Last Generation Thread 2 (You thought I was Finished?)

[richiebee]

THREAD 2: Brisbet/ Belmont/ Silver Charm

       Yes Silver Charm, they have a product which is absolutely addictive
       and they want to make it inaccessible.

       I pay to have TVG as part of my Direct TV package. I can\'t use TVG\'s
       wagering services because they are not available to NY residents.
       I can wager all I want with Brisbet, but not on Belmont. TVG shows
       races I can not bet on with Brisbet; Brisbet accepts wagering on races
       I can not watch on TVG.

       Yes, I could sign up with NYRA or OTB and watch on TVG and bet by phone
       or on the internet. But I got spoiled. I had Paradise. I had Pinnacle
       which allowed me to bet on anything from who would be elected President
       in 2008 to World Cup Soccer to Racing from anywhere. I could sit        
       in my robe, grill my dirty water dogs, play with my blender (Ronrico rum,
       Meyers rum, Jim Beam, lemonade, pineapple juice, trust me it will taste
       like fruit punch until you try to stand). I did not have to pay gas,tolls
       parking, admission or even get dressed. I did not have to be subjected to
       a facility which was kept in a shameful condition, a surly and in-
       efficient mutuel clerk, a warm and overpriced glass of beer. And oh yes
       Pinnacle offered a not insignificant rebate, and put me on the honor
       system in terms of reporting taxable winnings.

       Yes I realize that while I was in Pinnacle/Utopia,none of my hard earned
       cyber shekels were going back into Racing. But even if I was not spinning
       a turnstile or betting at the track, I was still involved with Racing,
       buying the Form online, occasionally the TGs. I was still in the game.

       The word \"disconnect\" used to be a verb; it has morphed into a noun.
       Racing is, by getting involved in all of the alphabet games (TVG, OTB,
       NYRA, CDSN), making the game less accessible to fans present and
       potential; there is a significant \"disconnect\" between Racing and its
       fans.

       OK, Silver Charm and Richiebee are pissed off. All we want to do is
       place the occasional wager, and the powers that be are not making it
       easy. But somehow, maybe not with the same frequency as in the past,
       SC and RB will find a way to place a wager, even if it means depositing
       money with a business entity which is in Chapter 11 (NYRA) or one of
       the most poorly managed patronage mills in the history of New York City
       (OTB).

       In the olden days, part of the intrigue of Racing was the connection
       between the average American and the horse; in my formative horse-
       playing years, I remember reading about the trainers who grew up as
       cowboys on the open range, about the trainers who had been involved with
       the Cavalry in the military. I think both the late Richard Dutrow and the
       late Grover G. \"Bud\" Delp grew up in the dairy business, their first
       connection with horses being the draft horses which were utilized for
       daily deliveries of dairy products.

       That human/equine connection is all about gone. How many posters out
       there have actually ridden a horse? How many of you folks who have
       children or grandchildren would want them to involve themselves with
       Racing with the gusto that you have? Where are the racing fans of the
       future coming from?

       The horse was replaced in our culture with the automobile; imagine if
       NASCAR was bright enough to offer pari- mutuel wagering on an
       exclusive sanctioned website on one major nationally televised race
       per week? KA- CHING?!?