ESPN's "NASCAR Now" Gets Lost In Translation

Quite possibly, it was the story of the year so far on the NASCAR landscape. ESPN Insider Terry Blount showed-up with breaking news that perhaps JR Motorsports was going to get a new driver...and that it might be Dale Earnhardt Junior. Blount indicated that perhaps Junior would leave DEI, bypass other teams, and move his own JR Motorsports operation up to the NEXTEL Cup level. Wow! Even in theory, this is a huge story.

For host Doug Banks and NASCAR Now, this story would require live on-air flexibility, open conversation with the NASCAR Now reporters, and a scramble for more information and interviews. What a great story to have dropped in your lap on a "slow news" Wednesday. This would be a great test of ESPN2's new daily show, and serve to set-up the news conference to be carried live on the network the next day. NASCAR Now's response to this breaking news situation was simple...just don't mention it again. Pretend it did not happen...and that is exactly what they did. The network that showcases SportsCenter, ESPN News, Gameday, and Emmy Award winning news coverage chose to "bail."

Banks returned immediately to the scripted program, and left NASCAR fans staring at the TV with open mouths and in complete shock. NASCAR Now moved on to "confront" Kasey Kahne about "standing by" his comments that David Stremme was fat. This was the story that followed the Junior bombshell by Terry Blount. Kasey says David is fat. That called for NASCAR "expert" Brad Daugherty to speak in completely pedestrian terms about what every fan already knew, tough season so far for Kasey. Did we mention Junior might leave DEI? Oh wait, Kasey says David is fat.

SPEED Channel's Inside NEXTEL Cup panelist Greg Biffle then stopped by on the phone to answer scripted questions from a host who knows nothing about the sport. It was horrible. Doug Banks just says "all right" when anyone ends their response, and then moves on to the next scripted question. Not only does it make things stiff, but it often makes things hilarious when the person being interviewed goes "off track." Banks is helpless, and it shows through. He never asked Biffle about Junior or the breaking news.

Incredibly, Daugherty then came back to comment on Biffle as if he himself had never been there. Nothing that Daugherty spoke about was brought up by Banks in the interview. Why didn't Banks ask Biffle the questions that Daugherty raised? Why didn't Daugherty interview Biffle? What is going on here? Did we mention Junior might leave DEI? Did you know that Kasey called David fat?

Terry Blount returned at last to update this breaking story. Well, maybe not. After yet another feature on the fact that Hendrick has won the COT races, Blount was only asked scripted questions and allowed to only address the COT problems. Incredible. Banks then stumbled into the commercial promising a preview of Darlington. Did we mention that Junior might leave DEI? Did we mention that this was a story NASCAR Now was obsessed with for months before this? Why didn't Brad interview Biffle? Did we mention Kasey says David is fat?

Banks then updated the Darlington Busch field, Mark Martin's status, and then tried to return to the breaking news. But, he did not know what to say. He got the time of the press conference and the location correct, but could not add anything about the actual "content" of this breaking story. Terry Blount was no where to be seen. The show simply ended...just like that. One could almost feel Banks letting out a deep breath and saying "that was a tough one."

With all the resources of the world's leader in sports television, perhaps the budget could have allowed a cell phone call to Marty Smith for some background. Shannon Spake could also have filled in some details, or provided some background on the JR Motorsports operation. As viewers remember, both Marty and Shannon were on-scene for the new JR Motorsports facility opening ceremonies last week. By the way, they were on-scene reporting for ESPN...and this show.

Sometimes, words just cannot describe the bi-polar disfunction of this mess called NASCAR Now. Fans were patient through February, bothered in March, and amused in April. Now, in May, ESPN has a full-blown disaster on their hands.

No matter what it took, including going live with ESPN News, bringing in the experts on-the-fly to be interviewed, or making any kind of last second arrangements, this story should have been the theme of the entire thirty minutes. The reporters, analysts, and experts should have been on the phone, on the liveshot, and in the studio to address this breaking news. No matter what it took, the "Worldwide Leader In Sports" should have been there for NASCAR fans. And they "bailed." Did we mention that Kasey called David fat?

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The Sad State of "Inside NEXTEL Cup" On SPEED

Nothing is more painful for me to write about than the slow death of a show that used to be a staple of my TV viewing habits. Series can climb the popularity hill one season, only to be led directly into the depths the next. This is the case with the former all-star NASCAR performer Inside NEXTEL Cup on SPEED Channel.

The Daly Planet has documented the changes in management and on-air talent that affected this program series, but this past week's edition of the show elicited nothing but sadness about what is, and anger about what could have been.

The first chair on this show has been occupied by only one man. But, once again, Kenny Schrader did not make the field for this week's Cup race. His pain was evident and palpable to veteran viewers of the show. Someone who at the height of his career was mentioned with the likes of Harry Gant, Bill Elliott, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. now finds himself pushing inferior equipment in a sport filled with Jeff Gordon clones and young "hot shoes" with big attitudes. He is a vanishing breed, that will not come again. His wit and wisdom will be missed when he steps aside.

In the second chair sits "the disaster." The problems that have befallen Michael Waltrip this year are only made more "real" by his Monday presence on Inside NEXTEL Cup. Its easy to see him in a thirty second "sound bite" on the news talking about next week, or the future. Its easy to forget about him when the race starts and the action on the track heats up. Unfortunately, its impossible to deny reality when he is forced to comment for a solid hour on the very sport that has forsaken him with absolutely no mercy. The memories of Daytona victory and the DEI glory days pale in comparison with his current life. It is all made even worse by the many SPEED TV programs in which he is featured...or used to be.

In the third chair sits the ghost of Johnny Benson. No one has ever come close to replacing the "person" that viewers came to know and love. The "replacements" may have been driving in Cup, they may have been on big teams, and they may have even won some races. But, they have never erased the personality that meshed so well with the dry wit of Schrader and the over-the-top lifestyle of Waltrip. This season, Greg Biffle sits in the third chair and answers scripted questions from the host without emotion or laughter. The ghost of Johnny Benson continues to haunt this set.

In the host chair sits the loneliest man in North America. Dave Despain has been universally blamed for "ruining" this show, hating NASCAR, and almost anything else that fans can think of. A veteran announcer in a true no-win situation, Despain once had WindTunnel on live every night and was the "Larry King" of SPEED. Then, management left racing and skewed to the hip-hop "NOPI" culture, the "reality" entertainment genre, and an endless string of poorly conceived NASCAR "theme" shows. WindTunnel was traded for Pinks, Unique Whips, and NASCAR Nation. Former all-star Despain was traded to Inside NEXTEL Cup. Roger Clemens had been sent to The Toledo Mud Hens.

The entire dynamic of a straight-laced Alan Bestwick trying to control three rowdy NASCAR drivers and one guest made this show a "can't miss" for fans. Once, Michael Waltrip was water-cooler gossip for all the right reasons. Fans held out hope that Schrader might win one more before his career was over. Benson held his head high despite losing his Cup ride and sliding to the Truck Series. Then, SPEED released Bestwick and Benson in mid-season.

There were no goodbyes, no video tributes for the years of hard work, and no explanation other than Bestwick saying thank you and so long. The brutal reality of the television business had been placed front-and-center for SPEED viewers, and they did not like it. Now, several years later, Despain carries on like a man with no where else to go, and the show has become meaningless. Race highlights that have already been seen, comments that have already been made, and drivers who were not even in the race. No guests, no fun, and no chemistry.

As the 2007 season hits May, there are no changes on the horizon for Inside NEXTEL Cup. Despain and company will carry-on with a formula created by a senior executive who is no longer even with the network. SPEED is seemingly unable to acknowledge that things are in a total tailspin, and a new pilot and a new course are needed before a very big accident. With the recent changes in senior management at SPEED, perhaps there will be some pro-active work done to try and restore this former "franchise" program series to its original standing. It can't get any worse.

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Readers: Tell Us About Fox Network Problems On Sunday

Emails have been pouring in to The Daly Planet about local Fox TV affiliates leaving the NASCAR NEXTEL race from Richmond on Sunday. Some people have mentioned baseball, while others have talked about local programming and even some infomercials.

If you lived in an area where the race was disrupted by your local Fox Affiliate, please use our COMMENTS section below to leave us information on what station left, and what programming they left the race to show.

There has been no mention in the national press or Jayski.com of any TV station leaving the race intentionally to show other programming. Thanks again to all our loyal readers for being on-the-ball with NASCAR TV issues.