Double Clutchin’-The Good, The Bad, And ABC
Written by Rocky Kitts · November 12, 2008
First off, apologies to all for no posts in a while; the reasons for my absence are numerous and personal, but I’m happy to be back with you for the last bite of the NASCAR season. I’m going to do this post in reverse today so let us get this party started:
The Ugly:
ABC. Oh my God, are you kidding me? With 39 laps to go in the race ABC decides to switch to ESPN2? I know there are a few of you out there who wonder what the big deal is; I mean, every one has cable; right?
No, they don’t. One of the things that I’ve liked about the last part of the season is the fact that the races are on ABC. That means that I can go to visit my dad on Sundays and watch the races with him. Cable isn’t offered in the boondocks where my folks live and a satellite really doesn’t fit into their budget, so the only races that he gets to watch are the ones on free tv. So when the race was switched to cable, we (along with those who had tivoed it) were pretty much screwed.
Folks, I was so mad Sunday that I was throwing things. I know that this wasn’t really NASCAR’s fault, but it really felt like it was another example of how far away from its core audience NASCAR has gotten. Like I said, maybe that’s not fair of me, but I was more than a little irritated. Plus, it was a definite sign that whether we want to admit it or not, NASCAR is still seen as a red-headed step-child in the sports industry. If that had been an NFL game, there’s no way that it’s not allowed to play out. This was the next to last race of the season, you’ve got the points leader in first and the number two guy (Carl) primed to make one last run at the lead and possibly the championship. There was every indication that something good was about to happen, but God forbid that America’s Funniest Home Videos be knocked off the air.
I mean, who wouldn’t rather watch a guy get hit in the balls by his kid on video for the millionth time, than what could potentially be the deciding race of the season?
Bill France wasn’t happy about the decision, but he was diplomatic, saying:
“We didn’t like it, that was not what we had anticipated but we have talked to them repeatedly in the last couple days,” France said. “There were lots of circumstances that we have to consider. They have their own issues they had to manage around. Unfortunately we got the short end of that.”(Nascar.com)
No, Bill, it was a lot of your fans that got the short end of that. Onto the bad.
The Bad:
This isn’t really bad, but I didn’t know where else to put it. The wreck involving David Gilliland and Scott Speed was tremendous. I can’t remember the last time that I saw a car actually stuck on top of another car. Bad luck for both guys, but it was a great visual and luckily no one was injured.
And oh yeah, Scott Speed is as weird as he was advertised. I’ve never seen a guy look that happy about being involved in a crash. If this guy can learn to race the NASCAR circuit, he could really be good for the sport. He’s got a lot of qualities that I think could make him very popular; and even more unpopular with NASCAR fans.
The Good:
Jimmie Johnson took this victory at Phoenix, and with that he has all but finished his quest for a third straight championship. Sure, Haley’s Comet could change course, plummet to Earth and take out Johnson before the race, but it’s not bloody likely.
Carl Edwards. Carl may not win the championship, but there’s no doubt that this season was his coming out party. Carl will go into next season as one of the top candidates to dethrone Johnson as the champ, along with Kyle Busch and he’s become the new “it” guy of NASCAR. Carl has brought a lot of energy to NASCAR this season and I expect him to be bringing that same kind of energy for years to come.
Great races by Jamie McMurray and J.P. Montoya (that makes it more NASCAR-ie, doesn’t it?) on Sunday. Both of these guys have been impressive in the last few races (I guess racing for sponsorships can do that), and I wouldn’t be surprised to see either one of them be next season’s break-out driver. Of course, in McMurray’s case, that’s been said before, but maybe this will be the time for J-Mac to fulfill his potential.
That’s it for this issue, folks. One more race to go and we can tie a bow on the NASCAR season. That can mean only one thing:
The first ever Double Clutchin’ Year in Review Driver Awards! Coming soon to a blog near you.
Be afraid Michael. Be very afraid.
Also, in case I forget to mention it later, thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read these posts and who have offered your own opinions and observations.
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