NBC announces BC coverage
 

NBC has great coverage as always.

The Breeders Cup has an anthem?

You don't miss ESPN (Hank Goldberg)?

Royal Anthem?

I just want them to get rid of the blimp camera during the live race. I don't understand how even the casual fan could enjoy such a view. People like to see where their horses are.

But its edgy and hip!

The good old days when Royal was the only Anthem and a guy named Billy Bush wasn't kicking off the Prime time show with the purple carpet walk!

Hammerin Hank is only there for comedic relief.

Wait, so lemme get this straight, they'll cut into college football coverage on NBCSN, air the Juvenile Fillies, then go back to what they were doing? Any meaningful anything besides the race itself gonna happen there? How much analysis and post-race coverage are we gonna get? They have two days to get these races on tv in legitimate fashion and we get a slot between commercial breaks on cable for a race that truly special fillies have come out of? Surely of all the races to put in this position, they could've figured out a different way of scheduling so that it wasn't the Juvenile Fillies. "Live bonus coverage" is code for 'we're pre-empting the beginning of BC day on Saturday but will do you a solid and at least air that first race.'

I'm sure they'll argue it'll get eyeballs for the race that wouldn't otherwise be there, but anybody there for Notre Dame-Navy is gonna use this as an opportunity to get another beer and gripe that the horse racing is interfering with their football.

i'm just glad michelle beadle isn't listed as a contributor.
and i won't miss hammered...er, hammerin hank.

Say what you want about Hank and his on-air presence, but he bets.. and not just for the cameras. He may never have been an ideal choice for the TV role, but is an exceedingly nice and savvy guy and undeserving of the derision directed at him.

He is no Pete Axthelm

I was one of those folks who liked Kenny Mayne doing horse racing.

which is why i was talking about on air presence. i'm sure those people are all wonderful. doesn't mean i want to see them on tv.
and of course not everyone is able to know all these people personally-i certainly meant nothing personal by my comments. i think the term 'derision' is a bit strong.

I did too, he is under-utilized by ESPN.

I think the smart ass routine he has been doing for years now has grown thin

i'd rather see kenny mayne than many of the other folks on espn.

There is NOTHING good about a blimp view in the live race. 45% of last year's Breeders' Cup Mile was shown, LIVE, with a blimp. They might as well have been rats running, it was a disgrace and an insult to anyone watching, let alone betting.

You and me both. I enjoy dry humor and he's naturally quippy. He also knows the game and bets. If you don't use Kenny, you really need someone else to fill that niche and it helps if they already follow horse racing. Otherwise, it'll be a steep learning curve that bores anybody who bets. Not that I wouldn't watch And They're Off for Haskin alone, but I like Lenny trying to inject some humor.

I always felt Hank's main issue was feeling comfortable enough on camera to breathe properly. He seemed to be holding in air and trying to get as much out as possible, forgetting to breathe out normally. It's a pure nerves issue, probably based on the fact that it was usually a live piece. I've been there done that myself, and it's so agonizing because thinking about it makes it worse. The commentary is not the easiest to sit through as a result, but I enjoy him as a person, and like that he puts his money where his mouth is. Hank's kind of a mascot.

But Pat its edgy and hip! And people who tune in for the purple carpet show like edgy and hip!
Actually showing it live like they did is really an epic fail on the directors part yet I'm sure they won a boatload of media eclipse awards for the coverage.

I don't know if Hank had nerve issues but he isn't exactly a paradigm of health. He might just be that close to croaking.

NBC wouldn't posibly hide from the tragic Pointsoffthebench story today I hope? He and his connections need to get their due on national tv even if it fuels the fire for animal cruelty crazies and a naive public. I'm just hoping NBC doesn't get scared of the possible reaction from a naive public and hide from it. Do the right thing and tell the story from beiginning to end NBC

im sure they will talk about it..but your comments seem to be that they will not.in the end the pta crazed zombies will attack in some fashon..imo

i kind of like the euro ascot car view..

Without him there would be no...

Een-vee-sor, he's da best!

LOVED Kenny Mayne.

I'm sure it'll come up when they cover the Sprint (they may or may not mention Take Control before the Marathon, it's not like he was one of the favorites like Points Offthebench). As for the story, well he broke a leg so I'm sure there'll be a few sadly delivered sentences, but a package piece is doubtful. They tend to want to do those to make people more interested in the outcome of what's to come, not think about something that happened before. The people in the know who are sad about Points Offthebench are already going to be watching and the casual fans that stumble into it aren't gonna be more likely to stick around if they hear about it. Just a fact of television. I can't believe they'd skip over it entirely though if only because he was a top contender.