ESPN fires Marty Reid

As for IndyCar, they don't have ANYONE to replace Marty with. Unless Allen Bestwick is staying at ESPN - which would be a pretty big surprise. I just can't see Allen Bestwick staying behind so he can cover five races.
 
I doubt they fired him effective immediately with only five Nationwide races left because of a bad call during a race on one of their obscure networks (ESPNews). I'm not a fan of his but there's probably more behind this decision.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I doubt they fired him effective immediately with only five Nationwide races left because of a bad call during a race on one of their obscure networks (ESPNews). I'm not a fan of his but there's probably more behind this decision.
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All signs are pointing to an NBC takeover next year. ESPN doesn't piss away 30 years of loyalty like this, ever. Hell, this is the network that just re-hired Keith Olbermann. I wonder if it's basically already been worked out. Guess we'll find out at Homestead.
 
I wish they would hire Bob Jenkins. I always liked him in the booth.
 
Marty Reid was terrible IMO. I hope he lands on his feet but personally I'm glad to get more of Bestwick I think he does a nice job.
 
3wideinturn1 said:
Marty Reid was terrible IMO. I hope he lands on his feet but personally I'm glad to get more of Bestwick I think he does a nice job.
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Bestwick has been annoying in the past, as long as he doesn't do any of the pointless new to nascar statements I can deal with him I guess, some of the things he says can be helpful, a lot was pointless.
 
I'm pro Bestwick. I think he's very knowledgeable. Watched him on Inside Winston Cup for years. That was, by far, one of the best NASCAR related shows on television until the format change. From that point on it went straight now hill. Say what you want but the vintage team of Bestwick, Michael Waltrip, Johnny Benson, & Kenny Schrader on that show were great.

I'd like to see the ESPN broadcasting team be picked up and placed on NBC when it's time. They have good chemistry IMO.
 
Bestwick started calling races at nearby short tracks when he was 15 and did a tremendous job.
 
I think Marty Reid is terrible but it's obvious that Espn is trying to get rid of all motorsports.. NHRA pays to be on the networks and they get ****** times, Espn is dropping Nascar and wouldn't be surprised if they cut indy car loose. Freeing up resources to spend on more marketable sports.

By the way, it won't be a good thing long term because I don't feel like NBCSN will promote motorsports as heavliy as time goes on. They'll look to get out to buy other sports and then motorsports will be left to cbs sports or mav tv..

Unless of course, there is another boom period for racing.
 
Lazyking said:
I think Marty Reid is terrible but it's obvious that Espn is trying to get rid of all motorsports.. NHRA pays to be on the networks and they get ****** times, Espn is dropping Nascar and wouldn't be surprised if they cut indy car loose. Freeing up resources to spend on more marketable sports.

By the way, it won't be a good thing long term because I don't feel like NBCSN will promote motorsports as heavliy as time goes on. They'll look to get out to buy other sports and then motorsports will be left to cbs sports or mav tv..

Unless of course, there is another boom period for racing.
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IndyCar is locked in with ABC until 2018.
 
Not sure if that's a dig at Barney Hall but that guy craps more NASCAR knowledge in a day than any of us know about the sport. He's a damn good guy and has seen a lot in NASCAR over his lifetime.
 
MRM said:
Why did he get fired? I know at the end of the NNS race last week he thought the race was over when there was still one lap. Kind of wonder if he's been sipping the funny water.
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I remember in the early 90's, Mark Martin was leading a BGN race on the last lap when he suddenly slowed down and pulled off the track thinking he had just won the race.

He didn't notice it was the white flag waving when he crossed the S/F line with one to go, not the checkered flag.

I wonder now if Reid was his spotter that day?
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Why? I'm seriously beginning to doubt they'll have NASCAR at all next year. There are a lot of signs pointing to NBC buying ESPN out of NASCAR.
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Just a hunch, but I'm starting to get the impression you think NBC will be buying ESPN out after this year.
 
There have been all kinds of reports on NBC taking over for the past month and a half. NASCAR's denied it for whatever that's worth.

I'm not really sure what the big deal is about it anyhow. ESPN, NBC, whatever, most everyone gets those stations.
 
In my opinion, the firing of Marty Reid is long overdue. He has been terrible at calling NASCAR races over the past few years, starting with when ESPN first starting broadcasting races for this current term. He was finally taken off cup races (and replaced with Bestwick) presumably because he was already so bad with his broadcasts. He had been assigned only for NNS races after that and did some IRL races as well. He had become a joke in both series by earlier this year. Not only did he screw up the lap number and call the NNS race a lap early at Kentucky last week, he did the same thing at an NNS race earlier this year (I think it was the first Loudon race in July). Not only that, he had been calling out the wrong car as leading the IRL race a few weeks before that (I think it was either the Milwaukee race or the Iowa race). Eddie Cheever had to correct him on the air and he seemed in such a fog that I was embarrassed for him.

He was constantly making dumb statements on the air, like his priceless comment during the cup race at Richmond a few years ago "Your race leader Denny Hamlin is your race leader"! I don't think even Bill Weber was this bad. I could go on and on but no need to, I have already beat up on the poor guy enough. He seems like a great guy and maybe there are sports broadcasting duties he could handle competently but I don't think auto racing is one of them.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Bob Jenkins left ESPN on bad terms. I doubt he'll come out of retirement to go back.
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I dont remember what happnened but I will take your word on it. Remember Jenkins and Larry Nuber? Them and Benny Parsons and Ned Jarrett were some of my all time favorites. Benny Parsons was the funniest dude I ever listened to and he knew his stuff too.
 
ElliottFan said:
I dont remember what happnened but I will take your word on it. Remember Jenkins and Larry Nuber? Them and Benny Parsons and Ned Jarrett were some of my all time favorites. Benny Parsons was the funniest dude I ever listened to and he knew his stuff too.
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Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, and Benny Parsons were the best announcer team of all time IMO.

Ned was great. He knew who was turning the fastest laps on the track without being told by the producers. You could always hear the beeps from his stopwatch over the air.

I sure miss him.
 
Oh, Bill Weber was that bad. He was horrible about now knowing which track he was at or which driver was which.

Weber was a good pre-race host, great pit reporter and great at writing. But when it came to PxP, he just wasn't cut out for it.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
There have been all kinds of reports on NBC taking over for the past month and a half. NASCAR's denied it for whatever that's worth.

I'm not really sure what the big deal is about it anyhow. ESPN, NBC, whatever, most everyone gets those stations.
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NASCAR also said, as much as a few weeks before the new TV deal, that they anticipated renewing with ESPN and TNT. Everyone knew that wasn't true.

In my opinion, ESPN doesn't let it leak out that they want out before the contract ends if they don't already have an exit strategy.
 
gordonite said:
I remember in the early 90's, Mark Martin was leading a BGN race on the last lap when he suddenly slowed down and pulled off the track thinking he had just won the race.

He didn't notice it was the white flag waving when he crossed the S/F line with one to go, not the checkered flag.

I wonder now if Reid was his spotter that day?
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His addiction to alcohol back then may have had something to do with that.....
 
gordonite said:
Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, and Benny Parsons were the best announcer team of all time IMO.

Ned was great. He knew who was turning the fastest laps on the track without being told by the producers. You could always hear the beeps from his stopwatch over the air.

I sure miss him.
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I miss them too. I can still hear Ned Jarret yelling " and here is big trouble in turn 3"! Anybody old enough to remember Bennys Buffet before each race? I loved the comical side of racing. Benny could always find those good places to eat off the beatin path.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Mark Martin quit drinking in 1998. Mark's infamous lap count error came in 1994.
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I believe he quit drinking way before that. I want to say it before he ever drove for Jack but could be wrong. Gotta give him a thumbs up though for manning up and quiting.
 
ElliottFan said:
I believe he quit drinking way before that. I want to say it before he ever drove for Jack but could be wrong. Gotta give him a thumbs up though for manning up and quiting.
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Before today I had no idea he ever had a drinking problem. Wow.
 
ElliottFan said:
I believe he quit drinking way before that. I want to say it before he ever drove for Jack but could be wrong. Gotta give him a thumbs up though for manning up and quiting.
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Not sure when he quit drinking either, but MM was a self confessed recovering alcoholic from the time he started driving for Roush.

Pretty sure he had quit drinking by then too.
 
FenderBumper said:
Yeah, that never happens. ;)
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Happens all the time but this isn't typical Bruton Smith pot stirring. He was pretty adamant NBC's coming, and unlike most of the things he says, this is something that would impact his tracks. He'd be in the know.

I would not be surprised at all if NBC came in next year. The momentum is certainly going in that direction.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
There have been all kinds of reports on NBC taking over for the past month and a half. NASCAR's denied it for whatever that's worth.

I'm not really sure what the big deal is about it anyhow. ESPN, NBC, whatever, most everyone gets those stations.
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I don't get the channel obsession either. Too much talk about this.

Lets all move on to rear windows.
 
gordonite said:
Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, and Benny Parsons were the best announcer team of all time IMO.

Ned was great. He knew who was turning the fastest laps on the track without being told by the producers. You could always hear the beeps from his stopwatch over the air.

I sure miss him.
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no doubt they were the best in the booth. I always wonder what happen to bob Jenkins?
 
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