WAKE UP EVERYBODY . . . 'The Rant' !!!!!

Where has everybody gone . . . Its gotten too damn quiet in here . . Who has put the fire out? Has everybody stopped listening to WFNZ? Yall miss Gerry V a whole lot now (who did provide another voice to listen to) ? Did Packman's new 5 year contract bum you out? Pissed that QCB & Hayseed have jobs why you don't? What would you name Bob Johnson's new regional sports network if it gets off the ground (I've got one, but I'm not going to share it here . . .)? You not getting stoked about the 2003 Tournement of Charlotte Babes on WFNZ ? Still bummed out that guys like John Kilgo, who started the sportstalk genre here in CLT 30+ years ago, doesn't have a job still? Y'all miss listening to David FLemming on PRIMETIME, don't you? Do you wish someone would give WFNZ some real competition? Don't you with that the light-rail line would open up for full service this year vs. next? Are you wondering why that new 700 room-Convention Center hotel still ain't done yet? Are you mad that the SOUTHERN SPORTS REPORT on FOX SPORTS NET should really be renamed the NIGHTLY ATLANTA SPORTS JOURNAL (WITH A FEW BONES THROWN TO THE ACC SCHOOLS AND THE HURRICANES) ? Do you wish that the MORNING SPORTS PAGE went back to being Howard Stern Light (bring back the strippers & porn stars who are in town to do shows . . . Don't worry about trying to be 'dad friendly radio' . . . Your suppose to be 'guy radio' damnit !!!!!!!!!!!). Do yall miss Darby? Where is T-Mac hiding at? Have I gotten too soft? Do I need to be a tough S.O.B like in the early days of the SPORTS MEDIA board (just give me the word and I'll do it !!!!!) . Hey WFNZ: Why no HIGH STICKING HOCKEY TOUR: 2003 VERSION this year ? ? ? Why hasn't WFNZ signed ROGAINE as a sponsor yet (some guys need it over there . . . Y'all know who you are !!!!!!!!!!!!). Are you pissed that some way hasn't been discovered yet that a way to build the KNights a downtown ballpark hasn't been found yet? Wake up guys, talk to me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

SDS,

What is there to say that hasn't been bitched about here umpteen times before?

To Recap my pet peeves:

1) Celenia wastes more time on MSP that he provides valuable input and TC is sports-illiterate. Gary Williams would be better off with Yarboro (sp?) as a co-host.

2) The ESPN programming is great and I'd go with XM radio if I didn't drive a company car.

3) Primetime is staler than 7 day bread. Bringing in half-assed, no-name former collegiate athletes isn't really a quality improvement and the catering to his own "Whack (off) Pack" (i.e. Getsome Guy, The M&M boys, Maryland Wes, etc...) is just painful to listen to.

4) BOC - ABSOLUTE CRAP.

But hey that's just my opinion for those who like the stuff, "Get it all over yourselves".

Flyer

 

Lets do some phones!!!!

Ok so i was told the Board is gettinga lil tolayed back and the fire in the belly is gone????? Time for another segement of the Gerry V Show on This Board Rocks!!!!!...Welcome to the Show!! Lasttime we did this you guys came up with some great stuff!!!

Welcome to the Show!!
#1- Nascar wants to keep findin ways to make some money.Can'tblame em since thats how you keep a business going.There are two huge un-tapped demos out there.The Black fan and the Spanish Fan.How can Nascar get these fans to spend money on their sport and also get them to attend the events in huge numbers? is it possible or hs NASCAR waited to long???
Will it take a driver that wins to get it done?? Does NARCARS profile and image work against it?????......can you develop a marketing idea that would increase the # of blacks and spanish to go out and attend races?????....The $$$$ would be huge!!!
I SAY THE TASK IS A TOUGH ONE.....IT MAY TAKE YEARS FOR IT TO HAPPEN...THE COST OF OWNERSHIP......THE DIFFICULTY OF WINNING .....IT TAKES TIME.......WILL THE NASCAR FAN BASE EMBRACE THIS??? COUL DIT BE THAT THE SPORT HAS NOW BECOME SO WIDESPREAD THAT ALL RACES WILL JOIN IN??

#2- I'm happy for those of you that wanted a new NBA team in Charlotte.......i ask you this......Will it be the way it was when the team first came to Charlotte??? The fans the atmosphere??Since many fans have lost the emotional energy to start all over again is there anough left in Charlotte to really make it fly??? Enough new fans that can PAY the ticket cost while waiting for an expansion team to win?.........Will the fan tolerate more??? The city leaders bent over backwards to get a team back.......one of the richest owners in the world is getting an arena...can the city and investors make money?
IT WON"T BE THE SAME.......and a REGIONAL TV NETWORK will also be a tough sell......money is short everywhere.......

#3- How deep do you think Robert Johnson will go into his pockets for this team??? He cutback alot on BET Network......
What if he doesn't spend enough to satisfy you??? Should he spend alot of money on his first coach?????What move would convince you that he is willing to do whatever to win big????

Lets take a break and we'll do some phones.....i'll check in tonite after i land in Orlando...this is the Gerry V Show on This Board Rocks!!!!!!

 

Race & NASCAR

Gerry, I think that most NASCAR fans would embrace a Black or Hispanic driver if they felt like that the driver(s) earned their way to the top level. That means that we are a good 3-5 years from seeing that happen. The driver(s) would have to work their way up from the Busch or Truck series and they would need to be competitive in those series. They don't have to win there (Tony Stewart never won a Busch race), but they do have to run up front some of the time. They would need to get in a good ride when they reached Winston Cup. If they were able to make the races and stay out of trouble they would be accepted. If they were able to have even 1 great race the crowd would get behind them. New fans with the same race as the driver would flock to the sport. I believe that the NASCAR suits would love to see it happen. They would like the opportunity to go to sponsors and say "See, our fans will accept others". Had Shawna Robinson been competitive you would have seen more women than ever before following NASCAR. These drivers have to be developed and right now there aren't very many out there.

 

Re: Lets do some phones!!!!

Here is the issue as far as women are concerned. The 2 most talented women in motorsports are not in any NASCAR division. Angelle Savoie is a straight-liner (NHRA Pro Stock Champion drag racing star) and Danica Patrick is an open-wheel development series. Heck, if you were to put Sarah Fisher in top equipment, she would run circles around Ms. Robinson, Deborah Renshaw, or Tina Gordon (not related to Jeff). Tina started 24th and finished 22nd this past week at Daytona.

As for minorities, I know some that are not close to NASCAR, they are in the big-time lower levels. All of the teenagers that I know with skills are caucasian and they are the next Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman's of the world.

 

Latino in NASCAR

One that I know of is Carlos Contreras, who comes from a strong racing background in Mexico. He drove a Petty Truck last season and is listed as a Busch series driver for an unsponsored team.

I've pushed our big wigs to delve into this area of NASCAR, but no one seems to think race in motorsports is a story. I beg to differ.

Last year's profile on Contreras is here: http://www.pettyracing.com/current_season/43_ncts_driver.shtml

Contreras' Busch team's web site (HRT Motorsports -- Hispanic Racing Team)

http://www.hrtmotorsports.com/

 

I don't really have anything to bitch about anymore since I stopped listening to WFNZ on a consistant basis. I listen to the morning show sometimes until Keith Larson comes on WBT - It's a shame that is our BEST sports radio show on the airwaves. Primetime - I gave up on a long time ago. I generally listen to the commercials on WBT on my ride home now.

Never cared much for Gerry V, so don't miss him - Although I WOULD probably give him a listen again as an alternative to Primetime if he were on... but he isn't and I'm not crying.

Don't care about racing, don't care if there are Black or Mexican Drivers. I'm sure Jessie Jackson and Johnnie Cochran will show up soon once they "fix" the NFL's problem of hiring white people.

Sports in this town is basically relagated to the message board scene now. There isn't any talk radio, there isn't anything in the Papers, and there isn't anything on TV... So all we got left is the Message boards and the internet now... What a hopping Sports metropolis.

On another note, anyone got pics of the new arena?

 

Nascar had a Black driver and was well respected and accepted. I can remember fans even working in his pits and I also remember other race car drivers wives babysitting his kids while he raced. Other drivers respected him as a driver and a person. There are plenty of Blacks associated with racing and they have every opportunity to start at the bottom and work their way up like 80% of the other drivers. I know there are lots of drivers that were handed a ride on a silver platter but someone before them worked hard to get that silver platter. True that Blacks and Latinos are not in a position to jump straight into racing but neither are a lot of other people. They have to hit the short tracks and pay their dues. Wasn't that many years ago that a young man named Dale was given a ride because of a Black man not wanting to follow Nascars rules. Funny how things turn out. Had it not been for Nascar being forced to give a minority a ride then we would have never had the best driver thats ever sat behind a wheel. A novel idea would be to work for what you get. I watched Buddy Baker forced into retirement because of Paul Newman and his infatuation of Willy T Ribbs who as a driver didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.
What Nascar needs is more "real" men whether they be Black or White or Latinos. What they need is more men like Wendell shaking his fist at Lorenzon and smiling.

 

first batch of calls are in!!

See I knew it !! Lay out a few topics and Puttingood,Media Freak,Da Man,Real McCoy respond with some solid stuff and background info.So the first batch of calls gives up some opinions and some background on the issue! Way to go gang!

Batjrafix even layed out his thoughts on the state of sports in Charlotte......that could get another topic on the board!

Welcome back to the show!!

Nascar lost to Homer Simpson as they pull the plug on Daytona a lil to early!! Agree.....they held on longer for races in the past on ESPN.They did that cause ESPN is a sports entity..Fox has to much PRIMETIME programimg to risk holding on for a long period of time.......were Fans pissed off at this quick exit? I think they should be! It was Daytona for cryin out loud!!!

and yes NASCARstill has a way to go in the area of the Black and Spanish fan.........but they can smell the money that the Sport is leaving on the table.They know its a gold mine waiting to happen.......

got sosme lights on the board! Lets do some phones!!