Broadcasting NASCAR in the 21st Century: The Reid Factor

Note to readers, this will likely be my last blog post of 2010. For anyone who's read this blog, Merry Christmas and enshrine 2011!

-Roadgeek Adam


(Dale Earnhardt Remembered: Part 1/5, ESPN 2001)

On November 20, 2000, Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons (d. 2007) and Ned Jarrett co-hosted the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race, won by Jerry Nadeau and the final of the season, was the last televised broadcast of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series on ESPN, after a 20 season run. At the end of the race, Benny and Ned both hugged Bob (you can hear it in the video), who had tears noticeably coming on his eyes as they said their goodbyes. Benny, who started working with Bob in 1988, said his wishes and left, along with Ned who said this would be his last Winston Cup broadcast. (This would not be a reality for him, as he has hosted races since. Benny worked for NASCAR on TNT from 2001 - 2006, and probably until his death on January 2007). Bob Jenkins then went on to say the final goodbye as the seniority of the crew. Bob had worked there since 1981, covering over 200 Sunday afternoons of racing with the two legends (and others) beside him. For many years throughout the 1980s and 1990s, during a regular cup season, you would hear half the season with the legendary Ken Squier, and the second half with Bob Jenkins, both NASCAR broadcasting pioneers. (Before I get creamed for this line, Chris Economaki is one the greatest out there).

This depressing moment in November 2000 enshrined a new era in NASCAR on television, as FOX got the Squier half of the season and TNT got the Jenkins half of the season. Twenty years of NASCAR coverage gone in the midst of Speedweeks for the 2001. Mike Joy (who worked for NASCAR on CBS with Squier) for many years took over Lap by Lap coverage for NASCAR on FOX along with veteran crew chief, Larry McReynolds and 84-time NASCAR winner, Darrell Waltrip. Of all NASCAR telecasts, this one has lasted 10 long years without a change of the 3-men booth. (TNT and the future ESPN both have changed within their years). Dick Berggren, a long time NASCAR journalist, was moved to pit road of FOX, but was and still is the lead reporter. Albeit the Daytona 500 in 2001, the first race, was marked with tragedy in the loss of Dale Earnhardt, it came at great spirits as Michael Waltrip, Darrell's younger brother won his first race in 463 attempts. When Waltrip comes across the finish line, Darrell is shown on camera with a great look on his face. This was similar to the 1993 Daytona 500, just eight years before when Dale Jarrett won the Great American race. Ned was in the booth with Buddy Baker and Ken Squier, and when Dale crossed the finish line, the camera shot over to Ned, who was cheering and calling out the win. Since then, this has never happened again, but it was a great tribute to the old coverage. That night, on ESPN's RPM2Night, Dr. Jerry Punch, one of the ESPN Speedworld pit reports, a good friend of the Earnhardt's, was on the entire half hour, saddened with the death of the legend. Two nights later, he joined the noticeably older Bob Jenkins in the ESPN studios for the honor of Earnhardt, and Bob himself put it as this:

When ESPN closed out our twenty-year ride with NASCAR, I thought I had done my final Winston Cup broadcast with Benny Parsons. Now with these most tragic of occurrences, its time for families to come back together.

- Bob Jenkins (2001)

At the 2001 Firecracker 400, after the conclusion of NASCAR on FOX, the second half of the television broadcasts began on TNT/NBC, with Allen Bestwick, a kind-of NASCAR broadcasting newbie, (he had some work with NASCAR on CBS), at the helm. NASCAR great Benny Parsons was alongside him and Wally Dallenbach Jr. both joined the telecast. This new crew, led by two with experience was the second half of the season. Bill Weber, who worked for a long time on NASCAR on ESPN with Jenkins, Parsons and Jarrett was on pit road as the pre-race show host and pit reporter. Both telecasts were very well done, and all three were great matches. However, in 2004, Bestwick was injured and couldn't call a few races. At that time, Weber was promoted to the booth with Benny and Wally. This is the first issue in many qualms with 21st Century NASCAR broadcasting. Even when Allen returned from his injury, he was permanently demoted to pit road and became the main pit reporter. Permanently it was Weber, Dallenbach and Parsons in the booth. However, Benny, who had been undergoing chemotherapy for lung cancer, hosted his last race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19, 2006, 5 years and 364 days after the last ESPN broadcast. Benny Parsons died of the cancer on January 16, 2007. Due to this, he was replaced with Kyle Petty, son of the king of NASCAR himself, Richard Petty. Bestwick and co-reporter Dave Burns both left the station service and went to ESPN after the 2006 race. Also that year, TNT was reduced to six whole races as a new contract re-added ESPN to the service, which had 17 of the 36 races in each season, including the entire chase. It is at this point we begin the story of the new NASCAR on ESPN.

In 2007, following the end of the race of Chicagoland, TNT bowed out for the season. At this point, ESPN took over. The new staff for the season included NASCAR on ESPN pit reporter, Dr. Jerry Punch, who took over as lead play by play, NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace, who retired from racing in 2006 and veteran crew chief, the honored Andy Petree. Dave Burns was on pit road along with Mike Massaro, Vince Welch and Jamie Little (basically new names to ESPN). Allen Bestwick was in the infield studio with Rusty Wallace and Brad Daughtery, a former basketball player who co-owns the #47 team. This season began with qualms of problems with ESPN. The crew was a good match, but problems ensued on questionable bias for drivers, excessive abuse of commercials, people with no NASCAR backgrounds, and finally, sponsorship issues. The main problem during 2007-2009 that became very noticeable is that Jerry Punch was not a good lap-by-lap announcer and between 2009 and 2010, he was moved to pit road, and former IndyCar announcer (and still Indy 500 announcer) Marty Reid took over his spot. Marty Reid did 1 year of NASCAR work from 1999-2000 in the Truck events, and did some Busch series races that were at separate tracks. This change was due to continuous requests by upset fans, and blogs such as The Daly Planet, one I give great respect to for doing such a good job. During this ever important 2010 season, The Daly Planet followed the work of Marty Reid in the booth. However, now at the end of the season, and it seems very obvious that Reid is not faring much better in the booth from fans and blogs as Dr. Punch did.

Now after boring you with great details for probably 10-20 minutes, let's get to my opinion. For one, ESPN's broadcasts has a better veteran when it comes to lap by lap announcing, its Allen Bestwick. My main problems with Reid is his lack of NASCAR knowledge. When listening to Weber, Bestwick and Joy, all three were good with their NASCAR broadcasting and could flow with the others in the booth with them (McReynolds, Waltrip, Parsons, Petty and Dallenbach). Reid seems to rely way too much on Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree for details of situations and only seems interested in the play by play part. This to me is very unacceptable. If you're going to announce this stuff, you should consider having good experience in the sport and know the in and outs to do the job. I feel like NASCAR on ESPN should reverse the positions that Reid and Bestwick currently hold. Bestwick has the knowledge and 12 years experience behind him. Reid doesn't. Next, Vince Welch, Rusty Wallace and Ricky Craven, who commonly host Nationwide series races at tracks not of the Cup series should be promoted to permanent positions, as they are probably one of the best combinations in the series. Rusty and Vince can keep their positions in the Cup series, but I think this is a great benefit. Next, John Kernan should be rehired as part of the group. Kernan did a great job as pit reporter and deserves his job next to Dr. Punch.

I haven't talked too much about it, but NASCAR's Truck Series, hosted on SPEED Channel is run with Rick Allen, Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip (the latter 2 former drivers). Parsons is the son of Benny Parsons and like Dale Jarrett, the second generation in driving and broadcasting. I never have any qualms with the SPEED Channel telecasts but I bring it up for a reason. I've felt for the Daytona 500 and Speedweeks broadcasts that Mike Joy, Ken Squier, Allen Bestwick, Dick Berggren, Bob Jenkins, Rick Allen, Phil Parsons, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond, Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, Larry McReynolds, Dr. Jerry Punch and Ned Jarrett should have a televised roundtable get together to look at the upcoming season. This would be the ultimate combination of minds in the NASCAR world and I personally think it would be a hit. Next, NASCAR on TNT has had some major issues with keeping a good cast. I do think Bob Jenkins, who now works on Versus for the IndyCar series should be promoted to the TNT 6-weeks stretch. Finally, when the end of the big TV contract comes in 2014, the season should be divided up among the 36 races with 12 weeks for each service (FOX 1-12, TNT 13-25 and ESPN 26-36). Then with the ceremonies at the end of the season, have the same roundtable host it.

To me, this would be the perfect fixes to solve the qualm that is the dying viewer-ship of NASCAR on television. I'm open to what you think!

Have a Merry Christmas!

- Roadgeek Adam

The 10 Boneheaded Decisions by Highland Park Since 1980 - #10

Over the next few blog posts, I'd like to dig a bit deeper into the boneheaded decisions that the borough of Highland Park has gone through. I've ranked them from 10 - 1, and each time I will summarize the situation and leave my detailed opinion / solution to said problem. Highland Park hasn't seen a rational mayor since 1991, and I'm going to show what 19 years (now nearing 20) can cause. So on that note

The 10 Boneheaded Decisions by Highland Park Since 1980
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No. 10 - Highland Park School Dilemma
As many people know, we have 3-4 active public schools in Highland Park: Irving Primary School (Pre, Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st grade), Bartle Elementary School (2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades), Highland Park Middle School (6th, 7th and 8th grade) and the Highland Park High School (9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades). However, I don't think many of the residents of Highland Park realize we once had two more schools. (Remember, Bartle was built for the purpose of dealing with overcrowding among the three active schools at the time).


(Lafayette, 2010, photo by your author)

However, after the construction of Bartle, Hamilton School and Lafayette School began to lose usage. In 1980, we closed Hamilton and sold it to a private group to become a private school. If anyone doesn't know what I am referring to, its now the Center School on Madison and 3rd. Lafayette was kept for another 4 years, but was sold to Kaplan Industries, a DEVELOPER, in 1984. Kaplan turned the school into condominiums, which I think was the lamest decision we could've made. We lack school space as is in Highland Park. Although that was 26 years and no one could have predicted that we'd have a population of 14,332 people in Highland Park. However, we wasted money on an addition to the High School for 7th and 8th graders, and yet I don't think its helped us one bit. If we were that worried about school usage, we should have sold Lafayette to the private school and turned that into the Center School. Hamilton is more than large enough to handle the Middle School's purpose. Plus, it would've saved us money as we never would have needed to upgrade the 1925 building for the Middle School!

Not many people realize how old the original parts of Irving is. The 11th Avenue / Central Avenue wing was built in 1916, just a year after Hamilton was opened. Alexander Merchant designed both schools as Lafayette couldn't handle the growing population on its own. Currently the situation in Highland Park is depressing. The Middle and High School are loaded with drug busts and criminals. My sister who used to go there, thank god she got accepted into the Vo-Tech program in Piscataway, would tell me on days that the police would be there. I mean both places are in really bad shape. If you think High Schoolers are the worst, some of the worst students in Highland Park aren't even in 9th grade yet. Mr. Lassiter and Mr. Williams do a good job running the High School, but its just not enough.

Despite the growing taxes, people are still coming into Highland Park, and as a result, the amount of students are growing. Now that people are demanding a charter school similar to the one East Brunswick got, we need the room! One proposal would be to build on the old Meyer-Rice estate with Kaplan and move out the people in Lafayette or talk the Center School into moving out or subsidizing the school for public usage. Center School is run well from what I know, but we need the room! We screwed our public school system 30 years ago, and we have no room to build another school. We need Hamilton and Lafayette back. Under my proposal:

Highland Park School System:
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Irving School (Preschool - 1st grade)
Bartle School (2nd - 5th grade)
Hamilton School (6th - 8th grade, subsidized Center School)
Highland Park High School (9th - 12th Grades, taking over Middle School portion as well.)
In my opinion, this works. We don't need the new buildings. We need to keep the old.