The contretemps between Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR (proxies for at&t v Sprint) is tedious, but not boring. Commercially, at&t is the largest cell phone provider...Sprint does not come close. What is at stake here is NASCAR's ability to sell exclusive series sponsor rights (and the accommodations that go with that sponsorship) vs. at&t's right to change its name. The company did not change its name simply so it could go on Jeff Burton's #31 Chevy. AT&T is an iconic brand, which makes us older folks turn our heads like Nipper, the RCA dog. When Bell South bought AT&T, they bought the most valuable brand name in telecommunications. Does Bell South have the right to change the brand name of its cell service from Cingular to at&t? Of course. We suspect Sprint is driving this more than pragmatism. Why? They aren't beating at&t in numbers of subscribers (can you spell iPhone...)so they want to exact some "justice" by having NASCAR be their proxy.
Good Beach Book for NASCAR Fans
Jim McLaurin and David Poole, two veteran NASCAR scribes, have collaborated on a book which is a "Cliff Note" history of what makes NASCAR, NASCAR. NASCAR ESSENTIAL from Triumph Books is an easy read, and one the casual fan should pick up. The book (unlike the culture surrounding NASCAR today) remembers and looks into the beginning of the sport (1947--not 2004, when Nextel took over sponsorship), with intriguing looks at the knights and knaves who wrote and lived the history.
Back to Basics--road trips will resume
When you wear many of the hats in any enterprise, you tend to get caught up in short term crises, which build into long term problems, unless you take some time, get back to basics, and refocus your efforts. That's one of the reasons we had to cut back on travel this summer. Usually, our "Race-Talk" program will have intriguing comments from drivers in all series. That comes from attending races, and talking in person with the drivers. With $3/gallon for fuel...that is a bit difficult. So we've added advertising positions in both our programs, to insure that our fans and the others with whom we deal, can be dealt with properly. This effort will take some time to bear fruit (or grow like potatoes--most of it underground, out of sight, until you are ready to dig). Once it does...we will be in better position to bring back to you, our listeners and readers, the proper perspective of a 30 year observer.
