I had a great time at the BC at DMR, but let's not do this again

[CincyHorseplayer]

I want it at Santa Anita only because I annihilate the BC when it's there!

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

http://www.drf.com/news/del-mar-like...cup-again-soon

Reserved seats for the Breeders’ Cup races were sold out in advance and were more expensive than in past years, reflecting demand. Harper said a future Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar would have a similar audience limit and ticket structure.

“I think that’s a great number,” Harper said. “You could get to mutuels.

“I think it’s one of the more profitable Breeders’ Cups. You have higher-end areas to sell. You don’t have to cram 45,000 people in there.”

Harper said one remarkable aspect of the weekend was Friday’s ontrack handle of $9.28 million, a 29 percent increase over the corresponding day at Santa Anita.

“I was surprised with the handle,” Harper said. “I didn’t think it would do that well.”

In other words, Harper thinks it is better as an exclusive event for 35,000 rich people and with casual fans basically priced out completely and ZERO feeling of a big event with people crowding the rail.

I think that is awful and I hope the BC folks see that too and tell Harper to shove it.

[cj]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

In other words, Harper thinks it is better as an exclusive event for 35,000 rich people and with casual fans basically priced out completely and ZERO feeling of a big event with people crowding the rail.

I think that is awful and I hope the BC folks see that too and tell Harper to shove it.

isn't that how it is for all sports now? It costs a fortune to go to the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, College Football Playoff,.etc. They sell what the market will bear, probably less in reality, and don't overcrowd people. Your average Joe is priced out.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by cj

isn't that how it is for all sports now? It costs a fortune to go to the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, College Football Playoff,.etc. They sell what the market will bear, probably less in reality, and don't overcrowd people. Your average Joe is priced out.

100%

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by cj

isn't that how it is for all sports now? It costs a fortune to go to the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, College Football Playoff,.etc. They sell what the market will bear, probably less in reality, and don't overcrowd people. Your average Joe is priced out.

It's totally different, for several reasons:

1. A "sell out" at those events is a full stadium. Big loud crowds. I go to the Rose Bowl on occasion-- it's an almost incomparable event. I have also been to two summer Olympic Games. Again, stadiums were packed and loud.

Del Mar was much more like a REGULAR SEASON baseball game on Friday and Saturday. Half-empty, not much noise, no feeling of a crowd, no ambience. The way you achieve that ambience is by letting in the hoi polloi that Harper sneers at.

2. Most of the events you list are held at home stadiums of teams. However, the two things you mention that are at rotating sites-- the Super Bowl and College Football Playoff-- have minimum seating requirements. In other words, no small venues. The Super Bowl, specifically, was kept out of the Astrodome in the 1970's and Candlestick Park in the 1980's because the venues were too small (they held it at local college stadiums with more seats instead). The NFL has also required teams to install additional seating if they want to host the Super Bowl.

NOBODY is idiotic enough to do what Harper proposes- holding a gigantic event that rich people can sit in the luxury boxes of an empty grandstand and watch with no crowds and no feeling of excitement. It's an absolutely awful idea that would be terrible for the sport if the BC latches on to it.

[bisket]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

BC Weekend's End, a little south of Del Mar, about an hr ago --

Dude did you have to...

[bisket]

I disagree that it's not available to the average joe... lol that's me. A few of the people I was supposed to meet there are as average as you can get. I can tell you The Cup I attended at Santa Anita the crowd was very manageable. I had grandstand seats, but spent half my time at the fence watching the races. I wish I had bought general admission and sat in a lawn chair. I could have watched the races without a problem in a lawn chair. Crowd wasn't boisterous at all. I did have to get to the walking ring shortly after the last race to ensure a good spot to watch the runners getting saddled. My uncle use to say, " If you like to go to the track, The Preakness isn't the day to be at the track". Not so at the cup in California.

[bisket]

One other thing. Joe Harper is a stand up guy.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by cj

isn't that how it is for all sports now? It costs a fortune to go to the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, College Football Playoff,.etc. They sell what the market will bear, probably less in reality, and don't overcrowd people. Your average Joe is priced out.

We got 6 tickets in the mid range for our employees last week to attend Texas vs Colts. Toss in two parking passes and we were closing in on a grand

[Saratoga_Mike]

Originally Posted by cj

isn't that how it is for all sports now? It costs a fortune to go to the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, College Football Playoff,.etc. They sell what the market will bear, probably less in reality, and don't overcrowd people. Your average Joe is priced out.

Everything he has posted in this thread is wrong or overstated, except the part about parking. The parking/exiting the lot is not well organized at Del Mar.

[bisket]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

Everything he has posted in this thread is wrong or overstated, except the part about parking. The parking/exiting the lot is not well organized at Del Mar.

Yeah my friends ubered in and out. New English word...

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

It's totally different, for several reasons:

1. A "sell out" at those events is a full stadium. Big loud crowds. I go to the Rose Bowl on occasion-- it's an almost incomparable event. I have also been to two summer Olympic Games. Again, stadiums were packed and loud.

Del Mar was much more like a REGULAR SEASON baseball game on Friday and Saturday. Half-empty, not much noise, no feeling of a crowd, no ambience. The way you achieve that ambience is by letting in the hoi polloi that Harper sneers at.

2. Most of the events you list are held at home stadiums of teams. However, the two things you mention that are at rotating sites-- the Super Bowl and College Football Playoff-- have minimum seating requirements. In other words, no small venues. The Super Bowl, specifically, was kept out of the Astrodome in the 1970's and Candlestick Park in the 1980's because the venues were too small (they held it at local college stadiums with more seats instead). The NFL has also required teams to install additional seating if they want to host the Super Bowl.

NOBODY is idiotic enough to do what Harper proposes- holding a gigantic event that rich people can sit in the luxury boxes of an empty grandstand and watch with no crowds and no feeling of excitement. It's an absolutely awful idea that would be terrible for the sport if the BC latches on to it.

Haven't you been beating the drum for a long time now that DMR and BC aren't supposed to cater to the hoi polloi?

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

We got 6 tickets in the mid range for our employees last week to attend Texas vs Colts. Toss in two parking passes and we were closing in on a grand

And that's for two sub-.500 teams

[Southbaygent]

Originally Posted by bisket

One other thing. Joe Harper is a stand up guy.

This

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

In other words, Harper thinks it is better as an exclusive event for 35,000 rich people and with casual fans basically priced out completely and ZERO feeling of a big event with people crowding the rail.

I think that is awful and I hope the BC folks see that too and tell Harper to shove it.

Racing is simply following the lead of every other sport for the big events.

Watching on television along with the other 99% of the people who watched, it certainly seemed like a big event. Is it more important to have you feel like it's a big event or should the feelings of most all of the other fans matter?

BTW, there has been almost zero negative press about the BC in the San Diego papers. Most everybody acknowledged that parking and security screening could have been handled better but that was about it.