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J.C. McKinney on Dave Marcis vs Terry Labonte: NASCAR’s 64 Greatest Drivers Match Up
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Hey, ESPN: Pick It Up

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I do weekly Fantasy Pick'Em columns here at OPR, as well as the occasional opinion and analysis piece. I also provide the IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. For more on that, head to my site, OpenWheelAmerica.com. My Twitter handle is @christopherlion.

February 23, 2011 4:41 pm UTC No Comments

Hey everybody. How goes it? Long time no talk, eh? I’ve been pretty busy. Not too busy to accurately predict the winner of the Daytona 500 (Twitter link to prove it), but still, college has been kicking my butt. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We’re here to talk racing – and how a particular network doesn’t exactly know what the hell they’re doing with it.

I give ESPN a lot of hell for the way they present their programming. Rightfully so, I think – the Worldwide Leader has gotten pretty lazy without any real competition. From stupid errors on SportsCenter to subpar NASCAR coverage, the great sports network with which I grew up is no longer so great, and its on-air “talent” seems to embody that term less and less.

Consider Monday’s episode of “Around the Horn,” where its four panelists attempted to discuss Trevor Bayne‘s miraculous Daytona 500 win. Save Tim Cowlishaw, who actually writes on the sport, the other three panelists – J.A. Adande, Woody Paige, and Kevin Blackistone – basically panned, in ignorance, what it took for the young driver (younger than me, even – damn, I feel old) to take his first career victory on the sport’s biggest stage.

And I’ll be damned if I don’t call them out on it.

No, it’s not a good idea to get sports journalists to write on sports they don’t really know (I have some basketball articles that I’ve written if you question that assertion). I understand that ATH is designed to deal with all the big stories in sports, and thus save for Daytona, Indianapolis, and the Chase, NASCAR doesn’t get too much love. Fine. But is it too much to ask for the panelists to do five minutes’ worth of research before the show?

We’ll spare Cowlishaw from this discussion; he knows his stuff. Paige and Blackistone do not.

When asked by host Tony Reali about the race, Paige decried the two-car tandems that dominated throughout Speedweeks. Are they the ideal? Nah. Did they add something fresh and interesting to the race, though? Yes. Yes they did. I’m often like Paige, in that I often cry for things to go back to the way they were – particularly in 1998 or so – but this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Judging by how the drivers reacted, restrictor plate racing was at its most harrowing and challenging all month. And that’s what we want, isn’t it?

Blackistone’s accusations are far more unforgivable. He drew a comparison to a speed-skating race from a past Olympics, where one skater said he’d just hang out in the back and wait until the end of the event, once everybody else had crashed out, and take the victory.

News flash, “Professor Blackistone.” You need a little re-education in the facts.

Let’s look at the data, shall we? Trevor Bayne was the third-fastest car in preliminary qualifying for the Daytona 500. He only started 32nd due to a last-lap wreck in his Gatorade Duel. He spent 135 laps in the top 15, eighth best among his competitors. His driver rating of 108.2 was fourth best. His pass differential of +48 was second only to David Ragan’s +61, and if not for jumping a lane change on a late restart, they might have finished 1-2.

I understand that Bayne only led six laps of 208, but he was there all day and everybody knew it. Nobody wrecked in front of him like Blackistone insinuated, either; the wrecks were, almost universally, behind him. He got to the front right away and stayed there all day. Can’t help it if people wreck behind you.

This is the problem with ESPN in general. Nobody knows what the **** they’re talking about anymore, and the network often doesn’t care, employing a series of idiots for the sake of over-the-top debate. And the lower down the totem pole your sport is, the worse their errors are. (I won’t be surprised if they call the Indianapolis 500 a NASCAR race this year.) Now that ESPNEWS has basically been consolidated to a 30-minute loop of college basketball highlights, the “entertainment” notion has all but taken over completely. And as long as they’re handling NASCAR, the coverage is going to be a joke. I hate to say this, but give me Digger, or give me death.

That’s all I got for now, folks. Once college slows down the fantasy column will be back. See y’all then.

Filed under: Daytona 500, ESPN, Trevor Bayne

Tagged with: Daytona 500, ESPN, Trevor Bayne

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ESPN Disrespects NASCAR Again

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

October 27, 2009 11:04 am UTC No Comments

Twice in the past week on-air personalities at ESPN have made light of NASCAR, its fans and in one case a driver.

ESPN paid dearly for the rights to broadcast NASCAR’s top two series and tell the stories of Dale Earnhardt, Jr, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and the rest. They have exclusive broadcast rights to the Nationwide Series and have the most coveted portion of the Sprint Cup Season. ESPN has the rights to broadcast all aspects of the second half of the Sprint Cup season–including the “Race to the Chase” and the “Chase to the Cup”.

ESPN also broadcasts college football. Its college football coverage takes precedence over its racing coverage. It always has and it most likely always will. Race fans have come to expect that when football and NASCAR bump into one another; its the NASCAR coverage that gets moved–either to another ESPN property or its start time delayed.

What NASCAR shouldn’t have to accept is the total disrespect it receives by its stick and ball oriented personalities. It has been well documented over the past week about Bob Greise’s comment toward Juan Pablo Montoya. During a NASCAR promo on a football telecast that Greise worked; one announcer asked where Montoya was, when discussing the top five drivers. Greise’s response was “Out eating a taco”.

Greise apologized–twice–on air during the telecast and has been suspended by ESPN for one game. Greise’s comments may have been more insensitive than mean spirited, but does show the lack of respect that NASCAR garners from its broadcast partner.

To add more insult to the NASCAR on ESPN week; Mondays morning Sport Center broadcasts included highlights of the Sprint Cup race won by Denny Hamlin. The highlight package ended with the comment by ESPN’s anchor saying; ” Now for those of you north of the Mason-Dixon line…”; this within days of Greise’s gaff.

It would seem it is an acceptable practice at ESPN to demean NASCAR, its drivers and their fans. If it is not deemed as acceptable, it would not continue to happen. It leaves fans wondering how NASCAR is perceived at ESPN’s offices. If on air personnel are not respecting NASCAR it may be because they are carrying down the disrespect they hear from their bosses around the office. Employees tend to take on the attitude of their superiors. If NASCAR coverage is looked down upon by ESPN’s hierarchy then it is no wonder that the trickle down lands on air.

This week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW asks:

Does NASCAR and its coverage get the respect it deserves from its broadcast partner–ESPN?

Let us know what you think and we could use your comments on this weeks ON PIT ROW radio show. Listen live every Tuesday from 5-7pm ET. Call the show at 1-800-465-2946 and you could win a Kevin Harvick bobblehead as Shell’s Nitrogen Enriched Call of the Day.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, ESPN, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Bidness

Tagged with: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, ESPN, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, NASCAR

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Just a Thought: Pocono

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

August 2, 2009 12:42 pm UTC 7 Comments

This week’s race at Pocono marks the second week of ESPN/ABC‘s Sprint Cup coverage for the year. ESPN is probably the most criticized of NASCAR’s broadcasting partners, with Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty, and Tim Brewer often taking a lot of heat.

There are also calls to put Allen Bestwick back in the commentary booth and move Dr. Jerry Punch back down to pit road, “where he belongs.” (That’s in no way a sleight against Dr. Punch; many simply feel that he was one of the best pit reporters in the business, and that he ought to return to the job that made him one of the most well-respected NASCAR broadcasters of the 1990s.)

But I’ve got a different gripe with ESPN’s coverage of the sport.

Here is ESPN’s schedule page for the Sprint Cup Series. Notice that the races go by their actual names in only a few instances. Instead, they often go by “NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at (insert track here) presented by (insert sponsor here).” The Nationwide Series page is the same way.

The Camping World Truck Series page, however, is quite different. In all instances, the races are listed with their official names and presenting sponsors.

Why the discrepancy? ESPN and ABC show Sprint Cup and Nationwide races, but not Camping World races. They don’t care about presenting the names of truck races in a factual manner… but with the other two major series, somebody obviously saw a money-grubbing opportunity to sell more advertising space on the telecast while circumventing the official race sponsors – unless they pony up to ESPN as well.

Robbing the race title sponsors of TV time – one of the most important factors in a company’s decision to pay millions of dollars to sponsor a race – is not just only an instance of questionable ethics on ESPN’s part, it’s also factually incorrect reporting. As a news site, and occasionally a news channel, ESPN has an obligation to present the facts about sporting events, and that includes the name of an event. In ESPN’s eyes, Tony Stewart wouldn’t have won the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, as presented above – he’d have won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona presented by Pennzoil or something. That’s revisionist history, and that’s a problem.

It’d be like calling the Super Bowl broadcast “NFL Football presented by GoDaddy.com,” and preceding to only refer to the event as such on their website. Something sound wrong about that to you?

It’ll also be interesting to see if one of the final 17 races of the Sprint Cup season becomes sponsored by a company that wants to change the race length (e.g. the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas or the Lenox Tools 301 at New Hampshire). How will ESPN handle the lap change – will they reference it in passing on the broadcast without explaining it, or will they entice the race sponsor to pay extra to see its name on TV?

Either way, ESPN’s policy of holding out from race presenting sponsors needs to come to an end. I’m sure that if I paid millions of dollars to become title sponsor of a race, I’d be fuming. Have a little integrity, ESPN. Just a thought.

Enjoy today’s Sunoco Red Cross 500 at Pennsylvania – I mean, today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Pocono presented by Old Spice.

Filed under: NASCAR

Tagged with: ESPN, Just a Thought, Pocono Raceway, Sunoco Red Cross 500

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Bump Linkin’ with Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte and Friends

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

March 20, 2009 9:50 am UTC 1 Comment

Our friends at Shell Gasoline have provided us with a sneak peek at their new commercial for Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, featuring Kevin Harvick. Give it a watch. And then go buy some gas! Click here to watch the new Kevin Harvick Shell commercial.

Formula One has changed the way they determine their “World Champion”. Ed Hinton of ESPN likes it. The Catfish doesn’t. Read what Matt Mercer has to say at the Catfish Show.

Bruce’s NASCAR Bits is into numerology this week - maybe because we skipper the Tight in Turn 2 post this week. Read what he says about “3″s in the Nationwide Series here.

NASCAR Ranting and Raving has a couple contests going on. So get in on the free swag over there.

And a bit of ON PIT ROW news: Steve got the chance to interview Ask.com Racing’s Bobby Labonte this morning for our next show on Tuesday March 24. You’ll be able to listen to the whole thing Tuesday at 5 PM EDT. Steve tells me that he asked Labonte about the differences in Bristol and Martinsville. But he also got Bobby to make a couple of bracket picks in our NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tournament. Watch the comments for Bobby’s picks.

Filed under: Ask.com Racing, Bench Racing Contests, Bench Racing TV, Bobby Labonte, Bristol Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick, NASCAR, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Nationwide Series, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: Ask.com Racing, Bristol Motor Speedway, Ed Hinton, ESPN, F1, Martinsville Speedway, Matt Mercer, NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tourney, NASCAR Ranting and Raving, Nitrogen Enriched gasoline, Shell Gasolines, the Catfish Show

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NASCAR Non-News Now

by Charlie Turner

March 26, 2008 11:58 am UTC 15 Comments

I feel so used. Sucked in by the implied respectability of network television coverage of our beloved sport and the desperation of one of the biggest players in NASCAR media to invent stories when they are tough to find. Nice job ESPN.

I admit it. I bit. Shortly before leaving to get to our ON PIT ROW broadcast location Tuesday, I saw a blurb about MRN stalwart and Sirius Satellite radio host Dave Moody checking on a report that ESPN the Magazine was breaking a story about some Toyota team being caught red-handed with a top-secret Jack Roush Racing part.

Now we broadcast the show from our winter home, a sports bar called Frickers, just outside the right field wall at Fifith Third Field – the home of the Toledo Mud Hen’s and like all respectable sports bars, it’s full of TV’s – and one radio show that’s full of….itself. Just before our scheduled air time, ESPN’s NASCAR Now was on the tube, with a “special breaking news” report from Terry Blount. My suspicion level began to tick upward.

The Daly Planet actually watched the whole thing and JD seems disappointed that the show, formerly hosted by Eric “the Awful” has slipped from some recently reached level of credibility. Despite Alan Bestwick’s arrival, NASCAR Now is still a hype-laden shill-show and using a jaded, J-school ……. using Terry Blount for their investigative reporter says it all. If Jerry wasn’t laid up with a bad back, he’d say it better, but when I saw Blount was behind it, I should have let the story go.

So I apologize to ON PIT ROW listeners for wasting the time that Steve and I spent talking about this non-story last night. I wonder if ESPN will do the same?

Filed under: It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Rumors, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Roush Racing, Sprint Cup Series, The Daily Bugle, Toyota

Tagged with: blog, Dave Moody, ESPN, Jack Roush, motorsports, NASCAR, NASCAR media, NASCAR Now, Roush accuses Toyota, rumors, Terry Blount, Toyota