
I'm ok with that. Does ESPN suck at presenting a race? Sure. But I just don't feel the need to get constant updates on every single thing thats happening. I just don't.
I know JD will say he in no way is trying to say we must all use and love Twitter, but it tends to come across that way.
Bottom line. I tried it and I'm just not interested. Not everyone is a social butterfly.
Just type in John Daly in the "search people" box. Off that list, pick me (not the golfer) and then click my followers for a big list of NASCAR, news and entertainment folks.
If I can do it, you can do it for sure!
BTW, I will be yakking about this topic on the Rowdy.com podcast on Tuesday.
Just head over and click on it.
Earlier this year, I had a short blog post on how Kyle Petty changed the twitter game for myself as well! It's really adds a unique element to the sport when you're following the right people.
ESPN reporter Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) is a great one to follow. When the Chase drivers and past champions went to the White House earlier this year, I was busy during the day and could not follow along with live coverage. Thanks to Twitter, I was got to see how events at the White House unfolded thanks to Marty's brief but frequent messages throughout the day.
I think the Twitter revolution within NASCAR is a powerful one, and will be interesting to see how it develops. I imagine we will see a significant increase in the number of Drivers before Daytona next year!
This from a few hours ago: Kyle Busch is not a fan of Twitter. He sees it as a fad and will die in the next year.
@Tripp - The ESPN reporters still tweet from and away from the track. You can still find Marty Smith, Ryan McGee, Mike Massaro and others tweeting. Seems to me that TBTB at ESPN saw what a value tweeting was and worked with their employees to figure out how to best use the tool. I believe that Ryan McGee even attended one of Jeff Gluck's Tweet-ups.
Thanks ya'll-
I'll tweet up and see how it works on raceday. I hope it provides more info, but like it was said: the Networks oughta be doing this. I'll let ya know how I feel next week...after TALLADEGA!
Again Twitter is what you make it. Though trendy now been around a couple of years.
It's WHO you follow that makes it (CHECK ur followers as somebody mentioned, lots of spam and even filthy junk that TWITTER needs a filter on)
Kyle Petty has at times taken over my stream as he answered 50 questions on a couple of occassions.
I am not into how many I can follow or have follow me. I like to interact with some and just read others..but ya never know what u are going to find! I've found great video of Frank Lloyd Wright from oscure game show of 50's to Interviews with Alfred Hitchcock with Tom Snyder, to a long lost glimpse home video of Anne Frank!
As mentioned I get my news, weather, race car stuff, national & local breaking news (today HUGE news just a couple miles from me!!) food news, interesting recipes,history, music, arts, laugh out loud funny people, informative peeps, helpful, and some tweet photos or live video from what they are doing. One guy promotes local bands by sound clips or interesting views around town.
NONE of my IRL (In real life friends) use it & it scares them. Course some feel the same way about blogs so whatever. Course none of my friends text either and neither do I...I still use land phones 90% of the time and don't even HAVE text capabilities on my cell I use for leaving home. If you have medical situations a cell phone is great sense of security!
I also don't do FACEBOOK but many love that. Also I suggest NOT using your real name on Twitter if you don't protect ur tweets. Some people give WAY too much info away when on vacation or at the opera, symphony and stuff but I live with a guy that has sold I.D. Theft insurance...
Many folks I follow locally either know each other from TWitter and have met on Tweetups, or are cross business associates hoping to meet soon. I get kind notes from local media folks and I unfollow folks that tweet too often (20-30 times an hour in public stream!)
People make fun of social media but some have met up and made great friendships from it or turned it into a money make venture of running Twitter accounts for business and such.
I only follow a HANDFUL of celebs as they are mainly interested in HUGE numbers of followers..but I like it if they promote their tv shows or something.
Max Papis and his wife Tati are a delight to follow...as is Kyle Petty.
One person's Tweets are minutia & another person's infotainment. :)
Just let me make one thing clear. If you choose not to use Twitter, that is just fine.
I have been overwhelmed in my email by people who see the Twitter messages and lists on the front of TDP and ask about them.
This column is meant to direct those NASCAR fans upset with the TV coverage to Twitter as an alternative.
Just like any other technology, you can choose to use it or pass.
I am not quite sure why someone who chooses to pass would take the time to spread hateful words in this forum, but we have never tolerated that.
TDP has been here for three years with thousands of columns and stories on the NASCAR TV and media scene.
Like it or not, Twitter has become one of the most powerful forces in NASCAR today.
Hope that helps with some perspective on this topic.
JD
I didn't post any hateful words. I posted some recent tweets from some of the so-called recommended twitter pages to show how stupid they are... and you deleted it!
Marty Smith's latest twitter is about installing a ceiling lamp in his kitchen!
What a crock.
Listen to me very clearly. It's pretty easy to go into thousands of messages and pull out the ones to make your case.
Many fans used Twitter tonight to get the behind the scenes info and pictures on Joey and Kyle appearing on RAW.
Others chatted live during NASCAR Now, Race Hub and This Week in NASCAR.
A very good, funny and informed crowd watched the three NASCAR TV shows tonight and chatted live as they happened.
Another group is organizing stops along Kyle Petty's motorcycle ride for the nex trip.
You can make this whatever you want. If you choose to pass, then just be a man and do it.
But don't waste our time with tantrums and think we will be impressed. You are whining to the wrong crowd my friend.
Sorry you don't like it, we get your point.
If you have any issues with me, email me directly at editor@thedalyplanet.tv anytime.
Sorry for the hassle.
JD
JD
Maybe you mentioned it and I missed it but Twitter turned three last March, So it ain't some flash in the pan. Sure when CNN & mass media latched onto it many signed up but the attrition rate was high as some did not know how to learn to work it, or it wasn't their thing. That's fine.
Some of us been using it over a year...only in last 10 months has it gotten so 'trendy'. Celebs racing for most followers is lame and stupid (OPrah and the husband of Demi Moore, forget his name)
One of my fave non racing Tweets & Twitpic series, was Papis cleaning the attic and his feet came thru the ceiling. He and his wife posted the hole. Showed Max taping it with what looked like Masking tape. It was not pretty. :)
I told them they shoulda used ducttape like in racing. Sounds stupid now but was a HILARIOUS few pictures on Twitter. :-)
Of course none of us are going to be going to dinner with these guys soon but some that CARE about fans do answer frequently and reach out. That's sweet & we see the human side.
There is the confusing "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" above the Twitter Tweet comment box...many thing they need to answer that at first...later you learn to use the conversational or response aspects to others.
Sure Twitter needs to get better with the spam filth (ever since they got their BAN THIS PERSON BUTTON) my spam has been worse than ever but it will get worked out.
Gnight all.
p.s. I Loved that picture at Hamlin's house. :)
p.p.s Then again some of you going to the track have been able to meet up with each other and some journalist thanks to Twitter. So that's cool, too.
I, too, once mocked and laughed at twitter..
and now? http://twitter.com/WickedJ8
/hangs head in shame..but atleast im amused by people like Dale Jrs spotter, Sadlers spotter and several media type
Wicked! I didn't know you were on there! Stop by sometime!
JD
I like Twitter, but I think it will be done within the year. It's hit it's peak I think and will start to die. Much like Myspace did and much like Facebook will when something else comes along.
Although, I will still be there tweeting until it does...
About a year ago, I thought the same thing about Twitter as the first poster. Then I found out some of the people on a message I use were using it. So I signed up.
As far as racing goes, were else could I answer Micheal Waltrip's question about a restaurant and have him reply to me with a thanks. And where else could I ask a question of a NASCAR writer at the track and get a answer via a direct message in second's.
Gymmie is right. The spotter's are a crack up. Had a funny discussion with Sadler's spotter about what a bad day his nephew was having. This while he was up on the spotters stand waiting for practice to start.
I could go on, but you get the picture. Try it, you have nothing to loose but a couple of minutes.
Kyle,
Not sure how you compare Twitter to stand along website page like FaceBook.
It's just a simple message, link and photo delivery service that is the more effective online right now.
Sure, technology will continue to advance but no way is Twitter some flash in the pan.
JD
Kyle
Some business groups and I know of one CEO who said on radio show it's EASIER to contact him via Twitter than email. It's what he uses all day to keep track of his family/employees & friends.
So flash in pan? Not at 3 years old and counting. He's been on it since the beginning. And the early ones on Twitter hate that so many sign up only to clog up streams with @@@ and such, and the kids that shoot 40-60 randon tweets an hour to eat up space & clog traffic.
Then there is the whole follow friday thing over rated for huge followers. I no longer take part in that & haven't figured out how to put ALL names off site in quick manner. Easier to FF when you have 30 followers & only follow 30. :-)
And I know way too many people that hate FBook due to I.D. theft issues and too much minutia of unwanted stuff on it (Yes even if YOU control who sees it)
Also many businesses find the free TWITTER a great communication work tool during the day.
For groups out on the town in settings such as music or food festivals, those that use Twitter on cells/blackberries find it PERFECT for meeting on locations.
It's short and sweet and to the point.
But if it's not your thing, it's not your thing? I detest Myspace & only go there when asked to update a band I blog for...but Myspace is long falling out of favor..and for some Fbook was never in our favor.
But to each his or her own and that's what is great about the Internet. :-)
p.s. Also I must admit many of the Twitter trending topics are stupid.
NASCAR prides itself on the driver/fan interaction and twitter plays directly into that. If NASCAR knows how to use twitter right, they would have no problem gaining fans.
The fact that I can get direct tweets from drivers and get a peek into their lives is something, as a fan, I love most about twitter. Also, fans can @reply the drivers and they read it, it adds to that fan connection and makes things a lot more fun.
Also, being able to chat with the reporters on the track during a race is pretty awesome. I had a blast talking with Jeff Gluck and Bob Pockrass on Monday while they were with Kyle Busch and Joey Logano as they hosted WWE Raw.
Just love Twitter! It's great following the drivers, spotters, reporters, etc. Rite now, Larry Mac is dissing the article that Dustin Long wrote last wk & refuting the whole thing! And I'm tweeting about it, because I'm listening to it live rite now. Sharing info, that's what it's all about.
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