Frontstretch Poll for the Week of November 6 - Expand the Chase to Other Series?

[KurtBuschFan]

Here's this week's poll question.  What do yall think? 

Mike and I duke it out for this one:  http://www.frontstretch.com/wtc/6097/

Mike: There is not much, if any, Championship race left in the other two major touring series in NASCAR, making the end of the year little more than a giant snooze. Well, here’s a simple fix to wake those series up: institute the Chase format.

Beth: Don’t let lopsided battles fool you into accepting a change; the Chase is nowhere near ready to be implemented anywhere else.

[Bryan Blanton]

I think they should leave the other 2 series alone but nascar is going to do what they wanna do.

[Chris]

Heck I hate the chase in the CUP series...
The CHAMP is supposed to be determined by the best team for the YEAR... not some 'made for TV" last 10 deal just made to try and get the fans to watch and compete with football...

Heck,... the chase sucks NOW,... no sense making something thats bad,.. into an epidemic.

[Bryan Blanton]

Has the chase really helped nascar compete with football from what i've heard i've heard people say that no it has not.

Why does nfl beat nascar in ratings for can someone explain that to me? I was just curious why nfl beats nascar in the ratings for?

[Chris]

well gee..... how long a list do you want.... it goes on and on...
1) I guess the first one would be that folks have a "home town" connection to their team.
No matter if it's where they live, where they used to live, etc.. folks like to watch to see how their 'local' team is doing..
2) Then there is the items about TV manages to cover ALL the action,.. not miss parts of it like racing does...
3) Then the 'anticipation that with the NFL,.. EVERY play has the possibility of being the next "big play".
4) Also the rules are consistent, and don't change from week to week,.. and not enforced different for one team or player than another.
5) Then there are 'forums', and workcamps to get people (especially women) involved with hands on experience.  More and more teams have workcamps that last all day (or two days) where the women go out and learn about foot ball with the actual team players.  Here locally it's called something like "Falcons 101"
6) Also the TV announcers don't "talk down" to the fans.  They don't give the the same old definations of what stuff like 'push', or 'loose' is every week.    They try to show their fans 'new' stuff and educate then their 'knowledgeable fans.

I'm sure I could come up with more if I thought about it some,.. but this is what just popped up in the first few seconds,.. and these are what is DIFFERENT than Nascar, and why more people may tune in.  They seem to keep the fans interested, and it just seems more 'appealing' as an overall.  The NFL makes it 'easy' to learn about, and with special stuff like the workshops and camps, makes it fun also.

[Cangal48]

I will have to disagree here "Chris"...for some that have been following NASCAR for years, it may seem boring.  However, for a "newbie" to the public media presentation of NASCAR, I have discovered THE RACE FOR THE CHASE, at times highly energized and entertaining, in some cases within the last 5 laps of the race!  In my particular situation, experiencing the thrill of the CHASE through the eyes of tv has enabled me to understand the technology behind the sport, the popularity behind the drivers, and the schemetics of the cars themselves.  It's been a real learning experience, a greater understanding the the statistical information (no matter how at times confusing it can be).  I salute SPEED coverage of NASCAR, particularly Bootie Barker and Chad Knaus who provide us "NASCAR DUMMIES 101" all the tools needed to understand the sport from both the advantage point of technical terms used by the drivers, simulators, and the importance of comprehending driver and crew personnel. 

Nancy

[Chris]

OH I agree with you Nancy,...
For ANYONE that is new to something,.. it's ALL new,.. as even the terms of 'loose, push, etc is helpful,... but then again you don't need them to tell you every week, ... 36 weeks in a row.  You're new, not an idiot.
As a new fan, everything is gonna be new and interesting... thats great.
The problem is when you get to be an "OLD" fan... WHAT do they do to keep you interested... THAT'S the challenge.

THAT's kinda more toward the list I put up above.  NFL fans, for the large part aren't newbies.. they been there for years and years,.. and yet their numbers continue to increase.
Never see NFL games in TV drop week after week, and year after year like you have saw the last couple years with Nascar races.  Thats just what I was looking at.  Even with this new "contrived" made for TV 'chase' format, the TV rating are down from what they were last year.  Only one race in the chase is up from last year,.. and three races from ALL of 2006 is up over 2005.  I think if you can't get the ratings up EVEN WITH  a contrived "made for TV" format... you may as well give it up.

Just a couple issues to point out... Nascar tries to hard to make all the drivers PC,... all us fans KNOW that,.. and it was much better when drivers would get out of their cars and be able to speak their minds, and even have some good old genuine controversy between drivers.  Waltrip was Jaws, Earnhardt Sr was IronHead, there was some genuine annimosity on the track, and you saw some beating and banging from time to time.
Now days Nascars don't let cars even hardly touch each other,... so that takes some of the feeling, emotion, and drivers personalities out of it,.. and THAT DID make it interesting.
Then I had mentioned about fans being connected to their "home town" team... Man if you got a team from Indy,.. you got MILLIONS of fans that just automatically pull from them from Indiana. Pick any NFL team, and you get the same thing from their home state.  Drivers you don't get that,.. because MANY come from the same state and all that gets watered down,.. it's more tried to "sponsors".  And Since Nascar has made them all act PC,... well we can't pull for them based on personalities.
Finally,.. I had also mentions the work camps (for the gals).. Sure Nascar has the ride along programs,.. and even The driving schools. I guess some could agrue that is similar... I see it as apples and oranges. WIth the driving schools,... you pay anywhere from $1000-$2500 for a couple day school and it's done by some instructor you never heard of...
WIth the work camps... they are done by the ACTUAL STAR PLAYERS of the NFL that you see every week,, and you get out on the field,.. play, learn what plays are, run plays, learn technical jargin, get to rough-house with them, and all for a very small fee (like $25) or even free. 

[Cangal48]

Chris, I appreciate your "interpretation of NASCAR" and your kind words in relation to being "new" not an "idiot" to the sport.  However, I DO appreciate the fact that NASCAR on various levels, explains to me all important aspects of the sport...and yes, perhaps too SOME individuals it repetitive techno becomes boring after having it drilled lap after lap after lap (sorry for the pun).  I've been an AVID football fan for years, especially when my beloved husband was alive.  He taught me so much about the sport, that tv couldn't.  Then again, (he attended the Toronto Argos training camp during his high school/university years), so he had the inside on the sport.  Whether it be NFL or CFL (Canadian Football League) football the sport maybe #1 in the U.S., but not hear in Canada...hockey is 1st only to NASCAR which is viewed by over 6 million Canadians and that is substantially growing every year.  So depending upon where you reside throughout the sports nations, much depends on what sport is most popular in accordance with fans.  I am still a strong supporter of the NFL (particularly Broncos and Colts), although for many years the Steelers were a class act.  I guess you could say I followed in my beloved husband's cleats, watching these teams battle it out. 

Although, I haven't been watching NASCAR on tv for long, I have followed the sport in other capacities, whether reading numerous publications throughout the early years.  I have no plans to attend "NASCAR for Women" educational forums now or in the future, I'm learning by observation, reading and forums such as this. 

I'm ENJOYING NASCAR from a realistic perspective, I may NOT ALWAYS AGREE with the format of the sport, however, this CUP RACE has provided me all the excitement a hockey game doesn't.  It's nice to see a "gentlemen's sport" remain that way while cameras are rolling.  Whatever goes on behind the scenes is up to NASCAR.  It may not generate the excitement, but it certainly provides for plenty of opinions, obviously the NASCAR PTB are doing something right...even though we may not always agree.  These forums give us the opportunity to voice our opinions in a tactful and diplomatic manner. 

My purpose for posting is never to disrespect another individual's opinions, in fact I welcome and appreciate their open minded views.

Nancy

[Chris]

I agree with you 100% Nancy...
love to have differing opinions, and have others express their views.
It's the art of conversation, an the verbal give and take that we all learn something from each other....
ALways look forward to hearing what other have to say, and their take on things.
Always love your post.  Glad to have you on board

[Cangal48]

Appreciate your commentary also.  You always approach your responses articulately, using tact and diplomacy.  Sometimes, I feel like a virtual "outsider", as on occasion I have difficulty comprehending the techno portion of various posts, I'm not going to remain interverted will ask a question whenever I don't quite comprehend the lingo.  It truly is nice to be abroad, I am learning that's for certain.

Nancy

[Chris]

feel free to join in anytime...
Jump in and ask anything... someone here will be glad to get you up to speed (so to speak... hehehe)

As for me I've been a race official, wrked for local race teams, and even a CTS race team... so I've had some time involved with race cars.
I try to keep it simple when I write so everyone can understand, and not to be any kind of 'know it all'... but I do like to pass along my first hand experiences and benefits of that knowledge.

JUmp into my little triva game,... often it's more than Q & A,.. it has some info that has some "learnin' to it.
Gonna have a couple 'free entries' to my fantasy race game that I run so watch for that.
It's be a trivia contast also... so if you like to play fantasy racing,... might want to play that little trivia contest.