[Bob Tanner]

Last night was, I believe, the second or third ESPN-covered race I've watched. My overall opinion is that it makes racing most interesting than reruns of "Friends" and "Seinfeld," but I hope racing nerver has to go up against "Burn Notice" or "The Shield."

What I have found the absolutely most pitiful is the post race coverage. IRT the other two races I've seen ESPN attempt to cover, five minutes after the checkered they began the transition to regular programing. (I find it incongruous that they fill one hour of pre-race with absolute dribble but confine post race to a perfunctory Victory Lane chat)

Last night they outdid themselves. Rookie David Ragan had career best 3rd and Johnny Sauter, who has really struggled this year, had a season (career?) best 5th. An obvious change for some really rare camera face time for these two, right?

So naturally ESPN/ABC/Disney interviews the guys in the playoffs!? You know, the same guys who will be interviewed at least twelve times , and whose cars will be the focus of every camera shot for the next ten races. We were treated to the same canned spiel of cliches we'll hear each week, while the elation of Ragan and Sauter went completely unnoticed.

I can hardly wait to see how badly the winner of the last race at Homestead is treated by the media. For the past two years, Greg Biffle has won Homestead but, believe me, the winner of the Playoff and his eleven maids of honor, will get 99.9% of the post race attention.

[jks812]

I agree. I couldn't understand why they didn't talk to Ragan, who finished 3rd. That was a load of crap.

[LSC9901]

Excellent observation about pre and post race interviews. My guess is that the time of night may have something to do with it but if they didn't do an hour plus of "stuff" prior to the race and just started the race there would be more time at the end of the race.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Excellent observation about pre and post race interviews. My guess is that the time of night may have something to do with it but if they didn't do an hour plus of "stuff" prior to the race and just started the race there would be more time at the end of the race.

Normally I could see your point, Stephen (or is it Steven?). However, last night they took the time to interview "The Chosen of the Chosen" plus Junior (whose interview I agree had a great deal of merit). It could have been time very well spent interviewing both Ragan and Sauter.

There is discussion in another thread about the sport turning off fans. Here's my prediction. ABC/ESPN/Disney's abysmal coverage, focusing almost entirely on The Chosen of the Chosen," will turn off more people than Rusty's and Petree's incessant bantering, DR. Jerry's trying failingly to tie things together, and the show's producer's inability to show action as it happens. Instead they rely on replays and then it takes them five minutes to find the footage! (Remember last night? How many tires went <BANG!> and how many cars slapped the wall. Yet how many times were the cars in the pits and being worked on before coverage of the accident was shown?)

TV coverage, as a whole (FOX, TNT and ESPN/ABC/Disney) all make me appreciate MRN's radio coverage. And, believe me, I am no fan of Barney Hall, Steve Post nor Dave Moody;s announcing talents!

[Nevadastars]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

TV coverage, as a whole (FOX, TNT and ESPN/ABC/Disney) all make me appreciate MRN's radio coverage. And, believe me, I am no fan of Barney Hall, Steve Post nor Dave Moody;s announcing talents!

Since I can't seem to get MRN anymore in these parts, isnt Eli Gold announcing anymore? I really liked that guy. Either way, I agree with you 100% Robert , the Television coverage is terrible no matter who's doing it. They focus on a half dozen guys, and that's it.

[Robertdjr]

I didn't get to see the first 30 minutes of the pre-race show, because our local ABC station here decided to preempt it with their 30 minute news cast, which was predominantly everybody falling all over themselves about the Sooners win over Miami.

I thought it was inexcusable to not interview David Regan and Johnny Sauter. This was both of those two young men's best nights. They drove their butts off and deserved to be interviewed, as did their sponsors deserve the airtime and the thanks. What a disgraceful thing for ABCESPN to do. Shame on you ABCESPN. And if NASCAR.com doesn't acknowledge these two this week, I'll hold them just as contemptible as ABCESPN.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

Since I can't seem to get MRN anymore in these parts, isnt Eli Gold announcing anymore? I really liked that guy. Either way, I agree with you 100% Robert , the Television coverage is terrible no matter who's doing it. They focus on a half dozen guys, and that's it.

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Normally I could see your point, Stephen (or is it Steven?). However, last night they took the time to interview "The Chosen of the Chosen" plus Junior (whose interview I agree had a great deal of merit). It could have been time very well spent interviewing both Ragan and Sauter.

There is discussion in another thread about the sport turning off fans. Here's my prediction. ABC/ESPN/Disney's abysmal coverage, focusing almost entirely on The Chosen of the Chosen," will turn off more people than Rusty's and Petree's incessant bantering, DR. Jerry's trying failingly to tie things together, and the show's producer's inability to show action as it happens. Instead they rely on replays and then it takes them five minutes to find the footage! (Remember last night? How many tires went <BANG!> and how many cars slapped the wall. Yet how many times were the cars in the pits and being worked on before coverage of the accident was shown?)

TV coverage, as a whole (FOX, TNT and ESPN/ABC/Disney) all make me appreciate MRN's radio coverage. And, believe me, I am no fan of Barney Hall, Steve Post nor Dave Moody;s announcing talents!

My goodness Robert & Donald ... aren't we getting some kind of formal today. It is with the "ph". There is no other way. It means "crown" as in super mod !!!

I was talking with my son & daughter-in-law this AM and she asked about Bill Elliott. I said yes he was there but you'd never have known it with the coverage of the "Chosen few". No argument from me that the coverage is slightly worse than frightful. Quite possible that they have fewer camera's or fewer people in the replay truck. That could be part of the reason why seeing the action was so delayed.