I visited the "A Fight to Save Horse Racing" Facebook page this morning, as I often do, just to see if anybody is around that I might be able to fire up with some of my ideas, to see that once again, not much is going on. And, still without any feedback on my own latest ideas for lighting fire, I thought I might knock some dust off of the Discussions tab and re-visit the old "Grass-Roots Movement" thread, started by horse racing's #1 Fan(atic), Sean Kerr.
Sure, I've read the thread 100 times already, since there is very little new to read that I didn't post myself, in my shameless efforts to instigate any signs of life. But, today I took note of a particularly good idea posted by thinkin' man, Larry Lacoursiere .
Larry Lacoursiere
I like the way you think Sean! I have been saying it for years also. I believe there needs to be one body that runs it all. We need a Horse racing Lottery. Casino's are a band-aid, always have been. A Horse Racing Lottery would put attention to the sport we love, and bring its fans back. The Government has to take responsibility for there part in all of this. Racetracks should get compensation from Casino's. The Casino's are directly responsible for our missing attendance, and they should have to pay, for putting a 300 year old sport to the brink of extinction. No doubt some leadership and real vision could have prevented this but here we are.
If you open up a Lottery in every State and Province that has Horse Racing enable it so that you can bet it from every State or Province Lottery outlet...Guess what, you would put money back into the industry and it would flourish. I know the Government would rather take then give but extinction is real!!
about 4 months ago · Report
Hopefully, Larry won't mind, but this is such a good idea that I'd like to go over it one piece at a time to show why the horse racing industry would never put a dime toward doing it. And, perhaps show how people (in motion) could get it done for dimes.
We need a Horse racing Lottery. Casino's are a band-aid, always have been. A Horse Racing Lottery would put attention to the sport we love, and bring its fans back.
That's a great idea, but horse racing isn't interested in competing with the state's lottery. Since the lotteries have removed so many players from horse racing also, the states will pay them back by giving them casinos. Out of all of the parties involved, it is only horse racing people that care about what happens with horse racing. If the horse racing people do not get into motion to stop or re-direct this shift, horse racing will just become extinct as a game that people can't afford.
Of course, those that own it will still have it for their own purposes, just like always. Stop being fans and players if you want, they don't care, they will continue to run horse racing for themselves and you, or your non-fan neighbor will pay for it with lottery/casino play. This will come about soon, IF the fans and players of horse racing continue doing what they are doing to stop or re-direct it. Which is nothing, at least nothing of substance.
The Government has to take responsibility for there part in all of this. Racetracks should get compensation from Casino's. The Casino's are directly responsible for our missing attendance, and they should have to pay, for putting a 300 year old sport to the brink of extinction. No doubt some leadership and real vision could have prevented this but here we are.
When you say government, here in America, you are talking about people. People could straighten this mess out from both sides, and real quick. But, they would have to start moving in that direction, not just standing around. Since the people are government, they could just blockade casinos, and re-direct state lotteries, if they wanted to. Maybe if they did, horse racing would have to start lobbying them.
Wouldn't that be something? Of course, the first thing horse racing people would need to do, is get moving. Start lobbying other fans, other players, other people. It is said that our Revolution and Independence only came about because of the printing press, people communicating with other people for a common cause. I believe this is true.
Today, the 3762 "likers" of "A Fight to Save Horse Racing" would read this article as one individual connected to 3761 like minded individuals through the most powerful communication tool ever. Bringing positive change to the sport/game of horse racing would only be a matter of putting it to that use. Going in motion.
Sponsor this blog for .25 cents per week, while Penn Gaming spends millions to lobby you for casinos. Participate, post, comment, pass it around and post links. Market horse racing back to prominence. Do what track management and the information publishers won't, then they will have to do what you want.
Soon, "A Fight to Save Horse Racing" would be many thousands of doers, once again, making a dream real.
