ESPN Does It Again! (1 Viewer)

[Kelly]

I over did the dvr recordings and ran out of space right as the show started!!DAMN!! I was hoping for a repeat of the race at 2 am but.......

I have since cleared out most of the crap I recorded 4-6 mos ago!!!

08/18/2006 Repeat Eliminations 03:00 AM - 05:00 AM ET (ESPN2)

 

[Too many to list here]

08/18/2006 Repeat Eliminations 03:00 AM - 05:00 AM ET (ESPN2)

Thank you!

 

[Larry]

Thanks Alan and of course everyone knows from this side its a lot easier!
Got to admit when I was editing TV I would have had it handed to me for as many screw ups as that piece had. LOL
Changing horses midstream will make for some wild errors.
BUT, there's that word !
Begging for 10 extra minutes for Drag Racing and Running everything else as long as it takes just doesn't sit well with hard core fans.
We have seen about every sport known to man run over into Drag Racing and it really sucs.
Even Lawnmower racing! Thats got to be a urban legend.

 

[none]

Next time you run into me or Dave Mac, ask about the Denver race with the power outage. We had some real issues with the remote equipment and did some "creative engineering"-LOL Dave, did the booth seem to be crowded that day?

Alan

 

[Jer]

Hate to get things started again,but little league is on before the finals this sunday for the Memphis race,you know what that means,we are gonna get shafted prolly with being late at least.

 

[Kelly]

Well, there ya go......prepare in advance and set those VCR's and DVR's accordingly! I've added an extra 30 minutes already (standard), but I may change that to an hour.

 

[Percboy]

Hate to get things started again,but little league is on before the finals this sunday for the Memphis race,you know what that means,we are gonna get shafted prolly with being late at least.

...nothing like staying up until 2AM (or so) on a work night.
I wonder what brings in the higher ratings LLBB or NHRA?

 

[Kelly]

Yeah, it's gonne be tough. My son has to be on the practice football field at 7:00 am. I guess he'll be sleeping and I'll be staying up late and sleep walking through Monday.

 

[Kris]

Hate to get things started again,but little league is on before the finals this sunday for the Memphis race,you know what that means,we are gonna get shafted prolly with being late at least.

Having watched a lot of these games, especially these high level Little League games, it is very possible that they could go into extra innings. Or, one team could just spank the other and it will wrap up quick.

Let's just pray the game goes quick. Time to go do some scouting on the LLers. Heh.

 

[Jer]

Well im going to the beach for the weekend and im gonna be back by 10pm sunday,SO IT BETTER NOT be late.

 

[willy]

Having been there way too many times in 27 years...I can tell you Alan is spot on in his analysis of what transpired in Brainerd. It is hard to believe the pressure that builds on everyone involved in such circumstances...which leads to actions that may not have been taken had there been a little more time.

One thing about a television time slot....it WILL START whether you are ready or not...and to have to rebuild a show as it is on the air is a remarkable achievement.

Watching from home, it made me appreciate even more the efforts by people that posters on this board don't even know exist.

I realize that many folks have their ideas of how things should go and what should or should not air. Maybe someday you could have the opportunity to sit in the chair...or multiple chairs and make decisions that have to come almost instaneously. Tougher than you think.

To all at ESPN...I was watching the time count down to the start of the show and keeping up with the action on DRC...I knew it was crunch time and IMHO, I feel you did a great job. Recaps aren't bad or evil, folks...we did them for lots of years on the Diamond P shows...and may the heavens be merciful...we actually ignored some rounds of racing in several different categories from time to time. Funny how memory can play tricks on us.

Thanks again to all for the continuing interests and concerns. If you didn't care about the sport...you wouldn't be watching and posting.

Take care everyone, and stay well.

MaC

Thanks MaC..

Ya know..even the way you write..I can picture you saying it. Too many years at the races listening to your commentary..and the old Diamond P I guess.

 

[jpee]

Well, there ya go......prepare in advance and set those VCR's and DVR's accordingly! I've added an extra 30 minutes already (standard), but I may change that to an hour.

No need at "ADD" time at the end of the show... ESPN has no problem starting it LATE.. but I can't remember them ever running late.. they might say "We have to cut the program short the Womens Synchronized Swimming is next..

 

[Percboy]

We need to let them know we are getting sick of them chopping up the show (at the expense of lesser popular events).
ESPN TV Feedback (dead at the moment)

 

[Jer]

dead at the moment,lol. They are prolly watchin some little league action,lol

 

[S&M]

Having been there way too many times in 27 years...I can tell you Alan is spot on in his analysis of what transpired in Brainerd. It is hard to believe the pressure that builds on everyone involved in such circumstances...which leads to actions that may not have been taken had there been a little more time.

One thing about a television time slot....it WILL START whether you are ready or not...and to have to rebuild a show as it is on the air is a remarkable achievement.

Watching from home, it made me appreciate even more the efforts by people that posters on this board don't even know exist.

I realize that many folks have their ideas of how things should go and what should or should not air. Maybe someday you could have the opportunity to sit in the chair...or multiple chairs and make decisions that have to come almost instaneously. Tougher than you think.

To all at ESPN...I was watching the time count down to the start of the show and keeping up with the action on DRC...I knew it was crunch time and IMHO, I feel you did a great job. Recaps aren't bad or evil, folks...we did them for lots of years on the Diamond P shows...and may the heavens be merciful...we actually ignored some rounds of racing in several different categories from time to time. Funny how memory can play tricks on us.

Thanks again to all for the continuing interests and concerns. If you didn't care about the sport...you wouldn't be watching and posting.

Take care everyone, and stay well.

MaC

First I would like to say a huge Thank You to Dave McClelland. & Steve Evans for all of the enjoyment they gave me over the years on Diamond P Sports.
Diamond P Sports & TNN are why I am so disappointed in ESPN's coverage of the NHRA. As I remember it, Diamond P always made the race on the track as first priority & TNN always started the broadcasts on time. It just apears to me that ESPN does not make the race on the track a priority.
I have some tapes of NHRA races from the Diamond P days. I will give them a look to see if the good old days were really the good old days.

Chris

 

[BB]

...nothing like staying up until 2AM (or so) on a work night.
I wonder what brings in the higher ratings LLBB or NHRA?

LLBB, and Espn probably pays them.

 

[willy]

No need at "ADD" time at the end of the show... ESPN has no problem starting it LATE.. but I can't remember them ever running late.. they might say "We have to cut the program short the Womens Synchronized Swimming is next..

All season ESPN/NHRA has been pretty close to being on time. If it started 15 min late..it went 15 min over.

This is the first event that was affected this year..and everybody is acting like their Wheaties got pooped on. I think the coverage has been outstanding..I sure wouldn't want this happening to every broadcast..but go back and read Dave MaC's post. Take the pros advice.

 

[Hiproger]

Wow David!!! I don't think I'll ever eat Wheaties again. I'm like you in that I think this is the first time this year that we didn't get the full 2/3 hour show even though they may have started late. I guess the tennis match was more popular in their polls than NHRA drag racing & then here comes a Little League game & the race gets pinched. You know that when you check the TV schedule you can almost tell which shows are going to run over, pushing the start of the race back. It seems that the races nearly always follow a sport that has a high likelihood of running over. If the races followed pre-taped shows that wouldn't happen.
I must add though that I still remember, & not that long ago, how difficult it was to get any kind of drag racing coverage. I'm just tickled to death that we get to see all 23 races of the series & on the same day to boot. I'm certainly not saying that it can't be improved upon because it surely can be, but I also remember to count my blessings.................."HIP"

 

[Sully]

If it's obvious to us that the preceding shows are likely to run over, then why aren't they scheduled for a more reasonable time window? Afrer all, the argument against live drag racing coverage is that we might not get finished on time.

Big freakin' deal - neither do most of the other sports ESPN covers live! Rain delays and rainouts? Those happen too, so what's different about drag racing and live coverage? Everybody accepts the "can't cover drag racing live" argument without question, yet accepts the fact that other live sports coverage often runs over their alloted time slot. In fact it happens so often that we have come to expect it whenever a live event precedes drag racing coverage.

Maybe it's time to start pushing for live drag racing coverage again?

 

[Larry]

If it's obvious to us that the preceding shows are likely to run over, then why aren't they scheduled for a more reasonable time window? After all, the argument against live drag racing coverage is that we might not get finished on time.

Big freakin' deal - neither do most of the other sports ESPN covers live! Rain delays and rain-outs? Those happen too, so what's different about drag racing and live coverage? Everybody accepts the "can't cover drag racing live" argument without question, yet accepts the fact that other live sports coverage often runs over their alloted time slot. In fact it happens so often that we have come to expect it whenever a live event precedes drag racing coverage.

Maybe it's time to start pushing for live drag racing coverage again?

I'm with you Larry, there is something wrong when the largest grassroots motorsports principle venue has to beg for ten minutes to include the finals.
The race finished forty five minutes or more before the coverage started and like I said I have manned the video tape machines and edited my share and made decisions as to what went on.
The general format was followed including the sounds segment.
I can see the rain delay and ensuing doubts that the race would even get off had its part but a show that starts so late should be aloud to finish.
Lets just admit the racing can be preempted but it is not to preempt anything without rousting someone in Vail Colorado or something of the like.
If NHRA had any nads they could do better in contracts.