Quote:
Originally Posted by Ocala Mike
It would be nice to dismiss this as just some WaPo sensationalism, but there are more than just "grains" of truth in what she writes. Unfortunately, I think the whole Kentucky Derby incident moves racing further down in the public's eye, unless you are a firm believer in the old adage that bad publicity is better than no publicity at all.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.97303dc5b7af |
in this piece , there is one sentence that has more than a ring of truth.
More like the decibel level of the Westminster Chimes of Big Ben in London.
"Thoroughbred is in the midst of a moral sickness: Its leaders have lacked the will to organize and implement basic best practices".
To that I add their lack of foresight to better market the sport.
In my opinion there are guilty parties all around.
The horsemen shoulder the blame over their utter disdain for the wagering public and their insatiable desire to eschew all others and control every aspect of racing operations and rule making. What has fueled this arrogant approach is that tracks no longer have to depend upon wagering handle as the sole source for purse revenue. As long as the tracks can nurse at the teat that is casino dollars, the horsemen say they don't need the bettors. Hence the disdainful view of the wagering public.
Track managements shoulder the blame for sagging attendance by refusing to market the sport to younger people.
High volume players , especially those that wager on track have to share the blame because they have shown a disdain for the casual bettor, the so called two dollar player. I have read commentary on here from those who hate tracks like Saratoga and Keeneland because those tracks bring in large crowds and the bigger volume players see those fans as 'getting in their way'...As if to say, "what the hell are YOU doing here?".
Finally, the blame goes on the casual fan or the semi frequent bettor who used to go tot the track a a few times per month. They have pulled their support with far fewer track visits.
