No matter what sport a man or woman plays, the No. 1 thing every athlete must remember is that the fans are the biggest part of the sport. It's not the money they make, nor the endorsement deals, or any statistics they earn. Most important, it's the fans.
Unfortunately, for many fans, gaining access to their favorite athlete is becoming more difficult.
Possibly the hardest athletes to ever gain access to are those within motorsports. Let's face it, the schedule for a driver is completely insane. Personal appearances, sponsor obligations, media center time, on-track activities...it's hard enough on them to make all these, let alone find time for the fans.
Trying to get an autograph from a NASCAR driver usually means walking with them to one of those obligations and providing the Sharpie to have them sign.
There is always the option to mail the item to team headquarters to have it signed, but then again it would be months before the item would be shipped back. Sometimes the hassle is not worth the effort, and it is sad.
However, if you want to find a team, or a business, that is so fan-oriented, just look at monster trucks and specifically Team Bigfoot.
If it wasn't for Bigfoot, and owner/creator Bob Chandler, monster trucks wouldn't exist. More importantly, Chandler didn't decide overnight he was going to just build a truck like that. It just kept becoming bigger over the years, and people began to take notice.
Demand to see the truck was becoming so great, he built another one, and then another. To date, a total of 21 vehicles have wore the Bigfoot name.
The reason why 21 trucks have wore the Bigfoot name...the fans. The fans wanted to see Bigfoot so much, the team built multiple trucks to please all the demands. Even today, a total of five race trucks compete over the course of one weekend, while two others are used for displays at dealers and other sponsor events.
But, if you look at the men, and sometimes women, that have piloted the Bigfoot truck, when a fan approaches them asking for an autograph or picture, they don't shy away. The only time they do is if they are doing maintenance on the truck.
Should the crew have the work covered, the drivers will pull out a Sharpie, and sign anything the fans present them.
Team Bigfoot specifically is so fan-oriented, they took it a step further a few years ago, holding an Open House at the team shop in Hazelwood, Missouri. Fans can come out and see the trucks at the home base of Bigfoot, and also get exclusive access to areas that are often not seen on a normal day of business.
At the track, the team could not be more pleasant to be around. Speaking from experience, the Bigfoot team takes pride in knowing the fans were what made the truck, the team, and the industry famous.
I have personally met three current Bigfoot drivers, along with two past drivers and Chandler himself. Each of them greet with a smile, a hand shake, and will gladly take a picture with me. At the Bloomsburg jamboree this past weekend, lead driver Dan Runte signed artwork and a flag, then looked up, shook my hand and said "Great to see you again."
When a driver that sees thousands of fans over the course of the year can recognize just one face in the crowd, it's unique. It's rare that you find that with any driver, or any athlete in general.
At the same time, it shows that the Bigfoot team understands that if it was not for the fans, they would not exist. They are the ones spending their hard-earned money on tickets to see them perform, and the merchandise they make available so they can hold on to those memories. If fans did not like what Chandler was doing 36 years ago with his 1974 Ford F250, he probably would have faded off and no one would ever remember him.
But the fans stuck by Bigfoot, and continued to do so year after year. Even after 28 championships, this team recognizes that if it wasn't for the people, they would never even have the opportunity to win one title.
The fans made the Bigfoot truck famous. Not sponsors, not an automotive brand...the fans. Today, that still holds true.
This writer...this fan, knows that Team Bigfoot showcases class both on and off the race course. If other teams would follow their example, many more fans will come their way.
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