We hope that our loyal readers don't think we're crossing the line today, if we talk a little about the horse race. We're aware of the promise we made at the beginning of the year - but we don't think today's topic breaks that spell.
Because the kind of horse race we're talking about today has nothing to do with Mitt or Rick or Newt. And while we may be talking about the shifting winds of technology and industry, we're not talking about that blowhard Rush Limbaugh either.
We're actually talking about horseracing, as an industry - one that like so many industries, is struggling to stay alive, relevant, and affordable in 2012 and beyond.
Like so many industries - including the media industry we work in - technology has made things both easier and harder in the horse racing industry. Tracks in some states - like some in New York and New Jersey - have used new technology like remote track and historical racing to bolster and even improve the status of the horse racing industry in their states. Tracks in those states have also added other kinds of digital gambling, like video lottery terminals.
Those two states are the exception, though - not the rule.
From Maryland, to Kentucky, to Florida and Nebraska, horse racing has been on a long slide, like many other American industries. Like so many other industries, the costs of the business have just kept rising, while the profit on the business just isn't there anymore.
So, like many other short-sighted business sectors in America, those who own the horse racing industry have closed facilities, cut back amenities, cut back staff, and cut wages and benefits whenever they could. Unsurprisingly, the austerity business plan of cutting everything hasn't led to better profits for the horse racing industry any more than it's led to successful economic recoveries in Europe, or at the state level in many American states.
So-called "free market conservatives" always claim that when an industry is on a severe decline, what's needed to bring the industry back to life is innovation.
That's exactly what the horse racing industry in Nebraska has been attempting to do with an amendment to a bill before the state legislature. The amendment went through heavy debate for two days this week. Folks like well-known Nebraska Republican Scott Lautenbaugh - the sponsor of the bill - teamed up with powerful Nebraska Democrats like Health Mello, Amanda McGill, and Danielle Conrad to fight for its passage.
Opponents were worried the bill would expand gambling temptations in Nebraska. Supporters were hoping that it might expand opportunities back to what they once were in Nebraska for horse racing fans - and in doing so, keep or even create a few more jobs.
The amendment passed last night, around 7:30 - by a nose, as they say in the horse racing industry. Its passage is a testament to what can be achieved by working together across the aisle - instead of labeling all members of the opposing political party as enemies who need to be taken out back and put down.
Even with Wednesday's vote, we're not sure if the Nebraska Legislature gave an horse racing one more shot at the prize - or if their efforts will only help serve up a dying industry on a platter to banks and creditors who are always chomping at the bit. The bill itself still needs to be voted on, and we have doubts it'll even get out of the gate.
What we do know is that those senators who voted in favor of the amendment did it in an attempt to save and create jobs, while many of those who voted against the amendment let their unproven fears of gambling stampeding throughout Nebraska drive their decision making.
In an economy still trying to shake off the memories of the last few years, we'll place our bets with those willing to try and save local jobs, over those driven by fear, just about every time.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Winning Is NOT The Only Thing... Period.
As we sit here still digesting and sifting through the results from last night's GOP Super Tuesday contests, some of the attitudes of certain candidates - as well as certain talking heads - lead us to focus on another story today, one that's been overlooked by many outside of sports media.
If you're not a rabid NFL fan, you might have missed the scandal that recently blew up in the face of the NFL. What we're talking about isn't cheating on football. It could just as easily be called death-ball, or stretcher-ball - or more accurately, bounty ball.
Put bluntly, NFL players were given bonus money for purposely injuring opponents, and even knocking them out of games.
The Saints' defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, was the first person the investigation focused on, though it's now clear that several other teams, coaches, and players all broke the rules of the National Football League. They also violated the terms of their own player and coaching contracts, and the bylaws of the NFL Players Union.
To some people, this scandal in the NFL may not seem to be a surprise, any more than when politicians are caught cheating to win elections.
That, sadly, is our point - one that we've made a number of times in this space.
The attitudes that we've seen take over the GOP Presidential primaries and caucuses this year, and throughout politics - especially over the last few years - has been a take-no-prisioners, kill 'em all, win at all costs attitude, we've previously described as "Winner-ment". It's an attitude we've warned about for years, especially leading up to the 2010 midterm elections.
Sadly, over the last two years, we've been proven right - as anyone from any political background can see.
In 2010, the Republican Party did the same thing the New Orleans Saints did - whatever it took to win, ethics, morals, and legality be damned. Because of that attitude, the Republicans won, and won big in 2010. But what did they do with that win? Not one damn thing. Why? Because we don't have Winner-ments guiding the actions of our cities, states, and nations. We have GOVERNments.
That "winning at all costs" theory is one that's all too familiar to kids who break their parent's rules: As long as no one gets caught, no one will get in trouble, and no one will know, right?
Of course, in the case of the NFL, it's obvious people now know what happened - and people will get hurt. Players, coaches, and teams will be fined, likely to the tune of millions of dollars. Fans will have to see teams, coaches, and players they respected revealed as cheats & frauds. With suspensions and distrust, teams will likely underperform, and sell less tickets, harming the paychecks of everyone associated with the team.
Even if the Saints bounty scheme hadn't been discovered, don't think no one knew. As Gregg Easterbrook of ESPN recently reported, he saw the same game plan used in the NFL implemented by a high school coach in our DC area - injure the opponents and win at all costs. That coach obviously thought his methods were ok - and after all, his team won, so no harm, right? Except, of course, to the kids on the opposing team who were taken off the field on stretchers - and to the minds of the young men on the team who now think that the ends always justify the means.
To us, Easterbrook's integrity was damaged too, by not telling others what the high school coach did, and doing nothing with that knowledge.
The lesson from this NFL scandal - and the ongoing political battle - is the same: When we compete with one another, regardless of the contest, winning at all costs has the highest price of all.
If we don't have our integrity, winning isn't the only thing. In fact, it's not anything worth having.
If you're not a rabid NFL fan, you might have missed the scandal that recently blew up in the face of the NFL. What we're talking about isn't cheating on football. It could just as easily be called death-ball, or stretcher-ball - or more accurately, bounty ball.
Put bluntly, NFL players were given bonus money for purposely injuring opponents, and even knocking them out of games.
The Saints' defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, was the first person the investigation focused on, though it's now clear that several other teams, coaches, and players all broke the rules of the National Football League. They also violated the terms of their own player and coaching contracts, and the bylaws of the NFL Players Union.
To some people, this scandal in the NFL may not seem to be a surprise, any more than when politicians are caught cheating to win elections.
That, sadly, is our point - one that we've made a number of times in this space.
The attitudes that we've seen take over the GOP Presidential primaries and caucuses this year, and throughout politics - especially over the last few years - has been a take-no-prisioners, kill 'em all, win at all costs attitude, we've previously described as "Winner-ment". It's an attitude we've warned about for years, especially leading up to the 2010 midterm elections.
Sadly, over the last two years, we've been proven right - as anyone from any political background can see.
In 2010, the Republican Party did the same thing the New Orleans Saints did - whatever it took to win, ethics, morals, and legality be damned. Because of that attitude, the Republicans won, and won big in 2010. But what did they do with that win? Not one damn thing. Why? Because we don't have Winner-ments guiding the actions of our cities, states, and nations. We have GOVERNments.
That "winning at all costs" theory is one that's all too familiar to kids who break their parent's rules: As long as no one gets caught, no one will get in trouble, and no one will know, right?
Of course, in the case of the NFL, it's obvious people now know what happened - and people will get hurt. Players, coaches, and teams will be fined, likely to the tune of millions of dollars. Fans will have to see teams, coaches, and players they respected revealed as cheats & frauds. With suspensions and distrust, teams will likely underperform, and sell less tickets, harming the paychecks of everyone associated with the team.
Even if the Saints bounty scheme hadn't been discovered, don't think no one knew. As Gregg Easterbrook of ESPN recently reported, he saw the same game plan used in the NFL implemented by a high school coach in our DC area - injure the opponents and win at all costs. That coach obviously thought his methods were ok - and after all, his team won, so no harm, right? Except, of course, to the kids on the opposing team who were taken off the field on stretchers - and to the minds of the young men on the team who now think that the ends always justify the means.
To us, Easterbrook's integrity was damaged too, by not telling others what the high school coach did, and doing nothing with that knowledge.
The lesson from this NFL scandal - and the ongoing political battle - is the same: When we compete with one another, regardless of the contest, winning at all costs has the highest price of all.
If we don't have our integrity, winning isn't the only thing. In fact, it's not anything worth having.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Dragging Them Down
We hope that by the end of today – which, by the way, is Super Tuesday in the GOP Presidential primary – that maybe the primary topic of political discussion in the U.S. won't be the insulting and slanderous behavior of a talk radio host. We'd even love to see the moment when Rush Limbaugh would honestly, truthfully, and unabashedly apologize, as Ed Schultz did when he crossed a similar line last year.
Of course, we'd also like to be able to eat 6,000 calories a day and look like slim, fit, Olympic-caliber athletes, but that ain't happening either.
We understand those of you who are tired of hearing about this controversy. There's plenty of other political news, including Super Tuesday news, and news about the White House and campaign funding. There's also news about how the rich are doing in this recovery – even news of yet another "Grand Bargain" budget attempt to Capitol Hill in our links for today.
There are still a few more things to say, however, about the Limbaugh comments, and what he continues to do about them– or not do.
Sadly, what the chattering classes in the media have been covering for the most part has been of no more substance than the usual horse race baloney that we've mostly eschewed this year. They've been focused on how many advertisers have permanently or temporarily left Limbaugh (fiftteen, as of this morning), and how many radio stations have dropped him (two so far, in Hawaii and Massachusetts).
From the right, the number of ad hominem defenses of Mr. Limbaugh have been too numerous to count. Most often the frothing, wild-eyed comments and defenses of Mr. Limbaugh have devolved into a "So's your old man" kind of defense - which Ed Kilgore of Washington Monthly points out simply can't work. Limbaugh himself blamed his actions on the political left, and trashed the advertisers who have chosen to leave him - which appears to us like the actions of either a coward or a madman.
In a nutshell, here's why people of many political backgrounds are still so angry - and deservedly so.
Rush Limbaugh chose to verbally attack and slander a non-public, semi-private woman, with misogynistic comments FIFTY-THREE TIMES, in three days, with more sideways insults on Monday. As someone who boasts regularly to be one of the best professionals that the media world has to offer, Rush acted like the most ignorant of amateurs.
He disrespected and/or caused significant headaches to the following: Ms. Fluke; women, in general; the people Rush works with directly, who will be directly affected by his actions; the people who work at Premiere Radio, and will be similarly affected; the advertisers, who he directly or indirectly represents; the HUGE number of Republicans he represents, who disagree with his misogynist comments; and last but not least, his family. He owes all of those people a heartfelt apology - which we doubt ANY of them will ever receive.
There ARE places for off-color comments in our U.S. media – for example, a private comedy club, on satellite radio, or on a pay cable channel. While we find some things at these places offensive, Americans still have the First Amendment. People like Rush can spew nearly any kind of trash he wants to in these venues - and we don't have to listen, watch, or be presented with "entertainment" like this if we choose.
The problem is, Mr. Limbaugh is more than just an "entertainer" as he's attempted to claim in his defense. Elected or not, he's effectively the head of the modern Republican party. He yanks the trunk, and the rest of the animal follows. That's exactly what America doesn't need. What America does need right now, more than ever, are at least two solid, strong, sane, honorable major political parties. Right now, we have one party that mostly - but not always - fits that label.
Instead of trying to fix this gulf in our political discourse, by advocating for a strong and respectful opposition party, Mr. Limbaugh chose to throw women, his co-workers, his employer, his advertisers, and even the political party he claims to support, under the proverbial bus. He trashed a young woman - and women in general - as a major political and media force, all in order to protect his ability to bully anyone he wants.
If you want to know who's really dragging down the American political system? Try looking at the rat who thinks he's too big to admit he's wrong.
***Full disclosure*** Members of our staff include an alumna of Georgetown, and an employee of Premiere Radio Networks, who is also Mr. Limbaugh's current employer.
Of course, we'd also like to be able to eat 6,000 calories a day and look like slim, fit, Olympic-caliber athletes, but that ain't happening either.
We understand those of you who are tired of hearing about this controversy. There's plenty of other political news, including Super Tuesday news, and news about the White House and campaign funding. There's also news about how the rich are doing in this recovery – even news of yet another "Grand Bargain" budget attempt to Capitol Hill in our links for today.
There are still a few more things to say, however, about the Limbaugh comments, and what he continues to do about them– or not do.
Sadly, what the chattering classes in the media have been covering for the most part has been of no more substance than the usual horse race baloney that we've mostly eschewed this year. They've been focused on how many advertisers have permanently or temporarily left Limbaugh (fiftteen, as of this morning), and how many radio stations have dropped him (two so far, in Hawaii and Massachusetts).
From the right, the number of ad hominem defenses of Mr. Limbaugh have been too numerous to count. Most often the frothing, wild-eyed comments and defenses of Mr. Limbaugh have devolved into a "So's your old man" kind of defense - which Ed Kilgore of Washington Monthly points out simply can't work. Limbaugh himself blamed his actions on the political left, and trashed the advertisers who have chosen to leave him - which appears to us like the actions of either a coward or a madman.
In a nutshell, here's why people of many political backgrounds are still so angry - and deservedly so.
Rush Limbaugh chose to verbally attack and slander a non-public, semi-private woman, with misogynistic comments FIFTY-THREE TIMES, in three days, with more sideways insults on Monday. As someone who boasts regularly to be one of the best professionals that the media world has to offer, Rush acted like the most ignorant of amateurs.
He disrespected and/or caused significant headaches to the following: Ms. Fluke; women, in general; the people Rush works with directly, who will be directly affected by his actions; the people who work at Premiere Radio, and will be similarly affected; the advertisers, who he directly or indirectly represents; the HUGE number of Republicans he represents, who disagree with his misogynist comments; and last but not least, his family. He owes all of those people a heartfelt apology - which we doubt ANY of them will ever receive.
There ARE places for off-color comments in our U.S. media – for example, a private comedy club, on satellite radio, or on a pay cable channel. While we find some things at these places offensive, Americans still have the First Amendment. People like Rush can spew nearly any kind of trash he wants to in these venues - and we don't have to listen, watch, or be presented with "entertainment" like this if we choose.
The problem is, Mr. Limbaugh is more than just an "entertainer" as he's attempted to claim in his defense. Elected or not, he's effectively the head of the modern Republican party. He yanks the trunk, and the rest of the animal follows. That's exactly what America doesn't need. What America does need right now, more than ever, are at least two solid, strong, sane, honorable major political parties. Right now, we have one party that mostly - but not always - fits that label.
Instead of trying to fix this gulf in our political discourse, by advocating for a strong and respectful opposition party, Mr. Limbaugh chose to throw women, his co-workers, his employer, his advertisers, and even the political party he claims to support, under the proverbial bus. He trashed a young woman - and women in general - as a major political and media force, all in order to protect his ability to bully anyone he wants.
If you want to know who's really dragging down the American political system? Try looking at the rat who thinks he's too big to admit he's wrong.
***Full disclosure*** Members of our staff include an alumna of Georgetown, and an employee of Premiere Radio Networks, who is also Mr. Limbaugh's current employer.
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