A few thoughts that don't really fit anywhere else on what's becoming a crazy week:
--At about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, I was polishing off a few e-mails after doing the Sirius Satellite Radio show on the NASCAR channel. All I could think of was getting downstairs out of my office for a nap. I think the phone rang or something, but I got held up about 10 minutes. At 11:57 a.m., I got an e-mail saying Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a press conference scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. It's 10:55 p.m. as I write this and I have been up out of my chair maybe 30 minutes all day since.
--I came as close as I ever have to hanging up on a national television show Tuesday. I agreed to go on ESPN's "NASCAR Now" show live via the telephone at 6:30 p.m. to talk about the Dale Earnhardt Jr. story. I am listening to host Eric Kuselias, over the phone, as he starts the show. As he goes to ESPN reporter Marty Smith, Kuselias tells America that Marty "broke this story." OK, I like Marty Smith a lot. He's good. But ESPN didn't even break wind on that story Tuesday. Smith, Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press and I all three posted stories saying about the same thing at about the same time. It was about 2 p.m. or so, and it took that long because we all took time reporting and not guessing. If I had been as big of a jerk as a lot of people think I am, when Kuselias came to me I would have told him I had to go back to work to catch up on all that news that ESPN had been "breaking" and hung up the phone. Mark Packer, a talk-show host who works here in Charlotte, calls ESPN by another name - H-Y-P-E. That about covers it.
--So I get to the Charlotte airport Monday night after another big day in the skies over this great land of ours. My luggage was still in Boston (don't ask), but I got home OK. My wife was coming to pick me up and I walked down the arrivals area to one of the areas that has been designated "NO SMOKING." I know this designation has been made because in several places along that area the words "NO SMOKING" are painted in letters 20 inches high. I was, literally, standing with my feet on one set of those letters. Five feet from me, I hear a clinking noise that's undoubtedly a cigarette lighter. Twice already I had walked from other "NO SMOKING" areas because people were there smoking. The third time was my limit. I looked at this guy and said, "What does this say?" He said, "It says NO SMOKING." And then he took a puff. Lovely world, isn't it?
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Dale Jr. news makes for long day
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12 comments:
I doubt Kasilius could tell you the car # of more than 5 drivers without a teleprompter.
Once ESPN broke this story yesterday, it has been nuts!
(I realize ESPN wrongly took credit for breaking this story. I am very disappointed with ESPN and their NASCAR coverages.
Who cares who "broke" it. I understand that you select insiders want some run, but in the end, it is what it is.
Maybe you were just having a bad day with the traveling/smoking and all.
I would suspect that your regular readers enjoy you for reasons other than "breaking stories".
And if we plan to bash on national media, please don't bash Marty, he seems honest and interested in the sport. Bash those dudes over at nascar.com that were covering hockey or basketball before they ran out of work and had to turn to racing.
Great job, Cleatus!
I would like to be the first one to break the news that Kyle Busch will leave Hendrick racing. You heard it here first!
Signed, E _ _ N
"Over Hyped Sports Channel."
allbilly: It's not that he's bashing Marty. It's ESPN's continued claim of stories they've broken when, at best, they were second or third in line.
If I went to my blog and posted an entry exactly the same as one of yours and then claimed it as my own, I have a feeling you'd be pretty upset.
But ESPN won't be happy until you're eating SportsCenter-brand cereal with milk from Stuart Scott Dairies while reading ESPN.com and talking on your ESPN Batphone (oh wait, they tried that one already). ESPN is all about one thing: ESPN. Not sports, but its own interests.
ESPN trumps all in their world. Why else do you think they cover NASCAR now more than they ever have (TV contract) or tell you more than you ever hoped to care about the Arena League (ditto)? And if they take credit for something that's not really theirs, well, that's just collateral damage.
Brian...if you were to snake one of my posts...i wouldn't care...but your readers would!
I like ESPN, I remember back when they made it where I COULD watch Nascar. I don't plan on hatin' on em now that major media is involved. Anytime you're mad at ESPN, click over to Classic and watch one of those races from Wilksboro (or however you spell it) and remember, the good folks at ESPN made that possible.
OK, I sent a contact messsage to Jayski with this as my prediction several weeks ago. All that remains is the 25 and Budweiser to finish my thought.
Not only did ESPN claim credit where none was due, to add insult to injury they used a very unflattering photo of dear Dave.
DP made it clear this morning he was not mad at Marty at all. I couldn't tell if Kasilius' comment was ad lib or written for him (probably the latter), but either way it stunk.
OK, so what do you think about the move?
Oh, btw, I love your blog. don't get the Charlotte paper here.
I guess the Civil War is finally over. Next thing you'll see is Jerry Seinfeld on stage with Larry the Cable Guy.
umm...
actually ed hinton EMPHATICALLY stated on 'wind tunnel with dave despain' on speed, waaaay back when jr. first announced he was leaving dei, that he would go to hendrick...
'bank on it' he said... there was absolutely no speculation. he put his reputation on it...
way to go ed.
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