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Rate, rant and rave about the tv broadcasters for this year. Though this is aimed at the US broadcasters, those on the outside can go off on whoever provided it to them.

I <3 Fox.

Speed's Truck crew blew all the Cup broadcast crews away.

Agreed.

i would rank them pretty much in the order they're in on the poll. only i'd put ESPN/ABC lower, somehow.

TNT was ABSOLUTELY BOMBING this year. The way Bill, Wally, and Kyle carried themselves made even the shit races enjoyable to an extent, and the good races even better.

FOX was good again this year, especially with their range of covered drivers and understanding of the true demographic of NASCAR, but it sort of suffered from all the HAHAHEHEAHEAHEAHAHEHAHEAHEHEHEAH DIGGER YOU BETTER GET BACK IN YOUR FUCKING HOLE crap that went on.

ESPN, in contrast, has to be the most partial network I've ever seen. Their neglect of the majority of the field to only provide viewers with images of The Chase drivers (Earl & Earnhardt especially) and treating the rest as also-rans (Especially when Jerry Punch says some shit like ''Give a call to so-and-so'' whenever someone they don't usually cover is running in the Top 20, despite them usually running up there.) really tried my patience, especially during the Chase. The commentary was shit too, which didn't help a bit - Punch is corny and stale, Petree does nothing but TALK ABOUT MY GOOD BUDDY DALE EARNHARDT when he isn't kissing Junior's ass, and Jarrett, while he was the highlight of the bunch, didn't really abstain from kissing Toyota or UPS' ass when given the chance. And you could easily tell they were catering to the Hollywood demographic.

But on the bright side, ESPN should be putting up their polls soon. Hopefully people will have enough common sense to vote Allen Bestwick and Brad Daughtery into the booth, based on what happened with Jarrett and Wallace last year.

FOX: The best as usual, commentary is solid, interviews, pre-race, technical whatever, always top-notch. But there were some negatives:

1. The New Theme Song: Okay I understand change is necessary sometimes, but what was wrong with old one? Now as I type this, I have that song going off in a fucking loop. LETS, GO RACING BOYS!

2. Digger: Needs to die a slow, painful death. Joins Scooter the baseball and that football robot as another annoying FOX Sports creation.

3. The start of the Phoenix Race: Okay, I know the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is important, but it was fucking April for crying out loud and you have the game showing on FX already, why not show the race coverage?

4. We get it Chris Myers: Dick Beggeren is old, it was funny when you did it around his birthday and now its to the point where its just annoying please stop.

Overall grade: A-

TNT: They were good for the most part. I love the chemistry between three booth members and I think getting use to Bill Weber. Their "Pride of NASCAR" series was pretty top-notch also. They try their best in finding ways to keep fans interested and happy with Race Buddy and the Wide Open coverage at Daytona. But the were a few negatives with such as the constant promotion for the Turner Network shows like the Bill Engivall show and Black Gold, at least they weren't as annoying as the Frank TV ads during the baseball playoffs, but that's another story. And of course who could forget at the final race at Chicago when instead of showing the race they decided to do a magic trick stunt with Larry Mac and Marc Fein, that moment still blows my mind.

Overall Grade: B-

ESPN/ABC: Last year the Mouse group made their return to NASCAR after being absent for seven years and they came out with the intention of swinging for the fences, but instead they struck out hard. This year they were much improved. They kicked Rusty Wallace out of the booth and put in Dale Jarrett, after playing musical studio host for most of last year they finally found a steady studio host with Allen Bestwick. They got rid of Brent Musburger. And most importantly they got rid of Aerosmith (Hurray!)

But they still have a long way to go before they can be near the likes of the other two:

1. As much as I like Dr. Jerry Punch, he just isn't working out as the play-by-play guy. So in all honesty I would like to see Bestwick or even Marty Reid and demote Punch to either top pit reporter or studio host.

2. Get your freaking priorities straight: Seriously you moved the final laps of a Sprint Cup chase race over to ESPN2 so you would be able to show Americas Funniest Home Videos? Eat a dick, ABC. Its moments like these that have Roone Ardledge spinning in his grave.

2a. I know at certain times of the year there are events that are of utter importance (The NBA Playoffs, crappy Big Ten football), but if you can't balance a 35-race Nationwide Series schedule around these events, maybe its time you let someone else handle it?

Overall Grade: C

/rant

FOX was very good as usual, but there was a difference between the FOX and Speed broadcasts. I used to love DW in the booth, but this year he just seemed to be more content on a retarded chipmunk than the actual racing. Larry Mac and Mike Joy are great, but DW is what lost it for FOX. The Speed broadcasts were amazing, and the commentators did a great job (especially for the trucks).

But TNT did a complete turn around this year (at least for me). Kyle and Wally were fantastic, and Bill Weber was actually tolerable. They have great chemistry in the booth, and they did somehow make the races more exciting to watch. This is why I voted for TNT.

ESPN was horrible, but still much better than last year. Good job dumping Rusty, but Punch has got to go. He used to be good, but ever since ESPN started doing Nascar again he's just been incredibly annoying and stupid. Andy is fine, and DJ did a pretty good job. If they just replace Punch with Bestwick then they might finally have a solid broadcasting team. Brad is a pretty good commentator, but he took every chance he had to promote his team in this year's chase, and it would probably be a lot worse if he was in the booth.

FOX is still the best telecaster ever, but it is detoriating thanks to Digger and DW being more annoying than usual. Okay guys, I like the track-level cam, but can you PLEASE phase out Digger? I like the shirts and all, but this is overbearingly annoying.

TNT, in my opinion, is better than FOX, but I chose FOX for one reason and one reason only: Chicagoland. Sure, I didn't watch it, but doing a magic trick mid-race? What's next, McReynolds dressing up as a donkey? At least Kyle Petty still manages to be fit in the booth and Weber is less annoying.

ESPN/ABC is still horrible, but less annoying. Punch proves himself that he should be a pit reporter. Petree...meh. Jarrett managed to save it, bringing from worst telecaster ever to bearably mediocre. And they managed to screw the Easterners by pre-emptying the race for AFV (lame) during the Phoenix race. AFV...for shame. At least they got rid of "BACK IN THE SADDLE," the EXPERT ANNOUNCERMAN RUS T. WALLASS, Brent Musburger (seriously, he's only fit for "stick-and-ball" sports, especially college football, not NASCAR), and Suzy Kolber.

ESPN was absymal as usual, SPEED's truck race coverage was ACE, but FoX's Cup coverage ruined it for me to where I have to give NBC the nod as they were mostly no-BS, showing a lot of the actual racing instead of focusing on a story/drama, and the excellent commentary of Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach.

Both Punch and Weber need to be back doing what they did best, reporting from the pits. They are so out of place in the booth, I feel sorry for them.

I can't say much about FOX, because by that time of the year i had SPEED yet, so i can only judge them by camera angles. I think they were good in that aspect.

TNT was very good. I think Dallenbach brings up a bit of fake excitement "Allen-way" but he is a good commentator, Weber isn't much of a great play-by-play announcer but it isn't bad either. Kyle Petty should retire from racing. He is meant to be on the booth.

ESPN/ABC was the worse. And cutting the SECOND TO LAST race because they need to show "America's funniest home videos" it's plain fucking stupidity and NASCAR should punish them for that and put half FOX half TNT next year.

I voted FOX though. Mainly because of DIGGERRRRRR

La7 Cartapiù

I voted FOX, I really enjoy their broadcast, but TNT was also very good. ESPN/ABC awful.

I liked TNT of the lot.

ESPN/ABC was pathetic, and while FOX was good, some of their gimmick crap got old, and Larry McReynolds is perhaps the most irritating man in racing.

I loved TNT's "Pride of NASCAR", and the coverage of the Firecracker this year was perhaps the best racing coverage I've seen in ages. Kyle, Dallenbach, and Weber are actually a good team together in the booth. It's a shame they're only together for six races.

I like Fox's coverage,they usually have something interesting each year(like the camera angles),but the Digger crap and Larry Mac/DW bring it down. I wish they'd find two people that would fit well with Mike Joy.


ESPN's broadcast is best enjoyed on mute. Punch,Petree and Jarrett never sound excited about anything.Ever.

Don't remember much about the TNT races.

Fox/Speed gets the nod from me. Had the perfect balance of solid analysis, pit reporting, and entertainment from the analysts. But that "Let's Go Racin' Boys" song got really old after a while.

TNT also did a decent job. That team I think has to be the most knowledgable (Wally Dallenbach and Kyle Petty) and Bill Weber did a lot better than last year.

ABC/ESPN was once again dreadful. Although Dale Jarrett did a good job, he's going to need better commentary partners. Jerry Punch has lost his play-by-play "punch" if you will in the two seasons since ESPN returned to NASCAR and Andy Petree just doesn't get excited. The ESPN commentary team for 2009 should be Allen Bestwick and Ray Evernham teaming up with DJ, and Punch should be demoted back to the pits and Petree should be a studio analyst instead of being in the booth.

Fixed.

Can people please stop with the "Fixed LOL :fishr:" stuff. It's so very lame.

Fixed.

TNT

Kyle and Wally did very well, and the RaceBuddy feature on their website with radio coverage was awesome.

TNT by far was the best (even though hated those ads in the middle of the race, that they did during the Coke Zero 400)

I seriously think Fox's racing coverage was more biased than Fox news coverage.

ESPN improved but it felt kinda of bland for some reason.

TNT A-
Fox C+
ESPN C+

Truth to be told, Daugherty's head is going to get up his ass in terms of bias partly because he co-owns a team.