I represent the myriad of sports fans out there that are trying to understand NASCAR. I thought it was just me, but after reading websites, emails, blogs and listening to sports talk radio, I realize that there are many people out there who are trying to get with the sport but just can't see what the fuss is about.
If you ask a NASCAR fan, they are getting a bit disappointed too. Most NASCAR fans were raised racing fans and how things were. NASCAR has done a great job trying to mainstream the sport. Purists may not love that, but it has brought in a ton of money, a ton of exposure and a ton of new fans.
Now, I don't want to be a gear head nor do I really care that much about the sport. But when the Daytona 500 or Coca-Cola 600 is on....I do have some interest. Also, for the fourth straight year, I run a Fantasy Nascar league...so I must keep involved. I know the names and numbers of many of the drivers...though only about 1/4 of them could I pick out of a lineup. But that's more my fault, as the commericals around races do a good job trying to get their guys out there.
But there are a few things that I just don't like/understand:
*YELLOW FLAGS. I understand the need for them as such....but they really kill the vibe, man. No offense, but it seems that every race comes down to the last several laps where a ton of yellow flags come down and halt the action. Not just that, but it hurts the frontrunners who worked their tails off the first 3 hours to get in that position.
*DAYTONA 500. It is dubbed the Super Bowl of Racing...and it seems to be quite a great event. But after the race ends....it means there are 35 more points events left on the calendar. Only Major League Baseball has the same problem of starting with a bang and then mosing along the rest of the way. I have no idea how to make it work any other way....but it does make the rest of the schedule rather insignificant.
*CHASE FOR THE CUP. I like the idea....just not the method. In the other sports, there is a playoff style way to end things. A sort of elimination event. Not here. It is like ending one season and starting a mini one the end it all. How about race for 24 races and then invite the top 12 to be in the Chase. Have three different levels of racing in an elimination style playoff. After four weeks of the Chase...lop off the bottom four individuals in points. Restart the points back to zero again. After four more weeks, lop off four more. Go back to zero. So in the final four races....you have four cars vying for the championship.
*CHEATING. Not that I was turned off by what was happening during last week; I was actually intrigued. This was a sport built on moonshine runners trying to evade the cops. Now it is a sport build on making everything absolutely equal or else NASCAR gets bent. Why? If you can find a way to make your car faster...isn't that the point? It's like telling a track athlete that he can't shave his legs or having all baseball players hit with the same size bat. Now, of course, there has to be some regulations....but not to the point that a miniscule different means so much. Again, NASCAR guy....explain this to me.
*BAD JOKES. Sorry, but I heard Darrell Walrip say about 15 stupid jokes during the telecast. A lot of us don't find Larry the Cable Guy funny and don't think this crap is either. Makes me miss Benny Parsons even more. Oh, and please keep Chris Myers away from any microphone.
*COMMERCIALS. When going to commercial, can there be a way where you put up a corner of the screen that still has racing on it. I mean, geez...we are bombarded with sponsors all over the track, screen, cars and uniforms that maybe....just maybe....they can let us still keep track of the cars as they are showing us commericals.
*HALFTIME ENTERTAINMENT. We lovers of other sports are used to entertainment during the boring parts. About the entire middle of the race is a boring part. So why not have some more singin' and dancin' going on during that part of the race? Or better yet, have some puff pieces playing while they guys are just driving around in circles.
*MAKE ALL FINISHES LIKE THAT ONE. I loved the sprint to the finish where guys were wrecking everywhere trying to win that thing.
Trust me....I am not belittling the sport and I'm not some guy who has no sense of history of it. I grew up in Charlotte where you can buy a car at dealerships owned by these drivers and visit the headquarters of these teams. Racing is pretty big in Charlotte, eh? But I'm not a car guy and never really cared to watch. And I know there is a ton of us out there.
Help us, please.
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