[PenelopePitStop]

The Awards Banquet airs Friday at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN Classic, and Friday/Saturday at 12:00 a.m. on ESPN2.

Just curious how many members of GTG are even interested.

For me, I have always watched. Given the Top-10 this year, I'll probably tune in and out until I fall asleep.

How about you?

[3fanforever]

Not really that interested, so I'm not gonna watch it this year. I've got other plans for this weekend anyway, and it's not something I'd record for later.

[wingkey1]

Flat don't know what we'll do. High possible we'll miss completely. Might "channel surf it" in to occasional look-see.

For us the real entertainment of it was when ya had folks struggling with making a correct sentence trying to relay how astounded and appreciative they were to be able to make a living by participating in what was nothing less than pure enjoyment, personal commitment and challenge, mutual respect, and co-operation towards the success of the racing family.

Seems now everything is "groomed and prepared". No/fewer notes scribbled on a stray piece of paper or napkin yanked out of a back pocket. Now it's the stare ahead in to the teleprompter. Individual and truly spontaneous personality has been surrendered.

Ah, what do I know.

[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by wingkey1

Flat don't know what we'll do. High possible we'll miss completely. Might "channel surf it" in to occasional look-see.

For us the real entertainment of it was when ya had folks struggling with making a correct sentence trying to relay how astounded and appreciative they were to be able to make a living by participating in what was nothing less than pure enjoyment, personal commitment and challenge, mutual respect, and co-operation towards the success of the racing family.

Seems now everything is "groomed and prepared". No/fewer notes scribbled on a stray piece of paper or napkin yanked out of a back pocket. Now it's the stare ahead in to the teleprompter. Individual personality has been surrendered.

Ah, what do I know.

What do you know? You know a lot, my friend! The teleprompter has been the death of the show. The drivers are like robots, repeating, without emotion, what is scripted in front of them. Rusty Wallace was the worst of them.

When I first starting watching, there was none of this. The drivers spoke from the heart, had wise a$$ comments, and were quite entertaining.

Remember when Sr. toasted Gordon with a glass of milk? Hardly scripted.

One of the more memorable moments for me was when one of the announcers referred to Terry Labonte (the Champion that year) as Terry Lobotomy! I damn near fell off the couch howling with laughter.

Terry Lobotomy!




Ah ... those were the days.



http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb113&pp=ZN

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

What do you know? You know a lot, my friend! The teleprompter has been the death of the show. The drivers are like robots, repeating, without emotion, what is scripted in front of them. Rusty Wallace was the worst of them.

When I first starting watching, there was none of this. The drivers spoke from the heart, had wise a$$ comments, and were quite entertaining.

Remember when Sr. toasted Gordon with a glass of milk? Hardly scripted.

One of the more memorable moments for me was when one of the announcers referred to Terry Labonte (the Champion that year) as Terry Lobotomy! I damn near fell off the couch howling with laughter.

Terry Lobotomy!




Ah ... those were the days.



http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb113&pp=ZN

And I do believe in the year Kulwicki won it one of the drivers asked him when he intended to marry the girlfriend who accompanied to the event in order to (paraphrasing within the following) - "make her an honest girl". Incredible fun.

[Quality88]

Won't watch, don't give a hoot.

[Racer Duck]

my next netflix dvd will be here Friday and that's what I intend to spend my time doing .. unless it's boring then I'll channel surf.... ESPN's not one of the channels I surf, though...

[Phils20]

Not gonna watch of tape it. Seeing Chad the Cheater up there would just make me sick. I don't mind JJ, or Hendrick, but Chad has got to go. It's bad enough he is a serial cheater, but he just seems arrogant about it.

I also won't get the book this year. It will be the first year since I got home from the service in 1990 that I won't watch.

Yeah, I'm that tired of Chad and the cheating. CHEATER!!!!!

I feel so much better. If he gets caught at anything next year, I want him done for the season, or I will be. And I really mean it. I really do!

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by wingkey1

And I do believe in the year Kulwicki won it one of the drivers asked him when he intended to marry the girlfriend who accompanied to the event in order to (paraphrasing within the following) - "make her an honest girl". Incredible fun.

There have been some great moments, and some not so great, in retrospect. I think it was also in 92, when DW made an appearence in the top 10. He handed Davey Allison a crying towell, since he had that rep at one point. I always liked DW, but I didn't like that moment. I wonder how he felt about that public dishonor after Daveys passing.

A very cool moment in the same year was when they gave Kulwicki a comb, a gold comb if I remember right. He hair was always messed up after a race, and he got out combing it after the won the title. Again, I hope my memory is good!

[Lefty Noob]

Not a chance. I don't watch any awards shows, sports or otherwise, except occasionally the Heisman Trophy presentation. They're silly.

[3fanforever]

Originally Posted by Phils20

A very cool moment in the same year was when they gave Kulwicki a comb, a gold comb if I remember right. He hair was always messed up after a race, and he got out combing it after the won the title. Again, I hope my memory is good!

Your memory is right on the mark Phils20. That was a great moment both at the race and the awards ceremony. It was Bill Elliot, who won the Hooters 500 but lost the championship that day by 10 points, who gave Alan the "gold comb". As for the race, Alan had the body fabricators build a special little glove box in his "Underbird" to hold his comb. Those were the days!

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by 3fanforever

Your memory is right on the mark Phils20. That was a great moment both at the race and the awards ceremony. It was Bill Elliot, who won the Hooters 500 but lost the championship that day by 10 points, who gave Alan the "gold comb". As for the race, Alan had the body fabricators build a special little glove box in his "Underbird" to hold his comb. Those were the days!

Indeed they were. Even though I'm a die hard Chevy fan, I was thrilled to see AK win that title. I heard he was VERY demanding to work for, but you have to admire how he did it. That will never happen again, a small team winning it all.

And I think that is shame. I still have a lot of AK stuff. A championship hat, still in the plastic wrap. I also have a poster they gave out at the spring dover race that I've never displayed.

RIP Alan. I think your passing sort of ended one era of racing.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

The Awards Banquet airs Friday at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN Classic, and Friday/Saturday at 12:00 a.m. on ESPN2.

Just curious how many members of GTG are even interested.

For me, I have always watched. Given the Top-10 this year, I'll probably tune in and out until I fall asleep.

How about you?

I haven't watched one in ten years; why break the string>

Besides, please s'plain to me what is entertaining about watching guys who, with a couple of exceptions, look about as comfortable and out of place in tux's as an Amish at a Rave? Then they read a prepared spiel 80% of which is devoted to them obsequiously thanking the same sponsors they thank every time a camera gets shoved in their faces?

With all due respect, Penny, I think a colonoscopy might be preferable. But then that's just Bob. Nothing wrong with enjoying the banquet but I fear it's an acquired taste.

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I haven't watched one in ten years; why break the string>

Besides, please s'plain to me what is entertaining about watching guys who, with a couple of exceptions, look about as comfortable and out of place in tux's as an Amish at a Rave? Then they read a prepared spiel 80% of which is devoted to them obsequiously thanking the same sponsors they thank every time a camera gets shoved in their faces?

With all due respect, Penny, I think a colonoscopy might be preferable. But then that's just Bob. Nothing wrong with enjoying the banquet but I fear it's an acquired taste.

Which may mean 1997 was last ya viewed. Which, without the supposed requirement to introduce the Consolation Event (aka The Chase) to ensure the ultimate draw and extreme closeness and competitiveness for the fans(?), ended with the top 3 within 97 points of each other, all of which were from different teams.

Ummm -- ain't that better than what we had this year? For some other than just I? Or for those of the Cycloptic ethnicity - "Eye"?

[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I haven't watched one in ten years; why break the string>

Besides, please s'plain to me what is entertaining about watching guys who, with a couple of exceptions, look about as comfortable and out of place in tux's as an Amish at a Rave? Then they read a prepared spiel 80% of which is devoted to them obsequiously thanking the same sponsors they thank every time a camera gets shoved in their faces?

With all due respect, Penny, I think a colonoscopy might be preferable. But then that's just Bob. Nothing wrong with enjoying the banquet but I fear it's an acquired taste.

Colonoscopy! Holy sh*t! No pun intended ...

I'm actually watching it right now on ESPN Classic. Didn't even know I had the channel. Picked it up when Burton was on stage. It's pretty boring. Too scripted and rehearsed. Kyle Busch is on right now ... trying to be PC ... Duh!

Even David Spade sucked. Granted, his humor is an aquired taste as well, but even he bombed!

I'll probably switch to ESPN2 at midnight to see the start of the show that I missed ... though I don't know why.