It's absolutely embarrassing

[cees with dees]

What espn is doing with Hank Goldberg. That man is a total incompetent when it comes to handicapping and they are portraying this sport like its some form of the lottery.
This is how I earn my living, as humble a living as it may be. But it is still an honest one and not one most can say they can accomplish.
Outside of Brad Thomas who is the finest racing personality of all time, there are few that take this game as seriously as I do and know how tough it is to make a profit.
To hell with these tourists and they're few days a year.
Ben

[rcknhrse]

I looked up BUFFON in the dictionary and Hanks picture was there.
I dont know why they used Kenny Mayne as the lighter side for the broadcast,because despit his weight Hank is the lighter side when it comes to competance at this sport.
Might as well throw the TVG crew in there 2.

[o_crunk]

I usually roll my eyes to the complaining about broadcasters since I'm pretty liberal with the mute button and I think if it bothers others that much that they should also gravitate toward this magical button on the remote.

However, it's not Hank's Bank or his picks that bother me. The dude just seems to have a terrible presence on air. He is always interupting or interjecting someone else with something lame, often with a louder tone than those who is interupting. He has a habit of not completing sentences, just kind of staggering through them. In general, he's just not good on TV. I'd like to think that this is not hard to see and ESPN could probably have a bowl of cereal sitting with Kenny Mayne and it would be massively more entertaining.

I see they also lost Joe Tessitore which was a smooth move. Pay attention when he's on the air. A good drinking game is seeing if this man can get a 100 words out of his mouth that are factually correct. You're drunk most telecasts after 15 minutes if you're drinking on his mistakes. He obviously does not follow the sport and must be passing on reading the memos before air.

Otherwise, ESPN does a pretty good job. Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey are good. Jeannine Edwards has a firm understanding of the game. These are very simple prerequisites, IMHO, to being any good on air.

[Tom]

Of all the poeple and groups we heard from today, Hammerin Hank was by far the most intelligent - he understands that the game is about betting - even if you stink at it. Not about dumb hats, not about horsemen, not about greed.....Hank stood head and shoulders above everyone associated with hrose racing today. He had fun and he made bets. In spite of the leeches on the backstretch.

Seeing Dutrow's smiling face on the news tonight - no that was embarassing.

[magwell]

Of all the poeple and groups we heard from today, Hammerin Hank was by far the most intelligent - he understands that the game is about betting - even if you stink at it. Not about dumb hats, not about horsemen, not about greed.....Hank stood head and shoulders above everyone associated with hrose racing today. He had fun and he made bets. In spite of the leeches on the backstretch.

Seeing Dutrow's smiling face on the news tonight - no that was embarassing. Tom, what the hell are you talking about......:confused:

[Tom]

I was saying Hammering Hank was far more intersesting to watch and better for racing than all the the other racing morons heard from today. I didn't find him embarrassing at all - Dutrow, however, wining this race was sickening.

[magwell]

I was saying Hammering Hank was far more intersesting to watch and better for racing than all the the other racing morons heard from today. I didn't find him embarrassing at all - Dutrow, however, wining this race was sickening. Tom you really do need to take a break.....:bang:

[asH]

Tom, what the hell are you talking about......:confused:

:lol:
I thought it was me.



Hank appears to be losing weight... ESPN did the right thing, he's 68, how many shows could he have in him.

[Tuffmug]

All of us here on this board love this game and love to bet this game. The rest of the world smuggly thinks we race fans are degenerates or idiots for betting on horses. Hammering Hank is an embarrassment to us and is meant to be so. He is ESPN's stereotype of us degenerate race fans. He's there to amuse the non-fans, to make them feel superior for not taking a chance and betting on a horse race.

[baconswitchfarm]

I read here every day but rarely post. Talking about Hank made me jump in. I was in South Florida in the 90's where Hank was a small celebrity. He has always been inept as a handicapper and a tv host. His age is not making him worse. He has always been this bad. I agree that ESPN uses him as a larger than life racetrack blowhard. They like his act more than his substance. We have all met people like Hank at the track , we just wouldn't put them on tv. Outside him I thought their coverage was ok. Hank may not be a winner at the track betting. Of the hundreds of times I saw him at the track he never left without a free meal. Not a hot dog , a great steak dinner for a possible mention on the local news. It would have taken a load of free commercials for the track to break even on his food bill. But in the grand scheme of racing , Hank is way low on the list of things that need fixing.

[Imriledup]

You know what else is ridiculous...is that they make an attempt to portray Hank as someone who is actually funny. They showed him sitting in a Mercedes handicapping..............trying to get the response out of you like "oh, there's hilarious hank again".

I really don't get it. I mean, doesn't horse racing have a problem attracting new fans? Don't people in the game always talk about ways to attract the young folks to the sport? Why then is Hank the 'spokesman'? How can a 25 year old man or woman feel like they 'belong' in this sport if their 'spokesman' is an old man who sounds like he's drunk all the time and just listening to him and looking at him invokes the response "ooh, poor guy, i feel sorry for him"?

Lets get a great looking, young, fun, well spoken and energetic man on there to show everyone in his age group that the racetrack is cool and hip. Knowing racing isn't really a prerequisite, so they ought to have no problem 'branding' horse racing as a sport that young people can enjoy by the presence of an 'american idol' who is face and voice people are seeing.

The face of thoroughbred horse racing is Hank "Hammer" Goldberg. I always wonder who Hank knows at ESPN that enables him to not get 'phased out' of his current gig over there.

[Burls]

But in the grand scheme of racing, Hank is way low on the list of things that need fixing.:lol: :lol: :lol:

[blind squirrel]

Espn had Pete Axthelm as an analyst for "gambling".Pete
was a notorious"two fisted" gambler and drinker,which
sadly lead to his demise......after Pete's passing Hank
came along......Hank is not the handicapper that Pete
was,but fills the void of the "Race track character".

[jma]

Espn had Pete Axthelm as an analyst for "gambling".Pete
was a notorious"two fisted" gambler and drinker,which
sadly lead to his demise......after Pete's passing Hank
came along......Hank is not the handicapper that Pete
was,but fills the void of the "Race track character".

At least Pete was funny and could pick horses (hit a lot of Pick 6s in his day)

[thelyingthief]

I was saying Hammering Hank was far more intersesting to watch and better for racing than all the the other racing morons heard from today. I didn't find him embarrassing at all - Dutrow, however, wining this race was sickening.


why do you find dutrow sickening, tom? or, should i say, dutrow winning?

tlt

[Imriledup]

why do you find dutrow sickening, tom? or, should i say, dutrow winning?

tlt

Is this a question that you REALLY don't know the answer to? Think hard, you might be able to figure it out.

[fouroneone]

Dutrow winning was not good for the sport at all.

[toetoe]

rcknhrse,

Keep looking. Next word down, BUFFOON. :p

Pete Axthelm was mediocre, I agree. Bob Neumeier is pretty awful. God, so many are awful, Goldberg is almost camougflaged in all that mediocrity. :ThmbDown:

[PaceAdvantage]

Dutrow winning was not good for the sport at all.It sure wasn't presented that way on NBC. They presented a story of a guy who was down on his luck, and worked his way back from adversity....was I watching a different NBC telecast?

This means that all the "newbies" who tuned in are going to take that vision of Dutrow away with them (along with the dead filly of course). I seriously doubt that people watching the Derby for the first time Saturday are going to come away thinking it wasn't good for the sport that Dutrow won....

[Spectacular Sid]

The "Hank Goldberg is an idiot" piece was actually very entertaining. How any self-respecting player could take tips from a television clown is beyond me anyways.Battaglia-Neumier aren't much better. Or maybe they are worse. They aren't even the least bit entertaining to me.

[Tom]

Beat the hell out of the hats and the stupid interviews. At least it was realted to racing. The other crap was just crap.

[JustRalph]

At least they didn't show that Pork Chop dude............or did I miss that?

[SeattleSlew@BP]

I think a telecast needs three things. A retired "inside guy" talking intelligently about the game. A "gambling guy" giving opinions and building tickets. And a Looney (from Let it Ride) like loser. Hank, the "Looney" part of the formula, would be a lot more bearable if the other components were all there. And they weren't squandering his potential by making him the central betting expert. Just drop the fat ass in the infield, tell him to do some shots at the Jack Daniel's tent, and he'll be screaming "show me your tits!" just in time for the Humana Distaff. They would blow up the Nielsen box.

[Kelso]

Just drop the fat ass in the infield, tell him to do some shots at the Jack Daniel's tent, and he'll be screaming "show me your tits!" just in time for the Humana Distaff. They would blow up the Nielsen box.

:lol: :D :lol:

You have a finely-tuned eye for talent, Slew!

[horses721]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned when Hank gave his picks for a race and selected a horse that was an early scratch. The guy is clueless.

[BeatTheChalk]

What espn is doing with Hank Goldberg. That man is a total incompetent when it comes to handicapping and they are portraying this sport like its some form of the lottery.
This is how I earn my living, as humble a living as it may be. But it is still an honest one and not one most can say they can accomplish.
Outside of Brad Thomas who is the finest racing personality of all time, there are few that take this game as seriously as I do and know how tough it is to make a profit.
To hell with these tourists and they're few days a year.
Ben

Better be careful .. ESPN might just toss Chris Berman into the mix :lol:

[Fastracehorse]

It sure wasn't presented that way on NBC. They presented a story of a guy who was down on his luck, and worked his way back from adversity....was I watching a different NBC telecast?

This means that all the "newbies" who tuned in are going to take that vision of Dutrow away with them (along with the dead filly of course). I seriously doubt that people watching the Derby for the first time Saturday are going to come away thinking it wasn't good for the sport that Dutrow won....

But to me in light of all the supertrainers it makes no sense at all.

I like Dutrow alot - one thing I've noticed about Dutrow is that his horses do tap out.

I know BB is good, but if he could tap out for the Belmont $ $ $

fffastt

[SMOO]

The face of thoroughbred horse racing is Hank "Hammer" Goldberg.

:mad:

[JustRalph]

Better be careful .. ESPN might just toss Chris Berman into the mix :lol:


As Big Brown approaches the finish line........Berman Bellows........

"He could go all the way!!!! " :ThmbDown:

[BeatTheChalk]

As Big Brown approaches the finish line........Berman Bellows........

"He could go all the way!!!! " :ThmbDown:

"" ....It was hot in Los Angeles .. we were working bunco at
Santa Anita ......We had information about a large bookmaking
operation .. On Huntington Drive ....." :lol:
>>http://timstvshowcase.com/dragnet.html :ThmbUp:

[BigJake]

I really don't get it. I mean, doesn't horse racing have a problem attracting new fans? Don't people in the game always talk about ways to attract the young folks to the sport? Why then is Hank the 'spokesman'? How can a 25 year old man or woman feel like they 'belong' in this sport if their 'spokesman' is an old man who sounds like he's drunk all the time and just listening to him and looking at him invokes the response "ooh, poor guy, i feel sorry for him"?

Lets get a great looking, young, fun, well spoken and energetic man on there to show everyone in his age group that the racetrack is cool and hip. Knowing racing isn't really a prerequisite, so they ought to have no problem 'branding' horse racing as a sport that young people can enjoy by the presence of an 'american idol' who is face and voice people are seeing.

The face of thoroughbred horse racing is Hank "Hammer" Goldberg. I always wonder who Hank knows at ESPN that enables him to not get 'phased out' of his current gig over there.

Shouldn't someone like Matt Carrothers be this guy? I look at his handicapping and it doesn't appear to be that bad. I think he has grown up in the game and really knows what he's talking about. However, I watch him on :58 Flat once...Holy Cow!!! He seems intent on making himself look like an a$$

[Fingal]

Didn't get to see much of the ESPN pre race program, but when Goldberg did his Lee Courso impersonation & held up the Winstar Silks for Col. John & tried unsucessufuly to put on the Helmet he didn't look...................good.

But I thought Kenny Mayne had a great line- Attention ladies & gentlemen- the #10 Colonel John is now 170 lbs. overweight........... :D