THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 6, 1996 TAG: 9609060698
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LARRY BONKO
LENGTH: 72 lines
Once upon a time, the people in NASCAR wouldn't dare allow their races to be televised live. They thought it would cut down on attendance and eventually drive a stake into the heart of a fast-growing sport.
TV, the devil, has evolved into TV, the angel.
NASCAR promoters learned in the 1980s that televising Grand National events live stimulated interest in the sport, particularly among women, brought Hollywood-type glamour to the drivers, and elevated stock car racing's popularity to a new high.
In March, more than 80,000 fans from about 30 states attended the Pontiac Excitement 400, televised live by ESPN, at Richmond International Raceway.
Saturday night, when ESPN will be at the track to present the Miller 400 live at 7:30, another crowd of 80,000-plus is expected. ESPN has also scheduled ``NASCAR Today'' from Richmond at 7 p.m. Saturday.
TV and NASCAR are in bed together, and nowhere do they snuggle closer than in Richmond. ``We were never really frightened of live television,'' says Kenneth Campbell, the raceway's vice president of public relations. ``We've learned in recent years that the national exposure, and focus on Richmond, helps us sell tickets.''
There will be 31 hours of coverage originating from Richmond this week, including two events tonight. That's exposure, my friends.
At 5:30, ESPN2 shows 90 minutes of qualifying for Saturday's Winston Cup Miller 400. Live.
At 7:30 on ESPN, the Autolite Grand National 250 will sign on, also live, followed at 9:30 by the taped Fas Mart Truck Shoot-out in the Craftsman Truck series. The truck race was live on ESPN2 Thursday night, and will be repeated Sunday at 10 a.m. on ESPN2.
Campbell says there are plans to expand the raceway in Richmond by 15,000 seats next year. If the trend holds, all those seats will be filled, even when the races are televised live into America's living rooms. CABLE PRICE A KO
Would you pay $1,000, $800 or $600 to see Mike Tyson fight Bruce Seldon Saturday night in Las Vegas in a fight postponed from July 13? That's the price of some prime seats at the MGM Grand.
If $1,000 is too rich for you, how about $44.95? That's the tab for seeing the Tyson-Seldon ``Liberation: Champion vs. Champion'' event on pay-per-view cable. The cost is $44.95 for Cox and TCI subscribers, $49.95 for those wired to Falcon cable in Suffolk. (If you order today, it's $5 off the price in Suffolk. And Cox is offering a $5 coupon from Zero's to its fight crowd).
While the prospect of Tyson pummeling Seldon may not excite viewers, there has been a buzz about the undercard, which features female pugilists - the charismatic Christy Martin (25 knockouts in 35 wins) against Melinda Robinson in a six-rounder. CABLE-READY FOOTBALL
College football is back on pay-per-view in Hampton Roads, with all cable systems carrying the Louisville-Penn State game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The cost is $9.95 per game with the three cable systems offering season packages: $79.95 in Suffolk ($69 if you order by Sept. 15), $79 in Chesapeake (with an early-bird special of $69), and $79.95 in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. Viewer's Choice on Cox also is offering Southern Cal-Illinois at 3:30 p.m., also for $9.95.
College pay-per-view is just the ticket for military-heavy Hampton Roads, whose transient football fans are far from the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and WAC campuses. WORTH WATCHING
What's TV most compelling, insightful and watchable sports series? I vote for ``Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,'' which returns to HBO Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. with Spike Lee's profile of Cleveland's petulant Albert Belle. There's also a segment on drug abuse in the NFL. MEMO: If you have questions or comments about TV sports, call Larry
Bonko on Infoline at 640-5555, press 2486. by CNB