tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8420729300769326017.post397875027427759157..comments2023-10-24T06:39:43.370-04:00Comments on EquiSpace: What Would the Commish Do?Gene Kershnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586143410935016668noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8420729300769326017.post-23563870764945993072009-06-09T13:44:18.918-04:002009-06-09T13:44:18.918-04:00The NTRA concept merely facilitates a bunch of use...The NTRA concept merely facilitates a bunch of useless opportunists, each with his or her hand out, just trying to etch a salary out of membership dues. This organization does essentially nothing (seen Lori Petty lately???) and the only tiny discernable difference to fans and horsemen alike brought the minimum "mystery voucher" from $2 to $5 for two or three years - big deal!<br /><br /><br />The idea of a "National Racing Commissioner" is similarly moronic. That does no more than to alter one person's priorities from actually helping racing to thrive again, to his own self-interest. This would come at the expense of every other person directly or indirectly tethered to racing in any region.<br /><br />"Horse Racing", at its core, is no different than poker in that horse racing is as much a part of the background of society as is that dusty deck of cards off in a drawer at every household in the land.<br /><br />Come to think of it: Is there a national poker commissioner???<br /><br />Racing's problems center around a false adjustment of its priorities which have been shifted away from the guy paying the two bucks at the window. The fees which make racing go are extracted from that two bucks - make that person, who pays the freight, the sole priority!!!<br /><br />Horse OWNERS have and continue to cause their own problems, and have become the scourge of racing. Horse racing on this continent is so botched up that each time an owner makes another bid at auction he or she is contributing more to the problem than to the solution!!!<br /><br />It is horse owners, each playing a separate, speculative game, who are the ONLY reasons why the perceived 'value' of a thoroughbred race horse exceeds that of a ping-pong ball.<br /><br />Ask yourself: How much more money is wagered on valueless ping-pong balls in our society than on seemingly "valuable" thoroughbred race horses?<br /><br />Once racing wakes up and moves its customers to the very top of the list of priorities, then and only then can it thrive as poker has done quite nicely over the past twenty years!<br /><br />Just what is the street "value" of those decks of cards seen all over ESPN during the World Series of Poker?<br /><br />If you cannot be part of the solution, then please refrain from continuing as part of the problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8420729300769326017.post-28343089376292537652009-06-01T11:27:58.977-04:002009-06-01T11:27:58.977-04:00Glenn: Thanks for the support. I played college h...Glenn: Thanks for the support. I played college hoops and principally only watch college, although I've been watching more NBA lately due to Kobe, Melo and LeBron. However, I do think they have a strong commissioner who has authority and is empowered to do what's best for the game.<br /><br />Racing fan: We're on the same page.<br /><br />PC: We agree to disagree. After reading your post, it seems that a strong, empowered commissioner is exactly who could enact the changes you suggest for racing. If we annoint another figure head I agree with your assessment. What I'm saying is give the office the authority to right size the game and make changes...<br /><br />Thanks all for reading.Gene Kershnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586143410935016668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8420729300769326017.post-49759430988045793492009-06-01T06:09:48.728-04:002009-06-01T06:09:48.728-04:00Maybe it is just me but the only sports I continue...Maybe it is just me but the only sports I continue to follow are horse racing and tennis. Even worse than those two niche sports is that I play another commissioner free sport called handball. <A HREF="http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1139745/index.htm" REL="nofollow">Handball is the greatest game</A> on two legs but hardly anybdy outside of the five boroughs knows about it. My co-workers accuse me of participating in ghetto sports. Maybe I have an undiagnosed <A HREF="http://gregcalabrese.blogspot.com/2009/06/racing-does-not-need-commissioner.html" REL="nofollow">Commissioner phobia or even worse a commissioner allergy. </A>G. C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07604839670701867384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8420729300769326017.post-89941333864112286672009-06-01T00:04:51.354-04:002009-06-01T00:04:51.354-04:00EquiSpace -
You are right on the money.
The pro...EquiSpace -<br /><br />You are right on the money. <br /><br />The problem with the NTRA, Alex, and other leaders is they have cushy jobs and they want everyone behind them when they lead. <br /><br />That's not leadership. These are tough times. The industry is under siege. We need a leader that is going to take the hill or die trying. Not do good enough so he can hang around for another few years. Good enough is no longer good enough. <br /><br />- Racing fanRacing fannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8420729300769326017.post-87977964435657975722009-05-31T12:02:56.761-04:002009-05-31T12:02:56.761-04:00I'll definitely go on record as saying U.S. horse ...I'll definitely go on record as saying U.S. horse racing needs a national commissioner.<br /><br />As for the big in one comment about "one Michael Jordan" not being enough to promote the NBA, he might not have been the only thing, but he was the most important thing. I played basketball, I enjoy watching college basketball, but the NBA stinks. ... Yet I would watch (the finals only) solely for Jordan. ... Nobody now, not even LeBron, interests me like that.<br /><br />The NBA is a poor example to cite, I believe, if we're trying to pattern horse racing management after another sport. The NBA is all marketing and individual stars; physical greats in a game otherwise poorly played. (As Oscar Robertson wrote in the New York Times, "all dunks and 3-pointers with nothing in between.")<br /><br />I'm not sure the marketing of horse racing CAN be wholly patterned after any other sport, but the NFL might be closest. It has a regular season that builds in intensity toward playoffs in which nearly every game is a can't-miss, culminating in a Super Bowl for which the advertising rates are the most expensive 30 seconds on television.<br /><br />Baseball is hitting hard on the doping issue now, but ignored it for years, it's a league of tremendous haves (Yankees, Red Sox) and pathetic have-nots (Kansas City, etc.) and postseason ratings aren't particularly good.<br /><br />The NBA and NHL (which I do watch, hockey, that is) let too darned many teams in the playoffs and they drag on forever. Over half the teams get in and the series are all seven games; too long.<br /><br />For all but the elite drivers and teams, NASCAR has become nothing more than staying close enough to the front for long enough to keep your sponsor's logo on TV; winning for 30 or 35 of the 43 drivers each week is all but out of the question. Some are now overtly engaged in the "start and park," that is, get your car in the field, collect the bonus money for qualifying in the top 43, and shut the car down early in the race rather than risk wrecking it or breaking parts. ... Splendid sport that is.<br /><br />Still, all of these sports do have better followings than horse racing. ... And doesn't that speak terribly ill of our favorite sport?Glenn Cravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09760553404742644042noreply@blogger.com