The Kyle Bailey Show: Marty Snider

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's talk a little football, but a lot of racing
right now with Marty Snyder, NBC Turner, Amazon, NASCAR studio
host and Pitt Reporter. He's back with us for a
Friday conversation. Marty Snyder, what's up, brother? How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Oh? We got him? Hey it?

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Oh, we got you. What's going on, Bud?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hey, what's happening? Sorry about that little bluetooth action? Getting
in the car now? Everything good? Man? About to head
out to Kansas. And I'm assuming you asked Panthers, Is
that correct?

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Well, I haven't asked yet, but uh yeah, we're well,
you know, let's let's talk good though, because we don't
know what's on the horizon. So let's just simply start
with the fact that they beat the snot out of
Atlanta on Sunday in the home opener. That's something worth celebrating.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Absolutely worth celebrating. And I'll tell you what I mean, honestly,
I just hope that the defense that as gero Everros
put out on the field is for the last six
quarters is what shows up this weekend. You know, to me,
it's kind of a weird game this weekend in New England,
right the Patriots so good at run defense, defense, and
the Panthers you know, kind of drive off of that.

(01:05):
So that's going to be interesting that, Yeah, to live
off the Atlanta game. I find it interesting. Their OC
said that it was dead at Bank of America Stadium.
From everybody I heard, it was pretty alive. Yep. And
uh and and I you know, I think, listen, can
the you know, can the defense really be that good?
I don't know. I hope so, man, And if there's
still a focus on moving forward making the defense better

(01:28):
in twenty six and and I think special teams gets
lost this whole thing as well, you know. I mean
I thought Ryan Fitzgerald was amazing and I didn't know
this was coming and he would be this good and
this would be this much of a weapon you know,
won't stay that way all year long. But that that
was a very shocking, surprisingly shocking game that that the

(01:49):
Panthers turned in on Sunday against the Falcons. While I
was doing the race in New Hampshire, I told Jeff
Burton no updates, and he kept giving me off their updates.
I can't giving you an update because you're going to
be and I'm like, all right, better be better. Be right, Jeff,
don't tease me. And when he said thirty to Ugh
and I fell out on the floor. So so yeah,
I was really happy to hear that result. So even

(02:11):
when racing's going on, we're we're paying a little bit
of attention to what's going on on the football field
as well.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
I believe it to me, Marty, and I think you
touched on it early in your answer there. This weekend,
we all know the Panthers might lose. Like I got
people texting the text life, Oh, they're going to come
back down to earth. Last week wasn't an anomaly. You know,
they're going to get humbled up there. This is still
the pen and it's like, yeah, no, we know that.
But it would be so big for them to go
up there and win, especially down a couple of key pieces.
To me, this would be a huge organizational win Marty,

(02:39):
that after a slow start you find your footing and
even down a couple of pieces, if you can go
on the road and win, that's huge for the Organization
for Culture for Belief right.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Oh, one thousand percent. And I think you know because
you look at the teams. In my opinion, there's sort
of equal talent sets in a lot of ways. You know,
there's a lot of you know, missing pieces on the
offense for the Patriots, and well, lord knows, they got
a billion dollars in salary cap that they're gonna eventually
spend next year, I assume. But but I think they're

(03:10):
a well coached team. They're pretty on par with the
Panthers talent level wise. So this is a game that
they could and maybe should win. I think it's interesting
they're going up against Drake and May, lifelong Panther stand
and actually knew that JJ Jansen still played for the Panthers,
which was fascinating this week. But but no, I think, yeah,

(03:30):
if you can rally, you can wind up two and
two out of this four game stretch after how the
horrible it looked after Week one that was just atrocious.
If you can be two and two after the Patriots game,
that's that's a big win for this organization and has
they have a real chance And and look, the South
is terrible, right, They're in the right division to win it.

(03:52):
Like the Bucks are all hurt now, the Falcons clearly
aren't that great. The Saints. For the Saints, I mean,
I hate to even think about them possibly winning the division.
But it but it's all right there, certainly for the future,
but maybe even this year.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Marty Snyder hanging out with us First Friday Conversation. Marty
at a time where there's a lot of discussion going
on about the next gen car, about TV ratings and
the future of the sport and everything else. I mentioned
the report about potential changes to the playoff format in
the previous segment, and my phone line is lit up.
You know, so we got people that do care about
this a lot. A Jeff Gluck report from The Athletic

(04:30):
that NASCAR is seriously entertaining a return to a full
season points format, dropping the current playoff system. What if
any signals are you seeing inside the sport from teams, drivers,
leadership about just how seriously that's being considered.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
I think that it is. I think everything's on the
table right now. And I've you know, been around a
lot of you know, NASCAR brass in the last couple
of weeks. I think everything is on the table right now.
I would say that Jeff is accurate and saying it
is being considered. I do not think at the end
of the day that's what they'll wind up doing. I

(05:07):
think there's gonna be an element of whatever happens that
NASCAR does and sort of getting back to the roots
of who NASCAR is. I don't know that that thirty
six races is the right way to go with that.
I could see a system where they do ten race
a ten race playoffs, maybe getting back to what the
original chase was back in the day. I can't stand

(05:29):
that term. I love playoffs much better, but you know,
getting back to what that was, just a ten race
playoff system. I could definitely see that being a play
I could also see there's a there's talk of a
hybrid system where they do they do a ten race system,
but they do seven races, then there's an elimination and

(05:51):
then the final you know five drivers or final four
drivers battled out over the final three races of the season.
I think that's under consideration as well. But I just
I think the thirty six race, you know, because listen,
you sold to you know, the fans, you sold the networks,
you sold all these people. Playoffs, right, and they'll just

(06:11):
walk away from that completely would probably be a bridge
too far. But something in the middle where you can say, hey,
there's still a playoffs. But it's ten weeks or it's
seven weeks and three weeks. I think to me, that
ten play and I see that being a much more
viable option. And I listen, they don't have their minds
made up. I was, I was with some NASCAR folks

(06:31):
last week. They still don't have their minds made up.
They've got a lot to work through. And I know
from our side of the NBC, we have said, and
this is public knowledge, we said, hey, we'll support you NASCAR,
whatever you want to do. This is your decision. You
guys make this decision. And as Jeff Bluck talked about
that on this podcast, so we're leading all in NASCAR's hands,
and whatever they decide, I know all the networks will

(06:53):
be on board and say, yeah, let's make it happen.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
What are the biggest risks that they'd be taking, Like
in your view, for instance, car, you know we're to
abandon the playoffs, you know, what are the biggest risks there?
And conversely, you know what upside could reintroducing let's say
a straight points championship, bring to teams, drivers and even
the fans.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Well, the biggest risk is you have what happened in
IndyCar this year and they only have a seventeen race
schedule and Alex Blow won the championship with three races
to go. Three races and there was nothing to decide
except second on. Now you go back to the mat
kinsath year in two thousand and four where he won
the championship. I believe two or three races before the

(07:34):
end of the year. You know, you just don't want
to be in that situation. That's the biggest thing where
you literally where we lead off a pre race show
at Homestead Miami next year and we say, hey, all
Kyle Larson has to do is start his engine today
and he wins the championship. That's so anti climactic. You know,
you've got to have something at stake in the final
few races. And I still am a massive believer in

(07:58):
the cutoffs and that they move the needles. Fans get
excited about that. There's drama involved in that. It ramps
up the racing, good or bad, right to where there's
a there's an intensity level that you know, hey, that
guy needs that spot. He could move that guy and
he gets into the next round or he's done in
the playoffs. You know, to me, there still needs to
be an elimination. There still needs to be some sort

(08:21):
of championship round. I do, and I've said it on
your show many times. I do think a one race
championship though, should not happen anymore. I think after this
year that needs to be done. It just doesn't. It's
not enough of a sample set. A three race you know,
sample set is enough and you can kind of get
a feel for Hey over the three race stretch that

(08:44):
driver is the best and they are in the championship.
To me, there needs to be some sort of championship round.
But the thirty sixth race thing. You know, you don't
want the champion winning three or four races before the
season's over with it just it doesn't help anybody in
that scenario.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
Martin Snyder with us for a Friday conversation Real Quick
on New Hampshire last week, Team Penske dominating Logano, whins
the poll, leads the most laps, but he can't hold
off Ryan Blaney at the end. From your vantage point,
what were the key takeaways from that race, both from
a performance and championship implication standpoint?

Speaker 2 (09:18):
Well, I think the championship runs through Team Penskey is
the key takeaway. And I think Ryan Blaney is a
favorite to win the championship. And and you know, we
kind of talked about it going into the New Hampshire
race last week. Joey Logano went there, did the big
tire test. They were super fast at that tire test.
As we predicted on your show last week they would
be very fast. But you know, Blaney took a lot

(09:41):
of help from the twenty two and really kind of
honed in on what they wanted to do set up wise,
and man, they were so fast it was crazy at
New Hampshire. So same tire, same arrow package, same everything.
That's going to Phoenix in five weeks and you got
to believe that once again Team Finsky's going to be
the favorite. And if I had to pick one, I

(10:01):
would say Ryan Blaney is the guy to beat, you know,
because Blaney will be quick again at Kansas, he'll be
decent at the roval, and I think as long as
they can get to Phoenix in the Championship four, I
think he's going to be the guy to beat for
the championship. Question is can Joey Logano get there with him?
Because Joey Logano clearly had, you know, close to on

(10:23):
par speed with the twelve. Not quite as good on
the long run. But I tell you what, in the
championship moment, you know, you give me a driver and
give me a team. I would take the twenty two
team Paul Wolf Joey Logano almost every time because they
have an ability to step up in those big moments.
I don't know what it is or why it is,
but they can do it. And I tell you what,

(10:44):
if they're in the championship for that's gonna be a
heck of a battle whoever's in it, but those two,
if they're both in it, it's gonna be fun to watch. Well.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
Tim Penske had a great weekend, probably a pleasant Monday meeting.
Joe Gibbs Racing, maybe not so much. Maybe a little tense, right,
Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs. I mean, there aren't many guys
who could get away with wrecking the boss's grandson. But
have they kissed and made up? What have you heard
from their other performance meeting on Monday?

Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, I don't know if that's going to happen. I mean, listen,
I mean I think I think Ty's a young driver
and and has a lot of ambition, and then he's
got two more years and after this year at Gibbs
and and Ty knows that. And I think Ty feels
like he's trying to win his first race and he
doesn't know you know, Christopher Bell or or Chase Risco

(11:28):
or Denny Hamlin really anything. He's out there to win
races too, And I don't know that anything's really going
to change that. And I think, you know, so I
don't know where that goes, honestly, and to be very truthful,
I don't think anything happens on the track or or
you know, with between these guys, nothing's going to happen.
I mean, but but will they give each other room?

(11:49):
Will they help each other out? You know, we saw
that with Team Tensky, right, I mean, I know Josh
Berry's now out of the playoffs, but Josh Berry race
Ryan Blaney's very kindly. He could have pushed the issue
at New Hampshire and probably could have put him in
a bad spot. Maybe he won the race, right he's
still in the playoffs. Maybe he does that. But I
just don't think that Team Penske operates that way because

(12:11):
I've been around Roger Penskey a lot of years, and
his whole thing is, hey, race each other hard, do
not touch each other, no matter what. And then he
didn't mean to get in to tie. He just just
the way that happened, it didn't work out for either
one of them, and I just don't know how that
gets resolved. You know, maybe there's some all season conversations,
but I think as they operate for now, I think

(12:33):
it will kind of be every man for himself to
some extent, and we'll just see where that goes. But
I doubt you see anything happen on track from what
happened Sunday in Newhamer.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
All right, Marty, last thing, we'll let you go talk
to Bubba Wallace on the show yesterday. We know he's
hoping to rediscover some magic of Kansas, he's won there before.
But who else are you keeping an eye on and
what are the key factors in this race?

Speaker 2 (12:54):
Yeah? I think this is a big weekend for Hendrick Motorsports.
We've talked a lot about them in the playoffs. They
have not been spectacular. They had flashes of speed, obviously,
Chase Elliott with another top five finish after starting in
the back. I think they have you know they've kind
of shown hey we've gotten better at the flat you
know tracks, which is go to all to them and Phoenix,

(13:15):
but I think Kansas has been their playground lates. Kyle
Larson dominated in the spring. I could argue Chase Elliott
had the second best car and wound up in the
top ten. So this is a big weekend for Hendrick
to kind of re establish themselves and say, hey, we're
still in this. We don't forget about us, because they've
kind of been the forgotten group in this whole playoff
run and to the twenty three to eleven point, Man,

(13:37):
they really need a good run. Both Tyler Redick and
Bubba did not have surprisingly did not have good New
Hampshire runs. And I know you mentioned how they've won
before kV at Kansas, but they haven't not been good
in this next gen car at Kansas, and it's just
not been good the last couple of years. So they've
got to rediscover some magic because I haven't seen the
speed out of that group to do something right at

(14:00):
the robals. So they both need a very solid day.
But I think this is a This is a massive
swing point for Hendrick Motorsports in the playoffs if they
want to step up, get themselves in the championship conversation
and need to start this weekend.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
Brother, I appreciate you have fun out there. We will
be watching this weekend.

Speaker 2 (14:15):
Have fun, Hi, Kamy A. Mons.