3hrs past the scheduled end time here
I'm with Paul on this.....2 to 3 hours min!!
Nitromater
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TV's The Key...
- Thread starter Nunz
- Start date
I'm with Paul on this.....2 to 3 hours min!!
yoda
Nitro Member
3hrs past the scheduled end time here
Wow.. This is a multi-million (and probably closing on a billion when you involve the worldwide facilities, teams, manufacturers, etc.) dollar sport, and, by these posts, nobody even knows when it will air? That's just sad, and kind of pathetic that there supposedly is an organization that is responsible for the actual well-being of the sport.
James
Nitro Member
But if you don't find it worth watching isn't giving them false ratings counter productive? Shouldn't the goal be for them to produce a show we want to watch? Can't see where giving them false ratings is going to fix anything.
As far as a fix goes I agree with those who say if you can't show it live then shorten the show and air it at it's scheduled time.
DrRocket
Nitro Member
Even though it's available to me, I never watch ESPN3. Why? I simply refuse to spend a summer Sunday inside the house, sitting on my dead butt watching my computer all day. Frankly, I'm not sure where you guys find the time to do it. Plus, my wife would hit the roof if I did. She understands my love of motorsports. Hell, she even likes to watch the races with me. but she would never tolerate that. That's why I DVR the race, adding an extra hour, and watch it on Sunday evening after the sun sets and the day's activities have wound down. It's also why you'll never see me post here on Sunday, and why I avoid all racing sites, to avoid spoilers. And I watched every single show this year. Why? I love the sport, and have for nearly 50 years, that's why.
This is a part of the problems of presenting drag racing on TV. We all enjoy the sights, sounds, and yes, smells of drag racing. The ONLY aspect of all this that comes through clearly on TV is the sights. The smells and the sounds, ESPECIALLY the sounds, just simply fail to translate to TV. Even Hi Def fails to do the overall visceral impact that drag racing has justice.
I remember the first time I took my oldest son, himself a diehard gearhead (The other two could not care less. Not sure where they came from.) to Brainerd. He experienced his first nitro pass watching from the back of the starting line, and was absolutely blown away. He loved the sounds and smells. He loved watching them work in the pits. Yet, he still will not watch it on TV. "Why eat hamburger when I've had the steak?" is what he says.
Face the reality folks. We're dealing with a niche motorsport that simply DOES NOT translate to TV well. What's the answer? I do not know. I DO think that those of you who pine away for the ASC days are wearing rose colored glasses. I remember those shows very well. I also remember waiting for a couple of months for ABC's Wide World of Sports' pitiful 15 or so minutes of coverage sandwiched between dog sled racing and cricket matches. The coverage today is much better, technically. If you were honest with yourselves, you'd admit that what you're REALLY missing is Steve Evans and Dave Mac. I miss them as well, but they ain't coming back. Deal with it.
The reason you'll never see any of the sportsman finals on the show is that the Coke company isn't going to give Forrest Lucas, the sponsor of the sportsman side of things "free" airtime. They have their own show, by the way, in case you hadn't noticed.
This is a part of the problems of presenting drag racing on TV. We all enjoy the sights, sounds, and yes, smells of drag racing. The ONLY aspect of all this that comes through clearly on TV is the sights. The smells and the sounds, ESPECIALLY the sounds, just simply fail to translate to TV. Even Hi Def fails to do the overall visceral impact that drag racing has justice.
I remember the first time I took my oldest son, himself a diehard gearhead (The other two could not care less. Not sure where they came from.) to Brainerd. He experienced his first nitro pass watching from the back of the starting line, and was absolutely blown away. He loved the sounds and smells. He loved watching them work in the pits. Yet, he still will not watch it on TV. "Why eat hamburger when I've had the steak?" is what he says.
Face the reality folks. We're dealing with a niche motorsport that simply DOES NOT translate to TV well. What's the answer? I do not know. I DO think that those of you who pine away for the ASC days are wearing rose colored glasses. I remember those shows very well. I also remember waiting for a couple of months for ABC's Wide World of Sports' pitiful 15 or so minutes of coverage sandwiched between dog sled racing and cricket matches. The coverage today is much better, technically. If you were honest with yourselves, you'd admit that what you're REALLY missing is Steve Evans and Dave Mac. I miss them as well, but they ain't coming back. Deal with it.
The reason you'll never see any of the sportsman finals on the show is that the Coke company isn't going to give Forrest Lucas, the sponsor of the sportsman side of things "free" airtime. They have their own show, by the way, in case you hadn't noticed.
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Huge
Nitro Member
That was a pretty good no punches pulled, truth, and nothing but the truth post. I liked it.
That is not the answer, nor is it the truth. More people were watching when it wasn't a marathon experience trying to watch eliminations. Who had the idea that we needed "filler" or a 3 hour show? It is just too long. It should be tested. I bet more people would watch again if it wasn't for the time it takes, it feels like a chore watching it being it gets painfully boring by 8:30 when it starts at 7. It just needs to go back to bare bones production. Interview winners only, not losers, and not drivers about to go into a round, it's pointless. No marquee matchup hype, less drama, fast paced shows. Get the ratings back. You remember TNN? Do it like that. Even take a page from SPEED's IHRA's show. Fast paced, in depth, designed to please the fans in the sport. ESPN/NHRA, work on it! I'll watch again.
Nemo
Nitro Member
You don't have to sit all day and watch the espn3.....it's kept In a archive so you just turn it on late Sunday or Monday and fast forward to the parts you like...or you can turn it on and work (I happen to work a lot of Sundays) and look at the screen when the cars you want to watch are on.....I like to watch it live as much as the next guy...but I prefer to be racing myself and honestly the cost to watch is not worth it...I would rather run my car at the track and catch some runs by nitro altereds or nostalgia funny cars.
n/a
Nitro Member
It has nothing to do with "truth" Patrick. David stated his "opinion" and I totally agree with David. Drag Racing translates poorly on TV. Unlike NASCAR which for me is much better on TV than being there.
I do agree with what you stated here; "Who had the idea that we needed "filler" or a 3 hour show? It is just too long. It should be tested. I bet more people would watch again if it wasn't for the time it takes, it feels like a chore watching it being it gets painfully boring by 8:30 when it starts at 7. It just needs to go back to bare bones production."
And "No marquee matchup hype, less drama, fast paced shows. Get the ratings back. You remember TNN? Do it like that."
NHRA needs to market the sport to a broad audience. TV is one media to accomplish that but carefully planned time slots are key. NHRA has done some promoting through NASCAR i.e. T/F burn outs and a couple cars in a building’s lobby so what about expanding on that to other sporting venues. Maybe even join Ford to do a Mustang commercial and include a Mustang F/C or Pro Mod as a joint effort. I don't have the answer, just trying to think outside the box.
You!
Nitro Member
Patrick,
Questions for you. When you watch the race on tv, do you plug your hears to protect them from the sound? Do your eyes water? Can you feel the vibration in your chest? Answer is no to all three, correct?
That is why drag racing does not and will never work on television.
Questions for you. When you watch the race on tv, do you plug your hears to protect them from the sound? Do your eyes water? Can you feel the vibration in your chest? Answer is no to all three, correct?
That is why drag racing does not and will never work on television.
d'kid
Nitro Member
Answers:
I have to crank up the TV so I can hear It... I read lips... Lost over half my hearing volume by the late 70's only part because of being around Nitro & Alky Flops.
Dozers and scrapers are the main reason... It's the ringing 24/7 and I do have full range...
My eyes water all the times, and the vibration is normally one of cats laying on my chest or the back of my chair
d'kid
Rollout96
Nitro Member
That's why we put Karl in front of Hanna Montana re-runs and he still THINKS he is watching the drags!!!
:::running away quickly:::
Drag Racing will ALWAYS be way better in person. Having said that, there's no reason TV ratings can't be at least as good as those posted previously from several years ago. A shorter, tighter show with less filler, aired ON TIME, will bring back the old viewers. More importantly, attracting NEW fans to the sport, at the events, will also add new viewers to the TV shows. Remember, back when the ratings were strong, Drag Racing was still better in person at the time, just like now and forever. My point is simply, the fact that it's better in person does not mean we can't have healthy enough ratings to help the sport attract new marketing partners.
mick
Nitro Member
for whatever it's worth here's an 1983 90 minute sportsvision telecast from
one of my favorite places....the interview with buster couch is priceless.
and who would have thunk coverage of FC, PS and TAD....no TF.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIp618Mewts
am just as riveted to this old coverage as any present day programming.
the FC's especially are wildly entertaining from this era.
one of my favorite places....the interview with buster couch is priceless.
and who would have thunk coverage of FC, PS and TAD....no TF.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIp618Mewts
am just as riveted to this old coverage as any present day programming.
the FC's especially are wildly entertaining from this era.
Dave
Nitro Member
I love the Billy Joel "Billy the Kid" playing on the intro.... I wish I had more older races from that era to upload!
What are you talking about......they are all over YouTube! Get you an Apple TV and you can throw it up on the big screen!
I absolutely loved Buster! My Dad went to High School with him, so I got to meet him on a couple of occasions! My Dad told me about the stories in High School where he got into fights and everyone was scared of him! Funny enough, I bought my lake house in Georgia from his Sister!!
i wish they would take the time to interview Mark Lyle.....he seems to be a lot like Buster in that he is in total control of the starting line!!
d'kid
Nitro Member
That's why we put Karl in front of Hanna Montana re-runs and he still THINKS he is watching the drags!!!
:::running away quickly:::
How far is that from Ennis Montana or even West Yellowstone... Gallatin?
d'kid (Joan Jett is more my style, or PEARL (J/J)
Dave
Nitro Member
Oh I know.. I'm saying I wish I had more to contribute. I uploaded that race! 1983 has a fair amount of races uploaded, 81, 82, and 84 are scarce. Pretty sure every race from 1988-1996 has been uploaded. If not i'm still in the process.
Also a Google Chromecast allows you to play YouTube on any tv! If yours doesn't already have a built in app like my Sony tv does.
I have a Smart Samsung, but rarely use that functionality given my Apple TV.
NHRA just recently had a sale on their DVDs for $4.95 each.....I ended up buying the Drag Racing DVDs 86 through 99.....I love watching the old races!! Good stuff!
