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

What a piece of sh!t newspaper. Not only did they raise the price of the newspaper their coverage of auto racing stinks. They have almost no coverage of local racing. You would think with a big Nascar race right down the road there would be some kind of mention of it in Friday's paper. The Dallas paper covers local racing as does my old hometown of Dayton, Ohio. They had a local race car show at a mall and the Dayton paper had coverage of it with pictures.

I am not taking any shots at any Ou sport here but Auto Racing is not Ou sports.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

Good I am not missing nothing.. They don't have it no more in the Wichita Falls area. There was a time when on Fridays they would have a story about points or a Okc local. I was hoping for some more PR on who from the City or Lawton was going to the show up at Meeker next week.

Unfortunately the news paper is gonna be a thing of the past before too many years. Its said because we go out and work on our cars all week and push everything to the limits and cant even get a decent article.

damn Mike, tell us how you really feel? lol

I'd love to weigh in on this - but will have defer until after the race tonite.....

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

Good one!I'm taking it that you guys race against each other.lol

God made dirt,man made asphalt.

That is why I stopped my paper from being delivered stating this month. Double my rates and I can get what I need to know on the internet.

lol man there aint anyone with enough money to fund me racing. not just what I would tear up - but everyone else I would KO too lol. (excuses)

I get my glory in the Ratbag game LOL. naw I'm just a 4th generation bleacher creature. We all have that in common to different degrees. And we all think the sport is exciting - and for us oklahomans and regional fans - it gives rise to a great place like this to congregate/share ops/ and shoot the stuff.

And that leads me in to the subject. I would say - the hell with the newspaper - we have our own great place for the stuff. and to a large extent that is true. But with a newspaper there is exposure to folks who dont know much about the sport. to hundreds of thousands - and that same exposure would be good for recognition for sponsors and such. It sucks they dont do it now - and it sucks they haven't done it in a long time.

The only time we got any big time exposure in that ultra conservative paper (i didnt say that lol) - was when Trey Robb started out. And that was cool - but it was also pathetic in a way. Not for Trey.....thats cool it was a big story. But why did that have to be the only big story after so long? Were there not many other remarkable things we all saw at SFS? That big story was about a kid who had never raced big sprints.........where was all the coverage of those who we witnessed putting on great shows? anyone see what I am saying? Cool that that was story - but pathetic that it was the ONLY story.

What is it with this paper? It does not have as much to do with OU sports as folks think. Look at how much other bullshit gets press. not bullshit meaning. well ya'll know what I mean. Boat races, boat shows, track and field stuff, I mean - there is a long list of stuff they have given way more coverage too that does not have the #'s our sport does. I'm not trying to knock this stuff. To some folks this other stuff is the end all be all - it's their thing - like ours is ours. But what the hell is wrong with our thing......that it gets no press? I can't think of any solid reasons that wouldn't also apply to the things they DO give coverage to. AND - we have a hell of a lot more history than a lot of that same stuff - as well as $$$ involved.

In the end folks......I think it comes down to demand and effort. We dont put up much an argument - much of an effort - to get our sport more press. With all these other sports - it's like soccer moms of the world unite lol. I think this same point has more meanings than just this situation. Our track and the land it is on is just #'s in the end. If suddenly the city or fair board just popped up and sold it - we would not put up much of a fight at all. This almost happened a few years back. And all we did was go about it like there was nothing we could do. And in the end, yeah maybe it was not up to us - but we under-estimate our potential influence.

If all of us on this forum - and all SFS/metro race fans - "united" to a point and had something of a damn plan - we could accomplish a lot. Hell statewide fans could unite and help each other when needed. If a couple thousand of us made constant calls, and wrote constant letters - to the Oklahoman - demanding more press.......it COULD change things. maybe not - but there is only one way to know. Wanna know a smart thing - get everyone "together" - sign lists, petitions, whatever you call those things nowadays. Get their contact info both phone and e-mail - and get em all registered on this forum even.........THEN - find local politicians who could be influential .....like maybe those who rep that certain zoning district (among other things/folks) - and tell em - if they are favorable towards the track - they have all of these votes on that list. Those votes can go a long way too. In the end EVERYONE with power of the track and its press are interested in 1 or 2 things - sometimes both.
1. Votes
2. Money

By favorable I mean - dont let it get torn down, designate funds/tax breaks to the fair for it, maybe even get some of the influential business leaders that support that politician to sponsor the track. and vice versa - you could get local business people involved and them have sway with the powers to be. ..........who knows what could be accomplished. Its the same thing with the newspapers/press. It's not just the newspaper we could convince to give us press - but others who are influential with that newspaper. If folks "unite" (sorry for the dramatic term) together......its not several voices. It's a bigger and louder voice. And lets face it - our sport is hurting like a son a bitch. a big reason is because there is little reason for potential sponsors to get involved. Quite honestly, unless you are a huge fan of the sport - there a many other ways - and BETTER ways - for a business to advertise.

Look. This stuff may sound absurd to some of you. But its proven that many things of this nature are possible. These are just ideas/ramblings off the top of my head......the fine points and details could probably be better.

What I do know is, we need all of us to work together. to care enough to work together........INSTEAD OF SITTING AROUND AND PISSING AND MOANING ABOUT HOW UNFAIRLY OUR SPORT IS TREATED. What are we doing to help our sport? We dont need to sit around and talk about how everyone should just GIVE us coverage. We need to freakin MAKE IT HAPPEN. Not meaning that negatively towards anyone in particular. I am meaning it more to ALL OF US AS A WHOLE - ME INCLUDED. We need to make great things happen for our sport. This sport of ours and all of its fans (all of us) are falling way behind in the times. We cant get the automatic coverage that other sports get. We have to take initiative to get it done.

let's not sit around and bitch that our local paper isn't giving us any press. lets think constructively. lets think what kind of impact we could all make together. Let's think of ways how we can help it or make it better or change it.

I could ponder up more ideas and thoughts. But it would be nice to see others take the notion and principle seriously and give their ideas as well.

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

The Oklahoman has a long tradition when it comes to sports coverage (outside alumni-driven sports) and it's basically "if you want coverage, you'll advertise in our paper. The more you advertise, the more we'll cover you." That's why boat shows and such get a lot of mention....big ads running up to the shows. They really hit their stride in the 40's and 50's with the "Oklahoman Milk and Ice Fund." If you were staging an event, you paid OPUBCO 10% of the gate "to benefit the Milk and Ice Fund." That guaranteed you'd get coverage. If you wouldn't sign on, you might as well have held your event in Timbuktu. Not sure what stopped that practice...probably good refrigerators. At least it's a bit more subtle, now.....the guys with the bent noses have all gone back to Chicago to influence politicians, I guess.

Lotta tears from u bleacher craetures!!! Just buy your passes and let it go. We r a 'ag-horse and rodeo state.

In todays Oklahoman (Monday) there is an article about Drag Racing in the life section. You think finally some local racing Wrong. Its wriiten by a Tulsa writer about a Tulsa Family that races in Tulsa in a Oklahoma City Paper. Give me a break. Maybe to get an article about local racing we need to buy a Tulsa Paper

There isn't a ton of racing news in ANY newspaper outside of Indianapolis. I think there are a few reasons ...

1) Right or wrong, there is a perception that the racing news does not appeal to a large segment of the readership. If that perception were disproven, there would be a lot more information on the topic. The squeaky wheel, especially when it squeaks in a cordial manner, still gets greased. If you feel racing news is under-represented, send a reasonable note to Oklahoman Sports Editor Mike Sherman ([email protected]) and ask him if it can be improved.

2) Racing promoters typically shoot themselves in the foot with media coverage by finishing the races so late. I realize this does not pertain to NASCAR and other circuits, but on the local scene, it's a killer. How many other sporting events can you name that end at 11 p.m.? If the OKC program ran from 7-10 p.m., I think you'd see better coverage both in the newspaper and on television. On a personal note, I also think it might help attendance as it pertains to families. But longer concession hours have always trumped media coverage and I am guessing that will always be the case.

3) Most newspapers are staffed by reporters and editors who are not race fans, and that hurts. They don't understand or appreciate the sport so when you couple that with a perceived lack of interest among the masses, you get little to no coverage.

Having said all of that, I think the Oklahoman has done a decent job with motorsports. I don't care if they cover NASCAR or any of the national circuits because I can get all of that information online. What I do like is the fact that they have shown more interest in recent years in racing at SFS and there have been some nice features on many of the locals.

Before we get too critical, we probably should look around at what other newspapers do and be pretty happy that we get what we get, especially on our local track ... then you can still drop Mike a note. It might not be a bad idea to thank him for what appears on the local scene and to encourage him to do more, and inform him that there is an appetite for increased racing coverage.

There is also a lot of truth to what has been written above about the impact of the dollars. I don't think that drives as much as some people might think, but it's a factor. The newspaper is first and foremost a business and there's nothing wrong with that. It's not a charitable endeavor. People own newspapers, radio stations, televisions stations, web sites, etc., to make money. They make editorial decisions based on what they believe the biggest share of the audience wants to read, which in turn drives the most advertising dollars.

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

We will get very little coverage this year as the Oklahoman dropped Ray Martin. Ray actually attended the races every week, and said he was really taking a liking to the sport. However, do to downsizing they cut him. I think tv news coverage would be better. Up in PA I've seen a channel that covers the all of the tracks.Its a local CBS channel and from what I've seen on the internet they do a pretty good job. I say we challenge Dean Blevins, Bob Barry Jr. and whoever the other one is for a charity race. If they don't get lapped by a weekly driver then the track pays money to charity, if they do get lapped they pay money to charity.

That's true about Ray, but the improvement had really started before Ray. He did a great job, but his departure doesn't mean that the coverage has to end. There will be more of an onus on the track to reach out to the newspaper and work with it to make sure the coverage stays consistent. There are a number of ways to bridge that gap.

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

There have been many a time I have sent in something for print for a special race in this surrounding area and back several years ago, they would chop that story into a quick little blurb in the paper. Learned from that and adjusted accordingly. I hate that because you want to grab the readers attention and it makes the writer look bad when your stuff is chopped for print.

I sent in a story to the Daily Sunday night and former auto racing writer and now assistant sports editor Scott Munn on Wednesday nights NCRA Oklahoma modified show at Meeker and informed he would try to have it in the paper Tuesday morning. That is all that I ask and we shall see if it happens.

We will also see how much they chop it up from the original.

Don't look for Blevins to do much of anything. I understand that his slip and fall is alot worse than everybody thought and he isn't doing very well.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Kenny I just can't agree with you. The town that I came from Dayton, Ohio and the Dayton Daily news has all the local racing results in Monday's paper and sometime during the week they have an article about the local racing scene. The Dallas paper also would have the local results in Monday's paper and used to have a couple of pages in the Sports section of Thursday's edition. Also why couldn't the paper today had an article about an Oklahoma City Drag Racer instead of one from Tulsa. I will give the Oklahoman an A+ for covering OU Sports. Too bad I am an Ohio State fan. LOL I did send the Sports Editor Mike Sherman an e-mail telling that I am not pleased with the racing coverage.

I have never seen the Dayton paper. I think you're giving Dallas too much credit. And that will be true now more than ever as the metroplex newspapers downsize. The motorsports writers, unfortunately, are among the first to go. Because of my job, I read a lot of newspapers, some in person and a lot online. Racing coverage is hard to find more times than not.

There are no doubt exceptions to the rule on racing coverage, but for the attendance numbers racing draws, it is under-represented in most newspapers. I don't know what SFS is drawing on a regular basis (people spread out in the stands so it's probably less than you think), but I am guessing it exceeds every HS game in the area with the possible exception of the rivalry games.

But Mike Sherman is a pretty reasonable guy and he likes unique story angles. If the racing folks around here can demonstrate measured interest and throw some truly interesting stories his way, I think he would be very open to enhanced coverage. Just remember, there are a lot of entities vying for his attention. You have to distinguish yourself from the crowd by reaching out with meaningful media relations. There is a long-standing stigma attached to racers and racing fans that the only reading we do is on the side of a beer can. The challenge is to change that stereotype.

More coverage is always better, but I think we'd be short-changing the Oklahoman if we didn't acknowledge the improvement we've seen in the last 3-4 years, and I would preface any correspondance to Mike with a salute to the increase. You win more friends with bouquets than bazookas. I used to be a sports editor. Those who wrote in and ripped me with no regard for my job or the positive things I had done, were quickly and easily dismissed.

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

Can't get the Daily Oklahoma in Poteau any longer,vending anyway.I've been buying the Oklahoman every workday for the last 25 years,for the sports,I read the sports page and a few other stories and the bible and that's about it.lol I started looking at their sports in 1972 when we would get one every day in 9th grade Oklahoma history class.If you remember the Sooners were pretty good about that time and their coverage was great on them.So it's kind of sad to see them going down hill.

God made dirt,man made asphalt.