NASCAR still isn't getting it about the failure of the playoff format, but it also appears there's a case of putting out fires going on. Brian Z. France had stated in November that changes were "not on the table.....ten races, ten drivers." But now Jim Hunter has stated that there will be changes - more points for winning a race and more than ten drivers in the playoffs - Bruton Smith speculates the changes will be ten extra points and twelve Chase drivers. Ramsey Poston of NASCAR then added in classic spin mode, "We don't think there's anything new here."
Either someone is confused about what policy is coming or there's an awful lot of imitation of Nick Saban going on here. Regardless, they display the maddening refusal of NASCAR to get it - The Chase is a failure. They remain in denial about the Chase, refusing to see that it has hurt TV ratings and attendence, has made what was an already ennui-driven championship battle even more mediocre, and continues to attack racing's competitive core by trying to stick-and-ball-ize the sport.
Adding ten points for winning the race might as well be adding one point, for it continues to refuse to make winning races paramount; winning the most races still needs to be the requirement of a champion. Adding two more drivers to the Chase ignores the question, what of the others mathematically still in the points race? And what of the rest of the field? Why does NASCAR have to arbitrarily shut out most of the field from at least top ten points contention for an illusiory spike in TV ratings?
It gets NASCAR off to another uninspiring start as it enters a pivotal season.
1 comment:
I like the chase, and I would add points for a win. Francecar can't keep tweaking the rules about the chase each year...oh, I guess they can.
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