Some fans won't miss Bill Weber in TNT booth
Bill Weber is officially out as play-by-play man for TNT's final two Sprint Cup races this season, and by the sounds of it, NASCAR fans view the news as cause for celebration.
Following TNT’s announcement that Ralph Sheheen will instead handle duties from the booth (as he did last week at New Hampshire), NASCAR fans on Twitter immediately expressed their happiness with the decision.
“That's GREAT news! I didn't like Bill at all,” wrote annie367.
“Woohoo! Bill Weber's voice is sooo annoying!” tweeted southerncharm88.
“Not a fan of Bill Weber, never was,” a user named cannemu wrote. “Personally, I hope TNT finds some other use for him...preferably off camera.”
Fans said they feel Weber is too condescending, and if it’s one thing NASCAR fans can’t take from their announcers, it’s the “voice from above” mentality that talks down to them during the broadcasts.
NASCAR fans already know their stuff. They’d rather feel like they’re being treated as knowledgeable equals than know-nothings who must be educated.
They want to be talked to, not talked at.
Weber, dating back to his days on NBC, hasn’t done that enough and has instead irked many a fan. Personally, I never enjoyed listening to him either, and was puzzled when NBC didn’t let Allen Bestwick back in the booth following a hockey injury that relegated him to the infield.
Though TNT would not comment on its reasons behind the decision, it reportedly was not performance-related. Either way, it opened the door for Sheheen, who presents a fresh and welcome voice in the broadcast booth. His play-by-play for AMA Supercross racing on Speed is always enjoyable to listen to, and fans believe he made the most of his opportunity at New Hampshire.
In an informal poll on Twitter, 90 percent of fans approved of Sheheen’s performance last week. And combined with top-notch analysts Kyle Petty, who has already become the No. 1 NASCAR analyst, and Wally Dallenbach, TNT suddenly has assembled the best booth in the business.
