ESPN flashes their racing acumen and affinity..
 

I see that great supporter of racing -- ESPN -- has managed to cleverly display their strong commitment to the game. I refuse to watch anything on the network, but Jennie Rees explains how a talking head named Stan Verrett put his foot in his mouth during the Rapid Redux Top 10 voiceover...

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/rac...eat-his-words/

I happened to be watching when he made this comment and couldn't believe what I heard. Good for Rees to call him out on it. Now let's see if the Breeders' Cup or NTRA has a response. Some dumbass at the NTRA even proudly tweeted this morning about the SportsCenter mention.

It was disgraceful and I meant to post about it here. Funny enough is that Neil Everett is a frequent attendee at Santa Anita. I wonder if he thought that was funny.

speaking of the "four letter" when is their hold of the Breeders' Cup over?

ESPN has an on the air guy named Stuart Scott.

That's all that needs to be said about ESPN.

He makes me long for Ken Rudolph.

You must be butter, cause you are on a roll.

I'd be worth a lot of money in Norway, I guess.

Not sure how I'm on a roll though!

You have longings for Ken Rudolph?

As the blog points out, Everett didn't step in that pile of manure.

I saw it live, they both looked very uncomfortable when Verrett said it.

Im not a fan of his at all, I actually strongly dislike him. He has or is just getting over cancer though.

Yes.

That's how bad Stuart Scott is.

Hey Trent, how is it that I'm so annoying?

Hey Steve, how did he throw that pass to the receiver?

Booyah!

Yes, I long for Ken Rudolph. At least KR knew he was a buffoon. SS actually thinks he's witty.

I always hear the complaints about ESPN and their coverage and while it's not the greatest and could use some work, I don't think it's nearly as bad as people on here make it out. I also don't see networks tripping over themselves for the broadcast rights to racing.

I think complaining that the guys didn't know where Laurel is located is really petty. I'd bet if you went to Hollywood Park or Santa Anita or any track west of the Mississippi, the high majority of fans also wouldn't know. Probably a good number of them east of the river wouldn't either.

Was Tebow the jockey on Rapid Redux? If he wasn't I'm suprised they even covered it this week.

Unless its the cancer causing him to have tourette's like "booyah" outbursts, I still find him to be intolerable.

I believe Ken Rudolph bases his on air persona after Stuart Scott and Uncle Remus.

This isn't what people are upset about.

Couldn't be bothered to read the Rees piece before commenting, eh?

I dont see why racing people get riled up about people outside of racing saying flippant things about it when so many inside the game gleefully knock it and many of its participants at every chance.

Do people in racing gleefully discuss horses being sent to slaughterhouses?

Depends on who you are talking about. The owner of the horse in question has no issues with it. Go to any track and you will hear people talking about glue factories and alpo. The point I was making is that the sport and people in it feel free to rip it and expose dirty laundry (even stuff that isnt really dirty) at the drop of a hat so dont be shocked when those outside the game do the same.

The guy was trying unsucessfully to be clever. It didn't work. I would think that we should be more concerned that a sports reporter (or whatever they are called) who obviously doesnt follow racing would buy so into the sterotype of the game he tried to joke about it. No different than Wilbons anti-racing/horse rants each year. The game does a terrible job of presenting itself. Until that changes nothing else will either.

No so many in racing could give a darn if the pig in the barn went to the slaughter house.

Sharp post in a NON Vic way

No Steve, I didn't. Perhaps I should have. My response was more towards the people on here and other racing forums for every perceived injustice we get from the national media. As Cannon Shell said, among ourselves (meaning fans as well as people involved in the sport), we can and do say much worse than any ESPN people do. It's sort of like how you can talk bad about a family member but if anyone outside of the family does it, it's cause for a fight.

In fairness to King Glorious.....it was a VERY long article.

It was the characterization of "gleefully" that I disagreed with. Have people involved in racing always talked about the "glue factory" and that type of stuff? Sure.

However, do you really think the game presents itself as a slaughter fest where horses who are retired are either sent to stud or killed? That was EXACTLY what Stan Verrett said and it made for what at least audibly seemed like a weird exchange with his co-anchor.

There's no publicity of organizations like Old Friends and/or Remember Me Rescue because people don't give a s.hit in the mainstream media. It's easier to take the position that racing is full of horse killers and heartless bastards who have no regard for the animals that they simply wager on and use.

As I read your post, for the first time, I happened to notice the 1215 in your user name. I'm guessing you have a birthday thing tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdX8y...eature=related

:D

The game doesnt present itself as anything really. There is no real effort to present horseracing as either a worthwhile sporting event or gambling venture for the most part outside of local efforts that come off pretty much as advertising. You want to blame Stan Verrett? I blame the organization that gives hacks like Joe Drape Eclipse awards for pieces that present opinions as facts and yeah are patently anti-racing/negative. We invite him to our year ends awards not to cover it but to get an award for knocking the game. When the TB club of America awards George Strawbridge for being anti-lasix and his speech makes the game out to be a corrupt, drug infested, horse killing place AND he gets a standing ovation for it, well? When Barry Irwin more or less calls all trainers liars after winning the Derby what is the average Joe supposed to think. And when Congress passes laws that allow horses to be slaughtered (I know it is more complicated but for average Joe it isnt) and the racing industry response is a few bland PR releases don't expect the rest of America to think that horse racing is some great thing to do. They read award winning writers who cut up the sport at every opportunity, the hear the speech of a guy who kills the game being honored, they hear the winning owner of the Derby and they dont hear squat after a law lets horses be rib eyes...I guess I just can't get too worked up over a stupid comment by Stan Verrett

pig as in slow horse, or as in bacon? i'm not sure, if it's the latter, why you seem stuck on pointing out that horses belong in the same level as food sources. we don't eat horses, dogs or cats in this country. those animals generally exist on a different level in our minds. whether right or wrong, that's just how it is. i've never had a pet cow or chicken or given them a name, or took one for a walk. they aren't companion animals, they are food. horses aren't which might explain why many, but not all, people take offense at lighthearted jabs about their fates. when we start giving year end bessie awards, or foghorn leghorn awards, and setting up hall of fames for hamburgers, then you might have a point.

if it was the former, many do care if a slow horse ends up in a kill pen. they deserve better than that, even if they aren't quite fast enough to win money.

The whole issue of "what the average Joe thinks" is nebulous because they are presented nothing but negatives. An anchor on a network that has paid serious money to cover racing should not take a gratuitous cheap shot. Would he be caught dead calling a college football assistant a child molester? Not a totally fair comparison but a generalization nonetheless.

Racing recycles its trash better than any entity in the world and you bring up all of the worst instances of it. I have no argument with anything you've said, it's 100% the truth. However, Stan Verrett piling on with a stupid remark is worthy of him being called a moron.

:tro:

Freddy is on his "I Eat Meat" campaign again. :rolleyes:

Sure he is a moron but we are the root cause. We get no respect because essentially the sport/business of horse racing doesn't respect itself.

Really you ever been hungry in China? Have you ever been with out a resource for protein? Now lo and Behold a horse is held n special regard ? why because you say so.. Lots of pet chickens out there and lots of pet horses both make a wonderful stew if cooked with care. Its amazing how people can watch millions of cow lambs chickens goat etc go to slaughter but cant watch a horse eaten. I wouldnt eat a horse mostly because culturally I havent been exposed to it but geez it a friggin animal. You want to breed it to eat it G-d bless. BTW Horses are kosher.

About half as long as most of his posts.

er, i wasn't talking about china. i live in the u.s., and was thinking along those lines.
i don't find it amazing at all. consider the 'save the dolphin' campaigns back in the day. nobody gives a crap about the tuna, but they do care about the dolphin.

and yes, many hold horses in special regard, as well as dogs, cats and other animals we consider companions. for some it's a pot bellied pig. now, having a pig as a pet doesn't make sense to me-to me it's pork on the hoof, but that's their choice.

Byk should get the NTRA's new guy, Panus, and Peter Rotondo from the Breeders' Cup on ATR to address the ESPN anchor's comments. Friends on Dialed In's Facebook page posted responses from both of them after complaints were sent about Verrett. They claim to be addresssing the matter with ESPN. Let's hear what they are really doing about it and what they have to say.

So there is nothing between stud and slaughter? How about humanely put down like thousands of horses are every year. Some of you people need to get real and quit this fantasy of all horses having these dream lives after retirement on that same farm that my dog went to when he got sick when I was 8. Grow up.

I don't think that anyone here believes for a minute that all ex race horses can find caring homes when their racing days are over. Some horses are down right dangerous and would never make suitable pets or lawn ornaments let alone a riding horse.

I am all for humanely putting down unwanted horses. I'm against slaughter.

:tro: