Double Clutchin’-Why The Mainstream Media’s Racing Coverage Sucks
Written by Rocky Kitts · May 23, 2008
Okay, folks. I’m in full fan-mode right now, and I’m angry; so let’s pull out the ranting gloves and go a few rounds with the mainstream media. Why? Because I’m sick of the way that they have covered the racing landscape the last few weeks, and I’m sure that I can’t be the only one.
Let’s start with NASCAR, shall we?
I’ve made no secret that I’m a Junior fan. So, since that prejudice is known, I’m going to try to use facts and stuff to back up my argument, so here we go:
If I hear one more ESPN “analyst” talk about Junior’s “losing” streak (apparently top five finishes and number three in the points standings counts for nothing), I’m going to scream obscenities that would make Granny Clampett blush. I also love how it has become the hip thing for some of their radio personalities to start playing the “Junior has never done anything card” in an attempt to make themselves look smarter than the room. He’s done nothing? Really? Seventeen career wins is something isn’t it? It puts him in the top 50 for career wins. It also puts him ninth among active drivers. There’s also the argument that Junior is piggybacking off of his dad’s reputation, and that he hasn’t done anything for himself. That’s a weak argument. If all it took was a name, why wasn’t Kerry Earnhardt more successful in NASCAR? It’s because he couldn’t race. Junior has won 22 races at the Nationwide/Busch level, and in 98 and 99 he racked up 13 wins and 34 top fives. If you look at NASCAR fans, they know their sport better than most of the talking heads do, and if Junior couldn’t race, they’d throw him to the wolves and back someone else. That’s the way most sports fans are.
Now, to my second problem of the week, and it may or may not be shared by some of my IRL compatriots here at FastMachines: Can we please have at least one story on someone racing in the Indianapolis 500 Sunday who’s not named Danica Patrick? Is that too much to ask? Just one? I love Danica. If you were to ask my girlfriend, probably an unhealthy amount. But, it has been Danica, Danica, Danica and she has still just won one race. One. Is Danice responsible for bringing attention to this year’s Indy 500? Absolutely, but should she be the total focus? Absolutely not. It would be better for the total health of the IRL, if other drivers could get some of the rub off of Danica’s press, but so far I haven’t seen that happen. It would be good for Indy racing if Danica wins, but the worst thing that could happen would be for Danica to finish second, because the winner can forget about getting any part of the spotlight. That’s not Danica’s fault; that’s just the way that the coverage goes.
And finally, can the media please stop comparing Junior to Danica, and NASCAR to IRL? Neither comparison is a good one; and I had to snicker when I saw a poll on ESPN comparing the Coca Cola 600 to the Indianapolis 500. That’s not a good comparison. Indianapolis is undoubtedly the biggest IRL race in the United States. The Coca Cola 600 is nowhere near Indy in tradition, or in importance. If the Daytona 500 was this weekend, a possible connection and comparison could be made, but this attempt at comparison is laughable. In many ways, IRL racing and NASCAR are different sports that just happen to share certain similarities, but since most of the “experts” know nothing about racing, we’re stuck with “Does NASCAR need Danica?”, “When will Junior win a Race?”, and this gem of a topic from an actual ESPN show, “If Danica doesn’t win Indianapolis Sunday, is she a failure?” Ummm, how about no, she’s not. A driver’s career is judged by more than one race.
How about we hear something about drivers not named Patrick and Earnhardt? What’s that? Didn’t I just write a whole article about those two?
Hehe. Yep, I sure did, and I feel a heckuvalot better because of it.
Enjoy the races this weekend. BOTH of them. My picks? I like Tony Stewart this weekend in the 600; and for Indianapolis I’m going with the money pick; Helio Castroneves.
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I agree,ESPN talking heads suck period! Don’t forget F1 @ Monte Carlo sunday morning,I don’t really like F1 but there is nothing else on early sunday morning and Monte Carlo race is about as good asF1 gets.