NASCAR vs NFL???

Ahhh we ain't building monkeys here guys.

Get 2 TVs and work the Mute between the two.
Niether NFL or NASCAR needs to have to sound up to follow the action.
I do it all the time and it works fine.

Go Hamlin!

No need for 2 TVs....one TV, picture in picture, and roll baby roll. Which reminds me, that I need to split the cable in the basement, so I can do that.

I always flip between football and the race...mainly because I hate commercials. But, I do make sure I look at the race from time to time. Sunday is race day. They continue to fill race tracks to capacity and do OK on TV, so until they start to completely falter, I'd imagine they will continue as they do now. Besides, everyone knows that they important laps are the last 5-10, and they show all the great crashes on SportsCenter :)

jsarno - of course you and smoot are the only ones talking NASCAR at 1:30am east coast time...the rest of us are sleeping ;)

I'm curious as to how anyone actually sits down and watches an entire race. I have textbook ADHD, and find it hard to sit down for a long period of time. How does one sit down and watch what's going on? Maybe all I need is someone that is interested to guide me through a race. Seriously, I kind of want to follow Nascar, I just have yet to be turned on by it.

If you are going to sit for an entire race, be sure to have plenty of distractions around you. For Daytona, a bunch of friends and I get together and shoot the shit because we all know that it's one long race. Plenty of food and beer, and we hang out and the race becomes secondary, but it's still part of why we get together. It's funny because usually one of us has an eye on the TV, for the wrecks of course. Then once the last 20 laps come around, we all sit and watch intensely.

Unless you are there at the track, I'd imagine most TV viewers use the race as background while they're doing something else, or they are that die hard and watch each lap like it's the last.

Smoot, are there Nielsen numbers out there on how long a typical person keeps the race on for? I only ask you because of your current employment situation...I figure those numbers are pretty important to you in figuring out programming.

Ahhh we ain't building monkeys here guys.

Get 2 TVs and work the Mute between the two.
Niether NFL or NASCAR needs to have to sound up to follow the action.
I do it all the time and it works fine.

Go Hamlin!

This is how I survived in College. On TV always was Playstation2 and the other was whatever show that everyone else wanted to watch.

If you are going to sit for an entire race, be sure to have plenty of distractions around you. For Daytona, a bunch of friends and I get together and shoot the shit because we all know that it's one long race. Plenty of food and beer, and we hang out and the race becomes secondary, but it's still part of why we get together. It's funny because usually one of us has an eye on the TV, for the wrecks of course. Then once the last 20 laps come around, we all sit and watch intensely.

Unless you are there at the track, I'd imagine most TV viewers use the race as background while they're doing something else, or they are that die hard and watch each lap like it's the last.

Smoot, are there Nielsen numbers out there on how long a typical person keeps the race on for? I only ask you because of your current employment situation...I figure those numbers are pretty important to you in figuring out programming.

Yeah I don't know if those numbers are necessarily public knowledge, but I do get numbers breaking down time spent viewing, what times of the races are peaks, demographic breakdowns, etc. And yes it's vital info

College Football would dominate on Saturdays compared to Nascar.

Not necessarily Quake. I'd imagine that during the fall Saturday night races, that the numbers are closer than you think. The average NASCAR fan could give 2 shits about what USC is doing...plus when ABC runs a Saturday night race, it takes away a college game that would normally be in that slot.

College football is a little more geographically divided than the NFL is. You'll find more casual NFL fans than you would casual college football fans. And those casual college football fans are looking at 1 team, not at a whole conference.

Not necessarily Quake. I'd imagine that during the fall Saturday night races, that the numbers are closer than you think. The average NASCAR fan could give 2 shits about what USC is doing...plus when ABC runs a Saturday night race, it takes away a college game that would normally be in that slot.

College football is a little more geographically divided than the NFL is. You'll find more casual NFL fans than you would casual college football fans. And those casual college football fans are looking at 1 team, not at a whole conference.


While that is true yes, you gotta believe that with all the games they show on Saturday and the fact that there are more College football fans then Nascar fans, they would still dominate.

There's a big overlap between NASCAR fans and college football fans. Ideally one leads into the other scheduling wise

To answer your original question “Why is NASCAR putting their races up against the NFL?” NASCAR has until recent years always run on Sundays. Not sure why, but it’s just been done that way as long as I can remember. I don’t think it was ever a conscious effort on NASCAR’s part to compete directly with the NFL, or any other sport for that matter. In fact, logic would lead me to believe NASCAR would prefer not to compete against any other popular type programming or sporting event as it would erode their TV ratings. With the exception of the Saturday night Bristol, TN race, until a few years ago hardly any races were run on Saturdays. If I recall correctly, someone discovered that many race fans actually preferred, or at least enjoyed, night time races. Racing under the lights accentuated the fiery crashes, the colorful cars, etc., etc. Plus it would bring NASCAR into the “prime time” slot and further NASCAR’s desire to become more popular. However, there were many other reasons to avoid Saturday evening race times. For instance: college football games and the outcry from local track promoters stating that when the big boys (Nextel Cup) ran on Saturday nights, it ate into their local fan draw and thus depleted revenue dollars, etc.

It is well documented on an ESPN sponsored website called “Jayski’s Silly Season Site” Jayski's® Silly Season Site - Nextel Cup News Page (http://www.jayski.com/cupnews.htm) (SmootSmack I believe has mentioned this site before and it is one I’ve read for years) that TV ratings for NASCAR Nextel Cup have slumped. I have said before on the Warpath that I believe there is one major reason NASCAR ratings have slumped and I don’t believe it has anything to do with the NFL and it’s pretty simple: NASCAR has lost it’s identity and has forgotten it’s heritage. In NASCAR’s quest to become more popular and mainstream, it has abandoned some of it’s historic tracks (Rockingham, North Wilksboro, and Darlington for 1 race anyway) for larger market venues such as Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami, etc. This has ripped much of the “personality” from the series and transformed it into a boring parade around prototypical 1-1/2 mile tracks. In addition, with the inception of big corporate dollars for sponsorship, NASCAR has lost its attitude. Drivers, owners, crewmen are no longer allowed to express their emotions in fear of offending someone and creating a backlash to their respective sponsor. It’s just a shame and even though I still watch almost every race, I fast-forward through most of it as it has become more of a chase, and less of an actual race with guys banging into each others doors, fenders, heads, etc.

In response to RobH4413’s comments, I once lived in Annapolis, MD and I am quite familiar with “Fredneck” Maryland! Beautiful rolling countryside among other things. But per your comment about ESPN doing more to educate the new, or casual, race fan, I believe not only has ESPN done a great job at doing just that, the other networks have done an excellent job as well. Have you not seen the “cut-away” car or engine? I think that you’ve “failed to gain any sense of passion for the sport” due to some of the reasons I stated above. Those were some of the things that drew me to NASCAR very many years ago and it is the lack of “personality” that’s got me switching the channel to the Lions vs. Cardinals game (ugh!). Yet another reason to love the DVR: Just record the NASCAR race, regardless of whether its on Saturday or Sunday, you can watch it whenever you wish. I typically watch the race after the ‘Skins game anyway and I can jet past all the commercials. What’s not to like?

Finally, jsarno and SmootSmack, I will ALWAYS be glad to join you in discussions about NASCAR. Even though I’ve stated a waning interest, I’ll always keep the pulse on my second favorite sport…Keep It Coming Guys. (Sorry for the long post!)