How About Amalgamating With This Group

[Cangamble]

http://www.selfappointedfancommittee.com/

[andicap]

Group?
You sure it's more than one person?

[Indulto]

http://www.selfappointedfancommittee.com/Thanks for sharing. How did you find them?

Looks like these two folks have been getting something done while we've been caught in quicksand.

The more numbers that can be put together, the more effective our voice, so I'm willing to provide input and see what they can/will do.

The "raw data" section looks promising, but I don't have the sense that the site will a) be proactive about takeout, b) would prominently display Rook's track ratings, or c) serve as an action communication center.

It can't hurt to keep moving forward ourselves to concentrate on critical issues from the handicapper/bettor perspective, but at least it gives us a little time to get our own act together while creating awaresness and a potential member source. It's certainly an alternative for those preferring a less confrontational approach.

Think they read this site? ;)

[Cangamble]

Thanks for sharing. How did you find them?

Looks like these two folks have been getting something done while we've been caught in quicksand.

The more numbers that can be put together, the more effective our voice, so I'm willing to provide input and see what they can/will do.

The "raw data" section looks promising, but I don't have the sense that the site will a) be proactive about takeout, b) would prominently display Rook's track ratings, or c) serve as an action communication center.

It can't hurt to keep moving forward ourselves to concentrate on critical issues from the handicapper/bettor perspective, but at least it gives us a little time to get our own act together while creating awaresness and a potential member source. It's certainly an alternative for those preferring a less confrontational approach.

Think they read this site? ;)
I believe they are a couple of members of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance. I'm a member there too, but I haven't discussed anything with them about this, as I just found out about it today, by doing a search for horse racing news for my blog. I saw it after I published todays post.

[Indulto]

http://paulmoranattheraces.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-forum-for-racing-fan.html (http://paulmoranattheraces.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-forum-for-racing-fan.html)
A new forum for the racing fan
By Paul Moran July 8, 2008The evolution of a nontraditional, essentially digital racing media has spawned the Self-appointed Fan Committee …

… This is a welcome and inevitable development resulting from an unfiltered exchange of ideas and opinion among those whose ideas and opinions are valued least by those who steer the course of most racetracks. Where once discourse of this type was limited to those who congregated at racetracks, small groups of the disenfranchised and neglected whose money … fuels the sport and whose tolerance is admirably durable, the Internet has expanded the dialogue among those whose participation is now largely remote to a national and even international stage that somehow those who make decisions that affect directly racing’s core audience continue to ignore.

… Horseplayers, in fact, rank low on the list of priorities at NYRA. Horseplayers, in fact, are regarded openly by at least one executive with contempt

On the night before the Belmont Stakes, while he was extolling the brilliance that resulted in the construction of a large wooden desk in the Belmont Park clubhouse lobby, it was suggested to a high-ranking NYRA executive that the organization has lost sight of the core audience.

What, he asked, was the core audience?

The horseplayers.

“ ------ the horseplayers,” he said, employing a widely used euphemism for copulation.

That’s where you stand in New York.

A forum easily accessible to those with the power to at least take note if not action is a welcome addition to the digital dialogue. The Self-appointed Fan Committee website is a fine place to begin and should (yeah, right) become the home page of every racing executive in the land.Any idea who that NYRA executive was?

[swetyejohn]

http://paulmoranattheraces.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-forum-for-racing-fan.html (http://paulmoranattheraces.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-forum-for-racing-fan.html)
A new forum for the racing fan
By Paul Moran July 8, 2008Any idea who that NYRA executive was?[/size][/font][/font]


Thank you Paul Moran. That was the shot we've been waiting to be fired.

If that is not a call to action for horseplayers to boycott a racetrack I don't know what is? We want a name!!!!!!! Who said that!!!!!!

I say back at 'em ... #&$^* that NYRA executive.

While I'm meeting with various PA members and other friends at Saratoga this August, I'll use my cell phone to call in my bets to an ADW on any racetrack other than Saratoga.

I strongly suggest that NYRA reprimand that executive and release an apology. That is no way to run a business.

We need to that quote posted on the front page of our website!

[greenbutgame]

Hi all,

Thanks for posting the link CanGamble! Yes, I'm a fellow TBA member and Jessica is a former TBA member.

I wanted to get over here sooner and reply but I had to register and get the right permissions, but I definitely wanted to shed a little light on what we're doing (plus whatever you all are brewing up sounds promising!).

Literally, our only agenda is to get fans heard. Obviously Take Out / Breakage is your main issue, my personal big issue is early retirement, others may have a big issue with stewards, use of the whip or customer service in general. We exist to get everyone heard. So to that end we can be thought of as a tool... perhaps for you guys it will be interesting to monitor what kind of ideas and rants come in about take out.

One of the things I'm hoping will happen is that frequency of submissions will start to make the case for action. It looks to me like there's a little trend starting to emerge about the stewards and customer service in New York. With this in mind I would encourage you guys, and everyone, to make submissions. More frequency of submissions will make a bigger case for addressing issues.

In terms of serving as action communication center, we hadn't planned on it but we basically put the whole thing together in 2 weeks... at this point it could evolve in a number of ways. But at the moment, we're gonna focus on getting the word out for people to come and submit their ideas and rants. We need real data for any real action to happen (in my opinion, at least).

But bestof luck with whatever your project/site is! I would love to see organized actions against places with ridiculous take out! I'm sure we can forge an alliance of some kind!

best,
dana

[Indulto]

Welcome to the board, gbg.

Congratulations on your speedy results in getting the ball rolling for us disaffected horseplayers out here in cyberspace.

I, for one, look forward to taking advantage of your efforts, but I'm also interested in pursuing a proactive stance regarding takeout and ADW exclusivity/exclusion.

Maybe a "good cop, bad cop" approach can be effective.;)

Best of luck.

Hi all,

Thanks for posting the link CanGamble! Yes, I'm a fellow TBA member and Jessica is a former TBA member.

I wanted to get over here sooner and reply but I had to register and get the right permissions, but I definitely wanted to shed a little light on what we're doing (plus whatever you all are brewing up sounds promising!).

Literally, our only agenda is to get fans heard. Obviously Take Out / Breakage is your main issue, my personal big issue is early retirement, others may have a big issue with stewards, use of the whip or customer service in general. We exist to get everyone heard. So to that end we can be thought of as a tool... perhaps for you guys it will be interesting to monitor what kind of ideas and rants come in about take out.

One of the things I'm hoping will happen is that frequency of submissions will start to make the case for action. It looks to me like there's a little trend starting to emerge about the stewards and customer service in New York. With this in mind I would encourage you guys, and everyone, to make submissions. More frequency of submissions will make a bigger case for addressing issues.

In terms of serving as action communication center, we hadn't planned on it but we basically put the whole thing together in 2 weeks... at this point it could evolve in a number of ways. But at the moment, we're gonna focus on getting the word out for people to come and submit their ideas and rants. We need real data for any real action to happen (in my opinion, at least).

But bestof luck with whatever your project/site is! I would love to see organized actions against places with ridiculous take out! I'm sure we can forge an alliance of some kind!

best,
dana

[Cangamble]

http://www.thorofan.com/index.html

[swetyejohn]

Maybe they will want to join us?

Looks like we have a different approach, though.