TV comments on the race coverage from Dover on Sunday afternoon:
Network: FOX
Pre-race: Chris Myers, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond
PXP: Mike Joy
Analysts: Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda, Matt Yocum, Dick Berggren
90 comments:
That was a very rough and disjointed race today. There was 1 good thing I saw and I will start with that. The post race has been fair but I think it is due to the race being done early, the other is their scroll at the finish is much better showing top 10, leaving them up for a few seconds, then showing the next 10. Beats flying heads that's for sure.
The bad, horrible calls with camera angles, etc. Most of the booth reports and updates were late, weird interviews with some drivers in garage and not others, missing a pit road wreck ENTIRELY.
I did think the booth tried to get their footing in the last 100 laps, but it was too little too late.
Wide shots, use them, learn to LOVE them FOX.
I hate everyone bailed on the race but I understand why. JD, Pamm, Red, only 3 weeks until TNT!
JD
Worst race in FOX history. FOX should be using more wide shots and timely booth and pit reports.
I have an idea to make things better, boycott the final 2 or 3 FOX races. Wait unitl the new and improved ESPN comes.
Lets not forget TNT!
that too
quick comment:
i willingly turned off the tv after watching from green flag for 75 minutes and i walked away from a race for the first time ever.
there are no words to describe how miserable i feel about that right now. none.
Once upon a time you could watch the coverage, put it on mute and listen to MRN.
Sadly, after today, you can no longer even watch the race without sound.
i think JD very much enjoyed the race today lol just kidding
this was not a very good performance today by NASCAR on FOX with the odd camera shots and the poor calls...im getting tired of dw's schtick and at one point i noticed that larry mac thought mentioned vickers in the 83, not casey mears, and i like larry mac very much
myers is a clown
it is too late for david hill to make significant changes but i think he will by the time fox returns next year
Unfortunately, FOX has become predictable and not in a good way.
The 600 is the longest race of the season, that broadcast window is huge and it is a holiday where hopefully they will draw for a big rating. The stands will only be 60% full, so tight shots galore, the pre-race will be a drawn out commercial, as will the race. We'll have in-race promos and movie trailers, celeb guests, etc.
And for 380 laps, DW will be preaching patience and getting your car right, loving on JJ then magically turning on him, doing the same with Jr and Kyle Busch, then at the end of the broadcast will twist his words to make it sound like he foresaw the outcome of the race the whole time.
I hope this gets better because this afternoon was really the lowest point I think I've seen in a long LONG time being on here and watching a race.
BTW, JD, I can't follow through Gluck. He doesn't have the same set of circumstances we do, where he has to rely on the race to get a picture of what is going on, he is there and thus could care less about what FOX is or is not doing. At one point he defended them by saying it was a boring race anyways. I can't accept that as being the case.
The only good thing about the broadcast was showing most of the field crossing the checkers. That was it. I felt like I was watching a practice session with extra promos. I'm going to start a drinking game where one must partake of an adult beverage every time a shot is shown from "qual cam". Figure I'll be drunk in about ten laps or first commercial break. I seriously think that out of a four hour broadcast, F*x sold two and half hours of extra commercials in the form of bumper cam, hood cam, look at driver from inside car (front and side)cam, roof cam, and probably some other spots on the car that I forgot. Who cares if all we can see is a shot of the sky and fence so long as that sponsor gets their airtime. I've been a hardcore fan for the better part of twenty years but i'm not sure I can stomach any more of this between now and TNT.
Pretty bad when DW has talked so much for four hours that his voice is hoarse, yet I don't recall more than a few minutes out of several hours of play by play from Mike Joy.
Sorry for the long post, I could summarize with a few colorful adjectives but this is a family friendly site.
Hopefully others can state what I'm thinking more eloquently but it really doesn't matter when it falls on deaf ears.
Thank god ESPN seems to have changed for the (much) better and godspeed TNT.
As far as Fox, i would say its been fun, but it hasn't.
JD:
You're right. WORST TV BROADCAST of a Sprint Cup race I've seen in a long time(even if I watched only part of it...).
The 2010 FOX season has simply become an extention of the 2009 ESPN broadcast season and, without the multitasking skills I've learned by following TDP for these past three years, the Dover race would have been over for me by lap 100.
Take the story of the RMS TITANIC: great ship, finest accomodations for 1912 afloat, most seasoned officers in the White Star Line in command. But after striking an iceberg it only took two hours and twenty minutes to be destroyed. FOX built up a reputation of superior TV broadcasts in the past few years but has allowed the 2010 season to destroy their viewership (or at least drive them away to other outlets like radio or the internet).
Just to be sure, after you ceased the liveblog, I devoted full attention to the FOX broadcast for 15 minutes. I didn't see a race but rather a disjointed jumble of single-car shots, tight shots and misplaced audio throughout that time. The postrace was okay as it usually is when given enough time for presentation, but the postrace segment should not be the outstanding segment of a five-hour race broadcast! Seems so far in 2010 I've been relying on the postrace shows on Sunday night to give me my visual recap of auto racing for what I've missed by viewing the FOX broadcasts.
Well, TNT and ESPN are coming and they couldn't be here fast enough! Starting to rain here in Dayton - thanks, FOX, for letting me get my outdoor chores done earlier...
Anon 5:11PM,
Happy to have any of your comments on the race coverage today. Not happy to have your remarks on others. If you would like to repost, please do so.
Every single fan has the right to an opinion. You are just one fan like all the rest of us my friend.
JD
Taking your comments on the NASCAR on FOX coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from Dover, DE.
While there weren't the spectacular crashes in this race vs yesterday's --- the ESPN team made it a point to show the battles on the track no matter where they were.
Dover is given to 2 types of races--- spectacular or boring as hell. I think we got the 2nd one today -- and that is not FOX's fault.
Wider camera work would have helped place cars in relationship to each other. At times, I felt as if I was watching qualifying.
JD
I am enlisting all of you guys to boycott these last few FOX races of the year.
WHO'S WITH ME!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with your "mercy killing"
of the blog earlier although I wasn't on line. I started watching the 88 car on Hot Pass.
For 12 laps all they showed was Juniors face shot. They did this
continually one at a time on the
other drivers. It was if they
could only monitor 3 drivers. I
guess that lack of quality is why
it is free on DirectTV.
Thanks for all your work in presenting this forum.
God I hope the All-Star is better, I believe since it is a SPEED product, that we will have racebuddy....
Sucks to feel this helpless.
David Hill doesn't give a damn about Nascar or its fans and neither do most of the ball sport production crew that does this annoying little Nascar job during their sport's offseason.
The biggest problem is that this is Fox and they don't care what anyone else thinks. This network was founded on being controversial, different, rebellious, edgy, and over-the-top bad. Hence the hiring of a man not fit to run a lemonade stand to run the network's sports was a natural fit. High quality programming where the network steps back and lets their sports shine in the spotlight doesn't fit Fox's egotistical model. Cartoon characters, intentionally non-funny and moronic "comedy" by a fat cable pusher, overbearing and egotistical on-air personalities with silly catchphrases and glowing hockey pucks on the other hand fit the model perfectly - they get Fox's names out there everywhere, and at the end of the day that's all they care about.
The Fox methodolgy is now rolling over to Speed as well. Was cancelling the network's longest running staple show - the Monday Night NASCAR recap show - at the expense of an amateur talent competition and a cooking show smart and justified when organizing programming for the die-hard car racing fan? Of course not!.. but again these decisions are so ridiculously over the top bad that they generate their desired effect - CONTROVERSY, DRAMA, EDGINESS, and FOX'S NAME IN BRIGHT LIGHTS.
The France family knew who they were getting in bed with when they signed this TV deal. Fox and now Speed will never ever ever ever ever change. The crown prince has only two options: stay with these egotistical clowns and let his sport sink, or move on right now and salvage his sport before it's too late.
The only things that are going to change at Fox/Speed next year are replacing Slice of Pizzi with the next evolution of mindless controversial slime, replacing Fast Track to Fame and Racing Chef with the next evolution of ridiculous controversial non-NASCAR programming, and possibly even the next step of headline grabbing controversy: a Dennis Miller / Tony Kornheiser / Rush Limbaugh-like addition to the on-air talent team.
Today I watched the Formula one and the tennis. I have less and less interest in watching Nascar as time goes on. Quite a change from the last four years.
Oh, I haven't heard from Vince in a long time. Hmmmmmmmmm Where could he be?
I didn't watch the race today per say. Had it on in the background & the few shots I saw were the same in-car, follow one car, show a bumper shots. Not many above shots. Never had the sound on-gave that up last wk. I'm praying the All Star race is better. I have NO intention of watching the Coke 600Mite listen some on the radio. I've had it w/Fox.
I had one eye on the race and one eye on the computer then watching a movie in between. I thought they did a good job of showing the races on the track instead of showing JJ riding around and around and around. Nice finish line summary list. Roll on to the All Star Race!
This is my local track, just 60 miles away. Been there many times and always have seen the seats full. Saw the expansion of the new highrise seat in turns 1, 2 and later in turns 3,4. Stopped going due to the parking issue. I am totally stunned at the lack of fans in the seats today. Last year a friend sent me live photo's from the race showing the empty seats and it was horrible. But, it compaires zero to the empty seats I saw today. Turn 3 - totally empty. Coming out of turn 2 totally empty. And, a lot of empty seats throughtout. This is telling of the TV broadcasts. The racing is the same. ESPN last two years during the Chase, and now Fox have botched this sport into a corner. Horrible coverage today. Absolutly horrific. Never knew what was going on. This hit home today, because this is a local track I've been to many many times.
Tough.
That is what David Hill would tell us.
Doesn't that say enough?
I have watched many friends on here disappear and it makes me quite sad, Stricklinfan82, Dot, Sophia disappeared, MV has been noticeably absent, Vince has been no where lately, this sucks.
And in 3 weeks, it should be upwards and onwards.
I will say, I feel for Mike Joy and the entire pit reporting crew, they are surrounded by characters. Completely manufactured characters. Waltrip, Meyers, Hammond, now even Larry Mac....all just characters on a television show now. Not a sport.
I think we have to seriously question the future of racing at Dover. Great track not a cookie cutter but John P is right the attendence was terrible. The Dover Group also owned Memphis which it closed up and Gateway and Nashville. They only hold Nationwide & Truck races which are poorly attended. Dover may be a takeover bid for Bruton Smith in the near future. Will lose at least one race for sure if that happens. The economy is affecting all tracks but this was unbelievable. The place is way overbuilt.
Not just Dover - 2010 has me questioning the long term future of NASCAR Racing. Seems like the overall fan interest (in person and on television) has dropped drastically. I don't think it's just the economy - if so folks would watch on TV at home. I don't care what type of spin or rosey outlook Sirius or television puts on it - IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD heading foreward.
I wasn't really paying attn to the race today but I think I noticed something... Myers did one of those "Race Sponsored by.." things when they usually have that stupid Digger thing or one of the other characters. But the animated thing wasn't there - the "sponsor" was Budweiser... Do they pay extra to NOT have the animation or is it one of AB's rules that it can't be there? It would have been one of the later commercial breaks because I missed the first 125 laps (and really wasn't watching the rest).
I didn't have a problem with the coverage today, and actually thought it better than the last week or two.
Don't understand how some people can judge given that I see you just gave up on it here by closing the blog.
I thought the guys did a good job today ... will hate to see FOX go, although I don't mind the TNT coverage.
I dread July when ESPN comes in...
I've given up. I was busy working on laptop w important emails & had race on in background for a bit with low volume. Then went in room with 52 inch tv with DVR running. after 15 minutes of VERTIGO/NAUSEA inducing useless camera work,clicked.off.race.
I needed to tend some things in the yard & did that. Since radio is only available online I was not taking my laptop outside & volume not loud enough while I work.
Then I realized I was wearing a Tony Stewart Tshirt but no longer cared about TRYING TO WATCH a NASCAR race. I will keep up on my drivers but let's face it folks. NASCAR is insulting/abusing the fan base.
I feel like if you love somebody but they treat you terribly, you break up with them. If they abuse you after you call things to their attention, again and again and drive you crazy with no POSITIVE FEEDBACK, you leave the relationship (Unless you like drama, I do NOT!) You realize you are a valuable human being and DESERVE BETTER.
Fans deserve better.
This is NOT due to any announcers, I love them all & the guys on pit road.
MY ROAD RAGE is the &^%$*#@ truck direction of what is Fox's "view of the race." It stinks to high heavens!
I've left NASCAR & will try back for TNT.
p.s.
Oh, we then watched Formula 1 race from this morning. MUCH more fun & if the camera work was lacking the SPEED guys mentioned it, though it's an International feed.
P.S.S. I am DELETING the RACE from DVR before TRYING to watch it due to Lousy camera work Fox
well said sophia
Anon 7:38PM,
How about telling us some of the things you liked about it? Your comments might help with our understanding of your perspective.
JD
Hi all, it's Vince. I haven't posted on here in quite a while, because frankly I was raised to follow the rule, "if ya can't say something nice about somebody, don't say anything at all." So I've tried to quit the FOX bashing. Believe me it's been hard.
I am really disappointed in Mike Joy. I have lost a lot of respect for him. I don't understand why he is letting DW and Larry Mac walk all over his PxP. Of course we don't know the whole story. I suspect this is all being orchestrated by the directors and producers in the truck. It's just a sad state of affairs right now.
As you guys have heard from me before, I went to my first NASCAR race in 1965 and have been a big fan ever since. I've sat through the desert heat to go to races at Riverside. Even hichhiked to get to my first race there in 1970. I've sat through bone numbing cold at the spring race in Atlanta. I've been a loyal fan for all these years, but this year has done it for me.
It started a few years ago when King Brian, the clueless, took over our sport. Then there was the trumped up Cha$e format and the COT, as in cup of turd car. Then there was ESPN's sorry coverage of the races and that clown that hosted NascarNow, you know who you are Erik. Now we have Fox. Starting out with the Three Stooges (with apologies to the real Three Stooges) in the Hollywood Hotel. That whole HH is an embarasment to the sport. Now this season we have a bozo named Prizzi or some such, who makes Meyers look like a rocket scientist. And then there are what someone so poetically called "the booth monkeys". I am one of the few who never though Fox was that great from the get go with the new contract. But I did like Mike Joy and his work and could tolerate Larry Mac, because he actually did know all of the technical stuff. But this season the whole Fox broadcast of the races has been a disjointed hot mess.
Soooo, I've still been watching the races, muted. And listening to MRN. But there have already been a few of races the races I've skipped altogether this year. Most notably Cali, LV and Texas. Just tracks that produce boring races, I think. I'm not going to sit and watch a boring race being directed by somebody who can't seem to stay on a camera shot for more than two seconds with out switching to another shot. The races have no flow any more. With all the in car shots, bumper cams, and tight shots; even an experienced viewer like me can't tell what the hell is going on.
I'm just trying to hang in there until TNT and Racebuddy get here. And I hope to god that ESPN has really got their act together for the Cup side of things later. I like what I'm seeing from Marty and Dr. Punch in their new roles so far. I hope they can keep up the good thing they have going for the Cha$e and don't revert to only following the script and showing us all JJ all the time like last year and the year before and.....you get it.
Sorry for the long post, but a couple of you were wondering what had happened to me (it's nice to actually be missed). And once again JD, thanks for having your blog and giving us fans a place to come.
I'm kind of glad I didn't watch this race, must have been really bad for a live blog closing before the race ended!
I've given up on Fox altogether. Listened to a hockey game.
I appreciate you taking the time to stop by Vince.
JD, you da man. Sorry I've been gone for so long. Just needed a break.
I just read through the live chat that you shut down halfway through the race. Sad....But I don't blame you or the other Planeteers for bailing.
Hope you don't give up on NASCAR or your blog. I've enjoyed it and have been with you from the start.
David
Saw your post..thanks for the mention of being one of missed ones here. :)
Just like I posted, aggravation of the UNBELIEVABLY bad camera work has done it for me as well.
When you find yourself DELETING a DVR race that you checked on a few times during the race but could not stomach due to IN CAR/ZOOM/Bumper Cam/Super tight shot mania, then read comments here or on Twitter, & still delete...well, it's kinda sad.
If I hear one more person from NASCAR say it's all about the fans & what they want, I will vomit.
Brian France & the other suits should be so proud (Insert sarcasm!)
I haven't posted in a while, but I wanted to let you know that you are not alone, JD.
The race today was boring, which sucks. It especially sucks because it was at Dover, which usually produces interesting races. Fox coverage was nothing out of the ordinary. I wish I could offer some positives about it, but nothing stands out. It's really not all their fault anyway.
NASCAR has a strategy of sacrificing the meat-and-potatoes for a big dessert. The Chase makes early races meaningless to the casual fan. And now the moronic triple-restart hooligan rule makes everybody ride around most of the time. If I were in charge of one of the broadcast partners, I wouldn't know what to do. How can you sell the early season races to companies, when all the hype surrounds the final 10?
I really hope NASCAR doesn't end up like CART, or worse, the current IndyCar series. But if you look at the History of American OWR, the same mistakes are being made, and the same corporate and fan apathy is taking hold.
As a business, the worst lesson you can teach folks is that they can live quite fine without your product.
Bon chance!
earl06
I watched 5 minutes of the race, that was enough of DW for me. He just so damn annoying I can't describe it. I have never been so disinterested in NASCAR in the past 20 years as I am now and it is all because of the crappy broadcasts.
Hi JD,
since i live only 15miles from the track. i really had to go and glad i did. looks like i watched a different race than what we see on fox. not at all times, but more often than not i knew more about the race than what was being seen on tv. when the 1 lost a tire/track bar i knew that almost as it happened. changed scanner to fox audio and it seemed to take forever. and oh yea, heard hammond explain for the who knows how times we heard before of what a track bar is. forgot what lap it was but the 43 was was just in the top 10 not a word was said. but when the 20 made the top 15, it sounded like he won the lottery.
when the 7(i am a robbygordon fan) was having handling problems, the scanner chatter from gordon was to funny, something like this car is wicked and it is trying to kill me. it was said in jest to the crew chief on the radio. did you hear it on fox? bet not. i say that because as some point in prerace or during the race i heard on the scanner the 88 driver and his fustration with his car. oh and the other thing i watched, the start and parks going in and out of the garage. it was sad, sort of like jockeying for the last position of the race. did you hear that on fox? i remember when the 37 hit pit road and went to the garage. i went to the audio of the fox team and heard dw mention how sad it was to see the car go to the garage. did the booth mention when he came back? i did not listen all the time. but the 37 was running at the end of the race and i think ran over 350 laps.
sorry for the ramble. but i guess i am saying it was nice to see a race and watch all the green flag racing and watch the racing in postions 11 thru 30 something.
JD,
Don't you think you're being a little harsh on Fox? I watched about 85% of the broadcast. It was far from stellar, but very much watchable in my opinion. The guys in the booth just didn't have that much to work for.
Radio has a huge advantage by being able to describe action without the audience really knowing what is going on with the pictures they convey.
Maybe Fox should try a tag-team approach of true PXP focused on the racing, and leave things out such as cut-away-cars that get very repetitive over time.
nice ramble, Lou.
The FOX affiliate in Oklahoma City cut away with five laps to go due to a tornado warning, and cut back just in time to show Busch taking the checkers.
Too bad FOX didn't pick up the OKC feed. It was better than most of this race.
I'm trying to decide if the boring race made the coverage awful or if the awful coverage made the race boring?
Guess its a chicken/egg thing..either way..NOT GOOD
Things I liked:
Mike Joy's piece about NASCAR in the northeast and how fans there like the sport. I liked that. Really well done.
Chris Myers interview with Rick Hendrick. Myers is really good at interviewing. He obviously takes it seriously. I wish we got more of this Myers then the one on the prerace set.
I thought Slice of Pizzi was pretty funny this week. It's stupid usually, but I liked this one, and the Talladega one. Usually it was garbage, this week I laughed.
The thing about the golf tournament. I liked the humor they got across between the competition among the announcers, but also the information provided about a good cause. Bravo.
The discussion about the Hall of Fame. DW is annoying, but something like the Hall of Fame and NASCAR's history really touches him, and you can see it on TV.
Actually the prerace on the whole was good, much better than usual. It had some weak points, but it was the strongest one of the year.
Showing all the cars cross the finish line. Wish they did that more often.
The postrace show. We need this every race.
Things I didn't like:
The overall race coverage. Way too many shots of one car. You couldn't get a feel for the race at all. It felt like watching qualifying, which a shot of one car and the announcers talking about just that one car.
Too many bumper shots.
Ignoring of stories. Did they ever talk about Allmendinger losing positions? Did they ever talk about a past champion (Bobby Labonte) being reduced to being a S&P this week? If so I missed it.
DW talking over Mike Joy. This is a common complaint, every week.
Not enough pit reports. There were things happening that really warranted them. I would have liked to have heard from the reporters what the strategy would be if there was a late caution, from what he was hearing on the radio. Nope.
Chris Myers on the prerace when he wasn't conducting the interview. Too many jokes. WTF was that when they were showing the standings, and he just kept promoting all of Fox shows?? Does he get paid by the promo? Goodness gratious.
Overall:
The prerace was by far the best this year. Good discussion, good features, good interviews, not too many pieces that were just big commercials (except the check to Denny Hamlin for the stupid head to head thing, but it was cool hearing Denny say what charities his money is going to). If Fox following this script more often, we wouldn't complain about the Hollywood Hotel near as mcuh.
The race was a disaster, maybe the worst one ever on Fox. Bad announcers, bad director. Other than Mike Joy and the pit reporters, and maybe the producer since I heard he is the same one TNT uses and TNT coverage is good, the whole race operation needs to be overhauled. But David Hill's head is stuck too far up his butt to do anything.
First, my step-daughter was hanging out with us. She watches Cup sometimes. Her comments were exactly what we "diehards" say. Single car shots, bumper cams, in car cams. No wide shots. And the kicker..."why can't they make TV feel like you are at the race"!! She has been to a race and said if you just watched on TV, you would think it is a boring sport.
Next. Since we are traveling by motorhome I had to use MRN, Nascar.com leader board and TDP (which sadly but understandably shut down before race end based on the comments I was reading).
Fortunately my connection (air card) held while traveling from Bakersfield through the Mojave desert! (Side note: at rv park the guy parked across from us had a street sign that said "Harvick Road"!)
My husband and I enjoyed the radio call. They sounded excited and gave a lot of information. Coupled with the leaderboard on nascar.com I was able to figure out what was going on. Something near impossible when watching FOX.
Don't know what is going on, but it is truly sad. We know it can be done, TNT did it last year, ESPN appears to have gotten "it". Not sure what Fox's problem is....oh yes I do, it's David Hill and "That's Entertainment".
Not sure if I can make it through 600 miles next week. Usually at the INDY500 and end up FF thru 600 because we are wiped out from the days events. It will be interesting being at home.
I feel bad for the fans who werent at the track. This might have been the least interesting of the Dover races I have attended (last years Spring was amazing) but there was good racing going on, Jimmie, Kyle, Kenseth and Others were having a pretty damn good fight at various points of the race. Sounds like you guys didnt get to see it.
Fox acts like we should be showering them with thanks and praise for allowing us to watch bits and pieces of racing between Digger dancing on screen with his camera and DW bantering.
I am not being disrespectful in anyway to southerners and midwestern fans but they tailor the broadcast to make it seem like you guys are too dumb to handle advanced concepts, and need to be reminded every week what wedge and two tires vs four tires do to a race car. You guys need to speak up and make them know that this would bore 2nd graders if given too much exposure too it. Dammit give us something interesting, why not explain to us what goes into the chassis of a race car for a concrete track versus an asphalt track. Or how half the field is using a Bristol(concrete car) and the other half are using an intermediate asphalt track car because of the dynamic that Dover provides interms of speed and short track style racing.
I missed Richmond on TV due to my cousins communion, but I kept up with the race on Twitter during the dinner and by the time I got home for the last 20 laps I was able to talk to a few friends online who said I knew as much if not more about what had happened up to that point because nothing was going on on TV.
Last week at Darlington David Ragan went into the pits under green from about 16th place(good showing for him considering how he runs usually) not one word from the booth and not one word the whole race about what happened to him. Like David Ragan like the guy I was sitting next to today at Dover? F--- you, DW has to say juking on the wheel and just a scoatch a few times more thats a bit more important.
I can go on and on and on..
Dont leave us JD!
Dover was yet another race where there were extremely brief glimpses of what once made Fox the best crew since the consolidation of the TV contracts. Every once in a while, there was that great bit of insight by Larry McReynolds spotting something that nobody else noticed...Jeff Hammond in the pre-race making a point that was both humorous and informative...Mike Joy guiding you through the action...and DW being just plain fun.
However, those moments each lasted mere seconds and I still left with a bad taste in my mouth. I noticed how Larry Mac said, "Krista Voda told me during the break" as I wondered why the pit reporters were still getting used so sparingly. I remember how Mike Joy said, "What a great camera angle" when they showed some great action from the blimp view and then never showed it again with the same effectiveness. I recall how DW actually began to tell some relevant stories about racing at Dover in the past before going back to his now usual routine of bandwagoning on chosen drivers, talking over everybody else both in the booth and in the Hollywood Hotel, and just generally saying nothing relevant.
Most of all I will remember this race for what happened afterward when I finally came in here and saw what I missed during the live blogging. For me, I have kind of had a date of 2012 in my head that I would hold on to after so many years of investment in watching NASCAR all the way back to 1970 when I was only five years old. With only two races to go with Fox at the helm, I can't see giving up now when relief is just around the corner.
Then again, as I have mentioned here before, I have a very small amount of amateur-level TV production under my belt plus actual professional radio experience. Over the whole time this blog has been open, I have wondered how a top-level person such as our esteemed Mr. Daly could watch what has been passing as sports telecasts -- shows that break every rule we were ever taught in college or by seasoned pros.
I hope that this is not the end. After all, we were successful in pushing both TNT and ESPN to make changes. Yes, it was a tough road but, with what has happened so far at ESPN this year, it seems to have been worth it. If we can get Time Warner (Turner) and Disney (ESPN) to change, NewsCorp (Fox) is not out of our grasp. Remember, it took three years to get ESPN to finally get in gear and it just might save the latter half of NASCAR's season.
Mr. Daly, I will respect any decision that you make as you have done more than any of us could have ever asked for. However, I will also say this...if we all give up now, David Hill wins and Digger does a little dance. I for one do not relish losing to a mangy rodent...nor a cartoon. >:-)
I was watching the race on and off, for the first time on HD. It looked like the cameras were a little pulled back, not enough, but it was better. Does HD do that? It looked like fox was trying to improve. Since I did not try to watch the race continuously, I was not as aggravated by it.
I didn't used to mind DW.
Until this week. His bandwagon calls are just unbelievable. Kyle Busch is the greatest driver ever--as long as he's challenging for the lead or has it. Otherwise, JJ is the best driver ever. Or it's whomever is leading this lap.
And it's true--he won't stop getting in Mike Joy's way
But even worse is the fact that we still don't get to SEE the race. What we hear about on MRN or even from Joy is not what we get to watch on TV.
That's the most frustrating thing about the way Fox handles NASCAR.
I bailed out around lap 125. Fox has no idea how to frame a race, both figuratively with a narrative and literally with the camera shots. Random bumper and driver cams add absolutely nothing to the viewing experience. Repeated cuts to individual cars don't tell us anything about the racing.
As I watched the Monaco GP earlier in the morning it struck me that if the Fox crew was covering it we would have never seen Alonso's charge from last place on the grid to a sixth place finish. We also would have never heard about how strategy made the move possible.
I really doubt if I will be able to handle the 600.
I think the coverage got better as the racing got better. We did see many battles for the lead, battles further back in the pack, and passes further back as well. They seemed to get to the action quickly when a tire got cut and had replays to show them all.
I think it's a shame that people are judging the broadcast by only the first portion. I understand that you weren't happy with it and chose to change channels. That's your right as the consumer. Personally, I was drawn into the race this week. To each his own I guess.
The closest analogy I can come up with also involves Fox. I'm a huge NHL fan. Hockey is one of those sports, much like racing where it is hard to get a feel of how fast things are actually happening unless you are there in person. When Fox had the glowing puck, I hated it. I thought that it was an insult to true hockey fans, and then I got over it. I didn't NOT watch the games because of the glowing puck. I watched and got over it. Eventually people realized it wasn't good (and it was probably costing a fortune) and they changed.
I think network television in any sport isn't about appealing to the hardcore fans. It's about appealing to the casual fans. You'll almost always get the hardcore fans. You need to draw in the casual fan in order to get a great number. That's why there's so much fluff associated with the Superbowl.
As far as complaining about all of the sponsored elements, it costs a lot of money to put on a television show. Look at the pictures of the TV compound JD has posted and you can see there's a lot of money invested there. It all has to be paid for somehow. The endless promos isn't exclusive to Fox, nor NASCAR. Every show does it nowadays. Next time you watch your favorite sitcom, look for brand placement. You'll see a Coke(r) bottle or can conveniently placed in the field of view. Recently on Big Bang Theory, there was a Fiji Water bottle on the table that one of the characters was drinking. I'm guessing Fiji backed out of a deal because it had been altered to be Biji water. Same unmistakable bottle however.
Overall, I think I would give Fox a C for the race- satisfactory. They didn't don anything spectacular, but from what I've heard/read from people who were at the race, it was a boring race. There were many parade laps, which gets me thinking - everyone said that the Truck race broadcast and the Nationwide race broadcast were much better. Is it possible that they were better because they were better races because they were shorter?
Over the past 10 years, the sport has changed dramatically. It went to incredible soaring attendance, and prices went up as demand went up. Maybe those casual fans that came by when NASCAR was hot realized they didn't like it, and stopped coming. That demand priced out people who are true fans, but realized the ticket price was more than they want to spend, then the economy downturn. Attendance is down for all sporting events over all. Think of how many times NFL teams had to get extensions for the blackout rules.
Speaking of blackout rules, do you think they'll ever come to NASCAR? Meaning if a race isn't sold out, it can't be broadcast in that home market.
I turned off Fox after 33 laps. This was The Worst "race Coverage" (alleged race coverage) I have ever endured. It ranked right there with the junk espn put out last year ( I turned them off too)
There are too many ways to get race info that Does Not involved enduring endless ramblings by DW or any Waltrip, or Wallace.
This weekend I saw the race thru MRN, & Trackpass & leaderboards. The view was better & did not give me vertigo, no in car cams to show a pass,no bumper cams no side car cams either. No having to see a pass 6 laps after it happens "live".
Fox has really sunk to a new low! WTH happened??
Anon 6:51 May 16 said "The place is way overbuilt."
You missed my point completly. This is my local track, been there many many times. Started in the bleachers on the backstretch, that are no longer there. They built a casino in there place. Even with the new high rise seats it was ALWAYS FULL until the last year or two. Dover has been one of the most supported tracks from the Delmarva Peninsula, Philadelphia, and Wilmingon regions. Until the broadcasting on TV from ESPN and FOX started hurting this sport that stadium was always full. The fans doing the "wave" was a blast. It went all the way around the track. When one section failed to do there part, there were tens of thounsands of fans booing them. They got it next time. Lol. But now, there are not enough fans to do it, or fill the seats. I don't want to hear a rebute that it's the economy. That's bullsomething at this point. If it was the economy, the TV ratings would be up. There not, there down. It's the broadcast. And until Nascar gets there promoters under control I fear Nascar has a rough road ahead of them. I personally never post during the race. Never have, never will. I don't like multi-tasking on my days off. I just got done reading the post from live coverage yesterday and learned more about the race before the post closed then I did the entire time I watched the race on Fox.
DewCrew88: I don't remember anyone
saying that the program was tailored for Southerners and Midwesterners. Could you please
advise where the TV indicated that.
I think they treat all race fans
as dummies.
I realize somewhere on the internet is a place to complain about every topic possible. But to 99% of the people who watched the Dover Sprint Cup race telecast, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
People may think the race itself was boring, that DW talks too much, or they only follow the leaders. But a majority of viewers don't get hung-up on the shot selection, the pit reporters usage, or any other nitpicking subjects.
It is obvious that many on this site go into each race simply looking for reasons to complain about each telecast. Or to give support to their own story-lines of Fox bad....ESPN good.
I've enjoyed this site for the NASCAR TV news that it does supply. But some of the subjective commentary I do take to task. I'm not saying Fox, Speed, ESPN, or TNT are perfect with their coverage and shows. But look at it from the perspective that the networks are trying to please the majority of fans. And not the very small percentage of the audience found here.
Greg,
Just so we are all on the same page.
I spent 2007 through 2009 being accused of having an axe to grind with ESPN. Fans, media and bloggers made up incredible stories about me and my former employer.
The reason people took shots at me was because they were helpless as fans to stop the horrible coverage of NASCAR themselves. They killed the messenger.
Now, the tables have turned. Media, fans and posters like you are saying I am in love with ESPN and hate FOX because of some personal agenda.
The bottom line is that we talk about the TV coverage of NASCAR on this site and I call them like I see them.
In order to start a discussion on a topic, I normally offer my opinion. On the day after every Sprint Cup Series race, I allow fans to post without any opinion from me starting the discussion.
When a sport is dying and 99% of the fans watch it on TV only, it's not very hard to put two and two together.
I respect your views but fundamentally disagree with your premise.
JD
I tried to watch. Really, I tried. Three times I came in from my yardwork to have a glass of tea and get interested enough to watch the race. It was just boring because I had no idea what was going on.
The first two times all I saw was a tight shot of cars coming off the corner, cutting to single cars going around by themselves. I gave it a few minutes, but couldn't stay tuned in to the action long enough to figure out what was going on.
The third time I tuned in there were two laps to go, and it was only a shot of Kyle going around and only DW Talking. I guess there was no other action at a sprint cup .
I remember when I used to sit in church wondering how I could get all my chores in before the green flag dropped.
My lawn looks fantastic this year for some reason.
Gave up on the race by lap 140. Walked away with no regrets. First time ever.
I will say, the race could have been boring - the Richmond race certainly was a snoozer from the stands - but golly Miss Molly. How much worse could the broadcast get?
When the most interesting thing that happened is my husband's speculation about why DW and Larry Mac wear their ties too long and hanging in their laps, it's time to turn off the TV.
saltsburgtojanfan, I think I'm with you on that. I'm definitely skipping the 600!
As a huge Blackhawks fan it was a no-brainer on which to watch. When I did switch over to Fox to see how my fantasy drivers were doing, there was a commercial on, so it didn't matter anyway. After listening to the hockey announcer, it is just amazing how bad the race announcing is. I suspect the race guys do NO homework, except for boning up on BS to feed the small audience. If Fox had three pit road folks, the broadcast would be more interesting. The booth monkeys are useless.
JohnP - I have to agree with your comment. I from south Jersey so this is my Local track, too. Attendance has fallen off a lot and I don't think you can blame all of it on the economy either.
I've said to several friends that the reason a lot of people have lost interest in NASCAR is because the TV presentation is terrible.
If the only thing you'd ever seen was a Fox broadcast from this year or ESPN's broadcast from last year, you wouldn't have seen what makes racing fun and why would you spend $$$ to go to a race?
To get and keep the casual fan, they need to present the races on TV with some continuity and I don't believe they need to dumb it down for new fans. If Fox was showing the races like they did in 2001, it would still have my attention. It's only been since the "new" contract, that it has become so darned unwatchable.
"When a sport is dying and 99% of the fans watch it on TV only, it's not very hard to put two and two together." -JD
Using your statement above, does that mean the sport is dying because people only tune in to see how the races are broadcast? With the actual sporting competition secondary to the manner in which it is presented.
I understand this is a NASCAR TV site, so it is going to cast a critical eye to the presentation of the product. But whatever tv technical issues are discussed in this forum are not the overwhelming reasoning behind a drop in the sports popularity.
I say this with all due respect, just as a point-counterpoint type discussion.
Greg,
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
The role of the NASCAR TV networks is to allow the viewers at home to watch the same thing the fans in the stands are watching.
This is the simple motto that most effectively speaks to the struggles of FOX.
Instead of stepping back and viewing the race as fans, FOX this season has allowed its own network agenda to take over the coverage of the Sprint Cup Series.
At Dover, fans watched SPEED produce the truck series race and then ESPN produce the Nationwide Series event.
Both of those telecasts were completely different from the FOX production of the Cup Series.
Fans saw wideshots of the straights, with the corners framed to keep all the cars in the screen. In-car cams were used once the field strung out and the stories of the race were allowed to unfold.
The FOX agenda is to push in-car cameras and tight single or double shots of cars as the baseline of the telecast. Quickly, the TV viewer loses any perspective of who is where or what is going on in the pack.
FOX jumps from one tight shot to another while the announcers patiently explain what viewers are seeing on TV as opposed to calling the race in the traditional style.
It wasn't always this way. FOX used to be the gold standard in NASCAR TV coverage.
Mike Joy was once tops in play-by-play, now he is a tired man with little interest in fighting off the endless babbling of Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds.
A while back, FOX just decided to show only the winning car cross the finish line. They wanted drama, so they showed wives, crew chiefs and pit crew members jumping around. They purposefully eliminated showing all the cars finishing on the lead lap. They did this because they could.
It took us two years to shame FOX into showing the lead lap cars finishing. Once at Bristol, the tight pack fighting for 2nd through 7th contained Junior, Tony, JPM, Harvick and others.
When FOX only showed the winner cross the line and refused to replay the finish, I got over 500 emails in 15 minutes. This problem is not new from FOX.
Just as the cable TV exposure for the sport from TNN, ESPN and TBS helped it grow, the struggles of the current NASCAR TV partners have driven fans away.
Now with more technology-driven sports media choices than ever before, assuming that fans would just watch the Cup races and take what they are given has proven to be a huge mistake.
TV is important, the fans are informed and the level of information transmitted by TV needs to outshine the Internet, radio and social media.
Thanks,
JD
hmmmm. We are just now noticing the directing? The direction has always been the same folks.The camera guys are basically the same. D W has become a bit bolder,but maybe Mike Joy is just tired.Period. Anybody think of that? And I don't recall that they have ever utilized the pit reporters as much as they should perhaps.I guess what I'm saying is,what has really changed,because I don't think it is the broadcast. Chris Meyers does the same silly stuff he has always done. And I remember the first time I paid attention to him on football. A truly gifted announcer and reporter. But that is not his job on the pre race show. Hammond is under utilized. But how has this changed from day one? I think the best improvement/addition to the show is Krista Voda. She never ceases to impress me. And she ,like all of the announcers,is genuinely nice and interested in what is good for the show. I think the moral of the story is very few shows are gonna stay on top forever. And yes it is a "show" And no,I do not think the average race fan cares much about the content. But,this blog is not for the "average race fan" It is prob Espn's time to shine for a while. I would just say to the Execs at Fox and David Hill, be careful what you wish for. It might be a lot worse before it's better. And Arty, I think you have the biggest,most beautiful heart of any director I know. I will watch whatever you want to put on the air!!
@ybyry - A casual fan isn't watching a race like Dover. Daytona, Talladega, Indy and maybe the 600 but not the other races. Fox, ESPN and TNT have to appeal to the race fan for ratings. ESPN/ABC figured this out finally last year and made significant changes during the winter. That's why only three races will be on ABC this season, all Saturday night races when ratings are next to nothing for the networks and ESPN can get better ratings with college football.
@Greg- You should have been here from the beginning when we were under constant attack from employees of ESPN trolling the comments because JD and the vast majority of us were critical of the product coming out of Bristol. Same thing when TNT put on the most inept broadcasts since NBC's last season during their first year. Go back and read the Sonoma race if you want to see outrage.
TNT changed dramatically after that season and ESPN is showing the same hints with their Nationwide coverage. We hope that the Cup product will follow. We also hope Fox takes note of how much their show sucks right now and makes the same kind of changes.
I have read this blog since it's inception and while I agree that each of the networks has at times presented the product very poorly, I also feel like some of the races are at times less than compelling..and yes...boring.
To me the Richmond and Dover races were quite dull. Now I realize you might say it's because they were presented so horribly on tv. Well, I use Raceview so I'm only partially watching the tv. And sometimes lap after lap of green flag racing gets tiring.
Am I calling for lots of wrecks and cautions? I don't know honestly. Just something that will make it more exciting again.
My 12 yr old son used to watch it with me from green to checkers. Now he still does, but mostly out of the corner of his eye while he's racing in Nascar 09 on the PS3with his friends online.
GinaV24. Sorry, I forgot South Jersey attending Dover in a big way. (When you gonna let us pump our own dang gas? Gets me in trouble every time I go there. Lol) I'll also add to the markets mentioned earlier. Baltimore, Washington DC and Norfolk/Hampton Roads.
Anon 1:29PM,
I appreciate your kind words. Just so we are on the same page:
Putting 43 cars at speed on a track is never boring. What part of this spectacle the TV networks decide to show to the viewers can make it boring in a snap.
Nose-to-tail racing for position, pit strategy and the unfolding stories should be all a TV network needs to deliver a compelling telecast of a NASCAR race.
IMHO, what FOX wants is be served a menu by NASCAR that fits their needs. That equation is completely backwards.
Use the pit reporters to find the stories, go behind the scenes to update us on teams off the track or struggling. Follow the top teams who are at the back of the pack on a particular day.
Over and over again, we say the same thing. Fans do not change their favorite driver on a race by race basis. Leading or running in 30th, they stick by their man.
Fans of Tony Stewart, JPM and Dale Jr. deserve just as much of an update and just as much of the TV attention as the drivers who happened to be leading at Dover. It's just that simple.
JD
Just another in the endless failures of Fox! How under the name of heaven can anybody in their right might want to listen to "jabber jaws" and his 2 parrots.
Fox makes me wanna vomit when I see those 3 stooges on the tube!
RIP Fox ...cuz I'm done with ya!!
I think one of the worst things, is they were trying to create action and there just wasn't any. Yesterday's race was a green flag race with hardly any action. They don't need to orchestrate stuff. Us fans, we know what a green flag race means and we're okay with that. But that doesn't mean we want to see a camera shot of the leader the whole time. Yes he has a 5 sec. lead. Okay. But On a mile track, you can bet there is someone passing someone. If that someone is Menard and Robby Gordon, well let's watch it! Don't make stuff up, just show us what's going on!
JohnP -- absolutely south Jersey is part of the Dover demographic. We talked to folks who had driven up from Virginia for the race -- I'm sorry that they wasted their time on a snoozer.
I am with you on being able to pump my own gas. I lived in Atl for 4 years and sometimes I still forget I'm not "allowed".
wow yeah that was a crappy race, I always watch 80 to 100% of the race but today i'd say I watched about 40& and it stunk! Fox come on guys, 2 races ago you sucked, last race you showed many signs of improvment but then you give us this crap???? Oh well maybe the 600 will be a better race cause fox seems to be on one race, off another
51 year fan
I know its not said to be tailored to southerners and midwesterners but DW and everyone in the booth make up words and jokes like herp herp juking on the wheel and digger and his hillbilly mechanic crew and his hillbilly looking girlfriend are all designed for those demographics.
I hope you dont think I am being disrespectful to these people but fox is certainly doing it because they would rather do digger promos than show how amazing it is that 43 drivers strap themselves into 900+hp death traps to do 170mph+ with no guarantee of coming home in one piece or even alive!
It aggravates me on the same level as people who say Dale Jr doesnt care, he sure as hell does he has more money than we can count at this point, if he didnt care he could have hung it up 5 year ago, but he continues to strap himself in every week knowing he might not come home like his father in 2001.
Okay, Dover might have been "boring" but coming out of that race there were a TON of stories FOX could have followed. What about the Brian Vickers fans watching Casey Mears wheel his car to a 23rd place finish? Regan Smith in an independent ride 24th? Dale Jr struggling, pitting under green only to find nothing was wrong, then be utterly dejected saying nothing has changed in 2 years after the race? The point is the race and the broadcast should expand beyond the typical 4-6 cars FOX wants you to see. If you aren't driving for Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick or are Matt Kenseth/Carl Edwards/Greg Biffle, good luck getting a blurb about you. Tony Stewart completely struggled a couple weeks ago in Richmond, did FOX go get a quote after the race?
I know there are time restrictions after a race so maybe that isn't possible, but your broadcast window gives you so much more freedom than FOX is willing to utilize to find stories and make the race compelling to a wider majority of fans. To say it appeals to casual fans therefore that is why they show JJ, Gordon, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, and Edwards is making a dangerous generalization. I too was a causal fan at one point and guess what driver I found myself liking right away? Terry Labonte, boy if he was doing what he did in the mid 90's in this era of broadcasting I'd have no idea who he was or why he was in the field.
Even your points leader gets overlooked. He came from 30th! You only heard about him when he cracked the top 10. So we missed him passing TWENTY cars before we heard or saw anything. Even in a boring race, watching someone pass 20 cars is much more interesting than random tight shots and focusing on a small percentage of the field.
I can handle all the promo garbage and even to an extent DW being DW if I could SEE what was happening at the track. but when I'm going from Dinger's front bumper to Kahne's roof to a zoomed tight shot of Jeff Gordon's right front fender off 2 to the bumper of Jeff Burton, I start to lose interest. You can't get a feel for the race or even who is coming or going because things are changing too quickly. It would be like trying to watch an NFL game from a sideline camera with random switches to a lineman's helmet cam then a football cam, to an endzone cam. How can you really properly follow the play if the camera keeps changing every 2 seconds?
I'm not saying this because I hate FOX or have an agenda, I say this because I love NASCAR and I would like to see a race instead of a television show.
Hopefully we will be saying much much better things when TNT comes around. 2 years in a row FOX has fallen short of our expectations for them, and it seems to be getting worse.
I was at the race, and while not the best race I've seen there (this was, I think, my fourth) it was still pretty good. People need to remember, not every race is going to have a tight finish, not even back in the 'golden' days. I never thought TV would forget to cover some of the top names in the sport though. I saw what happened to Jamie Mac and I even wondered 'I wonder if TV will even show it?' The sparse crowd was a surprise. This was my first spring race, but I've seen it taper off since my first fall race too. It should be noted that the race was several weeks earlier than usual; might have had some effect. I have to say though...as much as I agree with the comments on lousy coverage (on races I've been home for), I don't know about TV being a cause for the popularity falling off. Maybe a small contributor, but I think the sport had an almost unnatural rise for a bit there, and then people just tired of it. But TV coverage's effects would be subtle and hard to figure out, I guess. I just would have to be convinced in some way.
JohnP...that NJ gas thing drives me insane. Not that I mind having someone pump it...I just don't get why...
I've been a NASCAR fan since the 1960's (and still am) and I still enjoy FOX and the booth crew. However, maybe because for so many years I was used to listening to the races on the radio, I seldom can sit and just watch a full race- I'm reading something while listening or up doing something while listening.
In light of the economy, I do wonder whether there has been some change in key personnel or reduction in staffing behind the camera that might have contributed to changes in the way the booth broadcasts the race. It is clear that reduced commercial buys has a far bigger impact on FOX than on EESPN.
You can appreciate how bad this coverage has gotten until you see the tributes to the Hall of Fame Inductees and compare the coverage of today vs then. It was obvious the announcers were not the SHOW and they spoke English. How can they spend two minutes thinking up a scenario and then as it unfolds they cut to another shot. I realize you can't always have the action live, but should you feel you are interrupting DW to comment on the action?
Of course things could be worse. We could be watching races tape delayed like the Mizlou days
sbtf,
That is a great point of reference.
Today's NASCAR TV has to compete with all the various computer, cell phone and other cable TV applications that also surround the sport.
Unlike the old days, where the TV and the radio were the only games in town, fans know instantly when something is on tape delay, when TV is faking that something is live or even when sounds are being inserted that are not really happening. (Green flag anyone?)
From the Dover truck race to the NASCAR banquet, the expectations of the fans have simply been driven by the available technology.
Seems ironic that the new NASCAR Media Group HQ in Charlotte is written up in all kinds of tech magazines for the fancy equipment and here we are unable to get the FOX Director to show more than one or two cars on the track.
JD
JD, I continue to wonder whether the constantly changing views is a misplaced attempt to cater to the computer-game generation with constant motion - OR, geez, look at all these buttons I can and must push?
Dover was interesting because you got to see 3 races covered by 3 different networks and media teams. I thought SPEED did the best with Truck, ESPN was good with NNS, and Fox did the least with Cup race. I thought all 3 races were of average action. I liked the prerace ok (Pizzi: The End) and was very satisfied with the Cup post race coverage. Glad they heard us about that! Now, if only Fox could just study the other 2 telecasts and compare this year to last year. I understand there's different advertising agendas right now, but as a fan I'm looking for a more consistent TV product across the 3 series, which I would think would be a big goal on NASCAR's radar too. Ultimately, I'm looking for a harmonious uniform mesh of TV & internet resources for all NASCAR race coverage, but that isn't possible until current contracts run out. Reading these comments, I just wonder how patient fans are going to be til we get there.
I follow other sports besides NASCAR. They are ALL in trouble, if measured according to TV ratings & attendance as compared to previous years. I DO think the majority of this trouble is economy-related, not declining interest, and that is my opinion. I think the way TV viewing is measured is totally outdated, and to continue to rely on those numbers is action detrimental to the sport.
I've been in it this long, and seen a bunch. No stupid TV coverage is going to drive me away from ANY of my fave sports, especially not NASCAR. Especially when I can choose how to follow it.
What happened to the "crank it up" segments?? I've only noticed one of these per race in the last two races. I really like the crank it up segments. I think there should be crank it up segments at every restart, or at least every 2nd or 3rd restart. Just for a minute or two, that's all I ask.
so from reading this blog the past few years...the biggest thing i can take away from this is that this blog is only happy when they bash said network...first it was espn (as the blog boss has written numerous times) and now it is fox...
i agree there are some savvy fans on these boards and are quite entertaining to read
as for dover...not sure how you can make a race better when for most of the race there are only 10-13 cars on the lead lap...when you can start and park a car and cash about 80,000...what's it matter finishing 8th from 15th?
and also..i am a big fan of the in car cams, i think it gives an incredible view of the race, and i do not buy the notion fans get confused from too many of them. i am in the philosophy of watching a race to see who wins the race...afterall that used to be the point in this sport
The race AND the coverage was terrible, but I'm not surprised. I've been listening on MRN for some time now, and I think its time to simply turn off the TV. Anything involving a Waltrip hukster is going to go badly if you're a real fan. Unfortunately, the NA$CAR media thinks that having a Waltrip involved is a necessary part of any NA$CAR racing program.
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