You think its entertaining to broadcast why expert A thinks horse B is better then horse C..For whom the diehard horse guy? I think the average joe or Joette wants to see and hear Nick Lachey or some hot babe in a hat or some human interest story about a lemonade stand. The issue is the Derby needs to be on a Network that caters to Horse Racing, then the broadcast could be honed to horse players. While it's on main stream TV..Pack up the Sackatoga Buss storys

How horrendously dry and fruitless is listening to Randy Moss during the BC, not to me or horse racing diehards but to my sister who goes to SA three times a year? How is my sister going to follow a single thought (no matter how qualified) Moss is offering?

Good question.

Does she happen to have a brain?

She must.....someone in Fred's family had to have gotten one. I've only met Freddy and his Dad.....so far 0 for 2.

You mean there's more to it that who designed the hat the owners wife wore to the Derby luncheon? To think I've been handicapping hats all these years....

Believe me, I get it, but perhaps some give and take?

In my opinion, you will not ever create new fans without at least offering the possibility of teaching or grabbing someone's interest by offering a possible hook. These shows are more interesting to the people who won't be supporting the game.....but what good does that do for us? Yes, I see why it may suit another agenda....just not mine.

Actually she is very smart, but she would have zero shot following Moss not that he isn't excellent just that his style is completely geared for someone with a racing base of knowledge.

Handicapping is incredibly complicated with a myriad of disciplines. How the heck is the average person who has a once or twice a year interest in racing going to be entertained by speed figs. pedigree info, trip evaluation, morning works, Jockey evaluation, track conditions, racetrack configs etc etc.. Its WAY to much for the twice a year fan.

John Madden did it with Football.

The ESPN broadcast is OK even if Bailey is unbearable. People (non race fans) seem to want to watch the Derby hence the good ratings this year in perhaps the most dreadful Derby in quite some time. As long as they can sell spots for good money on Network TV the day is doomed for more of the same recipe. Why would they change it? I am very surprised the derby draw such a high TV rating. The culture seems to love the SUPERBOWL format. If Direct TV was smart they would bid for the Derby put it on as an exclusive and use it to sell subscriptions. Since they cant bundle programming with internet access and phone lines they need another hook besides the NFL package. The Derby is now proven to be a very saleable poduct to the average viewer.If Direct TV or a like company owned the Derby they would offer two broadcasts one for the common veiwer and one for the diehard that would be back for future broadcasts of other product like BC and other Major race days. That is what racing needs someone other then a betting channel to pick it up develop and educate the fan. HRTV is only in 12 mil homes and TVG (Betfair) is completely uninterested in racing, Betfair is in the market only to have a foot in place when other types of gambling get legalized. If Betfair breaks even on racing great if not they just have to have a presence till gambling is finally gets opened.

lol
no, i'm not typical-and thanks so much!! i can't wait til the next years schedule comes out so i can see if i can combine a hockey game into our trip to ky for the bc.

now, that's an improvement on some of other things they showed.

i had a wild cherry julep (ok, several) at a restaurant last summer-talk about good!

I am not sure that is a fair comparsion. The office pools for 5 bucks create a lot of average joe viewers. That all of a sudden have a interest on who wins, not to mention the immense illegal gambling. Plus there are only two teams one wins the other loses.

Moss is no Madden and unless you are going to yell BOOM when Lookin at Lucky slams into Ice Box then I don't see the comparsion. Actually in retrospect your Dunce Hat routine is exactly the type of silly yet veiwable act that people could relate too. My "sister" would watch if all of a sudden on a broadcast a guy was doing something silly and explained why..

ratio of men to women at the track.. maybe 80/20? maybe 85/15? lots of guys like to go to the track to get AWAY from their women!

they dont gamble as much because of psychology... tend to take less risks and be more "responsible". You just dont see a lot of women willing to put 2 grand into a pick 6 ticket unless they are already incredibly rich. I'm not being sexist towards men or women and its completely my own opinion.

How many women are public handicappers compared to men? And we're not talking about a couple small bets a dozen times a year... we're talking real gambling.

What they need to do is pay Andy for his handicapping opinion and have Megan Fox relay the info.

FTFY

Well yeah. I want to be a producer and sleep until half-past two.

Agree!

Isn't that pretty much what Andy is saying?

Since it's low risk (the Derby isn't in a prime time slot) and since they have advertising revenue coming in ( and the possibility of even more potential advertisers) why not make it BETTER?

Regarding your "handicapping is complicated" post... well yes of course but don't assume that people are dumb and wouldn't be able to pick up on it.

That said please don't turn this around on me... they won't be hanciappers immediately and that's not what I'm saying.

An interest though... planting a seed. It hasn't exactly been done on network tv, during the Triple Crown or the BC.

Why not try it? Why not attempt to begin to pressure them to listen? The carrot in front of the carriage is the more advertising angle...

Shouldn't you be watching The View or cleaning or something? :p

The first part of your post...

Seriously?

I don't know where you are. It's higher here.

The rest of your post? Point taken.

I'm just giving my opinion too.

Megan Fox is very attractive, Andy's opinion isn't, unless you like pain

Yes, seriously. I've really only met two gamblers who are women. A trainers wife, (who has lots of :$:) and a woman who worked with the radio show who was a good horse player. I've met lots of women who love horses and horse racing and place some wagers... really investing a good amount of money to bet is a different thing. (btw, I do not consider myself at ALL to be a gambler)

Maybe going to the track isnt the best way of answering this because not everyone goes to the track to drop lots of cash, especially in the case of Saratoga, Gulfstream, Keenland, Del Mar, etc where it is a social event...

How many women do you see at the OTB??? i'd put a 90/10 or maybe even a 95/5 ratio on that. There were NEVER any women at Lehigh Valley Downs or Dania beach when I'd go there.

What about Derby trail? there has to be 4 guys for every one girl who posts.


I really dont know how this can even be argued. Even with poker you see one female to every 8-10 male players, for the most part.

Point taken... your comments bothered me at first but yeah of course you're right in that there are way more men.

Here I'd say maybe 25 percent (women) at the track... on the big days maybe 40? Course I'm just guessing.

Penny slots... I've never done that and wouldn't want to.

I'm glad you know that I'm not trying to fight...

Just very very irritated and I don't like being talked down to like a special-needs child (not you, NBC).

I guess you like the top since you don't like being talked down to.. What two adults...........

most of NBC's demographics' major horse racing experience is having watched "Let it Ride".

I dont like their coverage at all. As soon as the top chef stuff started I texted o.e.y "time to start drinking".

Then I met a friend at wing house... watched a muted NBC coverage and a Halladay complete game shut out (hi SCUDS :p).. and had to guess which horses ran 2-4 behind Super Saver while drinking a TERRIBLE bloody mary!

Did they really show the race from a blimp camera angle? I mean for real? its nice to see when its all said and done but i had no idea WHAT was happening!


(i shouldnt have added the penny slots thing... though whenever I go to a casino I swear there are thousands of women playing the slots.. I personally dont understand why ANYONE would play the slots - my Mom loves them tho!)

Why, you wanna come play horsie and jockey? :p

lol

How about that chick from New Orleans they got to do the Wood telecast this year?

She's relatively easy on the eye and could ad-lib away from Serlings material in a pinch, without looking completely dumb.

Pacheco? She could do topless post-race interviews I guess.

Well, yeah, obviously.

That would be great TV. A short jockey looking straight up into her boobs during a post race interview.

But what I was referring to was the suggestion of hiring some good looking chick to convey Serlings handicapping material live, on TV.

Why not Pacheco for that too?

Or you could have the cast of Jersey Shore take turns. The Situation giving Andy's analysis for the Derby would be good television.

I refuse to watch anything with the word Jersey in it (unless referring to dairy cows).

Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss are the creme of the crop on coverage of this sport on National Television broadcasts. They both speak the language of not only the regular guy/gal at the track but the rookie as well. Throw in Kenny and Hank for fun, and Joe and Jay, and you have a production catered to all interests

Folks, you want BS coverage see Fridays' on Bravo the first half hour

Saturdays' coverage showed all aspects

I suggest if you are that upset you take the action and email the folks who can make a difference

I worked in television production of a sporting event for just shy of 2 years and know that the emails make a difference

Be thankfull the sport we love is on air and don't be afraid to speak your mind to make it better because if you just sit on your thoughts and type them out on a message board your not really taking the action needed to make it better -

Be active - let them know what you think - the good, bad and ugly;)

Jerry Bailey was a great rider. His analyst gig is a monumental failure, however. I'd rather take capping advice from myself after a two-week heroin binge.

Your posts at times show that as well

I'm sure you sleep well at night

If your posts on this board over the years are any indication you have a heart of gold

I may be wrong but I may be right;)

I'm like an EMF song.

Toast...you surprise me from time to time. I never expected a drunk would quote a Billy Joel song.

Edit: It's kind of a Billy Joel quote. Semantics.

i disagree.

I agree Bailey is the "Creme" only because the talent is so horrendous. The fact that I dislike his styleand person doesnt mean he doesnt do the best job in a universe of complete hacks

Agreed, I think he is very very knowledgeable, but the way he comes across like the best/smartest guy ever to set afoot on a racetrack is very irritating.
It's almost like he believes that he is a Holy icon of the sport.

Also, is he going to do the goggles bit every year for the rest of his life?

I think I need to go get someone a beer or something...;) Where is that dust cloth...

:D :tro:

I'm with the anti-Baileyites.

:D