Live Sports Fair

It is not news that NASCAR attendance is down, it is also not news that the TV numbers are down, the only real question is why? Why is this sport slipping from the high it saw in the early part of this decade? Why are once proud NASCAR fans tuning out a bit? What exactly is the problem?

Part of the problem is competition. Especially now in the Fall NASCAR is going up against the heavy hitters such as the NFL and College Football. On top of that they are battling the NHL, NBA, MLB Post season, and this year the debut of the UFL. That is a lot of things for sports fans to pay attention too, and it seems this year that NASCAR is the thing slipping through the cracks.

It seems to me that the reason for that is the dominance of Jimmie Johnson. He has won three of their first five chase races of 2009, and many fans and media alike, are ready to crown him the champion now, instead of a month from now at Homestead.
If everyone is willing to simply give Jimmie the championship there really isn't a reason to watch, now is there? In this way the perception has become reality. Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus are so much better than everyone else, which it is almost not fair, but it is certainly not exciting to watch.

Martinsville this Sunday will mark the 56th chase race in NASCAR history. Jimmie has won 17 of them, and is the only driver to qualify for the chase in all six seasons it has been run. On top of that nearly 40% of Jimmie's 46 career wins have come in the chase. Simply put he is better at this version of NASCAR than everyone else by a very large margin.

For all his winning and for all his accomplishments Jimmie has never truly fit into what NASCAR fans want their NASCAR drivers to be. He is far too sharp, too corporate, and at the end of the day he is way too nice. None of those qualities make for compelling television, and that may be why the TV numbers are down.

The attendance numbers are down because there are far too many cookie cutter 1.5 mile race tracks, where the racing isn't exciting, and doesn't look any different from the race before. This is a very bad sign, as the races all look the same there is no real reason to watch them week in and out. On top of that if only a few drivers have a shot at winning, why watch?

The hangover comes in by the fact that the season is just so long. It started in February, it end in November, and between the top three series damn near 100 races will be run. Let us end it like this, the most successful sports league on the planet, the NFL, season lasts just for months, five if we count the pre season. As it stands now the NASCAR season is double that.