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[audio_link url="http://cbsatlanta.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/03-20-13-jim-daopoulos.mp3" name="Jim Daopoulos" artist="Mac And Jason"]

This match concludes the second 0-0 draw of the day. More rivalries are happening now and lead up to the Timbers vs. Sounders game tonight at 8:00 pm et on NBCSN

In a world of rampant misogyny and sexism, sports has long thought to be the last bastion of gender subjugation. The most high profile of sports networks, ESPN, is guilty of this, opting to feature women as anchors and sideline reporters rather than analysts. Despite the fact that many women know just as much, if not more, about the subject matter in question, they are often relegated to the background, hidden behind teleprompters and makeup.

To be fair, Kara Lawson, who is an ESPN analyst covering women’s college basketball, is extremely adept at her job. As is Doris Burke, one of the few female analysts who has burrowed her way into a male-dominated sport (in this case, the NBA and men’s college basketball). Both Burke and Lawson are astute, offering detailed, factual reasoning for what is happening at a given moment. They are the minority.

Instead, ESPN (and other networks), have decided to hire former athletes and coaches to share their opinions, as well as their personalities. The system works, if only because ESPN has long since abandoned its intent to deliver news rather than entertainment (at least during segments when these types of analysts would be featured).

Michelle Beadle is not an anchor. She does not work the sideline, though this role was at least partially responsible for her current position. She is an avid fan of the wrestling “show” RAW, the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Jets. Why do we know this? Because Michelle Beadle is a fan, who just so happens to have brought that personality along with her when she arrived at ESPN in 2009.

Beadle was tapped to co-host a new show called SportsNation, which premiered in June 2009. Alongside established ESPN personality — and the closest resemblance to a radio shock jock ESPN could have — Colin Cowherd, Beadle would be allowed to be herself, unchained from the restraints of playing a reserved, castrated table-setter. The show was a success, at least in the fact that it attracted eyeballs to ESPN2 during the day.

Pairing the outspoken Cowherd with the charismatic Beadle was a hit amongst a younger crowd eager to be fed the ESPN sausage, but by an attractive woman. Sorry, Tony Kornheiser, you’re just not Hannah Storm.

SportsNation was, by design, a vehicle through which Cowherd could improve his Q score, maintain his decency and build his brand. Beadle was the afterthought, the pretty face to draw viewers into the hornet’s nest. Instead, she became the main attraction, a perfect foil to the lunacy of Cowherd as well as the voice of the common fan. The audience loved her, and more importantly, ESPN believed she fit perfectly into their long-term plans to grow their second channel into a network that would rival the mothership.

Beadle wanted more; the proceeding noun could be a number of things. Regardless of her demands, she was lured to NBC in 2012 by the promise of more money, more opportunities — she appears occasionally on Access Hollywood and has taken part in hosting portions of the Olympics, which NBC may very well control until they don’t exist — and more leeway to be herself. She was installed, along with the NHL, as one of the main attractions of the NBC Sports Network, Comcast’s alternative to ESPN that was finally birthed in 2012 after years of gestation.

Beadle was tapped to be part of an afternoon talk show that discussed sports with a dash of pop culture — known around the industry as “be attractive, talk about sports…and other things that teenagers like”. It would not be a far departure from SportsNation, the model that had worked and would be countlessly replicated throughout the industry.

The NBC Sports Network has underachieved, impeded by many obstacles on its slow rise to relevancy. Its catalog of sports programming consists of The Dan Patrick Show, the NHL, MLS, college hockey, third tier college basketball, fishing, and The Crossover, the new venture designed to showcase NBC’s singular female investment.

So far, The Crossover isn’t working. Viewership started out weak, and has only become more decrepit as individuals turn away from NBC in favor of ESPN’s similar fodder. This is less an indictment of Beadle — who thrived on SportsNation, but on NBC creating a vehicle that would showcase her talents in a unique and exciting way that would be better than ESPN. Quality is debatable, of course, but audience is not. And right now, The Crossover, NBC Sports Network’s biggest swing of 2013, has hit nothing.

The show will be given every opportunity to figure itself out. The list of quality programming that struggled initially only to become successful is long enough that chairman Mark Lazarus won’t abandon ship. The other main factor: NBC Sports has no viable alternatives. It is a network of limited means simply because live sports are the pinnacle of a sports network’s success. Every major sports has its own broadcast channel, as do collegiate leagues and for some reason, Texas.

At least NBC has been willing to throw money at sporting leagues, bidding for regional college basketball and football rights (and getting the NHL). Its parent network has the most lucrative football package, but plans for additional games to be featured on the NBCSN were kept in-house at the NFL Network. National MLB rights are unavailable for some time, and while the NBA could be had after the 2015-16 season, it seems unlikely that NBC could outbid the giant that is ESPN. ESPN subscriber fees are above $5 per household — no other network garners more than $1.

All this means is that NBCSN executives will give The Crossover time to find its bearings. Beadle is the face of the network (for better or worse, though the argument could be made for Dan Patrick). However, one gets the sense that NBCSN is unaware of how best to utilize Beadle’s talents after watching even a single episode of her program.

The Crossover is SportsNation condensed into 30 minutes. It features two co-hosts, Beadle and Dave Briggs throwing up playful banter as they discuss the relevant sports news, and sports-adjacent information. When Dennis Rodman visited North Korea, the event was less about sports and more about a former sports figure, but it still received play across all networks (ESPN and NBCSN included). The Crossover is a visual blog, quickly hitting at five “major” news stories of the past few days in rapid succession, casually dismissing those less important.

The show would like you to believe this is improvised, Beadle and walking wet blanket Briggs choosing from a colorful board of sixteen “stories” and narrowing the choices down to five. That illusion lasts for about five seconds, as the chosen topic is placed in its importance holster awaiting Beadle and Briggs to pick up the pace. The audience, encouraged to mimic its ESPN counterpart, hoots and hollers, becoming one with their talented demigod while allowing Briggs to “remain focused”. He is, after all, the veteran here.

Dave Briggs has worked for Comcast — the company that owns NBC — before, as a host in New England from 2004 to 2008. At that point, he migrated to Fox News, hosting the Fox and Friends Weekend show until 2012. If he seems like a peculiar choice as a co-host, that is because it’s the truth. He idealizes the “stiff”, white, elite he is mistaken for, offering little in the vein of outlandish, and even less in charisma. He is no Colin Cowherd, despite their similar stature (comparatively, of course). Why NBCSN decided to keep a metaphorical leash on Beadle has not yet been answered, but after seeing the finished product, that should be everyone’s only question.

Briggs offers nothing new to the table, instead distracting from Beadle’s major selling point: her personality. Why attempt to temper her wit and playfulness by restricting her ability to be the focal point? In the few iterations I watched – including the first episode which premiered on January 28, 2013 — Beadle’s nerves were apparent, but she remained affable, self-deprecating and willing to poke fun at the very industry in which she works (and past employers as well). Briggs, on the other hand, was methodical, pacing the show and lobbing softball questions at the guest (Archie Manning in the premiere). It was not good television.

In a time-slot that demands at least some form of ingenuity, The Crossover may never latch on completely. However, there are a few tweaks that could aid the show.

1. Fire Briggs:

While he is capable of being the token white man and blank slate off which Beadle can shine, he provides nothing new, insightful or significant. See if Beadle can handle hosting the show by herself. Afford her the opportunity to rant on player incidents and berate teams for their misfortunes. Giving Michelle Beadle an avenue to discuss what fans want to know in a manner that would be appealing and direct makes too much sense.

2. If Beadle must have a co-host, make it a rotation that creatively synergizes the show:

Case in point: If a major focus of a given show is baseball, for example, bring on a baseball journalist to co-host. It would add depth to the discussion as well as give said journalist a chance to discuss other sports in a light, easily-digestible manner. My vote is for Amy K Nelson. NBCSN could include NBC properties such as Mike Florio for the NFL, or even Adrian Wojnarowski for the NBA (Wojnarowski is a columnist for Yahoo! Sports, which entered into a partnership with NBC).

3. Be Inventive with the Set:

There has yet to be a sports show created (at least over the past five years) that has fundamentally augmented its set in a unique manner. There is usually a desk and people either sit or stand. The only inventive use of space has been done by the MLB Network, introducing diamond demos that help viewers understand the intricacies of baseball. Beadle (and her new potential partner/co-host/Jeremy Roenick) could bring in experts to help diagram specific events. Who wouldn’t want to see Sports Illustrated swimsuit models play sports Jeopardy? Or watch Mike Florio get tackled by Jadeveon Clowney? It would introduce a kinetic element sorely missing from sports talk that would not only be relevant, but allow Beadle to keep her persona front and center.

Of course, the NBC Sports Network is unlikely to try any of these fixes, letting The Crossover become a little-watched, sports procedural that wastes Beadle’s infectious charm. Which is too bad, because if NBCSN needs anything, it needs a jolt of excitement. The Crossover will just be another example of NBC’s inability to understand what people want.

]]> http://minnesotakicks.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/football-tv-schedule-march-5-11/ Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:45:00 +0000 Scott http://minnesotakicks.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/football-tv-schedule-march-5-11/ http://tvinternetphoneblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/last-weeks-wednesday-night-rivalry-game-was-highest-rated-hockey-game-in-11-years/ Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:37:27 +0000 cobalt2012 http://tvinternetphoneblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/last-weeks-wednesday-night-rivalry-game-was-highest-rated-hockey-game-in-11-years/ NBC Sports Network, formerly Versus, is now the home of NHL hockey on basic cable. NHL Sports Network is built around the channel’s hockey coverage, so the new network’s success depends greatly on the success of hockey in garnering basic cable ratings. So far, in this lockout-shortened season, so good, according to Multichannel News, as NBC Sports Network’s inaugural Wednesday Night Rivalry broadcast, a 4-3 win by the New York Rangers over the Boston Bruins, averaged 956,000 viewers, the NHL’s top-rated regular season basic cable game in eleven years.

More from Multichannel News:

The Jan. 23 telecast of the New York Rangers’ 4-3 overtime win over the Boston Bruins averaged 956,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data, the service’s top NHL regular-season telecast dating back to when predecessor service OLN began airing hockey action during the 2005-06. The previous record was set on opening night last season when 874,000 viewers tuned in to see the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers.

Wednesday’s contest was also the most-watched NHL regular-season game on any cable channel in 11 years, since ESPN drew 1.28 million for San Jose Sharks-Detroit Red Wings in on Jan. 23, 2002. Rangers-Bruins peaked in the second period with 1.09 million viewers in the 8:45 p.m. quarter hour.

Locally, New York scored a 2.07 household rating, the market’s highest-ever rating for an NHL regular-season game on NBC Sports Network, while Boston delivered a 6.94 mark, the second-highest regular-season Bruins game ever on NBC Sports Network, behind only last season’s opening night game against the Philadelphia Flyers (7.39 HH rating). NBC Sports Network was the No. 1 rated network overall in Boston from 7:30-10:15 p.m. ET, and the No. 2 cable network in New York over that span.

Through four games this season, NBC Sports Network has averaged 507,000 viewers, up 53% compared to the 2011-12 season average of 332,000, and up 27% from 398,000 during the first four games last season.

The Wednesday night games will be a major focus for NBCSN, with Wednesday Night Rivalry having two teams with a long-standing feud playing one another in a nationally televised game, and featuring teams with large fanbases. Next week’s game features the Bruins taking on the Montreal Canadiens. NBCSN is available on channel 220 on DIRECTV.

At least she’ll be ready for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

First Quarter: NBA

1) NBA Scores
2) Chicago Bulls (19-14) @ New York Knicks (23-12), 7 pm/ESPN
3) San Antonio Spurs (28-10) @ Memphis Grizzlies (23-10), 7 pm
4) Oklahoma City Thunder (27-8) @ Los Angeles Lakers (15-20), 9:30 pm/ESPN

Second Quarter: College Basketball What to Watch

Saturday, January 12
1) 1 Duke Blue Devils (15-0, 2-0 ACC) @ 20 North Carolina State (13-2, 2-0 ACC), 11 am/ESPN
2) 8 Minnesota Golden Gophers (15-1, 3-0 B1G) @ 5 Indiana Hoosiers (14-1, 2-0 B1G), 11 am/BTN
3) Colorado State Rams (13-2) @ 16 San Diego State Aztecs (13-2, 1-0 MWC), 7 pm/NBCSN
Sunday, January 13
4) 2 Michigan Wolverines (16-0, 3-0 B1G) @ 15 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-3, 2-1 B1G), 12:30 pm/CBS

Third Quarter: NFL Divisional Playoffs

NFL Scoreboard
Saturday, January 12, 2013
1) AFC – Baltimore Ravens (10-6) @ Denver Broncos (13-3), 3:30 pm/CBS
2) NFC – Green Bay Packers (11-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1), 7 pm/FOX
Sunday, January 13, 2013
3) NFC – Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Atlanta Falcons (13-3), Noon/FOX
4) AFC – Houston Texans (12-4) @ New England Patriots (12-4), 3:30 pm/CBS

Fourth Quarter: Weekend Links

1) Awful Announcing looks at the “Catholic 7″ TV options
2) How about Bob Knight versus the shot clock?
3) Wonder how AJ feels about SI having Katherine Webb in the swimsuit edition
4) Awful Announcing gives you your week’s NFL Divisional Round broadcast teams
Bonus – The CapitalOne Bowl and Faux Pelini a love story

See you on Monday and enjoy your weekend! Thanks for reading Four Quarters! Follow me on twitter @MikeVmos

2013 Posts:  22

This weekend’s outdoor programming schedule (subject to change):

– NBC Sports Group –

Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane celebrate after a crucial Galaxy goal Wednesday night.

Both the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo were successful in their journey back to the MLS Conference Finals. Some high powered offensive and sturdy defense would pave a path both squads were accustom to just a year ago.

Tables Turn on San Jose 

After a hard-fought 1-0 victory on the LA Galaxy’s turf last Sunday, San Jose received an earthquake of their own. A vicious Galaxy team scored 3 goals in the first half of Wednesday night’s second leg of the MLS quarterfinals. The Earthquakes could not fully recover from the 3-1 aggregate goal difference, letting Los Angelas slip by a little too easily for such an important game.

Landon Donovan found his teammates beautifully, giving Robbie Keane an easy lead to goal in the 34′ minute and finding Mike Magee with a smooth redirect score shortly after. Any questions regarding Landon’s injury or ability to perform this postseason were answered, and the Galaxy are shaping up to look more like the team they were last year. Donovan, Keane, and Magee would each finish the match with an impressive 2 points.

Eddie Johnson and the Seattle Sounders will visit Real Salt Lake tonight as both teams look to be the Galaxy’s next opponent on their quest for the MLS Cup. Coverage can be found on the NBC Sports Network at 10pm ET.

Houston Edges Sporting

The Houston Dynamo will head to their second straight Eastern Final this weekend, outscoring Sporting KC 2-1 in the previous round. In the second leg, Sporting pushed hard in their 1-0 win at home, but Seth Sinovic’s first career goal would not send Kansas City to the promised land thanks to the always exciting Will Bruin and his wonderful goal and assist a few nights before.

Houston has been an exciting squad to follow this season, but their true defensive test will come when facing either New York or D.C. in the next round. The final leg between the Red Bulls and United has been postponed to tonight due to a less than favorable playing condition in the snow at Red Bull Stadium yesterday. The match will kickoff at 7:30 pm ET and will also be aired on the NBC Sports Network.

Matt Bloom

New York — August 15, 2012 – The premiere episode of Caught Looking will air tonight at 9 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, and will feature a behind-the-scenes look at this past weekend’s series between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers as both teams fight for a Postseason berth.

Major League Baseball Productions had camera crews embedded with both teams throughout the three-game series, providing a unique perspective on all the action between the lines as the Rangers took two of the three games to maintain their lead in the American League West. In addition to exclusive commentary from star players on both sides, the episode features in-depth profiles of both teams’ general managers, Dave Dombrowski of the Tigers and Jon Daniels of the Rangers. Off the field, a camera crew rode to the ballpark with Detroit’s Austin Jackson, who is originally from Texas, while another crew spent time with Rangers pitcher Ryan Dempster, who was recently acquired in a trade from the Cubs.

Caught Looking, a new collaboration between Major League Baseball Productions and NBC Sports Group will follow two different teams each week, as the final eight weeks of the season unfolds. Each original episode will be one hour in length and will air on NBC Sports Network. Next week’s episode will feature this weekend’s series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Tampa Bay Rays.

On November 8, NBC Sports Network will air a special postseason episode of Caught Looking which will feature the two teams playing in the 2012 World Series.

About the NBC Sports Network:

NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans across all platforms. Now in nearly 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and 34th America’s Cup. In addition, NBC Sports Network telecasts college football, college basketball, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to Costas Tonight, a monthly interview series featuring Bob Costas; NFL Turning Point, the NBC Sports Network’s program that utilizes NFL Films’ unprecedented access to examine the turning point of high-profile NFL games every week; and NBC Sports Talk,NBC Sports Network’s flagship news and information show, offering breaking news, highlights, features and in-depth analysis from award-winning journalists. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Major League Baseball Productions

Major League Baseball Productions is the Emmy award-winning television and video production division of Major League Baseball and the official video archivists of the game. With unparalleled access to the Clubs and their players, Major League Baseball Productions produces original programming for growing audiences worldwide through its network specials, exclusive home videos, commercials and other specialty programming. For more information on Major League Baseball Productions, log on to www.MLBProductions.com.

Time is running out to #CrownARoyal so make sure you do so.

First Quarter: MLB

1) Today’s schedule
2) Day baseball in Kansas City, Bronx, Northside of Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Cincinnati
3) Los Angeles Angels (41-33) J. Weaver (7-1, 2.40) @ Baltimore Orioles (41-32) J. Hammel (8-2, 2.61), 6:05 pm
4) Detroit Tigers (36-38) D. Fister (1-4, 2.72) @ Texas Rangers (46-29) R. Oswalt (1-0, 1.35), 7:05 pm

Second Quarter: NBA Draft

1) Who will New Orleans take number one? Still Anthony Davis?
2) Can we expect more trades to occur?
3) What is Houston’s master plan?
4) Will Portland do something with the sixth pick?

Third Quarter: US Swimming Trials

1) Night three in Omaha
2) Lochte and Phelps part III tonight
3) Missy Franklin hits the pool
4) Coverage is on NBCSN and NBC tonight 7-8 pm

Fourth Quarter: Leftover Links

1) Boston didn’t like the President talking about the Red Sox latest move
2) Dan Wetzel with some remorse over the playoffs
3) Tim Layden on the tie that happened at the US Track and Field Trials
4) Dirk Chatelain’s Mad Chatter from the Omaha World Herald

Follow me on twitter @MikeVmos please

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. (May 3, 2012) – MX Sports Pro Racing and Alli Sports, a division of NBC Sports, have announced the broadcast schedule for the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, set to commence on Saturday, May 19, with the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, Calif. Featuring a total of 82 hours of competition from the Nationals, both NBC Sports and FUEL TV will combine to showcase live coverage at all 12 rounds of Lucas Oil Motocross.

“We’re proud to announce that the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has a home with one of the biggest names is sports broadcasting,” said Mark Carter, General Manager of Motocross, Alli Sports. “NBC Sports’ programming will provide the most complete coverage the series has ever seen, with virtually the entire series broadcasts based around the network. Combine that with our continued relationship with FUEL TV and we’re looking forward to the most comprehensive broadcast package that Lucas Oil Motocross has ever had.”

In addition to its coverage of each round of the Nationals NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) will present exclusive programming beyond the motos, including a pre-season preview show, mid-season recap, weekly highlight shows following each round, and a post-season recap to close out the 2012 package. NBC will showcase three rounds with live network coverage at the Red Bull Budds Creek National, Red Bull RedBud National, and Red Bull Unadilla National.

FUEL TV became an integral partner of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship last season, as the exclusive broadcast provider of the opening motos at all 12 rounds. For 2012, FUEL TV returns in the same role, bringing live coverage of all first motos to any enthusiasts unable to make it to the Nationals in person. At the Red Bull Budds Creek National on Saturday, June 16, FUEL TV will debut its first live second moto broadcast with the 250 Class. In addition to the FUEL TV broadcasts, first motos will once again be streaming live online at AlliSports.com.

“We’ve worked diligently since 2009 to elevate the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship to new heights, and with this new and improved broadcast schedule, our goals are being met.,” said MX Sports Pro Racing President Davey Coombs. “We appreciate the continued support for Lucas Oil Motocross and the opportunity to grow the series and build even more prestige by having a broadcast home with NBC Sports.”

In the booth, the longtime tandem of veteran announcer Jason Weigandt and three-time AMA Pro Motocross Champion Jeff Emig, will once again team up to bring event play-by-play and analysis to the viewers at home. Weigandt’s vast knowledge of the sport meshes seamlessly with the years of competitive experience Emig possesses to make them one of the most well-rounded broadcast partnerships in all of motorsports. On the track, Georgia Alberston will provide the latest breaking news from the pits and the starting gate, while also interviewing riders before and after they hit the track. NBC Sports’ and BMX veteran Jamie Bestwick returns as well, reporting from the field at select rounds.

2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Broadcast Schedule

Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas has big-game experience: He is 3-2 with a 2.04 goals-against average in Game 7s.

The defending Stanley Cup Champions look to advance in the playoffs tonight with a win at home in TD Garden against the Capitals. The Bruins had an impressive win last game on Sunday to hold on for the inevitable tiebreaker. The Bruins can totally take the series with their Game 7 experience. Last season they won three Game 7s that lead them to be Stanley Cup Champions. They beat the Montreal Canadiens in overtime, then defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 1-0 shutout, and steamrolled the Canucks on their home turf, Rogers Arena, in a spectacular 4-0 shutout. During that game, Tim Thomas was stellar and had 37 saves, while Bergeron, Marchand, and Luongo scored the four goals to ruin the Canucks chance to claim the Stanley Cup.

Game 7 starts at 7.30pm! Watch the thrilling Game 7 on CBC, RDS, NBCSN, or NESN(HD). Or you may listen to the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Here’s an updated compare list of stats of the last six games. (Bruins preview)

	Stats
6	GP	6
3	W	3
3	L	3
2	OT	1
0	P	0
0.500	P%	0.500
2.33	G/G	2.33
2.33	GA/G	2.33
16.7	PP%	10.0
90.0	PK%	83.3
30.0	S/G	36.0
36.0	SA/G	30.0
50.7	FO%	49.3

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

When Tony George created the “Indy Racing League” in 1994, his mission was to run an all oval series. That made a ton of people mad.  Nobody saw any point in the IRL, the first year they only ran three races. Then they ran a spilt season in 1996 and 1997. This series proved very unsuccessful for a long time. Other than Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and Michael Andretti’s teams making the switch from CART to Indy Racing League in 2003.  The last American champion was Sam Hornish, Jr in 2006. Since then Penske, Ganassi and Andretti’s teams have dominated the IndyCar series.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Racer

When unification between ChampCar and IndyCar struck in 2008, the schedule was looking great and car count was too. At least Long Beach, Toronto, Edmonton and Australia are on the schedule. Since then Barber (a former test track) has been added so has street circuits in Baltimore, Brazil and China. The old ChampCar guys want a ton of street circuits. In defense of Brazil and Baltimore they have been good races but not Barber.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

After unification, Tony George dumped the TV deal with ESPN and ABC, he went with Versus and ABC as the series sole broadcasting companies. This turned out to be a great move.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

In June of 2009, Tony George resigned from the IndyCar board and as CEO as the series. I thought this was a great thing.

Photo Credit: Speed

Then in 2010, IndyCar announced that they have named a new CEO in Randy Bernard, Bernard had spent fifteen years with the Professional Bull Riders Association. He had zero racing background but he is a bold thinker. He believes it’s important to get to a 50-50 split between ovals and road courses. In 2010, he introduced the ICONIC project which started this year. This brings back the engine competition and new cars. Also he has re-branded the series and put a corporate office in California.

Photo Credit: Syracuse.com

I believe that Randy is a great CEO, not all of the things are his fault. Like Motegi being switched from the oval to the road course or Dan Wheldon’s fatal accident last year at Vegas. I don’t understand why he’d want China if they already got out of Japan.

Photo Credit: PochTimes

Randy did the smart move in getting rid of Brian Barnhart has Race Director and President of Competition. I believe that he made the right choice in choosing Beaux Barfield as Race Director and President of Competition. Barfield has done amazing so far.

Photo Credit: IndyCar

Now we just got to build the series. Randy listens to the fans. Now is the time for us fans to fix IndyCar. There are about six steps for us to have a perfect series.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Speed TV. Jacques Villenueve at Indy

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Autosport

Photo Credit: Speed TV

Get the International flare back: Remember when Mario Andretti won the Formula One World Championship? That’s right he is the last American to win a F1 title. He came back to IndyCar and won a championship with Newman-Haas. When Emerson Fittipaldi came over? He won a championship in 1989 and has won two Indianapolis 500′s. Then it was Nigel Mansell the 1992 F1 champion that came over in 1993 and kicked everybody away, he won the championship and rookie of the year in the same season. Next up was Jacques Villenueve to try that feat. He succeeded. Then it was Zanardi and then finally Montoya.

Photo Credit: ESPN

This year we got Rubens Barrichello to come over but he hasn’t showed much yet.  We need to get this flare back. Maybe we can get Lewis Hamilton eventually or maybe a Felipe Massa or even Bruno Senna. We need a superstar to come over. We don’t really have one. Yeah, Will Power and Dario but Dario has just won his championships on luck. Power is more consistent then Dario. We have no Americans that are superstars really. Yeah, Hinchcliffe, Marco, Graham and Hunter-Reay are all in their prime but they haven’t showed anything yet. I’d love to see an American/s to challenge Dario and Will for the championship plus an international superstar.

Photo Credit: Crash.net

Race Control: We all love Beaux Barfield and his philosophy. He needs to be the IndyCar Race Director for a long time!!

Photo Credit: Racer

Cars and Engines: Even though the DW12 is better than the old car, we need more aero kits and chassis in the series. I’m a big fan of the Swift and Lola chassis. They need to replace the DW12 as soon as possible.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

On the engine side I’d like to see Ford come into the series to have some competition for Chevy and Honda. Ford is a great company and I believe that they can provide a way better engine than Lotus. With that said, drop Lotus.   Remember Ford powered many teams to championships in CART and ChampCar.

Photo Credit: Defender of the IRL. Wally Dallenbach the driver analyst from NBCSN that is great!

TV Deal: Please dump ABC as soon as you possibly can Randy. There coverage is terrible. Marty Reid and Scott Goodyear are terrible as announcers. On the other hand, NBC Sports Network is great. There coverage as great. They need to be the sole TV provider for the IndyCar Series. Then eventually run some races on USA, NBC, Universal and NBC Sports Network to help boost the ratings. The NBC group is a great company for IndyCar because they show all the action and the booth is killer. Plus the show “IndyCar 36″ and covering qualifying.

Cap the Field: Cap the field at 30 entries with only 26 to make the field. Makes it way more interesting in qualifying.

Photo Credit: USA Today

Points: Please the current points system is annoying. Drivers shouldn’t get points for crashing out, they should get points for racing hard. The top ten should only get points like Formula One. This should be the system.

• 1st: 20
• 2nd: 18
• 3rd: 16
• 4th: 14
• 5th: 12
• 6th: 10
• 7th: 8
• 8th: 6
• 9th: 4
• 10th: 2

Photo Credit: Drive.com

Race Weekend: Make qualifying on the road and street circuits like Formula One qualifying, none of this Firestone Fast 6 stuff or group one or group two. That’s just plain dumb. Get the top ten go for the pole not six drivers. Indianapolis 500 qualifying stays the same, that system gets transferred to Pocono, Michigan and Fontana. As for the short ovals, have heat races decide the starting lineup. Just like the Gatorade Duel races for NASCAR at Daytona. Practices: There should be two practices only for an hour each. For rookies give them an extra 30 minutes of track time on Friday. The tire rules stay the same.

Photo Credit: USA Today

Schedule: When unification struck in 2008, people were confused. Why wouldn’t Road America, Cleveland, or Mexico be transferred over. Long Beach, Edmonton and Australia were transferred over and so was Toronto in 2009. Since then, street courses in Brazil, Baltimore and Detroit have been added. Houston was added for next season already. Barber has been added. And we are stepping away from the ovals again. This isn’t right. Ovals are the heritage of IndyCar racing. I believe that it should be a 50-50 split but other people believe it should be 65-35 like the old CART schedule. Yes, we do need some races from the old CART hay day but don’t go to there sketch.

Photo Credit: IndyCar

The first step of making this happen is getting sponsors/promoters. I believe that each engine manufacture should have to sponsor at least three races. So right there you have nine races sponsored.

Photo Credit: Autoweek

Second step is finding the balance and how many races there should be. I believe 20-25 races is the perfect amount. Now its just dividing it up between ovals, road courses and street courses. There are two types of ovals (short and long). Get five of each. Don’t go to Texas, Vegas or Chicago. You can go to Kentucky though, add Indy, Pocono, Michigan and Fontana. As for the short ovals, get Iowa, Milwaukee, Loudon, Phoenix and Richmond.

Photo Credit: American Grand Prix

Third step is dumping Mid-Ohio, Infineon and Barber because they don’t provide good racing. Add Laguna Seca in there also from being added. Replace it with Road America, Portland, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta.

Photo Credit: Racing Wisconsin

Fourth step: Grow American LeMans Series with IndyCar at all North American road course/street course events. Along with the Mazda Road to Indy. Great bang for the buck for the fans.

As for the street circuits keep it capped at 7. Five of them in North America, St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Toronto, Cleveland and Edmonton and two international street courses (Sao Paulo and Surfer’s Paradise) because they have the most driver population in the series other than the USA. Then run the European leg of the schedule at Rockingham (UK) and the Monza oval.

That gives us 24 races. Perfect. Now all we need is flow in the schedule. What I mean is that you can’t go to Europe at the end of the season and go from the east coast one week to the west coast and back east again. Run it in segments. Make it travel friendly. Lastly start the season just after NASCAR and end before NFL. This will help make money, save money and add more races in the future. We are going to use 2015 dates.  All dates are Saturday day races, a night race will be denoted with * and except Indy!!

1. Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, 1.8 mile street circuit

• Date: February, 21
• Race Name: Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
• Laps: 100
• Miles: 180

• Date: April, 11
• Race Name: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
• Laps: 85
• Miles: 167

6. Phoenix International Raceway, 1 mile oval *

• Date: April 18
• Race Name: Chevrolet 225
• Laps: 225
• Miles: 225

7. Portland International Raceway, 1.96 mile permanent road course

• Date: April 25
• Race Name: G.I. Joe’s Grand Prix of Portland
• Laps: 90
• Miles: 176

8. Pocono Raceway, 2.5 mile oval

• Date: May 9
• Race Name: Ford 500
• Laps: 200
• Miles: 500

9. Indianapolis, 2.5 mile oval

• Date: May 24
• Race Name: Indianapolis 500 presented by GoDaddy
• Laps: 200
• Miles: 500

10. Milwaukee Mile, 1 mile oval *

• Date: May 30
• Race Name: Chevrolet 225
• Laps: 225
• Miles: 225

11. Iowa Speedway, 0.875 mile oval *

• Date: June 6
• Race Name: Iowa Indy 250
• Laps: 250
• Miles: 218

12. Autodromo Nazionale de Monza, 2.64 mile oval

• Date: June 20
• Race Name: Monza 400
• Laps: 151
• Miles: 400

13. Rockingham Motor Speedway, 1.47 mile oval

• Date: June 27
• Race Name: Ford 300
• Laps: 204
• Miles: 300

14. Burke Lakefront Airport (Cleveland), 2.10 mile airport circuit

• Date: July 4
• Race Name: Mi-Jack Independence Day Grand Prix
• Laps: 100
• Miles: 210

15. Watkins Glen International Raceway, 3.3 mile permanent road course

• Date: July 11
• Race Name: Camping World at the Glen
• Laps: 60
• Miles: 198

16. Streets of Toronto, Canada, 1.7 mile street circuit

• Date: July 18
• Race Name: Honda Indy Toronto
• Laps: 70
• Miles: 122

17. Edmonton City Centre Airport, 2.25 mile airport circuit

• Date: July 25
• Race Name: Honda Edmonton Indy
• Laps: 90
• Miles: 202.5

18. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1 mile oval

• Date: August 8
• Race Name: Lenox 225
• Laps: 225
• Miles: 225

19. Road America, 4 mile permanent road course

• Date: August 15
• Race Name: Generac Grand Prix
• Laps: 50
• Miles: 200

20. Kentucky Speedway, 1.5 mile oval *

• Date: August 22
• Race Name: Ford 300
• Laps: 200
• Miles: 300

21. Michigan International Speedway, 2 mile oval

• Date: August 29
• Race Name: Chevrolet 500
• Laps: 250
• Miles: 500

22. Richmond International Raceway, .75 mile oval *

• Date: September 5
• Race Name: Sun Trust Challenge
• Laps: 300
• Miles: 225

23. Streets of Surfer’s Paradise, Australia, 2.77 mile street circuit

• Date: September 19
• Race Name: Ford Indy 300
• Laps: 108
• Miles: 300

24. Auto Club Speedway, 2 mile oval *

• Date: September 26
• Race Name: AAA 500
• Laps: 250
• Miles: 500