What is your opinion on the AT/T vs NASCAR and Nextel deal?

Sheree: I personnally think what is happening between AT & T and Sprint isn't all that right.  It's the same deal if you look at it!I same deal if you look at it! It was the Nextel Cup, now this year it’s going to be the Sprint Cup! Ok, so what’s the matter with this picture? Okay, probably about 20-some million dollars (Yea, I’m sure it’s a heck of a lot more then that!! But you get the picture here!), but don’t think for one second that AT&T isn’t shelling out a crap load of money either!

 I feel that a merge is a merge no matter what the company. Whether it’s a cell phone, soft drink or a food company! It’s like telling Pepsi they can’t be in NASCAR because Coke is…and that my friend, is dead wrong! And if it continues, there will honestly be no NASCAR! They will eventually, have all the sponsors at each others throats; on who can stay and who has to go! If Jeff Burton can’t have AT&T on his car, I guess its ok for Ryan Newman to have Alltel?? Hmmm…something to think about!!

NASCAR is going to turn sponsors off to the sport, and eventually, no one will want to invest their hard earned cash for anything! Not even the fans :O) Sorry!! This is just my opinion!

Basically, you (and when I say, You, I mean, all of us... race fans!!) already can’t afford to go to a race for an entire weekend now.  Most people can only afford Sunday's race and that’s it! Something needs to be done so the fans can sit back and watch a race in person! But I guess that’s another topic for another Backseat Driver HUH!!! I’d love to open up that can of worms and see how everyone feels about it!!! (I think I just found our topic for BSD Vol. 26!!! :O)

Arianne: I have to side with AT & T on this one.  I understand the importance of title sponsorship but this issue was about a name change, not a new company trying to take over space that was initially Nextel's.  NASCAR's decision to deny AT & T their right to carry out their agreement with RCR is like a company denying a female employee her contract rights because the employee got married and changed her maiden name to her new married name.  Cingular's product didn't change, just the name of the company.  Nextel's changed names as well.  The situation should have been better understood.  If there was room for Cingular and Alltel in NASCAR, then there was room for AT & T. Two communications companies were grandfathered in when Nextel stepped in as the series title sponsor. Had AT & T won, there still would have only been two other communications companies.

Maryann:  Well, maybe this isn't a good one for me to answer. Now believe me, I understand where NASCAR and Nextel are coming from. But right now I don't see a whole lot of sponsors pounding down doors to get into the sport.  Hey Nextel (Sprint)...you're changing your name next year also. I know that you have paid the big bucks to have the sole rights to the cup series in NASCAR. What I am saying is, that there is a company (yes, it is a cell phone carrier) that wants to sponsor the 31 car. Which I know was grandfathered in (the name may have changed but the company is the same) when you came into the series. All of us NASCAR fans have different cell phone carriers. Are you going to stop us from buying a race ticket because we don't have Nextel/Sprint?  I think it is wrong to keep AT&T out of the sport. They aren't asking you to name the series after them; they just want to sponsor a car. With the times being the way they are, I don't know if I would want to shut any potential sponsors out of the series.
 
I know we could go on for hours and debate this topic. I, for one, say let AT&T sponsor the 31 car.  But I know we are going to have to wait until it is done in court.

Brianna: Sponsors, sponsors, and more sponsors.Sponsor dollars are like television commercials they are necessary to promote NASCAR.  When I say promote the sport I mean from paying for lug nuts to the confetti that flies in Victory Circle each week.  When the lawyers step up to the plate then you know we are talking about serious dollars.  So to answer your question, I can see each others point of view, but I would rather talk about Jeff Burton's season and upcoming races than argue like a lawyer.  So ladies, was Jeff a good RCR teammateand right by separating Kevin from Juan or should he have let Kevin and Juan duke it out???  My vote... duke it out.

Heather: No I don't think it's fair that NASCAR gets to choose which sponsors come into their sport. Essentially they're saying the only Cell providers allowed are Nextel/Sprint and Alltel. AT&T acquired

Cingular. Cingular was already a sponsor when Nextel came in. Therefore, AT&T should remain on the car.

I think NASCAR went too far in this case. If they're worried about competition between cell providers, what's next? Will Coca-Cola or Pepsi be banned if one is chosen over the other as "the official soft drink of NASCAR"? Is this just the start of only allowing one manufacturer/company per industry (i.e. soft drinks, cell providers,

gasoline companies)? Also, will Kevin Harvick be forced to get rid of

Shell/Pennzoil since it competes with Sunoco's official license to the sport?

What happened to competition? That's what NASCAR is based on. By taking out competing cell providers, NASCAR is setting themselves up for more lawsuits in the near future, thus limiting the number of sponsors promoting their products within the sport.

Kris:  I don't think the battle is over and probably won't be for a long time. They will go back and forth over the issue until long after NEXTEL is no longer the NASCAR sponsor. In the meantime, I think we will continue to see the Cingular/AT&T logo on the car one week and maybe not the next. I don't really think NASCAR should have challenged them since the same thing is happening to them- being taken over by Sprint. NEXTEL signed a 10-year deal with NASCAR as the title sponsor and after four years, their name will be gone. I think it's a pissin' contest between the two

EMAIL your opinion to us!

Click HERE