[Wampinrock]

Is anyone else noticing that the announcers are spending a lot of time ignoring that roots of our sport...i.e. Winston and it's tons of years making the sport what it is today? I'm referring to them mentioning last week that Gordon has four Nextel cup championships ! Are we to forget that only two drives have earned a Nextel championship? Gordon was a Winston Cup champion, as so was D.E. and Labonte's etc....is someone trying to re-write history here? Am I the only one that gets bugged by this??

[MickeyD]

I agree, it is a shame the history of the sport is being ignored. I'm not certain why, but I have a good guess.

I imagine it's because of FCC rules against tobacco. I would say just mentioning a tobacco product would be considered an advertisement which is a big no-no, stupid as it is.

[rmjvol]

Hi MickeyD, welcome to GoTeamsGo.com

I know the decision to go from Winston Cup to Nextel Cup was tobacco related but I can't imagine that it's against some regulation to even mention "Winston" on the air. I'd guess it was part of the deal that Nextel made when they bought the sponsorship.

Look forward to chatting with you here.

Ross

[candlejack]

Originally Posted by Wampinrock

Is anyone else noticing that the announcers are spending a lot of time ignoring that roots of our sport...i.e. Winston and it's tons of years making the sport what it is today? I'm referring to them mentioning last week that Gordon has four Nextel cup championships ! Are we to forget that only two drives have earned a Nextel championship? Gordon was a Winston Cup champion, as so was D.E. and Labonte's etc....is someone trying to re-write history here? Am I the only one that gets bugged by this??

I believe, correct me if I am wrong, since NEXTEL took over as the major sponser of the series, saying anything about Winston is a no-no. I have heard DW slip and say Winston, then correct and say NEXTEL.

[rave20]

I think it goes deeper than the Winston thing. First Nascar has been trying to reshape it's image for a long time now. They prefer the rock artists do the National Anthem etc. etc. They are pushing for diversity programs and working to make this an even more forward looking series. Kuddos to them. They are doing that right.

Having said all that it is appropriate that they too are building a Hall of Fame. That allows Nascar to both preserve the past while focusing forward. I do miss a lot of the historical aspects but because of technology the series has changed so drastically even from the early 90's, that it often is like comparing two different worlds anyway.

Many fans cry when an athlete hangs around after their prime. Not me. In most cases out of sight equals out of mind. Stay as long as you can.

That's true in most sports because the news is today and the future is of course tomorrow. The $$ is today and tomorrow, not yesterday.

[Karlene]

I think one of the reasons they refer to Winston Cup Championships as Nextel Cup Championships is because it would confuse newer fans. There are changes that annoy me but I honestly don't understand why the name thing is such a big thing.

[Team Yates]

It's still about $$$, NEXTEL is footing the big bill and they don't want to hear WINSTON! Just like "LOWES motor speedway", they don't want to hear CHARLOTTE (motor speedway). I agree with the fact that they should call them Winston cup champs, because they were! That's what all their trophies say! As far as confusing new fans, I would think that would confuse them more, I think that they could learn a little history from that knowledge. It really doesn't bother me, either way, I still call them as they are: Cup or NASCAR and Charlotte motor speedway. I'm sure that alot of people also call them as they are. Most of the time we are talking DRIVERS or the venue.

[Wampinrock]

Thank you, Team Yates, I think you got real close to the reality of the thing. One issue that also bugged me, during the initial year of the Winston-Nextel cross-over was the consistant promos that were played during station breaks and yellow flags assuring the viewers that Nextel was indeed interested in the history and tradition of the Cup racing...yeah, Right! Their interest was in rinsing the history of tradition, thus creating their own history. Also, you hit on another thing that has bugged me for years...the Lowes-Charoltte thing. While I have been (maybe illegally) recording the races on either VCR and/or DVD's since the mid 80's, I still label the races at Charlotte as "Charlotte". Lowe's, while I'm sure are putting tons of money into the event, can uninate into the wind as far as my recognition. You see, I remain a traditionalist...I can recognize the change, but hold steadfastly onto the history and tradition of the sport...it was a fun thing and should remain as one...hope I have not alienated anyone...don't mean to...

[Nevadastars]

Nextel was NOT spending any money on Nascar before they became the primary sponsor, so previous winners should not be considered Nextel Cup Champions. For whatever reason, if they don't want to use the name Winston, then they should call them Nascar Cup Championships. Nextel should not be getting any credit for something they weren't involved in.
That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking to it!

[Lefty Noob]

Hi, Nevadastars! Welcome to GoTeamsGo and thanks for joining us here on the NASCAR board. I wonder how this issue will be handled at the Hall of Fame. Will NASCAR refer to previous titles as Nextel Cup championships, even if there are photos and trophies that clearly state otherwise? Just curious...

[rmjvol]

Welcome to GoTeamsGo, Nevadastars.

Absolutely nextel wasn't involved when the Winston Championships were won but I'd bet that NASCAR sold the right to call them Nextel. I don't think that anyone should have a problem with Nextel trying to get their brand out as much as possible. It's NASCAR's blinders on the money that caused this issue.

[Nevadastars]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Hi, Nevadastars! Welcome to GoTeamsGo and thanks for joining us here on the NASCAR board. I wonder how this issue will be handled at the Hall of Fame. Will NASCAR refer to previous titles as Nextel Cup championships, even if there are photos and trophies that clearly state otherwise? Just curious...

Thanks for the welcome guys! That is a very good point bringing up the Hall of Fame. I cant imagine them photochopping Dale Earnhardt or Richard Petty holding up one of their "Nextel Cup" trophys.

[candlejack]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

Thanks for the welcome guys! That is a very good point bringing up the Hall of Fame. I cant imagine them photochopping Dale Earnhardt or Richard Petty holding up one of their "Nextel Cup" trophys.

Nevadastars, I'm with you all the way with that one. I'm down with all the political B.S. between "winston" and "NEXTEL", but, to even think that Sr. would be classified as a seven-time "NEXTEL" champ would be sacraligious, not to mention insulting to his memory!

[CRMartin]

In all reality, it would be a great PR move on Nextel's part to acknowledge the past and Winston's place in it which would help Nextel move into the future while satisfying fans of Winston.