Vandergriff’s Gripe With Espn2 (2 Viewers)

[DLB]

one solution to the problem mite be this?.........

take a couple of minutes before the first round of each class to introduce
the 'top 8' players (soon to be 4) on television.
just as you watch the 'front line' of your favorite NFL team being shown
on TV as they come on the field for the first time.

name / hometown / sponsor/s
instead of saying "he's a 4th round draft pick out of southern mississippi"
you could say something like, "this is Bob's 2nd year with UPS, the official
express delivery company of the NHRA"

Mike - you goon - then you (possibly) would have ratings as high as football games! We can't have that now can we? We'd be shoving their airtime off the channel!!!

If you get people involved with the sport, then you build a fanbase, then you have a viewer base. It just gets to be a too big monster then. Gosh - it would never work.

</end sarcasm>

That's a great idea BTW. I have never heard them give that info on ANY race weekend. The most you can find out about a driver is at various websites, and that isn't much. Sad but true fact - I can tell you the favorite food, tv show, and sports star of half of the Georgia team from the Little League World Series. I forget what channel that was broadcast on though...

DLB

 

[Nate]

I would like to see them do away with the multiple round by round recaps. As we enter round 2 we see a fast blip of every pass the round before. That 60 seconds or whatever per class could be spent talking to Peggy, Bob or STEVE JOHNSON!!!!!!

I agree with this 100% PJ . If you want to see it again tape it or catch the rerun of the show but they do waist a lot of time showing the highlights from the previous rounds.

 

[d'kid]

I agree with this 100% PJ . If you want to see it again tape it or catch the rerun of the show but they do waist a lot of time showing the highlights from the previous rounds.

Channel Surfers... The NOW generation can't watch a show from start to finish.... commercial comes on and it's flip the channel.... the remote is killing TV....

Waist is that thing in the middle of your body...
Waste is what most TV is...

 

[Kelly]

I agree with this 100% PJ . If you want to see it again tape it or catch the rerun of the show but they do waist a lot of time showing the highlights from the previous rounds.

Especially, now that they scroll the previous round results across the top!

 

[BaldyLochs]

I agree with Bob 100%. This has been an issue for many years; dare I say since the Steve Evans/TNN days? Sure, they're in it for the ratings and the big headline stories. But there's been quite a few circumstances I couldn't believe certain drivers weren't mentioned. Certainly, the sponsors have noticed this, too. Not to toot my horn here, but Scott Kalitta is a perfect example. When's the last time he was interviewed? There's been couple times this year when it was certainly warranted. Remember when (was it R. Hight?) who had that bad fire??? Scott pulled off an amazing move getting out of his way. Barely a mention of his name. Or when DHL came onboard - hardly a peep.

And the Race Day show is no different. They're special guests are carefully chosen.

This is why now we have drivers like Luigi, Rob Passey, T.J. Zizzo, Rit Pustari..... and some people have no friggin idea who they are or what they look like. Maybe it's just me, but it sure seemed different back in the Winston Drag Racing days. Sure there were the "stars", but we also heard from and sort of knew the little guys too.

 

[Tom]

John Kernan & Crew:

Anyone remember when "NHRA Today" with Steve Evans used to do in depth segments on different drivers each week? They showed early clips and photos of the drivers throughout their careers, interviewed them by their pool or by their trailer at the track, and actually sat down and told stories and explained their histories? Even edited for television, that was still only about a 10 minute segment tops. I think they oughta bring that back in each of the race shows. With a 23 race schedule, you can't begin to get everyone, but start with some of the folks that get no camera love like Will, the Kalitta cousins, Vandergriff, Lewellyn, Stoffer, Morgan, Panella, Foley, etc. We all know about Capps, Scelzi, Schumacher, etc. It'd kind of level the playing field. I know it's 10 minutes of valuable air time, but there's way more than 10 minutes of fluff and BS that can go away to make time for it. That way EVERYONE can get some quality air time for their sponsors and to help them find additional sponsors. I really felt bad about Angelle and Antron as I really like them both, but how long did we need to hear it drilled into everyone at Memphis?

Comeon, spread the love guys!

 

[d'kid]

I agree with Bob 100%. This has been an issue for many years; dare I say since the Steve Evans/TNN days? Sure, they're in it for the ratings and the big headline stories. But there's been quite a few circumstances I couldn't believe certain drivers weren't mentioned. Certainly, the sponsors have noticed this, too. Not to toot my horn here, but Scott Kalitta is a perfect example. When's the last time he was interviewed? There's been couple times this year when it was certainly warranted. Remember when (was it R. Hight?) who had that bad fire??? Scott pulled off an amazing move getting out of his way. Barely a mention of his name. Or when DHL came onboard - hardly a peep.

And the Race Day show is no different. They're special guests are carefully chosen.

This is why now we have drivers like Luigi, Rob Passey, T.J. Zizzo, Rit Pustari..... and some people have no friggin idea who they are or what they look like. Maybe it's just me, but it sure seemed different back in the Winston Drag Racing days. Sure there were the "stars", but we also heard from and sort of knew the little guys too.

Chris if Hillary wasn't cute and female... do you really think she'd ever get camera time? Personally, I don't think she gets enough air time... Doug throwing his safety gear, priceless... so out of character... sorry babbling again...

 

[vegasnitro]

Way to go Bob! People treat the NHRA and ESPN with kid gloves from inside the sport, well good for Bob for standing up for his team. They will give Bob some cursory interviews the rest of the way, just to "quiet him", but it is my hope (and Bob's) that they hear the message rather than the messenger.

 

[Buddy]

I brought up this subject a while ago, before the makeover of Nitromater. I pointed out that John Force got TV when he lost and we never heard from the round winner. Most people's response was different then

It all depends on how you come at it... It's natural for people to take the underdogs side, so rather than attacking Force we are supporting Bob... I don't know if you attacked Force when you brought it up, but you can see the benefit of having an underdog speak out...

Besides, we humans are stupid... We have to be told everything about 10 times before we realize what is up...

CJ Curtsinger

 

[jackass]

Just a question.. how many comercials does UPS have during the NHRA Broadcasts?.. could that be part of it?....

NBC and FOX ignored and wiped sponsors off car in NASCAR for still shots because htye didn't buy ad time....

i think Bobs dead on... i said it before.. you are going to have several teams and sponsors not happy wiht coverage once the countdown starts... and so it begins....

Billy

 

[Mad Mark]

I talked to Vandergriff in Topeka. I told him I had nothing personal against brown, but I thought his old Fruit of the Loom car was a lot better looking. To which he replied, "Yeah, but this one pays better."
I also liked the sport mirrors he added after Hillary's left side pass at the top end.

 

[none]

I think Bob was a victim of the countdown and by that I mean that he didn't lose a bunch of points by being one of the leaders. On the other hand he was safely in the top 8 most year so he missed out on the battle for the "eighth and final playoff spot". Looking at the races that he was in the finals, I don't remember seeing him interviewed on the Vegas telecast. I could cut ESPN some slack on this one because it was right after the Medlen accident, but they still could have found some time to give Bob one interview. He should have been interviewed at least twice in Bristol, once after beating Schumacher in the first round and once after beating Fuller to go to the finals. I did not see the Sonoma broadcast so I can't comment on that. If teams like Bob's get more air time it's going to be better for everybody.

 

[NHRAMike]

I brought up this subject a while ago, before the makeover of Nitromater. I pointed out that John Force got TV when he lost and we never heard from the round winner. Most people's response was different then

Excellent point Steve. While I am grateful that NHRA/ESPN has given us the coverage of eliminations AND a qualifying show on the same channel all season, and on a same day basis since 2000, I do not care for all of the coverage that John Force receives. I can recall numerous times when a low buck racer such as Gilbertson, or Johnny Gray took Force out and yet Force still got the opportunity to ramble on about how his "ol heap was truckin" and still give a plug for all his sponsors. Was this because maybe his opponents didn't have a big name sponsor and the powers that be don't think highly enough of the little guy, or just because Force is the biggest name in drag racing, and he gets the airtime no matter what? C'mon, anyone who could take out the champ should at least be able to get a few words and a face shot about how satisfying it is to beat the defending champion However I remember once Bazemore beat Force and even though Whit was already in the middle of his interview, Force walked up and was blathering on about something when Baze basically told Force to get outta here because this is "My interview". Absolutely classic!!!!

Back to the point, the NHRA should be trying to do all it can to give exposure to as many of the sponsors as can be done during a 4-5 hour weekend telecast. I believe it's Joyce Julius and Associates who total up the amount of time that a driver gets during a given race and then bases that amount of exposure to determine how good of a value a company is getting on its sponsorship dollar. Given that if this is how the scenario works, right off the top of my head I can tell you that the companies who sponsor the same drivers who are getting the same interviews race after race and giving the same damn speech week after week are coming out further ahead than the UPS', MTS' and Quaker State's of the drag racing world.

Peace to all,
NHRAMike

 

[Ted]

Just a question.. how many comercials does UPS have during the NHRA Broadcasts?.. could that be part of it?....

Billy

That's a good question. Castrol buys a lot of airtime.

 

[hellfirejim]

After reading all the posts and doing some research on my own I have come to the conclusion that the real issue is in the production truck. All the people and I mean all the people out on the track doing the filming and the interviews get drag racing and understand that ALL the competitors deserve a shot at TV time when they EARN it. Not because they are a big name.

Apparently the people making the decisions in the "production truck" don't get it. They act like the american public is only interested in certain people. First off they are WRONG. People are interested in a good story regardless of who it is about.

Secondly the producers have created their own box. If all they ever show is the same people over and over again then how are people suppossed to learn about the other competitors.

For every racer and crew out there doing it, there is a great story behind it. It seems that by just repeating the same old routine of showing the same people and the same stories and doing countless flashbacks the producers have taken the easy way out.

if you want to know how to do it right, go back and review the tapes of TNN and watch 2 masters at their game, Steve and Mac. Also watch what the production people did with a whole lot less equipment. They made up the difference in effort and a determination to put on a good interesting show.

This appears to be gone in the rush to just get it out and over with.

Sorry this is so long but I get so frustrated with ESPN2 for wasting all the talent and information they have available to them to put on a show that if you changed the names and places could be shown over and over again.

Oh it is........

ESPN2, You know how to reach me if you have a problem with this, but I doubt seriously that you care.

jim

 

[Rajunz]

Bob Vandergriff got more air time from his rear view mirrors than for any other reason last year.

I love the behind the scenes personal interest stories, as I'm sure lots of others do. To me, when in each market area, they should do stories on racers from that area. Such as, when in Atlanta, do a story on Bob and his race team. When in Ohio, do a story on Jim Head and his race team.

 

[Randy]

Back in 1991 I switched to TA/FC and ran my first ever national event, the Winternationals. At the race I taped a poster from the 1971 Winternationals on my trailer. On Friday Bob Frey asked what that was about. I told him 1971 it was the first ever national event I ever attended and this was my own 20th anniversary thing. I was celebrating by actually racing it. I had a brand new Plueger car and it wasn't even painted.

I showed up Saturday to get ready for first round against Bucky. 31 cars were entered and we made the 16 car field. When I walked in my pit the entire TNN crew was there to do a feature segment on me and our team and our reason for being there. Blew me away.

Point is, they were always looking for an interesting angle. In 1971 Don Garlits had the only rear engine dragster at Pomona and he won the event. I mentioned all that in my interview and nearly everything I had to say made TV. I was (and am) a nobody, but it made for good TV.

There are a lot of great stories from every class, not just the pro's. But the pro pits are full of opportunities for a good production team if they work it. I'm sure someone is reading this and will take all of what you are saying to heart.

RG

 

[DLB]

However I remember once Bazemore beat Force and even though Whit was already in the middle of his interview, Force walked up and was blathering on about something when Baze basically told Force to get outta here because this is "My interview". Absolutely classic!!!!

Kind of like when Tony Ped beat Force at the rain out, I mean Maple Grove because Force red lighted and Force comes over and is asking "what did you think happened?" and Tony Ped just went on with his interview?

Force is going to get on TV, whether they spot him, or he does it. I still like the guy, but I'd like to see some others a little more, and him a little less.

DLB

 

[Darryl]

Randy's right folks. I've got to believe this thread has been the focus of interest in at least three places; NHRA, ESPN and UPS. I hope this can be resolved in satisfactory manner for all involved. This is, as a matter of fact, an extremely important issue for ANYONE seeking a Pro drag racing sponsor!

 

[blackbeard]

bobby V. is one hell of a driver and i think if he could pull the championship it would be HUGE for NHRA, marketing wise. go brown!!