(ɥʇıʍ ƃuoɹʍ sı ʇɐɥʍ) - ESPN's NASCAR Coverage

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Thank you all for reading my posts.

Sorry, I am so late in posting this, due to my dialysis treatments

To begin with; I consistently watch sports, read newspapers, and read several blogs, to keep up to date with breaking news but not limited to sports. But lets get real... This is a blog about sports; specifically NASCAR racing. The outrageous behavior, format and the total lack of respect to the viewer’s intelligence, by ESPN Sports broadcasts has prompted me to write this opinionated blog. I had what I thought was respect for ESPN..... But that was shattered Monday afternoon. ESPN is not alone with their trend to alienate their sporting broadcast viewers. TNT & FOX are running a close second in the race to lose their viewer confidence. But the focus here is ESPN’s coverage of Sunday’s Sox/Yankees Game and Monday's Watkins Glen, NASCAR's cup race rained out on Sunday..

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8/9/09
I was disappointed that the race was called. Seeing I’m from Boston, I decided to watch the Red Sox v Yankees baseball game that aired also on ESPN.

I was watching the Red Sox v Yankees game on ESPN. I always felt there was something amiss with the format. Let me explain; I live not far from Boston and in true loyal fan form I root for the home team. BOS and NY have been rivals since the early years of Pro Baseball. So it is an important to me amongst many die-hard Sox fans to watch and get a good perspective of the game at hand. Somehow the coverage was leaning towards a history of Luis and his ability to add a colorful spin on players and not on the game at hand. Both teams have been in the World Championship arena on several occasions; was this not a game that needed some expert play-by-play coverage? Quickly I lost interest so I decided to go on Tweetdeck and search “Red Sox”, “Yankees”, & “ESPN” to watch some info about the game. To my surprise I found, I was not the only one bugged by ESPN. WOW!! There was an active chat especially about ESPN across all three searches. Other than several tweeters covering the game; there was a tremendous amount of animosity regarding ESPN’s Sports coverage. I quickly lost interest in the game and just watched the ESPN search and let the tweets roll past. There was a good deal of anger present. I’m not much of a conversationalist so I grabbed a beer, I lay back, and continued to watch the chat and gave no input. My anger; or was it disappointment, was building. It’s the tweets that really prompted me to voice my opinion. OH… I finished listening to the Sox game on the radio.

8/10/09
Monday’s race was here. I verbally wished for a dry day. It was here and I know everyone was psyched. The HELUVA GOOD! at The Glen was at bay. The green flag was waving and the race was underway. Maybe my expectation of ESPN race coverage was too high, but where was the live action we were all so accustomed?? Where were the cameras when there was a spinout, bump or a pass?? The cameras were stuck in the bumpers. You guys missed so much action that given an extra 50 laps of green flag, you could not have replayed what you missed. There were too many commercials and technical/mechanical data on screen. Where was the racing?? I think maybe MRN had a better view of the race! ESPN certainly were not watching the same race as I was. By my view there was only the top five cars racing. That’s right I was seeing the race through ESPN Eyes. I do so much respect Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, and Dale Jarrett. You all are very knowledgeable and very professional. I wish you guys could see the crap that was laid out for us via ESPN. ESPN was more interested in selling products for their advertisers than the viewers. Hmmmm; Tell me, if there aren’t any viewers of your programming, what good is the advertising. That’s another waste of time and resources. I say ESPN go HOME.

ESPN, you had better smarten up. Maybe the likes of CMT, History Channel, should take over or maybe even PBS. At least those networks are experienced in documentaries. That’s how your coverage came across; that is with so much background coverage; you had no time to view the race.

Whew!!! I'm glad I got that out. I do rant and rave...SORRY....

This was supposed to be about racing not ESPN..... Congratulations Tony Stewart. Jeff Gordon, you don't deserve to be hurt.

Very Discouraged,
Reflecktions

1st NASCAR Win -Joey Logano NHMS LENOX301

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I want to congratulate Joey Logano & his Home Depot #20 Team with their very first NASCAR Sprint Cup win, with the rookie at the wheel, for Loudon NH, Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Race at NHMS. Joe Gibbs Racing must be so proud of the Home Depot Team led by Crew Chief, Greg Zipadelli in the rain shortened race. There were over 10 cautions during this race. Do you remember the races held here were no more than follow the leader, when you had time between laps to visit the concessions and return and not miss any action? Double file restarts, pit stop strategy, & fuel management surely have sparked much excitement. This just may be the boost NASCAR needs to attain what it had in the past. NASCAR was and will be the #1 spectator sport in the world. Slumping ticket sales and the decline of sponsor donations have been of great concern with all the teams. This is a family spectator sport that has endured this kind of difficulty before.

I want to reflect back several years ago when I had the opportunity to know and be a part of an amateur racing team with a young driver, (who we'll call RZ). He had so much spirit and drive, much of what i can see in Joey Logano. RZ would, with us, maintain and build his own race cars with a mock crew of close friends, his son, & myself. He was a driving force inspiring me and the rest of the team. We had little or no money to perform any of these tasks. We somehow found a way with RZ as our inspiration. RZ had a dream to become a professional driver. I have since lost touch with him but I hope he succeeds. Although I have not had the opportunity to meet the Home Depot Team, I do believe I can see that same kind of desire & determination in Joey Logano.

What about running these races in the rain...??? I get that question over and over from peeps not familiar with Stock Car Racing. I ask, what about Professional Baseball? I just tell them to read up ... look at Goodyear Tire Co. http://bit.ly/sHr6Z .

NASCAR, JEREMY MAYFIELD, DRUGS, UNIONS??

I am sitting here wolfing some chow just trying to figure out what's in the minds of NASCAR with their drug policy & banned substances. I, by no means am condoning the actions of Jeremy Mayfield. I do agree with NASCAR's action in dealing with the offense. But where does NASCAR get off with having a total drug restriction. (Oh they clarified that with 'only medication prescribed by a physician') That makes it OK. I mean, aspirin is a drug; also many other legal pain meds and symptom relievers, I guess they are all banned. NASCAR racing is a dangerous sport. There is no dispute with that. Many over the counter drugs can affect ones ability to function in one way or the other. They must implement a policy similar to US Professional Sports Organizations such as NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, & so many others, TNTC. Each one has a list of banned substances with penalties assigned to them. Is NASCAR exempt?? They are more concerned about pit "SPEED"!!! Ooops; did I just say SPEED??? I guess if you have a headache one day; you just suffer! O just suffer NASCAR's wrath as they see fit.
I’m not so sure about a drivers' union? That’s a subject for another day. http://bit.ly/PbwqH