Comments on: The Dreaded “D&R” Words

By: magoo

magoo — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 19:04:29 +0000

I think you can blame a lot of the trash talking on the trend of storyline taking over in sportscasting. Every sporting event has its little drama that the show producers want to milk to get the casual viewer to tune in. With IndyCar racing broadcasts it’s generally two things:

1. “Where’s Danica?”
2. “Is she okay?”

Football is a more hard-guy sport, so the storyline is going to center on how hard-guys act. Trash talk exists in football because it suits it, and it nabs the viewers that might otherwise watch some reality show. It’s annoying if you are already a fan, but I don’t know that there’s a solution.

By: Bent Wickerbill

Bent Wickerbill — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:15:01 +0000

This D&R situation, as nearly every professsional “ball” sport to a man, has been unduly influenced by the urbanization of the English language by the likes of MTV. You can take whatever meaning you like from that, but it is the truth. Children, from the time they can switch on the TV are saturation bombed by urban colloquialisms. This brain washing occurs to the point where the little urchins actually begin to believe that they are owed some inate version of respect and that if for any reason they feel they have not been accorded same decry disrespect. With all people, athletes included, this mind control continues right through middle school, high school and university. BTW- many of todays athletes in keeping with the whole urban motif also manage to frequently find themselves behind bars between games and the coach must come bail them out. Used to be that only a bevy of tutors and personal assistants were needed to get most high school and college sports through their studies, but now a team of bail bondsmens are also required. Lets also keep in mind that while there are a few exceptions, that many of these overpaid under grey mattered entertainers would not exactly be coming up with a cure for cancer if they were not doing what they are doing. It is much more likely that they would be asking if you would like fries wit dat or swinging from the back of a santitation truck.

By: Zachary

Zachary — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:52:46 +0000

People are who they are. I’ll boo enthusiastically if Saavedra, Bourdais, or Kyle Busch get anywhere near an IndyCar in the next couple seasons. It’s fun to have villains, but at the same time, I don’t want Graham Rahal to start acting like a Jersey Shore reject, because that’s not who he is. Manufactured drama is the domain of the WWE and occasionally NASCAR. Let them keep it, focus on good racing, and sell the natural storylines that come with those. There’s conflict, they just need to do a better job of highlighting it.

(I thought this was about Dreyer & Reinbold from the title)

By: NaBUru38

NaBUru38 — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:08:02 +0000

I prefer sportspeople to be natural. If they are humble, let them be humble. If they are radically honest, let them be radically honest. If they criticize others as a funny show, let them. Fans will pick their favourites. I don’t want sportspeople to be forced to be polite or aggressive or happy when they aren’t.

By: Roy Hobbson

Roy Hobbson — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:37:10 +0000

I’ve been trying to get this point across for some time now — except pretty much the exact opposite of this point. That IndyCar drivers are TOO nice to each other. TOO respectful. TOO close. Not at all confrontational enough.

Because when you down to the brass tacks of that Jets/Pats game you’re talking about, with all the cries of “disrespect” & cursing & Wes Welker’s subtle jabs at Rex Ryan … we’re left with one fact:

That game drew a 26.2 rating..

IndyCar’s Homestead finale, meanwhile, drew a 0.8 (or thereabouts).

That’s certainly not ALL due to the vitriol b/w the teams — but that’s not all due to people tuning in to see how the insanely polite & classy Mark Sanchez was going to handle the Pats’ zone blitzes either. Conflict creates drama, and drama creates ratings. To what extent, I can’t say. Perhaps we should find out.