OT: Forbes Magazine Most "Miserable" Cities in US

[Rip Rokken]

I gotta say that I enjoy NASCAR and Pabst Blue Ribbon tho

Man, that stuff hits HARD, and hurts for a while afterward. I remember it as a kid, and about 10 years ago, we had a hippie-run pizza place that only sold PBR, for $1.50 per can between 5-7pm. I'll never forget that...

[Enigma869]

For the Nascar haters here's a little fact for you to chew on - Nascar attracts larger audiences every year then all the other sports combined. I'm talking about MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA etc. Google it and check out the numbers for yourselves.

Who gives a shit! You should see the audiences they pack into all the damn churches around here on a Sunday morning! It would put the NASCAR crowds to shame

Large audiences mean nothing! We live in a country of over 300 million people, so there aren't many activites you can't draw a crowd to! For starters, you're comparing NASCAR venues that hold upwards of 200,000 people for one event to two sports (NBA and NHL) that usually don't even max out at 20K. Listen, I've heard it from my soccer friends, FOREVER, that soccer is the biggest and most popular sport in the world! It doesn't change the fact that nobody in this country gives a fuck and never will! Like everything else in life, it depends on one's perspective. The reality is that most (and again, I said most...not all) sports fans will NEVER consider driving a fucking car around in circles a sport! I'm sure if you had a "shoot someone in the ass with a dart" competition, you could probably sell out Lowes Motor Speedway! It doesn't legitimize NASCAR as a sport, for most of us!


John from Boston

[Saint John]

For the Nascar haters here's a little fact for you to chew on - Nascar attracts larger audiences every year then all the other sports combined. I'm talking about MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA etc. Google it and check out the numbers for yourselves.

Nascar sold roughly 4.5 million tickets last year. Baseball sold over 70 million tickets. Nice try.

[chf34jmac]

Recheck your numbers dude they average 200,000 per week at the tracks.

[7 Wishes]

Plus, there is only one NASCAR race per weekend, whereas the Big Four sports have anywhere from 5 to 16 games per league every night, and draw (usually) full houses.

[chf34jmac]

No need to get hostile John. Just pointing out that in a world where money dictates success, NasCar is pretty high up the food chain for such a "redneck" sport.

[Rick]

White

[7 Wishes]

My disdain for NASCAR has nothing to do with it being a "redneck" sport. Back home in the U.K. (well, in Ireland, which is NOT "back home") they have a ridiculous sport called "hurley". It is the most stupid organized sport in the universe, and yet tens of thousands of pugilistic, soused potato-eaters conglomerate to watch matches every weekend, brawl, drink, vomit, and go home to a seven course Irish meal (a six pack and a potato) before passing out.

[Saint John]

NASCAR’s Growth Slows after 15 Years in the fast Lane

NASCARS popularity has seemed to come to a stunning halt after 15 years of growth. As the Nextel Cup Series nears the end of its TV contract, there are signs that NASCAR is not as popular as it used to be. Results show that NASCAR attendance has fallen in a third of the traces, even in such places like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Some observes such as Kyle Petty say that the season length might have something to do with the loss of fans. Petty is quoted as saying, “I'm an idiot, and this is all I've ever done, but my God, 36 freaking races a year? Even I'm not going to tune in every week."

Ryan, Nate. USA Today. November 15, 2006

[Rick]

My disdain for NASCAR has nothing to do with it being a "redneck" sport. Back home in the U.K. (well, in Ireland, which is NOT "back home") they have a ridiculous sport called "hurley". It is the most stupid organized sport in the universe, and yet tens of thousands of pugilistic, soused potato-eaters conglomerate to watch matches every weekend, brawl, drink, vomit, and go home to a seven course Irish meal (a six pack and a potato) before passing out.

I'M IN!!!

[Panther]

For the Nascar haters here's a little fact for you to chew on - Nascar attracts larger audiences every year then all the other sports combined. I'm talking about MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA etc. Google it and check out the numbers for yourselves.

Nascar sold roughly 4.5 million tickets last year. Baseball sold over 70 million tickets. Nice try.

Is that 4.5 mil. for the Sprint (Nextel/Winston) races alone, or for all races throughout the 2007 season? I can see that amount for perhaps the big boys, but not a combined total and definitely not including the race in Mexico City. BTW... Where did you dig that number up? I'm just being lazy and don't want to seek it out myself.

[Enigma869]

For the Nascar haters here's a little fact for you to chew on - Nascar attracts larger audiences every year then all the other sports combined. I'm talking about MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA etc. Google it and check out the numbers for yourselves.

Nascar sold roughly 4.5 million tickets last year. Baseball sold over 70 million tickets. Nice try.

Is that 4.5 mil. for the Sprint (Nextel/Winston) races alone, or for all races throughout the 2007 season? I can see that amount for perhaps the big boys, but not a combined total and definitely not including the race in Mexico City. BTW... Where did you dig that number up? I'm just being lazy and don't want to seek it out myself.

Well, I'm already on record as saying NASCAR is fucking mindless. That said, I would find it hard to believe that ANY event who holds activities at tracks that can accomodate up to 200K people for just one event would only draw 4.5 million for a whole year! I suspect they draw a lot more people than that! WWE draws far more than that!


John from Boston

[Rick]

It's all just entertainment. Nobody is dumb for watching any sport.

[sadie65]

It's all just entertainment. Nobody is dumb for watching any sport.

Perhaps the trick is to define what passes for sport

[Rick]

It's all just entertainment. Nobody is dumb for watching any sport.

Perhaps the trick is to define what passes for sport

True, although it makes no difference. My point was, it doesn't make someone stupid for enjoying Nascar. I'm not a fan of Nascar, but get disgusted when I see people calling the fans stupid or rednecks because they enjoy it.

[Perrydise]

Name ONE non-American NASCAR fan. You can't.

Juan Pablo Montaya's family (rookie last year) and they all live in Mexico.

Alot of drivers are crossing over to Nascar.

[sadie65]

It's all just entertainment. Nobody is dumb for watching any sport.

Perhaps the trick is to define what passes for sport

True, although it makes no difference. My point was, it doesn't make someone stupid for enjoying Nascar. I'm not a fan of Nascar, but get disgusted when I see people calling the fans stupid or rednecks because they enjoy it.

I live in an area that LOVES NASCAR. Not my kind of sport, but I don't think less of anyone for what they enjoy.

[7 Wishes]

They're going for the money, trust me...not because it's more fun. You ask ANYONE who has raced F1 / Indy / Nascar and they will tell you, unequivocally, that NASCAR is by far the least interesting of the three as far as competition is concerned.

[Panther]

NASCAR’s Growth Slows after 15 Years in the fast Lane

NASCARS popularity has seemed to come to a stunning halt after 15 years of growth. As the Nextel Cup Series nears the end of its TV contract, there are signs that NASCAR is not as popular as it used to be. Results show that NASCAR attendance has fallen in a third of the traces, even in such places like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Some observes such as Kyle Petty say that the season length might have something to do with the loss of fans. Petty is quoted as saying, “I'm an idiot, and this is all I've ever done, but my God, 36 freaking races a year? Even I'm not going to tune in every week."

Ryan, Nate. USA Today. November 15, 2006

Okay, a 2006 article. 2004-2005 brought about several changes that were not taken well by the fan base, at large, and a couple of tracks were taken off the roster. Yeah, that'll bring about a drop in support about the same way drastic changes in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB would (picture the NBA going to about a third of the games they now play and then restricting the amount of three pointers that can count in any given game - it might near cause a riot).

In truth, the fans have settled back in (though with the changes this year, it might see another drop) and returned full force, since then. Me, personally, I'd love to see them go back to the all race championship and get rid of the restrictors (I don't see it as helping). I'd also love to see more short to mid track races, though they seem to think the super track is the wave of the future.

[FishinMagician]

Name ONE non-American NASCAR fan. You can't.

so is your point that it is an American sport? big deal
besides, everyone watches it for the wrecks anyways even if they wont admit it