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Originally Posted by smootsirvin
I, too, vote for 24 hour a day At the Races!
Seriously.....I stumbled on the show quite by accident about three months ago and would now not even think of missing it on my commute home. You have brought this old salt back to the game in earnest, after years and years away.
The Breeder's Cup week was wonderful.
I think the lasting value of your efforts, Steve, is to show the way to Race marketers that they need to focus more on the people. When we have the ability to humanize the trainers, jocks, owners, handicappers, columnists, etc., through your interviews, the race becomes SPORT, not betting on the role of a die. Even the animals take on a persona.
Granted, I need the action, however the ultimate success of the sport in the competitive media environment is going to be on selling it AS a sport, not the numbers game portrayed on TVG and HRTV.
There's kind of a nutty analogy in the success of NASCAR. I never watch it, but I gather that its success comes from the marketing of the personalities, not the vehicles per se. Longwinded, sorry. Keep up the fantastic work, please.
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S/I,
Appreciate the kind words and really am pleased to hear your interest in the game has been rekindled. That means a great deal to me... I think you hit on something that I've been trying to do without thinking about it, and that is to feed the needs of the wagering-concerned while balancing that straightforward info with a presentation of the personalities and issues that comprise the sport.
While the game will always be gambling-driven, I cannot do what Andy does on 'Playing to Win' as I lack his complete and total comprehension of the gambling side of the game. As a journalist first and horseplayer second, I try to strike a balance with the show that can hold everyone's attention 15 hours a week, and I don't believe concentrating too much on any one aspect of the game can do that.
The NASCAR analogy is a good one, as I spent 18 months in Charlotte with Procter & Gamble when we sponsored the Folgers, Tide and Crisco cars. Tim Richmond, Darrell Waltrip and Buddy Baker were indeed the stars of those vehicles, and were marketed as such. But NASCAR is also a good analogy as attendance at an event is a social 'happening' much as a day at the races should be. The 'experience' is a huge part of the potential success of the marketing of the game, and its' why I think Derby Trailer gatherings at tracks, and the formation of Dee Tee, has worked. Not everyone who's getting together at the track or that has bought into our partnerships is a horseplayer.. Many are in it for the social network aspect and sheer pleasure of the atmosphere/experience. The game can be successfully introduced and grown understanding the wide interest levels of the potential and existing 'race fan' and catering to their respective needs.
Thanks for taking the time to provide the feedback...