FOX's 'Digger' Gets Friends, Gear in '09

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.-- NASCAR on FOX is making no bones about it: Digger's a money-making tool.

Digger, an animated gopher that made his first appearance on the network's Sprint Cup broadcasts in 2008, is hitting the prime time starting with this weekend's season-opening Daytona 500 with a slew of new co-conspirators and a host of available merchandise items.

FOX announced the move and how they plan to make a few dollars off it during a press conference Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.

According to a press release, FOX is teaming up with Motorsports Authentics to create everything from t-shirts to disposable cameras surrounding the character born after FOX began using cameras embedded in the racing surface last season.

The press conference centered heavily on two facets: Digger's merchandise sales will benefit FOX's bottom line and it will, according to past experience from FOX Sports Chairman David Hill, help increase the NASCAR television audience.

The gopher will also find some more TV time in his expanded role. Starting Sunday during the 500 pre-race telecast, Digger will star in the first of six two-minute vignettes titled "The Adventures of Digger and Friends" with new chums Annie, Lumpy, Marbles and Gramps.

Will you be on-board with FOX's increased gopher coverage, albeit a "infinitesmally small" chunk of the broadcast? Or have you had enough of the racing gopher?

Me? It seems a little bit like Digger is just another tool FOX is using to spice up a racing broadcast that might be a little more exciting if NASCAR made a few changes to its current package for Sprint Cup cars at the cookie-cutter tracks. But hey, there's a nothing a gopher can't fix, right?

Someone call Bill Murray.