Satish and the Breeders Cup...

[tector]

Originally Posted by Kasept

While there is plenty correct about laying aspects of the struggles of boxing and racing at the feet of their respective leadership(s), there is something far more basic at the heart of the erosion of their 'prominent place in the American sport consciousness'. The fundamental societal differences and changes in post WWII America have more to do with boxing and racing losing their position than mismanagement.

Sure there was some of that. But there was plenty that was self-inflicted. For example, both badly handled the rise of television--boxing would put its "everyday" product on TV, but foolishly restricted its premier events to a pay model. Could you imagine if the NFL had done the same thing?

But back to today--why would any sport put its premier event, from the perspective of its core fan base, on a surface they detest? And this is just not any sport--it is a sport utterly dependent upon those same fans wagering money on that event? I mean, not only is that stupid, but it is arrogant. Moreover, that same surface not only disfavors many stars of the sport, but actually promotes the interests of foreign entries over domestic ones. It is a decision so stupid, in so many ways simultaneously, that if someone was deliberately determined to sabotage horse racing in the in the US, they would have been hard-pressed to devise such a scheme. But, somehow, the clever folks at the BC have managed the feat.

IF SA goes back to dirt, then this move is arguable. Absent that, it is a disaster.