Home | Search | FAQ
Displaying 1-2 of 2 messages in this thread. |
| Posted By | Discussion Topic: NBC tells Nascar drivers to smile more | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYR2119935 | posted on 07-07-2001 @ 6:49 PM |    | |||
| Psychopath Registered: May. 00  | http://espn.go.com/rpm/2001/0706/1223236.html Friday, July 6 Drivers reminded to smile Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Like a mother talking to her child the night before school picture day, NBC executives offered NASCAR drivers a gentle reminder this week: Don't forget to smile. As the network prepares to take over NASCAR coverage beginning at the Pepsi 400 on Saturday, NBC executives asked drivers to think about how fun a victory celebration should look. "We said when they get out of the car, it's good to show the excitement of what happens in a race," NBC producer Sam Flood said. Naturally, NBC executives bristled at the notion that they want to stage celebrations. Then again, a quick reminder never hurts -- especially when a network is shelling out millions to put these guys on TV. NBC Sports, Fox Sports and Turner Sports combined to pay $2.8 billion to televise NASCAR beginning this year. "We reminded them that it's an important time, a time to show the emotion of a sport that fans can't see behind the face mask," Flood said. "We wanted to make sure they were aware that was an important time to show it to the audience." Much of NBC's coverage will look similar to what fans saw on Fox, which televised the first half of the season and enjoyed an impressive jump in TV ratings over 2000. NBC is downplaying its ratings hopes, noting nine of its 13 Winston Cup telecasts will go up against the NFL. "It's a different game in the second half of the year," NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said. "Obviously, the competition is much stiffer." NBC hopes NASCAR coverage will bring a good close to what has been a wildly up-and-down 12 months. The network took a publicity hit and had the worst Olympics ratings in more than 30 years for its taped coverage of the Sydney Games, while the failed XFL endeavor was embarrassing. But ratings for the NBA finals were up 4 percent over 2000. And ratings for Triple Crown races improved greatly over ABC's final effort, thanks in part to later starting times. In an attempt to differentiate its racing coverage from Fox's, NBC will try to show more from pit road and the garage. Ebersol also wants the network to stay on the air longer after races to "give people a flavor of the main personalities of the race as the race ends." One disadvantage to covering auto racing is that it is a sport in which competitors' faces are shielded throughout competition. The Victory Lane celebration is one of the few times viewers can see emotion. So NBC wants to show smiling, happy winners -- even if they're exhausted, dehydrated or injured. "I didn't say anything about being happy," said NBC racing host Bill Weber, who addressed the subject with drivers. "I said I understood they might be physically drained. But I just wanted to remind those guys of how emotional and how exciting it was to win a Saturday night, short-track race 20 years ago. That's the excitement they should want to show." ----------------- This is so rediculous Nascar has got so sickening these days.......  CART Taco Bell Ice Hockey MetallicA | ||||
| mikeWOW | posted on 07-07-2001 @ 7:30 PM | | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Sep. 00 | haha that is funny. that is too much! "i hate people that dont get it!" | ||||
Displaying 1-2 of 2 messages in this thread. |