Latest NYT attack on industry forthcoming
 

The next salvo in the Times' assault will reportedly show up online this evening and be in the paper Saturday.

As someone who doesn't bother to do more than skim their gross misrepresentations of a game I love, I don't understand what's driving this crusade. Can someone explain it to me?

Isn't at least one of the authors bucking for job security via the prize-seeking investigative series route? After all, his high school sports coverage hasn't garnered any awards.

I think I can explain it to you, Joey. The New York Times was once the nation's most prominent and trustworthy source of News. For years the quality of the journalism has steadily declined and it has been reduced to a tabloid rag which no longer cares about journalistic standards but is desperate to sell newspapers. Therefore, they now have to manufacture stories in order to print something shocking in hopes to sell papers. Newspapers are fading fast in this country as the competition form online resources makes less people rely on sources like the Times. I still believe that the sport of horse racing will be around long after the Times is gone.

Are we certain that nobody at the NY Times is in PETA? Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I find it hard to believe nobody there is at the very least sympathetic (although it could always be some low level person/people in another department). All it takes is someone in the right position to try to wage a PR campaign against the sport. It would make sense for them to pursue their agenda against meat/fur/leather, etc. by either planting people in media or wooing or intimidating people who are already there.

They're just passionate enough and crazy enough that I can't discount it in my mind. Your theory is probably right, Steve. Is it reflected in the other sections of the Times? I've gotten so frustrated with them for other reasons that I don't keep up enough to know.

Here's the best quote of the article, from Tracy Farmer:

“By the time the Breeders’ Cup rolls around, most Triple Crown stars are out of action, depriving the sport of heroes like Seabiscuit and John Henry.”

Because Seabiscuit and John Henry had such astounding Triple Crown runs. :rolleyes:

I actually didn't think this version from the NYT was that bad compared to some of the other assaults.

While there are always a few hit lines, and some very broad strokes painted throughout, there are also what appear to be some conciliatory lines about the many caring, well-intentioned horsepeople that are out there. You have to think that some of the strong criticism leveled at the NYT had some impact in this department.

Considering the mystery illnesses that have struck some barns, it makes you wonder what the causes considering there have been suggestions that no obvious physical ailments were present.

I thought it was a reasonable piece. It showed the temptations within the current system. A system that must be improved. They pointed to Hong Kong as an example.

If the result is less horses, but healthier horses, is that a bad thing?

The driving force behind this is the Jockey Club and some of its outspoken members. Note that many didnt want to speak to the Times reporters because they knew whatever they said would be misinterpreted yet Jockey club stalwarts Janney, Farmer and Iuliano had no problem stirring the pot with innuendo and nonsense about Seabiscuit.

Imagine NFL executives speaking about football like Jockey Club members talk about racing?

I wonder how much of the owners complaints are even valid. There is one sentence that says that 2 of their horses were treated with clembuterol for 7 consecutive days (which is laughable considering that if there was some lung issues this would be easily within the suggested treatment period) yet vets wouldnt be the ones treating the horses as they would just dispense the clembuterol which comes in syrup form.

There are some trainers/vets who have out of control bills but I wonder a lot of times if they even dispense the meds or if it just a scam.

i would imagine that there are some dishonest trainers out there who present vet bills that might not bear close scrutiny. but if some trainers are going to cheat in other ways, i doubt they'd balk at that.

sounds to me like horses are being treated like humans. pill for this. shot for that. probably not good for horses or people.
i'm not in the industry so i am only guessing but it seems to me both vets and doctors might go a little overboard with the drugs to get their horses on the track and their players on the field. when's the times going to run that story?

i can't imagine being a trainer, and caught in between the different factions. owners want their horse to run, so you're supposed to perform miracles to get them healthy if they arne't-but don't spend too much on drugs (cause drugs are bad, mkay) or medical care-cause then you get griped at about the bills. but if you don't call the vet, well, why isn't the horse running? then you have the track wanting your help in filling a race. you want to do right by the horse, and you're stuck between competing interests.

and you know there's something wrong with our pharmaceutical companies when they're coming out with new pills for growing thicker eyelashes. can't cure cancer yet, but at least your corpse will have thick lashes when you shuffle off this mortal coil.
crazy world anymore.

:tro::tro:
I love that you used a Mr. Mackey reference here!

:D


it's just too bad that the nyt keeps putting out these articles. it seems they are attempting to lump everyone involved in the sport into a group of needle-wielding crazies hell-bent on destroying every horse in the barn. it's absurd.
but people who don't know much about horse racing will cluck their tongues and say 'poor horsies, being abused'. is there abuse? sure. is it rampant? i don't think it is.