ESPN - NASCAR coverage humdrum

ESPN is going thru the motions with their NASCAR race TV coverage. It's almost like they're worn out at the end of this 9 month season. They have no spark, obsess about the artificial Chase and ignore actual on-track racing action.

The latest example is their coverage at Phoenix...BORING!!! The race wasn't boring, ESPN's TV show was BORING! Why is it that I can watch SPEEDTV coverage of a NASCAR CUP practice session and feel excited due to their announcers and especially their pit coverage. When ESPN covers 'happy hour' final practice...they spend the entire time covering Chase Standings, and showing prepared video footage of previous races and interviews that have already shown on other ESPN broadcasts. They don't really show practice and do they actually have someone in the pits??? You wouldn't know it from their TV coverage.

ESPN coverage of qualifying is similar, it's the ESPN Qualifying Show, not NASCAR CUP qualifying, that is their priority.

NASCAR CUP race action is missed regularly while we're watching replays from earlier in the race or earlier in the week. They miss most live conflicts on the track and then miss even more racing action while they show a replay of the conflict they just missed during a replay or prepared video. Lead changes hands, not in real time, but in replays. It would be funny if it weren't so sad for knowledgeable NASCAR fans to be subjected to this ESPN TV show.

There is no way I can relate how much I dislike having to watch their coverage to follow a race. FOX isn't the greatest, nor is TNT, but both are significantly better than ESPN when it comes to covering NASCAR CUP racing. FOX and TNT actually focus on the on-track action.

ESPN requires NASCAR CUP racing to fit the ESPN production paradigm completely. The other networks actually work to fit their production paradigm to NASCAR racing. ESPN creates the mold and NASCAR has to fit into it!

I will be so glad when the season ends for ESPN; mostly for my sanity.

I'll cheer when February arrives and FOX is back on duty at Daytona. My only salvation during the late part of the season when ESPN covers NASCAR CUP Racing is that SPEEDTV is still at the track with their wonderful cadre of knowledgeable personalities and producers/directors who know that the action is on the track and in the garage; not in the STUDIO with innumerable replays.

Just my opinion,
JD

PS - And, did I mention that ESPN's daily NASCAR Now show originates at their studios somewhere in New England!!! Get serious, nothing regarding NASCAR happens in New England unless it's imported to the ESPN studio or it's the race at Loudon 2 times a year. Conversely, SPEEDTV originates in the heart of NASCAR country. ESPN can't afford to be in the Charlotte area.

PPS - If you'd like to post your opinion of ESPN's NASCAR coverage, visit John Daly's 'The Daly Planet' blog.