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[elmono311]

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I think NASCAR and all these "official" companies are taking things a bit extreme. Sunoco complaining the Shell logo was too big? C'mon, that's total nitpicking. I doubt 76 complained when there was a Sunoco car with a large logo on its hood driving around the track back in the day. And I don't see how Motorola would be on that list of no-no sponsors (yes, that's the sponsor they're forcing him to remove) considering Motorola supplies phones to all the cell phone companies. Apparently the real problem is Gordon got the Motorola deal from Verizon... but I highly doubt Verizon would actually be plastered on his car.

Busch takes things a lot less anal. In the Busch Series, you can find all kinds of cars with competing alcohol brands on it.

[Vengeance]

This is why I miss Winston. People cared less about the bullshit ads and more about the racing and seeing drivers have sponsors so they could race.

[disnut8]

I don't give a rat's ass who the driver's sponsor is.  I don't avoid Lowe's because I'm a Tony Stewart fan anymore than I avoid Home Depot because I'm a Jimmie Johnson fan.  I don't drink only Budweiser because I'm a Junior fan.  I'll drink Miller Lite even though they sponsor Kurt Busch.  I'll still eat Cheerio's even though I don't like Kyle Busch.  I'm not going to choose my cell phone carrier because it's the sponsor of the entire series or because it's a sponsor of one particular car.

And you know why?  Because I'm an intelligent adult who makes her own decisions.

I can't tell you how many people think the Nextel Cup is the only thing NASCAR does.  Our brother-in-law has argued many times with us that the Busch series is NOT NASCAR.  Yet, he couldn't tell you who sponsors the Nextel series.  He doesn't even know it's called anything except NASCAR.  Kind of like saying you went to Disney World yesterday and today you are going to Epcot.

[elmono311]

Cheerios is Bobby Labonte. Kyle Busch is Kellogg's

[elmono311]

Here's an example of a Truck running a huge Sunoco logo while the Union 76 was the official fuel.

[disnut8]

Actually, it would be great right now if Sunoco pitched a fit about Harvick's Shell car.  The man looked like a banana during driver's introductions last Sunday.

[elmono311]

They have pitched a fit about Harvick's car... way back in Daytona. Because the Shell logo was too big and the fact Shell was using Harvick ads at their gas stations when they were supposed to be sponsoring the car through their lubricants and not their gas stations.

I think Sunoco was probably also mad because a car sponsored by Shell won the biggest race of the season.

[disnut8]

At every Shell station I've been to, there have been signs at the pumps with Harvick's face on it and saying NASCAR schedules are available.  Small sgins.  I would think that's GOOD for NASCAR.  Gets the sport out there more.  Stupid sponsors.

Next thing you know, you will only be able to watch the sport if you have a Nextel phone, Goodyear tires, and get your gas from Sunoco.

[loial21]

I have an inside point of view on this. My Step-Mother Lora Watts (former President AT&T California (external affairs)). Is now Vice-President of Costumer Affairs and is very involved behind the politics of this. In fact she does most of the hiring of talent and orchestrates events the Olyimpics.

Her take after being asked several months ago:
Nextel (Sprint) has a huge advantage regarding lower revenue costs and can dictate for them most part. Who gets advertised when, where, and how. The only thing really don't control is the winner. AT&T has a problem with this, in that they are being told after spending several millions of dollars in preparing the Cingular car to change in a media blitz as soon as the Bell South merger was announce. A very large and comprehensive marketing scheme was in place to show the Cingular car and its team going threw a change of colors and logos which became the new AT&T.

Nextel validate its claim to not let the change of colors and logo happen twofold:
1. Loss of revenue and fan interest, due to popularity of the Cingular Car.
2. I don't remember have to ask.

[disnut8]

OK.  I'm a relatively intelligent person.  College education.  Pretty damn good in trivia questions and general knowledge of the world today and the world of the past.

I had no freaking clue that Sprint was Nextel.  But we didn't pick that cell phone service because it was linked to NASCAR.  We picked it because their plan works for us and we're happy with the customer service.  We have no plans to change.

I would have loved to see the transformation of the #31 over to AT&T.  This is so stupid.  Next thing we know, Miller will be suing NASCAR because the #8 is the most popular driver and he smears Budweiser ALL over the sport.

It's dumb, it's ridiculous.  It's called COMPETITION.  And if your business can't stand the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen.

[elmono311]

I saw one of the proposed schemes NASCAR rejected. It was the same scheme as the current one except the rear quarter panels had the AT&T logo instead.

And you don't remember when Sprint and Nextel merged? There was a big hoopla in NASCAR about it because Nextel had just become the series sponsor and soon after the two companies merged thus forcing another name change (which will happen next year as it becomes the Sprint Cup Series). When you guys got your Sprint accounts, that was way way way way before they even merged. The merger happened in 2005.

BTW... when we decided to get our cell phones, I refused to get Alltel because of Ryan Newman . Maybe people will just tell Sprint that they'll refuse to get their service if they don't stop being so anal.

[disnut8]

And you don't remember when Sprint and Nextel merged?
BTW... when we decided to get our cell phones, I refused to get Alltel because of Ryan Newman . Maybe people will just tell Sprint that they'll refuse to get their service if they don't stop being so anal.

Goes to show you how much I really give a rat's ass about all this crap.

And I'll have to make sure Mitchell gets a good IQ test because his parents let drivers make their decisions for them.

[elmono311]

Sometimes I do let what I see on NASCAR drive me to get something but I won't buy a $40 item because they sponsor Tony Stewart if there's a $20 item of the same kind next to it. However, I do go to Home Depot over Lowe's because I like Stewart more.

[tenchu]

Ever since winston left i have turned completely to rally races since they in my opinion have to take more abuse from the races they drive and don't have bitching sponsors like nextel drivers (no offense to the drivers who have to first hand but up with it)also im not saying that nascar drivers are not skilled in the races they have to drive but nascar seems to have become an ad war now and thats overtaken the races themselves.

[disnut8]

NASCAR has become a very popular sport.  Just like with baseball, football, and basketball.  The sposors are with the players.  Sign a contract with Nike?  You cannot wear sneakers of any other competitor during that contract.  And it doesn't stop with the major sports.  It's just reported on more.  When we were in Nebraska, Rich was a ranked racquetball player.  Not that great and definitely not close to a pro level but ranked.  He actually had a racquetball sponsor.  He didn't get paid but received free racquets (or at least a nice discount) as long as he only wore their T shirts any time he played.  Any time.  Including for fun.  He could not wear any other competitor's T-shirts at any time.  Including just out and out but in public.

Increase the popularity of the sport, increase the level of sponsorship.  Think Jeff Gordon will ever be seen anywhere drinking a Coke product?  Wonder what he does when he's at Disney World?

[elmono311]

That's a good point. What would Gordon drink if he were at a place that serves Coke products?

[LostArtofRolando]

Beer? or tap water?

[elmono311]

Unless he sneaks Pepsi in.

[disnut8]

That's a good point. What would Gordon drink if he were at a place that serves Coke products?

At Disney World, unless he goes off property and gets Pepsi, he's SOL.  There are two Hess gas stations with convenience stores and a lot of people thought that would be their Pepsi fix of the trip.  Nope, Disney even controls that so that only Coke products are sold.

I'm surprised we actually are able to get NBC and CBS on property.  There are four ESPN channels, though.

[elmono311]

I don't think Disney is that stupid to deny NBC and CBS, plus they do get other studios' TV shows on ABC. The TV stuidios make TV shows for whatever network picks them up, no matter who owns them.

[disnut8]

I don't think Disney is that stupid to deny NBC and CBS, plus they do get other studios' TV shows on ABC. The TV stuidios make TV shows for whatever network picks them up, no matter who owns them.

Joke, joke.  Kind of tongue in cheek that so many people think Disney rules the world.  They only rule 51% of it and let everyone else fight it out.

[elmono311]

Disney does rule the world. They should send a batallion of Mickey Mouses... or is it Mice?... to Iraq and the war would be over.

[elmono311]

Here's an update in the lawsuit

I don't know how other people feel, but stuff like this makes me not want to ever buy a Sprint Nextel product. It's having the opposite effect on me when they try to pull stuff like this off.

[elmono311]

AT&T beat NASCAR!!! First Junior leaves DEI and now this. The world is coming to an end.

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