ESPN on ABC: Busch Series - Atlanta

My ESPN contacts tell me that Brent Musburger is regarded as a confusing presence on the NASCAR Busch Series trail. Supposedly, Musburger was taking the "Jack Whitaker" style role of a seasoned veteran "show host." Unfortunately, as viewers of the IndyCar Series discovered, Musburger is not experienced at motorsports, and his awkward attempts at humor rely on his knowledge of stick-and-ball college and professional sports.

The Busch Series Race in Atlanta was no different. Musburger could not get through the top five rows of the starting grid. He made obtuse and over-blown comments a la Keith Jackson when specific details just do not come to mind. Musburger tried to reference Saint Patrick's day by calling Brad Daugherty Irish, and then ultimately managed an awkward throw to the broadcast team to call the race. Several members of the crew called him "Brett" once again.

Who is watching this nonsense at ESPN? If this was Major League Baseball, these problems would be addressed immediately. Let's face facts. Brent Musburger, Chris Fowler, and Brad Daugherty have absolutely no business being behind the microphone of a NASCAR race. Their opening lines and the thirty minute pre-race show are amateurish at best until the pros stop by.

ESPN made the incredible mistake of seating guest commentator Ray Evernham next to Mr. Daugherty. Then, they asked both to comment on the same topics. Mr. Daugherty should have just taken a sharp stick to the eye. Evernham contradicted Daugherty with details and facts over-and-over again. The pre-race show had even the most casual fan asking "why is that tall guy there?" Musburger, Fowler, and Daugherty cannot stop talking about college sports and often reference that day's college games on other networks. It would be nice if they had any knowledge about the event they were assigned to cover.

ESPN finally has a solid broadcast crew in place, with Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree bringing viewers a nice combination of personalities and knowledge. The pit road reporters are solid, and the directing is first rate. What a shame that surrounding this outstanding performance are the Three Musburgateers. Isn't there a UNC vs. Duke game somewhere for them to cover?

NASCAR Now: ESPN2's Dismal Failure

Since the Daytona editions of NASCAR Now, I have chronicled the daily comings-and-goings of this ESPN2 series. While not replacing RPM2Nite, the NASCAR Now series provides the only daily television platform nationwide for NASCAR racing. Racing information is also available on the internet, through publications, and on both network and satellite radio. It is only fair then, that NASCAR Now should be compared with these other sources.

Unfortunately, for the wonderful sports network where I spent ten years of my life, the studio efforts in regard to NASCAR have been a dismal failure. On the message boards and racing forums nationwide, NASCAR Now has been dismissed as a joke produced by a network obsessed with stick-and-ball sports.

ESPN had a reporter assigned to Barry Bonds, and then tried to produce a reality show about him...on the same network at the same time. NASCAR fans get Brad Daugherty posing as a NASCAR expert because of his "experience." As Brent Musburger once said on-air about Daugherty, "he used to own a part of a Busch Series team that actually won a race." For those of us in the know, the only race that counts to ESPN is contained in the color of Mr. Daugherty's skin.

ESPN has over twenty full-time reporters assigned to Major League Baseball spring training. NASCAR fans get Around The Horn loudmouth Tim Cowlishaw doing his best "Mr. Obvious" impression as he shoots from the hip and denegrates a new NASCAR target with each and every appearance.

ESPN SportsCenter prides itself on showing the highlights of almost every college basketball game televised on the weekend. NASCAR fans get a snippet of the Craftsman Truck Series and absolutely no regional NASCAR action because "those races" are not on ESPN/ABC. Not one regional racing highlight has been shown since the inception of the show...that is far beyond pitiful for the millions of fans of the NASCAR Regional Racing Series.

ESPN Gameday has experts coming out of the woodwork to comment on every aspect of the game, the strategy, and the players. NASCAR fans get a radio talk show host standing alone in the studio. When experts pop-up on camera, they answer scripted questions and then go away in a flash before they can disrupt the teleprompter speed or commercial timing. No free-flowing conversation is allowed on this program...ever. Especially, if it is about NASCAR racing.

Finally, ESPN's other studio shows have fun. They relay a feeling about the sport they cover that is enthusiastic and positive. Both Erik Kuselias and Doug Banks are dour men with New England dispositions. There is no laughter, no smiling, no small talk for the guests, and no free-flowing conversation.

For NASCAR fans, watching NASCAR Now has become like going to the dentist. You know its not going to be a pleasant experience long before it happens, but you also know there is no other choice. To find out if anything is going on you need to be aware of, its time to sit in the chair and take the pain.

NASCAR Now: As The Host Turns

Earlier this week, a fresh face appeared as the host of NASCAR Now, ESPN's daily racing show. It was Doug Banks, a current radio DJ with a long history of success in both the hip hop and urban communities. Mr. Banks never mentioned Erik Kuselias, who had hosted this program since the series began in Daytona Beach in February. ESPN had apparently seen fit to make a change.

Today, without so much as a word about Mr. Banks, who appears to host the show but Erik Kuselias once again. Both Mr. Banks and Mr. Kuselias have referred to themselves individually as the "host" of this series, and both have press releases saying they are "the" series host. Viewers need either an explanation...or a scorecard.

Mr. Kuselias went right back to his sports talk radio form and tried to intimidate Chad Knaus in a harsh and non-smiling interview. Unfortunately for Mr. Kuselias, former radio hosts do not match up well with NASCAR championship crew chiefs, who make their living on pressure-packed decisions in a live event on national television. Kuselias went on to try and put Tim Brewer and DJ Copp, both expert analysts, on the spot as well. Neither one took the bait, and Kuselias was left frustrated once again. It seems he cannot imagine a sport where most folks cooperate, and there is very little anger and ugliness. Major League Baseball, this is not.

Kuselias was left with only veteran driver Jack Sprague as his final interview, and it was clear the wheels had come off Kuselias' interview train. Here are some wonderful samples:

• Kuselias: "Why are the trucks so competitive?"


• Sprague: "Erik, they have been competitive for a long time."


• Kuselias: "Plenty of former Cup driver are racing Trucks...how come?"


• Sprague: "Its fun."


• Kuselias:"250 starts...up there...tops...what does it mean to you?"


• Sprague: "The Truck Series is my career."

Kuselias struggled through a ridiculous segment where drivers were somehow "picked" against each other in the next race simply because ESPN landed a sponsor for this feature. I guess this segment excludes things like cut tires, accidents, and mechanical failures. ESPN2 is off-track with the harsh sports talk mannerisms of Kuselias contrasting with the polite and charming manners of his NASCAR analysts and guests. As I have mentioned before, its like watching two completely detached groups come together for thirty minutes while they are forced to make a television show.