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An honest question to countdown fans. (2 Viewers)

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I just wish they would stop calling everyone not in the countdown a "spoiler"...don't they even consider showing up trying to WIN THE RACE worth anything???
 
I don't think they are over-hyping the countdown anymore than they over-hype anything else. Quite honestly, I don't know what else they could talk about. Without trying to sound like I'm crapping all over Professional Drag Racing, but with the current state of the sport approaching boredom, I really wonder what other exciting stories there are to talk about. They beat the Force/Pedregon fight to death. It was exciting at first but now they've overdone it so much, I'm sick of hearing about it. The four lane deal is nothing but a novelty that I doubt will ever be anything more, but they'll be talking about that until hell freezes over. Force's crash, Ashley's crash & fires, 1000 feet, and so on. I know I'm rambling but in my opinion there really isn't much they don't over-hype anymore.

Harvey Palash and John Mullin, where have you gone?

Dave
 
Registered member said:
I think the constant mentioning of the countdown is a symptom of the amateurish broadcasts the ESPN crew put together. There are other symptoms too that we won't get into here.



Diamond P had the most professional broadcasts. I think back then there was no mention of the points until the last 5 mins of the broadcast after the event was completed If I can remember interviews focused on the race at hand, and not what if this and what if that.

All other playoffs in sports for the most part do the same thing - that is mention how the standings in the playoffs are doing after the game is over.

Maybe broadcasts are too long and they need to fill up space with all these promotional segments and whatnot.

I've phased it out though. I have gotten in the habit of DVRing and watching it later, so I can skip all the garbage and watch the racing.

I don't really care about the countdown. They set up the rules, and the rules are the rules. It's still racing. Each individual race is still the same.
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Id love it if todays shows were more like the Diamond P days with Steve and Mac
 
I was willing to let the Countdown slide ... NHRA wants to be lemmings following NASCAR over the cliff ... OK I can deal with that. However, there was 1 very important question NHRA could have asked themselves before implementing the Countdown, if NASCARs fans and sponsors love the Chase so much, how come they don't do it in the Nationwide or Truck Series? Yet, I digress.

I am increasingly NOT OK with the "little points" for qualifying. It seems NHRA is just trying to do anything to make the Championship as convoluted and contrived as possible. Top Fuel and Funny Car are more erratic by nature so qualifying points should even out, but the Pro Stock Championship is ABSOLUTELY going to be decided on Fridays and Saturdays, not on Race Day. As long as Mike Edwards keeps .02 in the bank, everyone is racing for second no matter what happens on race day. You can make every qualifying hit in the top half at every race and still lose 16 points (almost 1 round) per race. If Edwards goes to the finals in half the remaining races, nobody will catch him. Won't even be close. If he keeps getting to the semis, no one will likely catch him, cuz he will have earned nearly the same points as the teams in the finals. I think we are going to see A LOT of red lights against Edwards shortly, people are going to have to take a shot in the early rounds ...

(DISCLAIMER: I am not slamming Edwards in any way or disparaging his team's efforts. By all accounts they are good, hard working guys.)
 
Registered member said:
That would suck but it'd be better than this. Hell put everyone name in a hat and draw it out, it would have as much meaning as this does
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Why not make EVERYONE the champion ( very PC) ! If the driver that earns the most points during the entire season is not the champion then drawing names from a hat is just as valid as any other circus system ! When I hear the word "countdown" during the broadcasts( and it's a helluva lot ) I just shake my head.We could make a drinking game out of this mess....every time you hear the word "countdown" during the broadcast you have to take a swallow of booze.....few would be conscious after the first round !
 
Registered member said:
Why not make EVERYONE the champion ( very PC) ! If the driver that earns the most points during the entire season is not the champion then drawing names from a hat is just as valid as any other circus system ! When I hear the word "countdown" during the broadcasts( and it's a helluva lot ) I just shake my head.We could make a drinking game out of this mess....every time you hear the word "countdown" during the broadcast you have to take a swallow of booze.....few would be conscious after the first round !
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Not saying the countdown is right or wrong, but the countdown system isn't totally pointless, its a playoff system. They dont crown the NFL / NHL / MLB / NBA champs if they have the best regular system record.

You still gotta perform in the "post season". Some might view it as if you can't get it together when it really matters then you don't deserve the championship.
 
Registered member said:
Not saying the countdown is right or wrong, but the countdown system isn't totally pointless, its a playoff system. They dont crown the NFL / NHL / MLB / NBA champs if they have the best regular system record.

You still gotta perform in the "post season". Some might view it as if you can't get it together when it really matters then you don't deserve the championship.
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but that's because in the NFL/NHL/MLB/NBA etc they don't play against every other team every time they play a game. So they need to do something so a team in a weak division doesn't get the best record and win every season without ever playing against other strong teams...

in most motorsports all the teams 'play' against all other teams every 'game', so, IMO, re-grouping the teams part way through the season is pretty pointless and contrived
 
Registered member said:
but that's because in the NFL/NHL/MLB/NBA etc they don't play against every other team every time they play a game. So they need to do something so a team in a weak division doesn't get the best record and win every season without ever playing against other strong teams...
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Good Point
 
Registered member said:
Good Point
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It's an excellent point. But a playoff serves a lot of purposes, not just the "we've beaten the best" point.

A playoff also proves who can handle pressure, who can peak on command, who can rise to the occasion. Given that so much of racing is about the psychological aspects, the pressure cooker of a playoff is a very interesting test.

And a playoff makes a predictable time of drama for the entertainment value. I've been to Vegas II and Pomona for the last several years -- so that I could watch the end-of-the-season drama. At least with the countdown, I know I'll see a champion crowned. Not so in some years past when people waltzed into Vegas with the trophy in hand.

I haven't decided if I love it or hate it. Or if the NHRA format is the best. But it is what it is, and I'll be there to watch.
 
Registered member said:
It's an excellent point. But a playoff serves a lot of purposes, not just the "we've beaten the best" point.

A playoff also proves who can handle pressure, who can peak on command, who can rise to the occasion. Given that so much of racing is about the psychological aspects, the pressure cooker of a playoff is a very interesting test.

And a playoff makes a predictable time of drama for the entertainment value. I've been to Vegas II and Pomona for the last several years -- so that I could watch the end-of-the-season drama. At least with the countdown, I know I'll see a champion crowned. Not so in some years past when people waltzed into Vegas with the trophy in hand.

I haven't decided if I love it or hate it. Or if the NHRA format is the best. But it is what it is, and I'll be there to watch.
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Registered member said:
but that's because in the NFL/NHL/MLB/NBA etc they don't play against every other team every time they play a game. So they need to do something so a team in a weak division doesn't get the best record and win every season without ever playing against other strong teams...

in most motorsports all the teams 'play' against all other teams every 'game', so, IMO, re-grouping the teams part way through the season is pretty pointless and contrived
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There's not much pressure when you don't have to race the other playoff teams to win it all.

The year the Patriots went 16-0 they were clearly the best team, however they did not win it all. The Giants ended up winning it. Why does that work? Because during the playoffs the Giants had to beat other playoff teams. Dallas, Tampa and Green Bay. Whereas under the countdown teams have won by simply avoiding the other playoff teams. Would it have been ok for the Giants to win it all by beating the Lions, Raiders and Rams??? Not much pressure against second (or in the case of my Lions 5th) tier teams .

As much as I want a season long champ, because that truely shows who is the best start to finish. I would easily live with an actual playoff. Put the teams in the playoffs on one side of the ladder and open the other 8 slots for non playoff teams, the two sides wouldn't meet until the final. Although still not the best it would have a more honest excitement level then the current format, those who win without being the best would have actually had to beat the best to get there, thus shutting up those of us who don't wiegh a countdown win the same as a championship.

As it is right now how big of a deal is it to even make the playoffs? We only had 9 full time dragsters this year and what 14 funny cars. If just about everyone is going to make it in then why?

Personally I like years when it comes down to the wire. I also like years where someone just owns the field. To me thats what makes the close years more special. I love seafood, but if I eat it everyday it looses its magic. Knowing that the season will be reset just to make it close, renders the rest of the season somewhat pointless.


Of course all of this really goes against my reason for the thread. Are they pushing it too hard and perhaps does the oversell show that even they know its not working the way they had hoped it would?
 
Registered member said:
My question is, and I really want to know if its my hatred of the deal clouding my observation or not, Do they seem to really over push this thing. Points updates in the middle of a round? Every few sentences its countdown this or countdown that, some imaginary line that at first I thought meant that they had already been eliminated(also showing that before the race is done not knowing what the final points will be).

So my question is; are they over the top in their efforts to sell the countdown or is it comparable and what would be expected from other sports?
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I enjoy the Countdown, and I want to know what EVERY race has on implications on the Countdown, because it does, because I was taught to count points from my Diamond P announcers Dave McClelland and Steve Evans. So no, i don't think it is overkill - if I had enough time in the day I would create my own papers and/or spreadsheets and analyze every race and every ladder pairing as to its impact on the Countdown.

Personally I enjoyed the 2007 Countdown from 8 to 4 better - it took my breath away and had me on the edge of my seat for the final 5 races or so - THAT was exciting. And getting into the Top 8 was thrilling as well.
 
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