In recent blog posts, I have been very outspoken in my criticism of NASCAR's practices of recent years and finally had my fill when NASCAR successfully engineered Jimmie Johnson's fifth consecutive championship.
In addition to NASCAR's blatant favoritism of driver Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief,Chad Knaus,there are other factors that I and many other fans are increasingly disgusted with. The Chase is another factor that has given us the train wreck that is NASCAR. NASCAR CEO Brian France wants to expand the Chase to 15 drivers with some sort of "eliminate as you go" scenario,sort of like the playoffs in stick and ball sports. This is the most absurd idea that Mr.France has come up with and that speaks volumes considering the lunacy of his other ideas,including the Chase itself. Mr.France is expected to unveil his folly next month. Apparently,he does not get the message that fans are fed up with the Chase and want it abolished. Either that or Mr.France is in denial. Under the old points system,the same driver would not have won the Cup championship the past five seasons. Eliminating the so called Car Of Tomorrow,or COT,would be another way of bringing back exciting and more competitive racing.
NASCAR claims to be a fan-driven sport and says they are fan-friendly but if they truly listened to the fans,the sport would not be in serious trouble as it is now with declining attendance at races and falling TV ratings. These factors came into play long before the economy tanked. If NASCAR was actually receptive to the fans,they would not show mockery of and contempt toward the fans and not force things on us that we do not want and are obviously not good for the sport. But NASCAR has been overcome by arrogance and condescension toward the fans,undoubtedly contributing to its eventual demise.
Other things that might win back lost fans include returning the Nationwide series to its original purpose,which is preparing up and coming talent for the Cup series. NASCAR should restrict participation by Cup drivers in the Nationwide series. NASCAR should restrict how many Cup drivers can race in a Nationwide race and how many Nationwide races per season a Cup driver can race in. Cup drivers should not be eligible for driver or championship points,only team owner points.
While women and minorities should obviously be allowed to race in NASCAR, affirmative action programs such as the Drive For Diversity are not the way of doing it. Just like their white male counterparts,female and minority drivers should have to earn their positions in races,not have it given to them. NASCAR is exercising the same sort of reverse discrimination that has discriminated against white males in society for many years. Like the Apostle Peter denying the Lord Jesus Christ, Brian France wants NASCAR denying its Southern roots and betraying the working class Southern fans who made the sport popular. Like Judas Iscariot,Brian France has shown himself as a sellout. Not allowing drivers to speak their minds,after drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin were essentially censored by NASCAR earlier this year after merely stating their opinions,has been to NASCAR's detriment. Drivers are no longer allowed to speak from their hearts by NASCAR. Gone are the fist fights of days gone by,such as the Allison brothers/Yarborough brawl at the 1979 Daytona 500. As is evidenced by the decline in race attendance and plummeting TV ratings,political correctness is killing NASCAR.
This brings us to the question,should fans boycott NASCAR? Well,I would say a boycott would send a message but at this point,NASCAR is destroying itself,as is evidenced by declining race attendance and falling TV ratings. A boycott would certainly add to NASCAR's woes. If millions of fans organized a boycott, NASCAR would probably cave,though not necessarily out of devotion to the fans,but as a means of saving themselves from bankruptcy and obliteration. I support whatever works to get NASCAR back to being the exciting,competitive,and all-American sport it originally was. There is still hope for NASCAR, but unfortunately time is running out.
Showing posts with label Ryan Newman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan Newman. Show all posts
Friday, December 3, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
An Open Letter To Brian France
Dear Mr.France,
I am disturbed and disheartened by the direction NASCAR has taken in recent years.
To begin with,I have never liked the Chase. I knew it was a stupid idea from the beginning. I am even more convinced of that now than I was in 2004 when you,Mr.France,introduced it. It is not a fair system. In fact,five of its first seven years,the Chase has been won by the same driver and team. The Car of Tomorrow has also reduced competition and fighting for wins in NASCAR races. The COT has taken the excitement out of NASCAR and reinforces the arguments of those who consider watching cars circle a track a waste of time. If the Chase is an attempt to get TV viewers away from the NFL,it has failed in a big way. The NFL maintains its viewership while NASCAR ratings have declined. The idea of a playoff system in racing is ridiculous. No amount of "tweaking" will convince anybody the Chase is a good thing. Neither will it win over NFL fans. The Chase should be scrapped completely.
Also,there are many suspicious "debris cautions" that seem to favor the number 48 team. The crew chief of the number 48 team has repeatedly gotten away with cheating,while teams that have committed lesser infractions have been harshly penalized. NASCAR preaches consistency yet does not really practice it. NASCAR's top priorities nowadays are pleasing sponsors and team owners but not necessarily the fans. This shows in declining race attendance and falling TV ratings that will only fall farther unless NASCAR does something to win back the fans they have lost.
NASCAR today lacks the excitement of days gone by,when drivers could really "have at it",including bare knuckle confrontations on Pit Road (the 1979 Daytona 500 and the Allison brothers/Yarborough fight for example). Drivers said and did things from their hearts. Today,it is mostly scripted,politically correct pretty boys not allowed to speak their minds. Like a dictatorship, NASCAR punishes those who speak out,especially earlier this year when drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin received monetary fines for merely stating their opinions.
Why is the Nationwide series championship repeatedly won by Cup drivers? The purpose of the Nationwide series is developing up and coming talent for the Cup series. While I am not against having some Cup drivers in Nationwide races,it is still not right that nearly half the field in most Nationwide races are Cup drivers. That makes it much more difficult on new talent finding its way into NASCAR. NASCAR should limit how often Cup drivers race in the Nationwide series and how many per Nationwide race. Also, Cup drivers in Nationwide should not receive driver points,only team owner points.
All these factors,Mr.France,have made me essentially give up on NASCAR. NASCAR might have "crossed the rubicon" now and might never again be the great sport it was,the sport your father and grandfather worked so hard building and you are destroying. I will still watch as an outsider looking in and be a more casual observer,much like I was before becoming a die hard fan in 2003. I did not leave NASCAR,it left me.
I hope I am wrong. I hope NASCAR will again be the no holds barred gutsy sport it once was but unfortunately, I am not holding my breath.
Sincerely,
A Disgusted NASCAR Fan
I am disturbed and disheartened by the direction NASCAR has taken in recent years.
To begin with,I have never liked the Chase. I knew it was a stupid idea from the beginning. I am even more convinced of that now than I was in 2004 when you,Mr.France,introduced it. It is not a fair system. In fact,five of its first seven years,the Chase has been won by the same driver and team. The Car of Tomorrow has also reduced competition and fighting for wins in NASCAR races. The COT has taken the excitement out of NASCAR and reinforces the arguments of those who consider watching cars circle a track a waste of time. If the Chase is an attempt to get TV viewers away from the NFL,it has failed in a big way. The NFL maintains its viewership while NASCAR ratings have declined. The idea of a playoff system in racing is ridiculous. No amount of "tweaking" will convince anybody the Chase is a good thing. Neither will it win over NFL fans. The Chase should be scrapped completely.
Also,there are many suspicious "debris cautions" that seem to favor the number 48 team. The crew chief of the number 48 team has repeatedly gotten away with cheating,while teams that have committed lesser infractions have been harshly penalized. NASCAR preaches consistency yet does not really practice it. NASCAR's top priorities nowadays are pleasing sponsors and team owners but not necessarily the fans. This shows in declining race attendance and falling TV ratings that will only fall farther unless NASCAR does something to win back the fans they have lost.
NASCAR today lacks the excitement of days gone by,when drivers could really "have at it",including bare knuckle confrontations on Pit Road (the 1979 Daytona 500 and the Allison brothers/Yarborough fight for example). Drivers said and did things from their hearts. Today,it is mostly scripted,politically correct pretty boys not allowed to speak their minds. Like a dictatorship, NASCAR punishes those who speak out,especially earlier this year when drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin received monetary fines for merely stating their opinions.
Why is the Nationwide series championship repeatedly won by Cup drivers? The purpose of the Nationwide series is developing up and coming talent for the Cup series. While I am not against having some Cup drivers in Nationwide races,it is still not right that nearly half the field in most Nationwide races are Cup drivers. That makes it much more difficult on new talent finding its way into NASCAR. NASCAR should limit how often Cup drivers race in the Nationwide series and how many per Nationwide race. Also, Cup drivers in Nationwide should not receive driver points,only team owner points.
All these factors,Mr.France,have made me essentially give up on NASCAR. NASCAR might have "crossed the rubicon" now and might never again be the great sport it was,the sport your father and grandfather worked so hard building and you are destroying. I will still watch as an outsider looking in and be a more casual observer,much like I was before becoming a die hard fan in 2003. I did not leave NASCAR,it left me.
I hope I am wrong. I hope NASCAR will again be the no holds barred gutsy sport it once was but unfortunately, I am not holding my breath.
Sincerely,
A Disgusted NASCAR Fan
Friday, October 15, 2010
More Reasons To Ditch NASCAR
I am amazed at how at how good NASCAR drivers are at pretending to be ignorant when it comes to NASCAR's declining race attendance and falling TV viewership, along with Jimmie Johnson living in denial as to why his predictable dominance is without a doubt a factor in declining TV ratings and falling race attendance.
NASCAR drivers know just like everybody else exactly why NASCAR's TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined. The races lack excitement anymore. The same driver wins the championship every year. NASCAR plays favorites with the #48 team by throwing alleged "debris" cautions and not penalizing crew chief Chad Knaus for his blatant cheating,as they did with driver Clint Bowyer and his Richard Childress Racing team. It should be noted that earlier this year,drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin were fined for just speaking their minds about NASCAR's questionable practices and blatant favoritism toward the #48 team so it could be the drivers are feigning ignorance to please Brian France,Mike Helton,Ramsey Poston,John Darby,and others. Since the Newman and Hamlin incidents, NASCAR has essentially placed a gag order on their drivers.
Jimmie Johnson's dominance of the NASCAR Cup series since 2006 is one reason,but not the only reason,why fans are losing interest in NASCAR and why TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined. Fans figure why bother spending their hard-earned money when they already know the outcome of the races and the championship? Few races NASCAR runs today even come close to the bumper-to-bumper,side-by-side,fight to the finish races of days gone by. Even tracks that traditionally have had exciting races,such as Bristol,are not as exciting now and do not sell out anymore. The Chase is a big turn-off and should be scrapped. The NFL will always dominate the ratings on Sunday afternoons in the fall and NASCAR cannot and will not change it. The fact that TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined since the inception of the Chase in 2004 should tell NASCAR something but like Jimmie Johnson,NASCAR refuses to look at the facts.
Another factor is NASCAR's refusal to listen the fans. They pretend to listen but they do not listen. If they did listen,the seats at race tracks would not be increasingly empty as they have been in recent years. The races would not be predictable and boring as most of them are now. TV ratings would not be declining every week. The problem is not with the fans. The problem is with NASCAR and those who run it. The excitement has also gone out of the Nationwide series,especially since its domination by Cup drivers.
Abandonment of heritage: It was hard working blue collar Southerners who put NASCAR on the map and spurred its phenomenal rise. Now NASCAR has abandoned and betrayed their Southern following and fans south of the Mason/Dixon line are letting their displeasure be known. The damage was only worsened with the dropping of a race at historic Atlanta Motor Speedway. When Brian France made disparaging remarks about the Confederate flag and started trying to lecture fans about diversity and multiculturalism,it sealed the sport's fate for the worse. Brian's Southern grandfather, William France Sr, was probably expressing outrage from beyond the grave at his grandson's treasonous statements.
In the old days,NASCAR races were often followed by knock down,drag out brawls in the pits. Nowadays,such activity would result in fines and suspensions but back in the day,it was the rule instead of the exception. Earlier this year,NASCAR decided to let drivers police themselves on the track and it has brought back some excitement to NASCAR races but not enough to reverse the decline of recent years.
Unless NASCAR,those who run it,and some of the drivers,get their heads out of the sand and put the emphasis on real racing again,NASCAR's future is no future at all.
NASCAR drivers know just like everybody else exactly why NASCAR's TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined. The races lack excitement anymore. The same driver wins the championship every year. NASCAR plays favorites with the #48 team by throwing alleged "debris" cautions and not penalizing crew chief Chad Knaus for his blatant cheating,as they did with driver Clint Bowyer and his Richard Childress Racing team. It should be noted that earlier this year,drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin were fined for just speaking their minds about NASCAR's questionable practices and blatant favoritism toward the #48 team so it could be the drivers are feigning ignorance to please Brian France,Mike Helton,Ramsey Poston,John Darby,and others. Since the Newman and Hamlin incidents, NASCAR has essentially placed a gag order on their drivers.
Jimmie Johnson's dominance of the NASCAR Cup series since 2006 is one reason,but not the only reason,why fans are losing interest in NASCAR and why TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined. Fans figure why bother spending their hard-earned money when they already know the outcome of the races and the championship? Few races NASCAR runs today even come close to the bumper-to-bumper,side-by-side,fight to the finish races of days gone by. Even tracks that traditionally have had exciting races,such as Bristol,are not as exciting now and do not sell out anymore. The Chase is a big turn-off and should be scrapped. The NFL will always dominate the ratings on Sunday afternoons in the fall and NASCAR cannot and will not change it. The fact that TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined since the inception of the Chase in 2004 should tell NASCAR something but like Jimmie Johnson,NASCAR refuses to look at the facts.
Another factor is NASCAR's refusal to listen the fans. They pretend to listen but they do not listen. If they did listen,the seats at race tracks would not be increasingly empty as they have been in recent years. The races would not be predictable and boring as most of them are now. TV ratings would not be declining every week. The problem is not with the fans. The problem is with NASCAR and those who run it. The excitement has also gone out of the Nationwide series,especially since its domination by Cup drivers.
Abandonment of heritage: It was hard working blue collar Southerners who put NASCAR on the map and spurred its phenomenal rise. Now NASCAR has abandoned and betrayed their Southern following and fans south of the Mason/Dixon line are letting their displeasure be known. The damage was only worsened with the dropping of a race at historic Atlanta Motor Speedway. When Brian France made disparaging remarks about the Confederate flag and started trying to lecture fans about diversity and multiculturalism,it sealed the sport's fate for the worse. Brian's Southern grandfather, William France Sr, was probably expressing outrage from beyond the grave at his grandson's treasonous statements.
In the old days,NASCAR races were often followed by knock down,drag out brawls in the pits. Nowadays,such activity would result in fines and suspensions but back in the day,it was the rule instead of the exception. Earlier this year,NASCAR decided to let drivers police themselves on the track and it has brought back some excitement to NASCAR races but not enough to reverse the decline of recent years.
Unless NASCAR,those who run it,and some of the drivers,get their heads out of the sand and put the emphasis on real racing again,NASCAR's future is no future at all.
Friday, July 30, 2010
NASCAR- Laying Down The Law Or Censoring Free Speech?
It came out earlier this week that NASCAR had penalized two drivers for allegedly making disparaging remarks about NASCAR. Their names were not known until sources revealed the drivers were Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman.
Hamlin was fined for commenting about a caution during a race. Newman was fined for allegedly making derogatory remarks about NASCAR after the spring Talladega race. I thought we had something called the First Amendment to the Constitution that gives all Americans the right to freedom of speech. NASCAR drivers (and everybody else) should be able to speak their minds without intimidation or fear of reprisals. This is political correctness run amok.
I know there is one school of thought that says NASCAR was just doing what any company would do if their employees openly criticized it. That sounds good on the surface but it should be noted that Hamlin and Newman are not NASCAR employees. Hamlin is employed by Joe Gibbs Racing, Newman by Stewart/Haas Racing. It is true that NASCAR is a sanctioning body and there are some things NASCAR should be allowed to regulate,such as a code of conduct,on-track behavior,etc,but whether or not drivers should be penalized for simply stating opinions is ridiculous. If drivers were employees of NASCAR itself,I would understand,as employee loyalty is important with any company but drivers are team employees,they do not work for NASCAR directly.
Some argue that Major League Baseball,the NBA,and the NFL do the same with their athletes. In the spirit of consistency,it should be said they are just as guilty as NASCAR.
Certainly NASCAR is big enough to take some criticism. It would not hurt NASCAR to listen to the fans and the drivers once in a while. I have no idea how it hurts NASCAR. NASCAR has been suffering from declining race attendance and sagging TV ratings. Those things started happening before the recession. NASCAR is clearly at fault for its own troubles, not fans or drivers. The economy is likely a factor but to a lesser extent because these problems plagued NASCAR before the recession began. The recession has added to NASCAR's difficulties but is not the cause of them.
Earlier this year, NASCAR announced they were going to let drivers police themselves, yet NASCAR wants to regulate what drivers say. NASCAR cannot have it both ways. If drivers are allowed to police themselves on the track, they should be allowed to speak their minds as well. There is such a thing as constructive criticism. NASCAR would do well listening.
NASCAR dishes it out so they should take it as well.
Hamlin was fined for commenting about a caution during a race. Newman was fined for allegedly making derogatory remarks about NASCAR after the spring Talladega race. I thought we had something called the First Amendment to the Constitution that gives all Americans the right to freedom of speech. NASCAR drivers (and everybody else) should be able to speak their minds without intimidation or fear of reprisals. This is political correctness run amok.
I know there is one school of thought that says NASCAR was just doing what any company would do if their employees openly criticized it. That sounds good on the surface but it should be noted that Hamlin and Newman are not NASCAR employees. Hamlin is employed by Joe Gibbs Racing, Newman by Stewart/Haas Racing. It is true that NASCAR is a sanctioning body and there are some things NASCAR should be allowed to regulate,such as a code of conduct,on-track behavior,etc,but whether or not drivers should be penalized for simply stating opinions is ridiculous. If drivers were employees of NASCAR itself,I would understand,as employee loyalty is important with any company but drivers are team employees,they do not work for NASCAR directly.
Some argue that Major League Baseball,the NBA,and the NFL do the same with their athletes. In the spirit of consistency,it should be said they are just as guilty as NASCAR.
Certainly NASCAR is big enough to take some criticism. It would not hurt NASCAR to listen to the fans and the drivers once in a while. I have no idea how it hurts NASCAR. NASCAR has been suffering from declining race attendance and sagging TV ratings. Those things started happening before the recession. NASCAR is clearly at fault for its own troubles, not fans or drivers. The economy is likely a factor but to a lesser extent because these problems plagued NASCAR before the recession began. The recession has added to NASCAR's difficulties but is not the cause of them.
Earlier this year, NASCAR announced they were going to let drivers police themselves, yet NASCAR wants to regulate what drivers say. NASCAR cannot have it both ways. If drivers are allowed to police themselves on the track, they should be allowed to speak their minds as well. There is such a thing as constructive criticism. NASCAR would do well listening.
NASCAR dishes it out so they should take it as well.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Congratulations,Jamie McMurray
Jamie McMurray is one of my favorite NASCAR drivers. I was so happy for Jamie when he won the Allstate 400 At The Brickyard,one of NASCAR's most prestigious races along with the Daytona 500. McMurray is only the third driver to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard in the same year. Congratulations,Jamie,on a win well-deserved.
Again,congratulations to Jamie on winning the race. Also,congratulations to Jamie and his wife Christy,who are expecting their first child in December. Driver Ryan Newman and his wife Krissie are expecting also,along with Sam Hornish Jr and his wife Crystal. Congratulations to all new and expectant parents.
Again,congratulations to Jamie on winning the race. Also,congratulations to Jamie and his wife Christy,who are expecting their first child in December. Driver Ryan Newman and his wife Krissie are expecting also,along with Sam Hornish Jr and his wife Crystal. Congratulations to all new and expectant parents.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)