Quote:
Originally Posted by Riot
We know that. That doesn't mean the NBC telecast for casual fans shouldn't exist, or isn't of benefit, in my book.
The ability to make money gambling in horseracing is vastly overrated.
That contest was a great addition, with the PR miracle being he won (although SS was the horse most likely to run his race in the eyes of many - good choice on his part).
But that was about 10 minutes of the entire broadcast. Glad it wasn't the only part. I don't need a two hour commercial for buying lottery tickets or going to the casino. That's not the reason why I love horse racing, never was, never will be.
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Oh boy.
Point 1- I didnt say that the telecast should be focused on gambling. I made the point that the focus on the human interest stories and other crap wont translate into "making" the type of fan that racing needs to succeed. Like it or not fans that don't gamble are just not important to the sport on a day to day basis because those types only focus on the few big events a year and dont really bring much revenue to the table.
Point 2- The allure of horseracing is the gambling, be it by wagering or owning horses. That fact is that the industry failed to capitalize on for years prior to gambling becoming more socially acceptable. For years the "leaders" of the industry tried to
not focus on the gambling aspect of the game. Obviously this misfired as other forms of gambling become more popular. think poker exploded because of Phil Hellmuth's personality?
The truth is that the telecast or its focus is really meaningless in the big picture, just as the NFL's pregame shows are hardly what is remembered after the games are over.