CRIST: Changes dilute Cup's appeal

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by hurricanefrank

hear hear!

he doesn't need encouragement!

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

It wouldn't even be close.

The fans that are racing fans that want to watch will still watch. That's not going to change. Hell, we watched Curlin run on a Thursday morning from Dubai. We'll watch some Friday races. I personally would rather have the day split up than have 14 races on one day with 30-45 minutes between races. I'd like them to go back to just the original seven but since that's not going to happen, I like Fri-Sat much better than Sat-Sun.

I agree..horse people will watch whenever..that base is established whether it's Fri or Sunday..but you are looking at a much larger pool of neophytes on Sunday, that even with most watching the NFL, will be larger than on a Friday.

Look at it this way....Assume..say..2% of the non horse racing fan is going to tune in...Would you rather get that 2% from the available FRiday audience or the available Sunday audience?

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

And why should ESPN want to bump NFL for horse racing? Have you seen the ratings for horse racing over the years? They can't even pull a bigger audience than the Kenosha County Tractor Pulling Championships. The damn National Spelling Bee probably gets higher ratings. Going to Sunday would KILL the BC. Believe that.

ok, TV ratings are not going to happen so why kiss ESPN butt

it's just another cable station

[AeWingnut]

Friday will have a WNBA feel about it

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by GBBob

I agree..horse people will watch whenever..that base is established whether it's Fri or Sunday..but you are looking at a much larger pool of neophytes on Sunday, that even with most watching the NFL, will be larger than on a Friday.

Look at it this way....Assume..say..2% of the non horse racing fan is going to tune in...Would you rather get that 2% from the available FRiday audience or the available Sunday audience?

That may well be true but then the question is how much of the racing fan will be lost to the NFL. Also, the 2% of the available audience on Friday might actually be more than the 2% of the available audience on Sunday.

[Cannon Shell]

ESPN doesnt cover the NFL on Sundays from 1-7.

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

That may well be true but then the question is how much of the racing fan will be lost to the NFL. Also, the 2% of the available audience on Friday might actually be more than the 2% of the available audience on Sunday.

I guess it's sad that we're debating about trying to attract maybe 2% of an audience.

The most obvious thing is that while the BC is trying so hard to appeal to a wider population, they are turning off their core customer.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

then they will disrupt it with a curling match....or god forbid - arena football

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

ESPN doesnt cover the NFL on Sundays from 1-7.

I know..but they are still linked to that league very closely. If I were Oliver Stone, I would bet that the NFL even has final say on what they show during the Noon-6 period...

[Cannon Shell]

I understand about the people working but there is lots of advance time and if you are traveling to get there you would not be working on Friday anyway. Plus Saratoga, Keeneland and Del Mar do awfully well on weekdays. I am just disheartend by a supposed championship event being run by people who dont have any clue and ithe fact that they may make changes that make these seem pedestrian

[Linny]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Maybe it's just me but I don't see a single problem with this. We as racing fans were going to watch the races on Friday and Saturday no matter which races were on which days anyway. I see nothing wrong with trying to market things in a different way. Say for example Rags to Riches had finished the year out and ran in the BC but not in the Classic. In all of their marketing and advertising, the BC could tell fans to come out to see all three TC race winners.....only Rags would be in a different race and that race would be overshadowed by the Classic, the race for HOY. Rags would have been reduced to second fiddle. By having her run on the first day, they can basically showcase her. I don't see anything wrong with that. What's so wrong with trying to market two days instead of just one?

To me, having Rags race on Day 1 (in your scenario) is to make her "second fiddle." Sorry but the biggest race "the day before" doesn't stand equal to the Classic or anyhting on Saturday. The Personal Ensign is run on the Fri before the Travers, does anyone care?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

then they will disrupt it with a curling match....or god forbid - arena football

Bowling...

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Linny

To me, having Rags race on Day 1 (in your scenario) is to make her "second fiddle." Sorry but the biggest race "the day before" doesn't stand equal to the Classic or anyhting on Saturday. The Personal Ensign is run on the Fri before the Travers, does anyone care?

I hate to break it to everyone but Rags to Riches is not a 'crossover fan' attraction (not crossdressing). Her 15 minutes are up until she does something notble again.

[Linny]

If Rags had gone from the Oaks to the Ma Goose to the Coaching Club to the Alabama to the Beldame and the Distaff and won them all no one but us racing freaks would know her. She's famous for beating the boys. If she stays in the distaff, oops, Ladies division this season she'll be anonymous by October.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by GBBob

I guess it's sad that we're debating about trying to attract maybe 2% of an audience.

The most obvious thing is that while the BC is trying so hard to appeal to a wider population, they are turning off their core customer.

for bc day for how many years now, they had some other races on the card before the bc races started. they should have just made a big day of it, and left it at that. if they wanted to add a race or two, and fill a ten race card, fine. but this two day, segregated by sex deal, is not going to help anything. where else does anything like this two day event happen? and work?

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I hate to break it to everyone but Rags to Riches is not a 'crossover fan' attraction (not crossdressing). Her 15 minutes are up until she does something notble again.

They don't want to hear that. Don't let them know what the attendance figs were like for the Gazelle. They don't want to believe it. To them, she's the Messiah. Or something.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Linny

If Rags had gone from the Oaks to the Ma Goose to the Coaching Club to the Alabama to the Beldame and the Distaff and won them all no one but us racing freaks would know her. She's famous for beating the boys. If she stays in the distaff, oops, Ladies division this season she'll be anonymous by October.

but it's us racing freaks who the powers that be should be taking care of.

take what works, make it better. quality, not quantity.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

They don't want to hear that. Don't let them know what the attendance figs were like for the Gazelle. They don't want to believe it. To them, she's the Messiah. Or something.

them who?? the them who think that a good race makes a good horse?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Linny

If Rags had gone from the Oaks to the Ma Goose to the Coaching Club to the Alabama to the Beldame and the Distaff and won them all no one but us racing freaks would know her. She's famous for beating the boys. If she stays in the distaff, oops, Ladies division this season she'll be anonymous by October.

especially if she runs on Friday during rush hour

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Danzig

but it's us racing freaks who the powers that be should be taking care of.

take what works, make it better. quality, not quantity.

Are you going to stop watching the Saturday races because they have some races on Friday? Do you know anyone that stopped watching the Saturday races because they added new races and a new day? Not asking if you watched the Friday races but did you stop watching the Saturday ones?