Draft PT!... for the broadcast booth

[MDS]

I think PT should be able to race as long as he likes, but once he retires I think he should replace Robby Buhl in the broadcast booth. Robby is a nice guy, but he isn't the most energetic guy, and I don't think he's ever said anything notable in the booth in anyway ever.

Paul, whether you love or hate him, is quick on his feet, not afraid to speak his mind and has come up with some pretty interesting stuff on his twitter feed. Also he brings a driver's perspective to the booth. Unless he moves into team ownership Tracy is the perfect choice for broadcast. If you look at NASCAR they have Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip in the both, but outspoken former champions. Paul is our version of them and should be in the booth.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Oh PT would be perfect for TV MDS, but the problem might be they may not be able to keep him away from libelling or slandering someone at some point. Paul shoots from the hip so often, that people would be scared of what might come out. I don't think he would get himself into legal trouble on air, but lets not mince words, PT could be a loose cannon. He could also be the Don Cherry of Indycar racing though too and I do think I want him on TV, but Man, if I am one of his bosses, I am nervous until I am sure he can know where the line is and not step over it.

(BTW, for those outside of Canada who has not seen Don Cherry's rants on Hockey Night in Canada, well lets just say he doesn't follow the rules too often, speaks his mind, defends tradition, and is old school. HE is immensley popular, even if he is seen as wrong. IN short, what he is to Canadian TV and hockey coverage, PT has that potential for Indycar fans.)

[MDS]

Actually the word you're looking for is defamacast since it would be broadcasted.

I don't think this would a problem. Pretty much every one involved in the ICS is considered a public figure, and in order to win any kind of defamation lawsuit you have to prove malice and damages, and I think anyone would Paul would go after would have a difficult time proving either.

If he went after some anonymous fan, that would be one thing, but so long as he stays to the public figures of the sport he can say pretty much anything he wants about Randy Bernard, Tony George, Terry, Robin Miller, NASCAR officials whomever. I can't really foresee a situation where someone would have a successful lawsuit against him.

[Easy Drifter]

PT might give a new meaning to 'colour commentator'!
Certainly would be more exciting than his fellow Cdn. Scott Goodyear.

[Scotty G.]

I'd take a mute over Scott Goodyear. Goodyear hasn't had an interesting or fresh thing to say since I think 2004.


The thing that puzzles me, is that NASCAR's minor league series (the trucks) have a much better and more interesting TV team then Indy Cars can come up with. Is that difficult to find a few good people for that job?

Reid, Goodyear, Cheever, Todd Harris (whose idea was that???), Jack The Root, the pit guy on Versus who knows nothing about racing, Bre Pedigo, Gil De Ferren (good racer but was lousy to listen to), Arie Luyendyk (ditto), Calvin Fish (this ain't sports cars), Michelle Beisner (huh???), Jason Priestley (are you effin' serious???) some more I probably have forgotten who also sucked. What a bunch of crud.


Still can't figure why Davey Hamilton is not a part of the TV team. He is great on the radio. Even makes Mike King tolerable. Hinchcliffe has a good future down the line as well, if he wants to go into that.

I still think the best Indy Car driver anaylist of the past 15 years was Tom Sneva. Kendall wasn't bad either, but seemed too much into himself and trying to be part of the story.

Beekhuis is a geek, but he is competent. Buhl is OK, but probably should stick to running his race team full-time. Jenkins is at the end of his career, but still has a dominating voice and a passion for the sport.

Who is on the broadcast doesn't really mean a hill of beans on why folks do or don't watch. But it sure makes it harder to watch, when you have ABC's guys putting you to sleep 15 minutes into the broadcast (in between the endless commercials and Danica Patrick updates).

[garyshell]

PT and Tommy Kendall in the booth with Jan Beekhius (spelling?). Perfection!

Gary

[Mark in Oshawa]

I'd take a mute over Scott Goodyear. Goodyear hasn't had an interesting or fresh thing to say since I think 2004.


The thing that puzzles me, is that NASCAR's minor league series (the trucks) have a much better and more interesting TV team then Indy Cars can come up with. Is that difficult to find a few good people for that job?

Reid, Goodyear, Cheever, Todd Harris (whose idea was that???), Jack The Root, the pit guy on Versus who knows nothing about racing, Bre Pedigo, Gil De Ferren (good racer but was lousy to listen to), Arie Luyendyk (ditto), Calvin Fish (this ain't sports cars), Michelle Beisner (huh???), Jason Priestley (are you effin' serious???) some more I probably have forgotten who also sucked. What a bunch of crud.


Still can't figure why Davey Hamilton is not a part of the TV team. He is great on the radio. Even makes Mike King tolerable. Hinchcliffe has a good future down the line as well, if he wants to go into that.

I still think the best Indy Car driver anaylist of the past 15 years was Tom Sneva. Kendall wasn't bad either, but seemed too much into himself and trying to be part of the story.

Beekhuis is a geek, but he is competent. Buhl is OK, but probably should stick to running his race team full-time. Jenkins is at the end of his career, but still has a dominating voice and a passion for the sport.

Who is on the broadcast doesn't really mean a hill of beans on why folks do or don't watch. But it sure makes it harder to watch, when you have ABC's guys putting you to sleep 15 minutes into the broadcast (in between the endless commercials and Danica Patrick updates).

Only thing I can say is most people fight and hate half the people on NASCAR too. I think it is the nature of the beast.

As for your assertion who is on the broadcast doesn't mean a hill of beans, I say au contarie! I couldn't STAND anyone on the ABC broadcasts of the IRL until Page was finally sent packing, and I still dislike most of the coverage. I like Scott Goodyear as a guy, I have met him before in his Mosport days, but he is awful. He doesn't stop me from watching, but the old ABC crew did, and when they had Rusty in there, the broadcasts were painful.

Let me put it this way, the race in question really has to interest me for me to put up with a bad broadcasting team. IF they didn't have Mike Joy on FOX's NASCAR coverage, I probably would destroyed a TV by now on just Larry and Darryl. Even with that said, they are better than putting anyone of the 3 guys we had in the booth at Indy...

You need a good play by play, and I like Jenkins. He just has a great way about him, and I think he stilll has it. I would love PT, but I can tell you Tommy Kendall was excellent in the role as well. Hinchcliffe still wants to race, and I don't blame him. Maybe in 20 years when he has his career behind him he will be there. I cant stand most of the ESPN/VS pit reporters, and I reserve as special place in hell for Gary Gerould and Jack Arute some days but at some point, my interest in the race overcomes how frustrated I get with the generic dumbing down of the race for the great unwashed.

The best racing coverage in North America in my mind is the guys doing the Speed coverage of IMSA/ALMS sports cars and their crew at LeMans.....and how they treat the racing and the subject matter would be a template I would carry over to the IRL. PT would be perfect in the role of the seasoned and outspoken veteran, much like a Dorsey Schroader...

[jimispeed]

PT and Tommy Kendall in the booth with Jan Beekhius (spelling?). Perfection!

Gary

Gary....sometimes I could sware........ we must be related!!!

[GRW1983]

As a viewer of IndyCar in the UK, I miss the international feed commentary of Gary Lee & Larry Rice. They were last used at the end of 2008 when Versus took over from 2009 onwards. They seemed to have a great rapport with each other, knew what they were talking about and didn't fawn over any particular driver. I know that Larry Rice died of cancer, but I still think Gary Lee could do a better job than both Marty Reid & Bob Jenkins. If I could choose the commentary team, I'd have Gary Lee & Jon Beekhuis in the booth with Jack Arute, Vince Welch & Jamie Little (plus Dr.Jerry Punch at Indy) in the pits. I think you only need two people in the booth, even at Indy, because the commentators are always talking over each other, especially on Versus. Also, Arute, Punch, Welch & Little seem to me to be pretty good in the pits, so that's who I'd go for.

[nigelred5]

PT and Tommy Kendall in the booth with Jan Beekhius (spelling?). Perfection!

Gary

That's called Night at the Improv.!