Johnson, Hendrick speak out on ABC’s decision

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series viewers in two time zones were somewhat surprised to see Sunday's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway moved to another network before it was concluded. After a pair of red-flag periods delayed the race, which had engines firing for the start at 3:52 EST, ABC officials made the decision to shift the conclusion of the race to ESPN2 in order to show the regularly-scheduled "America's Funniest Home Videos" to viewers in Eastern and Central Standard Time zones.

One major newspaper columnist wrote afterward that ABC's decision ends the argument as to whether NASCAR is a major sport once and for all. The end of an NFL game doesn't get handed off from network television to second-tier cable. Networks, broadcast or cable, usually don't bail out on playoff games — especially if the option is a piffle of a program like "America's Funniest Home Videos."

The sport's leadership has basically handed control of the sport over to television in exchange for billions of dollars. TV sets the starting times. NASCAR will let it's television "partners" push around the timing of the green flag if a baseball game leading in goes to extra innings or if a football game goes to overtime. Qualifying and practice coverage is shuffled off to other cable outlets, shown on bizarre tape delay schedules or omitted entirely.

Race winner Jimmie Johnson and team owner Rick Hendrick were surprised to hear of the switch following the event. "It doesn't say very much," team owner Rick Hendrick said when asked what the move said about the Chase.

"I didn't know that. That's where my mother is. I'm glad my phone went dead at the end of the race." Johnson laughed in his response, but admitted his own surprise. "Well, I thought it went dark and nobody could watch it," he said.

"So the fact that it was on another television channel was, I mean, it's better. It's still somewhat on a prime channel of course on ABC, but to go to America's Funniest Home Videos, that one hurts, no doubt. I thought we have a lot of characters. Why do we need that show?"