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February 28, 2007
Just Shut Up With This FOX 3D Stuff
By Mark Young
I had to check my TV on Sunday to make sure I was watching the California Auto Club 500 or NASCAR Racers on the Cartoon Network. What in the world were they thinking when they thought up the idea of FOX 3D or more importantly how simple do they take us the fans to be? If I want to watch computer graphics of cars on the track I will fire up the Playstation2 because those are better than this stuff FOX is force-feeding us. With that in mind I beg FOX to SHUT UP with this 3D stuff!!
U WANT SOME?
Now I have some friends at my real job that tell me this concept that FOX is trying to do is very cutting edge stuff. Well maybe they should have waited until the second or third version of the software came out. I really figured that after they showed this lame stuff during the Bud Shootout when the cars weren't even on the track but in the infield that it would not be back for the Daytona 500 but no, this is somebody's little baby and will not go down quietly.
Could someone explain to me how they could even possibly expect us to believe they had to go to the FOX 3D cartoon to find out who bumped Reutimann? There are over 50 cameras on that track, surely one of them had the data of the accident. Why can't they just do the race like they do football? No flashy gimmicks or joking around commentators, just straight up journalism presenting en event in a professional manner.
People joke around that NASCAR fans are rednecks, simple, and narrow-minded. Well if being a fan makes me redneck I guess I am guilty, but don't confuse us for being simple and expound on that by throwing up cheesy cartoon graphics to show something that happens on the track. Get rid of this stuff and broadcast a race the way it is supposed to be.
That's what I think, what say you?
February 28, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
I agree, the 3D stuff should be shelved. It seems an attempt to be cutting edge that looks anything but. I also agree with you about broadcasting in a professional manner. I'm sure that Darrell and Larry are nice enough guys and no doubt they know a lot about racing, but this attempted comedy team act is aggravating and distracting. Please, just tell us what's happening on the racetrack & in the pits. Also, I sure miss Buddy Baker's insight. Penske's gain is our loss.
Posted by: bob | Feb 28, 2007 8:03:38 AM
Thank you for expressing the same feelings that I have been expressing at home. He thinks it's alright, but I am trying to watch a race.
I have had no use for Darryl or Larry since they started, maybe because ESPN spoiled me. ESPN could explain things to the viewers without treating them like they were four year olds.
I rarely respond to articles, but this one
pretty much says what I have been thinking for quite some time.
Thanks so much for putting it much better than I could.
Posted by: SandiZ | Feb 28, 2007 8:14:24 AM
Remember, everyone makes fun of a redneck until their car breaks down.
Posted by: LarryTheCableGuy | Feb 28, 2007 8:26:20 AM
Big fan you must be sandiZ , considering it's Darrell , not Darryl .
As Far as the Fox3d goes , I love it , it's so damn informative and I could just watch the whole race on it . NO I couldn't . It's a joke , maybe the dumbest idea in the history of television , I would have thought it would have been NBC coming up with something like that , not FOX .
Posted by: Eric | Feb 28, 2007 8:32:37 AM
Mark,
GPS is a wonderful tool for driving across country to Grandmas house. And, if you have the very best dual channel systems, they'll get you to within 3-5 meters of her front door. The problem I have is that GPS doesn't show car orientation. It might let you know unit "a" headed in direction "b" (the wall) but it doesn't say the front back or side hit the wall first. A person did that. And, if a person had video to interpret the event, why not just show the video. Can't blame the techies at FOX they get paid to do cool stuff. But somebody higher should have nixed this. The ultimate goal of using graphics is to enhance and inform about the event. Graphics should never become events in themselves. Besides, I'm sure Mr. Reutimann is happy he really didn't go through the wall (safer barrier or not).
Posted by: Keith | Feb 28, 2007 8:34:02 AM
Fox 3D *is* cutting edge tech,
.
.
.
for 1995.
The two worst things about it are 1) the car depictions are incorrect; they may show placement, but not orientation (as Keith pointed out), and more importantly 2) Fox isn't attempting to figure out a way to use the tech to give us a *better* picture of what's happening.
The only time I see Fox 3D having an advantage is when you don't have a camera view of the start of an accident; in that case you could get the GPS data from the accident car and those around it to get an idea. BUT, they've got to get the GPS accuracy down (using surveyor techniques) to a foot or so.
Have a good one,
Mike
Posted by: Mikey | Feb 28, 2007 8:44:23 AM
I think it would be better to spend money on more cameras. That way we can see the action without trying to catch it way above in the blimp. Just a thought...
Posted by: WBinCC | Feb 28, 2007 8:48:01 AM
I agree Mark, it was idiotic. We just saw the wreck for real, why do we need to see a cartoon of it? And several times it was shown during green flag racing.
It never ends with Fox. Every time I think they can't get worse they do. They're awful.
Posted by: Kurt Smith | Feb 28, 2007 9:55:23 AM
I won't say they are awful I just think they have lost focus on what they are paying millions of dollars to do.
Posted by: Mark | Feb 28, 2007 9:58:14 AM
Does anyone remember the race where Bob Jenkins and Ned Jarret were dueling with corn dogs during the broadcast? No I didn't think so. See Larry and DW brought something new to the booth!
If NASCAR is worried about projecting a redneck image look in the booth. At least Will Ferrel was acting these two yocals are the real McCoy.
Posted by: David | Feb 28, 2007 10:07:31 AM
Mark
Very well said!I now understand they were trying to re-create what had happened on the track.I was never sure what they were showing us last weekend.I think they need to "just shut up"with about half of the graphics.
SL
Posted by: Short Lady | Feb 28, 2007 10:07:58 AM
Mark,
I think Fox will expand this 3D coverage...Fox news will use it to show George pacing in the White House. We could see how a quail really did shoot Chaney's buddy. The uses are endless.
So, where do we go from 3D? Russia needs cash. Positioning a spy satellite to cover the track is probably negotiable. Heck, for a few more rubles they'd even take out the Hotel.
Posted by: Keith | Feb 28, 2007 10:33:14 AM
Agree with all of you. DW and McReynolds need to stay home. They are not funny nor seem to be anything but arrogant. I have emailed Fox, but to no avail. The 3D is just awful. Mike Joy by himself would be better than Waldrip and McR. I have wondered why they don't have some retired drivers we all liked take turns and have a different one each week. There are enough good 'ol retired drivers to be entertaining and know what they are talking about. Like a guest host format. NASCAR seems to have forgot who got them there.
Posted by: Larry | Feb 28, 2007 10:34:57 AM
Couldn't agree more. Why don't they just take little model cars and wreck'em on the desk of the Hollywood Hotel...same concept...stupid.
And you guys are also right about Larry and his other brother Darrell. They suck.
Posted by: Same here | Feb 28, 2007 11:12:04 AM
i couldn't agree more. i'am so sick of watching that fox 3D,and the cut away car. i could scream. me and my buddies call it NASCAR FOR IDIOTS. that and DW with his boggity boggity boggity, have to go.!!!!!!!!! the best solution i have found is to turn the volume OFF on the TV, and listen to the broadcast on radio
Posted by: kevin rossman | Feb 28, 2007 11:35:00 AM
My vote for best color guy I have ever heard on a NASCAR telecast goes to Ned Jarrett. He wanted to tell us about the race and racers, not himself. He had no desire to be a star. His call of Dale's first 500 win remains my all-time favorite NASCAR TV moment.
Posted by: Doug | Feb 28, 2007 11:55:52 AM
I can remember when you didn't have a local radio station broadcasting the race much less LIVE T.V.; get over it, if you bunch of whiners don't like it, go bowling on Sundays and leave the rest of us Die-Hard Fans alone!!!!
Posted by: roushhater | Feb 28, 2007 12:02:35 PM
I love to watch the races, but when they came up with the cartoons as i see them, what a joke. Give me more racing with less comercials. Thats the thing that spoils the races...5 minutes of racing with 5 minutes of comercials and you come back from it and "we are under caution". If i could pay to have the races on my tv with NO comercials...life would be good.
Posted by: Mark | Feb 28, 2007 12:42:28 PM
roushhater,
Ya sound a bit bitter today. You got a point that it's easier than ever to watch a race now. But, chill. Just because technology advances doesn't mean we have to go Ohhhhhh!!! and Awwwwwwww!!! everytime they decide we need to see something. If you settle for what they give you, without voicing input, Then you get what they give you.
Posted by: Keith | Feb 28, 2007 12:48:34 PM
Another thing about the 3-d stuff is that when I have seen it they will be talking about one car & showing something totally different. It belongs on the Cartoon Network.
There have been times when I have muted the tv & just watched the race. It was much better than listening to the same thing over & over & over again. The commercials are becoming better than the race coverage & that isn't saying much.
Posted by: Trixie | Feb 28, 2007 12:56:38 PM
With their '3D', Fox has finally turned the races into a video game. An OLD one. The graphics are better on My Nascar 2000 than we get from Fox. But I bet brian france thinks it's a 'wonderful new innovation' to show a cartoon rather than the real thing.
Posted by: SallyB | Feb 28, 2007 1:01:50 PM
I agree, absolute waste of time. I'd rather be watching the cars driving under caution than be subjected to that dribble. I have to throw in NASCAR.com's "Race View" too. It's the same concept except it's got a billion bugs. Just let me listen to the scanner and watch the lap times with the TV broadcast muted, try it some time. Best of all no "Boogity....."
Posted by: Alltel_fan | Feb 28, 2007 1:04:21 PM
Mark, I just posted a comment on Keith's blog where he gave Fontana a "C", agreeing that the 3D graphic has to go.
I don't know why TPTB at Fox decided they had to do a "graphic" of what happened on the track. They have 50+ cameras on the track and in just about every car. Shouldn't that provide enough coverage for a replay?
I'd rather see the actual car getting spun around vs. some 3D graphic on my good old reliable standard 25" TV.
If they were so concerned with who hit Reutimann, if everyone would have "just shut up," they would have heard Shawn Reutimann tell the team that Biffle pushed him into the fence.
Although I thought DW was very reassuring, and handled the situation well when Fox decided everyone needed to watch a shaken driver catching his breath and attempting to get out of his car. I can’t imagine what everyone in Zephyrhills was thinking, let alone his wife who did not make the trip to the west coast.
But that's an entirely different subject as to when there's too much coverage, and the network should use some discretion and not show fans everything.
I believe it was Scott Pruett who first used the acronym: KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid
If the networks would just concentrate on the event and not all the bells and whistles they think fans have to have to watch a football game, basketball game or a NASCAR race, they'd make every single one of us very, very happy.
Well done, Mark. Can't wait to see the next victim!
Posted by: Shirley | Feb 28, 2007 1:05:11 PM
We saw the wreck for real??
All we saw is the double 00 turn into the wall..I didnt see one angle of why biffle got into him....Fox 3D was actually useful on sunday..
Atleast they dont have them running on the apron like at Daytona lol
Posted by: Mark | Feb 28, 2007 1:06:00 PM
NASCAR's/FOX "3d" is...
Bluntly, so way out of Date..
Looks like they took the Graphics from EA's "NASCAR Thunder" "sim" game too use for the graphic's..
IF They wanted "Realism" in 3d/Graphics..
All FOX had too do is purchase.....
*****Drum Roll Please*******
Is buy Sierra's/Papyrus's..
NASCAR Racing 2003 Season, (for the PC),
With the Updated Graphic's pack availible on the NET for download from sources
Such as SuperSpeedWay.net
Now that *SIM* Folks is what the Stars of NASCAR, (Dale jr, Carl Edwards, M. Truex, etc.. Use as a "Training tool" too "practice" on a particular track, (such as Mexico City)...
After 4 years this is STILL the BEST Simulation EVER MADE, as for Realism in Driving...
FOX should of used that SIM for the Graphics... You would of even seen parts "flying" off the car.. ;)
The current Graphics FOX is using look like the FIRST Edition of Nascar Racing for the PC.
Posted by: Dave Brandenburg | Feb 28, 2007 1:07:32 PM
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