Why do you care so much about awards?
 

I'm fascinated with the obsession over award shows and the heated debates that ensue between people who have absolutely no direct involvement with the nominees.

Why do you people care so much? I pretty much know why...I just want to read your reasoning.

This is a horse racing board. These debates actually draw attention which is good. Just like the crummy BCS. Same concept.

Uh no. The BCS is actually closer in comparison to the Breeders Cup. The Eclipse Awards = The Tony Awards.

The Tonys matter Coach.

cause we are bored and have nothing better to talk about?

Its better than discussing a non winners of 3 lifetime 25k claimers off the turf event at the Big A.

Would there be 3 or 4 horses running ?

I disagree! I love the Big A.

With AEs I'm sure we can squeeze the 16 and 17 into the race

Well do something productive like posting new pics in the Beulah thread.

It's a horse racing board and it relates to horse racing. What else is there to talk about?

I'm sure there are discussions on who is MVP of the year on baseball or basketball boards

Football is my sport and I still don't give a s.hit about awards in the sport. The only thing that matters is winning games. Caring about award shows is for sissies.

I guess you have a point. If your QB wins the MVP and you lose in the first round of the playoffs.. what good is the MVP award for?

I do think Hall of Fame is an important "award" for all sports including horse racing.

But there really isnt anything better to talk about..

Once it hits January we can all start talking about the Derby!

Why do people care so much about people caring so much about awards?

There will be this weekend when they run the Stuyvesant at Aqueduct. Expected to go are Timber Reserve, Honour Devil, Da Tara, Rising Moon, Dry Martini, Formidable, Coal Play and Cool Coal Man.

Why wait till January?

11/21/2009 Hollywood Prevue S. III 7 Furlongs 2 Hollywood Park 7:00 PM
11/28/2009 Remsen S. II 9 Furlongs 2 Aqueduct 3:30 PM
11/28/2009 Kentucky Jockey Club S. II 8.5 Furlongs 2 Churchill Downs 5:00 PM
12/4/2009 Boyd Gaming's Delta Jackpot S. III 8.5 Furlongs 2 Delta Downs 6:00 PM
12/19/2009 CashCall Futurity I 8.5 Furlongs 2 Hollywood Park 7:00 PM

Don't forget about Boxing Day at SA.

I hope George Strait wins Male Vocalist tomorrow night :tro:

A racing award that is voted upon, instead of presented to the winner of the year end championship race, is silly. And only lends itself to being a political issue.

What's the year-end championship race?

NT

so a horse like Secretariat.. races and wins all year.. gets hurt or skips the BC & Volponi wins the BC Classic.

Yes, Volponi should be the HOY.. anyone voting for Secretariat would just be, silly.

That was a hypothetical...

but I believe this was the initial idea of why the BC was born. Where it has gone since... well.. yea.

I knew someone would run with a horse injury analogy..


How about an analogy of my own? What if Michael Phelps wins every meet he enters for 3.5 years but then cannot enter the Olympics due to injury, should he be given the Gold medal(s)..? He is clearly the best...

There are winners and losers in every aspect, but in the least knowing as a trainer/owner/jockey that you must WIN this race at the end of the year to earn the award is black and white. Not gray all over like it is currently...

Is there a swimmer of the year award given annually? I think swimming might be the only sport ESPN might pre-empt for horse racing.

The Phelps thing is apples and oranges. More like apples and pillows, cause oranges are at least still a fruit.

You have to compete in the Olympics to win a medal (obviously)

YEAR end awards in Horse Racing represent a body of work for a YEAR.. its not Breeders Cup Champion of the Year... its the Horse of the Year.

Also, would they have had Olympic swimming being competed on pavement?

Cholorine vs. Salt Water vs. Fresh Water

I don't give a sh.it at all, to be honest. It's a popularity contest. All I know is I got to see the two best fillies/mares I've ever seen in my life three times this season live in person at the Oaks, Preakness, and Classic and see fans go bananas for them in a sport that needs something like this. That's what matters to me.

I was at all of those events but ran away when you waved at me.

Hahaha, I call BS, I don't think you really exist!

I have a bet with Veruca Salt that says I don't.

Nah, the Tony Awards get to air on network television.
I want an oompa loompa now!

I understand your points... what I am saying is, its obvious the BC purses aren't attractive enough to bring out ALL the talent. Excuses are made for shipping, racing surfaces, weather, footing, etc..

So maybe a slight change to how the awards are given away is in order...?

I'm sure they do, everything has a year end award for some reason or another...

# of Grade 1 stakes won.. times the amount of total purse money won. divided by 16

or some equation may do ;)

Golden Goggles. It's gayer than the Eclipse Awards.

If I had to rank the level of gay for awards shows going from gayest to gay...

Golden Goggles > Eclipse Awards > Daytime Emmy's

And then an end game of this...

I think a big part of the reason people care about end of the year awards is that they want to see history written the way they saw it happen. Twenty years from now they want to be able to say, "I saw Rachel Alexandra, the greatest filly of all-time! In '09 she won the Preakness, the Haskell, the Woodward, and f'in' everything!" and not have some snot-nosed punk pull out the racing almanac and say, "Yeah, but Zenyatta was HOY..."

And vice versa for Zenyatta fans.

I'm not taking sides on this one, but I think when the dust clears and the excitement over The Classic wanes, objective people will say Rachel Alexandra's campaign was more impressive, more stylish, and more attention-getting than Zenyatta's.

Some great players never got a ring because they happened to play in the time of the Jordan-era Bulls. Tough break.