Effing Michael Wilbon

[ateamstupid]

He's always bashing racing for no reason. Just another blowhard hack journalist who somehow gets to be on TV a million times a week.

[hockey2315]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

He's always bashing racing for no reason. Just another blowhard hack journalist who somehow gets to be on TV a million times a week.

He did it again? What did he say this time?

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

He did it again? What did he say this time?

They asked him what's more likely this year, a baseball triple crown or racing one, and he goes "as much as I don't want to say horse racing, because it's a JOKE", etc. etc. Usual crap.

[King Glorious]

The only people upset are the 22 racing fans that frequent these boards that heard it. The reality is that racing is VERY LOW in the rankings of what sports fans watch and care about the most and what he said is true. Racing IS a joke and all of us here know it. Getting upset at him saying it is the same as when we can talk about our own family.....but let someone outside of the family say the same thing and it's grounds for a fight.

I've always thought that Wilbon is one of the most well-rounded sports journalists out there. Very educated and articulate. There probably aren't 100 people watching that show that give a damn about horse racing. I'm not sure there are 100 people in the country that do.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I've always thought that Wilbon is one of the most well-rounded sports journalists out there.

You have to be kidding. He's a buffoon. A crusty old curmudgeon who would rather rail ignorantly against anything he doesn't like than do any real reporting/analysis. His shtick is beyond tired.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

You have to be kidding. He's a buffoon. A crusty old curmudgeon who would rather rail ignorantly against anything he doesn't like than do any real reporting/analysis. His shtick is beyond tired.

I understand.

[justindew]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

The only people upset are the 22 racing fans that frequent these boards that heard it. The reality is that racing is VERY LOW in the rankings of what sports fans watch and care about the most and what he said is true. Racing IS a joke and all of us here know it. Getting upset at him saying it is the same as when we can talk about our own family.....but let someone outside of the family say the same thing and it's grounds for a fight.

I've always thought that Wilbon is one of the most well-rounded sports journalists out there. Very educated and articulate. There probably aren't 100 people watching that show that give a damn about horse racing. I'm not sure there are 100 people in the country that do.

My complaint was more about his apparent anger towards the sport. He seemed hostile.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by justindew

My complaint was more about his apparent anger towards the sport. He seemed hostile.

I don't think he is. To have anger means you'd have to care. It would be like me being angry about hockey or men's tennis. I'm not but I show the same apathy towards it whenever I've done radio.

[Peter Berry]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I don't think he is. To have anger means you'd have to care. It would be like me being angry about hockey or men's tennis. I'm not but I show the same apathy towards it whenever I've done radio.

Women's tennis is OK, but men's tennis is not?

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

The only people upset are the 22 racing fans that frequent these boards that heard it. The reality is that racing is VERY LOW in the rankings of what sports fans watch and care about the most and what he said is true. Racing IS a joke and all of us here know it. Getting upset at him saying it is the same as when we can talk about our own family.....but let someone outside of the family say the same thing and it's grounds for a fight.

I've always thought that Wilbon is one of the most well-rounded sports journalists out there. Very educated and articulate. There probably aren't 100 people watching that show that give a damn about horse racing. I'm not sure there are 100 people in the country that do.

Did you lose a bet today or something?

I know racing has it's fair share of problems, but taking a dump on it on a TV show... on a network that applauds sports (and actually broadcasts horse racing) of all varieties for no apparent reason... is pretty weak. Regardless of the state of the game.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

Did you lose a bet today or something?

I know racing has it's fair share of problems, but taking a dump on it on a TV show... on a network that applauds sports (and actually broadcasts horse racing) of all varieties for no apparent reason... is pretty weak. Regardless of the state of the game.

I didn't have a problem with it. I thought he accurately conveyed the feelings of the rest of the public. I don't see where it does anyone any good to fake interest. When I would do radio, I'd tell all callers that I wanted to talk only about football or basketball and that I had no interests in hockey, soccer, auto racing, or men's tennis and if they wanted to talk about it, they better hope the host knew something about it or to call another show. Wilbon isn't a racing fan. So what. I don't see why I should be upset or bothered by his feelings either way.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

The only people upset are the 22 racing fans that frequent these boards that heard it. The reality is that racing is VERY LOW in the rankings of what sports fans watch and care about the most and what he said is true. Racing IS a joke and all of us here know it. Getting upset at him saying it is the same as when we can talk about our own family.....but let someone outside of the family say the same thing and it's grounds for a fight.

I've always thought that Wilbon is one of the most well-rounded sports journalists out there. Very educated and articulate. There probably aren't 100 people watching that show that give a damn about horse racing. I'm not sure there are 100 people in the country that do.

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

[TitanSooner]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

Why do you say that? I'm not saying you're wrong, I've just never heard that accusation leveled at him before.

As for Wilbon's comments on the show, I didn't see this episode but in years past I always get the feeling that every time the TC season rolls around, Kornheiser acts like he really cares about horse racing, and Wilbon acts like he hates it. My guess is that it is just part of their schtick, and neither really cares, although I don't really know.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Why do you say that? I'm not saying you're wrong, I've just never heard that accusation leveled at him before.

As for Wilbon's comments on the show, I didn't see this episode but in years past I always get the feeling that every time the TC season rolls around, Kornheiser acts like he really cares about horse racing, and Wilbon acts like he hates it. My guess is that it is just part of their schtick, and neither really cares, although I don't really know.

Wilbon may not be racist in an overall context, but when he discusses racing -- going back to Kornheiser having including Secretariat in his Top 10 of the Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century Poll -- his rhetoric is tinged with an obvious view of horse racing as a bastion of white, elitist privilege. He has no cultural tie to the game and obviously no interest in its' gambling aspect, so he simply relies on his instinct to dislike the sport because of who and what it historically represents in his mind. I doubt he knows much about how the game was dominated by afro-american trainers and riders during from the post-Civil War until the Gambling Blackout (1908-1910).

That's fine. At this point it's become a schtick on PTI, and every time he says anything about the sport, he just displays a small-mindedness. I stopped watching the show in 2006 when I started doing ATR full time 4-7pm, and even though I'm available to watch now, the two of them have become such caricatures of themselves that I find it difficult to sit through.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

I understand.

It's their thing is correct. Kornheiser brings it up whenever there is a big race where the nation (outside of the 100 of us regs) might be watching and Wilbon gives his "who cares" answer.

Or, he's a racist.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I understand.

It's their thing is correct. Kornheiser brings it up whenever there is a big race where the nation (outside of the 100 of us regs) might be watching and Wilbon gives his "who cares" answer.

Or, he's a racist.

See above for the racial context regarding Wilbon.

You keep repeating (taunting really) the assertion that racing is of interest to some tiny fringe population.. I know you're anxious to produce reaction, but what's your point saying that in a place where nearly 1,000 people regularly engage over their shared pleasure in the sport? If racing's such a joke as you said earlier, move on to so more important avocation and let the rest of us enjoy it.

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

I'm not sure you have to be a racist to hate horse racing. Just like every major sport, I'm sure there was a massive amount of racism involved in it through the history of America. the dominant jockeys of the late 19th and very early 20th century were African American and that completely disappeared pretty, pretty quickly. The Jimmy Winkfield biography was an interesting read. Perhaps he does have disdain based on racism, but I think it's fairly legit most likely. Is it racism or merely backlash?? Of course today, there would be zero holding back a successful black trainer, owner, jockey etc and the lack of involvement today is more likely circumstantial more than anything.

I see no evidence however Wilbon is a racist, I don't know the man so I guess anything is possible.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by horseofcourse

I'm not sure you have to be a racist to hate horse racing. Just like every major sport, I'm sure there was a massive amount of racism involved in it through the history of America. the dominant jockeys of the late 19th and very early 20th century were African American and that completely disappeared pretty, pretty quickly. The Jimmy Winkfield biography was an interesting read. Perhaps he does have disdain based on racism, but I think it's fairly legit most likely. Is it racism or merely backlash?? Of course today, there would be zero holding back a successful black trainer, owner, jockey etc and the lack of involvement today is more likely circumstantial more than anything.

I see no evidence however Wilbon is a racist, I don't know the man so I guess anything is possible.

Those roles of trainer/jockey disappeared quickly because every state in the country except Maryland and Kentucky banned gambling (1908-10) and the industry shrank to nearly nothing. White trainers and riders got the edge under that scenario, which in that era, you can comprehend easily. Wilbon resents the erroneous image he holds of the sport, and that image has racial undertones.

[Patrick333]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

Great post. This could be the post of the year.