Yes, it's mostly Auto Racing, but there is a reason for the NFL tag on this post. Read down NFLers, I want your opinion.
In this cynical "Buy one Get one Free", media savvy world each of us probably sees dozens of gimics attached to products and services everyday, probably so many we don't even notice them more.
But I think I've found the worst sporting gimic yet - I give you "cross-over sport".
In 9 days time a brand new auto racing series kicks off in Europe - the Superleague Formula. There is nothing on the outside that makes it look any different from every other auto racing series in the world. It's six races - from August to November - across six European nations. The drivers won't be new, part of a diversity drive or anything else. They will be proper drivers, including those with experience in series such as F1, IRL and Champ Car. They will be run by proper teams, the AS Roma team run by current F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella's race team (they already run a team in F1's feeder series).
Now, did you spot the gimic in all that? "AS Roma, isn't that an Italian soccer club?" I'd like to imagine you asking. Why, yes it is. The teams are all soccer clubs. Top teams from Europe - Roma, AC Milan, Liverpool - The Middle East, China and Brazil have brought up the rights to run teams.
Racing and soccer: Glorious Marraige or Terrible Mismatch? (Superleague.com)
Why? To be honest I don't know. The only thing that makes this different from any other series is the soccer team gimic. The cars are all identical - so are those in F1's feeder series (GP2) and the already succesful A1GP series, that pits national teams against one another. The drivers aren't new, or particularly famous. It arrives into a marketplace for fans that is already incredibly stretched armed with only a gimic.
Obviously the hope is that the hoards of fans of the soccer teams will follow their attendent Superleague racing teams with the same passion, but it takes more than a name to inspire passion. Have they considered that soccer fans don't follow Auto Racing because they don't like it, rather than the fact they don't have team for their favourite team? Have they thought that it might be something other than a name that soccer fans follow? Have they noticed that soccer and Auto Racing are totally different?
I'm not sure how well it's going to work, I'd guess not well, but I'm probably not their target audience. You'd guess the organiser think they're onto a winner, if only by the huge amount of investment (and the flashy webiste).
Now, come with me into a realm of fantasy, where Superleague Racing comes to America, in search of not soccer clubs, but it's US equivalent in terms of popularity - football. This, patient NFLers, is where I need you.
Would you take your bumper sticker of car flag to the next level? Would you suddenly follow a race team if they happened to have the logo of your football team on the side? Come Monday morning would you be checking Superleague results and news alongside injury reports?
Coming to your city?
If your opinion is the same as mine this situation will never happen.
Only if they let the soccer / NFL players drive could it possibly work!
I'd like to see Tom Brady go at it with either of the Manning boys! The Steelers QB would wipe out on the first lap! Same with Cleveland's tight end... lol
They'd have to have feeder races among the various teams to determine under fire who would represent their team! Then the others would make up the pit crews! It would be hilarious! I can hear T.O. complaining about making fun of his QB on the pit crew since he didn't have enough savvy to drive the car!
This is sort of what Bruton Smith and Humpy Wheeler were trying to start up in 1999-2001 timeframe. They were going to have a team racing series with two-car clubs racing for points at the different SMI tracks like Atlanta, Charlotte, Texas and the like. Bruton wanted his own series with IROC type cars and make it like the stick-and-ball sports with inter-city competition. Of course, this all fell through the roof during lack-of-interest negotiations with potential TV partners, sponsors and the economic slowdown from 2000-2002 just killed it.
Don't think it is a viable alternative at this point domestically. Internationally? Well, seems to me if they can throw enough money at it, it could have some success, but not premiere.
jbroomy
Well if it gets to the part where the fans'll be asked to toss soccer balls at the drivers to voice their disapproval. Then I for one will bne in agreement with this . As it'd be far better than actually throwing an opposing fan from the stands.
As for the likes of Man U, Liverpool and others. Why the hell would they want to get involved in this ? As it is they're spending billions in terms of advertizement and offcourse they've got corporate sponsors that they're already answerable to.
By my way of thinking this'll be a facade and farce that won't last all that long.
These teams'd be better off spending their money much more expediently. If they're paying tens of millions for a player in terms of transfers. Why in the world would they want to get involved in this ?
I say they ought to plough their money into strip joints and gambling casinoes. At least there they'd be getting a better return on their investment.
justan' aka tophatal ...........
Last edited by justanotherfan on August 20th at 1:12 PM.
I always want to write something witty here, but my wit is always confused with something worse ------------- ------------- ----NASCAR and Auto Racing in general mostly here, but I get distracted by shiny sporting objects as well and give them an airing too---------- ------------- -----Pastimes include rooting for the underdog and trying to fathom why Golf is considered a sport-------- ------------- ---
Send Lawyers, Guns and Money.
