Nov 10 2007
Mouthing off to the media
When it comes to “spins” in NASCAR – the media has it ALL over the drivers and their cars. Reporters have more “power” than the COT engine will ever have. And, depending upon the way a story is covered, a commentator can make a driver come out smelling like a rose…or like something off the bottom of your shoe.
Case in point: Kyle Petty said the “F” word on TV – clear as day – while serving as an in-car commentator for TNT Sports during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. The incident was pretty much ignored, with little or no mention anywhere in the media. I thought that was probably a wise choice on the part of the media. Mistakes happen. What’s done is done. No sense harping on it, right?
WRONG! Just a few weeks later, Tony Stewart said the “F” word on-air to a reporter who shoved a camera in his face, knowing full-well there was no delay on either the tape or Tony’s mouth. It was ALL you read or heard about. As a matter of fact, that incident is seldom left out of any Stewart-related article since. What’s with that?
It’s been suggested that certain media outlets have personal vendettas against certain drivers and that the media misuses its power and “reach” to manipulate situations. Hmmm….do ya’ think? Anyone with half a brain knows you don’t poke a caged pit bull in the face with a stick and NOT expect to at least be barked at.
Fast forward to
I’m not defending or bashing any drivers here. I’m just thinking out loud and posing some questions. Do you think some of the NASCAR media reps harass and stalk certain drivers over others? Why are drivers held to certain standards, but the media has none? Should there be limits on when the media is allowed to approach a driver, or should it be “all access, all the time?” And, finally – are NASCAR fans so driven by controversy that the media truly has no choice but to create it in order to boost ratings?
For better or worst, we’re seeing a kinder, gentler generation of NASCAR. The sponsor pressure is on for drivers to cooperate with reporters, be polite to fans, avoid bumping and spinning out other drivers and help teammates (even if it means laying back and letting the more experienced drivers pass).
So, in defense of the media – someone’s got to provide the drama and excitement here. If it ain’t happening on the track, maybe the reporters do have to create it. I just don’t agree with targeting certain drivers and purposely asking ignorant, irrelevant questions – at just the wrong moment – to elicit a sensational response.
Let’s face it. Safer cars mean fewer crashes. And fewer crashes mean more air-time to cover. But, in a sport with confusing rules, no shortage of colorful characters or fans, and gigantic bullets traveling at 200 mph, there HAS to be something more exciting to discuss than Juan Pablo Montoya’s battle for 39th position or Carl Edward’s split personality.
Despite there being an average of 40 drivers on the track at any given race – the typical home viewer only ever sees about 10 of those drivers on-air. The media will argue that fans only like to hear about the drivers they love or love to hate. The fans will argue that those are the only 10 drivers the reporters have ever heard of.
Which brings me to my final gripe with the recent trend in NASCAR media coverage. Many of the commentators don’t seem to know their subject, or their audience, as well as they should. Auto racing fans are notoriously opinionated. They don’t want or need to be told who’s great or who’s bad. They’re perfectly capable of making those decisions on their own. NASCAR fans don’t need the media to create, contrive, manipulate, antagonize, sympathize or glorify anything. Just give them their racing, the way they want it – raucous, raw, and real.
Nascar and the media needs to wake up to the fact that they would be out of a job if not for the fans.