Is a NASCAR race better in person or on TV?(Counterpoints)

On TV

Winston Cup races are the worst sporting events to see in person. The noise is unbearable, the air is unbreathable, it takes 8 hours to get to the track, 10 hours to get home, it's 135 degrees in the shade (not that there is any), and you can't see a dang-fool thing. Watch from the infield, and you'll see only a small fraction of the track. Sit in the stands, and you'll be a half-mile away from some of the action. At that distance, you can't tell Bill Elliott from Missy Elliott.

It is impossible to understand what is happening in a race while watching it in person. The only time anything is clear is during the first and last laps. In between, there are too many passes, too many lead changes, too many Jimmy Spencers braining Kurt Busches with crescent wrenches.

"Oh, but there's great ambience," people say all the time. What they mean is, "Oh, somebody barfed in my RV." There's no ambience you can't find at any campground in the country. Want to know what it's like at a Winston Cup race? Put a soup pot on your head. Bang on it with a wooden spoon. Sit in your garage with the car on. Put your lace 5 inches from the exhaust pipe. Oh, and get third-degree sunburn on your neck, arms and face.--Matt Crossman

In person

Ever fall asleep watching a Sunday ...