A good friend of mine, who is not a racing fan but tunes into watch the Triple Crown races if he's around, told me that he likes Michelle Beadle on the NBC coverage. Trying to paraphrase his feelings here.....he said something to the effect that she "opens up an avenue of accessibility" for him into an otherwise alien and unfamiliar world.
I'd rather not report that because, frankly, she makes me want to throw up in my mouth. But I must do my duty as an objective observer of the scene. And I suppose that if Ms. Beadle, whose pointless Crossover show on NBC Sports Network I had the misfortune to stumble across the other day, shines a light on our game for even a handful of people such as my friend, then I guess her presence is worthwhile even if it sends us racing fans scrambling for the mute button at times when our energies could be more productively applied otherwise. As I've said, the network coverage of these races no longer opens up avenues of much of anything for those of us who (think we) know everything there is to know from being online and on Twitter all day. We're better off with TVG or HRTV.....or just the track feeds, where the coverage is geared towards us., and we might actually learn something.
- Ramon Dominguez has announced that he will be unable to return to race riding after he fractured his skull in February. To me, he was the Angel Cordero Jr of the present time; always seemed to have his horse in the position it needed to be in order to have its best chance to win. Sad that he will be unable to continue riding, but glad that he's still in one piece. I'm sure we'll be hearing from him in some capacity down the road.
- At Belmont on Wednesday, trainer John Sherriffs got his first winner, in his 5th start, since shipping to New York from his usual base in California; that after some very well-bet and well-beaten losers. Peace and Justice ($8.40) was making his first career start, on the grass. He's a three-year old son of War Front out of a Smart Strike mare; and he's a half-brother to the graded turf winner Hudson Steele.
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Thursday, June 13, 2013
Avenues of Accessibility
Posted by Alan Mann at 2:01 PM
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5 Comments:
Beadle acknowledges she knows nothing about racing but pledges to learn and seems genuinely interested. She is very good when she discusses the sports she is familiar with and if she truly applies herself to racing she may just be able to bring along some new fans. She certainly is more interesting than Hank and his stupid piggy bank.
I have no problem with her, the network show is about entertainment, I know all I need to know before I tune to NBC.
So we must Meet the Beadle. Stepping back, she's not only better than Hank Goldberg, but it wasn't that long ago that we were being afflicted with (ugh) Mutton Chops.
Apparently, for the benefit of Mr. Chops, a lawyer is now suing NBC for age discrimination. What a scene! He's claiming they had no other reason for firing him. I guess making everyone retch as soon as he came on screen doesn't count, and NBC probably couldn't make that argument since they actually promoted his presence for so many years. In his way, Mr. C is challenging the world, but here's a rare case where I'm rooting for the big corporation.
As for Michelle ma belle, many older people hated the Beatles at first. Maybe now we'll all learn to love the Beadle if she can help save nationally televised racing from Maxwell's Silver Hammer.
Agree, Hank and Chops reinforced the degenerate horseplayer stereotype, to make racing cool (or less uncool, if possible) need to go in a completely different direction.
Unfortunately the insiders will probably revolt against the Beadle like they did the "Go Baby Go" slogan which I still, on occasion, here repeated at the track many years later.
How do you stumble onto the Crossover? Can't you just keep changing channels sparing you the horror of seeing her show? Perhaps somewhere deep in your subconscious you like her, causing you to somehow stumble onto her show. :)
>>How do you stumble onto the Crossover?
Lol. I couldn't help myself, just had to check it out. Briefly.
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