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A job half done
There are issues, ideas and storylines that we have addressed and it just kills you professionally to have to walk away with the job half done. We are just leaving so many loose ends for someone else to come in and tie up. Certainly the way we at FOX cover things is not the way that TNT covers it, nor ESPN/ABC.
I have to tell you, all of us at FOX had an empty feeling when we left the track Sunday afternoon knowing full well that we won't be back until Daytona in February. It's emotional because we take our work very seriously. We put a lot of emotion in what we do plus we take a lot of pride in what we do.
There's no doubt this has been a tough year. Our two biggest races, the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, were rain-shortened. That has a huge impact on the TV ratings. A lot of critics want to point their finger at one thing and say that's the reason. I really don't think you can do that. There simply isn't just one reason.
I believe our country has and is going through a whole revamping of lifestyles. I think folks are spending more time with the families, going to church, going on picnics, etc. I just think people are doing other things right now. With the economy the way it is — people's jobs and livelihoods in jeopardy — I just think people are being more conservative. You see that with the empty seats in the grandstands. People simply can't afford right now to be going to the races like they are accustomed to because they just don't know what tomorrow will bring.
When you feel vulnerable and things are going well, you want to surround yourself with your friends and family and do things together that might simply not include sitting around the television for four hours every Sunday. You see it across the board: One of my favorite shows, "American Idol," was down about 10-15 percent this year.
Sure, we at FOX aren't happy about it. But when we compare ourselves against other professional sports, we feel like we've held our own pretty well. I am proud of what we have been able to do this season with our portion of the NASCAR races.
There have also been a few races where the on track action wasn't all that great. That's where I am the proudest of our team. When the racing isn't all that great, I think our guys and gals really step up to keep it fresh, exciting and keeping the fans informed and educated of what's going on.
That's really all we can do. We have fun with the telecast. We are, after all, in the sports entertainment business. We have a well-rounded group of individuals whose knowledge, experience and love for our sport is second to none. They just don't get any better.
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The positive side of the NASCAR TV package being broken up over three groups, I believe, is it gives the fans viewpoints from different folks in our sport. It gives you, the fan, different perspectives throughout the season. All three groups are in this together with the same goal as to help grow our sport.
I want to applaud NASCAR for holding their Town Hall meeting with the drivers and the owners. In the past they have held private meetings or meetings with a smaller group, so something of this magnitude, I believe, is a good thing. I just hope it wasn't for show. I hope some of the things that were suggested will be implemented.
Let's not forget that NASCAR has its hands full. Attendance is sagging. The ratings are down a little bit. Their drug policy has had a shining light on it these last few weeks. The other recent issue, which certainly was a surprise to most of us, was what happened to Carl Long.
Quite honestly, I am still not over that. I still can't understand why the poorest guy in the garage gets the biggest fine in NASCAR history. He had an engine that was slightly out of spec. His engine was 17/1000ths out of spec. We aren't talking cubic inches here folks, we are talking thousandths of inches.
Listen to me: NASCAR is perfectly correct that the engine was too big. By the rule book that was an illegal engine and they have every right to take it, put Carl on probation and fine him as well. Nobody has nor should question NASCAR's right to do that. What none of us understand and what we are all questioning is the magnitude of the fine and the harshness of it. I can't find anyone in the garage that believes it was a justifiable penalty for someone like Carl Long. No one's saying Carl should get an exception. What we are saying is give the man something that is reasonable.
The largest NASCAR fine in history to the poorest competitor in the garage? Sorry folks, I just don't understand or accept it. In the same breath though, I am not on the Appeals Board and no one has called and asked me, so it's just my opinion.
One of the positives that did come out of the meeting was the double-line restarts. I think everybody is excited about that. It's not new, though. We have covered the All Star Race for nine years now and every year we have said we thought it was a great way to create some additional excitement. I just think it will be a real positive for our sport. It will create some new situations that we've never seen before during regular season races, just like we saw in the All Star Race a few weeks ago.
The cool thing is there is no downside to it. The Lucky Dog rule allows us to have double-line restarts. Now all the cars on the lead lap are racing each other. Now all the cars one lap down are racing each other. If there's any downside at all to it, it's a guy with a fast car that is two or three laps down that isn't eligible for the Lucky Dog. So that might be something they have to look at once we get into this deal.
We need to have the leader of the race at the head of the field. He doesn't need to be mired six or seven cars back behind cars that are on the tail end of the lead lap. I have said it before, people at home don't understand the leader of the race restarting in basically the 15th spot. It just simplifies things. We have to think "fan friendly." Cleaning up the front of the field, waving around the tail end of the lead lap cars and putting the leader up front where he is supposed to be as leader are all positives.
As you saw Sunday at Dover, there is one less Jr. on Dale Jr.'s crew with Tony Eury Jr. being replaced. Lance McGrew has taken over the crew chief duties of the No. 88 and Lance is a sharp guy. He led Brian Vickers to the Nationwide championship at Hendricks. Based on what I saw Sunday at Dover, I think Lance and Dale Jr. will be fine.
I think this is the change that Dale Jr. needed to turn his year around. I know talent and ability. Dale Jr. has it. If he gets hot then watch out. I am happy that this change happened because I think it's what Dale needed.
Oh, by the way
Pocono is this weekend and there are two little words that describe that place to a "T" — fuel mileage. Just remember, fuel mileage. You run Pocono like a road course. You can pit there and not lose a lap. Timing those pit stops just right can sometimes get you a huge advantage. Fuel mileage is the key to success at Pocono.
Oh, by the way II
I think this has been an interesting year so far with our first-time winners. You had Brad Keselowski winning at Talladega. You had David Reutimann winning the Coca Cola 600. You had Brian Scott winning the Dover truck race. So we've got some different faces in different places in 2009 and that's been exciting to watch, too.
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