What is "unacceptable" in horse racing?

[Stillriledup]

Seems like no matter what happens, we eventually just accept it and move on. We show outrage at the Asmussen/Blasi situation, but now everything is back to normal, Steve is winning Breeders Cup races, Scott is back at his job like nothing ever happened.

Bob Baffert has multiple deaths in his barn under mysterious (or, not) circumstances and he's a Breeders Cup hero being celebrated around the globe these days. No harm, no foul, we've just forgotten about all that and have accepted it.

The "outrage" at Churchill for raising takeout, shunning Ron Turcotte and a whole other list of things we found offensive, but at the end of the day, CD will be accepted back into our hearts on the first Saturday in May and we will be running over each other to stuff their coffers with cash, whatever they have done will be forgotten and they will be accepted back with open arms, like nothing ever happened.

The list is long and painful of things we were outraged about, "unacceptable" things that we eventually came to accept because just not enough people cared.

Oh yeah, writers wrote, we posted and the passion behind the posts seemed real, but when you go to the track or bet on horse races in America in 2014, its business as usual.

Nothing is "unacceptable".

[thaskalos]

At the end of the day, it's only a game, SRU...and it was the only legal gambling game for us early in our gambling careers. We invested a lot of ourselves into it, and we became attached...the way people get attached to questionable relationships. Yes...there are other legal gambling choices for us now...but this game is unique, and it gets its hooks into you. Once you get exposed to this game, you are not likely to trade it for any other...because all the other gambling games seem so freaking slow by comparison. :)

Inside, we haven't really changed since we were little kids; we are happiest when we are playing games. Our games of choice may change to reflect the effects of the aging process...but the "player" in us still begs to be entertained.

Wasn't it Abraham Maslow who said that the secret to a happy life is finding a game worth playing?

[ultracapper]

Wow. That was good.

[magwell]

SRU you know what it's all about, we are "addicted to the game" and no matter how messed up it is, we are still going to play, that's just the way it is and you know it........;)

[OTM Al]

It's fun and I'll do it until it stops being fun. One thing that makes it less fun is people constantly running on, talking about things they don't understand and giving wrong or misguided interpretations of them. There are several such things in the original post, for example. Nature of the interwebby thing I guess. If horseplaying is life or death to you though, it may be you who needs to reassess yourself.

[andtheyreoff]

The NFL has had countless problems with athletes getting into legal trouble off the field and with ex-players suffering from brain problems. Yet, they're still as popular as ever. Ask people if they still care about the lock-out from a few years ago, and they probably won't remember it even happened.

MLB dealt with many of their players using PEDs, and attendance has never been higher for many teams. The NHL lost a whole season due to a lock-out a few years back, and they're still going strong, too.

Let's not pretend horse racing is the only sport where people forgive its problems.

[Stillriledup]

The NFL has had countless problems with athletes getting into legal trouble off the field and with ex-players suffering from brain problems. Yet, they're still as popular as ever. Ask people if they still care about the lock-out from a few years ago, and they probably won't remember it even happened.

MLB dealt with many of their players using PEDs, and attendance has never been higher for many teams. The NHL lost a whole season due to a lock-out a few years back, and they're still going strong, too.

Let's not pretend horse racing is the only sport where people forgive its problems.

We're not pretending, but since this is a horse racing board, that's where it got posted.

You're right, we just see unacceptable behavior, we see Ray Rice crushing the face of someone he supposedly loves, and when he comes back on the football field and scores a TD, we will say "YAY RAY" and what he's done in the past won't matter.

I think a lot of the things that we find incredibly offensive happen largely because we permit them to happen, we don't really hold it against people as much as we should. If society is going to "forgive" you for incredibly offensive and or dangerous behavior, there's not much incentive to always do the right things as you know we won't kick you out of society if you aren't on the straight and narrow.

[Stillriledup]

SRU you know what it's all about, we are "addicted to the game" and no matter how messed up it is, we are still going to play, that's just the way it is and you know it........;)

And i believe that the tracks know it too, that's why they're not likely to be heavy handed to cheaters and they're going to essentially treat the customers like crap because they can.

[Stillriledup]

At the end of the day, it's only a game, SRU...and it was the only legal gambling game for us early in our gambling careers. We invested a lot of ourselves into it, and we became attached...the way people get attached to questionable relationships. Yes...there are other legal gambling choices for us now...but this game is unique, and it gets its hooks into you. Once you get exposed to this game, you are not likely to trade it for any other...because all the other gambling games seem so freaking slow by comparison. :)

Inside, we haven't really changed since we were little kids; we are happiest when we are playing games. Our games of choice may change to reflect the effects of the aging process...but the "player" in us still begs to be entertained.

Wasn't it Abraham Maslow who said that the secret to a happy life is finding a game worth playing?

Excellent stuff Gus, very deep, you're right, once it gets into the blood, its hard to get out.

[burnsy]

At the end of the day, it's only a game, SRU...and it was the only legal gambling game for us early in our gambling careers. We invested a lot of ourselves into it, and we became attached...the way people get attached to questionable relationships. Yes...there are other legal gambling choices for us now...but this game is unique, and it gets its hooks into you. Once you get exposed to this game, you are not likely to trade it for any other...because all the other gambling games seem so freaking slow by comparison. :)

Inside, we haven't really changed since we were little kids; we are happiest when we are playing games. Our games of choice may change to reflect the effects of the aging process...but the "player" in us still begs to be entertained.

Wasn't it Abraham Maslow who said that the secret to a happy life is finding a game worth playing?

You are absolutely correct. But most have a boiling point and once its reached they will walk away or pull back significantly. I've read you talking about this too. Its not like this isn't happening now. Casual fans and new fans just accept the "incidents" as part of the game. If you listen to them you will hear it all the time. "Its horse racing......it's crooked."

Some try to bring up other sports but this is one that would die without gambling. When peoples money is involved and there's a negative perception. Business will suffer. That's going on today. The cheating (drugs), the gouging of customers and stories of people getting caught mistreating animals and rehired. There are big players and "regulars" but other than special times of the year, the general public could now give a rats ass about horse racing. Some are hooked but if the OP thinks people are just taking it....take a look around....look at what's going on at Churchill....tracks closing, oh, when that happens people cry the blues. People on the "inside" that work in the industry mostly loathe to acknowledge it. They go on rants like everything is great. Well, standing from where I look "in"...it's anything but. Many are holding on to straws, while business practices and behavior are the last straw. The camels back is breaking, slowly, racing probably won't die but it's going downhill. If you think people are "just taking it" you drank the kool aid too. If this casino money goes south watch out!

[thaskalos]

You are absolutely correct. But most have a boiling point and once its reached they will walk away or pull back significantly. I've read you talking about this too. Its not like this isn't happening now. Casual fans and new fans just accept the "incidents" as part of the game. If you listen to them you will hear it all the time. "Its horse racing......it's crooked."

Some try to bring up other sports but this is one that would die without gambling. When peoples money is involved and there's a negative perception. Business will suffer. That's going on today. The cheating (drugs), the gouging of customers and stories of people getting caught mistreating animals and rehired. There are big players and "regulars" but other than special times of the year, the general public could now give a rats ass about horse racing. Some are hooked but if the OP thinks people are just taking it....take a look around....look at what's going on at Churchill....tracks closing, oh, when that happens people cry the blues. People on the "inside" that work in the industry mostly loathe to acknowledge it. They go on rants like everything is great. Well, standing from where I look "in"...it's anything but. Many are holding on to straws, while business practices and behavior are the last straw. The camels back is breaking, slowly, racing probably won't die but it's going downhill. If you think people are "just taking it" you drank the kool aid too. If this casino money goes south watch out!

I am not drinking any Cool Aid, Burnsy; I've written plenty here about the decline of this game...and I've expressed my outrage with the horse racing "industry" here as well. But I am still PLAYING this game, and so are you...and THAT'S what's at the center of the point that SRU is making in this thread. We complain plenty about the game, and about those who run it...but we continue to play it ourselves. That's the question that I tried to address with my first post here.

PS...In over 30 years of playing this game, the only players that I've seen quit were the players who could no longer afford to play it. So, in a way, you could say that they didn't really "quit" the game. The game quit them.

[lamboguy]

after reviewing this years breeder's i see that 3 trainer's won 6 races. that is so exciting, i can't wait for next year where we have a chance that 1 trainer wins about half the races

[Stillriledup]

I am not drinking any Cool Aid, Burnsy; I've written plenty here about the decline of this game...and I've expressed my outrage with the horse racing "industry" here as well. But I am still PLAYING this game, and so are you...and THAT'S what's at the center of the point that SRU is making in this thread. We complain plenty about the game, and about those who run it...but we continue to play it ourselves. That's the question that I tried to address with my first post here.

PS...In over 30 years of playing this game, the only players that I've seen quit were the players who could no longer afford to play it. So, in a way, you could say that they didn't really "quit" the game. The game quit them.

Isnt' there more we could do besides quitting the game if we don't like the state of this sport?

[burnsy]

I am not drinking any Cool Aid, Burnsy; I've written plenty here about the decline of this game...and I've expressed my outrage with the horse racing "industry" here as well. But I am still PLAYING this game, and so are you...and THAT'S what's at the center of the point that SRU is making in this thread. We complain plenty about the game, and about those who run it...but we continue to play it ourselves. That's the question that I tried to address with my first post here.

PS...In over 30 years of playing this game, the only players that I've seen quit were the players who could no longer afford to play it. So, in a way, you could say that they didn't really "quit" the game. The game quit them.


I was not referring to you...I said original poster (OP). I've seen a few quit, I've seen many cut back. My point is people are not just taking it like SRU thinks.....popularity is going down. Churchill's handle down, the cards suck because no one wants to race there, tracks are closing. Tracks can only bleed and deny it for so long. I thought your post was very accurate and why the game holds on at all.

[Stillriledup]

I was not referring to you...I said original poster. I've seen a few quit, I've seen many cut back. My point is people are not just taking it like SRU thinks.....popularity is going down. Churchill's handle down, the cards suck because no one wants to race there, tracks are closing. You can only bleed and deny it for so long. I thought you post was very accurate.

But we don't know why the people who leave have left. Some died, some went tapioca, some probably decided they wanted to pursue other interests, we don't know if people quit specifically because a trainer got a 60 day suspension and they thought it should have been 5 years for being a habitual rule breaker, we don't know why some have stopped betting.

[thaskalos]

Isnt' there more we could do besides quitting the game if we don't like the state of this sport?

No. The only meaningful thing we can do...and the only useful statement we can make if we don't like the state of the game, is to quit playing it. Anything else is inadequate...because it does not send the message home clearly enough.

[Stillriledup]

No. The only meaningful thing we can do...and the only useful statement we can make if we don't like the state of the game, is to quit playing it. Anything else is inadequate...because it does not send the message home clearly enough.

But if you quit and not enough other people quit, your quitting makes zero impact.

[burnsy]

But we don't know why the people who leave have left. Some died, some went tapioca, some probably decided they wanted to pursue other interests, we don't know if people quit specifically because a trainer got a 60 day suspension and they thought it should have been 5 years for being a habitual rule breaker, we don't know why some have stopped betting.

I personally know a couple of people that quit, with money to bet that thought there was too much bullshit. I'm not one of them, but I won't bet Santa Anita unless its BC and I won't bet Churchill unless its derby week. I refused to bet any polycrap for years. Believe me, there are people that get fed up. That's why I made the kool aid statement, people choose to cut back all the time because of everything people complain about....and it doesn't do well for bringing new people in either. I know for a fact why some stop.

[thaskalos]

But if you quit and not enough other people quit, your quitting makes zero impact.

If your displeasure with the game is not shared by others...then there is nothing that you can do. That's why I have been talking about horseplayer unity for years on this board. Alone, you can do nothing.

[Stillriledup]

If your displeasure with the game is not shared by others...then there is nothing that you can do. That's why I have been talking about horseplayer unity for years on this board. Alone, you can do nothing.

All true. If we walk together, we can get a lot done. Alone, we are insignificant.

[Stillriledup]

I personally know a couple of people that quit, with money to bet that thought there was too much bullshit. I'm not one of them, but I won't bet Santa Anita unless its BC and I won't bet Churchill unless its derby week. I refused to bet any polycrap for years. Believe me, there are people that get fed up. That's why I made the kool aid statement, people choose to cut back all the time because of everything people complain about....and it doesn't do well for bringing new people in either. I know for a fact why some stop.

You think Santa Anita has more "shenanigans" than other tracks?

[magwell]

The only people I seen that stopped betting, died, got locked up or went broke, although they came back as soon as they got fresh money.....

[JustRalph]

Thask.......you're on a roll....... :ThmbUp:

Taking the words right out of my brain......

It would only take a 30 day boycott of one big track/meet.

[thaskalos]

Thask.......you're on a roll....... :ThmbUp:

Taking the words right out of my brain......

It would only take a 30 day boycott of one big track/meet.
Great minds think alike, Ralph. :)

[ultracapper]

Who knows why people quit. Everybody with a shred of common sense knows every casino game is stacked against you, yet they pile in day after day. "The slots are tight", "you can't win with multiple shoes", and on and on.

It would take a huge post for me to convey my opinion on why some people quit, and why it's tough to bring in a steady flow of new blood. It would take too long to enter, and most wouldn't read it, or wouldn't agree with this or that or another, so I'm not going to. But it comes down to handicapping. The act of handicapping itself.

People will play games that are horribly stacked against them by the very nature of the game (lottery, slots). The "I can't win because of (insert..drugs, take, stewards, whales)" is all a cover for "I spend all this damn time handicapping and the results make no sense with what I have concluded, and I can't take it anymore."

[Stillriledup]

Who knows why people quit. Everybody with a shred of common sense knows every casino game is stacked against you, yet they pile in day after day. "The slots are tight", "you can't win with multiple shoes", and on and on.

It would take a huge post for me to convey my opinion on why some people quit, and why it's tough to bring in a steady flow of new blood. It would take too long to enter, and most wouldn't read it, or wouldn't agree with this or that or another, so I'm not going to. But it comes down to handicapping. The act of handicapping itself.

People will play games that are horribly stacked against them by the very nature of the game (lottery, slots). The "I can't win because of (insert..drugs, take, stewards, whales)" is all a cover for "I spend all this damn time handicapping and the results make no sense with what I have concluded, and I can't take it anymore."

I gotta say i would love to read your long post on why people quit, one day, if you have the time, pen it out, i promise i would read it.