When the 2009 season started there seemed to be a great opportunity for the TV networks to gain some ground among fans. After all with the economy keeping fans away from the tracks what better way to keep up with NASCAR then watching it for free at home?
There was also a thought that the sport could attract new viewers that couldn’t afford to visit their own venues to see their favorite sport.
The exact opposite seems to have come true.
So far this season, NASCAR’s TV ratings have been some of the lowest on record. The Phoenix race for example had a rating of 3.6/7 (according to Jayski.com), which happened to be the lowest NASCAR rating ever for FOX.
The Talladega race, easily one of the best of the year, earned FOX a 4.5/11 rating again according to Jayski.com. And while it was FOX's best NASCAR overnight in seven weeks it was also -13% lower than last year's 5.2/11 for the same race.
So one has to wonder, what’s the problem?
Maybe it’s time to turn a gopher into a scapegoat or better yet, road kill.
When FOX introduced embedded cameras around the track they seemed to be one of the coolest angles for television since speed shots were developed. Speed shots of course add color to a broadcast. They aren’t really good angles for replays or seeing what happened, usually. But they do look great and can give a viewer a real sense of the speed the cars are racing at.
Just as fans were getting used to the embedded cameras though, FOX sports chairman David Hill invented a cartoon character, a gopher, that popped out of the ‘holes’ during the shot then turned around screamed and popped back in.
Cute at first, but mildly annoying when overused.
By the way David Hill is the same ‘comedic genius’ behind ‘Peter Puck’ used when the network covered the NHL and Cleatus the Robot used during NFL coverage.
A contest was used to name this new character and the winner was, Digger.
What started out as mildly annoying soon became more maddening as the graphic gopher seemed to start appearing outside its ‘hole’ and began to creep into other parts of the broadcast.
But that was just the beginning.
As 2009 dawned, David Hill announced that Digger was about to become a great deal more annoying.
Digger ‘burst’ onto the scene this season with his own cartoon episodes that are shown as part of FOX’s prerace coverage. Oh wait it gets better. An entire cartoon supporting cast was assembled behind Digger, including his girlfriend Annie, best friend Marbles, Gramps and arch-nemesis Lumpy Wheels.
Of course to go along with all this was a complete line of toys, t-shirts and other merchandise. By the way, Hill said that all this was being developed as a way to ‘attract a younger fan’ to NASCAR. He also mentioned that it’s an additional revenue stream for the network.
This isn’t the first attempt to attract the younger demographic.
From 1999-2001 26 episodes of a cartoon called ‘NASCAR Racers’ were produced for FOX. The series was about two rival NASCAR racing teams, Team Fastex and Team Rexcor, competing against each other in the futuristic NASCAR Unlimited Division.
And to go along with the show, there were NASCAR Racers books, one Game Boy, one PlayStation, and one PC video game that were adapted.
In the end the show, which also was intended to be shown during prerace coverage, aired for an entire month. And while it held on for a time in syndication, the show faded into obscurity.
Good thing we learn from history right?
Now here we are in the early part of the season, TV ratings are down and the execs are no doubt scratching their heads wondering how to turn things around.
Here’s an idea: let the gopher become road kill. Let him stay out of that hole just a little too long. Or have him exit stage right, never to be seen again.
When I turn on a NASCAR race, that’s exactly what my kids and I want to see. Sure you can show me some stats, interview my favorite driver during the prerace and I can even tolerate the ‘Just for Men lap leader’, or the Tums ‘Heartburn of the Race’ or try to answer trivia questions from a duck. There’s a revenue stream I don’t mind seeing.
But if the kids or I want to watch cartoons we can get up early Saturday morning or turn on Cartoon Network.
Show us what we turned the TV on for. Racing, pure and simple. And if you want to attract a younger demographic show the product that NASCAR delivers best, good hard racing. Let my kids see Carl Edwards climb from a burning racecar and stroll across the finish line, Matt Kenseth fight back tears after winning the Daytona 500 or drivers battling for the lead as the laps wind down.
Don’t give me a reason to want to change the channel.
In other words, it’s time to kill Digger.
Comments
You are evil and mean! I love Digger!
i bet mr boogety is getting money out of this insult to racing fans. i hate fox.
I agree about Digger; that is beyond ridiculous. Even my ten year old son thinks it is stupid. I asked him Saturday night if he would want a 'Digger' t-shirt and his response was a perfect example of honest surprise, "Why?"
One error in your story: FOX did not introduce the imbedded camera-ESPN had this years ago and even used it in commercials promoting upcoming broadcasts. Unlike FOX, they knew how to use them without insulting the intelligence of the average fan.
Want to get TV ratings back??? Get rid of that 12 year old DW with his boogity crap and all his other biased nonsense and get Ned Jarrett and Buddy Baker back on the stool. They knew how to call a race and they were credible. I don't think Ole Dim Wit could even call home as childish as he is. Get rid of some of that other fluff and stick to what you know...RACING.
Digger is fun! This is entertainment not midnight mass! Grow a funny bone.
Digger is an embarrassment to NASCAR. Obviously FOX is underestimating the intelligence level of racing fans.
Digger **MUST** go! And DW should stay! Can you imagine Ned Jarrett doing a present day broadcast. Gheesh! I'd be asleep by the time the leaders would get to turn 3!
Get rid of Chris Meyers and Marv Albert in his place!?
According to what I have heard, DW was the first NA$CAR driver with a college degree. Seems amazing that he is now a 12 year old pushing children's toys. He is an insult to legitimate college graduates because he acts like he is still in Jr. High. Let him go away and play with his toys and give us an adult for racing.
I cannot stand Digger and I know no one that likes this campain! Larry Mac and DW need to go, I am so sick of the same thing to start every race.
Larry Mac "DW reach up there and tighten those belts one last time"
DW "Boogity, Boogity Boogity Let's go (Insert Track Nace) racing boys".
It was ok at first, but come up with something new! And what is up with Hammond, does he live in a tanning booth? And that outfit he had on at Texas? Really, what was up with that? I cannot stand Chris Myers on any Fox broadcast but to replace him with Marv Alberts? NO WAY!!!! I cannot stand him or his brother!
I actaully really think DJ and Andy Petree do a good job on the ESPN races I would really like to see them go back to one network for the season.
I would also like to see them get rid of at least half of the in car shots, bumper cams, and Digger cams. Give us more wide angle racing.
Fox, ESPN, TNT should look at the coverage of F1 races. That is a quality run pre-race show as well as a well done race! The announcers know what is going on with the race, they keep you informed. No stupid gimmicks, just racing and info about the race.
Digger is just awful. The NFL robot is way WAY less annoying. I'm not sure how NASCAR fans got stuck with this annoying rodent. But no kid I know wants anything to do with Digger. They would rather wear an 88 or a 24 shirt. you know, like most nascar fans.
Get rid of digger.
Let DIGGER LIVE cutOUT boogity out.
Get rid of Digger & Friends, and the ultimate embarrassment to Nascar fans, Rutledge Wood. What a waste of DNA.
Digger has gotten the point of being irritating. If Fox wants to show the "Digger" shot and the graphic that goes along with it, then that's fine. But, having DW (who it appears would now sell his soul for just about anything) hawking "Digger" items is just way too much. I would love for someone to pay DW to sell "Digger Must Die" merchandise. But of course, Ol' DW would have to get his cut and we'd have to hear it 200 times a race. On second thought... Just kill "Digger" and put the rest of us out of our misery.
Digger and DW both deserve the ax. They are the most annoying things about the NASCAR broadcasts. In addition, why do we have to put up with an hour of Bull from DW before the races start this makes a lot of fans tune to another station.
I didn't know there was only one name attached to this plague of animated BS cluttering up sports broadcasts. I feel bad that I've grown to hate Darrell Waltrip, who seems like a nice guy, but at least I can turn the sound down. I can't escape the crappy cartoons.
David Hill must die.
Please get rid of that Very STUPID gopher. Wake up FOX and do your job, this is something even most kids think is stupid as well. While you are at it go ahead and get rid of Good `ol DW too! Im so sick of him making excuses every time "Mikey" screwes up. How Phony.........
Yes, definitely get rid of the gopher as it has nothing to do with racing. as for Mr. Waltrip the boogity crap must go -it is idiotic and makes Waltrip appear even less intelligent than he really is which is saying a lot.I liked D.W. better when I could'nt stand him ( he had very few friends when he was driving) Now he is intolerable to the point that I change the channel when he is babbling and usually don't change back because he is so totally annoying.
So far thats 3 for digger and countless for no digger......but thats okay. 80% of people don't support gay marriage but it will probably come to pass. Another NO DIGGER is my 2 yr old daughter......"no digger daddy, racing daddy, go fast, go fast." should sum it up.
Yes, Dipper must die.. Ever time it comes on I change the channel and watch something on the Travel Channel for awile.. And Daryl Waltrip needs to go also.. He's a turncoat from the vans view.. He ALWAYS supports EVERYTHING Nascar says and does and is never critical of Nascar.. Daryl, your a turncoat!!
I HATE DIGGER!! He is an insult to our intelligence and designed to make NASCAR Fans look stupid to the rest of the world. Digger and David Hill both need to go!! DW & Larry Mac need to stop being the leaders of the Kyle Busch fan club and talk about all the drivers!!!!
When that annoying rodent starts making his presence known on the pre-race show, I change the channel and don't come back until the race starts. Is this what fox wants?
I too change the channel during the Digger cartoon. I'd rather watch the Weather Channel for five minutes than waste my time watching that stupid cartoon.
The COT has a nice splitter on the front. When Digger pops his head out what a wonderful op for a beheading. That would keep me watching. Each week they could make something different happen to the head as it sails into the air. Itchy and Scratchy and Digger.
Digger is annoying, but the reason that ratings are down is because the "johnny come lately" fan that tuned in because their friend loved Junior have moved on to something else. Fox tries too hard to entertain me, when the racing should be entertaining me. It'll get worse when ESPN takes over at mid-season. The most annoying thing about Nascar is that they let the networks set the start time. They lose me everytime they start a race at three or four o'clock on a beautiful sunday afternoon.
I do not watch the fox prerace anymore. I jump to speed or anything but the fox prerace. a couple weeks ago the F1 race was on at the same time and I forgot to turn back. The digger thing is way bad. dont get rid of digger. I am already missing some races. Since the espn days of old I dont believe I have missed this many races. Please get rid of stupid digger
Glide
To me it is not yet warm and nice enough for me to think of NASCAR every weekend now. They start WAY too early and end WAY too late for a season. I wish someone else would win a race thought, for me it is kinda boring to see Kyle, Carl and Jimmy winning all the races.
I really got excited when Mark Marting won!!
Fox doesn't realize that us Viewers Turn the Channel when a Certain Rat Shows Up in a Stupid Cartoon thus defeating the purpose of us watching and thus damaging their ratings.
I did it this weekend, tuned in for the race and saw a stupid digger cartoon then toon to a movie and forgot about the race.
Current TV coverage needs to step back and take a lesson from when ESPN ran the coverage in the 80's and 90's. Enough of the hour and a half pre race leading up to the green flag. There is more than enough dead space during the race to cover all your little items. When ESPN had the races, coverage would start just in time for the national anthem, you would get the engine start and then the start of the race all within 10 minutes when it came on tv. Then throughout the race they would have fill in tech spots about what was happening, pit reporting, behind the scenes information and other related news. But, I understand, if you can add 2 hours to your coverage, you get to sell that much more air time for commercials.
Digger is a mild annoyance. The big problem is NASCAR! Every on track rivalry is quickly quashed. The most blantant acts of stupidity are white-washed and all we get is a stream of politically correct garbage from the mouths of Nascar,the drivers and crew chiefs.
You would think that Nascar could learn from it's own history. The Alison / Yarborough fight at Daytona in 79 did more for the sport than any cartoon. And somebody please talk to the announcers. "BOOGITY-BOOGITY-BOOGITY Lets go racing boys!" was amusing the first time. Now it sounds moronic, and not to be outdone, Larry M came up with the "Reach up and pull those belts one more time!" crap. It's to the point that I mute the first green flag to avoid having my brain drip out of my ears.
Also, Let the drivers be human, let them get angry and let them speak their minds. I don't watch but a few races a year. I like races at Bristol, Martinsville, Darlington, Atlanta, Daytona and Talledega. To me these tracks offer the best chance for something interesting to happen.
With the reins so tight on the drivers and crew chiefs you sure as heck can't expect anything too exciting to come up except for the "Big ones."
Digger is like the Obama administration.. It is worthless.. BUY FORD!!! The only true American Non-Government Owned Company!!
How about this idea? A new show for SPEED, hosted by DW, called "PIMP MY GOPHER"!
dam that digger it is time for that little!!!!!!to go have all i can stand of that little!!!!
ALSO DW MUST GO ITS TIME TO BRING MICKIE ON TO REPLACE HIM MICKIE IS SO STUPID HE HAS TO BE BETTER THEN DW AND THE GOPHER GET RID OF THEM BOTH
that gopher really makes me feel embarassed to be a nascar fan nascar just plain sucks these days the drivers are so afraid of the all powerful nascar they wont show any emotion i remember having a favorite driver and a villan driver that i just hated now theyre all just bland i miss the old tony stewart somebody should throw down on the track or off cmon
Digger is like the Obama administration.. It is worthless.. BUY FORD!!! The only true American Non-Government Owned Company!!
Wrong Doug C Ford is owned buy US Gov just look at all the Cop cars that the US buy it from ford so stop lieing and wake up and smell the Coffee!
Digger, DW and that STUPID, STUPID, STUPID theme song.."Let's Go Racing Boys"..who in their right mind thought that any of these were good ideas. I am counting down the races until ESPN/ABC/TNT..not that its much better, but at least no DW and his asinine "Boogity" nonsense (with freaking theme song)!
I agree that Digger needs to go. This is about the most infantile thing I've seen in sports broadcasting.
I'm with Richard on the start times. Just show the race. My TV guide says "NASCAR Racing" at 1pm, but I'm lucky if the green waves before 2:15 most weeks. No thanks, I've got more interesting things to do than listen to the three Amigos prattle on in between Digger episodes and endless Viva Viagra commercials.
Also, the late starts seem to increase the chances of a race getting hit with "afternoon and evening thundershowers". But Fox probably likes the delays since it means even more commercial time.
fox has the best coverage of nascar period!! rusty wallace is HORRIBLE as a commentator." oh yeah how bout that 66 car stephen wallace has that thing running the low line pretty good" SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!!!!!! and jerry punch is the most monatone guy i have ever heard. i mute the TV when i watch the nationwide races. Sure the digger is horible, i do agree with that. but ya can beat DW and Larry Mac talking some racing!! And Larry Mac and DW could get rid of the "boogity boogity boogity" and reach up there on emore time and whatever boys its time to go racin" it was ok the first couple of times but come on. Its getttin pretty old now. Yes they HAD moved nascar in the right direction and gained alot more fans. But now nascar is just bland. The COT looks like some 17 year olds honda with that stupid wing. there is no more bumpin and bangin with your rival or dumping him coming outta turn 4 cause he did the same thing to u the week before. its just basically a 4 hour commercial now. Its gotten away from people racing "stock cars" if ya can even call em that anymore, and more about the almighty dollar!! im about done with nascar. im at my wits end!!!
digger is an amazing animal that inspires me to wake up in the morning and face the world, when i here that theme song it makes me want to jump in that cartoon and say "not bad digger my boy" i think he should live forever
get rid of the rodents and the waltrips....take a hike lucky dog....thank god for mute and fast forward...
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