House Subcommittee Hearings

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

It's not like the racing industry has done a great job on the national level of regulating itself.

Or the state level, for that matter.

[Kasept]

That's easy to say given what appear to be a laundry list of issues facing the game. But let me ask this... I'm all for a central, governing body for racing, but if a "league office" is such a panacea, how did steroids EVER BECOME a problem in Major League Baseball and the National Football League? Here you had powerful league offices and the issue festered for years... According to these hand-picked 'witnesses', a league office would mandate X-Y-Z and problems magically disappear. Didn't happen that way in baseball and football, did it?

[Jax Cajun]

Originally Posted by Kasept

That's easy to say given what appear to be a laundry list of issues facing the game. But let me ask this... I'm all for a central, governing body for racing, but if a "league office" is such a panacea, how did steroids EVER BECOME a problem in Major League Baseball and the National Football League? Here you had powerful league offices and the issue festered for years... According to these hand-picked 'witnesses', a league office would mandate X-Y-Z and problems magically disappear. Didn't happen that way in baseball and football, did it?

The NFL and MLB have offices that work for the owners. Horse racing is a little different where a central office would police the trainers.

Baseball ignored the steriods because they were coming off a strike and attendance/ratings were way down. The club owners and the player's union never wanted to stop it because HR's were up. Bud Selig was an owner and never had any eggs to do anything until Congress forced him. The NFL has a policy against steroids and they suspend players all the time. Whether or not their 3 strikes and you're out stop it is another story, players seem to be 1 step ahead of testing.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Jax Cajun

The NFL and MLB have offices that work for the owners. Horse racing is a little different where a central office would police the trainers.

Baseball ignored the steriods because they were coming off a strike and attendance/ratings were way down. The club owners and the player's union never wanted to stop it because HR's were up. Bud Selig was an owner and never had any eggs to do anything until Congress forced him. The NFL has a policy against steroids and they suspend players all the time. Whether or not their 3 strikes and you're out stop it is another story, players seem to be 1 step ahead of testing.

Exactly. A central authority does not guarantee anything especially when much of it depends on who leads it. Look at the NHL and its "central leadership". It took a hot sport that was on the uprise and marginalized it to the point where it's coverage gets bumped by horseracing!!!

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Jax Cajun

The NFL and MLB have offices that work for the owners. Horse racing is a little different where a central office would police the trainers.

Baseball ignored the steriods because they were coming off a strike and attendance/ratings were way down. The club owners and the player's union never wanted to stop it because HR's were up. Bud Selig was an owner and never had any eggs to do anything until Congress forced him. The NFL has a policy against steroids and they suspend players all the time. Whether or not their 3 strikes and you're out stop it is another story, players seem to be 1 step ahead of testing.

So in other words, 'league office efficacy' is subject to social, economic and political pressures and circumstances. Hmmm. This differs tremendously from the way racing is run how?

[TheSpyder]

Steve,

Do you know where the written testimony they asked to be included in the record cn be found?

Spyder

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by TheSpyder

Steve,

Do you know where the written testimony they asked to be included in the record cn be found?

Spyder

In the always scintillating "Congressional Record"...!!!!

[Kasept]

All over! Well.. That was pleasant.. A lot like Dean Wormer visiting the Delta House...

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Kasept

All over! Well.. That was pleasant.. A lot like Dean Wormer visiting the Delta House...

"BLUTARSKY... ZERO POINT ZERO. FAT, DRUNK, AND STUPID IS NO WAY TO GO THROUGH LIFE, SON"

[pgiaco]

Phil, Dean Wormer was talking to Flounder when uttered the timeless "Fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life."

[Cannon Shell]

Why doesnt the Conrad lady just come out and ask for federal funding? In my opinion, in my opinion, in my opinion...why dont they get people who have facts? Who can say what IS happening instead of what they believe to be happening or what they heard is happening. All these vet types yet not one person who actually works in the position that they are asking about. Not one racetrack vet among the whole group? It is like calling a hearing about baseball and inviting football players because they are all athletes.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Why doesnt the Conrad lady just come out and ask for federal funding? In my opinion, in my opinion, in my opinion...why dont they get people who have facts? Who can say what IS happening instead of what they believe to be happening or what they heard is happening. All these vet types yet not one person who actually works in the position that they are asking about. Not one racetrack vet among the whole group? It is like calling a hearing about baseball and inviting football players because they are all athletes.

You should have put a suit on and pulled some strings to go talk to these bozos.......

[otisotisotis]

Originally Posted by Kasept

So in other words, 'league office efficacy' is subject to social, economic and political pressures and circumstances. Hmmm. This differs tremendously from the way racing is run how?

But Steve, this segmented, fractious industry does nothing but encourage outside pressures because of a percieved (and I think, real) disconnect with any solid, central orgizational structure.
Many people on this board beat up politicians and political groups for their self-interested points of view, and at the same time only wonder what this industry can do for them.
The time is long passed for a national regulating authority to oversee all things thoroughbred, and maybe the threat to put an end to interstate wagering would be the best motivator to make groups work together.

Then again, I may win the lottery tonight...

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by otisotisotis

But Steve, this segmented, fractious industry does nothing but encourage outside pressures because of a percieved (and I think, real) disconnect with any solid, central orgizational structure.

Many people on this board beat up politicians and political groups for their self-interested points of view, and at the same time only wonder what this industry can do for them.

The time is long passed for a national regulating authority to oversee all things thoroughbred, and maybe the threat to put an end to interstate wagering would be the best motivator to make groups work together.

Then again, I may win the lottery tonight...

Don't get me wrong. I'm FOR a governing body. But as in the discussion on ATR last night, no one seems to want to acknowledge that there are no quick fixes and the 'hot button' issue of "steroids and drugs" are a giant red herring. A governing body will still encounter mounds of headaches implementing change.

And I'll warn you of another thing, which I'll discuss with Gov. Jones tonight, and that's states rights. If you think the state treasuries are goingto simply start sharing their takes with the Feds, you're wrong.

[Travis Stone]

Horse racing fans are unique. We find things on a daily basis which are wrong, flawed or screwed-up. We call them out. We complain. We post to message boards. We write letters to the editor. We take a hiatus from wagering etc.

Now, the government, from afar, says, "Wait a second, there's so much wrong and nothing is being done. Let's look into it."

And our answer, is their logic, reasoning, approach, witness-list and questions are totally off base.

It kind of reminds me of a playground fight. The teachers aide tries to break it up, she drops threats, separates the instigators and brushes off her hands. Only to have the fight break out again, and again, and again. Now the principle says, "Wait a minute, this current system doesn't work, let me intervene."

Racing is a multi-billion industry which has become an industry of greed, near-sightedness and stagnation. The fact someone, for once, decided to hold our feet to the fire, is a good thing. Or maybe I'm just looking at this wrong. At the very least, hopefully it becomes a catalyst for reform.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by otisotisotis

But Steve, this segmented, fractious industry does nothing but encourage outside pressures because of a percieved (and I think, real) disconnect with any solid, central orgizational structure.
Many people on this board beat up politicians and political groups for their self-interested points of view, and at the same time only wonder what this industry can do for them.
The time is long passed for a national regulating authority to oversee all things thoroughbred, and maybe the threat to put an end to interstate wagering would be the best motivator to make groups work together.

Then again, I may win the lottery tonight...

The issue with any central authority figure is who will run it, how much will it cost, how large will the organization be, etc. What about the states like Florida where the racing regulations are actually state laws? If a Fed board using the threat of cutting off simulcasting mandates that they change their laws what happens then? It is not that simple to do that. What happens that during the process to change the law or create a new law some yahoo attaches something totally unreasonable to the racing law? Then it gets defeated becuase of the amendment added and the state goes dark? The ironic part of the use of the IHA is that the track have virtually no control over medication or testing yet they are the ones being threatened with the loss of the signal. This whole hearing was a setup. Regardless of what side of the issue you are on (not that there should even be sides) you have to admit that the whole process was contrived. I saw it first hand in KY with the wife. This is just a repeat of that whole process.

[Jax Cajun]

Originally Posted by Kasept

So in other words, 'league office efficacy' is subject to social, economic and political pressures and circumstances. Hmmm. This differs tremendously from the way racing is run how?

How could a central office be effective anyway when the states have all the power?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Jax Cajun

How could a central office be effective anyway when the states have all the power?

It may wind up being a states rights issue in the end. The idea that a federal law banning steroids will be effective is questionable unless all samples are tested under the same protocals using the same kits, spending the same amount per test or having them all tested at the same lab.

[Jax Cajun]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

It may wind up being a states rights issue in the end. The idea that a federal law banning steroids will be effective is questionable unless all samples are tested under the same protocals using the same kits, spending the same amount per test or having them all tested at the same lab.

I agree that there must be standards and accuracy to protect the trainers. There also needs to be severe penalties and not the the Pletcher/Assmussen 6 month vacation/suspension while your second in command runs your barn.

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

...questionable unless all samples are tested under the same protocals using the same kits, spending the same amount per test or having them all tested at the same lab.

If the other major sports in society can do it, why can't racing?

Baseball, basketball, football... they're very similar in that each individual team is its own business, at its core, competing against other businesses in the same market.

The Mets want to out-draw the Yankees, they want to earn more money, they want a better bottom line. Yet under the umbrella for the "Good of the Game" they hold hands with the Yankees when it comes to new steroid testing procedures and other rules/laws.

In flabbergasts me that racing cannot do the same.