The Great Derby Paradox

[blackthroatedwind]

I'm not sure this is a paradox. The Derby is mainstream Americana. A lot of effort was made to publicize it. People are attracted to things that celebrities are doing. Handle in horse racing has been going up ( despite the cries to the contrary by the ill-informed naysayers ).

We still need to educate the public about what is fascinating about this great game if we expect to create viable new fans. I'm not saying I have the answers as to how to do this, but I would say that identifying your potential new fans correctly, or responsibly, is probably a good place to start. I do, however, think ignoring the gambling aspect of the game is not likely to allow you to turn the casual viewer into a productive participant in the game.

I should hope that the marketers behind major productions like the Triple Crown races know how to attract peoples' attentions. My question is whether or not you think the celebrity/human interest stories are being effectively counter balanced with some sort of productive fan education elements. I can't offer any specific thoughts in this instance, as I did not see any of the NBC coverage. I am actually curious.