Leigh Diffey confronts criticism after Daytona regular season finale

NBC Sports broadcaster Leigh Diffey has confronted criticism that he has received regarding his broadcasting style as the NASCAR Cup play-by-play announcer among other roles. He admits he does come across negativity in his career, but the positive moments he has with fans help pull him through.

In a discussion with the Daytona Beach News-Journal, he spoke about the negative effects of social media.

“You know, unfortunately, it’s the state of the world,” he said. “And I just think there’s a lot of negativity… whether it be sports, politics, business, anything. Everybody tends to get on social media and say a lot more negative things than positive things.

“Anyway, look, the majority of the critics, or the negative Nellies… simply because of the way I speak,” he continued. “I can’t choose the way I speak, nor can any of them. We are who we are. We’re all different for a reason.”

Rather than sinking into the negativity, he celebrated the positivity that comes from his fan base.

“I’d rather take the positive stance and say, I’ve had regular interactions with the fans at the racetracks, both last year and this year already,” he added. “I met with some wonderful fans just a couple of days ago at Watkins Glen, every day I was there. You gotta take the positives and plough on.

Leigh Diffey

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt

“I haven’t just done this in America. I’ve done this in Australia, I’ve done it in Europe, and now here in America. I haven’t just done it in one place.”

It’s a rarity for public-facing figures to not come up against negativity, especially in sports where opinions and support can be so strong.

“It comes with the job,” he accepted. “When you’re a public figure, people like to take shots. But it doesn’t change the way I do my job. I still feel very fortunate and lucky to have this job and to be in the media as long as I have been.

“I look at all the positives. I love what I do, and I know there are a lot of people out there who enjoy what I do. But it’s the negative people who tend to make more noise about it, and you just have to block that out.”

But what does he do with the pent-up negativity?

“It washes off,” he confirmed.

“We use social media a lot to stay in touch with the athletes and other people we cover,” he said. “It can be a really valuable tool. But you have to navigate it correctly and keep yourself balanced and focused on what’s important.

“And what’s important is the broadcast we produce every week for the fans.”

Photos from Daytona – Race