IndyCar Staying on ABC/ESPN

[nigelred5]

Dbell, that's interesting. I find it hilarious that ABC/ESPN is "protecting" a property that they treat like an afterthought at best during promos and actual races. Although Miller says NBC may not have had a spot for IndyCar, the fact that he's even discussing it suggests there might have been a deal to be made. When I think ABC sports for the next 5 years I get a sick feeling in my stomach, it is just such a lazy broadcast.

I think that is a spot on characterization of the ABC/ESPN broadcasts... lazy, going through the motions. I don't know that ABC is as much protecting a property as they were interested in keeping it away from a competetor in the sports market. ABC knows that Comcast/NBC had lofty goals of knocking ESPN off the top rung of the sports ladder and they have a huge advantage in the regional and local sports cable channels. As long as the INDYCAR broadcast deal on NBC does not include the 500, it's never going to rate much higher than niche broadcasting. I doubt the would have been any less enthused about INDYCAR if they were linked with speed and FOX. That said, NBC laid out why they weren't even really given a chance to bid. The debate on changing the day of the 500 is old and long; The George family has made it pretty clear the 500 isn't moving from Memorial Day Sunday unless mother nature rains it out and NBC said they couldn't accomodate a sunday event on NBC's main network. I"m confident RB was well aware of this.

[Dr. Krogshöj]

I wish ESPN grabbed Paul Page from their NHRA broadcasts for the five ABC IndyCar events to replace Marty Reid. Or John Hindaugh from ALMS, although I doubt he would leave sportscars. But both work for the network already so I don't think this is too far-fetched.

(Obviously, the best option would be IndyCar returning to EuroSport so I don't have to download the US broadcast torrents.)

[nigelred5]

I was watching a video of the 1979 Trenton CART race the other day and the NBC sports world crew was a MUCH younger Paul Page and Gary Gerould. I always really liked Paul Page on the CART broadcasts. I still have the INDYCAR RACING II video game and PP is the voice of the video game "I'm Paul Page, and THIS is INDYCAR RACING II"

[PAcartfan]

[quote="DBell"]Possibly IndyCar became more important to ABC/ESPN when Versus became part of NBC and is to become NBC Sports. This article isn't about IndyCar, but about the fierce rivalry that exist between ESPN and NBC.

Unfortunately, I think it's gone the other way. Now that the four-letter has Indy locked in for awhile they can afford "not" to care at all about the series except for 5 hours a year. After watching the NH broadcast- delivered by ESPN- I flipped over to ESPNEWS. I had to wait almost an hour to see the pantywaist pinhead give about 15 seconds of the worst sports reporting I've ever seen. They showed a quick clip of the princess spinning and taking out everyone, then a quick snippet of Will and his emotions all the while basically saying "tisk- tisk, play nice." He finished by saying "...somebody won."

I was shocked at how he belittled the sport, the series, and the athletes who were risking life and limb. It was poor. Very, very poor. I wish I had a recording of it to post. What a joke! And this is from the very network that is so "proud" to carry the IZOD Indycar Series...

[00steven]

I wish ESPN grabbed Paul Page from their NHRA broadcasts for the five ABC IndyCar events to replace Marty Reid. Or John Hindaugh from ALMS, although I doubt he would leave sportscars. But both work for the network already so I don't think this is too far-fetched.

(Obviously, the best option would be IndyCar returning to EuroSport so I don't have to download the US broadcast torrents.)

It is a crime that ESPN took Paul Page away from us and threw him into the NHRA telecast. Page is an amazing broadcaster and I'll never forget how well he handled the tragic passing of Greg Moore.