Sponsor exposure and the Kalitta Boycott (1 Viewer)

[Suzie Q]

The sponsors LOVE Doug! There is not one thing that he should ever change about himself. He is the genuine real deal. He is an awesome driver and he is just not one to do kartwheels or a dance when he has a microphone in his face.

I am not sure how much I could say after going 330 mph in 4 seconds either!!! I know, most of you are shocked!!!

 

[stanman]

Re: The Kalitta Boycott

PJ, I am not going to get into this with you again, we will agree to disagree. If this was true then we should be seeing less sponsors in NASCAR right (same kind of points structure)?? The last time I checked NASCAR has more fully sponsored teams now then before their Chase was introduced. This kind of blows up your theory of losing sponsors.

Paul,

Obviously you haven't kept up much with how Nascar teams have been complaining about their countdown costing them sponsorship dollars... especially for teams that fail to make the countdown. Almost all the contracts are written with clauses that reduce the amount of funding if they don't make the countdown.

They also been complaining about the TV coverage... same as the NHRA drivers are doing now.

 

[stanman]

... face it, whatever was going on before the countdown was not working. and fact is, more people are watching NHRA in just 2/3 of the first countdown year than ever before.

it blows my mind how some people whine and complain about how NHRA gets "no love" from the mainstream, but then yells at the NHRA for trying to fix it.

That's because everything they've done in the last few years has been an unmitigated disaster... starting with the cut-rate deal they signed with Powerade... and then extended it!!

 

[BaldyLochs]

I liked Greg Anderson's perspective last Sunday on television. In so many words, he said .....The Countdown is here, nobody can change it, it is what it is. Still, most of these racers grew up seeing it done "the old way" & have always had the mindset they needed to run good all year long, at 23 tracks tracks & and running good in differing conditions to end up being the champion.... NOT having it all decided by 2 races. Almost anybody can be good 2 weekends in a row. The real champions are able to sustain that all year long.

 

[yoda]

There are a lot of teams that got the shaft on this one. Hell, Tony Schumacher went out in the first round 12 times this year!!!

...And yet, he's in the mix More reason to wonder how this whole thing works... Hell, folks here had Papa John in a rocking chair on the front porch by the time the tour got to Chicago....

Personally, for all the crap she's had to deal with this season, I will give my honorary Number 1 to Melanie....

 

[blackbeard]

NOT having it all decided by 2 races. Almost anybody can be good 2 weekends in a row. The real champions are able to sustain that all year long.

to win the championship under the countdown system, you still have to sustain success all year long. if you don't, your not allowed in. case in point: doug herbert. he had a terrible first half of the year, turned it up towards the end, and is now out of the countdown. had he been winning rounds all year long, he would have been much high in the CD standings, and may still be in it. look at the four drivers left. they are all winners. i don't think anyone will say that either bernstein, fuller, dixon, or shoe "sneaked in." they all earned it, all year long

 

[Suzie Q]

...And yet, he's in the mix More reason to wonder how this whole thing works... Hell, folks here had Papa John in a rocking chair on the front porch by the time the tour got to Chicago....

Personally, for all the crap she's had to deal with this season, I will give my honorary Number 1 to Melanie....

It is funny, when we were at Dicks Last Resort in Dallas, Tony Shumacher came to my show. I had a chance to talk to him and I told him to quit beating up on my brothers so much! He said "I have no idea how I am in the countdown. I have lost in the first round 10 times this year. It still amazes me". I can't agree with you more Tony!!!

I have to say that Melanie really got the shaft this year! Such a shame.

 

[Jim]

I LIKE the countdown - It's contrived and "not invented here" but it does make the later part of the season VERY interesting. The season long leaders get screwed for the most part 'cause some of the "other" folks get a shove.

Baseball and football had a "chase" long before the N-word auto racing series did. Top teams could and were eliminated in the playoffs MANY times.

As for as contracts are concerned: most sports contracts have basic compensation with incentives for making the playoffs, the all-star game, records, finals etc. Not taking anything away but building a really nice carrot for separating oneself from the pack.

What's wrong with that?

 

[davey]

But in stick and ball sports the teams that make the playoffs don't compete in the playoffs against teams that were eliminated. With a true playoff we would have four car Pro fields in Vegas this weekend.

 

[blackbeard]

jim, i like your points.

PJ, what about this: let's say the New England Patriots win the rest of their regular season games, then lose in their first playoff appearance. THEN the 10-6 Bengals make it to the super bowl. is this any different? Belichick could scream that he should be in the super bowl instead of the bengals because he earned all season long, as opposed to the bengals with 6 losses. in comparison to the old NHRA points system, the two super bowl teams should be decided by whomever has the most cumulative wins at the end of 16 games.

 

[PJ]

jim, i like your points.

PJ, what about this: let's say the New England Patriots win the rest of their regular season games, then lose in their first playoff appearance. THEN the 10-6 Bengals make it to the super bowl. is this any different? Belichick could scream that he should be in the super bowl instead of the bengals because he earned all season long, as opposed to the bengals with 6 losses. in comparison to the old NHRA points system, the two super bowl teams should be decided by whomever has the most cumulative wins at the end of 16 games.

First off it is already a given that the best team in other sports doesn't always win the championship. The Detroit Red Wings have been #1 seed many times but fall off in early rounds. George Mason went to the final 4 a few years back, were they really one of the 4 best teams in the country? The Mariners won a record number of games yet got bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Last year the Chargers looked unstoppable....until the playoffs.
Whats the difference? There are a few. Since you used football we will start there. The Pats will be play 16 games this year against 13 teams (they will play the the dolphins. Jets and Bills twice each) There are 32 teams in the nfl. You need a playoff to get the teams with the best record to play each other. If we look deeper it could be argued that despite all the press that the Pats have received that the Colts are even better. The Patriots have yet to play a team with a winning record while the the Colts have played 3. Pats opponents record thus far is 11-27 while the Colts is 20-18 so who is better?
Another issue is that non playoff teams have an effect on playoff teams. The Colts and Bears didn't have to worry about the Lions and Raiders playing on the same field as them during the super bowl last year. Plus in drag racing we have the dirty little secret of dives. If non playoff teams were separate then this would be a non issue. The 4 players left in the countdown may not have to face each other in the final 2 races
Also when the nfl playoffs start what is the score of the game? 0-0. Thats not the case here.

The drag racing championship has always been whoever was the best over the entire season. I would say that it is the purest of championships in sports. Now its has lost its luster and meaning. No longer about greatness but luck.

 

[PJ]

to win the championship under the countdown system, you still have to sustain success all year long. if you don't, your not allowed in. case in point: doug herbert. he had a terrible first half of the year, turned it up towards the end, and is now out of the countdown. had he been winning rounds all year long, he would have been much high in the CD standings, and may still be in it. look at the four drivers left. they are all winners. i don't think anyone will say that either bernstein, fuller, dixon, or shoe "sneaked in." they all earned it, all year long

I will say it

 

[Suzie Q]

Isn't drag racing a "race to the finish", not a race to the first 17!

 

[mick]

still like the countdown and don't know about the final 4 deal.
heads: you can't say the final four haven't earned their spots
tails: luck, or lack thereof will probably play a roll for someone

lack of exposure for those outside the countdown.
- i like the performance based contract idea, some may already have it.
- do you think in previous non-countdown years, the lower point teams have
received equal exposure to teams competing for the championship?
would be interesting to review old tv shows; my guess is you'd see
similar patterns to what we're seeing this year.

yes, i also think the tv shows have only reported select few stories
throughout this season - they can do better, but as in Bob V.'s case,
one thing i know is true in life, most of the time the squeaky wheel
DOES get the grease.

hey, everybody deserves attention and not everybody is going to get
the same - so, are you going to cut the cake and hold the fork, or sit
there and be spoon fed.

 

[blackbeard]

ok we're getting way off principle here and trying to use minute details to explain things of larger scope.

how about this. if NHRA become HUGE....million dollar payouts, mainstream TV coverage, nascar level coverage in 5-10 years, then you guys buy me a beer. if NHRA takes a dive, then i'll buy you guys a cold one.

 

[J.C.]

still like the countdown and don't know about the final 4 deal.
heads: you can't say the final four haven't earned their spots
tails: luck, or lack thereof will probably play a roll for someone

lack of exposure for those outside the countdown.
- i like the performance based contract idea, some may already have it.
- do you think in previous non-countdown years, the lower point teams have
received equal exposure to teams competing for the championship?
would be interesting to review old tv shows; my guess is you'd see
similar patterns to what we're seeing this year.

yes, i also think the tv shows have only reported select few stories
throughout this season - they can do better, but as in Bob V.'s case,
one thing i know is true in life, most of the time the squeaky wheel
DOES get the grease.

hey, everybody deserves attention and not everybody is going to get
the same - so, are you going to cut the cake and hold the fork, or sit
there and be spoon fed.

I'll ditto everything Mike said. Period.

 

[Sue]

I am VERY proud of the Kalitta team speaking out about this. Bob Vandergriff did the same thing and it got everyone's attention. I am very interested in the ratings as well. I was very disgusted with the fact that there was no interview or even a camera pan by Douggies pit when he won the semis!

The only purpose that this year serves is to work out the kinks of this countdown. Nothing is perfect, but if we have to live with it, fine, but fix it to make it fair to all the teams and the fans. It is just a crime that 8 & 9 don't get any money. That is a bunch of crap to me.

Suzie, I agree with you it is crap. But isn't that a picture of Jon and talking about Jim? Did some body mess up!

 

[Paul]

Re: The Kalitta Boycott

Paul,

Obviously you haven't kept up much with how Nascar teams have been complaining about their countdown costing them sponsorship dollars... especially for teams that fail to make the countdown. Almost all the contracts are written with clauses that reduce the amount of funding if they don't make the countdown.

They also been complaining about the TV coverage... same as the NHRA drivers are doing now.

The only complaining I have heard is about how much money Toyota is giving their teams. The fact is that there are more full time, fully sponsored cup teams then before the Chase.

 

[blackbeard]

The Patriots have yet to play a team with a winning record while the the Colts have played 3. Pats opponents record thus far is 11-27 while the Colts is 20-18 so who is better?
.

WHOA!! wait a second! i do believe the DALLAS COWBOYS were undefeated when the pats took them to school. and not only have the pats been beating every team they play, they are annihilating them. they've scored no less than 34 points all season long.

who have the colts played? the bucs? give me a break. not to mention the colts barely squeaked by the freakin tennessee titans.

 

[Suzie Q]

yup Sue, that is Jon O! My mom thought it was funny because in National Dragster many years ago they called them "the Oberhofer twins"!!!