A Rare Medium Well Done: 10.31.12
Sometimes you just have to do the unclouded and logical thing. And when it comes to business and commerce, those two elements are often shunned aside. Profits are the soaring rhetoric. Make as much money as possible and damned anyone that presents a hurdle. It is this philosophy that often results in creating a situation that spawns the financially disengaged. Never has this theorem presented itself more as to the treatment of fans by most professional sports.
Gimme, gimme, gimme! Then go away. And make sure you're here next time spending your hard earned dollars. This is much too often the battle cry of owners. In other words, F@&# all the fans.
But not in the majestic and ceremonious sport of NASCAR. More than any other sport on the planet, they take car of their fans. And they listen to their fans. Hordes of situations have prompted the NASCAR shot-callers to change or amend a certain element or bylaw. They understand that their sport is underwritten by fans and keeping them happy is paramount. Actually it's an obsession. They will walk the plank of an enterprising gauntlet to assure their loyal customers are happy and satisfied.
Not the case of the team sports. Their mission is to maximize every dollar they can wrangle and squeeze from their fans. The NFL owners are the greediest bunch of fraternity brothers on the planet. They represent a grotesque illustration of excess and gluttony. And often the end result is the turnip wringing of money that falls to the fan. And they don't care. They employ a banana republic reasoning of arrogance and rapacity. The bottom line is never accepted in their constant clutching and penny-pinching habits. NFL owners make OPEC look like a discount box store. All at the expense of the group that supports them.
NASCAR is different. They don't gouge their patrons. They do something foreign to most in the sporting world. NASCAR set a tone of fairness. Their mission is that of affordability for their paying customers. And by doing this they are light years removed from their sporting brethren. To boil it down, they care. And they also leave an enormous amount of money on the floor.
Let's take a gander at a few examples. At Texas Motor Speedway parking is free. FREE! A term void in the vernacular of the NFL. Down the path from TMS to Cowboys Stadium they raid their fans wallets for parking. How about an average of $52 dollars per car. So you are down $52 bucks before you even enter the stadium. And don't try and save some dough on concessions. There is a strict 'no outside food or beverage' edict. At TMS they say bring it on. And pity the fan who might want to sample an adult beverage at Jerry's shop. Try $15 dollars for a beer. FIFTEEN DOLLARS! That is borderline insanity. But back to our guys at TMS. It's BYOB. Bring your own cooler stocked full of beer. Once again, it's NASCAR doing the right thing. It is speculated that TMS sacrifices about five million dollars by their fan friendly free parking and bring your own Budweiser policy. NFL owners would rather die a death of 1000 cuts before they'd eschew those tidy profits. They live in a labyrinth of fantasy and aviditious desire to capitalize in the most profane manner.
So do yourself a favor. The next time the thought of attending a sporting event comes to mind, think NASCAR. Your hard earned wages will stretch much farther. And you'll get a better show. And you can walk away assured you have gotten 'bang for the buck'. Unlike Jerry World. There you walk away knowing you contributed to a vast pay pit of money.
And oh yea, you had the pleasure of a $52 dollar hitching post and a 12 pack of beer that was condensed in a 14 ounce cup.
Sad. Very sad.
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