NTRA & ESPN

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BladeRunner
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NTRA & ESPN

Postby BladeRunner » Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:11 pm

ESPN did little or no marketing for the Breeders Cup. This falls squarely on the NTRA who is not doing enough to make sure the word is getting out about our sport. ESPN also has its own magazine, named, oddly, ESPN The Magazine, and there was nothing in any of the issues leading up to the BC. No ads, no articles, nothing. Wimbledon had an 8-page ad spread prior to its event and NASCAR had an 11-page ad spread prior to a recent event. How many pages did the NTRA take out to promote the BC? Zero! Nada! Zip! That is one of our major problems, the NTRA does nothing to promote horse racing and when it thinks it does, the ads are dry, humorless and quite forgettable. Its time for some changes.

(Note: I posted a similar post elsewhere on this board)

yukidragon
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Postby yukidragon » Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:28 pm

Casino's slots is the wave future.
Horse racing eeh they are to much trouble.
Just plug in a slot an your making money.
In the Corporate world.
They want to be in charge of the dollar.
Hard to be in charge of the horse industries dollars ,too many hands out .
Phrase them out a track at a time.
Looks like the way we are heading.
You can save a tree an get more publicity.
So if everyone climbs a tree with a sign saying save horse racing.
It might get 5 min. of air time maybe.

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winds
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Postby winds » Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:32 pm

So ESPN and it's parent company ABC/Disney doesn't promote it's own telecasts? How do they expect to get viewers?

I can understand not doing it in it's magazine, then someone in the NTRA needs to step up to the plate and do something about it. Or maybe we should ask for heads to roll..................

winds

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aardvark
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Postby aardvark » Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:13 pm

What is the NTRA and how is the NTRA funded?

What does the NTRA do? Not a trick question.

cindylou
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ntra

Postby cindylou » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:00 am

I agree that the NTRA is a joke. They were supposed to promote the sport. They are nothing more than a group of egomaniacs sucking up money and doing nothng. When ESPN kept running over time into big races with crap like little league baseball, I wrote to them to complain. They stated that ESPN was "committed" to finishing all programs to completion and that they couldnt interrupt later programs to run the race that was preempted. Also note the protectionist attitude they have taking with the congressional hearings. They do not seem interested in anyone haveing power over their little empire. They do not want a central body to over see racing. The NTRA is outdated. I read last year in the Blood Horse that they only employ 2 people in the promotion dept?!? Promotion was why they were created.

cindylou
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ntra and espn

Postby cindylou » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:03 am

I forgot to add. ESPN cancelled it's only horse racing program right after NTRA gave them the huge contract. I woud also wish that ESPN get rid of Hank Goldberg and the gambling angle.

ruaff
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Postby ruaff » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:11 am

How can you possibly get rid of the gambling angle?
Gambling is part of the game - Now, I agree that it is a beautiful sport without the gambling - but I like to put my money up from time to time.
Absolutely everything in the game is a gamble:
We gamble when we buy a horse at auction, we gamble when we select a mate for a mare, jockey's gamble when they choose one mount over another, trainers gamble that they are one step ahead of the testers (just kdding) :D

KBEquine
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Postby KBEquine » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:18 am

ruaff wrote:How can you possibly get rid of the gambling angle?
Gambling is part of the game - Now, I agree that it is a beautiful sport without the gambling - but I like to put my money up from time to time.
Absolutely everything in the game is a gamble:
We gamble when we buy a horse at auction, we gamble when we select a mate for a mare, jockey's gamble when they choose one mount over another, trainers gamble that they are one step ahead of the testers (just kdding) :D


Ain't it the truth? We have a mare we'll probably be sending back to the track soon. People ask me if I'll bet on her when she runs. I think of the purchase price, upkeep, trainer, etc., and think to myself, "I already have!"

wallinga
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Postby wallinga » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:16 pm

never a truer paragraph written ruaff

cindylou
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NTRA and espn

Postby cindylou » Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:35 am

Sorry, I was not clear about the gambling angle. I go to the track and I gamble too. I just think that this is not the route for attracting new fans. If it is it clearly hasnt been effective. I think that Hank Goldberg is just a bit over done. The pink piggy bank and all that nonsense. I also think he is wrong about his picks more than he is right. If they consentrated on the horses a little more and educating the public and allowed Jerry Bailey more than 5 minutes per broadcast to talk from a Jockeys perspective on racing it might work better.

KBEquine
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Re: NTRA and espn

Postby KBEquine » Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:30 am

cindylou wrote:Sorry, I was not clear about the gambling angle. I go to the track and I gamble too. I just think that this is not the route for attracting new fans. If it is it clearly hasnt been effective. I think that Hank Goldberg is just a bit over done. The pink piggy bank and all that nonsense. I also think he is wrong about his picks more than he is right. If they consentrated on the horses a little more and educating the public and allowed Jerry Bailey more than 5 minutes per broadcast to talk from a Jockeys perspective on racing it might work better.


I think we hijacked your answe3r, a little bit - sorry about that!

I agree - I don't ever care who Hank Goldberg bets on or why, and on HRTV & TVG, I pretty much never care who picks what exotic angles & that is only about money.

People are still in love with horses. If they weren't, the injuries & breakdowns wouldn't sadden & horrify them.

AND anger the parents who suddenly find themselves in the uncomfortable position of answering tough questions about death when all they did was turn on the Kentucky Derby to show their children a fun day at the races. I can't think of a faster way to alienate both the uninformed person who is casually interested in horseracing as well as the next generation of animal-loving kids who might have gotten bitten by the racing bug, if they weren't seeing so much death on racing's big days.

In addition to more Jerry Bailey, more other people who love horses - and who can explain what's being done with racehorses & why, to help build understanding on top of that love of the horse.

louis finochio
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Postby louis finochio » Tue Jul 01, 2008 3:48 pm

Many years ago the Tb industry gave a thumbs down to Pro Sports betting, this is one way to increase the purses & on track attendance, is to open up our windows to Pro Sports betting & reap the harvest.
Those without sin cast the first stone.
Louis Finochio