Ratings, racing and restarts

TNT is justifiably proud of its ratings success with NASCAR races. And, as any NASCAR accountant would point out, what's good for business is pretty good for the sport and its fans (with some notable exceptions).
Some fans, it turns out, are a far piece from pleased with what they're seeing on the tube these race days. And some aren't even seeing the races.
Turner Network Television saw its Nextel Cup ratings rise again with Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol. The numbers were about 15 percent better than last year's and the household count was up to 4.25 million. Previous races this season were also ratings successes, TNT says.
I'm like Jim Utter, at least in this way: I'm still looking for the rest of NASCAR's 75 million fans. This was Bristol, right? Even when you count the 160,000 or so souls at the race, we're still coming up a little short. Unless, of course, all those households TNT is touting were holding big race parties Saturday night.

OK, we won't quibble too much with what NASCAR tells its advertisers just now. Let's just stick with the ratings game.

I've got to wonder what those Bristol ratings would look like had NBC carried the race instead of cable's TNT.
Yes, Virginia, while there is indeed a Santa Claus, cable is still an expense for which many people choose not to sign up. And at this stretch of the season, many of those folks are bothered that NBC won't be getting into NASCAR's Chase game until October, just in time for the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega.

The Sept. 10 Richmond race, which may well have some final say on who does and doesn't make the Chase? On TNT. Cable.
The first two Chase races? Yup, cable again.

Like I suggested to a reader in an e-mail the other day: You've got three choices if you don't want to spend the money, then have the cable company give you a four-hour window for when they might actually hook you up.
You can plan to visit your in-laws at times that coincide with the races you want to see. You can make peace with that annoying neighbor who still has your chain saw from last winter's ice storm and go see him when the races are on the tube. Or you can find a sports bar within crawling distance of your place.

But any and all of those options, along with signing up and paying for the service, of course, can carry their own set of aggravations.
Restarts that regularly take place while commercials are airing might count as one. Rain delays are easily another.
And, everyone's favorite: the shameless and seemingly endless self-promotion.

Hey, we like your electric soap box and it's a bully pulpit. But we tuned in to see a race thanks.