ABC and Paul Dana

[rabbit]

I didn't watch the race, so I can't really comment on the way ABC handled it. But Eric Gagnon, he of Overheard at the Track fame, made this great post (http://overheardatthetrack.blogspot.com/2006/03/abcs-irl-coverage-is-devil.html) on his blog.

[Lizzerd]

the bottom line continues to be the most important thing right now for Tony and his minions. And while the bottom line is the nature of any business, ethics should also be a priority and today, the IRL demonstrated they have absolutely no ethics.

Welcome to 1996.

[Andrew Longman]

They should have raced. That's what racers do.

I have no problem with Rahal pulling his team. That's been done before.

But ABC and the IRL just didn't seem to know what to do. While they had a fairly somber and respectful opening they quickly put it behind themselves. But even in the opening, Musberger talks in a very serious tone about "and now let's listen to a very special invocation...", but they cut to the IRL yahoo who is trying to pump up the crowd and he introduces the minister as if he is Gene Simmons in war paint.

Granted its a tough thing to pull off. Just hours before the season opener a guy they all know is dead and a the show has to go on. But the ABC schtick is too over the top on a good day, they certainly could have dialed it back on Sunday.

Sorta OT I was driving last night a came across a wreck on the road about a mile from home. A 17 year old girl had turn in front of a couple on an Aprilla motorcycle. The couple were dead at the scene under a sheet on the shoulder. It messed me up all night. This morning the paper said they couple had three kids ages 6, 3 and 6 mo. I don't know, I bring it up because between Dana and this its been a rough week and it hard to put it all in perspective.

[Hard Driver]

Sorta OT I was driving last night a came across a wreck on the road about a mile from home. A 17 year old girl had turn in front of a couple on an Aprilla motorcycle. The couple were dead at the scene under a sheet on the shoulder. It messed me up all night. This morning the paper said they couple had three kids ages 6, 3 and 6 mo. I don't know, I bring it up because between Dana and this its been a rough week and it hard to put it all in perspective.

Man, that is just brutal. Those poor kids.

[theunions]

They should have raced. That's what racers do.

I have no problem with Rahal pulling his team. That's been done before.

Precisely...nobody responding directly to that blog seemed to comprehend either point, which bothers me.

Personally, I didn't have a particular problem with ABC's coverage overall (esp. given that this occured just hours before air time involving a rookie driver none of them knew that well), except for Jamie's fawning over Wheldon in victory lane.

[Andrew Longman]

Man, that is just brutal. Those poor kids.

In the small world department, my wife found out today that the dead woman was a patient in the OB/GYN office she works in and remembers her well. She was also a neighbor of a nurse of the practice.

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