Uncle Buck Wrote:
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> Why is the BC held during the World Series, the
> height of the college football season BCS mess,the
> middle of the NFL season and the beginning of the
> NBA season? Makes no sense to me. And - on top of
> that - ESPN is also the NASCAR channel now. WAKE
> UP Breeders Cup! It will get NO coverage,
> especially on ESPN, if its held this time of year.
> How many station promos did you see on ESPN in the
> weeks leading up to the big event?
>
> Wouldn\'t it be feaseable to hold the Breeder\'s Cup
> in the middle of February rotating it between
> Florida and California? After the Super Bowl is
> played the first Sunday in February, there\'s a
> huge drop off in sports interest and media
> coverage. If the NTRA and BC are serious about
> promoting horse racing, which it should be, they
> will pull their collective heads out.
Uncle:
A few comments:
1) This was the 24th Breeder\'s Cup ever conducted. I believe it is fair to say
that as much as racing fans and horseplayers love the BC, it has not become a
mainstream event. The only time that the public really gets involved is on the
first Saturday in May and maybe on the first Saturday in June if a Triple Crown
is on the line. The Breeder\'s Cup has not \"crossed over\". The truth is that
Racing never will cross over because Racing\'s efforts to cultivate a fan base
are laughable.
2) Given that the BC has not really been accepted by the general public,
sponsors are not going to be overly enthusiastic about supporting BCTV. All of
the BC sponsors are entities which have a longstanding connection with racing,
such as Emirates Air (owned by the Dubai Brothers) and Bessemer Trust (owned by
the Phipps Family). Seven hours of programming and not a single ad for beer,
fast food or soda. Something wrong with that picture. (I do not know if Dodge,
John Deere, Emirates Air, Bessemer, etc pay for BC advertising exclusivity, but
the same ads are seen over and over again).
3) I know ESPN has an extended contract to carry the BC, but the truth is I
would like to see the telecast produced by an entity which specializes in horse
racing broadcasting and offered on a pay-per-view basis. Lets say for $100 you
would get 8 hours a day of live programming for the 10 days leading up to the BC
(interviews, analysis of prep races, replays of old BC races, a few hours of
programming along the lines of TVG\'s \"Works\", handicapping seminars, etc), all
culminating with an uninterrupted BC broadcast on race day which features in
depth analysis of track condition, equipment, etc and also features extensive
coverage of pre race warm ups and gallop outs. This broadcast would be
presented with a web site which offers will pays and multiple race probables.
Cmon Buck I see you reaching for that $100 already...
4) To hold the BC in February at either Gulfstream or one of the California
tracks solves the weather problem, but unfortunately excludes what are (still)
the two primary racing venues in the US-- Kentucky and New York. And Woodbine
and Arlington are especially well suited to host BCs with their expansive turf
courses. Furthermore, Gulfstream has been rendered unfit to host a BC due to
extensive \"Stronachization\" of the facility.
