It also seems that the entire country, including racing fans and horseplayers, needs an organization, group or even a sitting President to scapegoat, something to blame for its ills. Either that or people in the contiguous 48 have an unquenchable thirst for Kool Aid.
We’re purposely ignoring the other two states here because neither is a horseracing state, one being too close to Russia while the other is the equivalent of a foreign country, a place where a birth certificate isn‘t worth the paper it‘s printed on.
Whether your ideology leans left or right, what all Americans should demand is that the media of their choice--over the air, print or online--doesn’t discourage independent thought or develop opinions based solely on the talking points of one group or another.
When the news is, at best, slanted or, at worst, ignored, I effort to point out that the media is doing a lousy job, or is engaging in the same kind of obfuscation that once was the sole domain of politicians and corporate leaders.
When, for instance, was the last time you’ve seen, or heard, a reference to Darfur? Now, when was the last time you saw or heard a reference to the comings and goings of Lady Gaga? Media is the rightful province of editors, not accountants.
Remember when religion was said to be the opiate of the masses? Now it’s sports, especially on NFL Sundays when watching and illegally betting on football has replaced the practice of going to church. Call it the new Sabbath.
The media, myself included, are as guilty as the next group when it comes to trivializing what matters. My defense is that I work in the candy store of American life; sports, opining on events that won’t improve the quality of anyone’s life, the occasional four-figure superfecta notwithstanding.
What started all this were people who objected to racing journalists trying to do a job; to level the playing field for the masses before the corporate minded left those masses in their wake. Maybe the racing press wouldn’t be so negative if the news were more positive.
The grist for this mill was this week’s HRI commentary from Vic Zast relative to the spinning of handle and attendance figures at the recently concluded Saratoga and Del Mar race meets.
Press releases that put a positive spin on any subject are mostly harmless exercises, albeit symptomatic of a larger issue in which truth becomes a casualty of commerce. But releases serve their purpose; HRI has an entire section devoted to them.
Most recently there has been a new philosophy at NYRA when it comes to servicing media. Traditional press departments are tasked with providing information by which the press dispatches publicity on upcoming races and events and the relative condition of a circuit’s equine stars.
The NYRA has developed a new approach that has created a culture of distrust between the two groups. Here are a few examples which, while it appears to be much ado about inside baseball is about more than that: The elimination of anything that’s perceived as a negative whether it‘s in the public interest or not.
When a jockey such as Kent Desormeaux suffers an accident and is taken to the hospital, it should be incumbent on an organization that benefits from his Hall of Fame presence to report on his condition. This procedure was established in the past when hospitals asked NYRA to serve as a clearing house for medical updates.
But instead of receiving an update via press release or e-mail, most reporters found out he had fractured his C-7 vertebra in a Daily Racing Form online story. Given NYRA’s cozy business relationships with DRF, this puts other news organizations at a competitive disadvantage.
When it was reported in mainstream online media that NYRA had instituted a breathalyzer policy for jockeys in the interests of safety, a request made by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s group, the reporter was thrown out of the racing office by a NYRA officer.
When Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver was training for an appearance in the Haskell, a bridge to the Travers, his workouts didn’t appear in NYRA releases. Only horses working for the Jim Dandy were. The Derby winner belongs to history and the fans, not to the track where it happens to be stabled.
When Majesticperfection, winner of Saratoga’s Grade 1** Alfred Vanderbilt and considered a strong Breeders’ Cup Sprint contender, fractured his right fore in a workout, reporters learned about it at drf.com.
When I questioned whether that were true after reading a report in the New York Post, a NYRA spokesperson responded: “I don’t consider it the responsibility of my department to break news or do any reporting.”
The responsibility of a publicist is, as Zast posited, not to create an illusion but to make certain that the business of the employer becomes known and generally is favorably understood by others. There’s nothing wrong with that.
But this is different. At issue here is press relations, not public relations. Given the prevailing philosophy at the new NYRA, there is no need for a press office, only a marketing department.
When a practical joke in the press box backfired, resulting in some embarrassment and inconvenience to NYRA officials, three reporters were given a one-day suspension from the press box. It was unprecedented. By what authority? What happens the next time?
The responsibility of any journalist is to report the truth as he understands it, just as it is the responsibility of any organization that benefits from free media publicity to give the practitioners a heads-up on matters pertaining to the public. This does not qualify as breaking news, or reporting on a story.
This is a time when news releases go directly to the Internet without passing through a filter, as Zast noted. The danger with missives that play loosely with the truth is that the public is misled. Like a play on the old Fox News slogan: “We distort; you decide.”
In a perfect world, where natural opponents appeal to the better angels of their natures, a journalist would have more respect for an organization that told the truth, no matter how painful.
Believe it or not, the racing press is by nature empathetic to the sport it covers. If it weren’t for racing, they would have had to gained honest employment a long time ago.
I don’t know of a single journalist who openly rooted for the NYRA or any other racing organization to fail. I’ve seen a piece written that was against the installation of VLTs at Aqueduct. One would have to be sociopathic to root against the greater good.
Critics of the media are entitled to their opinion even when that opinion is wrong. But they had better hope that journalists continue seeking out truth, even when the journalists are wrong. The word transparency is thrown around at lot in NYRA press releases. Where it falls short is in execution.
Quoting Zast: “Truth is an important human value. It’s the basis on which relationships are formed. When the presence of truth declines in a society, it’s a sign that those within the society are unable to function as a group. Without truth, there can be no progress.”
**correction made 091710
16 Sep 2010 at 02:15 am | #
From what I conclude from reading the above commentary, the ‘cozy’ relationship between turf writers and NYRA’s management has deteriorated. No longer are turf writers covering NYRA racing the sole recipient of NYRA news releases, no longer is all information dispensed through turf writers to the public.
Quoting you, Mr. Pricci, “The responsibility of any journalist is to report the truth.” For years, make it decades, I have been fed Thoroughbred racing news via very limited sources: Daily Racing Form, prominent turf writers at several large city newspapers, and a few dominant magazines that covered racing. The racing news reported was, of course, selective and favored a few racetracks, owners, trainers, jockeys, et cetera; such news created the illusion that Thoroughbred racing at its best involved only a few racetracks, trainers, et cetera. The entire racing industry was not covered by turf writers.
Mr. Pricci, you can pretty much guess what I am going to say next, can’t you? Turf writers, by their ‘cozy’ relationship with certain racetracks, have contributed to the problems now facing Thoroughbred racing. Thanks to the internet, I now am exposed to numerous sources offering racing information; and, thanks to the internet, and HRI, I can vent.
16 Sep 2010 at 03:18 am | #
Truth is a funny word. Truth cannot be interchanged with fact. On the surface the two seem interchangeable. Truth is philosophical, and, sadly, in the eye of the beholder. (I think George Orwell and Adolf Hitler would have different views on what truth is.)
Robert Boynton, in his book “The New New Journalism” interviews several prominent authors on the craft of nonfiction (Gay Talese, Ted Conover, Richard Ben Cramer, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, etc.) and he ends each interview by asking them if ‘truth’ can be attained. They all have a different answer. It’s quite interesting.
Always a pleasure, JRP.
B
16 Sep 2010 at 04:34 am | #
It has been my limited experience in dealing with evasive employers that there was always a 50/50 mix of incompetence and facts being covered up.
But, now that NYRA seems firmly planted on the slots issue, they will be able to evade more facts by simply wallpapering the problems with $100 bills.
Watch out for NYRA’s “get even” time, when the slots money begin to flow. I’m sure they will make Richard Nixon’s “enemies list” pale in comparison.
Always a dangerous combination-money and incompetence.
16 Sep 2010 at 06:00 am | #
A “culture of distrust” between press offices and the press is a very good thing, a desirable state of affairs. Much of the time, in many “news” reports, we’re fed someone’s party line by reporters who simply regurgitate whatever they’re told (as long as it generally conforms to their world view).
Thanks to the internet, as wmcorrow points out, we now have a better chance of knowing we’re being snookered.
I would be surprised to find transparently truthful press releases issuing from any entity with a vested interest in putting a happy face on bad news.
16 Sep 2010 at 06:28 am | #
That kind of BS is why I’m glad I don’t work for a track’s media department anymore. Had to pretend everything was perfect while it was far from it. At the same time, some journalism outlets could use a refresher on what makes good journalism. Rewriting a few words from press releases and putting “[Publication] staff” in the byline isn’t journalism.
16 Sep 2010 at 06:50 am | #
What you write, John, raises some serious--not rhetorical--questions for me.
Where is the line between the reporting that journalists are supposed do themselves (say, on a horse’s injury or a jockey’s condition)and what they should rely on a press office for?
How do HIPA regulations factor into what can and cannot be said about a human athlete’s condition?
Are these practices exclusive to NYRA, or do other tracks around the country act similarly?
And with all due respect to Mr. Zast, he reported on the press box incident without having been there, offering erroneous information. While all of us make mistakes, is it not wise to examine our own practices as we cast aspersions on others’?
16 Sep 2010 at 06:51 am | #
I just accidentally unsubscribed - I’m just posting to reinstate subscription.
16 Sep 2010 at 08:21 am | #
``Given NYRA’s cozy business relationships with DRF, this puts other news organizations at a competitive disadvantage.’’
John,
I take GREAT offense to this sentence and where it’s positioned in your piece as it makes it sound like NYRA gives me information that it doesn’t give others. I do my own work, thank you, and don’t appreciate the shadow of doubt that you cast over it. NYRA told me nothing about Desormeuax or Majesticperfection.
David Grening
16 Sep 2010 at 08:38 am | #
Vandrbilt G2, maybe G1 but I’m playing with my son now and I’m working off no notes!
16 Sep 2010 at 08:41 am | #
Also, what’s with the time of my previous email 6:18. I thought it was 2:35ish.
16 Sep 2010 at 09:41 am | #
I second what Mr. Grening says! He gets the information because he outworks everyone else and has developed solid relationships with people on the backside and in the industry in general. I think it would be more like NYRA taking information that Dave has gathered then releasing it to the rest of the media. Otherwise your story makes sense.
16 Sep 2010 at 09:47 am | #
Ah, the turf writers at Daily Racing Form read the comments at HRI - re: David Grening.
I totally agree with Mr. Pricci’s comment that a cozy relationship exists between DRF and NYRA; how can it not, when Charles Hayward, CEO at NYRA, was formerly the President of DRF; and Mr. Crist was a former executive at NYRA? I recall how Chairman/Publisher Steven Crist at DRF always, and I repeat always, said that the only miscreants at NYRA were a few tellers.
16 Sep 2010 at 09:51 am | #
Brendan,
Is spin a version of the truth or a subset of the facts? Has the “whole truth” ever been “nothing but the truth?” Is one truthful if one is not deliberately lying? Is not a columnist by definition a “spin doctor?”
In my opinion, insight is a useful version of the facts. I read HRI columnists because they deliver insight entertainingly. All I ask is that they avoid hypocrisy in the process.
I can only applaud Ms. Genaro’s question of Mr. Zast: “… is it not wise to examine our own practices as we cast aspersions on others’?”
16 Sep 2010 at 10:29 am | #
Thanks all for commenting.
David: You know what I think of you personally, and your work ethic. Sometimes you’ve been a little embarrassed when I refer to you as “the hardest working man” on the racetrack. You WORK the beat, and do so every day. And when a big event comes up, your desk assigns you to those major events. Just so that everyone understands this.
The “cozy” reference in my piece was happenstance. It was not meant to embarrass you or cast any aspersions. I’ll stop short of an apology because questioning you never was what this was about.
The relationship I refer to are the business dealings; the exceptionally strong advertising support and the fact that no other members of the press are used in the Saratoga handicapping seminars closed-circuit presentatations. There are many great practitioners in the Capital District that deserve a chance to promote their news outlets, given the support those organizations give NYRA during the Spa season. DRF handicappers and personalities are the only ones who get a chance to work with NYRA’s first rate handicapping presentations.
Anthony: Mea culpa! But you either buried the lead or lacked an opinion on the topic, which I find difficult to believe. And, yes, we’re having tech problems with our clock on the back end of the site. Wish I could explain why.
M: Thanks for sharing; wish I knew who you were? Just curious.
Noelle: Your point is well taken, but that doesn’t make it right and in my view should not be viewed as just business as usual.
Ace: I’m used to being on someone’s “enemies list,” but that’s the price that you sometimes must pay.
WMC: Turf writers are at fault; check!
Theresa: If the racing press is to cover the sport, it needs the help of those organizations. I’ve developed a source or two after about four decades on the job, but if something happens--good or bad--on the Belmont backstretch, as some one who covers the beat from Saratoga, am I not entitled to the information from which I can report?
I guess there were no HIPA issues when Michael Martinez was injured and that information was available to all in a timely manner.
I have no idea whether this is the way most other tracks do business. I deal with several and find the kind of backstretch news I’m interested in is readily available.
Not looking for juicy stories or insider stuff to be provided; that’s on me. But if the Derby winner works a half in :48, and the work was recorded by NYRA/Equibase clockers, I think I, and my readers, are entitled to know.
B, I’ll check out the Boynton book. If this is who I think it is, give me a call on my cell, please, thanks.
And thanks to the many colleagues who contacted me privately on this story.
Whew!
JRP
16 Sep 2010 at 10:40 am | #
Sorry, Theresa, I missed something I discovered on re-reading.
I’d like an opinion on whether three reporters should have been suspended for their part in the backfired press box prank and why? Thanks!
16 Sep 2010 at 11:23 am | #
JRP - I guessed I missed it, but what was the press box prank?
16 Sep 2010 at 02:30 pm | #
George S. Kaufman used to play poker at the Player’s Club.
Another club member was a much-desired “play-against” because he could never conceal the look on his face after he had seen the cards he had been dealt.
When they finally got tired of reliving the fool of his money, Kaufman suggested that, in future games, simply looking at the guy’s face constituted cheating.
“The word ‘transparency’ is thrown around at lot in NYRA press releases.”
GSF would have been delighted to recover his betting losses by being able to play poker with today’s NYRA media lunks.
Simply seeing the word “transparency” in their press releases is an automatic tip-off that they’ve got something to hide, or to lose.
Stepping back from the fray brings the big picture into focus.
That’s when you’ll realize that this is all a waste of motion & concentration.
In the last 30 years, most Americans have lost whatever interest they once had had in the sport of racing.
Given that, it’s amazing anyone contacts the NYRA media office for anything at all, even for the time of day.
But if it does happen that you’ve got to call them this weekend, on the behalf of the rest of us, please remind them that their past incompetence has been quite transparent.
16 Sep 2010 at 02:40 pm | #
With all due respect, John, you’re changing the subject. The concern I voiced was not about whether reporters should have been suspended. My concern is about the fact that a private incident was reported publicly without the reporter having first-hand knowledge of it and without his having talking to the people directly involved in it. If you are going to offer quotations about the importance of truth, shouldn’t the truth be a consideration in what is reported as fact?
16 Sep 2010 at 02:46 pm | #
Say, Dave (Groening, of the Simpsons?), you left out “Strong letter to follow.”
Hearing from you reminds me of something shocking that happened this week.
An Australian racing journalist was interviewing an owner, and the owner abruptly took the initiative to say something directly to the fans.
Take note that his tone of voice was persuasive.
This matters.
16 Sep 2010 at 02:55 pm | #
Mr. Pricci, you have become much too dependent upon flaks and the cozy relationship that traditionally has existed between them and turf writers. Try covering any of the major pro or college sports and you’ll find the level of cooperation from publicists often ranging between useless and hostile.
Fact is, the only thing you should expect from NYRA is reliable statistical info.
You want workout info? Get out to the track in the morning. You do live in Saratoga Springs, right? Or if you can’t, don’t you have the Pletcher barn on your Rolodex or in a computer file after all your years covering racing? Don’t you have a number for Desormeaux’s agent or Bill Mott?
As far as the pranksters getting suspended or the reporter who got thrown out of a NYRA office, don’t they have sports editors to go to bat for them. Doesn’t the National Turf Writers’ Assn. exist anymore?
As far the “cozy” relationship between NYRA and DRF, at the risk of offending Steven Christ and David Grening, the last time I looked, the DRF was the trade journal for the thoroughbred racing industry. A good relationship between a trade and a trade journal? Horrors! Get Bob Woodward back on the beat to investigate this scandal.
Also both you and Nick Kling, another Zast apologist, no doubt have many more people reading or watching you than reading NYRA throwaways. So if you have this forum to set the record straight, wny on earth do you care about how much NYRA may be spinning its releases?
Fact is, Vic Zast laid an egg. Big deal. We all do sooner or later. You’d be much better moving on instead of trying to defend the indefensible. It’s not worthy of the reporter who I like to remember for being first to blow the whistle on the stewards who screwed up a DQ at Saratoga.
16 Sep 2010 at 02:57 pm | #
Don Reed, what do you hope to accomplish by taking gratuitous and mocking potshots against a seasoned, respected reporter? What’s your point in comparing Grening to a cartoon character? Why do you choose to denigrate a respected, careful, thorough turf writer?
Your comments reflect poorly on yourself, not on your subject. Be careful not to trip on your own smugness as you carry on.
16 Sep 2010 at 03:10 pm | #
Say, Noelle: This has nothing to do with the above, but it may amuse.
Your “I’m just posting to reinstate” message reminded me of the great little guy who brought up the rear of a swirling riot of good-natured kids on our front porch last Halloween.
I was about to give him some stuff when he shook his head and said,
“Oh, that’s OK, mister. You already gave me one. I just got spun around in a circle by the kids in front of me.”
John: can you send me some of those NYRA press releases?
Those scary little things would be great to tuck into the coin-&-candy packages that we hand out on October 31st.
16 Sep 2010 at 03:17 pm | #
Rachel, it’s too late. I’m already on the ground.
16 Sep 2010 at 04:15 pm | #
Well, you certainly hit a nerve, it seems.
People put so much energy into playing defense these days that the facts get diluted on the field.
Thank you for such a clear ‘insider’ picture - while I may not always agree with you I, like most of your readers, learn a great deal from your honest writing.
17 Sep 2010 at 01:46 am | #
How can you and the other writers covering NYRA, day after day, put up with the gate crew and starter.
No track in America has more horses scratched at the gate. No track in America has more problems loading fields and to compound the problem the stater closes his eyes and counts to ten before he lets any field go.
Perhaps the best of all is last week when it took an out of shape asst. starter three tries before he could get up into position for the start.
17 Sep 2010 at 02:12 am | #
I’m late to this party and have a couple of brief comments.
1) I’ve met many great people in the Saratoga press box. Many value integrity, and walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
However, if required to put my reputation on the line by identifying two or three as people of unquestioned integrity and the strongest work ethic, David Grening would be one of them. In metaphorical terms, he’s the type of person you’d want in your foxhole. Racing fans are lucky to have him.
2) Jon Reed,
I can’t speak to how many people read HRI. However, I can tell you, categorically, NYRA’s press releases get far more coverage in general interest papers and electronic media than anything I could ever write.
Letting NYRA control the flow of information unchallenged would be a dereliction of duty. My newspaper pays me to question conventional wisdom and I intend to do my job.
17 Sep 2010 at 02:28 am | #
Sorry, Bob, but I can’t let that stand. Starter Roy Williamson and his crew do an excellent job. In fact, no venue in the country does more to protect the betting public and the animals than the NYRA tracks.
Williamson developed a system over a decade ago that lists each of a horse’s idiosyncracies which a computer spits out on a daily basis. When a NY horse ships out of town, it’s Williamson they call to get a heads-up on how to handle certain individuals.
You might want to pass the blame on to some of today’s horsemen who do not do enough schooling work at the gate before their horses race.
Without those scratches, the horses you referenced would be competing at less than optimal, a risky scenario for all parties involved. Every scratch, which negatively impacts business, is the price the NYRA pays for their better-safe-than-sorry gate policies. In this area, the association and its gate crew deserve thanks, not derision.
Thanks for commenting.
JRP
17 Sep 2010 at 03:25 am | #
Someone already asked this, but what happened in the press box that resulted in the one-day suspensions?
17 Sep 2010 at 03:49 am | #
I know this isnt the topic of your story but why did you have to call Hawaii a foreign country? When was the last time you were there? For your information Hawaii had horse racing many years ago, and yes you can verify this information online. Hawaii is where I wasn’t born but grew up and your trashing of it calling it foreign and saying a birth certificate isn’t worth the paper it’s on is very ignorant. There happens to be a very sophisticated class of people over there and some who are involved in racing and horses as well as many other aspects of the American life. The last I knew the percentage of the U.S born population in Hawaii is larger than on your mainland.
17 Sep 2010 at 05:54 am | #
“The last I knew the percentage of the U.S born population in Hawaii is larger than on your mainland.”
That is so funny on so many levels-racist, included-I can’t help but saying-#######.
17 Sep 2010 at 07:19 am | #
Ace, please, as we’ve stated below, no personal attacks. While the reference might have been inappropriate, racist might be a little strong. You’re entitled, of course, just let’s refrain from the lowest denominator; thanks.
To inquiring minds, from this point forward, we’re keeping the press box incident in house. Thank you.
JRP
17 Sep 2010 at 08:12 am | #
“The relationship I refer to are the business dealings; the exceptionally strong advertising support and the fact that no other members of the press are used in the Saratoga handicapping seminars closed-circuit presentatations. There are many great practitioners in the Capital District that deserve a chance to promote their news outlets, given the support those organizations give NYRA during the Spa season. DRF handicappers and personalities are the only ones who get a chance to work with NYRA’s first rate handicapping presentations.”
They only used DRF personalities because the DRF sponsors the show. Kinda why the backdrop had DRF logos all over it.
17 Sep 2010 at 08:42 am | #
Al, bet it really hurt when they had their arms twisted.
I understand strategic partnerships. Sometimes I think you must weigh what is gained in the overall that goes beyond the bottom line.
Monetary gain on this equals X. Amount gained in community good will; priceless.
Thanks for commenting.
JP
17 Sep 2010 at 10:10 am | #
John,
If you are going to use the “press box incident” as a way of supporting your position; then, say that “we’re keeping it in house,” it defeats your own position. As Jake Lamotta once said, “it defeats its own purpose.”
17 Sep 2010 at 10:30 am | #
“Monetary gain on this equals X. Amount gained in community good will; priceless.”
What community are you talking about? A very small group of sportswriters and public handicappers? Maybe they should let those guys that sell their crummy tip sheets outside the track do the show, You know, the ones that lie to the customers about how well they pick. Aren’t they part of the “community”?
Do you also realise this show was broadcast on the web for what amounts to a worldwide audience? Who do you think those viewers want to see the guy from the Saratogian or from the Albany Times-Union on the show (no offense intended to these guys) rather than Steve Crist or Andy Beyer?
Local talent turns the show into public access at best. It will look no different than what Capitol OTB puts on in the mornings. Not saying that’s all bad, but it’s not near the production level of the Talking Horses show. If local talent wants to be doing that show, it should be applying to NYRA for a job.
C’mon JP, use some sense here. Your comments throughout here are really petty.
17 Sep 2010 at 02:43 pm | #
I agree with OTM.
For name recognition, you can’t compare John Pricci or Nick Kling to Steve Crist, Andy Beyer or Dave Liftin.
Doesn’t mean you’re not a good handicapper John, but outside of NY few horseplayers know who you are.
17 Sep 2010 at 04:11 pm | #
Dear Nick (Kling): Thanks for weighing in.
If my luck holds, whenever I’ve said something ill-advised/ill-informed, hopefully, you’ll be scolding Jon Reed (not I). If what I had to say meets with your approval, Don Reed (that’s me) will be glad to hear it.
Dave Grening’s integrity is not the issue (at the same time, it is reassuring to see that what has been said in this space about his ethics is unanimously positive. As far as I know, there’s only one scoundrel in the racing writer’s wing & that’s a miracle).
I do, however, think that his response to JRP’s column above is a classic example of someone writing a letter in the heat of the moment & then not having the good sense to wait 24 hours before sending it.
(Homer S.: “Hello, my name is Mr. Burns. I believe you have a letter for me.” Post office clerk: “OK, Mr. Burns. What’s your first name?” “I don’t know.” Outside post office: “Great plan, Bart!”)
JRP is opposed to what he sees as the NYRA media department’s policy of favoring one racing media corporation as opposed to being equally accessible to all.
(If anyone objects to the preferable, latter arrangement: Be reminded that the past practices of corporations’ PR departments surreptitiously releasing quarterly stock dividend information to only one favored stock analyst is now - & wisely - illegal. Today, when the CEO gets on the speakerphone, it is on a hookup that every single news organization, should they desire, can listen in on.)
He also has repeatedly told Dave that he personally respects him & admires his work ethic.
Now, if Dave had sat down after reading the above & then reasoned this out, he would have seen that he himself was not the intended target or the point of the column (& that a belligerent response would render him not vindicated - but instead, in an unnecessarily self-inflicted negative light).
Then, his letter - delayed in transit by 24 hours – would have probably been rephrased in the form of an effective, convincing statement that he simply has not been the beneficiary of preferential treatment.
The trouble with these “I take Umbrage” letters – however temporarily satisfying they are to send - is that all they do is provoke more umbrage.
So let’s file Dave’s letter, above, in the same location with Terry Finley’s equally regrettable and now, hopefully, forgotten outburst.
(This is NOT an exact analogy, by any means; TF really went off the deep end. It also should be noted that when Terry calmed down, we all benefited from his commendable change of mind.)
*****
Nick, as far as “NYRA’s press releases get far more coverage in general interest papers & electronic media,” I’ll take your word for it.
But considering how little relative attention is paid to horse racing in American sports coverage/reporting, does it really matter which American racing publicity outfit is regarded as the most effective in doing their job?
It does to us. But in respect to the attention paid to all the other acts in the American sports circus, overall, we’re the “trained fleas” acrobatic act (ouch!).
As for the pre-race Saratoga talk shows, if the same old two people are presented to the public all the time, eventually, you’re going to put the audience (any audience) to sleep.
It doesn’t matter which two people are on stage. If it’s the same two all the time, familiarity breeds contempt.
A good example of this is the Weather Channel, where the same old meteor chasers doing basically the same thing forever has resulted in the appeal of the channel now being less than that of a well-produced & lively flea circus.
And considering that, coincidently, the Saratoga show is done out of a structure called a Carousel - a favorite prop in the flea act - new faces appearing from time to time on the show, next year, would be a very good idea.
There are all sorts of savory possibilities.
I hear Larry King will be available.
He’d get NYRA heaps of their long-desired, increased mainstream media press coverage - that’s for sure (a copy of “Modern Divorce,” a supplement tucked inside of the daily racing programs, will get Saratoga on TMZ in no time flat).
Or Janet Jackson (she can finally exonerate herself with the explanation that the wardrobe malfunction was the result of the reins breaking).
Think of the ratings!
We have nothing to lose but what is left of our listeners.
17 Sep 2010 at 04:34 pm | #
My guess is the press box incident had something to do with an article that was published by Indian Charlie regarding Jerry Bossert of the NY Daily News having a problem controlling his bladder while in the press box. I agree with Dick Powell, who posted ‘If you are going to use the “press box incident” as a way of supporting your position; then say that “we’re keeping it in house,” it defeats your own position.’ Also, I just wasted a lot of time reading through the comments and I STILL don’t know what the “press box incident” was. JRP: as a responsible journalist you have an obligation to your readers to let us know what took place in the press box.
17 Sep 2010 at 04:46 pm | #
A correction, please.
Analogies can be quite seductive (“Hello, sailor!”). But when one wakes up the next day, from time to time, there is cause for regret.
Fortunately, it is not yet sunrise. Please change the above:
“Departments surreptitiously releasing quarterly stock dividend information to only one favored stock analyst…”
To:
“Departments surreptitiously releasing quarterly stock dividend information to only one favored stock rating agency…”
Otherwise, I’m mistakenly inferring that Grening (“analyst”) is involved in the analogy – not DRF (“stock rating agency”), the corporation that, as stated by JPR, has been afforded preferential treatment.
Thanks.
17 Sep 2010 at 04:54 pm | #
I agree with OA that NYRA would probably get minimal “community” credit for using local handicappers on their show(s), but when you slight if not alienate competent handicappers like Pricci and Kling who also help form the communication bridge to your more informed customer base, you shoot yourself in the foot.
If NYRA really wanted to help its customers evaluate and/or improve their selections, they would post up-to-the-minute rankings of ALL public selectors by a variety of statistical categories, and publicly announce the leaders on the last day of the meet.
Would it really hurt if casual bettors everywhere knew some big names like Crist or Beyer—or an in-house selector—were in the midst of a cold streak on the day THEY happen to be playing?
If NYRA really wants to attract more handicappers to play the game, they should promote demonstrably successful ones. But, hey, when you’re always looking over your shoulder, you sometimes lose sight of the best way to go forward.
17 Sep 2010 at 06:45 pm | #
John, extremely well written.
Age old problem.
Don’t let up pal.
17 Sep 2010 at 08:17 pm | #
First off, lets get to the fact of the matter which is that NYRA is run by a regime who has finally gotten to the point where they’ve wanted to be since day one. The slots savior is here, and now that they will eventually have the capital and breathing room, they will whore racing until nothing is left.
They have no regard for racing, its history, or more importantly it’s INTEGRITY. Look at what has happened in the last few years. The racing is a joke. The six weeks at Saratoga, no matter what side of this coin you are on, has been a disappointment. And that was the best part of this year’s racing schedule. Let’s look at the recipe for disaster:
From the top, Charlie Hayward is a know nothing book store VP that used to drink in the grandstand. Now he runs the three tracks according to what his “second in charge” commander says.
Hal Handle , the second in charge - chased mobsters in NJ and had something to do with the NJ Sports expo years ago, now he runs his mouth and calls the shots at NYRA. Especially what goes on in the press.
Couple this entry with an ex-NY state trooper who is in charge of security, and thinks he’s the second coming of Pinkerton out of a Hitler mare, and feels he has the right to threaten writers and photographers with arrest if they don’t follow his code and his censorship, the present has been a foreseen nightmare.
The NYRA press office has multiple hard working people working under a know-nothing 20 something year old pip squeak who constantly puts his foot in his mouth. He is a yes man who takes his orders from those mentioned above. He is an embarrasment for the organization, and an insult to his peers and that is being generous.
His thinking that his ofice is not for “reporting or breaking stories” like he states, then what is the need for him? I’m sure the PR department can write and release their own press shorts for the public. That will be the basis for his department. Good job security there huh? Are they preparing to write Slot machine stories?
No matter who reports what, or who goes out in the backstretch in the morning, there has to be an official release from the entity where these happenings are taking place. This isn’t some hillbilly track. This is New York racing! What used to be the pinnacle. If there is a plan to get the game to where it used to be on these once hallowed grounds here in NY, Now is not the time to cut back on exposure, and news.
If something happens to a member of the Mets, Yankees or any pro team for that matter. The writers can write what they get from their work, and sources on the matter. But those teams will write and release their own. All sports teams and leagues follow this procedure. They do it to expose and protect their interests. It is journalism 101.
Horses have broken down, and they have died at Saratoga, like other tracks and other meets. If is is ignored, does it meanit didn’t happen? Timber Reserve was a good horse who broke down and was unforunately euthanized the second to last week at the Spa. How was it that I had to search google to find the story? When I did this, because it wasn’t in the three papers who cover racing in the downstate area, I found it in only two publications. Although it is the most unpleasant of all the stories to write, there is a need to know. Those who follow the game, bet, or saw the race have the right to know what happened.
At a time when exposure is needed the most, NYRA drops yet another ball.
A good man in Fran Labelle who knew how to report, find stories, and grab interest, had all the connections, and was a walking history book for NY racing and beyond was fired for this kid who insists that the press office is not reponsible for breaking or reporting stories.
I find it incredible that the precedent that has been set and followed for the benefit of racing for centuries, but somehow, now all the greats of years gone by suddenly have had the wrong idea? It took until 2010 for the NYRA brass to decide this is how things are to be done? That all those who got this great game to this point, and all that has been published, with or without the help of press offices are going to be replaced with this thought process?
NYRA deserves all it will one day get.
18 Sep 2010 at 01:14 am | #
Don Reed,
Sorry for the dyslexic mistake. My comment was directed at Jon Rand.
19 Sep 2010 at 05:57 am | #
M Kellerman,
Let’s get the record straight.
The 20 something year old pipsqeak you refer to has a name: DAN SILVER
Silver should be FIRED.
That’s it.
Thank you
20 Sep 2010 at 04:11 am | #
Wow, what happened to “no personal attacks” as mentioned in post #31? Or was that the point of this exercise from the begining?
BTW maybe you should run your columns by some of the people in Mr. Silver’s office. They might have saved you from the several editing errors in your most recent column.
20 Sep 2010 at 04:54 am | #
OTM Al - I think “no personal attacks” is intended to discourage posters from attacking one another in lieu of arguing the point under discussion. In this piece the NYRA press office is under discussion. If Mr. Silver sets policy in the press office, then Mr. Silver’s performance is fair game. Calling him a pipsqueak might be going a bit too far… unless it’s an accurate description?
20 Sep 2010 at 06:22 am | #
I know posting on forums just asks for trouble, but…
1.) If other writers learned of Desormeaux’s or Majesticperfection’s injuries on drf.com, it was not due to any “cozy business relationship” between DRF and NYRA. It’s because David worked harder to learn find out information.
We call David the “work horse” due to his remarkable work ethic and I know of no reporter who works harder.
2.) Dan Silver has very professional with me and has greatly improved the conditions under which we work. He responds very quickly to inquiries, and if he doesn’t know the answer to a question he researches it until he can provide a helpful response.
He makes certain we are aware of upcoming events, he is knowledgeable about racing, and he goes about his job with a positive attitude. When necessary, I’ve seen him be very strong and resolute as well.
And not that it matters, but when he began his current job he was 29 - so he’s either 30 or 31 now.
20 Sep 2010 at 03:07 pm | #
This just in - good reporters who work for independent publications are paid to break stories too. If Mr. Grening breaks the story, good for him. He probably worked hard, as Barbara suggests, to do it. If you think that is, in some way, an indictment on the NYRA press office then you have no clue. If that means NYRA is in some way “obscuring the truth”, then you have no clue.
Second, Dan Silver is very good at what he does. Both the volume and breath of information coming from NYRA have increased under Dan’s watch. I’d challenge anyone to say differently. The NYRA press office works *very* to see it done too. Yet, this is partially why folks are being critical. The hard work that produces this volume and breath are seen, in part, as “controlling” the flow information. Perhaps this is why some people on here find Mr. Labelle, who became notorious for his lack of a work ethic, to be “better” than his newer contemporaries in this capacity. I don’t know. Just throwing that out there.
As I see it, those who are unfairly slamming NYRA have three options:
1) get off your ass yourself and break a story every once and a while (hey, Ed Fountaine, you could’ve gotten up and watched Super Saver work, right??)
2) put your own spin on the information NYRA disseminates - that’s perfectly within your rights
3) Go somewhere else
It’s really that simple.
21 Sep 2010 at 06:12 am | #
ATP is correct.
Sour grapes on the part of Pricci and Kling.
Two oldtimers who just don’t want to change with the times.
23 Sep 2010 at 10:23 am | #
If you think that Silver has brought more information forward than in the past, you are extremely mistaken. Is it quantity not quality? There is too much of a filler aspect on the site. The useless blogs and nonsense that are put out on a daily basis on the website may seem like news to some, but how may times can you read about Pletcher, and whoever the particular stakes horse of the week is. Yes, thats nice, but where is the rest? There are a thousand stories on the backstretch for every barn. How about the rest of the horses that make up the racing community? And the people for that matter? So ATP I’ll challenge what you think about Silver’s work.
You state that Labelle had a lack of work ethic. He did know where to find a story, he did know most of the racing community on a personal level. If there was a question he had an answer. If he didn’t, he’d find it. What is SIlver going to say? He watched it on Youtube? His position was appointed by the powers that be at NYRA. His position is something that is earned. HE should respect his peers and command the respect back. His dictator approach from day one didn’t sit well with many members of the press. The my way or the highway is nice, when you earn the position. That is not the case here. Sure he’s nice to some, like Barbara for instance. He seems to have a soft spot for women. Good for him. But he has to be careful with the rest he burns. And he sould keep his mouth shut when he does. The old loose lips theory.
Then again, this is encouraged at NYRA. If you look at the idiot that is front and center 5 times a week, Yes Serling, This guy constantly rips horses rides, charts, and anything else he can. He screams and yells like an idiot in the backyard at Belmont making a spectacle of himself. Not one speck of professionalism in his twerpy body. Is anything done? Everytime I am at the track, or at an OTB, people are constantly talking about how bad he is , and that his picks are horrible. If you had to hear his screaching all day, why would you watch racing if you were a newcomer? His anti NYRA soapbox he carried for years got him to his position. If find this funny when I see him getting rides with Hayward after the races. Go figure!
23 Sep 2010 at 10:43 am | #
Dear “ATP” - As a matter of fact, I was out there when Super Saver worked. What makes you think I wasn’t?
And what does ATP stand for?