This White House Tour brought to you by ...

During the Space Shuttle Program, I often wondered why NASA didn't sell ad space on the boosters and shuttle itself. Like NASCAR. It sure could have generated a lot of money.

I have no doubt, that given the chance Apple or Microsoft would have paid plenty to have their logo on the side of the Space Shuttle.

In these days of "Sequestration" the idea is worth revisiting. The White House has cancelled public tours due to cost cutting brought on my sequestration. Or so they claim.

Donald Trump, among others offered to pick up the tab and open the White House, owned by you and me to ...you and me. The White House said no.

So we ask, why?

The government also warns of delays in opening many of our national parks for the season. The key word being OUR national parks. So why not offer sponsorships? I bet any number of businesses would jump at the chance to sponsor Old Faithful at Yellowstone. Park Rangers could wear sponsor patches on their uniforms just like NASCAR drivers do.

The NFL and NASCAR have made sponsorship an art form. So why not the White House or Old Faithful?

"This tour of the White House is sponsored by Home Depot." Or, "This next eruption of Old Faithful is brought to you in part by Coca-Cola." (Because geysers and things go better with Coke!)

In business it's important to maximize revenue and reduce costs. Government doesn't operate that way. We lose. Over and over again.

That's why we can't tour our White House and might not be able to see Old Faithful this summer. All avoidable.

So what should it be? Sequestration or Sponsorships? I'll take the latter. Government needs to re-think the way it operates. So we again ask, why not sponsorships?

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you"

To Two, or not to Two.

Leading up to last weekend's NASCAR race at Talladega, I didn't think much about the two car hook-up style of racing. It just looked, well, silly. That view was based on the Daytona 500 race in February.

But after Talladega, my view is changing and I'm looking forward to the July race back at Daytona. Here's why:

Drivers learned that to win, you had to have a strategic plan in place. Hendrick Motorsports understood that and their 4-car team of #5Martin, #88Earnhart Jr, #24Gordon and #48Johnson became two, two-teams with the #48/#88 combination winning the race in a thrilling finish. .002 seconds the margin of victory. Johnson wouldn't have won if it wasn't for his team mate, and teamwork from, Dale Earnhart Jr.

As a returning fan, it was fascinating to hear the strategies being developed during the race as drivers not only talked with their crew chiefs and sponsors, but could also talk with any number of potential "dance partners." It meant for some strange bedfellows but driver Carl Edwards summed it up best when he said they weren't getting married, just going to prom.

Lots of things could impact the future of the "Two Car Tango" including rules changes and simply wear and tear at both tracks in the coming years.

But for now,the grip is super and is the racing. I'm looking forward to see how this evolves leading up to, and during the Daytona race this July.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you"

20 + 21 add up for NASCAR.

A young kid proved the adage that 90% of success is showing up. 20 year old Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500 yesterday. Unlike the superstars he beat, he drove to Daytona in his pickup truck rather than coming by private jet. He's drives for a legendary but woefully under-funded team, the #21 Wood Brothers. He wasn't supposed to win. But he did.

No one is happier than NASCAR. Ratings and attendance have dropped significantly the past few years. The root cause being NASCAR itself. It embraced the glitter and glam of Hollywood and left behind the southern folks who built the sport. It moved the Southern 500 from it's traditional Labor Day weekend spot on the schedule. It abandoned tracks like Rockingham. The fans who helped build the sport rebelled. I was one of them.

The light bulbs eventually went off at NASCAR offices and the sport began a return to its southern roots. It paid off yesterday. Brad Paisley kicked things off with a terrific set of country tunes and Martina McBride sang the national anthem. She even remembered the words. There was a prayer and fly over by the USAF Thunderbirds.

As for the Wood Brothers, they were there at NASCAR's very beginning. Back then you owned the team, you worked on the cars and pitted them during the race. They were shoved aside by the super teams. But the Wood Brothers kept on showing up. As of Sunday morning they didn't have the money or sponsorships to even run a full schedule. They took a chance on a young kid because that's all they could afford.

Some will argue that early wrecks by NASCAR superstars like Jimmy Johnson made it possible for Payne's victory. Nonsense, Racing is about running at the end. That's what Trevor Payne did. He finished first and the 2nd place car was simply the first to lose.

Payne got a huge payday but no points. His commitment is to the Nationwide Series, not Spint Cup so he won't get any points for winning, while losers will.

It doesn't matter, at least this week, because NASCAR got a winning result when a 20 year old got behind the wheel of the 21. It added up to a big day for racing.

Old school took everyone else back to school. Dale would have liked that.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you" (Boogity boogity boogity)