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ESPN times

  • Thread starter Thread starter J
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The 2 weeks was the past,history,times are much diffrent now so its hard to compare
 
I miss Paul Paige....

Said nobody...ever! :D

ESPN and their Bull***T piss me off to no end anymore so the only thing I try to watch is ESPN3 when I can.

I loved watching this years US Nationals on ESPN3, the audio beyond the pro sessions was not real good but hell I know enough about the classes and what is going on to enjoy it.
 
Here is some bad news, just heard back from ESPN3-


Hello,

Thank you for contacting us.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

At this time it does not appear that ESPN will be offering any live NHRA racing
for broadcast.

For live assistance with this or any other issue, please call Customer Care at
1-888-549-3776 (ESPN) between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. EST.

Regards,

Ian
ESPN.com Customer Care

Damn, and I just set up my phone to link to my tv.
 
First, locking in a prime time slot on Sundays is a pipe dream due to live events. Events that ESPN (or their advertisers) are paying for rights to broadcast. So just forget about that.

As for little league, far more, and and mean far, far, far more people have a connection to LL baseball than drag racing. I would garner to bet more people attend little league games in one week than attend any 5 NHRA national events combined. Could be more than that on any 1 given night, who knows....

NCAA softball is probably part of ESPN's collective base package. Football, hoops, CWS, etc. All of it. If you think the NCAA will allow ESPN to dump them and still keep an insider role in college sports, you are sorely mistaken. Title IX and all.

Look, NHRA coverage on TV sucks. No doubt about it. But just because a very small demographic has such a passionate loyalty to it doesn't change viewership numbers. That should be evidenced by A: the fact that NHRA has to pay for coverage, and B: there is no competitor to ESPN offering a better deal.

I can't believe people continue to complain so much about this subject (every year, every week, same complaints) when it hasn't been that long ago (at least for those of us who are aged like fine wine) where you had to wait 2 weeks for the Dragster, or call a 900 number to get results.

I can believe people would complain. It's because every year, every week, they continue to bump the programming for nonessential stuff like Sports Center repeats and Tim Tebow sightings. After a couple bumps people just go do other things rather than attempting to watch NHRA programming. Hurts their viewership ratings, I'm sure. Wouldn't it be nice if they stuck to a schedule so the people who set their DVR's could actually rely on it, and the sponsors and NHRA who paid for the slots could get their money's worth?

If 3:00 AM is where it belongs because of poor viewership, or because NHRA has to pay for it, or because the little league games are on, fine. Just stick to a schedule like every other TV channel does. Velocity and Discovery have no problem airing events like the Barrett Jackson Auctions when they say they will, on time...every time.

As far as little league games go, unless it's the playoff's it's just like the NHRA division races. The people in the stands are basically just the family and friends of the kids playing. But ESPN knows well in advance when the little league games are played when setting the schedule. They also know that live games can run over. Schedule that into the schedule. It's not rocket science.

Not my rodeo, but if it were up to me I would look for another source to broadcast from. Velocity, Discovery, MAV, etc., where they might be more inclined to show some love.

Cheers.
 
Here is some bad news, just heard back from ESPN3-


Hello,

Thank you for contacting us.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

At this time it does not appear that ESPN will be offering any live NHRA racing
for broadcast.

For live assistance with this or any other issue, please call Customer Care at
1-888-549-3776 (ESPN) between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. EST.

Regards,

Ian
ESPN.com Customer Care

Damn, and I just set up my phone to link to my tv.

bummer...finally got one too many straws. I guess I just won't be watching much NRHA racing anymore. I can't get through the regular broadcasts these days, way too much "fluff" for me; and DVRing and watching later means no internet until after I watch so...... :(
 
Whatever the times are, they better bring back the Espn3 online for Friday nights. That's the best thing they have going. The tv does not matter to me, I'm used to setting my Dvr to go an hour late for whatever it is anyway.
No DVR here so, I too am dependent on ESPN3.

Here is some bad news, just heard back from ESPN3-


Hello,

Thank you for contacting us.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

At this time it does not appear that ESPN will be offering any live NHRA racing
for broadcast.

For live assistance with this or any other issue, please call Customer Care at
1-888-549-3776 (ESPN) between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. EST.

Regards,

Ian
ESPN.com Customer Care

Damn, and I just set up my phone to link to my tv.
Oh man, I hope this turns out to be wrong.
I hope they bring John Kernan back. He knows his stuff, does a good job and he is enjoyable to listen to. I enjoy Jaime as well. Hope she is back.

Agreed. Jaime is also sent to cover road racing events here and abroad. Just this past weekend I saw her as pit reporter for the Rolex 24 hours race in Daytona.
 
http://nhra.com/story/2015/1/26/2015-tv-schedule/

Schedule posted.

5 live races, Houston, Chicago - ESPN2, Charlotte, Bristol, Norwalk - ESPN. I see the US Nationals elims on ESPN also. Not sure if it gives more cred being on ESPN than the deuce, since most come as a package deal now anyways. Lots of late night races for you east coasters, Topeka ending at 1am. Yikes. Still no time for countdown qualifying shows yet. I think next year with NASCAR gone we'll get a much earlier time slot for NHRA.
 
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No DVR here so, I too am dependent on ESPN3.

Aaaagh!!!!!

Sorry.

Nice thing about a DVR is you can control your own time and budget your television watching viewership hours with programs you want to watch when you want to watch them.

Mike English will tell you back in the old days when he was dating (before DVR's), Friday nights were a no-go because "I Love Lucy" was on live and in black and white. He never missed an episode.
 
On balance maybe the new live shows are a bit of a replacement for the live feed. But there was nothing like the raw feed as it happened. Even the oil downs allowed a "refreshment" break just like being in the stands!
 
I can believe people would complain. It's because every year, every week, they continue to bump the programming for nonessential stuff like Sports Center repeats and Tim Tebow sightings. After a couple bumps people just go do other things rather than attempting to watch NHRA programming. Hurts their viewership ratings, I'm sure. Wouldn't it be nice if they stuck to a schedule so the people who set their DVR's could actually rely on it, and the sponsors and NHRA who paid for the slots could get their money's worth?

Oh, I believe people complain too. Except I think they do it for, oft times, no good reason other than to bitch. without using logic.

I can set my watch by it every Sunday night by logging in here. And sorry, but Sports Center isn't nonessential.... It is what got ESPN to where ESPN is. Love it, hate it, it ain't goin away. As for your assertion that the sponsors and NHRA aren't getting their money's worth, evidently they are getting exactly what they are paying for. And, I would go one further and say whoever is sponsoring spelling bees (since that is a frequent complaint) is paying more than NHRA. And if fans want to pay more at the gate so revenue goes up and NHRA can afford to outspend spelling bees, don't complain about ticket prices.

It's a viscous circle. If it cost me more to attend a race I won't watch live, so others can see it live, and I don't like paying more for it, why don't others spend more money at races I can't attend so I can see them? If you notice, the majority of people that complain are ones that aren't actually AT the race, because if they were, they wouldn't be complaining about the coverage. See how that works?

And sure, bumping it costs viewers. But, there are some that want to bitch because it isn't live, it isn't an hour delayed, whatever... And if you want to see a set in stone schedule, if ESPN gave NHRA a full hour at 3 AM on Tuesday morning as so not to interrupt it for those who DVR it, people would bitch because it wasn't timely. NHRA and ESPN are in a lose/lose situation.

As far as little league games go, unless it's the playoff's it's just like the NHRA division races. The people in the stands are basically just the family and friends of the kids playing. But ESPN knows well in advance when the little league games are played when setting the schedule. They also know that live games can run over. Schedule that into the schedule. It's not rocket science.

I am not sure you, as a sportsman racer, really want to make that comparison. Especially with the part about dumping on divisional races as being a place only fans and friends go to. Have you ever had anyone visit your pits at a divisional that wasn't a family member or friend? Of course you have. That mindset is precisely what put the sport of drag racing in the position it is currently in. When sportsman racers think that way about fans, WTF should the Pro's think of them?

It is sad you feel that way about what few people that attend divisional races. And, it is sadder that you expect them to come back unless they are friends or family.

More people attend little league games in one night than attend all divisional races for a month. Hell, maybe all year. And, like I said, more people watch the LLWS than do NHRA events on TV. That is obvious. Otherwise, NHRA would own the time slot. But, you know what... 1 week after a national event, I can see the sportsman highlights, pretty much right on schedule. And this happens, knowing the results of the race.

And guess what... Just like oil downs, little league games go to extra innings, which sets the next game back by a half an hour, rinse, and repeat.

Just imagine, using your train of thought of scheduling, if ESPN booked the final round of an event and a PS car exploded a bottom end at 6:30 Eastern, and they didn't get the TF final run until after the show went off the air at 7:00. Holy shit would this place go nuts. That poor team and driver would be considered Satan around here.

Look, everyone needs to understand a few things.

First, we are all rabid about the sport. But I come here and I see, right now, 11 members logged in. Lots of guests. 64 guests.

64 guests that wouldn't even spend a dollar to be able to post. What does that say? If they won't spend a dollar to post, they more than likely won't spend any money to actually attend an event, and if, big if, they catch a race on TV, well, it is because they just came across it. Not because they were expecting it. Most assuredly not because they set an alarm to watch it.

Sad... But true.

mater logged in 1-26-12.jpg



Not my rodeo, but if it were up to me I would look for another source to broadcast from. Velocity, Discovery, MAV, etc., where they might be more inclined to show some love.

Cheers.

If Velocity, Discovery, Mav, etc, thought they could turn a dollar on NHRA viewership, that would already have happened. Clearly, they don't see enough interest in the sport to spend the money, or they would have. Hint: It's called supply and demand.

One last thought..... for those who so feel inclined to write ESPN, or the other networks that don't bid on a race package......

Why, would I if I were an adviser for a network programming scheduler, suggest that we (a network scheduler) take on televising the sport after what I read on this message board?

I read "NHRA sucks", "It's NHRA's fault", "ESPN sucks", "Boycott ESPN", "Boycott (insert sponsor name here") here on a regular basis, so why would I suggest to ESPN that market is a good fit to invest capital in?

And that goes for advertisers as well.
 
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If the big mouths that like to bitch and complain about coverage of NHRA events and how the lack of attendance and coverage is ruining the sport want to do something about it, they would become an advocate for a blackout rule like stick and ball sports have.

If a race is within, say 500 miles, perhaps even more, let ESPN black it out if it doesn't sell out. To be seen only when they decide to show it in your market. If you want to see it, go. If not, don't complain. It would help sell tickets wouldn't it?

Nah..... That won't work. People don't actually want to pay to go to an event. They want to see it on their TV or computer at their leisure, without actually spending anything. And then complain within an hour of it being over about it being delayed. Even though they didn't spend a nickle.

My bad.
 
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Here is some bad news, just heard back from ESPN3-


Hello,

Thank you for contacting us.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

At this time it does not appear that ESPN will be offering any live NHRA racing
for broadcast.

For live assistance with this or any other issue, please call Customer Care at
1-888-549-3776 (ESPN) between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. EST.

Regards,

Ian
ESPN.com Customer Care

Damn, and I just set up my phone to link to my tv.
bummer...finally got one too many straws. I guess I just won't be watching much NRHA racing anymore. I can't get through the regular broadcasts these days, way too much "fluff" for me; and DVRing and watching later means no internet until after I watch so...... :(

One of the best things they have is the Laid back Friday Night shows on ESPN3, why drop that?
 
Oh, I believe people complain too. Except I think they do it for, oft times, no good reason other than to bitch. without using logic.

I can set my watch by it every Sunday night by logging in here. And sorry, but Sports Center isn't nonessential.... It is what got ESPN to where ESPN is. Love it, hate it, it ain't goin away. As for your assertion that the sponsors and NHRA aren't getting their money's worth, evidently they are getting exactly what they are paying for. And, I would go one further and say whoever is sponsoring spelling bees (since that is a frequent complaint) is paying more than NHRA. And if fans want to pay more at the gate so revenue goes up and NHRA can afford to outspend spelling bees, don't complain about ticket prices.

It's a viscous circle. If it cost me more to attend a race I won't watch live, so others can see it live, and I don't like paying more for it, why don't others spend more money at races I can't attend so I can see them? If you notice, the majority of people that complain are ones that aren't actually AT the race, because if they were, they wouldn't be complaining about the coverage. See how that works?

And sure, bumping it costs viewers. But, there are some that want to bitch because it isn't live, it isn't an hour delayed, whatever... And if you want to see a set in stone schedule, if ESPN gave NHRA a full hour at 3 AM on Tuesday morning as so not to interrupt it for those who DVR it, people would bitch because it wasn't timely. NHRA and ESPN are in a lose/lose situation.



I am not sure you, as a sportsman racer, really want to make that comparison. Especially with the part about dumping on divisional races as being a place only fans and friends go to. Have you ever had anyone visit your pits at a divisional that wasn't a family member or friend? Of course you have. That mindset is precisely what put the sport of drag racing in the position it is currently in. When sportsman racers think that way about fans, WTF should the Pro's think of them?

It is sad you feel that way about what few people that attend divisional races. And, it is sadder that you expect them to come back unless they are friends or family.

More people attend little league games in one night than attend all divisional races for a month. Hell, maybe all year. And, like I said, more people watch the LLWS than do NHRA events on TV. That is obvious. Otherwise, NHRA would own the time slot. But, you know what... 1 week after a national event, I can see the sportsman highlights, pretty much right on schedule. And this happens, knowing the results of the race.

And guess what... Just like oil downs, little league games go to extra innings, which sets the next game back by a half an hour, rinse, and repeat.

Just imagine, using your train of thought of scheduling, if ESPN booked the final round of an event and a PS car exploded a bottom end at 6:30 Eastern, and they didn't get the TF final run until after the show went off the air at 7:00. Holy shit would this place go nuts. That poor team and driver would be considered Satan around here.

Look, everyone needs to understand a few things.

First, we are all rabid about the sport. But I come here and I see, right now, 11 members logged in. Lots of guests. 64 guests.

64 guests that wouldn't even spend a dollar to be able to post. What does that say? If they won't spend a dollar to post, they more than likely won't spend any money to actually attend an event, and if, big if, they catch a race on TV, well, it is because they just came across it. Not because they were expecting it. Most assuredly not because they set an alarm to watch it.

Sad... But true.

View attachment 3113




If Velocity, Discovery, Mav, etc, thought they could turn a dollar on NHRA viewership, that would already have happened. Clearly, they don't see enough interest in the sport to spend the money, or they would have. Hint: It's called supply and demand.

One last thought..... for those who so feel inclined to write ESPN, or the other networks that don't bid on a race package......

Why, would I if I were an adviser for a network programming scheduler, suggest that we (a network scheduler) take on televising the sport after what I read on this message board?

I read "NHRA sucks", "It's NHRA's fault", "ESPN sucks", "Boycott ESPN", "Boycott (insert sponsor name here") here on a regular basis, so why would I suggest to ESPN that market is a good fit to invest capital in?

And that goes for advertisers as well.

For the record, I'm not part of the parade of complainers, although I have stated my disappointment in the past. I remember the days when we hoped one of our buddies could make it to a phone booth and call us after they left the race just to tell us what happened. Otherwise we waited 3 weeks for the National Dragster to show up in our mailbox with coverage of the event. Later came the 1-900- Castrol GTX Pipeline with Big Mac, then Compuserve RIS reporting with Larry Sullivan, TNN. Long after that the reporting was done on Summit's site. Few races were televised, typically on Wide World of Sports. The coverage was terrible, weeks later, but better than nothing.

Part of the point is, NHRA is paying for a slot. It would be nice if the slot was honored. It could very well be that NHRA's budget only allows "slots subject to change as they become available," with NHRA and the sponsors accepting the fact that a rerun might bump the show. Unless someone kicks in some big $$, broadcasters like Velocity, Discovery, MAV, etc., are likely aware there isn't a dollar to be made airing these shows without the financial support. In a sense, the whole thing is nothing more than an infomercial.

Regarding your comment:

"I am not sure you, as a sportsman racer, really want to make that comparison. Especially with the part about dumping on divisional races as being a place only fans and friends go to. Have you ever had anyone visit your pits at a divisional that wasn't a family member or friend? Of course you have. That mindset is precisely what put the sport of drag racing in the position it is currently in. When sportsman racers think that way about fans, WTF should the Pro's think of them?

It is sad you feel that way about what few people that attend divisional races. And, it is sadder that you expect them to come back unless they are friends or family."


There's are lot of assumptions and jumping to conclusions going on there. Since you've admitted you are a race fan and not a racer I feel compelled to correct your comment about me dumping on division racers and defining my expectations.

Back in the early 1990's I worked to try to solve the low fan turn out at division races in hopes of raising payouts for the racers and profits for the tracks. I spoke to division directors and track operators who told me the only people in the grand stands at most division races were race team members, family and friends. Everyone knows this. Very few fans, but the diehards do come and we appreciated that. I looked at why some of the division races had huge fan turn outs while most do not. The difference was, the track owner/promoter. The larger turn out races were due to the promoter buying heavy local media advertising pushing the dog and pony shows added to the already crowded division schedule (ie, jet cars, wet t-shirt contests, Robosauras, monster trucks, etc.). All that cost them money. The low fan races were due to the tracks not spending anything on advertising and expecting the back gate (racer entry, crew passes, car pass fees, overnight camping by the racers, etc.) to crack the nut. Part of that nut to crack included NHRA's $10,000 fee charged to the tracks before the gates opened for the privilege of hosting a division race.

In the early 1990's we were running the Division 7 race in Bakersfield and stopped for breakfast at Denny's restaurant. The waitress saw our pass holders and racing shirts and wanted to know what that was all about. I told her the division event was being run this weekend and she said they always go, but never heard anything about it. Then she asked me if Brad Anderson was going to be there. "Yes." She got on the phone and called her friends to tell them to get over there, and she was upset that none of them even knew about it.

What I posted are facts about the bulk of the tracks expectations (places like Woodburn excluded). That the back gate was all they expected out of the event and that they had no interest in doing any promotions to bring in fans. They figured if they spent a dollar advertising they might get a dollar back. And the larger issue was advertising money spent only to be wasted on an event that was cancelled due to bad weather, meaning it was all spent for nothing.

One point to ponder about your reference to little league. Every kid wants to be a star. Their parents want them to, too. It cost a few hundred bucks to set junior up to play and no time off from work unless your team goes to the playoffs. Now, consider the racer. It cost $100,000 minimum for a very basic operation to run on a division level. Then it costs to maintain that racer, hotel rooms, time off from work, etc. Most super gas/super comp operations I see are $500,000-$600,000+ investments when you include the Columbia Freightliner toterhomes and stacker trailers. Stands to reason why there are a lot more little league players than racers on any level.
 
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Greg Moon said;
First, we are all rabid about the sport. But I come here and I see, right now, 11 members logged in. Lots of guests. 64 guests.
64 guests that wouldn't even spend a dollar to be able to post. What does that say?

Some of what that says is that it's possible that there are members that did spend their dollar but just haven't logged in. I for one only log in to post but visit daily to read. So those numbers don't reflect actual members. RG, PJ and some others post some good information and then there is Joe for entertainment. I'm thinking that there are a lot of you guys that weren't privy to watch NHRA on Wide World of Sports 4 months after the race happened. And we only had 4 per year. 9 more days of silly season, thank goodness.
 
But there was nothing like the raw feed as it happened. Even the oil downs allowed a "refreshment" break just like being in the stands!
Agreed , not to mention live broadcast of the lower sportsman classes (SS, Stock, etc. ) quarters, semis and finals. That was great stuff...gone this year? That really does suck.
 

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