The Announcers Thread

[HoneyBadger]

Have to give FOX credit today. Probably their best Daytona 500 telecast of this decade.

Good camera work. Good commentary from Mike Joy and Kevin Harvick. More LarryMac is always a good thing.

Side by side coverage, we didn’t miss a single green flag lap to full screen commercial interruption.

They toned it down quite a bit with their toys and only used them when needed. And didn’t clutter the screen with too many graphics for once.

 

[kkfan91]

Speaking of toys, when they light up the manufacturers with colors, I only recall seeing them do it for Ford and Toyota, anyone see it for Chevy?

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Speaking of toys, when they light up the manufacturers with colors, I only recall seeing them do it for Ford and Toyota, anyone see it for Chevy?

Is that what those colors were? I thought they were already showing us the who would make the playoff.

 

[MRM]

Pretty good broadcast for the 500. One of their better ones in a while. The Xfinity broadcast was good aside from Kligerman and McMurray talking over each other quite a bit.

 

[StandOnIt]

Pretty good broadcast for the 500. One of their better ones in a while. The Xfinity broadcast was good aside from Kligerman and McMurray talking over each other quite a bit.

It was gerbil light. I hope they settle down and not continue to try to out talk each other like the gerbils do. I turned on MRN after all I could stand of them.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Is that what those colors were? I thought they were already showing us the who would make the playoff.

When they talked about the Toyota drivers, all the Toyota drivers on the pylon flashed red. When they talked about the Ford drivers, it flashed blue.

They never really talked about Chevys linking up, but the Chevys were also a non-factor until William Byron's Golden Horseshoe was activated. The Fords dominated.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Pretty good broadcast for the 500. One of their better ones in a while. The Xfinity broadcast was good aside from Kligerman and McMurray talking over each other quite a bit.

My only criticism (aside from the god awful graphics): Clint Bowyer needs to be on pre-race coverage. Either put Jamie McMurray in the booth or just have Mike Joy and Kevin Harvick. Bowyer didn't annoy me yesterday like he has in the past, but he offers nothing to these broadcasts.

 

[pjmolo]

Have to give FOX credit today. Probably their best Daytona 500 telecast of this decade.

Good camera work. Good commentary from Mike Joy and Kevin Harvick. More LarryMac is always a good thing.

Side by side coverage, we didn’t miss a single green flag lap to full screen commercial interruption.

They toned it down quite a bit with their toys and only used them when needed. And didn’t clutter the screen with too many graphics for once.

Guess the camera work was as good as we're gonna get now-a-days but the constant changing of camera shots and "zooms" to close-up views gets this old timer dizzy.

Still long for the less busy telecasts when a single camera would simply follow a group of cars around a lengthy portion of the track, giving the viewer more of a sense of being there.

Also prefer a scrolling list of the running order across the bottom as opposed to the constantly changing Top 20 list that makes it tough to see where my Pick 'Em guy is running.

but that's just me . . .

Oh yeah, LarryMac is a treasure.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Guess the camera work was as good as we're gonna get now-a-days but the constant changing of camera shots and "zooms" to close-up views gets this old timer dizzy.

Still long for the less busy telecasts when a single camera would simply follow a group of cars around a lengthy portion of the track, giving the viewer more of a sense of being there.

Also prefer a scrolling list of the running order across the bottom as opposed to the constantly changing Top 20 list that makes it tough to see where my Pick 'Em guy is running.

but that's just me . . .

Oh yeah, LarryMac is a treasure.

There's a lot to nitpick about Fox, but this was a huge improvement over what we've been getting the past several years.

I watch a lot of action movies so I've gotten used to cameras constantly changing. Directors in Hollywood now rely on flash cuts instead of choreography.

 

[pjmolo]

There's a lot to nitpick about Fox, but this was a huge improvement over what we've been getting the past several years.

I watch a lot of action movies so I've gotten used to cameras constantly changing. Directors in Hollywood now rely on flash cuts instead of choreography.

Agreed.

imo, those "flash cuts" you're talking about in movies is part director and part the inability of an actor to carry a scene for more than ten seconds as opposed to what you'll see on TCM.

Gotta go.

Forgot to take my memory enhancement medication.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Side by side coverage, we didn’t miss a single green flag lap to full screen commercial interruption.

I wonder if this will be the standard for the season or if this was just for Daytona?

Clint Bowyer needs to be on pre-race coverage. Either put Jamie McMurray in the booth or just have Mike Joy and Kevin Harvick.

I'd like to see a driver and crew chief instead of two drivers.

Also prefer a scrolling list of the running order across the bottom as opposed to the constantly changing Top 20 list

Or a rarely changing list like we got yesterday.

imo, those "flash cuts" you're talking about in movies is part director and part the inability of an actor to carry a scene for more than ten seconds as opposed to what you'll see on TCM.

Watch Fred and Ginger, or Gene Kelly or any of several others. You can count the cuts in a dance sequence on one hand with fingers left over. Better yet, try train chase sequence in Buster Keaton's 'The General', and watch for him out on the cowcatcher. Try the 'Lonesome Polecat' number from 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'; not the most strenuous dance number but six guys, four minutes, one cut on the first take. Nobody want to budget for rehearsal any more.

 

[HoneyBadger]

I wonder if this will be the standard for the season or if this was just for Daytona?

I heard a rumor that it was put in the TV contracts, but don't know how true that is. Adam Stern's report said Fox sold Daytona 500 ads for side-by-side coverage and that was it.

 

[StandOnIt]

 

[HoneyBadger]

FOX will continue only to run side-by-side commercials during green flag racing. That practice, however, will not extend to races on FS1.

https://www.jayski.com/2025/02/18/fox-will-continue-using-side-by-side-commercials/

 

[HoneyBadger]

In related news:

Why NASCAR cut back on broadcast, not cable, in its new rights deal

Breaking down NASCAR's new media rights deal as the Cup Series season begins, and why the sport is scaling back its broadcast TV exposure.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

This is a lot of words for: "NASCAR went to cable over broadcast and streaming because cable networks are desperate to cling to life and NASCAR's the only organization willing to stay on cable."

Also, while this article doesn't mention it, Fox is launching a streaming service for Fox Sports soon, and that's supposedly only happening because it's written in INDYCAR's contract.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

In related news:

Why NASCAR cut back on broadcast, not cable, in its new rights deal

Breaking down NASCAR's new media rights deal as the Cup Series season begins, and why the sport is scaling back its broadcast TV exposure.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

This is a lot of words for: "NASCAR went to cable over broadcast and streaming because cable networks are desperate to cling to life and NASCAR's the only organization willing to stay on cable."

Also, while this article doesn't mention it, Fox is launching a streaming service for Fox Sports soon, and that's supposedly only happening because it's written in INDYCAR's contract.

If US motorsports fans would look beyond ovals, Indy and IMSA would be breathing down NASCAR's neck.

 

[MRM]

NASCAR is worried its older fans (which is a majority of the fan base) won't watch races if they are streaming. They're sticking with broadcast and cable minus a few races on Prime. Meanwhile, college football is on the verge of revamping their schedule and broadcasting agreements with the Big Ten and SEC close to agreeing on playing each other in a couple of games that will put up for bid and a streamer is likely to be the high bidder. And just today, Netflix says they'd like to bid for either the AFC or NFC package when the current NFL TV deal is up.

 

[HoneyBadger]

NASCAR is worried its older fans (which is a majority of the fan base) won't watch races if they are streaming. They're sticking with broadcast and cable minus a few races on Prime. Meanwhile, college football is on the verge of revamping their schedule and broadcasting agreements with the Big Ten and SEC close to agreeing on playing each other in a couple of games that will put up for bid and a streamer is likely to be the high bidder. And just today, Netflix says they'd like to bid for either the AFC or NFC package when the current NFL TV deal is up.

Netflix is favored to land F1 as well.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Agreed.

imo, those "flash cuts" you're talking about in movies is part director and part the inability of an actor to carry a scene for more than ten seconds as opposed to what you'll see on TCM.

Gotta go.

Forgot to take my memory enhancement medication.

It’s not really acting that’s the problem, it’s choreography. There are several reasons for it too.

There are some great actors and actresses today. Cate Blanchett comes to mind immediately. She can carry any movie on her own.

 

[HoneyBadger]

This TV/streaming deal is such a disaster, NASCAR had to set up a hotline for fans to call to find out what channel the race is on.

 

[kkfan91]

Says a lot more to me about the intelligence of the fan base then anything...

 

[Charlie Spencer]

$7.99 per minute. Must be 21 or older. Not legal in FL, NC. Photos may not be representative of operators. Your number may be shared for exclusive marketing benefits.

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

This TV/streaming deal is such a disaster, NASCAR had to set up a hotline for fans to call to find out what channel the race is on.

I’m sending this to my NASCAR loving and watching parents

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

This TV/streaming deal is such a disaster, NASCAR had to set up a hotline for fans to call to find out what channel the race is on.

Disaster?! I guess qualifying is on Amazon but they haven’t even started the race portion of that yet! Come on, let them get to that part of the broadcast schedule before we label anything a disaster

 

[HoneyBadger]

Disaster?! I guess qualifying is on Amazon but they haven’t even started the race portion of that yet! Come on, let them get to that part of the broadcast schedule before we label anything a disaster

The entire package in totality is a disaster.

Amazon Prime and TNT Sports are the strongest aspects of this deal.

I thought CW would be too and I do think they’ll get this straight. I’ve heard they’re considering putting races live on the app now.

The quality of coverage isn’t the issue. CW was very good. Sunday’s race on FOX was very good. Prime Video will be very good and TNT is the same exact broadcast. We know NBC will be top tier.

 

[HoneyBadger]

I grew up in the 90s when these races were on ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, TNN, and then that random Miami race on NBC got thrown in, plus Speedvision and Fox Sports Net for qualifying.

This is worse.

 

[MRM]

I grew up in the 90s when these races were on ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, TNN, and then that random Miami race on NBC got thrown in, plus Speedvision and Fox Sports Net for qualifying.

This is worse.

I don't know. How would fans react to the first race being on CBS, the second on TNN, the third one on ESPN, the fourth one being on ABC, and the fifth one being on TBS? The tracks used to negotiate their own TV deals. It was rare for racing to be on the same channel back-to-back weeks.

 

[donthaveanickname]

This TV/streaming deal is such a disaster, NASCAR had to set up a hotline for fans to call to find out what channel the race is on.

Are there so many fans who are 90+ years old?

 

[Charlie Spencer]

How would fans react to the first race being on CBS, the second on TNN, the third one on ESPN, the fourth one being on ABC, and the fifth one being on TBS?

Don't forget about the races on the big networks that the local stations would 'join in progress' or totally pre-empt for the local teams.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Are there so many fans who are 90+ years old?

Does NASCAR expect the confused folks will be able to find their 'Call us' announcement on Twitter and other social media? If they can find that, they can probably find the races without needing help.

I'd like to know what Byron said when they handed him that red push-button antique.

On a conspiracy related note, the announcement says, "Call William Byron to hear how to watch all the action from Daytona". This implies the post was put together before the race, which Byron would win. Obviously the fix is in; whichever driver reads the week's schedule is has been tagged to be the winner.

 

[HoneyBadger]

I don't know. How would fans react to the first race being on CBS, the second on TNN, the third one on ESPN, the fourth one being on ABC, and the fifth one being on TBS? The tracks used to negotiate their own TV deals. It was rare for racing to be on the same channel back-to-back weeks.

Changing channels is easier than changing apps.

 

[Daytripper]

Changing channels is easier than changing apps.

One of the few reasons left I still have cable!

 

[MRM]

Changing channels is easier than changing apps.

Good point. I may switch to DirecTV Stream and their new device places all the apps in one place. I'm hoping this works well.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

MRN + PRN = NRN, at least for Truck coverage

MRN & PRN Launch NASCAR Racing Network

NASCAR’s Motor Racing Network and Speedway Motorsports’ Performance Racing Network have teamed together to launch the NASCAR Racing Network for

radioinsight.com

Now quit screwing around and do it for the other two series.

 

[Magicmiler]

I don't know. How would fans react to the first race being on CBS, the second on TNN, the third one on ESPN, the fourth one being on ABC, and the fifth one being on TBS? The tracks used to negotiate their own TV deals. It was rare for racing to be on the same channel back-to-back weeks.

Well, you have this in one weekend
Just bring back Speedvision, TNN,TBS, ESPN 2 & CBS to make it more interesting. Your remote will need extra batteries...

 

[HoneyBadger]

Good point. I may switch to DirecTV Stream and their new device places all the apps in one place. I'm hoping this works well.

I’m using their new sports package and it’s solid. Not a lot of channels but I get all the channels I watch except CW. $50/mo for now and I get a discount through my ancient AT&T plan.