because we're going to watch anyway, so we are Not the audience they're trying to appeal to.:zz:

when the 2 networks agree to cover the entire card including what are meaningless optional claiming and non winners of 1 races and don't carry the G1 before the belmont, thats pretty pathetic. They dropped the ball big time, and the kick in the nuts is that they aired from 5-7......................for 1 race, and the majority of the crap-o-la they aired was previously shown on the espn show, utterly pathetic

-bt-

I think you're mostly correct.

I've made it my mission to try to convert people at the barn I ride at to become racing fans. I got three of them to watch all three legs of the Triple Crown and all were excited about it and were talking about it the next day. (Next step is to get them betting at Colonial ;) )

I think the only complaint I heard was the showing of the same segment multiple times and not hearing enough (or seeing) the other horses/connections in the races.

Are you close to Colonial? I have got to make a trip this year!

I am now. I haven't been to the VA Derby yet, but went to the Colonial Cup last year and they really put together a great day (even with the monsoon rains).

Really ? Are you caught in a time warp ? It isn't 1965... Those days are as long gone as stock traders cathering on Wall Street to trade stocks.

My serious bettor population I'm referring to though is like those who frequent here... play some, work more. The guys who are the big money bettors that you are referring to are watching on their ADWs. They don't have time to watch the ABC broadcast.

I wish I was in a time warp... I'd take advantage of it like they did in Back to the Future and hit some real big scores.

I agree that the ABC broadcast has to be catered to the general viewing audience, but why the hell can't they leave the ADW Video stream alone. There was in house video going on at Belmont so let us see it. If nothing else, cut the audio stream and let us watch the F'n races and see the payouts.

Saturday's Belmont drew on ABC drew a 5.0 overnight, up 43% from 2007 and 32% in 2006 — but down 47% from last year when the race had a Triple Crown candidate.

From 5 to 7 it was the same babble we heard from noon til 5. Would it have been too much to ask to show stretch run of each horse's previous race? Would have taken 5 minutes.

What I don't get is that no other racing is shown. How the hell can you keep a casual viewer's attention with 2 1/2 minutes of action in 2 hours?

Regarding the Manhattan, I wasn't paying attention and by the time I went to Youbet on my PC to wager the gate had already opened. Then I switched to TVG. It actually was a good thing. I liked Cosmonaut but was shut out.

But the problem is that the ADW's at least mine couldn't carry the Manhatten or the Belmont.. I also think for the Belmont they couldnt post results until they aired on ABC.

You should go watch her :tro:

I think Travis is right on here. I also have experienced the frustration that has been expressed here. But the networks pay a substantial fee for the broadcast rights, for that reason they do have a right to demand some exlcusivity.

Whenever a network broadcasts an event they are trying to cater to a much broader market then even ESPN does.

These Triple Crown events need a much publicity as possible. Getting new fans to the game and real exposure in the very crowded world of sports television is probably worth the price for not getting prices on a timely basis or missing a race or two.

Overall, I think the networks do a pretty good job for what they are trying to do. You have to remember they are not after hard core racing fans.

Are you saying the Belmont Stakes was not shown live?

casual racing fans tuning into the ABC broadcast probably didn't give a whoop about missing the Manhattan, cause they don't even know it exists.

The triple crown races far outweigh everything else when it comes to casual fans. Perfect example was last year, Curlin shows up at Churchill Downs and Belmont, and maybe 10 or 12k show up to see him. Big Brown goes to Monmouth twice and pulls in 60 or 70k, even though Curlin was most likely the better horse.

even at our local radio station, i was on for a bunch of interviews, and they didnt once ask nor care about anything other than the belmont. One guy even said "i'd love to follow these athletes after the triple crown, but i know thats probably not going to happen"

I'm a big believer that new fans will not be created by watching racing at OTB's or on TV. New fans will only be created by seeing LIVE racing at their local track. If you take a roll call of people on this site, i'd be willing to bet a great majority were taken to the track by their dads, grampas, mom's, grandmas and had the seed planted by live racing.

I'd be pretty surprised if many people said "i fell in love with horse racing after going to the Lava Bowling Lanes OTB"

All that being said, wouldn't have hurt ABC at all to show the Manhattan if they had the rights too.

I totally agree with you.

Going to the track is how I caught the bug.

Not that it's a big deal but I don't think this is accurate.

You mean you don't think that increasing the Haskell Day crowd from 43,106 to 45,132 qualifies as pulling in 60 to 70k?

Or the 17,047 he drew for his second start there?