Not Digging Digger
If you thought that annoying FOX character Digger was bad before, well wait until you meet the rest of his family.

FOX Sports head David Hill with announcers Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip at his side spent nearly 45 minutes in the Daytona media center Thursday afternoon explaining to reporters how the network plans to expand the animated nuisance to include a more feature-like look at his exploits and adventures including the introduction of family members and arch enemies.

I've sat through a lot of these kind of presentations and today's is right in the team photo of most embarrassing.

Rather thank talk about Sunday's race telecast, the nature of the shrinking media picture or the business of televising NASCAR races, the FOX contingent spent the time discussing its crass merchandising program of a character that quite frankly has been forced down the throats of race fans since he was born.

I understand the need to cultivate new fans and appeal to a kid's market to help grow the sport, something that was pointed out in the session that has been missing in NASCAR since The Cartoon Network left as a sponsor, but I have a five year old daughter and believe me, she watches the races with her father from time-to-time and she's not clamoring for more Digger.

Merchandising and cross promotion is part of sports on television but FOX goes way overboard. When asked by a veteran journalist whether hawking its promotional items during race telecasts sometimes brings the production and announcers across the line between journalism and advertising, the panel shot back at the reporter that "his paper runs comics and advertising doesn't it?"

To which the reporter responded perfectly -"Yes, but not in my stories."

Take that Digger. 
Posted: 2/12/2009 12:45:49 PM
Comments:
Red Headed, we're not grumps(ok there maybe one or two out there), we just like different things than you do. Myself, I'd rather watch and listen to a well done interview with one of the drivers, crew chiefs or crew members(which are grossly ignored by the way). Have fun watching digger, as for the rest of us, mute button and channel surf while he's on.
Posted On: 5/29/2009 9:34:57 PM
Digger wore out his welcome in my house long ago. My girl and I are both Nascar fans and can't stand the bugger! Hopefully God, Christ and Earnhardt Sr. will show them the error of their ways.
Posted On: 5/29/2009 9:27:04 PM
I like digger and his family too
Posted On: 5/7/2009 1:35:19 PM
DUMP THE RODENT AND THE GUY WITH THE STRAIGHTENED AFRO OR PUT A LID ON HIM. i HOPE HE DOESN'T PAY FOR THAT HAIRSTYLING.
Posted On: 2/20/2009 9:34:35 AM
fixed tv, whoops, fox tv can do us all a favor, get rid of other brother daryl, screaming larrymac and a bit less of digger!

bb
Posted On: 2/17/2009 12:17:59 PM
Do us a favor and get rid of digger.
Posted On: 2/17/2009 5:12:11 AM
I think we should start a petition to have Fox drop the Digger bs.
Posted On: 2/16/2009 3:12:48 PM
I love Digger and the Fox crew! Digger makes it fun for the little nascar fans watching at home...come on you guys...where's your playful sides
Posted On: 2/16/2009 7:36:24 AM
Love Digger and the Fox group!
Posted On: 2/15/2009 2:01:09 PM
IMO, FOX's entire broadcast is played out and lame. It's not just Digger that's stupid. Jaws and his boogity rant at the start of every race is
as tired as 'git r done'.
Posted On: 2/15/2009 9:13:42 AM
I thought Max Angelelli splattered 'Digger' on the last lap at the Six Hours of Watkins Glen a few years ago!
Posted On: 2/15/2009 9:05:12 AM
When is gopher season?!?!? Digger need to be put down! FOX Sports please spare us, please! I heard Keith Urban has written a song about him via the The Morning Drive on Sirius. When will this Digger madness stop!?!?! I fear for my children!!
Posted On: 2/14/2009 7:30:14 PM
I agree, I don't like that FOX is cramming it down our throats. They stole diggers looks from Caddyshack, as prior mention of FOX's trying to capture kid audiences with the robot football dancer, remember the glowing puck? FOX hows that working for you? I was a kid once didn't have any coverage like they do today, had to wait for Wide World of Sports on Saturday to show hi-lites of the previous Sunday race. ITS CARS RACING!!!If that doesn't attracted you then maybe its not for you. When I'm at the track and I'm talking to other fanz, we are not saying "I wonder where digger is?" FOX has a great crew, great coverage, fantastic camera work, and thats all digger should be is a great camera angle.
Posted On: 2/13/2009 12:05:25 PM
Y'all are a total bunch of grumps! I love Digger!
Posted On: 2/12/2009 3:34:36 PM
I completely agree. The dancing he was doing during station promos was awful. I never thought anything could be worse that the robot football player FOX uses, but I was wrong.
Posted On: 2/12/2009 3:18:15 PM

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