JC / Railbird

The Sport Archive

Many Thanks

Much appreciation to all those who have plugged, supported, endorsed, checked out, linked, and submitted items to the Self Appointed Fan Committee. The committee is off to a great start, but we know you have many more ideas and laments, so bookmark the site and return often to share your thoughts or browse what everyone else is saying. The Self Appointed Fan Committee is made up of every racing fan who wants to join, so don’t be shy …

Posted in The Sport on July 9, 2008

SAFC Launches

The Self Appointed Fan Committee, which Dana wrote about here on Green but Game and I mentioned in this post, is now open for your praise, laments, and ideas — check out the site, add your voice, rant away!
Official press release below …
RACING FANS LAUNCH LISTENING SITE:
OUR ONLY AGENDA IS TO MAKE SURE FANS ARE HEARD
No committee meetings, no politicking: Just fan feedback, rants and raves
Each year, racing fans support the sport by wagering nearly $15 billion on the hundreds of Thoroughbred races run across North America and by turning out in the thousands to attend the Breeders’ Cup, boutique meets, bull-ring county fairs and their local racetracks. Yet until now, no organization has existed to provide fans an easy way to participate in the processes of change recently begun across the industry.
On Monday, July 7, the Self Appointed Fan Committee launches, giving all racing fans the chance to express their thoughts on every possible topic, from concessions to marketing, drug rules to whip use. The Self Appointed Fan Committee will also allow visitors to browse the praise, complaints, and ideas submitted by other fans and will develop data visualization tools that show trends in feedback and uncover deeper issues cutting across fan submissions.
In addition, the Self Appointed Fan Committee will compile monthly reports to send to the NTRA, the Jockey Club, the Breeders’ Cup and other racing organizations, sharing its findings with racing’s leaders.
“Pop in to almost any blog or forum and you’ll find a wealth of ideas and/or rants about the many issues with racing. Racing fans are participatory by nature but having all the great ideas spread across multiple channels doesn’t get them in front anyone who can put them into action,” said co-chair Dana Byerly. “We want to give fans a fighting chance by giving them a portable folding chair at the table.”
The Self Appointed Fan Committee will strive to be participatory, transparent and analytical, and to make sure fans’ voices are included in the ongoing discussion of how to improve racing. “Racing fans are committed and passionate when it comes to the sport,” said co-chair Jessica Chapel, “and their feedback and ideas deserve to be heard.”

Posted in The Sport on July 7, 2008

Yes, Yes, and Yes

“Tired of death? Tired of protests? Tired of strangers analyzing our sport?”

Posted in The Sport on May 13, 2008

Maddening Media

The situation with Eight Belles has illustrated my disdain for the media.
Unfortunately, most outlets tell the story they want to tell rather than the actual story. The vocal minority gets the soundbytes while anyone who’s really in the mix goes ignored.
A story in the Lexington Herald-Leader commented that the Eight Belles tragedy has turned people off the sport. It quoted one woman who lives in Sunbury, Ohio, who said she didn’t even watch the Derby because of a previous incident at a three-day eventing event.
How could Eight Belles’s death have turned her off if she didn’t watch to begin with?
Now, obviously, I know a lot of insiders, but I have plenty of friends who are casual fans. They tune in to the Derby and don’t mind a trip to the track or two a year. None of them were turned off. Most said, “That was too bad about the filly, but boy did that winner run a great race!”
I haven’t talked to one person who is involved in the business on even a weekly level who has given up on it. Most are asking themselves needed questions, and the incident has brought to light important issues, but the idea that the sport is in (any more) trouble (than it already was) simply isn’t true.
I’m going to go on record and predict record handle for the Preakness Stakes (assuming fast and firm, LOL)!

Posted in The Sport on May 12, 2008