NASCAR IS A BETTER LIVE VIEWING EXPERIENCE THAN THE NFL

Posted 12/16/10 at 8:57 AM PST by Jay W. Pennell | Email This |

CHARLOTTE _ Throughout much of the 2010 season, one of the biggest topics discussed by the media, NASCAR officials and track representatives was lackluster attendance. There were empty seats at Daytona, Talladega, Martinsville and even Bristol – regardless of the quality of racing on the track.

The NFL’s ratings have at times embarrassed NASCAR’s and its attendance numbers are rarely mentioned. The leader in most categories when it comes to American sports, the NFL is often the bar that NASCAR works tirelessly to reach. However, when I attended this weekend’s Carolina Panthers game, the experience simply reinforced my love of NASCAR and showed the NFL is not all it is cracked up to be.

I will make a disclaimer in this article by explaining for non-NFL fans that the Carolina Panthers are arguably the worst team in the league. With a record of 1-11 going into Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons – their record was 11-1 – it was pretty much assumed this former NFC South rivalry would be a dud of a game (kind of like a race at Auto Club Speedway, but I digress).

Despite that, and chilly temperatures, my neighbor James and I made the trek to Bank of America Stadium for my first Sunday sporting event since the Chase race at Talladega.

Pulling into the parking lot adjacent to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, we shelled out $20 and stopped the car in a sparsely filled lot about three blocks from the stadium. We were by ourselves, and with only a few people around, we decided it would be better to walk around the Hall of Fame.

Unlike attending a NASCAR event, there were only a few people tailgating, drinking beverages of their choice and playing games. We could see four people using a small grill in one corner of the lot and two kids throwing a football in the distance. In fact, people were using the same parking lot for other Uptown Charlotte attractions, not just the game.

Anytime I have attended a race as a fan, or as the journalist I am lucky enough to call myself today, I have always found people more than willing to invite you into their little party for the weekend or just the day. I have always felt a great sense of community and a willingness to give whenever walking through a parking lot of a NASCAR race. Friends and strangers alike talking, laughing, drinking, playing games, arguing their favorite and least favorite drivers. This was absent where we were this past Sunday.

Walking to our seats there was more of a sense of community than we encountered in the parking lot – brought on mostly by the Eagles jersey I had on. However, this was nothing like the experience one has walking around a NASCAR race.

Once we decided to head into the game we could not believe the amount of empty seats around us. The stadium’s seating is listed as 73,778 and the Panthers’ post game report listed Sunday’s ‘paid’ attendance as 71,235. According to that report, there were only 2,543 empty seats – in other terms, 96.5% of the stadium was full. Judging by the picture taken by my neighbor James above, I would say that was a bit of an overstatement. Granted, the NFL takes into account Permanent Seat Licenses (PSLs), which are paid for in advance.

Next came the actual game. Perhaps this is where NASCAR was able to distinguish itself from the NFL. Sitting there, a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, I hope for a decent game, but had no dog in the fight – no pun intended.

Sitting in our seats, the facility was top of the line. The seats were well spaced and the view of Uptown Charlotte was amazing. However, unlike a NASCAR race, we were not able to bring in a cooler, nor could James smoke a cigarette anywhere in the facility. While this may be a small bone of contention, I can imagine if a rule like that was implemented at a NASCAR race the number of empty seats would triple.

After the game got underway, it struck me how much down time there was on the field. The old criticism of NASCAR is how boring it is to watch. ‘How can you watch cars go around in circles for hours?’ is something I heard as a kid, and still hear to this day.

Yet, sitting in Bank of America Stadium Sunday afternoon, I found myself wanting more action and less television time outs and pauses. While some may see NASCAR as boring, I find it entirely compelling to watch the non-stop action take place on the track and pit road.

While I may be a bit biased towards NASCAR, and Sunday’s game was admittedly among the worst in the league that day, I still contend that NASCAR is better than the NFL in person. To me, it seems the NFL is a much more television friendly medium, whereas NASCAR is best viewed in person. Perhaps this is one of the reasons there is such a vast difference in ratings numbers between the two sports.

Most may look to the NFL as the epitome of American sports, but I always have and always will prefer watching cars go around in circles.

Tags:
Attendance
NFL
races
tracks

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Anonymous (not verified)2 years ago

not gonna lie, the NHL has the upper hand on both of Nascar and NFL, better sport, better action, and so forth.....

Anonymous (not verified)2 years ago

Wow, most of you guys are clueless. Having been to both Nascar and the NFL, in addition to the NBA, I have to say Nascar has the NFL whipped. Nascar is action non-stop from start to finish. No other sport can claim that. Those that say it's just driving in circles are not clever enough to understand the basic strategy of auto-racing, nor have you likely been 175 mph through 24 degree banked turns. It has little to do with turning left and more to do with throttle control and pushing a huge stock car with 900 hp and limited traction to it's very limit lap after lap. You try it out and see how easy it is. The NFL has an average of 11 minutes of action every game. The other 2 hours and 51 minutes are spent with guys standing around in a circle and grabbing each other's rears. Now that's what I want to pay money to see. The NBA and Nascar both destroy the NFL in live action. I give the NFL credit in that the television crews do an exceptional job of presenting football in exciting and engaging ways. Nascar on the other hand has never been done justice on television. But we're talking about live and when you are at the event, I would rate Nascar and the NBA way ahead of the NFL.

Secondly, I can't help but to laugh when someone says Nascar is scripted. Are you kidding? Yes, of course Nascar is scripted. That's why they have fixed racing so that the most unpopular driver has won the championship every season, while it's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr...languishes in the 20's. Yes...that's EXACTLY what Nascar has planned.Please. That's almost as ridiculous as those that say the moon landing was fixed and that there was a third gunman on the grassy knoll during the JFK assassination. What is so suspicious about the team with the most money and resources, with the best crew chief and best driver winning all the races? That's like saying the Bulls dynasty of the 90's was a fixed or that the MLB of the 90's fixed baseball for the Yankees. The best win...imagine that.

What bothers me, however is not that you disagree with the article. The article above is entirely opinion based and everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. However, don't bring that opinion citing "facts" that are covered in ignorant trash. If you don't like Nascar, say you don't like Nascar. Don't say garbage like it's fixed or it's just cars going in circles all day. It makes you look ridiculous. I can back up my opinion with facts.....can you?

Anonymous3 years ago

Here are the facts ... Face it:

Steve D. (not verified)3 years ago

Jay, Your analysis is terrible. First, To pick a Panthers game, this season, in December is dumb.
Secondly, nascar has become scripted and at times resembles Professional Wrestling.
And the most ridiculous thing is to label J. Johnson a legend.
He is good but not a legend . He is just nascar's fair haired boy
like Dale Earnhardt was.
Johnson's team cheats and always gets away with it.
Dale Earnhardt used an illegal and unsafe car most of his career and nascar let him get away with it.
nascar manufactures heros and bad guys to sell tickets.
A lot of real racing fans have gotten sick of it.
Just like being sick of teams buying championships. Can't really believe in any 'hero" cause money controls so much of the outcomes.

N. Webster (not verified)3 years ago

You might be surprised about the smoking. Perhaps if the races were non-smoking events, the 80% that don't smoke might consider going back to the races. We stopped going because the second-hand smoke was awful and made us half sick. NASCAR doesn't owe Big Tobacco anything. They ought to try non-smoking to see how it works.

When they banned smoking in bars in Ohio, all we heard was how they would all go out of business, etc. A few years later and business is bigger than ever because the non-smokers went back to the bars and restaurants. Why cater to the 20-25% that smoke and drive off the 75-80% that don't? If you want more convincing, look up the economic demographics of smokers vs. non-smokers and follow the money.

Anonymous (not verified)3 years ago

R U Kidding me. NASCAR better then the NFL!!! WoW! It isn't even the best form of racing. Indycars blow them away and 5 years from now NASCAR will be seriously worried about Indycars dethroning them!!! Mark my word. Vick, yeah he has done his time and deserves a second chance. Give me a break. To think, no one on the face of the earth has made a mistake except for Vick! I am a die hard Cowboys fan and can't stand Philly, but everyone harping on Vick and the fact he wants a dog is really getting old! Nascar is good for one thing, helping you sleep on a Sunday afternoon! 4-5 hours long, very little passing, scripted finishes, bs Chase, what is to like about that? That whole Chase has everyone calling Johnson a Legend. Please. What a bunch of crap. Good Driver, but far from legend! Go COWBOYS

Anonymous (not verified)3 years ago

Wow NASCAR blows. It's the most boring sport to watch. And to the person above me. Michael Vick did his time and is trying to make amends and its people like you who just make it worse. Get a life and get over it.

JCarroll (not verified)3 years ago

I agree with your conclusion that NASCAR is better than the NFL. An aside comment regarding your favorite team: I, for one, will never watch an Eagles game, including the Super Bowl if they happen to go there, until they get rid of Michael Vick.


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