Unk
Nitro Member
PiPPi,
I would go ahead & contact Dennis about membership. Your circumstances are unique.
Bob Unkefer
TAG 230
How do you like the new announcers? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bob K.
- Start date
PiPPi,
I would go ahead & contact Dennis about membership. Your circumstances are unique.
Bob Unkefer
TAG 230
Unk
Nitro Member
One thing to add could be being pretty damn nervous before any event, big or small. Talking to a crowd is one thing but walking the line-up and talking to the racers before the first burnout in Q1 I always find myself worrying big time about the risks that high-speed racing entails. All the racers are friends and you really want the weekend to pass without incidents and when it happens I have a huge problem announcing.
PiPPi,
That's just a portion of what makes what we do the challenge that it is. In the early 90's Conway Whitten barrel rolled his Comp dragster @ Topeka in a very ugly crash. It was one of the earliest nationals I had worked. I knew WHAT to say, but couldn't get the mind to formulate how. I turned to Bob Frey & MaC and asked for help, Dave sat down put his hand on my knee and looked straight into my eyes, talking at/to me, while expertly handling the situation. I learned from that by not only WHAT he said, but HOW he said it, and it was a lesson that I have NEVER forgotten.
Unfortunately I have had to use that lesson, too many times since. But it was a lesson never to be forgotten.
Bob Unkefer
PiPPi,
That's just a portion of what makes what we do the challenge that it is. In the early 90's Conway Whitten barrel rolled his Comp dragster @ Topeka in a very ugly crash. It was one of the earliest nationals I had worked. I knew WHAT to say, but couldn't get the mind to formulate how. I turned to Bob Frey & MaC and asked for help, Dave sat down put his hand on my knee and looked straight into my eyes, talking at/to me, while expertly handling the situation. I learned from that by not only WHAT he said, but HOW he said it, and it was a lesson that I have NEVER forgotten.
Unfortunately I have had to use that lesson, too many times since. But it was a lesson never to be forgotten.
Bob Unkefer
I still hear Lynn Nickerson's voice ... I could listen to streaming divisionals from him any any time. Similarly Bob Frey leaves a huge void. Alan is great, and the new guys are progressing noticeably each week.
We brought out a new car this year. If you compared my year to date crew chief performance (trying to learn a new car, and trying to forget an old car) to Joe Costello so far this year ... he is kicking my butt by a mile.
Sometimes I'd like to take a poll about outwardly critical people's willingness to publicly take personal risks. I'm betting that many don't even know the feelings of laying it all on the line to see if you can perform.
And I'm glad Unk didn't have to practice his "what to say and how to say it" routine on us in Ennis a couple of weeks back. Announcers should only see the back end of these cars.
We brought out a new car this year. If you compared my year to date crew chief performance (trying to learn a new car, and trying to forget an old car) to Joe Costello so far this year ... he is kicking my butt by a mile.
Sometimes I'd like to take a poll about outwardly critical people's willingness to publicly take personal risks. I'm betting that many don't even know the feelings of laying it all on the line to see if you can perform.
And I'm glad Unk didn't have to practice his "what to say and how to say it" routine on us in Ennis a couple of weeks back. Announcers should only see the back end of these cars.
Unk
Nitro Member
And I'm glad Unk didn't have to practice his "what to say and how to say it" routine on us in Ennis a couple of weeks back. Announcers should only see the back end of these cars.[/QUOTE]
Dang straight there, Skippy!
Keep hammering Jeff, you'll get it. And yep, I miss Lynn too!
Unk
Dang straight there, Skippy!
Keep hammering Jeff, you'll get it. And yep, I miss Lynn too!
Unk
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I have sat in the announcer's booth at more than 1 track, for both drag racing and circle track racing. There is NO WAY I would want to do that job, let alone be able to do that job. So, in this one situation, I have no delusions of grandeur LOL.
I think we have 2 things at play here. The first thing is that Bob Frey was SO GOOD for SO LONG, that whomever comes to the mic next is going to seem pedestrian by comparison, no matter how good they are (and I believe Bill Stephens, Alan Reinhart, Joe Castello and Nathan Hirschi are very good). The second thing is that people fear change. This is a big change in the way "hard core" fans absorb and process a NHRA race, so there is going to be an automatic backlash or predeliction towards criticism. In having attended a few events this year already, sure there have been errors (nothing that has detracted from my enjoyment of any of the events), but I would be very surprised if we are still having these conversations next year this time. Every one of the new guys have their own style, it is very different from Bob Frey's and it just needs time to develop and have the bugs hammered out. Different is not necessarily a bad thing, it is just different.
As always, I reserve the right to be wrong and I am sure if I am wrong, someone will tell me.
I think we have 2 things at play here. The first thing is that Bob Frey was SO GOOD for SO LONG, that whomever comes to the mic next is going to seem pedestrian by comparison, no matter how good they are (and I believe Bill Stephens, Alan Reinhart, Joe Castello and Nathan Hirschi are very good). The second thing is that people fear change. This is a big change in the way "hard core" fans absorb and process a NHRA race, so there is going to be an automatic backlash or predeliction towards criticism. In having attended a few events this year already, sure there have been errors (nothing that has detracted from my enjoyment of any of the events), but I would be very surprised if we are still having these conversations next year this time. Every one of the new guys have their own style, it is very different from Bob Frey's and it just needs time to develop and have the bugs hammered out. Different is not necessarily a bad thing, it is just different.
As always, I reserve the right to be wrong and I am sure if I am wrong, someone will tell me.
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Justin@NRE
Nitro Member
Incredible thing the track announcer has to do.. Be correct in their information, be interesting in their banter and keep the entire track entertained.
From an on-track/racer perspective there are few things that drive me more crazy than speculative information or completely incorrect information being repeated over the PA, or even the telecast for that matter. One thing I've noticed about the incredibly talented announcers over the years is that the ones I've considered some of the best spend a lot of time in the pits. They ask questions and load up their information arsenal while getting to know the racers, and of course the occasional adult beverage.
In that regard, it's usually not the announcer, it's the information someone gave them.. And even at that, does it really effect the outcome of anything other than making me cringe on occasion? No.
From an on-track/racer perspective there are few things that drive me more crazy than speculative information or completely incorrect information being repeated over the PA, or even the telecast for that matter. One thing I've noticed about the incredibly talented announcers over the years is that the ones I've considered some of the best spend a lot of time in the pits. They ask questions and load up their information arsenal while getting to know the racers, and of course the occasional adult beverage.
In that regard, it's usually not the announcer, it's the information someone gave them.. And even at that, does it really effect the outcome of anything other than making me cringe on occasion? No.
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I don't mind loud, as long as it is clear. Usually the louder these speakers get turned up, the more distortion there is, which defeats the purpose of being able to understand what they are saying. I also understand why they are up so loud, in theory they want you to be able to hear when a car is running, but when there is an oildown or no cars running, the PA systems can be overbearing which is only exascerbated by the distortion (THD for you audiophiles). And when team Geico gets on the horn they shout into the mics rather than talk into them as the announcers do ... it gets even louder and more distorted. Surely there has to be a way to dynamically change the power output/volume to suit the situations on the track. We don't need it cranked to 11 when the sweeper is in the shutdown area.
I would also like to point out before someone else does, that I consider this nitpicking LOL. This would be way down the proverbial list of things I would change should I be given a magic wand.
Team Geico's is the worst, you can tell on the Audiocasts, like it gets REAL LOUD and Squelchy at spots especially when they do their "Pro Class Intros" or Pre Race Intros.
Plus as I mentioned during Vegas, you heard EVERYTHING Going on, and the Cars actually Drown out the Announcers, It's like they Miked the track as well, usually they don't do that.
Ted
Nitro Member
^^^^my one and only complaint
clwill
Nitro Member
Justin@NRE
Nitro Member
I hear ya. I'm working on getting something like that together for the Alky guys for points meets and nationals..
