Capital District OTB

[slewis]

One of the pleasantries of the six weeks I have to spend at the spa is the TV channel CAPITAL DISTRICT OTB has on the local cable system.
Not that it's anything special, but it's light yrs better than the crap NYC OTB has on their channel, which amounts to mostly (almost) dead air until they pick up the NYRA feed at noon.

At least Cap Dist. OTB TRIES. They put on a handicapping show (or several) and bring on trainers and other personalities and the channel is somewhat entertaining and at times can be quite informative.

I do realize that this is the SPA and getting trainers to come on from all over the country is easier here but again, at least they try.

But today (and on another occasion last week), Ive completely lost all respect for them.
They have had on, as a guest, the manager of THE PRIME, a local steakhouse that's part of Saratoga National Golf course.

It turns out that The Prime is a sponsor of the show.

Now I know business is business, and I know that this guy is responsible for being a sponsor of the show, but give me a break!!!
Station management MUST draw the line somewhere.
What's next, if the Bill Gates's daughter wants to do the color during next yr's Super Bowl and agrees to pay FOX (or whoever) a ridiculous amount of ad money, is Madden or Aiken out???:lol:


What a joke!!!!

[Tom]

Yes, great channel.
I always have it one when I am in town.

But if you think NYOTB is bad WROTB dosen't even have a website!

[turfbar]

www.westernotb.com (http://www.westernotb.com)


T

[BIG49010]

If you have a 30" plus sat dish you can pick it up for free, on what they call FTA. They show the races also right up until they all load, then they come back on and show the race. 2 minute delay for some reason, they didn't used to do this for Belmont, and this is first year I have been watching this so I don't know if they only do it this way during Saratoga.

[Java Gold@TFT]

Yep, Prime is a key sponsor of the morning shows. Maybe you missed the fact that Dick Powell's and Anthony Mormino's picks each morning are their "Prime Plays of the Day". Yes, that Prime. Prime also gives away a $150 dinner each week to viewers who have an OTB wagering account and send in an e-mail. So what if they put the one guy on for a 7 minute segment once per week? They do the same thing with the guys from Partingglass racing and Whitehall racing who also sponsor. I can live with 7 minutes per week from these guys if they help pay for a 90 minute show every day. Jeanne Wood does an excellent job of not making it an advertising segment. She lets them get their name out and talk some horses and moves on. I'll live with it.

As far as the tape delay of the races at Saratoga on Capital OTB it goes back many, many years ago to the origination of the channel. In order to broadcast all of the NYRA tracks they agreed not to show Saratoga live but Bel and Aqu are shown live locally. It's antiquated with the internet and TVG, etc but they still do it. Also going back to original agreements there were to be no OTB's in Sartoga County. You needed to go to the harness racino to get simulcast or travel out of the county or have a phone a bet or internet account. Old laws that were never changed.

[slewis]

Yep, Prime is a key sponsor of the morning shows. Maybe you missed the fact that Dick Powell's and Anthony Mormino's picks each morning are their "Prime Plays of the Day". Yes, that Prime. Prime also gives away a $150 dinner each week to viewers who have an OTB wagering account and send in an e-mail. So what if they put the one guy on for a 7 minute segment once per week? They do the same thing with the guys from Partingglass racing and Whitehall racing who also sponsor. I can live with 7 minutes per week from these guys if they help pay for a 90 minute show every day. Jeanne Wood does an excellent job of not making it an advertising segment. She lets them get their name out and talk some horses and moves on. I'll live with it.

As far as the tape delay of the races at Saratoga on Capital OTB it goes back many, many years ago to the origination of the channel. In order to broadcast all of the NYRA tracks they agreed not to show Saratoga live but Bel and Aqu are shown live locally. It's antiquated with the internet and TVG, etc but they still do it. Also going back to original agreements there were to be no OTB's in Sartoga County. You needed to go to the harness racino to get simulcast or travel out of the county or have a phone a bet or internet account. Old laws that were never changed.


Well, the genius is back.

Well genius, you obviously cant see the difference between Tom Gallo, James Pippo and the guy from Prime, so Ill give you a hint.

Gallo and Pippo ARE IN THE RACING INDUSTRY. Gallo has a resume in racing longer than your average annoying post (quite long) and Jim is trying to get his partnership going and brought his trainer on the show with him.

What does the guy from Prime know about racing, how much profit Nathans is making off NYRA for every dog sold?

I have a big problem with the un-professionalism.
Sponsoring the evening news does not get your son the job as Anchor, nor does reruns of "Friends" get your daughter an audition on the next young adult sit com.

Of course, you know all about money and power now, dont you.:D

There is NO place in the media for crap like this.

[rrbauer]

I hadn't spent any time in the Saratoga area until the past few years. The practice of the OTB channel showing the horses loading and then gong away until after the race is annoying and frankly it's stupid. What are they accomplishing? I can tune my PC to any number of ADW outfits and watch a race from there as it goes. Another case where screwing over customers is perceived by the power structure as something that is needed. Worse than the people in national, state and local governments that think that protecting us from all of these gambling evils is righteous...and then running a lottery that is supposed to benefit "education".

[Java Gold@TFT]

Well, the genius is back.

Well genius,
Oh My God! The all knowing, omnicient poster known as slewis has called little old me a Genius. I am truly humbled. The man who knows everything about everything does not have an opinion per se because he only posts facts. I am truly humbled that this God-like deity of information has chosen to respond to my useless opinions of what constitutes "unprofessional" behavior. Next thing he will tell me that the Breeders Cup should not allow the VP of Sales from NetJets to make a trophy presentation because even though his employer pays a lot of money to the BC, he obviously knows squat about racing and so he shouldn't be allowed to speak at all in the winner's circle on a national TV broadcast.

I will now admit that I cower in the corner from the vast and indisputable knowledge of slewis and thus refrain from responding to all of the facts he posts.

[slewis]

Oh My God! The all knowing, omnicient poster known as slewis has called little old me a Genius. I am truly humbled. The man who knows everything about everything does not have an opinion per se because he only posts facts. I am truly humbled that this God-like deity of information has chosen to respond to my useless opinions of what constitutes "unprofessional" behavior. Next thing he will tell me that the Breeders Cup should not allow the VP of Sales from NetJets to make a trophy presentation because even though his employer pays a lot of money to the BC, he obviously knows squat about racing and so he shouldn't be allowed to speak at all in the winner's circle on a national TV broadcast.

I will now admit that I cower in the corner from the vast and indisputable knowledge of slewis and thus refrain from responding to all of the facts he posts.

One thing for certain is that if you're going to compare a trophy presentation to a sit down interview where the interviewee is giving out "his" picks for the day, I'll rest my case on two points.

1) They are in no way similar.

2) You're failure to see that confirms how clueless you are.

[ryesteve]

One thing for certain is that if you're going to compare a trophy presentation to a sit down interview where the interviewee is giving out "his" picks for the day, I'll rest my caseWell, can you compare it to a telecast where they "visit" with a B-list celeb who's plugging their latest movie or TV show?

[Tom]

www.westernotb.com (http://www.westernotb.com)


T

Yeah, I decided to de-classify that embarrassing site. :rolleyes:
No on line video, no on line betting, but a sur-charge!
WROTB is a must-avoid outfit for me. Let them support their own nephews.:D

[turfbar]

OMG the worst run corp next to Bernard Madoff and Ass.