NASCAR vs NFL???

[jsarno]

Why is NASCAR putting their races up against the NFL?
It works great for filler on Sundays when the NFL is in the offseason, but now that the NFL is in full swing, why not race on Saturdays? I don't watch NASCAR when the NFL is on. I have to record it and watch it later.

[SmootSmack]

Doesn't work for the tracks scheduling wise with Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series races. Not to mention practice and qualifying.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Doesn't work for the tracks scheduling wise with Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series races. Not to mention practice and qualifying.

That's true...but why not flip flop Busch and Craftsman truck? Busch doesn't have to go first. I actually like that idea more anyway, cause all these NEXTEL Cup drivers drive in Busch and get more practice on the track. Move Busch to after NEXTEL and that declines any advantage. Just a thought.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by jsarno

That's true...but why not flip flop Busch and Craftsman truck? Busch doesn't have to go first. I actually like that idea more anyway, cause all these NEXTEL Cup drivers drive in Busch and get more practice on the track. Move Busch to after NEXTEL and that declines any advantage. Just a thought.

So race Busch on Sundays?

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

So race Busch on Sundays?

Yeah...why not?
I just think NASCAR is dropping the ball fighting against the NFL for ratings. They won't win that fight. I am trying to find a article about how the ratings for NASCAR dropped drastically since the season started...I can't seem to find it though...when I do, I will post it here.
I just think NASCAR will get more ratings if they don't have to fight with the greatest sport this world has ever seen.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Yeah...why not?
I just think NASCAR is dropping the ball fighting against the NFL for ratings. They won't win that fight. I am trying to find a article about how the ratings for NASCAR dropped drastically since the season started...I can't seem to find it though...when I do, I will post it here.
I just think NASCAR will get more ratings if they don't have to fight with the greatest sport this world has ever seen.

Well if they're getting beat with Cup races, they'd get creamed with Busch races. Anyhow, swapping the order has been discussed but met with significant reluctance

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well if they're getting beat with Cup races, they'd get creamed with Busch races. Anyhow, swapping the order has been discussed but met with significant reluctance

Yeah that's true, Busch wouldn't get ANY ratings would they.
I just want to watch the races LIVE. I guess there aren't any good suggestions then huh?
This is the technical "playoffs" of NASCAR and they are getting worse ratings than when it wasn't the "playoffs".

What do you think?

ps- how come we are always just about the only people to talk NASCAR here?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Yeah that's true, Busch wouldn't get ANY ratings would they.
I just want to watch the races LIVE. I guess there aren't any good suggestions then huh?
This is the technical "playoffs" of NASCAR and they are getting worse ratings than when it wasn't the "playoffs".

What do you think?

ps- how come we are always just about the only people to talk NASCAR here?

A lot of NASCAR fans are also football fans, but come the Fall it's clear that most are more so football fans than NASCAR fans.

If I knew the right answer I'd be getting a huge raise and promotion at work. It's my job (well part of my job) to deliver better ratings for NASCAR.

[RobH4413]

I'm seriously putting effort into trying to follow Nascar. The only problem is I'm not educated at ALL.

I freaking grew up in Frederick, MD. For those of you not familiar, we're known in Maryland as "Fredneck". There are Nascar fans everywhere you look. I just have never learned what makes Nascar so interesting. I've honestly tried watching, I've picked a driver (Stewart) and have failed to gain any sense of passion for the sport.

Maybe football has drained my emotion, who knows.

I think ESPN should do more to encourage learning the ins and outs of racing. I know that there is more than meets the eye, I just have yet to be fed the specifics. I'm never going to pay attention to something I don't care about, and I'm never going to care about something I don't know about. To be honest, the only reason I've ever been sparked with an iota of interest is because of a local radio show (Elliot in the morning here in D.C.) that will interview drivers, and give subjective points of view on what happens.

If I'm telling ESPN what to do to encourage viewers my age to watch, I'd probably focus my efforts on focusing viewers on the drama that goes on. Maybe you're already doing that, but in general I'm more inclined to watch something that focuses on hyping an event so it's a "must watch". I don't know what I'm missing, but I really don't ever feel compelled to watch cars making left turns.


I'm curious as to how anyone actually sits down and watches an entire race. I have textbook ADHD, and find it hard to sit down for a long period of time. How does one sit down and watch what's going on? Maybe all I need is someone that is interested to guide me through a race. Seriously, I kind of want to follow Nascar, I just have yet to be turned on by it.

At any rate, from what I hear, it's a great sport. I just have yet to understand why. It's growing, so maybe as it grows, I'll catch on. So far, it's boring as hell, and I can't pay attention. Maybe it's just a personal problem.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

I'm seriously putting effort into trying to follow Nascar. The only problem is I'm not educated at ALL.

I freaking grew up in Frederick, MD. For those of you not familiar, we're known in Maryland as "Fredneck". There are Nascar fans everywhere you look. I just have never learned what makes Nascar so interesting. I've honestly tried watching, I've picked a driver (Stewart) and have failed to gain any sense of passion for the sport.

Maybe football has drained my emotion, who knows.

I think ESPN should do more to encourage learning the ins and outs of racing. I know that there is more than meets the eye, I just have yet to be fed the specifics. I'm never going to pay attention to something I don't care about, and I'm never going to care about something I don't know about. To be honest, the only reason I've ever been sparked with an iota of interest is because of a local radio show (Elliot in the morning here in D.C.) that will interview drivers, and give subjective points of view on what happens.

If I'm telling ESPN what to do to encourage viewers my age to watch, I'd probably focus my efforts on focusing viewers on the drama that goes on. Maybe you're already doing that, but in general I'm more inclined to watch something that focuses on hyping an event so it's a "must watch". I don't know what I'm missing, but I really don't ever feel compelled to watch cars making left turns.


I'm curious as to how anyone actually sits down and watches an entire race. I have textbook ADHD, and find it hard to sit down for a long period of time. How does one sit down and watch what's going on? Maybe all I need is someone that is interested to guide me through a race. Seriously, I kind of want to follow Nascar, I just have yet to be turned on by it.

At any rate, from what I hear, it's a great sport. I just have yet to understand why. It's growing, so maybe as it grows, I'll catch on. So far, it's boring as hell, and I can't pay attention. Maybe it's just a personal problem.

I've got a pretty long response for this, but I really can't discuss certain things unfortunately.

I'd just say that I hear what you're saying and it's definitely something we work on. But the problems are not necessarily what one might think

It's a long process, and change won't happen overnight

[Sammy Baugh Fan]

Ahhh we ain't building monkeys here guys.

Get 2 TVs and work the Mute between the two.
Niether NFL or NASCAR needs to have to sound up to follow the action.
I do it all the time and it works fine.

Go Hamlin!

[BDBohnzie]

No need for 2 TVs....one TV, picture in picture, and roll baby roll. Which reminds me, that I need to split the cable in the basement, so I can do that.

I always flip between football and the race...mainly because I hate commercials. But, I do make sure I look at the race from time to time. Sunday is race day. They continue to fill race tracks to capacity and do OK on TV, so until they start to completely falter, I'd imagine they will continue as they do now. Besides, everyone knows that they important laps are the last 5-10, and they show all the great crashes on SportsCenter

jsarno - of course you and smoot are the only ones talking NASCAR at 1:30am east coast time...the rest of us are sleeping

[BDBohnzie]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

I'm curious as to how anyone actually sits down and watches an entire race. I have textbook ADHD, and find it hard to sit down for a long period of time. How does one sit down and watch what's going on? Maybe all I need is someone that is interested to guide me through a race. Seriously, I kind of want to follow Nascar, I just have yet to be turned on by it.

If you are going to sit for an entire race, be sure to have plenty of distractions around you. For Daytona, a bunch of friends and I get together and shoot the shit because we all know that it's one long race. Plenty of food and beer, and we hang out and the race becomes secondary, but it's still part of why we get together. It's funny because usually one of us has an eye on the TV, for the wrecks of course. Then once the last 20 laps come around, we all sit and watch intensely.

Unless you are there at the track, I'd imagine most TV viewers use the race as background while they're doing something else, or they are that die hard and watch each lap like it's the last.

Smoot, are there Nielsen numbers out there on how long a typical person keeps the race on for? I only ask you because of your current employment situation...I figure those numbers are pretty important to you in figuring out programming.

[drew54]

Originally Posted by Sammy Baugh Fan

Ahhh we ain't building monkeys here guys.

Get 2 TVs and work the Mute between the two.
Niether NFL or NASCAR needs to have to sound up to follow the action.
I do it all the time and it works fine.

Go Hamlin!

This is how I survived in College. On TV always was Playstation2 and the other was whatever show that everyone else wanted to watch.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

If you are going to sit for an entire race, be sure to have plenty of distractions around you. For Daytona, a bunch of friends and I get together and shoot the shit because we all know that it's one long race. Plenty of food and beer, and we hang out and the race becomes secondary, but it's still part of why we get together. It's funny because usually one of us has an eye on the TV, for the wrecks of course. Then once the last 20 laps come around, we all sit and watch intensely.

Unless you are there at the track, I'd imagine most TV viewers use the race as background while they're doing something else, or they are that die hard and watch each lap like it's the last.

Smoot, are there Nielsen numbers out there on how long a typical person keeps the race on for? I only ask you because of your current employment situation...I figure those numbers are pretty important to you in figuring out programming.

Yeah I don't know if those numbers are necessarily public knowledge, but I do get numbers breaking down time spent viewing, what times of the races are peaks, demographic breakdowns, etc. And yes it's vital info