Comments on: NASCAR Needs Dan Patrick

By: Ethan

Ethan — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:09:28 +0000

No thanks. I’ll stick with the team of writers/reporters at http://www.racintoday.com

By: John

John — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:56:33 +0000

Besides the late David Poole I think Dave Moody does a very good job at asking relevant questions and holding peoples feet to the fire when it’s called for.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:58:47 +0000

NASCAR misses David Poole.

By: Neon

Neon — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:01:29 +0000

It doesn’t really take a reporter, columnist, or sports talk radio show to ask the “relavant” questions to NASCAR and folks in all aspects of the sport. I for one look at the credentials and credibility of the individual asking the questions. It takes someone so familiar w/ the sport, but willing to ask relavant questions to relavant players w/o the risk of being denied access.

IMHO a driver, a crew chief, an owner and a official in the form of Dale Jarret, Larry McReynolds, Joe Gibbs and Larry Nelson would command my attention when asking a relavant question of anyone. Notice I said relavant? Reporting in NASCAR needs to inject more relavancy in reporting and less fluff. Feed the fans that fuel the sport w/ useful info and they will remain relavant and loyal in return.

All that being said, there are certain aspects of NASCAR that just don’t need to be open to public vote, questioning or ruling by committee. Just the fact that NASCAR is the only major sporting event that opens in prayer prior to the national anthem is reason alone to not question all aspects of this great sport and its rich american heritage..thank God!

By: Richard in N.C.

Richard in N.C. — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:11:37 +0000

It seems to me that Mulhern and Hinton are both excessively biased against NASCAR and are too interested in criticizing NASCAR to bother with being objective – but then I quit reading them months ago. Many in the NASCAR press corps would rather criticize NASCAR than take the opportunity in press conferences to ask intelligent questions – easier to criticize if you don’t have to worry about dealing with the facts.

By: Zieke

Zieke — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:10:19 +0000

I seriously doubt that Dan would waste his time with NASCAR. I’m sure he sees what they want in their sport, ( a bunch of sniveling suck up”yes men”) and it doesn’t include anyone who will ask those kind of questions. Robin Miller could have done this long ago, but he is too busy with the Indycar debacle. Could anyone imagine Robin getting in Brian’s head the way he does with Tony George? What a hoot that would be.

By: Journo

Journo — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:29:44 +0000

Steve- I’m saying we need an instigator, Dan Patrick doesn’t instigate, but when things need to be asked we need someone there to do it, and to be able to get away with doing it.

JT- Jenna Fryer is definitely one of the best. More and more she’s working her way into this role.

By: buck2

buck2 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:52:33 +0000

Ed Hinton tried to be tough once and as I recall NASCAR made life extremely difficult for him. You have to remember that dealing with NASCAR has been likened to dealing with the mob. They will kill your grandma if you don’t follow their rules. Big Bill and Bill Jr were notoriously tough on anyone who criticized the sport and they had the power to back up their wishes. Brian doesn’t have the following that his Dad and Grandpa had and may not be able to avoid future scandals that would have been supressed by the old regimes. No reporters I know of have the moxie to test this theory, however. Maybe Dan is the one.

By: JT

JT — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:44:01 +0000

Jenna Fryer is a good NASCAR writer. And she can be tough on the establishment.

However, the best motorsports media man is SPEED’s Robin Miller. Anybody that can take a sucker punch from AJ Foyt and live to tell about it is alright in my book!

By: steve

steve — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:36:33 +0000

No offense Journo, but that isn’t the question I have.

My question goes to the heart of why NASCAR needs (or should want) someone like Dan Patrick covering the sport.

Why does NASCAR need someone asking tough questions? Are there fans who are turning off because someone isn’t asking NASCAR the ‘tough’ questions? Are the competitors getting out of the business, losing interest or showing less enthusiasm? Are TV and sponsorship contracts down because there’s no Dan Patrick?

I agree that the current crop of TV personnel (pit reporters on up to the announcing crew) are more cheerleader than hard nosed reporter, and it would be nice if they could vary their shtick so I didn’t have to count the number of times I hear the exact same thing said over and over and over again.

My suggestion is, that given that NASCAR seems to shine when there’s a bit of a rivalry/hard feelings, it would be nice to have someone stoking the flames (for example, someone who would goad Tony Stewart into going on a bit more about Montoya, or push Hamlin even more about Kezelowski), and even better if NASCAR wasn’t so quick to clamp down on the tussling.

But playing instigator isn’t the role a Dan Patrick would fulfill.

And besides, Dan Patrick and Danica Patrick at the same time? Too confusing to my ears.