Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

Where is Ben when you need him? Hate to say this,but Ben was a much better announcer than Jack is at SFS and he sucked. how much does the guy drink before he gets to the track? He couldn't even look to the north and see what class was gonna race. This guy is a moron!!! He miss pronounces alot of driver's names. One that really gets me is Oliva.... it's NOT OVILLA, for Christ's sake. Then there's the auction sales type announcing!!! Can't understand a damn word he saying, but it makes me want to buy something. SOLD AMERICAN!!!!!!

And another thing. Connie Root needs to find a REAL version of the National Anthem on CD and play that before the races instead of geting these kids that foul it up singing it every week.

I thought the girl that sang friday did a really good job.

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

I thought she did just fine. Maybe Mr. Smith would like to give it a go? Yet another negative post. If that stuff is all that bothered him then he really don't have much to gripe about. Racing was good, although I don't care for a heavy track like that. But all in all good racing.

I've got to agree with SmithRacer. Sometimes they get a good person to sing the National Anthem. Like the little girl last year. But I for one don't want to see the great song of our country disemboweled. I guess it could be worse, like the time Rosann sang it on national TV. But we should stick to tradition. It's the Amercan way!!!

I think there was another issue as well that Smith brings to the front, and that is the announcing. He's right... it sucks

what happened to ben... he was a much better announcer than the guy now

There really is no excuse for mispronouncing drivers' names. That's just a simple lack of preparation. Olivia is the one that is most frequently butchered, and sometimes it's mispronounced a couple different ways during the same show. That's bad for any driver, but it's embarrassing for the track when it can't get the name right on one of its defending points champions.

As someone who routinely works with public address, radio and television announcers, it is a common practice for them to get with someone that knows the roster and work through every name on it to make sure the pronuncations are done correctly. Most announcers will then write the difficult names phonetically -- O-liv-ee-uh -- to avoid a mistake.

Maybe a little less time informing us that the announced results are not official or the exact locations of turns one, two, three and four, and a little more time in preparation would result in cleaner announcing. There is no question that the guy has the voice for the job. It just doesn't look like he's got a great feel for racing (said we were starting with Super Sprints last week when Factory Stocks were already staged and couldn't figure out that the extra parade laps for one of the sprint features last week were due to a disabled modified outside turn three).

Just get us the correct line up (before the race begins) with the correct pronunciations of the drivers' names, the businesses that sponsor the cars and the number of cars that will transfer and most of us will be happy.

Here's to hoping things improve. I am sure any of us would struggle a little right out of the gates.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

Struggle a little!!!! Thought he announced at SFS before? And I always thought turn 5 came after turn 4. You mean to tell me that ain't true? LOL

I personally like the new announcer, at least he don't b.s. and talks about what is happening on the racetrack. Give me lineups, loud enough to where I can hear that way if there is a driver change then I will know about it. Or if there is a new driver then let me know who is in what car.

I thought Connie Root did a good job giving lineups, just she was a bit quiet and could barely hear her (sound system check). But Connie is good when she can get on the mic.

I would rather have the kids old enough that know the National Anthem and sing it by feeling rather than some grownup trying to show what kind of voice they think they have. Just sing it, don't carry a note, just sing it.

I think it was Wichita where they had nobody sing it and no Whitney "cocain" Houston blaring and just had the regular taping of the band playing the National Anthem. You know, like it use to be.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

David - c'mon. Getting the names pronounced correctly is announcing 101. And you feel more informed with this announcer? I guess if you do, you do. I just don't know what he has brought to the table to make you feel that way.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

David never like ben And ben Never Like David LOL thats what this crap about the announcer is all about. I liked Ben Buckland because he talked with everybody even us knowbodys Thats cool.

The Deeper The Better. GO DEEP!

I liked Ben, always did. Just when I went on about an announcer, who I was talking about up in Wichita, not here, he called me out in front of everybody as he thought I was talking about him. Ben has been around a long, long time and when he thinks he has some great knowledge, but just as with Bob Barry, Sr. and OU football, sometimes enough is enough.

And sorry to disappoint saying I like the new announcer, just calling as I see (or hear) it.

And NO, this is not a bash on anybody or anything or anyone so don't take it that way.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

I'm not sure any of us are intending to bash -- just asking for a little more (or some) homework/preparation. I started going to SFS about seven years ago and the announcers did a nice job of getting me acquainted with the track and the drivers in fairly short order. You'd be surprised to a newcomer how valuable it is to know that Tony Anderson has x-number of track championships or the fact Steve Smith has driven in multiple classes over a x-year career. And honestly, if the announcers will just get to the track about an hour early and chat with the drivers a little and other long-timers, it would be amazing how quickly you could build up a stash of information that would really help the fans. We're not talking calculus here -- it's really just effort and an appetite to know more so you can share good facts and figures wtih the paying public.

That PA job is important in communicating with the fans, educating the fan base and representing the track operation itself. When names are not pronounced correctly and fairly obvious situations are not described as such it reflects poorly on the whole place.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

I am a thinking you and I need to take this matter (and my pending changing career) up during lunch Friday.

By the way, any chance of you becoming the new OU football radio broadcaster? It could use new blood ya know.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Always up for a lunch. As for you being the new voice of the Sooners, if you think the new track announcer is squarely on top of things you may not be precisely what we would be looking for.

I just want to say that I know this is a public forum and I don't like personal attacks either. My feeling is that the new announcer obviously has the pipes to do the job. He just needs to get himself better prepared before he flicks the microphone on, that's all.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

Noooo, I meant YOU being the new voice of OU football, not me. I am just, uh, an idiot.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Sorry, I misread that. No, I have no aspirations to be anything but a moonlighter when it comes to sports broadcasting. And I would have to think that most OU fans would be tickled to hear me say as much.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

I can not stand to listen to the new announcer, With stupid little comments like if you can imagine it, you can see the four corners on the track, holy cow dude anybody who dosent know there are 4 turns at the track are idiots anyways, I miss Ben, I've been wanting to start this post for a long time just didnt do it thought maybe he would get better, But alas he hasnt.

David Foley

"Just let me make it to the Dirt Track.. Truck then u 
can break down!!!"

The new guy is from Texas. But,  I do remember when Jack Claxton was announcing, you would see him with pen & paper taking notes in the pits before they even started mudpacking.  Always talking with drivers, jotting down notes, making sure that their sponsors were mentioned.  I also remember when I first started attending races,  each heat race would pull to the front straight and sit while the announcer and flagman went from car to car telling us who the driver was, where they were from and who there sponsors were. I've always enjoyed listening to Ben, Jack, Randy and even Sean Elliott.   I wouldn't mind seeing Connie get more time behind the microphone,  she knows more about the drivers than most anyone who works for Lanny.  I'd also like to say keep Jack Claxton in your prayers.

bandit19. You are almost too correct. That was just one of many reasons why guys like Jack Claxton or Randy Ward were great announcers. They would take the time to get to the track early and talk with many of the drivers. They did it the way it needed to be done. Granted more than few thought Randy and Ben would get to BS'n a lil too much......but nothin wrong with havin a bit of fun with what you do. Ben's a charachter. the only thing he didn't do well was givin lineups. Which is somthin you really can't overlook. But all that aside I think it's crap that Jack Claxton has hardly ever been asked to come up to the booth and say hello or somthin. He's the best announcer SFS ever had or ever will have. I think at least a little respect could be shown.

I just hope the current announcer quits all this talk of energy or whatever that crap is he's talkin about.

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

Jack Claxton wasn't a good announcer he was a great announcer as was Randy Ward. I seen Jack at the races a couple of weeks ago. He couldn't stay all night long as the dust really bothered him. Please keep Jack in your prayers. He sure has been a great friend to me and my family and has helped me with the race car.