The time has come: abolish horse racing

Shooting from the lip

A look back a weekend of televised sports, including the tragedy at Churchill Downs ...

Worst event of the weekend
How many? Just give me the number so I know. How many more horses have to break down and be euthanized before we abolish all horse racing? A couple of years ago it was Barbaro. On Saturday, it was the filly Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby. Those are the ones we've seen recently. Think about all the horses we never hear about in little races we never see who break down and must be destroyed.

Enough. These animals are dying unnecessarily and purely for our entertainment and greed. Don't give me the argument that horses like to race. Horses like two things: food and making other horses. Beyond that, we don't know what they like because they don't speak. They are trained (I would use the word "forced'') to race.

Don't give me the argument that there are risks in other sports, such as NASCAR. Drivers make the decision to get into cars. They assume their own risk. Horses make no such decision. They can't decide not to race. And don't tell me it's just an unfortunate "part of the sport'' and that "these things happen now and then.'' As far as I'm concerned, one horse dying is too many. Ask yourself this: If Eight Belles had not run Saturday, would she be alive now?

Horses are dying. It's our fault. And it can be avoided. Why we don't avoid it, I'll never understand.

Worst coverage
NBC seemed either utterly unprepared or went out of its way to downplay the tragedy during the Kentucky Derby. It didn't totally ignore second-place Eight Belles' breakdown, but it went back and forth in an uncomfortable zigzag between the euphoria of the winner, Big Brown, and the sadness of Eight Belles. It's as if the network had a scripted celebration and it was not going to deviate just because something unpleasant happened. And as uncomfortable as it would have been, NBC, which is in the business of covering an event, was obligated to show viewers how the filly broke down. The only shot we saw was a brief replay from the blimp. Either it didn't have another camera on Eight Belles (a bad mistake) or it chose not to show it (a much bigger issue).

It was also uncomfortable to watch the executive from sponsor Yum! Brands and the governor of Kentucky talk about what a "great day'' it was and "what a race''' it was. It's almost as if they were saying, "Don't pay attention to President Lincoln's box, wasn't the play great?''

It was sickening to watch people smiling and celebrating while a horse was euthanized just a few hundred yards away. It's almost as if no one — NBC, the governor, the sponsors and all the people in their fancy hats — was going to let a dead horse ruin his good time.

Worst show
NBC's red-carpet, Hollywood-type Access At the Derby, which was part of the network's Kentucky Derby preview, not only was the worst show of the weekend, it might have been the worst on television all year. Host Billy Bush sounded like he couldn't pick a horse out of a lineup of pigs. "Who are you picking to win?'' he asked again and again of C-list celebrities as if any of us really cared which horse Heidi and Spencer from MTV's The Hills were picking. Seriously, Heidi and Spencer were one of the first interviews. Are you kidding me?

Worst poor sports
Shame on Pittsburgh fans who boo Rangers star Jaromir Jagr. It wasn't Jagr's decision to leave Pittsburgh (the Pens traded him), he played hard during his time in Pittsburgh and won two Cups, and he has had nothing but nice, classy things to say about Pittsburgh and the Penguins since he left. Those who boo him are only showing their ignorance, but this is typical of the way Pittsburghers often treat their former stars. Pittsburghers are famous for living in the past -- you can't walk down the street without tripping over someone in a two-sizes-too-small Jack Lambert jersey -- and become highly insulted anytime anyone dares to have success somewhere else. And save your letters. I'm from Pittsburgh.

Worst ticker
Flashed on ABC's ticker across the bottom of the screen during the Hawks-Celtics Game 7: "Desperate Housewives, All New — Tonight. 9/8c.'' That's true. I'm not making that up.

Best imitation
Everybody thinks he  can imitate legendary baseball announcer Harry Caray, but few can really do him well. One who can is the Cubs' Ryan Dempster, who used his Carey imitation to read off the Cubs' lineup during Saturday’s Game of the Week on Fox. "I'm turning that into the Baseball Hall of Fame,'' announcer Joe Buck said. "How good was that?''

Funniest line
During Sunday's Outside the Lines on ESPN, longtime New York Times writer Robert Lipsyte was asked whose story is more tragic: Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire? Lipsyte said, "Roger is the most tragic because of his awful taste in music.''

Worst graphic
After the Flyers' victory over the Canadiens on Saturday night, Versus posted a graphic that said the Flyers reached the conference final for the first time since 1997. As Versus signed off, announcer Dave Strader repeated the line. Actually, the Flyers advanced to the Eastern Conference final in 2004, when they lost to the Lightning in seven games.

Longest song
Two minutes and 18 seconds. That's how long it took Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls to sing The Star-Spangled Banner before Saturday night's Oscar De La Hoya-Steve Forbes fight on HBO. "If it's up to us,'' host Jim Lampley said, "she can sing it at every fight.''

If it's up to me, she can sing, but tell her the microphone will be on for exactly 1 minute, 30 seconds and not a second longer.

Worst outcome
With all due respect to the Flyers, who deserved to beat the Canadiens in the second round of the NHL playoffs, it would've been better for hockey if the Habs were still alive. By the way, Canada’s Cup-less streak continues. A Canadian team hasn't won the Cup since Montreal in 1993 and won't this season.

Best improvement
Maybe it took a cue from how ESPN uses Peter Gammons on its baseball broadcasts, but it seems as if Fox is giving "insider'' Ken Rosenthal a little more air time on its Game of the Week broadcasts. And it's a good move. Rosenthal adds some decent information, such as Saturday when he mentioned how the Cubs would love to trade for Baltimore's Brian Roberts to solve their issues in the leadoff spot. Fox needs to keep using him often.

Comments

[Chuck]

Here's a number for you:

One Billion.

You're an absolute joke of a columnist.

[powerage66]

I agree with the comments about the Pens fans. I am a Pens fan, I still have 2 Jagr sweaters. He loves Pittsburgh and still idolizes Super Mario. It is just amazes me on why they boo him. It reminds me of a game I attended in 1997, the Blues-Rangers in St. Louis, and the Blues fans started booing The Great One before the game even started and continued every time he jumped over the boards during the game.

[Ed]

Since maybe it's news to you, people are worth more than humans. And as such you have just made the case to end all professional sports. Good idea for a sports columnist like yourself. (Well at least for the people who actually find themselves wondering: Why am I reading this guy?)

[Less Than Smarty Jones]

Is the horse racing bit intended to be farce?

A lot is at stake here w/r/t the answer to this question. If it is intended to represent serious sportswriting or some sort of high minded cultural critique then I believe we have our 2008 Anti Pulitzer prize winner (Hugely Chowderheaded Outrage subcategory). It is still early but this entry is going to eventually emerge victorious.

If it is supposed to be farce then Hahahaha good one. Ya got me

[travis]

Horses love to race. They may not speak but they have there own language. If 8 Bells was not a racer she would have never been born. So she would not have not been alive to run the race. It's obvious that you do not have a clue about horse racing. Please do research before you write such an uneducated article. The C list celebs you were talking about is just a small part of the KY derby, the A listers don't bother with the red carpet. Apparently you have never been to the KY derby. If you had you would never have anything bad to say about it. Like I said do your research !!!!!

[Tackleberry]

Ok, lets abolish horse racing TODAY. Then we'll see the racing horses either euthanized or neglected. It's not a simple fix.

[Mike]

Are you really trying to say that because the horses can't tell us what they want then we should abolish horse racing? I am sure there are many horses that probably don't like to be saddled up and ridden on the farm. I am sure they don't like when a 300 pound police officer rides them on city streets. I am sure the horse will tell you that they would rather jump obsticles in equestrian.

If I was a race horse that could talk, I would tell you that I would much rather have an 100 pound jockey making me run for 1 mile on a track. My life would be spent mating, running (which I do naturally), and relaxing in much nicer accomidations than what the police and most farms offer. By the way, most race horses get treated way better than humans in our lower financial classes.

[Rich]

I agree with Chuck. You're a joke. And if you were so turned off by the Red Carpet show, please inform as to why you continued watching it?

And what sick mind would actually WANT to see the footage of a tragedy. We can all be happy the you didn't report on 9/11.

[Racing Lover]

Your comments on horseracing were simply put, deplorable. Were you writing an editorial?? Who gives a horse's patoot about your opinion or horseracing?? Your comments prove what a bloomin' fool you are when it comes to racing.

I am amazed your editors let you publish such a biased, opinionated column....without the heading editorial which is of course opinion....

You sound like a card carrying member of peta.......and should be ashamed of yourself!!

[Frank]

Worst Columnist:

TOM JONES

[Thomas]

C'mon people. Can't you see this is all a ruse by Scruffy McNarcissist to get more hits and comments on his blog? Ripping off other blogs is passe so pulling a Bayless and throwing ill-informed and "controversial" statements out here is what gets all the looks.

He'd be much happier back in PA with his beloved Pens.

[Alex]

As someone who has been riding for 13 years and owns a former racehorse, I feel qualified to make the following statements.

First of all, horses do love to run. But, this is in an open field where they can stop and go at their leisure. Race horses are forced to run hard and fast for as long as possible, no breaks allowed. THAT is not something that comes naturally to them. Race horses run out of fear, not joy.

Secondly, arguing that other forms of riding are just as inhumane is ridiculous. Sure, a horse might not enjoy parading the streets of Ybor on a Friday night, but the fact of the matter is that NONE of those disciplines place stress and pressure on a horse's limbs when compared to racing. If you looked up the pounds of pressure per square inch on a horse's limbs when they are racing, I can guarantee you'll cringe. Not to mention the fact that horses who compete in disciplines other than racing are allowed to finish growing first.

I am not an enthused animal activist, and I am not a PETA member. I am however, a horse-owner and realist. Obviously the horse racing industry can't just "disappear." There are entirely too many people who depend on the track for their livelihood, and as long as there are people to bet, there will be races. It is time, however, for the regulations to be changed in an effort to make the sport safer for all participants. Sure, seeing Big Brown win the Triple Crown would be great, but all I care about is that he's still standing once all is said and done.

[Tom Jones]

Here's what I keep coming back to: As I watched Eight Belles break down and be destroyed Saturday ... and then you realize that 1.5 horses per 1,000 starts (an average of two per day in this country) break down and are euthanized, I can't help but wonder, "Why are we doing this? Is this supposed to be fun?''

Listen, I'm not one of those so-called "animal lovers,'' either. I don't belong to PETA. I enjoy cheeseburgers and steaks as much as anyone I know. And I thought the hysteria over Barbaro a few years ago bordered on obscene. Yet, I don't understand the venom here. This is my opinion. I think I stated clearly why I feel this way. I backed it up with why I think the way I do. If you disagree that is certainly your right. But how about backing it up with more than, basically, "Shut up, you're wrong, you're an idiot, go away.'' Some (such as Alex) did an excellent job pointing out his opinions in a clear and intelligent manner. If you disagree with me, tell me why. The easiest thing in the world is to say, "You're wrong.'' But give me more. I'll listen to what you have to say. I'll respect what you have to say, but make a point.

In the end, everyone here, including me, knows horse racing will never be abolished. But certainly raising this issue, talking about the safety of horse, putting it up for debate can't be a bad thing, can it? What happened Saturday was tragic. How can we fix it?

And, oh, one more thing. Come on, people, Heidi and Spencer being interviewed on a Kentucky Derby show? How can you NOT make fun of that??

[Bob F]

I fell in love with horse racing in 1977 when, for the princely sum of $1.50, I had a seat on the finish line (2nd level) for the Belmont Stakes between Affirmed and Alydar. At stake was the Triple Crown, and those two hooked up neck and neck on the backstretch of the huge Belmont Park track not giving an inch for the last mile of that race. And I remember the entire crowd standing on their feet screaming - literally screaming - at the top of their lungs for the last two minutes of the race for the courage that these two animals demonstrated. It was the greatest sporting event that I ever witnessed in my life, and I saw the USA play in the 80 Olympics (albeit Romania), I've been to the World Series and I went to the World Cup in 1994. You can still see a replay of this race on YouTube and judge for yourself, but for me, it was this single event that made me a lifelong fan of the sport, not the opportunity to make a dollar or two. The Tampa Bay Derby is a pretty good show here locally if you have not had the opportunity to see a "big race" (Street Sense won last year before he won the Kentucky Derby.)

As with many volatile issues, I think the answer lies somewhere between abolishing the sport and ignoring its legitimate problems. ESPN's Randy Moss said it best when he advocated the following:

1. Abolish the whip - it has minimal benefit and everyone will be on a level playing field without one.

2. Address the USA's continuing problems with administering race day medications to these horses. Apparently, we are the only country in the world that allows this. What happens is that horses that should not be running are permitted to race, and their physical ailments are eventually passed down to their prodigy in the breeding shed. I'm not saying this was the issue with Eight Belles, but we need to be more diligent in looking out for the welfare of these courageous animals.

[joe hillman]

>>>Horses love to race.<<<

really? you mean, unsupervised, a horse will wake up, walk out of it's stall, stroll to a track and begin doing laps all by itself?

really? i'd like to see this on youtube.

to me, horses are outdated farm machinery. and i'd no sooner watch -- much less pay -- to watch animals run in circles than i'd pay to watch a landscaper walk laps around a house with a lawnmower.

but this nonsense to "ban horseracing" is a bit hysterical, though to be honest, i wouldn't miss it a bit.

[Ben]

I'm sure the referees agreed with you that the Canadiens winning would be better for Hockey. That's probably why the Flyers were called on almost twice as many penalties, yet still managed to wipe the floor with the Canadiens. What we have now, an intra-state rivalry that could be one of the best series since the lockout, is what the sport really needs. I will agree with you, however, that Canadian teams winning generally is good since they all actually live and breathe the sport.

And everyone seems to be getting the year wrong for the Flyers' last trip to the Conference Finals. Some people say 1997, some 2000, some 2004. Why so many news sources can't remember something that happened four years ago (especially considering the quality of that series) is far beyond me.

[Mr. D]

Enough....There are people dying in cars every day. People have little choice about driving. One person killed in a traffic accident is one too many. Let's limit top speed to 25 mph and a water filled barrier around the car....get off your high horse and worry about all the starving and horrible deaths people are suffering around the world.

[Mike]

Alex,

I agree with your points. I am not in favor of horse racing. My point was not to compare the differences between the techniques we use horses for. My point was that Tom Jones stated that because horses don't speak, we do not know what horses like and should abolish Horse Racing. Tom stated that horses are trained (forced) to race.

My point is that horses are forced to do many things they probably would not choose to do if they could talk. Those were just some examples I could think of.