Joe,
To me it doesn’t matter if they came for the spectacle or for the sport. They came out. As I have said time and again on WFO Radio, if you have never been to an event to see it live, or if it’s been years since you did. Come out once and give us a chance. If you decided after watching it live that it’s not for you, then at least you have given us a fair shake. It’s not going to be for everyone, there’s a reason they make 128 different colors of crayons, different people like different things.
If you don’t care for the 4 wide, that’s fine but why would someone tell everyone who will listen that it sucks? If I don’t like a TV show, I simply don’t watch it. I don’t feel the need to tell everyone else that they are supposed to hate it just because I do.
And any sport like ours that relies on fans needs to cultivate new ones. Older fans will not be around forever for a variety of reasons, so new ones are crucial to the long term survival of the sport. The spring Vegas race has long under achieved from a crowd standpoint and Bruton decided to make a substantial investment to bring out more fans. Will it work long term? Time will tell, but this year was a tremendous success. How many will come back? I don’t know, but I know some of them will. How many will think like you that 4 wide is overload, so let's go check out the 2 wide event either here in the fall or at another track that might be close to where they live? I bet some will. How many might have never given us a chance before? I don’t know that number either, but I know that the place was packed like I have never seen before at the spring.
You think that there are too many national events. What do you base that on? And what would you cut? Sponsors like to have their billboards on display, not hidden in a trailer parked inside where they can’t be seen. I also believe that there is plenty of passion in the sport. Connie Kalitta, Jim Head, Tanner Gray and Steve Torrance come to mind as people who don’t have to do this, but do it because they love it, and want VERY much to win.
For fan passion, the Rodeo comes to Tucson once a year and is a big deal in my hometown. It's part of a circuit where the competitors chase points as part of the (I think) PRCA tour. I don't follow them on tour, I don't know who the champions are or who won the last event. But when it's in my town I buy a ticket and go to see the show. Are you saying that they don't want me because I'm not a hard core passionate fan? I think they're very happy to sell me a seat, just as we are very happy to have fans once or twice a year when our show comes to their town.
Thanks for the kind words about my work. I’m just trying to have a little fun and make a living.
Alan
