This case is going to require a lot of talking to unravel. Talking is what Darrell Waltrip does a lot during the FOX telecasts. One minute Denny Hamlin is the favorite, but the next he has a feeling this could be a big night for Mark Martin.
There is only one person who can out-talk DW. Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson came from Georgia and wound-up in Los Angeles leading the LAPD's Major Crimes Division. Once she got you in a room there was little doubt you were eventually going to spill your guts. She could out-talk anyone on the planet until they pleaded for mercy. She is "The Closer."
Friday night SPEED telecast the Nationwide Series race from Richmond. The cameras showed the track, the racing and followed the stories. Saturday night FOX produced the Sprint Cup Series race. The cameras showed one or two cars mixed with endless in-car camera views. Two different networks, two different telecasts...same track.
Chris Myers is back in fool mode and that is a shame. The pre-race show was goofy and filled with awkward laughter. That was mixed with what Waltrip passed off as serious thoughts. His "Revved up" segment this week was him yelling at fans that hated the fake "lovebug" two-car racing at Talladega. Waltrip made it clear if you were a real fan, you better like it.
In the background of the outdoor pre-race, fans were standing. Four of the fans held up signs. Two said "NASCAR on FOX" and the other two said "FOX Sports." The signs were identical.
Jeff Hammond continues to try and be the voice of reason between Myers and Waltrip. Hammond was banished to the Hollywood Hotel once the race was underway and was never a presence. Despite the long periods of silence during the actual racing, Hammond did not have a place in the telecast.
Mike Joy sounds defeated. His energetic calls of NASCAR races seem to be in the past. Whether that is what the new FOX management told him to do or he is just tired of the overpowering Waltrip persona, the energy is gone. Rick Allen on SPEED Friday night was head and shoulders above Joy and that is certainly a changing of the guard.
Digger is back and is now in 3-D. In the race, it obscured a replay of a questionable accident that brought out a very questionable caution flag and then was in animation mode during a spin on the track. It was a tough night for Digger.
As we have mentioned in the past, as the race winds down the pit reporters fade into the background. There was so much more information that should have been provided, especially during long green flag runs. FOX has the most experienced pit road team and the least utilized. There was never a field rundown in the event.
Aerial shots were repeatedly used as replays to solve the issue of who hit who. They were replays because the FOX director refused to use this video source live. It was the one angle that allowed racing throughout the field to be shown at one time. It was rejected for the entire three hour telecast.
This was a continuation of the production style of NASCAR on FOX this season and clearly something that the network feels good about. FOX has been in the sport for ten seasons and won national Sports Emmy awards for NASCAR telecast productions. All of this proves that TV is subjective and we all have our views on what we would like to see.
We invite your post-race comments on the NASCAR on FOX telecast of the Sprint Cup Series race from Richmond. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
57 comments:
My take on the race coverage:
Fox, I am disappoint.
HUGE error in giving DW a contract extension.
Had to listen on the radio, but KyBu won on 60th birthday of Sr.
Life could get better, but I do not know no how.
Great coverage tonight. I think Fox has finally begun to listen. They did pretty well on Martinsvile as well, I think their style is better suited to short tracks.
I'm happy that they've gotten Darrell to talk less. He still talks without thinking too often but at least there's some quiet time.
I'd hoped the finish would be better after that tight racing farther back but you can't have everything.
First 200 laps was the usual FOX garbage. Rather than covering the race, the producer covered what he wanted to. Didn't waste my time watching the other 200. I could go on and explain, but I'll just leave with, how long until TNT returns?
Well, I recently recieved the gift of Sirius for a birthday present. Not my first go round with them. I listend to Dale Jr's channel with the radio broadcast in the background. There was never a boring moment in this race. A great race especially towards the end. I feel a great sense of despair when I read the live blog. I know it shouldn't be like this but If you listened to the radio broadcast with the TV muted you would enjoy these races a lot more than now. Its not fair, but its the best way to enjoy a race.
Before this season I was looking forward to the FOX broadcasts. I was never a DW hater either. I never had a problem with camera shots before, except for rodent cam. Thats all changed over the course of this year. Ive grown tired of Mike Joy, which is a shame cause he used to be the best in the business. He's getting old and its getting time to put someone young and energetic in his place. Larry Mac will probably be fired, because management hates him aparently. DW talks from green to checker and everything he says is either wrong or completely off topic. They miss restarts, miss most of the crashes, put a pizza hut box in the middle of the screen on the restarts they dont miss, they have the rodent turning off fans as they come back from break. What a complete mess and failure. Its not quite ESPN bad, but its heading down that road. TNT is only 6 weeks away.
Not a bad post race.
Come on now people,it was also hard for me to find a compliment for Fox's broadcast,
And one more thing. For the love of god ZOOM OUT!!!!!!!!
unlike don, the little i watched tonight was appalling. factual errors continue, cheerleading instead of calling a race, quality pit reporters who just fade away when needed the most, no sense of what actually happened in the race unless one was interested in the 18 and 11.
continued poor camera shots: too tight, too many in-cars, too few overhead shots to give perspective. fox relies on their ability to key up replays: what should be a fallback mechanism for when the truck misses an event has become the preferred style of broadcasting.
the ending was so bereft of energy that it made me tired to try and listen to it. i was tempted to mute but kept hoping that someone would inject some energy into the effort.
and now, post race, the booth team seems more energized than during the race. perhaps, like me, they're just so glad this long dark night of torment is over.
I agree - Fox's coverage of the ... er... the post-race was ok.
Each week I come here and read the same opinion of the race coverage, which is 100% wrong. FOX has the best coverage of the race and I wish they covered the race for the entire season. FOX does everything write and have very entertaining announcers on the broadcast. I dont know what you have against FOX coverage, but if you dont like it, it's not that hard to change the channel.
I thought the camera coverage was OK. My problem was the three guys in the booth. A 3/4 mile track is not the place for a lot of chit chat. There were many stories on the track thgat the three announcers were oblivious to. The pit reporters were horribly underutilized. Perhaps the the guys think the race producyion is about THEM as opposed to reporting what's happening. I could go on. I wasn't the least bit impressed with DW,Larry and Mike
Way too much Waltrip the past two nights. I actually fell asleep watching the N'wide race last night. But what I did watch was like two different teams in the booth. The Walltripps and Rick Allen. It almost sounded like he ignored 90% of what the other two guys talked about. But I do know when I was awake it was constant chatter. The Walltripps don't let a second go by without yammering about something.
Tonight was horrible. Ole DW makes so many bad calls. Every time there is a spin or something he yells out 'big wreck' or something. I agree. Mike Joy is just calling it in. LM is just there. Faux is a big mess and the idiots running the ship don't see it.
@Don: I am afraid I must disagree with your sentiments.
I can accept the hyper-tight camera focus, Darrell Waltrip's overexaggerations, the limited focus on the race leaders, and even the everpresent on-screen adventures of an animated gopher...however, it is unacceptable to continually not report information on the track.
Fox continues to fail in delivering the very basics of a race broadcast. As the primary means for those not at a track to view a race, the television coverage MUST at the very minimum provide the viewer basic information on running order, cars with problems, cars behind the wall, the car that recieves the free pass on restarts, cars that are pitting, etc.
I would prefer a singular race annoucer spewing forth such relevant data in a monotone voice with no color comentary than a telecast of consisting only of "commentary" that consistently misses the presentation of race basics.
It is shameful that in order to "watch" a race I must have my computer next to me at all times with, at minimum, the NASCAR.com leaderboard and a continuously refreshed Twitter feed open.
But to at least end with a positive note: FOX attempted to provide at-the-line results coming to the checkered flag (Unfortunately, this too failed to simply deliver the entire rundown with a consistent camera shot)
It was good to see FOX bring that drop-down graphic at the checkered flag to the Cup Series for the second race in a row. Post-race was more than I expected given they were already past the end of their broadcast window when the race ended. I thought Myers was more serious than usual and Joy was energetic throughout the race.
As for DW, maybe it is time we drop the "Jaws" nickname and start calling him "The Kite". After all, his opinion changes every time the wind blows.
I dvr'd the race but deleted it. I was watching an EXCITING baseball game (Reds) and you actually see the entire field.
HOWEVER, it is FoxSports so they over zoom a lot on the players which stinks..on the pitcher, we used to see the whole body as they prepare...now just face or upper half until the pitch but I wildly digress.
During commercials "Tried" the race but I knew better. Then I read comments here so DELETED. I did catch 5 minutes of post race & heard there was an incident with Newman & Montoya. Will catch follow up on twitter.
When does TNT start? I hope they are as good as they've been the last few years.
Then, and ONLY THEN, will I return to watching NASCAR.
It's sad in a way but then again, I don't miss screaming & griping about the horrid tight cams/in car stuff.
Fox & NASCAR do not care what anybody thinks about the telecasts! I tried to tell them in the fake "NASCAR FAN COUNCIL" survey but they quit sending it to me due to poor reviews....course I never watched the races except for about 10 laps on CUP/NW so.....
:(
Awesome coverage. Great view of the race. Intelligent commentary!
Ok, I admit it. I actually went to the race and didn't have to listen to the monkeys in the booth or watch a bumper cam for the umpteenth time.
It's the only cure I'm afraid.
I used to look forward to the FOX broadcasts, now I'm of the opinion, I don't know which one sucks more. Fox or ESPN.
This is some of the most dis-jointed coverage of Nascar racing I've seen. I can usually tolerate DW, but now he's off the hook. Yabba dabbing about much of nothing. Read my lips, the 11 & 20 aren't swapping crew chiefs. Shut up already.!
I'm not real sure what Mike Joy was watching when the fuel spill in Robbie Gordon's pit box caught fire. He insisted it was a spark from a lug nut. Could he not see all the tire marbles burning as they fell from the wheel wells? I'm thinking ol Mike might be burned out or just gives up because DW won't shut up. Then Larry Mac Reynold's is almost non existent.
Guess that's what BZF gets for selling off all but his sole for the media contract.
This is not helping NASCAR's rating, and if they think an NFL strike will help their cause, only in the short run.
It's really a damn shame what NASCAR has become.
It simply amazes me how a network like FOX can butcher race coverage.
I'm guessing here, but I'm thinking the race wasn't all that much. At the beginning of the broadcast, the place was close to full. By the end, it appeared about half had left already.
I understand traffic and drunks, but you'd be surprised how many fans wait it out in the parking lot, grilling and chilling until the place clears out. Sometimes that's better than the race. Lotta good folks these NASCAR fans.
@Ancient Racer: Forgive me, but Dale Earnhardt (and I refuse to use Sr. as he never called himself that) was born on April 29th.
And to tell the truth, I only paid half attention to the misbegotten coverage that FOX called a race. I was playing Farmville on Facebook.
I watched half and listened to the other half on the radio and let me tell you, MRN is like night and day over the Fox telecast. I am sick and tired of DW and agree that Mike Joy has either given up or is just tired. Friday night was much better and think that Rick Allen is the only one that can reign a Waltrip right now and I too cannot wait for TNT.
I used to watch a race glued to the TV set. Could barely leave even for bathroom breaks. Of course, back then I knew what was happening all over the track, not just with the top 2 or 3 cars. No one in the booth was reading the minds of the drivers and crew chiefs. I was informed as to what was happening with most of the cars on the track. I find the Fox 'coverage' leaves me disinterested. Now, I find myself flipping to other channels, trying to find something more interesting and entertaining than the drivel that passes for race coverage. I keep thinking that the racing these days is boring, but I realize that's unfair. I can only judge by what I'm allowed to see on TV. What Fox is showing is boring...no matter what is happening on the track.
I put my money where my mouth is...
I didn't waste my time watching the race and didn't even follow it on twitter.
I read this morning that Kyle Busch won.
Ho hum.
FOX's Richmond race presentation was about as stale as a bag of crackers left open on the kitchen counter overnight. It kind of sucked the spit out of your mouth and left you thirsty for something to help wash out all the tastelessness.
Pitiful.
Seemed like more of the Fox sameol sameol......DW blabbers...Digger annoys....Myers, well, is Myers...Joy calls it in... the cameras continue to pick out nose hairs thru the helmets...passes happen in commercials or when the commercial fills the screen...pit reporter get to leave the track for home early....."Mr 5-Time" gets used ad naseum...."Junebug" "Kabee" and the rest are all having their best runs of the year....I got called yesterday afternoon and asked if I wanted to sub in a mixed bowling league, wonder if they will need someone next week?
As usual very poor post race. We don't want to hear from talking heads. We want to hear from drivers, crew chiefs, and owners. No David Ragan interview? Best finish in 2 years and a top 5 finish. Why?
If this broadcast did not enforce the fact that FOX and SPEED are different, nothing will. Speed keeps a handle on DW, FOX lets him run wild! The camera coverage was like night and day. Although I did catch a restart with four wide racing, must have been an error. The pit reporters, who do great work are forgotten after halfway, but then if they got a chance to speak, DW would be off air, and since he is the face of NASCAR we can not have that. When and what will it take for NASCAR to finally draw a line and say enough.
You people will never be satisfied. I don't know what it is that you don't like, but it's something other than the race coverage. You're not happy unless you're miserable.
Unlike the superspeedway races, FOX did not spend the entire race on tight shots with only two cars. You complain that FOX ignores the pit reporters, then blame FOX for reporting a broken stud instead of a missing lugnut.
There's little need for overhead shots. They're not a natural spectator viewpoint and you can't determine the cars without a 50" screen. Restarts are a good place to use them.
The in-cars are helpful on a short track but generally useless on a bigger track. There are fewer now than at the beginning of the season. There is never a need to see the driver and I find the rear bumper cam to be ineffective, but their use doesn't kill the entire race for me.
DW likes to hear himself talk but he's been doing better. Should have it right by the time Fox's run ends and I'll have to relearn next year. I wish he wasn't there, but there's always radio for when I get fed up.
You're getting NASCAR free. Every single race. No matter how badly they do, it's better than relying on tomorrow's newspaper or paying through the nose for some obscure channel that you watch for four hours a week.
Don,
Let's be fair. Friday's race on SPEED from the same track with basically the same number of cars and much less competition on the track was produced much better.
Overhead shots, prior to FOX, used to be key to viewing and were especially important on restarts. That is why FOX had to use them over and over again for replays when they were burned by missing an incident on a tight shot or in-car cam.
FOX is the final remaining over the air broadcaster of NASCAR. Expect that to change in the next TV contract. Every single other NASCAR race is on cable TV, for which we all pay a stiff monthly fee.
DW is at retirement age, does not live in Charlotte, does not know the younger drivers and has never raced a COT car in his life.
Your view is welcome, but trying to tell others what to think or that they are wrong is not. We all have opinions and this is the place to express them.
Thanks,
JD
Friday night on Speed was an enjoyable broadcast but Saturday night was another disaster by Fox. Friday was simple coverage and it covered "THE RACE". Saturday on Fox was a circus that was annoying with a race in the background.
I use a DVR to watch the races and by using a DVR it is very simple to rewind and look over what FOx is doing to these races. It's despicable. It's a disaster, it's annoying, it's disjointed, its lacking any coherent flow.
DVR the damn race and see it for yourself. Rewind it and check their work. Fox isn't providing good race coverage. They are providing something else, but I don't know what to call it!
I listen to the radio instead of watching Fox. I am a 30 year fan of Nascar racing. The Fox and ESPN
coverage is insulting.
JD, Re: Waltrip retiring. Many of us remember he did the same thing as a driver, taking many dollars from Western Auto as an owner-driver while riding around at the rear of the cup races after he took his "Past Champion's provisional" to get in a race. I predict he will do the same thing over again, not retiring until the money runs out. What I will never be able to decipher is where these people giving him the extended contracts come from. (Mars?)
Planet...
To say Mike Joy is just going thru the motion is just flat wrong...watch the race again and when they went 4-wide and see if there is any excitement...and people keep saying that the broadcast misses stories on the track...well what are they? What headline, note, nugget or fact did you miss when you turned off the TV last night...other than a wider camera shot?
and where is the credit for catching the Jeff Gordon wreck LIVE? if you love it so much and you miss it so much because of tight coverage, seems to me you might have mentioned it in the recap?
Just wondering. It's your blog and your opinions but for people like me who work in the TV business it makes me wonder what the real motive is?
Once again watched Directv HotPass. Even when things were somewhat spreadout there was always some action somewhere. Can also watch line driver is taking to gain on cars ahead and make passes. Much more interesting than...
With FOX in the second window I mostly saw 1 to 2 cars, same drivers over and over.
Hope folks check out our comments on the NNS race Friday night. 2 of the same guys in booth, DW & LM. Very positive comments. So how can we just be "haters"?
As Sophia would say: Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
I DVR'd the race, it was really nice here so we went out - that would have been unthinkable on my part a few years ago. I watched with fast forward the first 120 or so laps & erased the rest. What I saw was the usual DW Fox Digger junk, and I will not waste my time.
Thanks JD, you are a stand up guy and much appreciated! Overhead shots were what tv coverage gave the fan at home when dinosaurs roamed the planet. Before all the gimick shots of today. I must be old fashion, but I feel that is more interesting to watch than Digger!
anon 12:14PM,
Where ya been? We have been here for every TV race since the new TV contract began in 2007.
The purpose of this blog is to track what the NASCAR TV partners are delivering to the fans in terms of content.
If you missed it, FOX showed only the winner of the past races until last night, when they hopped back and forth between in-car of the winner and the finish line like a hyperactive child.
What do you think brought on that change?
Waltrip is out to lunch. Rick Allen kept him on a short leash Friday night and never let him get rolling. Joy stepped out of the way once again and the telecast was just an old man rambling on about things he no longer knows and people with whom he has no relationship.
NASCAR on FOX has some of the most talented TV people in the business and yet is a disaster on the air once the green flag flies.
If you were even a casual NASCAR fan you had NO IDEA of what happened in this event. No field rundowns, rarely info on wave-arounds and awful replays of questionable caution flags. Debris anyone?
This telecast should have featured an energetic and informative call from Mike Joy with short bursts of info from DW and Lary Mac.
Instead, it continues to be the Darrell Waltrip show and this is killing the sport. Killing it.
Finally, you are admitting that the coverage is so bad you need credit for catching one wreck in a big pack live on FOX? Thanks for making my point.
NASCAR TV network cannot come soon enough. They should have just bought SPEED when they had the chance!
JD
I can't comment on the coverage because I decided to vote with my remote and simply didn't watch. I had plans with friends for Saturday night and Ienjoyed my evening very much.
I may try this more often.
Last night, just before the lap 265 restart, DW said the 48 should have taken the wave around. Later on, he would say again the 48 should have taken the wave around(re: the lap 265 restart). Only problem was the 48 wasn't eligible for the wave around;I.E. two lead lap cars (17,00) were between the 48 and the pace car.This was obvious to anyone watching the race.DW is a 3 time champion cup driver but is unaware of how the wave around rule works.He joins a growing list that includes ESPN's Marty Reid and, sad to say, even Barney Hall of MRN. Nascar is the only sport I know where ignorance of the rule book is no impediment to employment as an announcer.
Mr Editor -
Let me first touch on the good things about last night's FOX telecast - neighborhood minister delivering invocation; Marine Corps band proudly delivering the national anthem; on-time flyover.
That's it ...tried to stick it out, but gave up on lap 252 and hit the sack ...can't speak to PXP or analysts(?) comments because I chose MRN over FOX ...I've been to 20+ races at Fairgrounds Raceway, Richmond Raceway, Richmond International Raceway and other titles ...always some of the most exciting racing in NASCAR ...the drivers say that across the board ...it wasn't shown last night ...in-car shots, two-car shots ...replays to cover on-track action is inexcusable ...what a treat to watch SPEED's effort on NW Friday and what a disgrace on FOX Saturday ...FOX's production team ruined a good race
Walter
Didn't watch the race, the whole mess doesn't deserve my attention, or any of your good people's time either. " hyperactive child " I laughed so hard at all of your posts tonight Planet people, good points from everyone. Now I did spend some time today (Sunday) watching the IZOD race, good stuff even when it's raining cats and dogs, and they are driving the cars around the track to try to dry it. That entertained me, so I watched, funny how that works. Hats off to JD and all Planet People.
I just finished watching the race off of my DVR. I would really like to stick to MRN and PRN for the remainder of the Fox portion of the schedule but my local affiliate does not broadcast Cup races when they run on Saturday nights.
Richmond has been one of my favorite tracks to watch for many years so I had hoped actually watching it would not be all that painful. I was oh so wrong.
I am so upset right now that I don't know where to begin and wonder if rehashing any of it is even worth the time today. However, I do know where to end...after having believed that Fox had learned its lesson over Digger, he sure seemed to make a big comeback last night.
This is not a sports telecast. It is a boring yap-fest showing cars driving around as if they were going down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena on New Year's Day for the Tournament of Roses Parade. There's no perspective, no drama, no information, and no follow-up...just mindless commentary and disjointed pictures.
For me, it is starting to get to the point where even commiserating with everybody here on The Daly Planet cannot make it palatable. Richmond was so bad that I didn't even mind the problems experienced by the Fox affiliate in Los Angeles as it at least made something notable happen on my screen.
Except for posts about side issues, I'm probably out of here until TNT takes over. Right now, I just don't see much point when Fox is obviously not going to change and, worse yet, regress back to over-using Digger. I am tired of feeling cheated out of getting to see a race by Fox.
Some guy just left me a nasty comment that included the question of if I get paid "to write crap about NASCAR."
Let's make sure we are on the same page. NASCAR on FOX is a production of News Corp, a multinational media corporation.
FOX has no connection to NASCAR and may not be in the sport after 2014 with NBC nosing around for TV rights.
It's hard for me to fathom how anyone could take anything away from my columns except for the demand for FOX to step-up the presentation of the race on TV to the actual level of the racing.
As many fans have said, there was another outlet for the event. Simply listening to Sirius or MRN told the story of a whole different race.
There was stats, rundowns, information before restarts and excitement throughout the event from start to finish.
There are plenty of other blogs and websites that take on a variety of NASCAR issues. We talk about TV, some online media and the topics that are connected to them.
Hope that helps folks who just seem to not get it. If this was a great race on TV the compliments would be flying. Just wish that were the case.
JD
@Don......Youre incorrect I dont get Fox for free. I pay a bill to Comcast every month.I choose to do that. I could get it for free if I chose to do so. You make it sound like because its not on pay per view that I should just accept what ever they give me becuase Im not sending them a check for the weekend. I also buy products from the sponsors that advertise during the race. I choose to do that as well.It is all part of the entertainment dollar Don, if what Im getting for my dollar does make me happy I move on,in this case, I can comment on what I see, after all, I paid for it.
Would it do any good to write to the sponsors of the telecasts and let them know you won't buy their 'stuff' if the telecasts don't get better?
I watched on DirectTV Hot Pass last
evening. It is a little more
tolerable, although the Fox feed
overpowers the drivers/cchiefs most
of the time. One would think that if people tune in to drivers they
want to hear their communications
and not air filling babble.
I really believe that Fox is
filling us with DW to help him
make the HOF. It's called in the
sales business "perfuming the pig". Can't you hear him being introduced on Fox as the only HOF announcer on TV?
I was at the track, and except for the rain delay Thursday night, the racing was wonderful. Last spring it was much more boring, and I let the Planateers know that no TV coverage could have made it more exciting. Last night was a barn burner.
The grandstands weren't packed, and we met a bunch of people who bought tickets dirt cheap (like $23) online at groupon.com and livingsocial.com. They were people who had never been to a race, knew nothing about NASCAR, and just decided to give it try. Hope they became fans after that great race.
BTW, Reutimann is a really nice guy. Met him at the trailer.
way to delete my comment dude, why dont you do that for all the terrible ones
To be honest, I HATE the field rundowns as during the whole segment, the only car in focus is the one being talked about. As if we didn't get enough useless panning on cars running by themselves by the useless race director on FOX. There's so much action you can see in the corner of your screen that those dolts just keep missing out on to show the clean air parade out front.
I managed to turn to Victory Lane during the hockey commercials to hear Kenny W say "look at those jam-packed stands" as a reason NASCAR is what it is. Later some of the TV shots clearly showed they were anything but that. Wonder what race he watched, or maybe he meant they were jam-packed compared to his Nationwide race. Strange indeed!
Anon 6:20 -- I believe that writing to the companies that sponsor the ads does have an effect. I contacted Coca Cola a few years ago when there was an issue. The person I spoke to said they had no control over X because it was a NASCAR issue. I laughed and asked -- do you pay them money? She said yes and I said, then you need to tell them that the fans who buy your products are NOT happy. IMO, it had an effect because the Powerade nonsense in VL stopped shortly thereafter.
I do think that contacting the PR depts of the products is a way to effect the TV broadcast -- ad money drives the train.
Though I have tried, I have felt my NASCAR interest waning more and more as a result of the FOX broadcasts over the years.
I turned the channel for good yesterday when they had green flag pit stops and FOX refused to even show ONE FULL STOP....they slammed the camera shot from care to car to car.... so there was no persepctive whatsoever. The final nail in the coffin was when they switched to an in-car camera while one car was jacked up - and absolutely nothing was visible.
It's an affront to the viewer, and after all this time NASCAR has basically lost me because of the FOX broadcasts.
Additionally, I have tried and tried, but the time they are away at commercials is just too much. I understand they need to sell that many in order to recoup the exhorbitant fee they paid for the rights, but if people switch away because there are too many, then those sponsors lose out completely.
The bottom line is that there is no aspect of race presentation that I can take anymore.
Saturday night I did what you all should've done. I went to my local short track and watched the rednecks beat and bump for four hours! Summer is too short to spend Saturday nights plopped down in front of the TV.
And we got home in time to watch KB show em how it's done!
This week's race made it apparent Fox wants DW to be "the guy" when it comes to everything, including pit stragedy. Larry Mac has always been the master of pit stragedy for both Fox and TNT. Even Jeff Hammond would chime in with some comments. But not this year. McReynolds usually offers nothing and Hammond is only there for a few comments as to what's already happended, no comments as to what could happen.
Lifted this from Sports Media Watch web site:
Even without competition from the NBA Playoffs, Saturday's NASCAR race on FOX could only match last year's near-record low in the metered markets.
FOX earned a 3.4 overnight rating for Saturday's Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400, flat compared to the same race last year (3.4), and down 8% from 2009 (3.7).
This marks the lowest overnight for NASCAR's spring Richmond race since the event moved to FOX in 2007.
Saturday's race ranks as the lowest rated of the season in the metered markets.
In addition, the 3.4 is tied as the second-lowest overnight ever for a NASCAR race on FOX, ahead of only the 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 (3.3).
@kosoho
get sirius radio, best thing ever, despite being about 12 seconds behind the tv, but, it's working from a signal produced in D.C. (the nascar radio signal orginates at the washington DC building, the formal XM headquarters)to a 4000lb peice of equipment in space, back down to your radio, so the delay makes sense.
In our area the FOX feed was horrible - our satellite provider couldn't even get the audio & video feed to come through so they didn't show it left a "sorry for the inconvenience" message on the screen all night. Had to rely on the HD TV antennea and it would cut out and freeze up. Really hard to follow the race.
Getting tired of DW - hard to believe he has been around NASCAR for so many years. Half the time I question if he is watching the same race. And really don't like his nicknames for some of the drivers. Some are extremely childish.
daly said: If you were even a casual NASCAR fan you had NO IDEA of what happened in this event. No field rundowns, rarely info on wave-arounds and awful replays of questionable caution flags. Debris anyone?
you're saying a casual fan cares about wave arounds? critiques replay's and wonders where the debris is? i do not agree...casual fans care about two things...who's leading and who's won...just look at the rating numbers as the race enters it's final laps...that's when the "casual" viewer comes on
Daly said: Instead, it continues to be the Darrell Waltrip show and this is killing the sport. Killing it.
Did John Madden kill the NFL? Seems to me you either love him or hate him...and sadly it's the vocal minority who we hear the most that hate him...same people, same lines, same opinions, week after week, race after race
Daly said: Finally, you are admitting that the coverage is so bad you need credit for catching one wreck in a big pack live on FOX? Thanks for making my point
It's called being a real journalists...if you critique something week in and week out and hammer it home to your parrots...then it's stands to reason you would mention or document said event when it happens...let me ask you this...does a wreck happen on the same turn the radio reporter is on each time LIVE? Of course not, because it's LIVE and there is always an amount of LUCK involved in that when there are 43 cars out there
basically in my mind...the sport peaked on the death of a legend...it continued to grow, continued to rake in the $$$ and was due for a down fall once viewers realized about 10 guys out of 43 can win races or hell, let's be honest are even relevant in races...which leads you to...casual fans tuning in at end of race...and hard core fans complaining about lack of coverage for brian lally
not to get in a pissing match...but if you have a TV blog...i would hope some TV guys are allowed to voice their opinions
thanks
Anon,
Let's work this backwards. First of all, I started this TV blog to cover the activity of the NASCAR TV partners when the new contract began in 2007. Not a dime has changed hands, there are no ads and I have no agenda.
I find it hard to swallow that you are trying to compare John Madden to Darrell Waltrip. Madden's strength was his ability to analyze the action on the field. Waltrip has long since departed from meaningful information on replays and instead has twised the telecasts into extended personal storytelling. He masks this by saying he is a fan and invested in the sport. We all know exactly what he is currently invested in. That is Darrell Waltrip.
I don't know if you were around three years ago when NASCAR set up the entire year to bring in the casual fan. They discovered what we have been saying since 2007. There might be new fans, but there have never been casual fans. They do not exist. NASCAR found this out and quickly returned to catering to the hardcore audience.
Fundamentals like setting the line-up before restarts is done on SPEED, MRN, PRN and even old Marty Reid tries on ESPN races. Getting accurate information to fans before the action resumes is mandatory, not optional. Your suggestion that fans do not care about this is simply ridiculous.
I value your opinion and appreciate you taking the time to offer it, but simply by comparing the SPEED and FOX telecasts from Richmond you can see the glaring differences in these areas.
Thanks,
JD
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