In the world of sports broadcasting, few people took the kind of risk David Hill dared to do. His creativity could divide the fanbase and even ruffle a few feathers along the way. He brought unexpected ideas to the screens, along with flashy graphics and new camera angles. While some of them were hits, others missed the mark. But none of them were as controversial or talked about as the cartoon gopher named Digger.

Even though years have passed since Digger’s last appearance, the debate still rages on. FOX has been at the center of plenty of controversies recently, and the last thing they need is an old cartoon coming back to hurt them. However, fans have long memories if the heated discussion on social media is anything to go by.

A gopher that began a full-fledged controversy

Digger was first introduced during one of FOX Sports’ NASCAR broadcasts in 2008. The character was meticulously designed to highlight the network’s new “gopher cam,” which was a low-angle camera embedded in the track. Initially, ‘Digger’ just appeared to mark where the camera was, a seemingly ‘fun’ element during race days. However, FOX could see potential for expansion and decided to turn him into something much bigger than initially envisaged.

Before you know it, Digger was everywhere. The character had his own line of merchandise, from t-shirts to plush toys. In 2009, FOX even launched ‘The Adventures of Digger and Friends’, a short animated series that used to air before races. Country singer Keith Urban even recorded a theme song, and Digger ended up making an appearance in an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie as well. This was the broadcaster’s strategy to get more young kids and families involved in the sport, but the response was mixed.

Now, 17 years later, Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern revived memories of Digger, posting an article on X, remembering the iconic era. Stern wrote, “NASCAR’s broadcast chief had little sense of the outcry headed his way when Fox opened the 2008 season with the introduction of Digger, an animated character the network created to highlight the use of an embedded camera that delivered striking views.”

Many long-term fans didn’t like the character. They felt that Digger took attention away from the racing and made the sport look less serious. Even some executives were not happy with the cartoon gopher, with one of them blaming the character for a drop in TV ratings. Paul Brooks, who worked on the sport’s media side, said, “You either loved Digger or you did not.” In the middle of all this was David Hill, who created the character and found the whole debate ridiculous.

During a retreat with some NASCAR officials, a joke was played on Hill involving a remote-controlled car and a stuffed Digger toy while skeet-shooting. Recalling the day, Brooks said, “David got an initial chuckle, but I think his feelings were hurt at the end of it.” However, it also showed how strongly some felt about the character. Eventually, FOX began to scale back Digger’s role after significant backlash, and by 2012, the character was gone for good.

NASCAR fans can be a tricky audience. If Digger is anything to go by, the character shows how challenging it can be to reach out to new audiences while keeping tradition in mind. The cartoon gopher may have been gone after just a few years, but stock car racing enthusiasts haven’t forgotten about him yet. They were recently engaged in a heated debate on social media, with Hill’s creation being at the center of it all.

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Digger continues to polarize the NASCAR fanbase

NASCAR fans don’t miss an opportunity to share their thoughts on social media, and even though over a decade has passed since Digger’s last public appearance, the character continues to divide the fan base. Despite the backlash back in the day, an X user expressed support for the character, writing, “Wait people hated Digger?? Maybe its because I was a kid but I thought it was cool.” Echoing that sentiment, another fan shared a judgmental message on social media, questioning those who didn’t like the cartoon. The fan wrote, “Hating Digger just shows you have no sense of fun.”

However, not everyone was keen to bring Digger back. One motorsports enthusiast didn’t get a feeling of nostalgia looking at the character and said, “Digger should only be brought back as the gopher camera.” Another stock car racing fan also felt that NASCAR is missing the low-angle camera embedded on the track, and said, “They should bring back that camera. Shake up their camera angles a little bit at least.”

One X user felt that the sanctioning body unfairly blamed Digger for the drop in TV ratings during that era, writing, “NASCAR blame everyone but themselves mission IMPOSSIBLE.” Recently, FOX Sports has been involved in several controversies, after fans criticized the broadcaster for excessive commercials, questionable race coverage, and poor planning, along with audio glitches. Remembering the network’s goof-ups, a fan wrote, “Digger in 2025 would be the least of @NASCARONFOX’s issues now.”

What do you think about Digger’s role in NASCAR history? Let us know in the comments!