TVG- Gino

[turninforhome10]

I think a truly cool idea would be to hold a handicapping contest or series of contests to become "America's Next Top Handicapper". The winner would win the right to become a full time handicapper on one of the networks. It would be cyclical so every 2 or 3 months we would get some new blood and new ideas.
The problem with the networks ( as of this writing I have only my computer, my chromecast and my netflix-$60 a month as I have gotten rid of overpriced TV. Had a business teacher once tell me "They should be paying you to watch TV, advertising is the point of it all" currently I am thoroughly enjoying free Dobie Gillis reruns), is they follow the same old lead that would have to appear; stale to the hardcores, and to the newbie, overconfident.
What we really need , well that model is already in place in Hong Kong.
I don't think the public is craving the entertainment side of it as well as what seem's the majority of those here.What we are looking for is education is what it sounds like. Just my opinion.
An interesting vote would be the more preferred show. TVG or HRTV's Derby Show or an hour documentary on the winning breeders of the Derby and their insights to why they owned the horse. What the networks are missing I feel is not approaching the owner side of the sport. Sales previews, morning works and actually having people at the track each day to give reports. Catalog page discussion, market analysis, anything to bring it up to allow those that might claim from out of state coverage to do so.

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by turninforhome10

I think a truly cool idea would be to hold a handicapping contest or series of contests to become "America's Next Top Handicapper". The winner would win the right to become a full time handicapper on one of the networks. It would be cyclical so every 2 or 3 months we would get some new blood and new ideas.

Say the winners of this contest were very good handicappers but were old, bald, fat and ugly. TV doesnt want these people around, they want beautiful people. Good idea but for radio only.

[Stillriledup]

I disagree that they're kickstarting the game, i think they're not worried about the game as much as they're worried about their own pockets....even if things they do hurt horseplayers and or the game. This constant barrage of "talent tickets" doesn't help players, especially novice players who don't know that TVG isn't going the "Full disclosure" route by showing the ROI of the talent tickets....now i know that the ROI would suffer if you're giving out a ticket on the airwaves, but at least you would be able to compare analysts ROIs to each other.

They aren't shy about beating their own chest when one of their analysts selects a winning sequence, but they have to be aware that the public would like to know which analysts are holding their own and which ones are getting buried and they never talk about that, its not transparent.

You wanna bang on your chest like king kong when you win, but also lets see the numbers over the years on these pick anythings that we're being bombarded with on a daily basis.

Remember they have never saw a sequence that they didnt like and have never recommended a "skip" as long as they've been on the air.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Remember they have never saw a sequence that they didnt like and have never recommended a "skip" as long as they've been on the air.

Really? Are you sure about that?

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by cj

Really? Are you sure about that?

If they have skipped one sequence, its few and far between. I don't remember hearing anyone suggest to skip a race or a bet, but i'm not sure it hasn't been done one time by one analyst in the history of TVG.

[SoCalCircuit]

Well if you're Rich P. you just secretly skip all your suggested pick 6 plays

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by SoCalCircuit

Well if you're Rich P. you just secretly skip all your suggested pick 6 plays

Its hard to believe that these guys are not "required" to wager on their "recommended plays" They're recommending bets to people without putting their own money down......that's tough stuff right there.

[SoCalCircuit]

I do think that some of the "real" bettors/TVG hosts -- specifically I'm thinking of Paul and Matt off the top of my head -- actually do place a fair amount of wagers. I wonder if there's some provision in their contract that doesn't allow them to tell the viewers which bets they actually are and aren't playing, as opposed to the "suggested plays" that they constantly have to dish out. I can also think of a couple times after a race Paul would mention that he had put x dollars to place on his TVG account on a bomb that came in third and just missed second or other things like that, but he wouldn't mention having made that bet until after the race. I suppose they're told not to push place/show betting at all?

[Marshall Bennett]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Its hard to believe that these guys are not "required" to wager on their "recommended plays" They're recommending bets to people without putting their own money down......that's tough stuff right there.

They pick horses on nearly every race they cover and construct scores of pick-4's and pick-6's. That's their job. To ask them to plunk down their own money on many they otherwise wouldn't bother with is asking a lot. They're most likely not your average highly paid entertainer either.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Marshall Bennett

They pick horses on nearly every race they cover and construct scores of pick-4's and pick-6's. That's their job. To ask them to plunk down their own money on many they otherwise wouldn't bother with is asking a lot. They're most likely not your average highly paid entertainer either.

The tickets they release are cheaper than 100 dollars. They're on tv as racing experts. If the tickets they gave out are the only wagers they made on the entire day, they would be handling less than 100 per day...which is much less than most of us handle per day. If you get out of bed on a Saturday morning and there are a dozen tracks running, and there's over 100 races you can bet on not counting harness racing or dog racing, if you bet 6 to 10 dollars per race, you only have to wager on 5 to 10 races on the entire day to bet what the TVG host would be wagering if he put in his own ticket. Its not unreasonable to ask a "racing expert" to make one 50 dollar wager on the day for the days they are on the air.

Now, here's where the idea that they "never skip" comes into play. Its quite possible that they're required to release tickets on sequences that they hate and would never in real life play.....i can't blame the analyst for not betting a sequence if he secretly thinks that sequence is a bad bet, but i do have to be at least a little critical of TVGs higher ups for not permitting their expert talent to have unique opinions.

The talent should recommend plays that they actually like...now, if you don't want to say "please skip this race" i can see why you wouldnt want to get into that part of it, but why not recommend a win bet? Or a small exacta box or an exacta part wheel and stay away from the pick 4s, 5s and 6s? If you're not intending to wager on the pick 4, 5 or 6 with your own money, but you ARE willing to stick 30 bucks to win on a 10-1 shot, why not just give THAT out as your recommended play?

It seems odd to me that TVG would want their customers to play pick anythings, they should want their customers to churn money on win bets and exacta bets.....i know the takeouts are lower, but you want your customers to WIN, you want them to cash and rebet the money....you dont want them tying up 50 dollars into a pick 5, some might put in the pick 5 and ride it out and skip 4 races in a row.....as an ADW provider, you don't really want your customers doing that.

[joeslovo]

I don't see Gino being much different than any of the other people on TVG.
He seems an enthusiastic person.
They all seem to be different people when that Todd guy isn't around;more pleasant and calmer.He winds them up with his inane and constant chattering.
The format is one that promotes one upmanship and cheap-shot artistry.
The way to change this behavior is to hold people accountable for an ROI.
It is one thing to "like" every horse in the race;and another to put your money on a race.The problem with these guys is that the do not know how to construct a bet for value.Any time they approach a trifecta or superfecta they come across as amateurish and ham fisted.
They talk about "value" but in their picks 4 and 6 they give equal weight to a big odds on chance as they would an outsider;throwing money away.
Following their methods is a sure way to the poor house.
But holding someone accountable will change the personality.It will force them to become more educated in odds making and bet construction...and be a little more humble in the process instead of calling themselves experts all the time;and then switching the conversation to Lady Gaga after their horses lose.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by joeslovo

I don't see Gino being much different than any of the other people on TVG.
He seems an enthusiastic person.
They all seem to be different people when that Todd guy isn't around;more pleasant and calmer.He winds them up with his inane and constant chattering.
The format is one that promotes one upmanship and cheap-shot artistry.
The way to change this behavior is to hold people accountable for an ROI.
It is one thing to "like" every horse in the race;and another to put your money on a race.The problem with these guys is that the do not know how to construct a bet for value.Any time they approach a trifecta or superfecta they come across as amateurish and ham fisted.
They talk about "value" but in their picks 4 and 6 they give equal weight to a big odds on chance as they would an outsider;throwing money away.
Following their methods is a sure way to the poor house.
But holding someone accountable will change the personality.It will force them to become more educated in odds making and bet construction...and be a little more humble in the process instead of calling themselves experts all the time;and then switching the conversation to Lady Gaga after their horses lose.

Good stuff, no doubt, i did see some of the clowning around rub off the wrong way on Gino, i think he wants to talk serious handicapping and doesn't want to get into all of that and i agree with the cheap shot stuff, its 5th grade antics.

You're also right about the "cavemen tickets" they give out...it seems "slapped together" and isn't sophisticated at all.....they need to be held accountable.....and that's listing each analysts ROI.

Its time.

[Copyroomjim]

Maybe with the acquisition of HRTV some of HRTV's superior on-air talent will be retained and the TVG clowns, Matt, Todd, Gino & Sarge sent packing.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by Copyroomjim

Maybe with the acquisition of HRTV some of HRTV's superior on-air talent will be retained and the TVG clowns, Matt, Todd, Gino & Sarge sent packing.

Since TVG is buying HRTV, it's more likely to be the other way around...

[reckless]

Originally Posted by Copyroomjim

Maybe with the acquisition of HRTV some of HRTV's superior on-air talent will be retained and the TVG clowns, Matt, Todd, Gino & Sarge sent packing.

IMO jim... if that was to happen, I'd rather just get rid of Todd the Schlump only because he's the true clown of all of those people you mentioned.

While I fully understand -- human nature being what it is -- we all have our very own likes and dislikes, the others are quite acceptable in my eyes. Only Todd the Schlump is consistently a fool in addition to being both annoying and useless.

I think at times TVG did both Matt and Sarge a disservice just by having them do and 'play' a certain type role. Again, that's just my opinion.

In general, I prefer the crew at HRTV by many lengths over the TVG people, top to bottom. But, as mentioned already, the buying company will probably call all the shots on who stays and who goes. It is possible though, some expensive and overpaid talent will be chopped regardless of the company they toil for due to economic realities.

Bottom line, it's a net loss for all racing fans and bettors, this merger.