NO OSCAR™, BUT MAYBE A WALLY
FOR WJ
Obviously the suits at GM have not paid attention to WJ's
driving record in recent years. So far this year 8 holeshot
losses and they made him promise to drive 2 more years.
If I were a betting man, I would wager that WJ has more
holeshot losses in his career than any other pro driver.
He might be the professor, but he can't drive, he can't
interview and now we know he can't act.
Wade Mooney
Phenix City, AL
DOUBLE DIGIT VIEWERSHIP INCREASE?
Just read your article dated 9-8-05, and for this viewer
it is no surprise that the ratings have plummeted. Frankly
the coverage sucks; no burnouts, terrible sound, endless
replays of each run and Gary Gerould is a nice guy but not
knowledgeable enough for the top end interviews. Speaking
of not knowledgeable can we please have Bob Frey do the
announcing. Marty Reid must have incriminating picture of
the head of ESPN and Wally Parks to be able to keep his
job.
| ADVERTISEMENT |
 |
|
I
personally like to see the starting line procedures and
burnouts etc. Can the goofy skits and show the racing of
which the burnout is a integral part.
Diamond-P and TNN had great sound, you could really feel
the power and get a feel for the race. Now you just get
a muted version of the cars, although some tracks seem to
be better than others.
I like to see a replay of the run and several if something
interesting happens, but to see a run 5 times for each and
every one is just boring. I find myself tuning out between
runs and watching an old movie or rerun I can jump in and
out of and going back only to see the next run.
Gary Gerould, been around forever, great for IRL not great
for NHRA. Steve Evans is admittedly a hard act to follow
but you need a drag racer for this job. Whereas Gary may
develop into a good drag race announcer Marty Reid is a
joke. He knew nothing when he came in and he hasn't learned
anything since he has been the announcer. No wonder the
ratings have "gone turtle." Mike Dunn is technically
good but not a good enough announcer to carry the whole
show, but if you paired him with a guy like Bob Frey you
could actually interest people in what the play-by-play
announcer has to say. Instead of just laughing in embarrassment
at his inane comments and attempts to act like he knows
something.
You did hit on a big component of the broadcast problem
and that is ESPN. It has become a joke amongst myself and
my brother as to when the broadcast will actually be on
and if it will start on time. When you have the official
NHRA TV schedule from the web and the local TV Guide and
the TV Guide channel and all have different times and ESPN
actually plays the broadcast at yet another time no wonder
people give up and read about it on Monday. People have
lives and when people like me schedule around the Sunday
(if not Saturday and Sunday) broadcast and it is not on,
then my household is going to be one of those not watching.
Need an example? Indy qualifying, need I say more.
The only people watching now are the diehards and those
will be lost too, as we can't sit around all day on Sunday
watching ESPN waiting for the Drags to come on. And when
they do show up you get a half-assed announcer and a broadcast
that is more show than go.
73 & Good DX
James Shryne, N6DHZ
YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD
Right on Jeff! I'd love to run my '67 Nova at Pomona once
or twice a year. If twice I'd share my car at one of the
events with my dad, 81 years young Bud Hemstreet. Darr met
both of us at Irwindale while dad was making some shakedown
runs on a extra hot track, last week Bud ran 9.36 @ 143
at Fontana! Fast Jack Beckman is very proud of his oldest
student, and so am I.
Ken Hemstreet
Fullerton, CA
|
|
