Matt Hagan Is An ****** (3 Viewers)

[scratch]

The unspoken truth is that Social Stratification,as it were, has a great deal of an impact for the tremendous success of the WWE,and to a lesser extent NASCAR.
That, in and of itself, has not even been brought up in this conversation when comparing the three sports and why us Drag Racers always seem to lag behind.
Which may not be such a bad thing.

 

[yoda]

Everyone seems to think that it's gonna take make-up and fake story lines to be more like a WWE model; that's the furthest thing anyone wants. BUT - taking on the business model and making it fit to this organization (will be slightly more subdued) but getting the personalities like a Jungle Jim, a Snake and Mongoose, or even the ol' John Force before the mansions and summer homes in Lake Tahoe COULD be the thing that keeps the ship upright for another decade.

Hell, even the NFL takes it where it can get it; the whole Kelsie/Swift thing has made the NFL MILLIONS in the past few weeks. You never know when the gods will rain down on you, so it's always good to have a bucket as well as an umbrella...

 

[Jim]

WWE has taken a small audience, long lifespan event and turned it into a massive, multi-million dollar industry (outside of pharmaceuticals, it was one of VERY few industries/corporations that turned a PROFIT during the COVID years).

Yep. WWE grew by employing actors, creating characters for the actors to play, staging events and storylines, and scripting everything the actors say.

Would doing that help make NHRA better? They are different things. One is scripted entertainment. The other is a sport. What works for one won't work for the other.

 

[Jim]

Hell, even the NFL takes it where it can get it; the whole Kelsie/Swift thing has made the NFL MILLIONS in the past few weeks. You never know when the gods will rain down on you, so it's always good to have a bucket as well as an umbrella...

How has Kelce/Swift made the NFL millions? Did it increase ticket sales? No. Did it increase the rights the NFL receives for TV broadcasts? No. There was some increase in Kelce jersey sales, but that's about it.

Besides, I don't get what the big deal is all about.

 

[Jim]

Everyone seems to think that it's gonna take make-up and fake story lines to be more like a WWE model; that's the furthest thing anyone wants.

That is the WWE model. Scripted entertainment performed by actors.

 

[yoda]

How has Kelce/Swift made the NFL millions? Did it increase ticket sales? No. Did it increase the rights the NFL receives for TV broadcasts? No. There was some increase in Kelce jersey sales, but that's about it.

Besides, I don't get what the big deal is all about.

View attachment 13944

Ticket sales for the KC/Jets game went from a ho-hum to a sellout. NFL Merch makes a percentage and there has been a huge uptick in people with NO clue about the sport now becoming consumers of the products advertised. All considered revenue, either immediate or banked for the future.

Personally, as one that is vested in the entertainment industry, this will fade away soon enough. But TODAY'S dollar gained will be good to spend tomorrow; as Steve Miller has propheticly said, "Go On, Take The Money And Run"...

 

[yoda]

That is the WWE model. Scripted entertainment performed by actors.

Kinda like teams that claim that there are "no team orders"?



Your entertainment dollars are gladly accepted when the circus rolls into town...

 

[GumbyWVU]

The unspoken truth is that Social Strada,as it were, has a great deal of an impact for the tremendous success of the WWE,and to a lesser extent NASCAR.
That, in and of itself, has not even been brought in this conversation when comparing the three sports and why us Drag Racers always seem to lag behind.
Which may not be such a bad thing.

Well a "spoken truth" I wrote earlier in this thread is that both examples achieved their success by going full-on for the lowest common denominator. Success though volume, diluting quality.

It's why I detest NASCAR. I got so sick of seeing idiot people I worked with arguing, almost to the point fist fights, over a NASCAR race. And the same thing between total strangers. And then seeing/hearing them turn their nose up at drag racing (or IMSA or SCCA Trans-Am too).

 

[Nunz]

I've heard people saying drag racing is in trouble since I was a kid in the '70s. I'm not saying there isn't a HUGE amount of room for growth and improvement, but we really do have a strong platform to build upon. And yes, some markets don't pack the stands like years past (Pomona comes to mind, which I really think is an example of a shifting demographic), but many have had really strong turnouts, including some sold out days. We need a lot more marketing, both to bring in more dollars for the racers (which will increase car counts) and to bring in new fans. But there sure is a lot to be excited about, such as Mission coming on as a series sponsor, and a new, high profile team owner getting involved as an owner/driver (Smoke) and getting a Championship which will bring more excitement and interest going into 2024. Also, we have a big money invitational happening before the season officially kicks off, which I think is going to be great.

 

[mikebcurve]

No one really thinks this isn’t Matt regurgitating something he has heard, do we? This is the same guy who was mad at Capps for mentioning, on air, an argument behind the scenes between Matt and Beckman. He’s there to race and win, not play. It’s no coincidence that Laughlin has been “clowning” around. I’m not sure JR is “clowning” or really irritated by the whole thing. I’m guessing the latter. A lot of us have heard about the drivers meeting years ago where Bill Stephens stood up and talked to them about how they needed to exaggerate, or turn up their emotions, or whatever it was. I think this was what led to that horrible “screamin’ chicken” act. I’m just saying, don’t kill the messenger. He thinks he is helping the sport and he’s been told this would help. I’m not sure why it had to be said to the public, in an interview. I don’t care what they do as long as I can fast forward through it, lol.

 

[Leebone]

This comment isn't on subject, but it looks like Matt Hagan has had a few pots of beans lately.

 

[Butch]

Those of us that grew up within the Great 800 CKLW. Will remember the Detroit Dragway adds about the up coming weekend match races and the drivers talking Sh** about each other. As a teen it always got my attention.

 

[Jack]

Everyone seems to think that it's gonna take make-up and fake story lines to be more like a WWE model; that's the furthest thing anyone wants. BUT - taking on the business model and making it fit to this organization (will be slightly more subdued) but getting the personalities like a Jungle Jim, a Snake and Mongoose, or even the ol' John Force before the mansions and summer homes in Lake Tahoe COULD be the thing that keeps the ship upright for another decade.

Hell, even the NFL takes it where it can get it; the whole Kelsie/Swift thing has made the NFL MILLIONS in the past few weeks. You never know when the gods will rain down on you, so it's always good to have a bucket as well as an umbrella...

Studying the WWE business model to see what can be adapted into professional drag racing is a very smart idea. The WWE is not a multi million dollar busines, it is a BILLION dollar plus annual business (1.3 billion in 2022) To think there is nothing to be learned from another very successful entertainment business is very, very foolish

 

[Jim]

To think there is nothing to be learned from another very successful entertainment business is very, very foolish

I'd rather they look at an entertainment company like Disney that puts customer service and the customer experience first.

Or take a cue from Major League Baseball and speed things up.

 

[Z28LT1]

I'd rather they look at an entertainment company like Disney that puts customer service and the customer experience first.

Or take a cue from Major League Baseball and speed things up.

DISNEY!?
This might be the most laughable thing I've seen all day. thank you, I needed a good laugh!

 

[Huge]

How has Kelce/Swift made the NFL millions? Did it increase ticket sales? No. Did it increase the rights the NFL receives for TV broadcasts? No. There was some increase in Kelce jersey sales, but that's about it.

Besides, I don't get what the big deal is all about.

View attachment 13944

NFL: Female viewers increase by 37% due to Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift

Even Kelce, who's long been considered one of the best tight ends ever, isn't immune to the Swift Effect, as he's seen a sharp rise in Google searches, jersey sales and social media follows, too.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Taylor Swift effect: Chiefs ticket sales increase, plus Travis Kelce sees huge spike in jersey sales

You could say that Kelce is living in a 'Wonderland'

www.cbssports.com

 

[MM]

I'd rather they look at an entertainment company like Disney that puts customer service and the customer experience first.

Or take a cue from Major League Baseball and speed things up.

These are horrible examples. Disney has been hemorrhaging money since the before the pandemic began, which has only accelerated their issues. It's why they had to beg Bob Iger to come out of retirement and also why they are the constant subject of sale rumors and why they are actively exploring the sale of ESPN which is far and away their best performing and most valuable asset.

MLB's television packages for their markets are completely collapsing and leaving the individual teams scrambling to supplement their biggest forms of revenue. If you think the difference between the haves and have nots is vast in drag racing, take a look at the discrepancies in MLB payrolls. As far as speeding things up...the cars are going almost 340mph and the crews are turning them around inside of 60 minutes. How the hell more sped up do you want it to be?

The value of a dollar goes further at an NHRA national event then any other professional sport when you take into account the length of time of the entertainment provided compared to what it costs to get in the gate. And no other motorsport (or any sport really) on the planet comes close to giving fans the amount of access available at a drag race. Could things be improved? Of course! But they aren't as bad as the picture you are painting either.

 

[Jim]

DISNEY!?
This might be the most laughable thing I've seen all day. thank you, I needed a good laugh!

Why is it laughable? Disney puts customer service first. They make sure that people who go to their parks have a great time.

Do you think making sure fans have a great time at a drag race is laughable? What is funny about making sure fans have a great experience when they attend a race?

 

[Jim]

The value of a dollar goes further at an NHRA national event then any other professional sport when you take into account the length of time of the entertainment provided compared to what it costs to get in the gate.

That is the problem. NHRA events are too long. MLB learned that and cut the average length of a game from by 26 minutes, to 2 hours and 36 minutes. The result? MLB had a record attendance increase in 2023. People do not want to go to an event for an entire day.

People talk about how Bill Bader gets big crowds for divisional races at Norwalk. Do you know how he does it?

The big crowds are only on Saturday night. The only cars that run are Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, TAFC, and AFC. Then he adds in wheel standard and jet cars. It is a 3-4 hour show, followed by fireworks. People come in with their families for an evening of entertainment that is fast-paced and done by 10 pm. He also treats the spectators very well. I was there one night when the concessions were set to close and there were still people in line for ice cream. Bill not only made sure that everyone in line got their ice cream, but they got it at no charge for waiting. That is taking care of customers and that is what does not happen often in drag racing.

https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/news/mlb-announces-record-attendance-increase-in-2023-as-league-continues-to-rebound

 

[MM]

That is the problem. NHRA events are too long. MLB learned that and cut the average length of a game from by 26 minutes, to 2 hours and 36 minutes. The result? MLB had a record attendance increase in 2023. People do not want to go to an event for an entire day.

People talk about how Bill Bader gets big crowds for divisional races at Norwalk. Do you know how he does it?

The big crowds are only on Saturday night. The only cars that run are Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, TAFC, and AFC. Then he adds in wheel standard and jet cars. It is a 3-4 hour show, followed by fireworks. People come in with their families for an evening of entertainment that is fast-paced and done by 10 pm. He also treats the spectators very well. I was there one night when the concessions were set to close and there were still people in line for ice cream. Bill not only made sure that everyone in line got their ice cream, but they got it at no charge for waiting. That is taking care of customers and that is what does not happen often in drag racing.

https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/news/mlb-announces-record-attendance-increase-in-2023-as-league-continues-to-rebound

It's easy to set a record for year over year increase in attendance when you are coming off the lowest attendance average for the league in almost 30 years. That article is pure PR fluff. Average attendance for MLB is still well under 30,000 per game, which is what they pulled in from 2004-2016. That's like saying Business A has 1 million customers and increased their base to 1.2 million year over year for a 20% increase and Business B had 100 customers and increased their base to 200 customers year over year for a 100% increase. Business B must be doing better because they have the better growth rate, right?