State of the Game -- Frustrated with Communications

[SoCalMan2]

Does anybody else feel the way I do?  I love this sport and I feel sad that it is dying and newcomers are rare.  This year\'s Kentucky Derby is the best example I could possibly imagine of this sport at its greatest.  Would a colleague of yours at work know this from any mainstream publication?  Why isn\'t Andrew Beyer crowing about what a great crop this is?  It seems he has perennially bemoaned the weak crops year after year. What about the NYTimes?  Where is the balanced reporting after all the PETA stuff?  What is the jockey club or churchill downs doing?  Shouldn\'t this year\'s derby be the lead in all the morning news shows this week?  What would happen if there was all of a sudden an Ali-Frazier fight now?  Everybody would be stunned that the Olympians came down to earth and gave us a rare glimpse of the divine!!  Why aren\'t the defenders of our beloved sport not out there telling the rest of the world that this is your chance to see the divine in action?  if NYRA wants to talk about customer experience, why isn\'t this race Exhibit A of what customers care about in their experience? IF Seabiscuit and Secretariat were successful movies, why aren\'t those viewers getting jazzed to see the real thing before their own eyes now?  Am I just crazy?

[yesthatwouldbeme]

I am part of an active online community that is a fanbase for a Jamband. Rock & Roll basically. In any case the band has a lively message board with thousands of daily posts, 365 days a year for 12+ years.

Today someone started a Kentucky Derby thread and a few folks chimed in on AP and Dortmund. I put up a post trying to talk up what a great crop this year represents. But I agree that no National voice is talking up this race. Then someone asked the simplest question: \"Where can I read up on these ponies?\" one response was Bloorhorse.com and that\'s kinda sad too as there aren\'t any mainstream sites for a newb to dive in to find out more on these horses in an easily digestible manner

This great crop could be such a boon for racing and instead it feels like our inside secret (again). Great for our wagering, but such a waste for the sport overall.

[Tavasco]

Television Networks coverage of preps and KD hype has been failure. It is so frustrating that I don\'t even want to voice opinions as it riles me. Then you think what coverage?

[richiebee]

Without sounding provincial, it does not help the sport/business of
thoroughbred racing on a national level that NYRA has turned the sport/business
of thoroughbred racing into the punch line of a bad joke in the world\'s most
important media center and arguably the world\'s greatest sports town.

Rather than wringing my hands that the Derby is not drawing more mainstream
attention (and dead money), I would rather appreciate the amount of information
available to year round racing fans (and those whose fanatacism peaks at
Triple Crown and BC time), which seems to increase year to year.

On Bryant Gumbel\'s \"Real Sports\" TV show, Chris Rock did a funny bit on why
baseball is less and less popular among African Americans; hillarious and
actually very well researched. Would love to see a similar bit by someone
explaining why thoroughbred racing does not seem to attract new fans of any
color.

Unrelated to the Derby or horse racing, but something many on the board might
relate to, is Chris Rock\'s take on marriage:

\"Marriage is so tough. Nelson Mandella got a divorce. Nelson Mandella got a
f--cking divorce! Nelson Mandella spent 27 years in a South African prison --
got beaten and tortured for 27 years and did it with no problem. Made to do
hard labor in 100 degree South African heat with no problem. He got out of
prison after 27 years of torture, spent six months with his wife and said \'I
can\'t take this sh-t no more!\'\"

[joemama]

First let me try to cheer everyone up.  See Link:    http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7136998

I won\'t comment about the media here . Jerry wouldn\'t appreciate it.

I complained about the lack of works coverage in a earlier post.  Just found out TVG will be doing a special Wednesday 6pm to 8pm EST on Kentucky derby workouts.  The show on my DVR menu is listed as Coast to Coast.

Good luck to all.

[Topcat]

SoCalMan2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anybody else feel the way I do?  I love this
> sport and I feel sad that it is dying and
> newcomers are rare.  This year\'s Kentucky Derby is
> the best example I could possibly imagine of this
> sport at its greatest.  Would a colleague of yours
> at work know this from any mainstream publication?
>  Why isn\'t Andrew Beyer crowing about what a great
> crop this is?  It seems he has perennially
> bemoaned the weak crops year after year. What
> about the NYTimes?  Where is the balanced
> reporting after all the PETA stuff?  What is the
> jockey club or churchill downs doing?  Shouldn\'t
> this year\'s derby be the lead in all the morning
> news shows this week?  What would happen if there
> was all of a sudden an Ali-Frazier fight now?
> Everybody would be stunned that the Olympians came
> down to earth and gave us a rare glimpse of the
> divine!!  Why aren\'t the defenders of our beloved
> sport not out there telling the rest of the world
> that this is your chance to see the divine in
> action?  if NYRA wants to talk about customer
> experience, why isn\'t this race Exhibit A of what
> customers care about in their experience? IF
> Seabiscuit and Secretariat were successful movies,
> why aren\'t those viewers getting jazzed to see the
> real thing before their own eyes now?  Am I just
> crazy?


Don\'t look for help from ESPN.  Much of their loaf of bread is buttered with the NFL Draft and the over-the-hill-gang fight in Vegas, Saturday night.   Like the hockey playoffs, major racing is an extreme-fringe item with Bristol, right now.

[toppled]

I\'m a huge football fan & I\'m really PO\'d that the NFL has the audacity to hold the last day of their draft on Derby day.  I\'m going to totally ignore the NFL on Saturday.  Their choice is as stupid as if the NBA decided to hold their all star game on Super Bowl Sunday.

[joemama]

By Saturday it\'s the 3rd or 4th round.  Does anyone really care by then?

[Topcat]

Heavy NFL lifting will be over and done with by Saturday . . .

[SoCalMan2]

Looks like the NYRA just announced they are capping attendance at the Belmont at 90,000 because, according to the NYRA, they cannot handle a larger crowd.  I guess if they really cannot handle it, then better to manage expectations, but if American Pharoah is going for the triple crown, it seems more likely to hurt than help matters (although it is great news for ticket scalpers).

It seems really crazy to announce they are going to have the Goo Goo Dolls performing on Belmont Day yet stop people from coming to the track who want to see the horses (if more than 90,000 are coming out, they are coming out to see the horses, not the Goo Goo Dolls -- nothing against the Goo Goo Dolls).

Why on earth schedule a rock concert at the same time as a triple crown run?  Seems to me it would be a lot better to wait the extra 10 days to decide on what other entertainment to provide (if necessary).  I sure hope they have a Goo Goo Dolls or better for the JULY 4 super card.  Would seem crazy to bring the rock band out for the Belmont Stakes and not for a card that cannot draw over 90k.

[miff]

So Cal,

Never try to rationalize what the NYRA does. It\'s record of incompetence precedes it. Clueless Kay recently announced NYRA will give the owners of the 2nd and 3rd place Belmont finishers a ribbon.....a f-King ribbon??

Flushed with slot subsidies $$ NYRA will now attempt to fool with the old but almost perfect SPA. New buildings in the back yard,of all places, sounds horrifying.

With all the critical issues surrounding NY racing this clown continues to wander aimlessly.


Mike

[TGJB]

You\'re serious about the ribbon?

[miff]

I read too much, I saw it somewhere got more disgusted than I already am. Don\'t remember where.