NASCAR should be embracing Michael Jordan as an ambassador for their sport, especially during this weekend’s title race, but they’re in the uncomfortable position of being sued by the NBA GOAT’s racing team.
Tyler Reddick will be driving for Jordan’s 23XI Racing team as he vies for a NASCAR Cup Series title Sunday in Phoenix after earning his way into the Championship 4. The possibility of Jordan accepting the NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy from President Steve Phelps is something the sport should seemingly be clamoring for. But it’s an awkward relationship, and The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck joined the latest episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast to explain why.
Jordan was in federal court this week as his 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports are embroiled in an antitrust fight with NASCAR. According to Gluck, the legal fight stems from negotiations over NASCAR’s charter system, which is a franchise model that guarantees entry into every race and includes revenue sharing from their TV deals. NASCAR, however, will only guarantee the charter system for seven years, making it harder for racing teams to find long-term investors.
In their latest round of negotiations, NASCAR hit the teams with a last-minute offer that Front Row and Jordan’s 23XI refused to sign. Instead of signing the deal, 23XI and Front Row accused NASCAR of being a monopoly in a joint antitrust lawsuit. Where does that leave NASCAR’s ability to capitalize on Jordan’s involvement in a sport that could certainly use the extra attention?
“They’ve embraced it a bit, they would love to embrace it more,” Gluck said. “But now the fact that he’s suing them, it’s made it awkward…He is extremely knowledgeable about what is going on. The fact that NASCAR is missing an opportunity to market this guy…He has said, ‘This is replacing my competitive juices. I’m not a player anymore, I don’t own an NBA team anymore. This is what has replaced it for me.’ And one of his driver’s, Tyler Reddick is going for the championship this Sunday at Phoenix.”
“It’s a very weird dynamic,” Gluck continued. “And it’s a shame because it feels like under normal circumstances NASCAR could be just hammering this. Like, ‘Dude, MJ is here!’ He’s around so often that when he walks by you at the track, it’s become commonplace for the people in the garage…it seems like a huge, missed opportunity and maybe once this gets resolved, they can capitalize on it more.”
Average TV viewing of NASCAR has been chopped in half over the last 10 years. And here they are with one of the most recognizable figures in sports ready to be an ambassador and potentially accept their championship trophy, yet NASCAR finds themselves in the awkward position of not being able to embrace it.
Listen to the full episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast featuring The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck beginning Friday, Nov. 8, featuring discussions on the state of NASCAR, TV ratings, the Confederate flag ban, this weekend’s Championship 4, and much more. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.
[Awful Announcing Podcast]
