November 4th, 2009 
T.C. I’m coming to this party a little late, but after what I read earlier today, I have to say something.
On Saturday, during the pre-race show for the Truck Series race on SPEED, the broadcast crew which includes Rick Allen, Phil Parsons, Michael Waltrip, Adam Alexander, Ray Dunlap, and Krista Voda, all dressed up for Halloween. The crew were all dressed as characters from “Batman.” Being as how it was Halloween, I thought it was a neat idea. If you might remember, this crew did the same thing last year before Halloween at the Texas race, choosing to all dress up as characters from the “Wizard of Oz.” Dunlap as Dorothy and Alexander as Glenda the Good Witch were priceless.
Apparently though, not everyone thought it was so fun.
I first came across this little situation while trolling some racing forums today. I then clicked over to the story about the situation at The Daly Planet (Mr. Daly has a picture of the crew, plus there are a ton of comments on his post).
After the race, Matt McLaughlin from Frontstretch.com and Michael Knight from SpinDoctor500blog both chimed in about their dislike of the costumed broadcasters.
First, I’ll give you McLaughlin’s take from his piece on Frontstretch.com:
There have been some badly ill-considered moments in NASCAR broadcasting history. Few of them were as badly conceived, darkly disturbing, or clearly hallucinogenic-ally inspired as the Batman themed pre-race showprior to Saturday’s truck series race. If only that sort of effort, talent and pre-production had been devoted to something useful, SPEEDmight really have been onto something other than ensuring Krista Voda can never show her face in public without shame again. Two words Ms. Voda, “Thigh-master.”
And here are Knight’s thoughts from his blog:
Those who appeared on-air in costume last weekend lost credibility and gave away the honored title of journalist. I now consider them to be actors who dress-up and play a part. They should now be disqualified from membership in any professional journalists’ organization.
After seeing both of those reactions, I was completely blown away. Are these guys serious?
Before I get into the meat of what I have to say, let me first preface this. I read McLaughlin’s columns once in a while, and I have enjoyed some of Mr. Knight’s commentary in the past. I don’t know either man personally, nor do I have anything against them.
Now, it’s one thing to dislike something that happens and write about it, it’s another entirely to go about it as these two have.
There is so much negativity being pushed by the NASCAR media right now, that it’s almost to the point where any commentary is unreadable. But to throw out such nasty, mean spirited comments and to attack someone personally is absolutely unacceptable. Krista Voda is a consummate professional and did nothing to deserve McLaughlin’s rath.
Also, before we start removing “journalist” from anyone’s title, lets remember that this crew is covering NASCAR, not the war in Iraq. If Christiane Amanpour shows up on CNN reporting from a battlefield in Afghanistan wearing a Hannah Montana costume, then I could understand Knight’s problem. Until then, lets try and remember that NASCAR is entertainment, and meant to be fun. If the NASCAR on SPEED crew wants to have a little fun with the pre-race show, have at it!
I also think it’s interesting that in a time when TV ratings are down for NASCAR and that so many are complaining about coverage that these two chose to attack the one broadcast who’s ratings continue to climb. The Truck Series has seen double digit ratings increases for quite a few of their races this season shown on SPEED. So instead of attacking this group, maybe we should be lauding them and using them as an example for the other networks. They are obviously doing something right.
So gentlemen, in the future when you decide to throw your opinions around about how badly you dislike something, I’d suggest using a little more tact. Your methods not only make you look bad, they also hurt your credibility.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but because of this incident you’ve lost any future audience you may have had with me. I won’t waste my time on writers who so obviously can’t stand the sport they write about regularly.
Related posts:
Posted in 
Tags: 
I just want to add something in reference to dressing up and no longer being able to call yourself a journalist. Every year all of the network morning shows have their anchors dress up in costumes (because it is after all Halloween). Those who have taken part in this yearly tradition include some of the most respected broadcast journalists in the business today: Charlie Gibson, Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Tom Brokaw, Harry Smith. Having a sense of humor and frankly just having good clean fun every now and then does not disqualify you as a respected professional in any line of work; especially not journalism. On top of that, this is sports journalism, entertainment reporting if you will, you’re allowed to (and supposed to) have fun.
As far as the remark about Krista Voda goes, that has got to be one of the most sexist things I’ve ever read. She is the last person in this business that deserves something like that. Disgusting.
Somewhat off point, Krista Voda is downright annoying. Way, way, way too many corny jokes and quips. She thinks every sentence needs to contain a play on words, and every time she does it it’s “cute”. The broadcast would be much better without her.
I don’t care about her thighs.
I was flipping and came across the Batman theme, I thought it was great! Glad to see that speed still has a sense of humor, and in my opinion the best reporting on racing. Speed is much better than ABC / ESPN, which personally I think is the reason people do not like the chase format.
Other sports have had fun around the holidays, Maddens Thanksgiving Turkey pops to mind. I have never thought negative about it, actually I was happy to see other people having a sense of humor.
I see no problem with the SPEED crew having some fun. Even the “Big Show” of Trackside got in on the act. If the participants in the truck race were running away from the reporters, that’s an issue, but since they played along, had fun, and even participated in the storyline of the broadcast, I have no issue. I was given the same information that I would have if they were not in costume and truthfully, I didn’t really notice that Krista, Adam, and Ray were in costume since they went about their jobs in a normal fashion. The other 3 seemed to play/ham it up a little more. There is nothing wrong with having some fun.
Like I said before, if the participants had a problem talking with the SPEED crew on that broadcast or any future broadcast, then it’s a issue since SPEED’s main job is to get the stories and report what is happening in the series. I don’t think that Ron Hornaday, Todd Bodine, Matt Crafton, Mike Skinner, Colin Braun, or any of the other drivers will stay away from Krista, Adam, Ray, Rick, Phil, and Michael just because they showed up for work one day in a costume.
I saw some of the out takes… it WAS Halloween.
I didn’t find it very amusing, but Krista can eat crackers in my bed anytime… especially if she wears the batgirl outfit.
At least the truck race was more interesting than the cup race.
Those haters are just grumpy smurfs.
-W
thanks, tc and journo. speed truck broadcast crew are the best out there, hands down. i work hard to catch each and every truck race b/c these folks are true to our sport and their love for it shows thru.
as for the personal attack: there is no excuse for meaness and even less for gratuitous snarkiness. pretty shameful to this fan.
@Chad
Krista Voda is from my home state of Iowa, that is why her jokes are corny………………
Just thought I’d give you another corny joke, you seem to enjoy them so. Have a great day.
Bopbby
All I can say for these two individuals is “get a life”. Life is way to short to take everything so seriously. And, isn’t there enough mean spirted in this world already.
As Journo stated previously, NASCAR is entertainment. Like it or not, NASCAR is entertainment. If I want to get serious, I can just turn on any of the many news channels.
Way to go SPEED channel! Truck racing is the best racing in NASCAR and the SPEED crew do an excellent job of bringing the event to the fans.
I hear ya. Read the Frontstretch comment, and didn’t really understand why, other than just being pissy. I saw the pre-race show (Colin Braun’s comment was my favorite), and while I didn’t love it, it was funny, and appropriate (IMO) for a show like this.
Re: the negativity issue, yeah, there are a lot of problems with NASCAR, but the haters are running wild. I watch all three series, and somethings make me nuts, but still enjoy the racing and want to know what’s happening. Poor broadcasting, for example, is nothing new–I’ve found myself at times yelling at the TV, but stupid is limited to NASCAR coverage, nor to racing alone. It’s everywhere, and usually stems from a perceived need to speak to the casual viewer. If you’re even somewhat knowledgeable about what you’re watching, you will almost always experience this.
Jeez, watch it for what you like and enjoy, and tune out the crap as much as possible. If everything bothers you, or you can’t see anything good, turn it off and go do something you like–or at least go clean the shop!
Honestly? I thought it was kind of dumb. It just wasn’t my thing and I switched channels.
However, I agree with you. It’s race coverage, not the war in Iraq. Why bother to even write about? It was Halloween. The “thigh” comment was beyond sexist..it was terribly cruel. She is a professional commentator, not a model. Speed does an excellent job covering races.
Now, if they trashed ESPN….As much as I dislike Jamie Little(she needs to be interviewing Paris Hilton, not race car drivers) I would not be pleased if writers trashed her appearance. Shannon Spake is very pregnant..will she be made fun of next?
Wow, lighten up…
I love NASCAR on SPEED. These folks truly put out some of the best race coverage and commentary around. Humor has always been woven in to their broadcasts. I think the humor has been part of the appeal to their growing audiences. Mr Grumps and Mr Curmudgeon were out of line and, yes, that comment on Krista was blatantly sexist.
Not only is NASCAR entertainment, I don’t think of the TV personalities as journalists, they’re part of the entertainment package. that’s why I don’t care if (for example) Rusty Wallace is in the booth while his relatives are on the track. They’re more emcee than Cronkite.
Having seen the truck pre-race show, I thought it was funny, in good taste and I was most impressed that they had the Batmobile on site. Talk @ funny Talladega moments? I was at the track the year the drunken redneck stole the pace car and had the state trooper squadron in tow. Ranks as my favorite Dega memory.
Seriously ridiculous. I didn’t see the show but c’mon…could it be any worse than Larry Mac sitting in a hot tub on the Trackside stage?
If you’re going to knock anchors, commentators and journalists for silly antics, you better start with any program that FOX News, FOX Sports or any FOX affiliate produces.
Let’s see…..It was not good enough that SPEED posted record ratings for last week’s Truck race……And that SPEED put on another good show of an exciting race (better than the main Cup event, by far)…..And that Krista Voda and crew were having a bit of fun by dressing up on Haloween…….
Nope, we have cranky fans and media members unloading on poor Krista Voda’s thighs.
I guess it has been a l-o-n-g season!
SPEED does an outstanding job with their coverage of the Truck Series, that’s why the ratings continue to go up – the other networks that cover NASCAR should take a look at what SPEED is doing. The Halloween pre-race show where the talent dresses up in costume is something that fans look forward to. It boggles my mind that some are taking issue with a fun thing that the fans love. Given how much fan unhappiness there is in the sport in general, everyone in the sport should be doing more fun things for the fans, not less. But you should consider the source of those comments – Matt McLaughlin has written very negatively about NASCAR for years.
I didn’t see the Halloween pre-race show this year, but last year’s was great. I mean come on, who cares??? I’d like to throw a few beers back with Ray Dunlap sometime. He seems like a riot.
After a weekend of plate racing & this is what they choose to bitch about? Find another hobby guys.
If the alternative is Mr. Stick Up His @ss Dr Punch, I will take the SPEED crew and their quirks and smiles any day.
I honestly did not find it entertaining but I could see how that’s just me. I thought it was cool that they did something different though.
I guess I take NASCAR to seriously lol…i’d rather have a more serious broadcast i.e no costumes or digger =P
this just adds credence to the fact that many see NASCAR as one step short of pay-per-view wrestling…a staged event…
I think some of you are missing my point a little bit here. While I did think the costume idea was cool, I don’t mind that other people didn’t. You are more then welcome to feel however you like about the situation. My problem lies in how these two writers chose to go about telling everyone about their dislike.
Stanley: If people think it’s all staged, then they are seriously misguided. I’ve worked in this sport for quite a few years and it is anything but staged. But I guess if broadcasters wearing costumes once a year hurts the reality of the sport, so be it.
McLaughlin clearly crossed a line when he made that blatantly sexist remark. If he gets paid to write his articles, his boss needs to have a serious talk with him and set some boundaries.
Regardless of what he thought of the costumes, McLaughlin could have made his point without being nasty about it. The fact that he chose to cross the line into sexism should have consequences. He is not the Howard Stern of NASCAR internet blogging.
TC – I have to agree with you. I personally do not like the gimmicks and think they are hokey…regardless if on NASCAR shows, NFL, Today Show, etc… but that is me. I also do not believe the clothes make the man. Having Rusty wear a suit & tie no more makes him a journalist than these guys (and gal) dressing up make them not one.
Besides,since when are any of these guys/gals serious journalists? As some other folks have said, they are there as MC, play-by-play, “sidline updates” & analysis. They are not investigative reporters, hard-hitting news or embedded with the troops.
I have a lot of respect for Knight, but this was overboard. Mike…lighten up.
I guess we need to realize that jerks like McLaughlin feel the need to write crap like this to keep their jobs. Krista is a really hard-working woman who probably does not have oodles of time to spend in the gym so she can do the great job of reporting to us fans, which is alot more than I can say for McLaughlin and Knight. If any negativity is written about the sport, let’s concentrate on real facts, not some airhead’s opinion of a woman’s features.
Michael Knight is a jingoistic neo-conservative stuck in the “old media” world. His opinions were relevant in the 20th century, not so much in the 21st.
“He is not the Howard Stern of NASCAR internet blogging.”
Actually, if you read his stuff regularly, he kinda is.
He didn’t used to be that way, but I don’t think the man has had a positive thing to say about NASCAR, its drivers, its TV coverage or the weather in the last five years. It’s too bad, he used to be pretty insightful.
Rumor has it, next Halloween the TC & Journo costume will be the hot ticket. See how many writers slam the swag as unidentifiable!
wait a minute..my post said “many see NASCAR”..I did not say “I”…have we forgot what language we speak…
Mean-spiritedness and negativity, unfortunately, is an incresingly common crutch for many in the media, NASCAR and otherwise. It is much easier to hurl insults than to do the hard work to be analytical and present a balanced assessment of a topic. Another reason why The NASCAR Insiders is far better than many allegedly professional sources.
I learned the info I needed from the prerace and I got to laugh too. There’s a problem with this?
I don’t think there was anything wrong with them having a little fun with Halloween. They weren’t harming anyone, their professionalism wasn’t any different, the provided the same info as any other week, and once the race started, the costumes came off and they got down to business. If you have issues with this prerace show, you should have alot of issues with the crap that they show on Nascar Raceday before the Cup races. Rutledge anyone?
Krista Voda looks just fine, in and I’m sure also out of a catwoman outfit.
Frankly, coming from Matt McLaughlin I’m far from surprised.
A couple years ago one of his writers went on a xenophobic rant when Toyota entered Cup.
After I countered (with facts not hot air) the post Matt McLaughlin chimed in with a defense that went something like, “well even xenophobes deserve to be heard because it highlights the absurdity of their thought process and might change their minds.”
I promptly dumped his sight as a place of reasoned thought.
Stanley: I didn’t refer to “you” nor was I accusing you of anything. Reading my comment completely will show you that.