[Bob Tanner]

I don't want to go on a rant here, but...

MRN (NASCAR's unofficial mouthpiece), and PRN (Bruton Smith's official mouthpiece) for that matter, might look at their interviewing policies. Can they ask questions that are more inconsequential, meaningless, and boring?
Partly because of work I do and partly because I can take DW and Larry Mac in extremely minute doses, I catch about half of the races and almost all the qualifying on radio. Is it just me or are the questions asked of the drivers insignificant, empty, just plain twaddle, and generally a waste of broadcast time?
I get the impression these so-called journalists feel duty-bound to talk to everyone in the pit area wearing a drivers uniform and who has some semblance of name recognition.

So, they stick a microphone in their face and ask such insightful questions as:
To a qualifier: "You had some lap out there. Take us through it." (Beyond saying, "I went fast, on the edge of control, and turned left." what can anyone say about your basic qualifying lap?)

Or: "Tell us <insert name> , how much would a win mean to you?"

Or the variant of the above: So <insert name>, how important is a finish for you in this race?" (Funny, they always ask the former questions of NASCAR's "Chosen," never of Travis Kvapil or Dave Blaney?)

The most inane question I have ever heard was a couple of years ago when, in a BGN race (I believe) Mike Bliss was leading but ran out of gas in turn two of the last lap and ended up 8th or 9th. The MRN pit reporter, either Winston Kelley or Jason Toye (some Master of the Obvious) stuck a mike in Bliss' face and asked (I swear I'm not making this up!), "Tell us, Mike, were you disappointed when you ran out of gas and lost the race?"
For the record, Bliss just stared for half a minute, asked "Are you kidding?" then turned and walked away, shaking his head.

Then you have, in the MRN booth, Barney Hall and Joe Moore who have turned Pollyanna-ism and giving misinformation into an art form. For example, after Friday's qualifying, they gave top ten starters (David Stremme was given correctly as third fastest), then Joe Moore said, "...and MRN wished to congratulate Denny Hamlin (5th, I believe) for being the fastest rookie in tomorrow's field."

For the record, PRN isn't much better. As long as these two media entities function as they do, Ken Squier will never be dead. (For those of you who might be new to NASCAR, Ken Squier is a former network booth announcer who, though he did a lot of excellent work and brought a lot to NASCAR, in his later years...let's just say he brought a dimension of mind-numbing inaccuracy, here-to-fore never witnessed, to NASCAR.

Yes, yes, I know..."Bob, you whiner!!! Just be thankful you have coverage which you can listen to!" As usual, you're correct. However, as a customer (by listening I AM a customer), I don't expect perfection but I do expect professionalism. Far too often, on radio coverage of NASCAR, I don't think the public is getting what it deserves.

[BringBackWilkesboro]

What is pollyanna-ism?

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by BringBackWilkesboro

What is pollyanna-ism?

My bad...sorry. I have a horrible habit of injecting "Bob-isms" into whatever I write.

My definition:
Pollyanna-ism; adjective, a trait in which someone is sickenly and often unrealistically optomistic and positive; someone who is seemingly incapable of offering anything, even slightly, negative about any subject.
An example would be your basic suck-up who would sell his youngest child before he/she'd say anything contradictory to a superior.

In Barney Hall's case, the guy'd rather cut out his tongue than say anything remorely bad about NA$CAR. He also gives the impression that no one is a bad driver or is incapable of winning; they're just having a bad day. Aaaaggggggghhhhhhh!!!

The term comes from a series of books written at the first of the last century by Elizabeth Borton. They are about a young English girl who is hopelessly optomistic and cheerful. (Makes me want to puke)

[Nevadastars]

Bob, all I know is whenever possible, I will listen to the XM race broadcast over the Network bozos any day! Those guys just make me ill, with their hands waving, phoney laughing, drama inducing, blah, blah, blah! Unfortunately, I can listen to XM music on my PC, but cannot get the Nascar station, and we don't get MRN here. So, I just watch a lot of the race with the mute button ON, and I make sure its on as soon as McReynolds says "Well, DW, it's time to tighten them belts one more time"..............Then of couse Waltrip spews his b.........., b..........., b........... let's go racin' boys! AAAARRRGGGGHHHHHH! I get worked up just thinking about it.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

Bob, all I know is whenever possible, I will listen to the XM race broadcast over the Network bozos any day! Those guys just

I, too, am an XM devotee. However, I have seen a steady decline in the quality of XM's NASCAR channel since I bought my first XM unit, back in...??? 2002?

When Farley ran the whole show, Mac had the morning show, and Clare B. was just a nice sounding voice the channel had some substance. But, Mac McLain is gone, his morning show gone and Joe Costello and some 2nd banana has turned the evening show into a poor version of a popularity contest. Gosh knows what happen to Farley and Clare B. Lang has turned the afternoon DIaled-In Show into a audio/NASCAR version of People and Us magazine. Talk about nothing but fluff??? Plus, they run audio feeds of the Speed Channel shows and talk about a complete waste. TV shows on radio just do not cut it!

The only show I listen to on a regular basis is PRN's The Pit Reporters. But, unless Monte Dutton, Mike Mulhern or David Poole are commentators, that shows pretty much a waste, too. Plus, XM has moved Pit Reporters from its live time at 1800 on Thurs to whereever they feel they can jam it into the sked. Other than Pit Reporters, I listen to the first three minutes of Dialed -In to see if anything is breaking then I switch over to Dr. Laura or FOX Talk.

I hope when NASCAR go to Sirius next season they leave Clare B. behind. If they don't, I'll probably stay with XM. IF Sirius dumps The Speed Channel and Clare B. they have themselves a new customer.

[Nevadastars]

I didn't know Nascar was switching to Sirius! When is this supposed to happen??
I too listen to Fox talk although my commute now is much shorter than it used to be, so I'm not in my truck as much as a I used to be.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

I didn't know Nascar was switching to Sirius! When is this supposed to happen??
I too listen to Fox talk although my commute now is much shorter than it used to be, so I'm not in my truck as much as a I used to be.

I was told by a rep from XM that it will be next season. She gave no other info.
When my XM goes out, I'm parked. Period, end of report. I'm a talk show addict. I start my day with WSJ Today, then FOX News, the G. Gordon Liddy, the Dave Ramsey or Laura Inghram, Then Dr Laura, then Either Bruce Williams or a book on tape, then I go to bed with Rollye James.

Yes, one might say that Bob is a tad bit conservative, eh?

[Quality88]

Bob, did oyu hear Mark Martin blast Glen Jarrett at Talladega after the wreck. That was awesome. The whole Allison Grandstands erupted in cheers and yeehaws when he blasted him.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Bob, did oyu hear Mark Martin blast Glen Jarrett at Talladega after the wreck. That was awesome. The whole Allison Grandstands erupted in cheers and yeehaws when he blasted him.

I didn't hear it but good for Mark. Too many people at the tracks with a microphone in their hands are hazards.