NA$CAR: The Money Game

Hey Brooklyn, that's why I call it Na$ca$h

Won't stop me from loving the sport.

PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Kat:waver::)
 
I especially liked the following quote:

"With superior driving skills, good looks and a game show host stage presence, Gordon has it all."

I can just picture him as a game show host. I don't think he'd be very good, however. Might be forced to wear green plaid suits and smile even more than he already does. Better stick to driving.

:ROFLMFAO:
 
So we can all blame ole Jeffie for what NASCAR has become? I knew he was a snake!!:D






BTW.........that was a joke!!:)
 
The days of Winston Cup drivers being under pressure to perform only the track are long gone and not likely to ever return.

While Jeff came along with the right tools at the right time to capitalize on the rising star of NASCAR and its move to the forefront of the American sports public, the emphasis on a drivers personality and PR abilities was well underway.

Think about it. The reason what a driver says, his personality, or his appearance gains any importance is because a large number of people are to both hear and see him. In the early days the only way to hear one of NASCAR's stars was either live or on the MRN broadcasts, mostly only available in the South and not everwhere even there. The only way to see the drivers was at the races, at rare and largely unpublicized public appearances or the extremely limited 20 minute condensations presented on TV at the time.

Beginning in the '80's all that changed. The Daytona 500 was broadcast on network television live and in its entirety for the first time. Some upstart cable broadcastier named ESPN began to show more until by the end of the decade virtually every race was available to a large segment of the population. And drivers were suddenly faced with microphones and cameras immediately following either a win, a mechanical failure,or a crash. Suddenly in sometimes the worst of circumstances he had to try and express himself coherently and reasonably.

There were some classic statements made in those years, DW inviting an entire granstand full of his detractors to a Big K parking lot stands out in my mind, and the sponsors who were already paying the bills for the big teams grasped the importance of their drivers presentations immediately.

And with that a new age of driver skills was born. IMO
 
I just hope it doesn't get to the point where a racer's marketing potential becomes more important than his skill behind a wheel. Some people feel it's already reached that level.

I would also hate it if NASCAR lost all of its color just to make a few more bucks. I mean, if there were 43 Jeff Gordons and Jimmie Johnsons out there every Sunday (no offense to Hendrick fans intended), things would be dull indeed. They're both great drivers, just not sparkling personalities, IMO. Guys like Sterling Marlin, Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Shrader are what make the sport extra interesting to me. I hope I'm not in the minority.
 
Originally posted by abooja
I just hope it doesn't get to the point where a racer's marketing potential becomes more important than his skill behind a wheel. Some people feel it's already reached that level.  
Click to expand...

It has.

Need we say who?
 
NASCAR does need the "bad boys", it gives some excitement to a sport which is becoming more and more a PR gig.

I don't think it will go completely a PR gig, but in order to attract the big dollars the teams now require, many of the drivers will need the comm skills of the JG's and JJ's. Sponsors want as much return for their buck as they can get and that means as much TV time as posible. The networks seem to concentrate on the drivers with the good comm skills. Not sure why but it may be because the majority of fans are more attracted to the well spoken, attractive guys rather than the opposite.

The face of NASCAR and the stereotype of the fans are changing, and it has caused a reaction that many of the older race fans are not much fond of. However, it is still racing and we can rest assured than come the green flag there will be cars on the track and race fans watching.
 
I suppose you're referring to Dale Jr., right Paul?

It's getting awfully boring trying to explain why a two time Busch champion deserves respect as a race car driver. :rolleyes:
 
Oh, then for the sake of argument, who would you use as an example? Aside from Jr.?
 
Now, I'm not saying that Dale Jr. doesn't get more media attention than his record deserves, just that he is a good race car driver. Why single him out as if he has no talent?

What about guys like Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Jimmie Johnson? All potential talents, to be sure, but don't they also get more attention than they deserve? Let's be fair here.
 
I certainly don't see Kurt Busch getting as much coverage as Jr. Jr. has marketed himself intensely. No one can deny that.

We aren't talking about who gets the most coverage, that's also pretty much known by everyone. We're arguing about the "marketing potential [becoming] more important than his skill behind a wheel". The most marketed driver in NASCAR right now is Dale Earnhardt Jr.
 
We aren't talking about who gets the most coverage, that's also pretty much known by everyone. We're arguing about the "marketing potential [becoming] more important than his skill behind a wheel". The most marketed driver in NASCAR right now is Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Click to expand...

True enough. But you also seem to suggest that the attention he gets is completely unwarranted. IMHO, it is not.

Personally, I'd prefer it if Junior were less popular than he is. Lines would be shorter at his trailers, fewer chubsters would be wearing solid blocks of red, and people couldn't get on him as much for being all style and no substance.

I believe Junior does have substance. I realize that all the hype surrounding him and his name doesn't necessarily indicate that, since Budweiser makes a killing on him whether he wins or loses, but the fact that he's hyped to death doesn't mean he sucks. I think it's a major distraction to him as a competitor and sometimes attracts the wrong kind of attention, but it's not something I would want to change if I were Dale Jr. or Teresa. Money is a very essential part of the business, and he must bring it in by the bucketload.

Now, if he would only get his stuff together and start winning consistently, he could get this monkey off his back.
 
I agree.

Everything you're saying here goes along with what you said originally. That marketing potential is more important than his skill behind a wheel. You're assuming that I'm saying his performace behind the wheel is bad, which I'm not.
 
No. It just means I bristle at even the slightest suggestion that my guy ain't good enough. ;)
 
:)as far back as racing goes the fans have crowed around the drivers to get a close up view of someone they admire or to get a program or hat or something signed. this part of racing has not changed. now they are restricted as to what they sign by their car owners or sponsers. drivers take their time to show up at signings and people wait in line for 8 or 10 hours. i do not know of anyother sport that has the support of the fans like nascar. now if the fans just had the support of nascar instead of nascar taking advantage of the fans. i know it takes a lot of money to put these races on but i am sure that with the money that nascar is paid by the networks radio and tv the money they get from the sales of the die cast and other items they are making a pretty penny. it does not look like mr helton has missed a meal lately.

lets get back to basics with racing and get out of the big business
 
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