Have Former NASCAR Fans Moved on to "Dirtier" Pursuits?

An interesting premise is set forth in this article that the fans who made NASCAR the behemoth it became have moved on to watching gritty tv shows these days while they lament no longer seeing drivers at the motel, in the restaurant or at the gas station like the "good old days."

Are NASCAR Fans Moving On To Dirtier Pursuits?

By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com

Anyone who cares even a little bit about auto racing has to be saddened by the empty seats at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend and at other tracks on the circuit, as well as the sluggish ratings for broadcasts of races.

It cant all be blamed on the economy. If people were true fans, and couldnt afford to travel to races, wouldnt they be tuned in at home in large numbers?

It cant be blamed all on the race tracks, a criticism that Bristol gets from some quarters these days. Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth put on a Petty vs. Pearson kind of battle for the win on Sunday, a battle that should have been a crowd pleaser. But in an era when the pre-race TV promotions in general tend to focus on one wreck after another, the perception seems to be that anything less than a wreck-fest is boring.

An idea as to the whereabouts of the NASCAR fan base can be found in an article in USA Today last week.

In an article entitled Rednecks swamp TV as viewers seek grittier reality, writer Carol Memmott took an interesting look at the reality TV shows that have become the rage of late, shows like Swamp People and Hillbilly Handfishin and Lizard Lick Towing that feature the same kind of real people that used to drive stock cars back in the day.

Have drivers become too neat and clean for some fans? (RacinToday/HHP file photo by Christa L Thomas)

And, as the article pointed out, its not just men that are tuning in. April Masini, a relationship expert, said swamp people and those who catch catfish with their bare hands are a hit with women as well, something NASCAR discovered about its drivers decades ago.

Any guy who considered his Porsche, cashmere sweaters and Italian shoes chick magnets, take note. The new man that women are looking for is rugged and fearless and reality TV has capitalized and is bringing women the new firemen: men who go into swamps and catch big fish with their bare hands, mano a mano, Masini is quoted as saying, adding that Ernest Hemingway would be drinking gin in front of the television, watching Mudcats if he was alive today.

In the article, executives from the History Channel, which carries several shows including Swamp People, said their network is second only to ESPN in viewership by men and that Swamp People averages 4.5 million viewers per episode.

Lizard Licks Ron Shirley is quoted as saying shows like his feature folks that viewers can identify with, something NASCAR once enjoyed when many of its top drivers grew up in the textile mill villages of the south.

What America has been looking for for a long time is real people, Shirley. They want real politicians, they want real doctors, they want real lawyers. They want people who understand them and are like them.

It wasnt that long ago that fans would run into NASCAR drivers at gas stations and restaurants on the way home from races. Now drivers fly in and out of race tracks on private jets and either commute to races on those jets or stay in luxury motorcoaches behind secure fences. They have to be careful what they say or risk trouble with NASCAR or their sponsors.

Its not the drivers fault that theyve become wealthy, but its a sign the sport has changed. Maybe theres some wealth envy among fans, or maybe theyre looking for a driver like Dale Earnhardt, who hunted and fished and raised chickens and cows away from the race track and on the track seemed like a man who could catch a catfish with his bare hands.

Maybe NASCAR just hasnt gotten over the loss of Earnhardt. Maybe theres just not enough drama these days before, during or after a race.

Theres not much excitement in hearing a Cup driver recite a list of his sponsors and talk about having a good points day. But it is to hear Troy Landry last season, wrestling with a mean alligator on the line, turn to his Swamp People fishing partner, Liz Cavalier and yell: Shoot im Elizabeth!

Its not exactly Danica Mania, but many of the same people that NASCAR used to count on to buy tickets and tune in for race broadcasts sure seem to enjoy it.

Rick Minter can be reached at rminter@racintoday.com

Lady Hoggers...! Now that's some mighty fine telyvision.

Speaking of the Atlanta paper....

The entire sports world lost one of the best there ever was Sunday when Furman Bisher who spent decades at the Atlanta paper passed away. Furman was a native of Denton, NC and former Editor of the afternoon Charlotte News . For many years Furman was recognized throughout the United States as one the country's all-time best sports writers, columnists and editors. I once had the pleasure in 1981 of taking Dale Earnhardt for a visit with Furman in the Atlanta "City Room."

Curiosity question PK... is AJC Sports Editor Jim Minter kin to Rick Minter?

R.I.P. Furman Bisher.

Sportswriter Furman Bisher, former Charlotte News editor, dies
Assoociated Press
Posted: Sunday, Mar. 18, 2012
This undated file photo shows Atlanta Journal Constitution sports columnist Furman Bisher. Bisher died Sunday, March 18, 2012, of a massive heart attack. He was 93. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, File)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. Famed Georgia sportswriter Furman Bisher, who covered everything from major golf tournaments to the Triple Crown during a career that spanned six decades, died Sunday of a massive heart attack south of Atlanta. He was 93. Bisher was a former editor at the Charlotte News and was a native of Denton, N.C.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Bishers death on its website Sunday evening. Former AJC editor Jim Minter said family members told him that Bisher had planned to watch golf at home on Sunday but that he complained of feeling ill, at which point his wife Lynda called 911. He died at the hospital.

He put more quality words on newsprint than any other writer in the last half of the 20th century, Minter said late Sunday, according to the newspaper. He never wrote a bad column.

Bisher retired in 2009 after 59 years at the Georgia newspaper, writing his final column on the same typewriter hed used in 1950.

At his retirement, Bisher said, I just decided thats enough I had been thinking about it a couple weeksI just wont be writing a column.

The newspaper reported that he wrote hundreds of articles for national magazines including Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post. His several books included an autobiography of Hank Aaron.

Bisher began his career in 1938 at the Lumberton Voice and he became an editor at the Charlotte News two years later. After his retirement, Bisher continued to write occasionally for the Journal-Constitution. He was hoping to cover this years Masters tournament.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/18/3109318/sportswriter-furman-bisher-former.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

Furman Bisher kept us digging, all these years
Posted: Monday, Mar. 19, 2012
Ron Green Sr.

Ron Green Sr. is a retired Observer columnist.

In this undated file photo, sportswriter Furman Bisher poses for a photo at the Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. Bisher died Sunday, March 18, 2012, of a heart attack. He was 93.

If I hadnt been so blindly in love with the newspaper business, Furman Bisher might have driven me out of it, back to the office supply store where I had worked while I waited for a job at the old Charlotte News.

This was way back, late 40s, early 50s. Bisher was my sports editor and I was a rookie flailing around trying to lay out the sports pages and doing a poor job of it, which meant, in his eyes, I rarely got it right. That wasnt an easy thing for the skinny kid in over his head to handle.

Bisher finally gave up on me and switched me off the desk to a writing assignment. Hell to heaven. That worked out pretty well. Ive been indebted to him ever since, for the chance and for making me understand the pursuit of perfection.

Ive never written a column that I thought was perfect but I was shooting for that when I wrote it. Echoing silently in my mind were Bishers parting words to me when he left the News and went to work in Atlanta: Keep digging.

Furman Bisher, longtime Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports columnist, passed away Sunday at the age of 93 and I lost a friend and an idol and the world lost one of the best sports writers who ever typed a line. He knew his stuff, always going in prepared, and he wrote it in a distinctive style that seemed almost musical. He took his time saying what he wanted to say and reading it was like enjoying a leisurely gourmet dinner. I loved reading his columns, never failed to read every word of them when I could.

His travels often brought him to his native North Carolina (he was from Denton) to write about a football game between a Georgia team and one of our Big Four. Never mind that he was one of the biggest names in sportswriting, he worked harder than anybody else in the press box. He would write a column for the early editions, maybe describing the campus, the weather, the crowd making its way into the stadium, relatively meaningless tidbits but from his keyboard, they read beautifully. Then when the game was over he would write a lengthy account of the game and then another column, twiddling with a curl that hung down on his forehead as he chose his words. It was not unusual for him to be the last writer out of the press box.

He cared that much. And perfect takes a little more time.

His favorite was baseball. He covered the old Charlotte Hornets for the News and wrote stories befitting the major leagues.

One of his other favorites was golf. He liked to tell people he taught me how to play. Thats not how I remember it but I liked the memories of our days at the old Eastwood course.

He was planning to attend the Masters this year, something hes done for more than 60 years. It was the one assignment he kept when he retired a few years ago. The picture will not be complete without him. That seat he always occupies in the press room will be empty and some beautiful words will go unwritten.

PK... think anyone from today's generation would recognize the instrument in the cartoon?

It appears that the Atlanta paper ran tons of stories on Monday and Tuesday about Furman.

Look at this search link from the AJC

http://projects.ajc.com/search/?term=furman+bisher&x=14&y=7

I want to go back and check out all the Atlanta paper stories about Furman's passing. He may have been the last great sports writer and editor of that generation.

Did that to me too, the 2nd time I tried to use it.

The more I read about Furman Bisher the more I wish I knew more about him. One of his career highlights was in 1949 when he traveled to Greenville, SC and did an interview with Shoeless Joe Jackson - the first time he talked with the media since the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal.

Furman Bisher (left) interviews Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1949. (BlackBetsy.com)

Thanks for your link. By the way, interestingly enough, the WSB TV-2 web site lists tons of Furman print stories. Go figure.

Here is a "MUST READ" piece about Furman being loved by Richard Petty and covering the first Strickly Stock race at Charlotte Fairgrounds.

Article by Ed Hinton:

http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7709954/nascar-furman-bisher-was-league-own

Hey, I'm there.......I watchSwamp People! LOL

AND don't forgetSwamp Loggersthat one's especially attractive as it centers around the homeland.....south-eastern N.C. Might even see some friends and family on the air.

Jim, you are right as rain on that one! Could not agree more. The media has waged the cultural war on the south from day one.......Amos & Andy, Mayberry, the Beverly Hillbillies, Dukes of Hazzard, Gomer Pyle.........and don't forget David Letterman, and Leno every night. NASCAR's caught up in this whole deal too (surprise!).

Or available to those of us who went in the 60s, lol!

Bobby, until they built the new & improved U.S. 264/64 in the mid 70s, I couldn't drive from Wilson to Raleigh without passing through Lizard Lick, NC... home of the towing business of television fame. Also used to pass by Jackass Rd. in Knightdale!

One thing I took note at was that on Friday before the 12 Hours of Sebring all the drivers signed in the paddock at Sebring. If you did not get what you wanted then you had a chance to walk the grid before the race. All the drivers were approachable and accessable. American LeMans Series has this mission "Fans First." Sadly if NASCAR had one, "THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR FIRST"

Those run twice a year down the road where I live. At times I rather go to that then watch a NASCAR race

No one could turn a phrase like old Furman Bisher! Too bad all of those true writers are not known in today's world of impersonal internet keyboardists.

Don`t watch much Nascar Races anymore the only thing i watch for is to see where Morgan Shaperd fineshs in Sat race and to see where James Hilton fineshs in ARCAR outher than that i like all Vintage raceing and old racecar shows thats it for me love the old timers looking farward to the Mitty at Road ATL at the end of April a lot of all kinds of old race cars oned by rich peoplethat get on the track and run fast its a good show RIP Dale Phelon