The Frontstretch: Voices From the Heartland: Smith doesn't let facts get in the way of reporting! by Jeff Meyer -- Wednesday August 31, 2005

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It has been a long time since I’ve taken a shot or two at Marty Smith of NASCAR.com in this column, so the time is ripe!

In his Monday, August 29th article titled "Newman-Jarrett tiff has Chase implications", Smith truly shows his dedication to his profession. Consider the following excerpts.

Smith; ‘Seeking retaliation, Jarrett set sail. Only 17 laps later, he exercised that revenge, turning into Newman exiting Turn 4 and spinning the No. 12 Dodge into the outside wall.’

The facts; While Jarrett’s intentions may only be known to Dale Jarrett, the fact of the matter is that Jarrett turned Newman exiting Turn 2! Not a big faux pas, I know, but bear with me!

Smith; ‘Newman’s Dodge came to rest on the frontstretch apron, and Brian Vickers swerved low to elude it. To miss the heavy-braking Vickers, Harvick swerved right and plowed head on into Newman.’

The facts; Newman’s Dodge came to rest on the BACKSTRETCH apron, where it was subsequently nailed by Kevin Harvick with a very loud CRUMPHFFF! Again, not much to be too picky about especially when you consider that had Smith been right about Turn 4, it would have been the frontstretch. But wait! There’s more!

Smith; ‘When told that his car was in fact ready to return to competition, he reportedly refused to return to the track. Scott Riggs had been summoned to drive the No. 29 Chevrolet.

But Riggs never got in the car. Harvick returned to the track to man his rightful machine.’

The facts; Whether Harvick refused to return or not, I do not know. I DO know, via scanner, that Riggs WAS summoned to drive the #29 car. However, I personally watched Scott Riggs walk to the Reese’s car, resplendent in his red, white and blue Valvoline drivers suit, GET IN and start adjusting his HANS device and helmet. My vantage point to all this was from the Petty Grandstand, Sec. E, Row 13. (Row 13 is actually the 4th row from the wall as the row numbers start at 10)

 Harvick’s pit was the first pit on the backstretch and they were working on the car behind the wall, so I had a clear, unobstructed view with my new 300mm telephoto lens, with which, had I snapped a picture, would have shown if Riggs had any supper stuck between his teeth had he happened to smile in my direction. After a few moments of sitting behind the wheel, a #29 crew member leaned in and obviously said something to Riggs, who then climbed back out and walked directly back to the Valvoline car hauler and disappeared inside. (A guy wearing a red shirt came out of the hauler….yada, yada, yada…want me to go on?)

My point to all this is…what is this guy (Smith) getting paid for!? This is not his first time at Bristol. How come this over paid "professional" does not know his frontstretch from his backstretch!? Or his Turn 4 from his Turn 2!? This is the same guy who wants you to buy a "I agree with Marty" t-shirt! Do ya still want one of those?

It really irks the livin bejesus out of me when you have a guy like Smith, getting paid to work a dream job that I would sell my kids…I mean…my ‘72 Chevy for, make such glaring errors and whole untruths, on THE major stock car site on the web! It makes me wonder what else he has reported that is in error or just plain fabricated! I mean, this article came out 2 days after the race, so even if there was an excuse for such errors and fabrication, it should have worn off by then!

Given the chance, I KNOW I could do a better job and I know my "I agree with Jeff, Marty is a twit" t-shirts would be of better quality and cheaper than his, and doggone it, people like me! (No…really…they do!)

Like Zach and all his buddies at camp site 561! I don’t remember all the names, as some beverages had been consumed by then and those hot Tennessee nights can get kinda hazy, but I do remember that I had them laughing pretty good and I left with the feeling that they were laughing WITH me and not AT me! It’s fans like that make trips to Bristol worth the price of the gas!

Or Richie, the cat in the hat insurance guy from Florida (still working on getting that pic by the editors Richie!) whose 2 foot tall hat made him easy to find! Thanks again Richie, for that rain delay beverage and good luck with the hurricanes this year!

Or Amanda…Amanda did something for me that made me take her picture whilst I was shamelessly showing her my new Frontstretch.com hat, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was! (Hey, it WAS a long rain delay Friday night, and I kept bumping into Richie…!)

Or even Matt, Randy, Eric the dentist and the rest of the Ohio poker players across the way from our campsite. They still like me even after taking their money for the second straight year!

It’s fans like these that deserve a better reporting job from the so called "professionals". If I check my facts before I publish so I don’t look like an idiot, Marty Smith should too! Whose t-shirt wanna buy now!?

And before I go, I would like to point out a final bit of irony. If you were to blow up the photo that accompanies Mr. Smith’s article in question…4th row up on the far right, there I would be….

Staying off the wall (but peering intently over it with a silly grin!)

Jeff

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©2000 - 2008 Jeff Meyer and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!

Cathy
09/01/2005 06:58 PM
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Hey Jeff, I’d buy one of your t-shirts before I’d buy one of Marty’s. I disagree with Marty and many of his cohorts on many occasions and I email them to let them know it too. :)
Now you could send me a coaster that said “I agree with Jeff, Marty is a twit” if you wanted.

 

Contact Jeff Meyer

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