I know it is fashionable on grey chatboards to debate the AR/PR never ending battles and what influence it does or doesn't have on the future of racing. I think lost in most of these debates are the cultural facts that stack up against the future of racing and what is truly at the root of the continual closings of tracks every year.
When racing was at it's zenith we were at a much different place culturally. Over the past couple of decades our lives have adapted to an instant gratification society centered around technology. It's effected our lives in almost every facet and places a very high emphasis on instant results. Video games have replaced families sitting around the kitchen table playing board games. DVD players have replaced families planning outings to the movie theatres and even waiting until you get home to call a friend or relative on the phone has been replaced by flipping out your cell and calling them from in the car or wherever you may be at the time. We have evolved into a now society. We have a desire for action and instant results. You could go on and on citing examples.
How this effects entertainment such as greyhound and horse racing I believe is obvious. While I do believe that society has also shifted in it's overall view more against the use of animals in a sport such as racing, I think the bigger issue is that it is just not as appealing anymore when given the multitude of other gambling options out there. When track racing was popular there were only a couple of places in the US that one could go to experience faster paced, instant results kind of gambling. Over the past couple of decades we have seen some form or another of casino style gambling pop up in state after state so it has become available to almost everyone without planning a long trip or vacation to play. Individual races don't last long and there is down, idle time in between races that people nowadays, needing constant action, don't like. To be serious at gambling on either dogs or horses it take study and homework and understanding handicapping and blood lines and a host of factors to place an informed bet. Sure there are people who have a night out at the races and place wild bets on a favorite name or color but those tend to be minimum bets and not the fan base that are loyal repeat customers that can drive and sustain the industry. I can't see how a loyal fan base can be cultivated in sufficeint numbers to give racing much of a future.
I think based on the strategies of track owners now who have not already shut down, getting slots and poker and any other form of gaming is their only salvation and over time if the political structure of these deals change, they will try and find a way to eliminate live racing altogether.
I know there are many other subjects about racing that AR/PR's can debate but in my opinion, the future of racing and it's effect is not a significant one other than on pure idealogical terms. The deck is stacked against the future of racing and that is a result of societal change and the economic impact that results from it.
Full Version: The Deck is Stacked Against Racing
Talk to some of the track management and you will find that it's all basically the same money being spent at the tracks, the money has just gone to playing poker instead of dogs and if they get the slots in FL then some of the poker money will go to the slots. Same thing happened down here when the state started the lottery years ago- everyone jumped on that and stopped playing the dogs- they came back after awhile.
The tracks can't run without the dogs and as long as it stays that way the dogs will always be there. If FL you have to remember that the horsetracks are in on the equation too- the tracks can't have their slots and poker without the horses either- it would be next to impossible for the state to give permission for the tracks to allow the parimutuels to get rid of only the dogs, they would have to get rid of the horses too. That's not going to happen.
That's why the AR's are rallying their money against the slot bills in all the states.
The tracks can't run without the dogs and as long as it stays that way the dogs will always be there. If FL you have to remember that the horsetracks are in on the equation too- the tracks can't have their slots and poker without the horses either- it would be next to impossible for the state to give permission for the tracks to allow the parimutuels to get rid of only the dogs, they would have to get rid of the horses too. That's not going to happen.
That's why the AR's are rallying their money against the slot bills in all the states.
Good Post.
You are correct in your assesment of the reasons for declining attendance at the races. There are probably more reasons than what you stated. People as a whole do not have as much free money as they had 20 years ago to spend on entertainment. The rising cost of fuel for vehicles and utilities has left people who once traveled longer distances for vacations or spent more time away from home on the weekends less likely to have the extra dollars to waste.
I believe that the dog racing industry is being hit harder than the horse racing industry. The horse racing industry requires much more capitol to participate in. There are not many ma and pa owners in the sport. As a result the only people that can afford to race horses are the people with the most money in our society. It becomes easier for those people to generate corporate sponsorship to promote events. Some amount of credit must be given them to seek out this type of funding. They have been able to televise their sport around the world.
A good case to look at is the way NASCAR brought their sport from the back road towns to the limelight. They got the corporate sponsership, they got the TV time and they cleaned up their image. Their sport draws the highest attendance of any sporting event in the U.S. They have a very loyal fan base.
You are correct when you say that people want quick action and satisfaction for their dollar. The dog races only last a few hours a day. It is however a faster pace than the horse racing, but the motivation for people to go to the track in the first place is dwindling. Slots and poker will draw the attendance, but the loyal fan base for the dogs is not there.
I tend to blame the dog track track owners themselves for this. Track owners are not ready to be told how to run their business by corporate sponsors.
Even with the tighter economy today, with the right motivation, people will spend their dollars for entertainment. Right now there is no motivation.
Dog racing is definitely behind the times.
We have a long way to go.
You are correct in your assesment of the reasons for declining attendance at the races. There are probably more reasons than what you stated. People as a whole do not have as much free money as they had 20 years ago to spend on entertainment. The rising cost of fuel for vehicles and utilities has left people who once traveled longer distances for vacations or spent more time away from home on the weekends less likely to have the extra dollars to waste.
I believe that the dog racing industry is being hit harder than the horse racing industry. The horse racing industry requires much more capitol to participate in. There are not many ma and pa owners in the sport. As a result the only people that can afford to race horses are the people with the most money in our society. It becomes easier for those people to generate corporate sponsorship to promote events. Some amount of credit must be given them to seek out this type of funding. They have been able to televise their sport around the world.
A good case to look at is the way NASCAR brought their sport from the back road towns to the limelight. They got the corporate sponsership, they got the TV time and they cleaned up their image. Their sport draws the highest attendance of any sporting event in the U.S. They have a very loyal fan base.
You are correct when you say that people want quick action and satisfaction for their dollar. The dog races only last a few hours a day. It is however a faster pace than the horse racing, but the motivation for people to go to the track in the first place is dwindling. Slots and poker will draw the attendance, but the loyal fan base for the dogs is not there.
I tend to blame the dog track track owners themselves for this. Track owners are not ready to be told how to run their business by corporate sponsors.
Even with the tighter economy today, with the right motivation, people will spend their dollars for entertainment. Right now there is no motivation.
Dog racing is definitely behind the times.
We have a long way to go.
| QUOTE (Fast Dog @ Apr 17 2008, 11:03 AM) |
| A good case to look at is the way NASCAR brought their sport from the back road towns to the limelight. |
Yep, and another is the PBR...Proffesional Bull Riding Series. They took $20,000 and the will to survive, and turned it into a MULTI million dollar venue. And you think THEY don't get hit pretty hard by the animal rights activists...yeah right!
It's actually hard to find a professional sport today that is not in some way sponsored by big corporations.
And yes I consider dog racing a professional sport. It is competition for money. And I consider the dogs pros. I even tend to consider them more professional than the horses. They have to do all the thinking on their own during a race. They don't have some little man sitting on their back beating their butts with a stick and driving them.
There is a downside of big money getting involved in dog racing, people like me will no longer be able to afford to participate as an owner.
Oh well, I can always continue with adoption.
Or maybe D2P and I could work in the kennels when we retire.
As long as it could weed out the dead-beats and the riff-raff it would be worth it.
And yes I consider dog racing a professional sport. It is competition for money. And I consider the dogs pros. I even tend to consider them more professional than the horses. They have to do all the thinking on their own during a race. They don't have some little man sitting on their back beating their butts with a stick and driving them.
There is a downside of big money getting involved in dog racing, people like me will no longer be able to afford to participate as an owner.
Oh well, I can always continue with adoption.
Or maybe D2P and I could work in the kennels when we retire.
As long as it could weed out the dead-beats and the riff-raff it would be worth it.