NASCAR fans across the country were treated to a pre-race show that consisted of nothing but balls and strikes after Fox Sports decided to keep a game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on the air deep into the NASCAR timeslot.Fans who had tuned in for the NASCAR event in Phoenix, Ariz. were abruptly switched to racing as the field entered turn three during the first lap of Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500, while viewers hoping to catch the end of the baseball game were told nearly a minute later that they could continue watching on FX.
All in all, the situation simply wasn't handled well.
Me? I was hoping to see the NASCAR action. But neither here (Fox) nor there (FX) could I see any of the pre-race show, much less "Gentleman, Start Your Engines".
I understand that there are obligations Fox Sports has to carry while covering these two events, but it seems pretty clear to me that Fox Sports should have just been proactive enough to at least start the NASCAR coverage over on FX.
The Red Sox/Yankees tiff was a close one and I understand that millions of people were wanting to see the end of that one. Was it right for those fans to have to quickly switch over to FX to catch the last few pitches of a one-run game?
I don't think so.
The solution to put one or the other on FX long before the green flag of the Sprint Cup Series race makes a lot of sense to me. What say you?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
4-13-2008 @ 3:40AM
anzajoe said...
Defenetely a big mess up from fox and i won't be shocked if we get more of the same at least for a while.NASCAR has been boring lately, but baseball has always been worse.Puts me to sleep.Does not work for me. SO; BAD COMBINATION from fox.
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4-13-2008 @ 7:25AM
bubba said...
why switch to race 30 seconds then go to five minute comerical
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4-13-2008 @ 7:31AM
robin said...
The only good thing that happened by missing the begining of the race was not hearing that stupid boogitity,boobitity saying that comes from that annoying DW's mouth...enough already... someone should tell him to stop saying it.......
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4-13-2008 @ 8:26AM
Lenny said...
No matter how you look at it it all comes down to the almighty dollar.........Viewer preferance has nothing to do with it.........Hooray for once again screwing up the evening..........
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4-13-2008 @ 8:49AM
Gale said...
missing the prerace and the dropping of the green flag is like missing the first five minutes of the news cast.
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4-13-2008 @ 8:51AM
Dave said...
Seems lately that if a "ball" is involved it gets all kinds of coverage, The only nascar coverage is if there is a horrifac crash. Take your ball and shove it!!
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4-13-2008 @ 9:02AM
Khayaone said...
It didn't seem like that big a deal to me. Pre-race is always the same old-same old anyway and it takes a couple laps to bring up the tires. I thought the ball game ended just at the right time.
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4-13-2008 @ 9:18AM
rob said...
Personally, after the "Heidi Affair", I thought that networks had a responsibility to show the entirety of an event. I prefer NASCAR to baseball, but I would've been pi**ed if I were a baseball fan that didn't have cable.
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4-14-2008 @ 11:43AM
jack barry said...
do you guys remrmber a movie by the name of heidi? Irealize you were in a tough spot but your plan b, 5 min. of comercials shows the type of greed thats becoming a hot point in this country, and you boys lit the fuse.
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4-13-2008 @ 9:42AM
Kim said...
My poor hubby. I was watching my pre-race show, getting ready to see the Green Flag drop and hear my "Bogity, Bogity, Let's Go Racing Boys" (even if no one else likes it, I do), when my television set was abrutbly changed to a baseball game. I began to yell at my hubby to leave the damn remote alone! The poor man looked at me and said, "Honey I swear I didn't touch a thing." So I looked at the remote changed the channel and then went back to Fox and said, "Oops, sorry honey." So in closing, was I pissed? You bet I was! That was ridiculous for fans of both sports!!!!
Kim
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4-13-2008 @ 10:07AM
Rex said...
Do you think (FX) care's?....No I don't think so. It's bout the all mighty dollar. If they don't get all there comercial in for each then they don't get there dollars.
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4-13-2008 @ 10:14AM
GLENN said...
IF FOX CAN'T HANDLE ONE OR TWO GAMES A WEEK STAY HOME. WITH HOW MANY PITCHES LEFT ? FOX PLAYS THEIR HEIDI CARD. AFTER WAITING OVER TWO HOURS IN RAIN DELAY WE MISS THE LAST FEW PITCHES.WE WATCHED THE 300 ODD LAPS OF THE RACE ( HOW MANY OF THE FIRST FIVE STARTERS DO YOU REMEMBER-- ONLY THE FINISH)
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4-13-2008 @ 10:21AM
ricky fisher said...
Poor planning on Fox's part, do they not have access to the weather channel? Also, they need to rethink the ratio of event air time to commercial time. Three laps of race and then 4 minutes of ads? Try cutting some prerace commentary, show more of the main event!
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4-13-2008 @ 10:26AM
George said...
Watching baseball is like watching paint dry. Watching NASCAR has become like watching paint dry with the radio on. I agree with the silly pre-show stupidity both on Speed and Fox. I really love how Jimmy Spencer and the former crew chief on Fox 'butcher' the English language. But then again, that's the kind of crowd they're catering to. I go to a lot of Nascar races and you wouldn't want the 'average' or 'typical' Nascar fan as a next door neighbor.
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4-13-2008 @ 11:25AM
Kim said...
Hi Geoffrey!
Not sure if you will get this or not, I have been having trouble posting lately.
I have an idea for an article if you are interested....I was wondering, what exactly are the rules in the Nationwide Series as far as allowing the Sprint Cup Drivers to compete in both series? Does anyone else have a problem with this other than me? It seems so unfair. Clearly the Sprint Cup drivers would have an advantage. Do they even have to run in every Nationwide Series Race or can they pick & choose to screw up the field on any given Saturday? There does seem to be a lot of new young talent out there trying to get into the Nationwide Series. I am curious, why do the Sprint Cup racers get to ruin that? They aren't going to be driving forever. Shouldn't there be a cut-off as to when the Sprint Cup drivers should be alowed to enter Nationwide races, i.e. the end of their full rookie season or something?
Anyway, just some thoughts. I would love to know how the drivers of the Nationwide Series feel about Sprint Cup drivers in their races.
Thanks as always for listening, Geoffrey!
Kim
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4-13-2008 @ 10:58AM
sarge said...
Fox said over and over that you could see the end of the ball game on FX. If you were to dense to turn the channel, that's your fault. Rusty Wallace is a redneck hillbilly hasbeen and the boogity boogity crap is stupid. Everyone bitches about Rusty Wallace but he says none of the stupid stuff Waltrip does. I mute the tv at green flag so I don't have to hear his ignorant ass.
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4-13-2008 @ 11:01AM
sarge said...
Darrell Waltrip is the redneck hillbilly not Rusty Wallace. Forgive me Rusty.......
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4-13-2008 @ 11:05AM
tobrien28 said...
Someone at Fox should be fired. One run game 3-2 count, ninth inning, two outs and I see CARS. In my opinion NASCAR shouldn't be aired at all, but if they must don't switch away from an end of a game we've waited 4 hours (including rain delay) to see the conclusion of.
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4-13-2008 @ 12:01PM
Ruger said...
Got a question. Why are we as fans blasting each others sport? It is plain to me that the network is at fault. While I am not a fan of baseball, (boogity yourself to your heart's content, DW!) I respect those that are. So, whether it's "watching paint dry" or "watching paint dry with the radio on", I am glad we have the choice. What to do about the network? I have a solution...
LADIES and GENTLEMEN!... Grab Your Bats and Start Your Engines!!
SPORTS ROCK!
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4-13-2008 @ 12:06PM
Kathy Jo said...
I was very upset. I do not even like baseball! I tuned in for NASCAR AND ALL OF THE EVENTS BEFORE THE RACE.People really do like to see the singer SING THE ANTHEM and the person say GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES! I also really look forward to Darrell saying, "BOOGITY,BOOGITY,BOOGITY, LETS GO RACIN BOYS!!!! FOX has had some mess ups and they really need to get it together. I have had my TV go blank in the middle of the race, it sucks!they were already playing the basball game on FX, I checked, why couldn't you have left it at that and left the race on!LET'S GET IT TOGETHER BOYS!!!!! LOL:) I think you ticked off a lot of people. Kathy Jo
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