Boring Derby??

[largo1]

For some reason, this year I didn't have a clear cut favorite horse. Several of my early faves were taken off the trail early on. I just wasn't as excited about the Derby this year and the lame coverage did nothing to increase my enthusiasm. I was happy to see BB back in the winner's circle though, just like old times!! I had Frosted but I wasn't even very excited about him. I was truly appalled by the coverage though.

[jms62]

I have an idea next year for all those that hated the coverage. I do it all the time. I watch the non Churchill races I want to bet on my ADW and go downstairs to watch the Derby Day races at 1 minute to post on the big screen. All I watch of the coverage is the load and the race. If no races I am interested are running I'll watch a ball game until scheduled post time and change the channel. Life is way too short to torture yourself with something that you can't stand doing.

[largo1]

I have greatly enjoyed the coverage in the past, just not this year. I enjoy watching the vignettes about each horse and owner/trainer/jockey. I know some people don't like that 'fluff" but I want to hear about, and see the horses.I don't know why 2 ice skaters have to play such a big role on Derby Day. In the past the "hoopla" as we call it has been really entertaining to watch. I don't want to turn on the race i minute before post. I want to be entertained.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by largo1

I have greatly enjoyed the coverage in the past, just not this year. I enjoy watching the vignettes about each horse and owner/trainer/jockey. I know some people don't like that 'fluff" but I want to hear about, and see the horses.I don't know why 2 ice skaters have to play such a big role on Derby Day. In the past the "hoopla" as we call it has been really entertaining to watch. I don't want to turn on the race i minute before post. I want to be entertained.

I watched a complete broadcast of the Derby from the 80's on Youtube a few weeks ago and it was so much more enjoyable.

Originally Posted by jms62

I have an idea next year for all those that hated the coverage. I do it all the time. I watch the non Churchill races I want to bet on my ADW and go downstairs to watch the Derby Day races at 1 minute to post on the big screen. All I watch of the coverage is the load and the race. If no races I am interested are running I'll watch a ball game until scheduled post time and change the channel. Life is way too short to torture yourself with something that you can't stand doing.

Thats a good way to do it. I enjoy Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss but the rest is filler garbage. Especially having those two ice skaters hosting the event (knowing nothing about the sport) is quite nauseating. Its almost as if NBC is mocking the sport have those two on camera.

[Danzig]

I have only one complaint regarding the race.
I don't know who that dipshit couple was (he had a rose hat) but they need never appear again.

Thought the finish was good, I like having horses together with the finish coming up.

[ElPrado]

Originally Posted by Danzig

I have only one complaint regarding the race.
I don't know who that dipshit couple was (he had a rose hat) but they need never appear again.

Thought the finish was good, I like having horses together with the finish coming up.

That was Johnny Weir again. NBC needed to find something to pay them for.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by ElPrado

That was Johnny Weir again. NBC needed to find something to pay them for.

Can they pay him to go away?
she seemed ok, but i could not care less who people on facebook or twits think will win.

[somerfrost]

Come on folks, it's the Derby...I hear the same old tired complaints every year. Look, TV networks are successful by playing to their audience, how much of their audience is made up of hard core horse players? I suspect that the majority of those who were at CD yesterday attend once a year and the TV audience...many don't know which end of the horse goes into the gate first. They tune in for entertainment...the same folks who enjoy shows like Fashion Police and Entertainment Tonight, do you think they are interested in handicapping insights? Sure inane puff pieces by figure skaters and focus on hats and drinks drives us crazy but it's what the TV audience at large wants...grin and bare it!

[jms62]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Come on folks, it's the Derby...I hear the same old tired complaints every year. Look, TV networks are successful by playing to their audience, how much of their audience is made up of hard core horse players? I suspect that the majority of those who were at CD yesterday attend once a year and the TV audience...many don't know which end of the horse goes into the gate first. They tune in for entertainment...the same folks who enjoy shows like Fashion Police and Entertainment Tonight, do you think they are interested in handicapping insights? Sure inane puff pieces by figure skaters and focus on hats and drinks drives us crazy but it's what the TV audience at large wants...grin and bare it!

EGG-ZACH-LEE

[ateamstupid]

I thought the coverage was great. We beg for racing to get national coverage and then do nothing but bitch when we get it. Yeah there was some vacuous crap, but there was also plenty of nuts and bolts coverage and plenty of well-produced drama.

As for the Derby itself, yes, it was boring as hell. Merry-go-round with nobody getting involved from the back. Whether you won or lost, that was not an exciting race other than the brief battle between Firing Line and AP.

[pointman]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

I thought the coverage was great. We beg for racing to get national coverage and then do nothing but bitch when we get it. Yeah there was some vacuous crap, but there was also plenty of nuts and bolts coverage and plenty of well-produced drama.

As for the Derby itself, yes, it was boring as hell. Merry-go-round with nobody getting involved from the back. Whether you won or lost, that was not an exciting race other than the brief battle between Firing Line and AP.

I mostly agree Joey, but Johnny Weir dressed as Foghorn Leghorn was a bit too much for me.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

...grin and bare it!

I was unaware there was any baring going on at the Derby. Are you sure you're not thinking of the Preakness?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Come on folks, it's the Derby...I hear the same old tired complaints every year. Look, TV networks are successful by playing to their audience, how much of their audience is made up of hard core horse players? I suspect that the majority of those who were at CD yesterday attend once a year and the TV audience...many don't know which end of the horse goes into the gate first. They tune in for entertainment...the same folks who enjoy shows like Fashion Police and Entertainment Tonight, do you think they are interested in handicapping insights? Sure inane puff pieces by figure skaters and focus on hats and drinks drives us crazy but it's what the TV audience at large wants...grin and bare it!

I refuse to accept that I cannot complain about them trying to cater to the survivor/honeybooboo/dancing with the stars/fashion police crowd.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Come on folks, it's the Derby...I hear the same old tired complaints every year. Look, TV networks are successful by playing to their audience, how much of their audience is made up of hard core horse players? I suspect that the majority of those who were at CD yesterday attend once a year and the TV audience...many don't know which end of the horse goes into the gate first. They tune in for entertainment...the same folks who enjoy shows like Fashion Police and Entertainment Tonight, do you think they are interested in handicapping insights? Sure inane puff pieces by figure skaters and focus on hats and drinks drives us crazy but it's what the TV audience at large wants...grin and bare it!

No, I cannot agree with you at all.

If you want change you have to be vocal and if something that could be vastly improved never is one can at least bitch about it.

There is no excuse.

I cringed when I read however far back it was that NBC had secured the rights to the broadcast for X number of years, how ever many it was.

My friends who are not in to horse racing at all thought it was the most inane waste of time...

A beautiful thrilling and historic sport deserves better. I'll bet you one day, when NBC is done with it, some other network invests the time and resources and does it right.

This is just silly, pointless fluff and it is maddening to try to defend such a unique and riveting sport.

Sorry, makes me sick. I will not keep my mouth shut.

Originally Posted by Danzig

I refuse to accept that I cannot complain about them trying to cater to the survivor/honeybooboo/dancing with the stars/fashion police crowd.

Right!

[Benny]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

No, I cannot agree with you at all.

If you want change you have to be vocal and if something that could be vastly improved never is one can at least bitch about it.

There is no excuse.

I cringed when I read however far back it was that NBC had secured the rights to the broadcast for X number of years, how ever many it was.

My friends who are not in to horse racing at all thought it was the most inane waste of time...

A beautiful thrilling and historic sport deserves better. I'll bet you one day, when NBC is done with it, some other network invests the time and resources and does it right.

This is just silly, pointless fluff and it is maddening to try to defend such a unique and riveting sport.

Sorry, makes me sick. I will not keep my mouth shut.



Right!

HERE, HERE - dog and pony shows do not shed light positively on the sport,but offer the lowest common denominator of catering .o the whims of the morons . This wouldnot have been a big deal as i normally mute it except for the races, BUT, TVG SUCKS. and had no video of te races,so i had to pay more attention to the tv.to seethe races i bet onand they fit in the other races amongst the fluff pieces without much builup , hEnce my negative expErience.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

No, I cannot agree with you at all.

If you want change you have to be vocal and if something that could be vastly improved never is one can at least bitch about it.

There is no excuse.

I cringed when I read however far back it was that NBC had secured the rights to the broadcast for X number of years, how ever many it was.

My friends who are not in to horse racing at all thought it was the most inane waste of time...

A beautiful thrilling and historic sport deserves better. I'll bet you one day, when NBC is done with it, some other network invests the time and resources and does it right.

This is just silly, pointless fluff and it is maddening to try to defend such a unique and riveting sport.

Sorry, makes me sick. I will not keep my mouth shut.



Right!

Oh a great deal about it was ridiculous, but it just got the highest ratings since 1992. Apparently whatever they're doing works. I get complaining about just focusing on spectacle, but people love their sound and fury, don't they? Personally I wish they'd covered some of the stories we'd heard about in the other areas of the media. Dortmund's breeder's story that I posted earlier was making the rounds and yet the most you get from the tv coverage is 'wow what a big horse,' an interview with Kaleem Shah, and asking Baffert about having 2 top horses. Nice and all, but not taking advantage of a perfectly good excuse to bawl like a baby.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Oh a great deal about it was ridiculous, but it just got the highest ratings since 1992. Apparently whatever they're doing works. I get complaining about just focusing on spectacle, but people love their sound and fury, don't they? Personally I wish they'd covered some of the stories we'd heard about in the other areas of the media. Dortmund's breeder's story that I posted earlier was making the rounds and yet the most you get from the tv coverage is 'wow what a big horse,' an interview with Kaleem Shah, and asking Baffert about having 2 top horses. Nice and all, but not taking advantage of a perfectly good excuse to bawl like a baby.

I would like to think more people watched because they heard that we had a really good field this year.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Oh a great deal about it was ridiculous, but it just got the highest ratings since 1992. Apparently whatever they're doing works

I just want to point something out.(Glad to see you around, Merlinsky! ).

First off I think the ratings system is completely outdated and has been for oh... about two decades or so and second the actual figure really does not have much to do with it "working".

I mean it's not like there were choices... most Americans watched it on tv and your choice was NBC or not watching it.

Network execs who have no interest in the sport put the show together.

It will remain pretty much the way it is until another network has a shot with it.

Hopefully when that happens (2026? God I will probably be dead by then. ) things will (yes, that was for Cardus. Maybe it'll bring him out of the woodwork ) change.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Come on folks, it's the Derby...I hear the same old tired complaints every year. Look, TV networks are successful by playing to their audience, how much of their audience is made up of hard core horse players? I suspect that the majority of those who were at CD yesterday attend once a year and the TV audience...many don't know which end of the horse goes into the gate first. They tune in for entertainment...the same folks who enjoy shows like Fashion Police and Entertainment Tonight, do you think they are interested in handicapping insights? Sure inane puff pieces by figure skaters and focus on hats and drinks drives us crazy but it's what the TV audience at large wants...grin and bare it!

Just about sums it up perfectly.