Full Throttle

Bill Church is the Executive Editor (and blogger) of the Statesman Journal out of Salem Oregon.

He sends his praise to FoxSports for “continuing to provide top-level coverage of NASCAR Nextel Cup,” although he has a problem. He believes Fox should have stuck a sock in Darrell Waltrip’s yap during Sunday’s broadcast.

Let it be said he’s not alone. DW’s boogity shtick has all the freshness of last weeks tuna casserole, and is palatable only because it won’t kill you like rancid tuna.

Church’s concern isn’t with stinky fish and moldy bread, it’s because DW is “mixing business with the race coverage.”

Huh!

Mr. Church admits to painful eardrums listening to Waltrip trying “to convince viewers that Toyota, which is making its Nextel Cup debut this season, is as American as Ford and Chevrolet.” (ah…, well it is, pipes up the peanut gallery)

Church is looking for full disclosure much like a political ad: “I am Blowhard Color Analyst and I paid for and approved this ad.”

Church “missed Waltrip’s on-air disclosure that he has had a business arrangement with Toyota through his racing team. Check out www.waltripracinginc.com and you’ll find Toyota a prominent part of his Web site.”

Huh, again!

Anyone care to guess what percentage of those that viewed Sunday’s race didn’t know DW was associated with Toyota via his NCTS team? I’m guessing something less than 5% and that’s being very, very conservative.

Church has a semi-valid point, and it can be argued how many could be “informed” by any disclosure or caveat made during the Fox broadcasts, but I have a suggestion for Mr. Church.

Watch next weeks Busch Series coverage from Fontana and note ESPN’s color analyst Rusty Wallace. Wallace, through RWI has a very close relationship with Dodge. Then report back to note even the slightest hint of slanted coverage by Rusty. (I noted a little extra Rah, Rah by Rusty this past Saturday when a Dodge was in the lead, but who cares.)

Lets just call it an exercise in being “fair & balanced,” otherwise you’ll run the risk of being painted as just another xenophobe, albeit one cloaked behind an Executive Editors mask.