Dale Earnhardt Jr. has long been a figure I deeply admire. In my view, he possesses one of the most insightful and relatable voices in all of NASCAR. Dale serves as a crucial link between the decision-makers in the sport and the passionate fan base. Every sport has that one person who stands out as a spokesperson for both the insiders and the fans, and in NASCAR, I firmly believe that Dale Jr. is that person. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there isn’t anyone else who even comes close to his level of influence and understanding within the sport. He is in a league of his own, and when I say this, I mean it with the utmost sincerity.
However, despite my deep respect for Dale, I feel compelled to address a recent statement he made that I found to be quite misguided. It pains me to say it, but honesty requires that I do. Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently made a suggestion about NASCAR and the NFL that I consider to be one of the most ill-advised ideas I’ve ever heard. If NASCAR were to follow through with his suggestion, I genuinely believe it could spell the end of the sport as we know it.
Dale casually proposed the idea that NASCAR should compete directly with the NFL during the fall season, scheduling races to go head-to-head with NFL games. He suggested that NASCAR should drop the green flag at 1 PM, the same time as NFL kickoffs, and let the viewers decide which to watch. Dale’s argument seemed to hinge on the notion that to be the best, you have to beat the best, implying that NASCAR should take on the NFL in a direct competition for viewers.
Let me be clear: I think this is a terrible idea. You won’t hear a worse suggestion today, and that’s saying something. The NFL is the undisputed king of American sports. It’s almost absurd how much more popular the NFL is compared to every other sport in terms of revenue and television viewership. At a time when TV ratings for many sports are declining, football remains the exception. NFL games continue to dominate the ratings, and that includes college football, which takes over Saturdays every fall. Starting this weekend and continuing for the next four months, college football will be the main event on Saturdays, just as the NFL is on Sundays.
Every year, media outlets release charts showing the most-watched television programs, and year after year, those charts are dominated by football, football, and more football. Even in a year when the WNBA has been enjoying strong ratings over the summer, once football season kicks in, that attention will likely shift away. This is the reality that every other sport faces when fall arrives, and NASCAR is no exception.
The NASCAR playoffs begin around Labor Day weekend, right when football season kicks into high gear. And as soon as that happens, many viewers turn their attention away from NASCAR. This is a longstanding issue, and it’s something that I believe is a disservice to the drivers, the fans, and the sport as a whole. For years, I’ve argued that the NASCAR season should end before football season begins. Even Chase Elliott, currently the most popular driver in NASCAR, has expressed a similar sentiment. He, too, recognizes the challenge of competing with football for viewers’ attention in the fall.
Chase is absolutely right, and I believe I am as well. While Dale Earnhardt Jr. is certainly a smart and insightful person, I think he made a serious misstep with this suggestion. NASCAR does not need to compete with the NFL, and it certainly doesn’t need to challenge football’s dominance. The NFL is the undisputed king of American sports, and trying to go toe-to-toe with it would be a losing battle for NASCAR. It’s a fight that NASCAR doesn’t need and shouldn’t seek out.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that NASCAR should avoid competing with football altogether. There’s no benefit to it, and it only serves to highlight the differences in popularity between the two sports. Instead of trying to compete with the NFL, NASCAR should focus on carving out its own space, perhaps by adjusting its schedule so that the season ends before football begins. This would allow NASCAR to avoid the ratings drop-off that inevitably happens when football season starts, and it would give the sport a chance to shine on its own terms.
So while I have immense respect for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and everything he has done for NASCAR, I have to disagree with him on this issue. The NFL is a powerhouse, and challenging it directly would be a mistake. NASCAR should steer clear of that battle and instead focus on what it does best: delivering exciting races and building a loyal fan base that can support the sport year-round, without the need to compete with the NFL for attention.
If Dale Earnhardt Jr. has his way, NASCAR could be doomed.
