Abundance of storylines for NBC Preakness broadcast
 

NBC will not want for an encore in preparing a Preakness Stakes (G1) broadcast that comes on the heels of the Kentucky Derby (G1).

NBC will begin its Preakness broadcast at 4:30 p.m. EDT with an NBC News feature on Borel and Super Saver.

http://thoroughbredtimes.com/nationa...broadcast.aspx

I agree with pretty much everything you say here. The model has to change. Is it possible that racing could one day thrive where handle is just a portion of the revenue as opposed to nearly all of it? And if it can't, we need to look into new ways to generate handle.

It is gonna be milf central. I wasn't going to go but it might be too priceless not to go.

How exactly could it change? What other revenue sources could there be? TV revenue? That is a pipedream.

Your last sentence is the key. No doubt that is the best way for the game to survive and thrive. Betfair is a perfect example yet virtually no one is pushing for it within the game and there really hasnt been a groundswell from the people who put the money through the windows either. And the depressing part is that not only would incorporating Betfair style gambling be difficult in determining how to split the income but will almost assuredly be opposed by politicians.

While I do understand that there is a certain percentage of woman that gamble and follow horseracing I simply dont believe that there is some huge, secret group of women that are waiting to be coaxed into going to the track.

How do they even know to BET unless they are exposed to it?????? Do you think the Joe Camel adds were there because the character is cute????

ugh. The RTIP is filled with young adults / actual adults, who love horse racing and want to make a career in it. I dont know if its changed since I've been there.. but..

When I first started there were mostly men in the program, but a solid 30% women in the program.. by the time I left it was 50 / 50 because we got a ton of 18 year old girls one year (most people in the program dont start right after high school).

Not one of the girls gambled. They loved horse racing very much and followed it all the time... and a lot of them now have pretty good and influential jobs in the industry (not me of course).. as a group, including me, we probably put $300 total in the pools in a year.

On the other hand..

A lot of the guys in the program were in what they called "the Ramen Noodle Club". Because they bet constantly and bet their lunch money so all they could ever afford to eat was Ramen Noodle's.

Thank you Uncly or whatever your nickname is.

There aren't...yet. Again, we have to adjust our thinking to a changing world. The role of women in sports and commerce is changing. Surely you understand this. We are the first generation of women that have grown up with this level of empowerment. Do you think that is going to go backward somehow?

The sports that have embraced the female sports fan have thrived, the ones that haven't are in trouble. Gambling is the same way. Women in the past didn't have the independence financially or otherwise to make decisions on how money was spent. Now?

You check out the way Las Vegas has changed their approach to the female gambler. Racing has, for the most part, been stuck in the fifties.

How many women do you see at football games today as opposed to 20 years ago? Baseball? how about hockey? How many women do you know that fill out tournament brackets? Has that gone up?

And TV is NOT a pipedream. If networks pay millions to watch rednecks drive a chevy around an oval for 5 hours, Im sure racing can put together a product that would at least be equally appealling.

Those women at the football games are not betting on the games. We need bettors, not spectators. Racing would do better with whales at the track rather than 10k small players

I don't disagree that this was/is the case. I am not at all debating that women gamble less, much much less, than men....right now.

The point is that this will change. Not might change-will change. Its changing every day. This is irrefutable.

:tro::tro::tro:

Every whale starts out as a minnow.

A male minnow though.

We need limos to get whales to the track. Dinners, dancing, etc...Rewards points isn't cutting it. Look what casinos do for their big bettors. Why isn't racing doing the same?

Because state governments regulate them..

Well that needs to change.

While I pretty much agree with your reply to Chuck.. I just dont believe this change will occur in horse racing. IMO, racing has a much greater chance of going under completely than this change occuring. There are more than a few reasons I feel this way (ugh, I better not say "I" too much or SCUDS will get on me)

1) perceived cheating (drugs) keeps lots of people away from racing
2) breakdowns are a huge turn off
3) there's a perception out there that racing is cruel, and I believe women would buy into that easier (we have bigger hearts)
4) high take out keeps lots of people away
5) there are much easier forms of gambling out there that are more appealing
6) most importantly.. women will always be more responsible (or how did Math put it about his wife?) with their $

So your fix for racing is to send limos out for big players? You think that a person of means is going to go to Laurel park on a saturday afternoon because you sent a car to his house? Surely you jest.

Who says they will be betting on Laurel?...It works for AC and its a cess pool down there.....Limos are a start. I'm talking full court treatment.

It works for AC? Huh? AC is broke Randall. It is a dying town and the only viable casino there is far off the strip. What is that viable casino? Hmmmmm..

Would this casino have restaurants by celebrity chefs? Would it have a dance club that packs in beautiful people? Would it have concerts and shows? Would it have a nice spa??? Would it have a shopping arcade???

AC is broke b/c gambling is available everywhere. Pocono, Foxwoods indian casinos all over....Just more of a reason for racing to make itself a whales first option. Lowering WPS to 10% has to happen as well. Good luck trying to convince people of this.