Another Voice in the Wilderness Advocating for the Customer

My British homey Pat at Too Much Racing has created a fabulous F1/Euro-racing focused site that you should immediately check out.

I was cruising Pat's site today and saw his link to sidepodcast.com, particularly a podcast called "An Aside With Joe -- The Customer Always Comes First."

This British bloke who I gather has been covering F1 forever, Joe Saward, talks about the turmoil in F1 right now and what will probably happen in 2010. Plus, right at the end, Joe states the fundamental truth: customers (fans) have many options as to what they can do with their time and money, so if F1 (or any other sport) gets stupid and uninteresting, customers will simply leave and the racing company, no matter how rich it is (Bernie, Max, the Hulman-George family), will eventually go tits up.

As Joe says, racing is entertainment, it's not the pursuit of world peace or a cure for cancer, so no one is obligated in any way to pay attention to racing. In the old days, when there weren't a trillion televised and live sports and entertainment alternatives, racing could live a bit off its tradition and the lack of competition. Not today.

Tradition is great, but customers want to know "What's in it for me ... today?" So I think we're just less and less impressed with the black-and-white montages of Mario Andretti, Mears, AJ, JR and the Unsers. That's all well and good and we should give them their homage and respect and reverence, but what's on the track today is what customers are asked to purchase with their time, attention and cash.

Not that big-deal racing seems to understand that very well, and I fear they will find it out the hard way if the current ignoring of product quality continues.

Joe is full of British-isms like using "rubbish" often, which I love. Some other gems from Joe: "F1 is overpriced. Tickets are too expensive and they have to be to pay the (sanctioning fee)." "It's just a sport. It doesn't matter. It's not saving the world. It's just fun." "Frankly, I don't give a toss about those people (rich people who only care about the sport for the cash flow). If they fell off their yachts it would please me no end."

It's also worth a listen if you want to get some kind of an idea about the layers and layers of political maneuvering and intrigue connected to F1, which makes the IndyCar series look as simple as a county dirt track operation by comparison.

Check Joe's podcast out HERE, and check out Pat's Too Much Racing HERE. And props to Pat for alerting me to the link.

Comments

[Pat W]

Thanks Pdog, I hope you don't mind me using your name in my post, the coincidences in the message were just too similar to ignore.

I'm stunned you posted it, I was just hoping for a couple of people to listen in and maybe a little comment on my blog while passing through!

[Pat W]

Of course I meant 'extra listeners'.
I should plug the latest instalment too, which was recorded on the Friday of the Turkish GP:

http://www.sidepodcast.com/2009/06/06/an-aside-with-joe-whats-the-point-in-having-three-championships-when-you-can-have-one/

[The Speedgeek]

Pat's the man, as is Joe Saward. Pat got me into Sidepodcast just before this season started, and I've been reading Saward for like 10 years on grandprix.com. Joe's takes on the F1 paddock on Sideposcast, coming right in the middle of race weekends, are usually one of the best parts of said weekends, along with Speed's qualifying coverage and Speed's Friday practice coverage, where Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett BS about whatever's going on and bust on each other for an hour and a half. If they somehow got Saward to do pit reporting for Speed after Windsor goes off to do his team owner bit next year, my head would probably explode.

Preach on, all of you gents, 'Dog, Pat, Joe. You're the voice of the fans.