A thought for the day

[Berri 2,131]

I used to love getting the Sunday Times so that I could read the odd story about one of our finest bred steads, the owners, who they were, look at the pedigrees of the winners, test my brain in respect of the dams, and have dreams about thinking I knew more than the next best man or woman. I suppose there were three or four pages on racing.

So this weekend I pick up the paper and look for the racing section. I just find it, no interesting articles, no reporting, just a commentary on the obvious, no mention the owner (seems as though the trainer is more important....not), no reference to pedigree/ breeding...in fact down right disgraceful coverage.

Come on some-one with brains....this is getting even more pathetic than pathetic can be. This degridation of the "product" (wishy washy bull expression invented but blokes that have no idea on expressing themselves accurately or have no understanding of what they say they understand) is outstandingly successful. I can't think of a better way of destroying an industry from the ground up.

We have without doubt encouraged, cajolled, promoted and supported the most successful group of people who are the best at not being successful.

It's quite appalling.

[catemar 1]

No matter which way you look at it, thoroughbred racing is getting hammered. Complacency seems to be NZTRs mantra. The only Sunday paper with any racing coverage is the SST, yet it is dominated by harness racing

Newsprint is all but dead anyway so a comprehensive and informative website based on thoroughbreds is the key, with a committed investment from NZTR. A decent mobile app where the info is constantly accessible would also help maintain regular customer interest.

[tackle 0]

I have never been able to understand the focus on harness racing in the sst. Most Sunday sports papers cover sport that happened on the Saturday. That has traditionally been the case

I suppose these days no one has the skill or interest to quickly put together a story on Saturday races for publication the following day.

The harness stories usually seem to be pretty inane magazine type items or stories about the latest drug cheats.

[foxy 0]

The racing coverage in the Herald on Sunday is even worse. All they have is the fields for Sunday and Monday. No editorial whatsoever.

We were in Sydney last weekend and the Sunday papers had pages of racing stories. Good in depth articles written by people who knew about racing and who know how to write. Nothing about NZ racing of course. It doesn't even exist as far as our Oz cousins go

[Berri 2,131]

No matter which way you look at it, thoroughbred racing is getting hammered. Complacency seems to be NZTRs mantra. The only Sunday paper with any racing coverage is the SST, yet it is dominated by harness racing

Newsprint is all but dead anyway so a comprehensive and informative website based on thoroughbreds is the key, with a committed investment from NZTR. A decent mobile app where the info is constantly accessible would also help maintain regular customer interest.

Newsprint is not all but dead because many people still like to read a newspaper. I do. As a racing person I would invest in paper in order to read comprehensive information about racing. There seems to be a lot of confusion in respect of what our "product" is, the delivery method of the "product's characteristics" and who the audience is.

Virtual publications and conventional publications should work synergistically to ensure that the consumer gets their fix. What has clearly happened is that the confused state of what our piers' opinions are (in respect of what the consumers want) have gotten in the way of what the consumers want. This has been the disjoin for the past 20 years.

Anyone who has had a guiding hand in this process during this time quite obviously dont know what they are doing. If they did the industry wouldn't have the disjoin that it currently has.

I could rabbit on about each facit of the industry and the commonsense approach that logically provides guidence for the obvious but I feel it would be a wasted effort. At best those who think they know what they are doing (but obviously don't) would plagerise some of the logical elements but wouldn't know how to prioritise the elements in order to achieve the tipping points.

It's dire if the barometer is the quality of information provided in the Sunday papers. It smacks of complacent and lazy reporters, un-cordinated industry leaders, un-interested editors, un-interested advertisers and ambivolent readers. What a great place to be in. Reminds me of trying to unblock a smelly bog where the dump was abnormally hard in consistancy and someone used the toilet paper too liberally. The problem is that there are no rubber gloves available.

[John Clydesdale 229]

The racing coverage in the Herald on Sunday is even worse. All they have is the fields for Sunday and Monday. No editorial whatsoever.

We were in Sydney last weekend and the Sunday papers had pages of racing stories. Good in depth articles written by people who knew about racing and who know how to write. Nothing about NZ racing of course. It doesn't even exist as far as our Oz cousins go

If a writer is keen, enthusiastic, looking to tell a NEW story, they go get it, but our guys are not hungry enough to go look for a story, they are results (race) driven only. They want to be tipsters and predictors of results rather than look at the stories that are all over our sport. Some stories come through the Informant and some in the Bulletin but very few in the Weekend papers or metropolitan daily rags. Like all editors will say, there is no budget to investigate any worthwhile stories.......it is not confined to our sport, look at many other sports other than rugby, cricket and some league angles, most other sports don't get good media coverage outside of Olympic timeframes.

We need to make our industry more appealing to readers by creating worthwhile stories that have wide appeal. Maybe we need to teach Dan Carter to ride.......!

[Zither 0]

Newsprint is all but dead anyway so a comprehensive and informative website based on thoroughbreds is the key, with a committed investment from NZTR. A decent mobile app where the info is constantly accessible would also help maintain regular customer interest.

Agree to a point. However preaching to the converted will see the product slowly die with the patrons.

We need constant, consistent exposure via TV and mainstream media - this is how we attract new participants and most importantly, new corporate sponsors.

Ask your (older) colleagues how many have heard of Kiwi, Bonecrusher, Sunline, Jimmy Choux - put those numbers on a chart and I bet that line heads south quicker than a pint at 5.00pm Friday.

Media exposure is a basic requirement for the future of our sport, without it we will be racing for ribbons and cups within a decade.

[patsyzohs 0]

The SSS and the Herald's racing coverage is hopeless. Race results no breeding, general coverage totally inadequate. The Waikato Times has the best coverage available for me. Personalities and horses here and in Australia covered along with

pictures and indepth stories. Surely the larger clubs must have publicity people who can supply copy and pester the editors

[The Apprentice 1]

There's no room for racing news because the paper space is required to report on domestic violence, ram raids, robbery, assaults, glassings, murders, road rage etc. You know - the stuff that interests people.

[Nerula 1,403]

I write stories on New Zealand racing people (who are owners) and their horses. If you wait for them to come to you they wont. If people see you in print asking for a story nothing happens.

However if you put yourself out and speak to the subject personally people will help you and a story can be written.

So I think the problem is mainly inertia on the writers part.

If you want to read a story on NZ owners go to http://www.racehorseowner.co.nz and open Bulletins.

[Berri 2,131]

I write stories on New Zealand racing people (who are owners) and their horses. If you wait for them to come to you they wont. If people see you in print asking for a story nothing happens.

However if you put yourself out and speak to the subject personally people will help you and a story can be written.

So I think the problem is mainly inertia on the writers part.

If you want to read a story on NZ owners go to http://www.racehorseowner.co.nz and open Bulletins.

the style is tired and nothing original is said. As Simon Cowell woukld say "you've got to stand out from the crowd".

The problem is that we don't know what is a great standard unless you look at the reporting 30-40 years ago. The use of the language, expression and content are materially different and informative. What is unique about the articles in the NZ Owners publication?....very little.

I'm talking about raising the bar dramatically....because that is what it will take. We have got to move back to a default that says "stuff it" to mediocraty. Some of you may not understand what I am talking about because you are so used to mediocraty. I'm an advocate to lengthening stride until it hurts. Change is the only way we will be able to extend ourselves.

[Overcheck 190]

I'm talking about raising the bar dramatically....because that is what it will take. We have got to move back to a default that says "stuff it" to mediocraty. Some of you may not understand what I am talking about because you are so used to mediocraty. I'm an advocate to lengthening stride until it hurts. Change is the only way we will be able to extend ourselves.

You are so right Berri. Just listen to the television news on all channels and look at teletext to see and hear inaccuracies and mediocrity. Unfortunately the english language is evolving into a much shortened version, probably as a result of texting, and huge numbers of children are leaving school semi illiterate and then occupying jobs where they are not made to reach a high standard. They probably don't possess self discipline and are too tired to look up a thesaurus to perhaps use a more colourful word to spice up the readers interest.

Poor reporting is just another symptom of the general malaise this country is in, and the downhill road it is taking.

[Nerula 1,403]

the style is tired and nothing original is said. As Simon Cowell woukld say "you've got to stand out from the crowd".

The problem is that we don't know what is a great standard unless you look at the reporting 30-40 years ago. The use of the language, expression and content are materially different and informative. What is unique about the articles in the NZ Owners publication?....very little.

I'm talking about raising the bar dramatically....because that is what it will take. We have got to move back to a default that says "stuff it" to mediocraty. Some of you may not understand what I am talking about because you are so used to mediocraty. I'm an advocate to lengthening stride until it hurts. Change is the only way we will be able to extend ourselves.

Well who are you to judge? Just look at the cliche ridden tripe above; you supercilious twit.

[Overcheck 190]

Well who are you to judge? Just look at the cliche ridden tripe above]

So you are quite happy with mediocrity then?

[Berri 2,131]

Well who are you to judge? Just look at the cliche ridden tripe above]

I'm not sorry to have offended you and I make no apologies. I say it as I see it. I went to the Owners link that you provided and found the content to be very general and not specific. Nothing outstanding. Don't take offense...just try and understand why I might be saying what I am saying. I'm not superior...I have an opinion and am not afraid to voice it. I'm not into cliches...what I said was fact. If you don't believe me, go to the NZ Herald archives and read the content of the stories when reporters were reporters. What I am saying is why don't we try to improve ourselves? By doing so we help the industry.

Instead of calling people names, look at the different perspectives and make some informed decisions for yourself instead of blowing off. If you don't then you are what I am critising....mediocrity.

[Nerula 1,403]

So you are quite happy with mediocrity then?

Well ask yourself how mediocre is your phrase "semi illiterate"

The point is if you offer up criticism of peoples writing, your opinion would have more currency if your efforts had superior values.

What you and Berri should recognise is that social media is indeed media and what you write is open to criticism too. So you need to be better as well. But you are not.

[Nerula 1,403]

I'm not sorry to have offended you and I make no apologies. I say it as I see it. I went to the Owners link that you provided and found the content to be very general and not specific. Nothing outstanding. Don't take offense...just try and understand why I might be saying what I am saying. I'm not superior...I have an opinion and am not afraid to voice it. I'm not into cliches...what I said was fact. If you don't believe me, go to the NZ Herald archives and read the content of the stories when reporters were reporters. What I am saying is why don't we try to improve ourselves? By doing so we help the industry.

Instead of calling people names, look at the different perspectives and make some informed decisions for yourself instead of blowing off. If you don't then you are what I am critising....mediocrity.

Well we dont purport to be outstanding we are an unpaid grassroots organisation seeking to provide information at that level. The object of my original post was to point out that one had to go out and seek stories. That has been my experience. I did not purport to be David Foster Wallace (but you might prefer the prissy Ian Rankin who I find nauseating)

I note you write quite well although your style is a little turgid.

But lets stop tossing the brown stuff at each other. I agree that racing journalism in NZ is very poor. It is arguably at the same level as the position racing is in. I doubt it will achieve excellence until all aspects of racing reach that level. That should be the primary focus of NZTR.

The roadblock (cliche noted) is the stakes here are too low, causing the loss of better bred and top horses. as well as personell overseas. The only way to improve them is for the RB to get a decent betting platform which is truly international and get a decent income stream coming in.

I have just come back from Hongkong where I walked into a HKJC tab and there was nothing to bet on except Mark 6 a form of Lotto. Millions and millions of Chinese have had no ponies they are familiar with, to bet on. At least they know quite a bit about the NZ horse etc.

Peace Brothers!

[Nerula 1,403]

An old prospector shuffled into the town of Prescott, Arizona leading a tired old mule. The old man headed straight for the only saloon in town, to clear his parched throat .

He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail .

As he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other .

The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey old man, can you dance?"

The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said,

"No son, I don't dance... Never really wanted to" .

A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, "Well , you old fool, you're gonna dance now !" and started shooting at the old man's feet.

The old prospector , not wanting to get a toe blown off, started hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet .

Everybody standing around was laughing ..

When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger ,

still laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon .

The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled 12 gauge shotgun and cocked both hammers .

The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air. The crowd stopped laughing immediately. The young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very slowly. The silence was deafening .

The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and the large gaping holes of those twin 12 gauge barrels. The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man's hands, as he quietly said; "Son , have you ever kissed a mule's ass?"

The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, "No sir ... But .... I've always wanted to" .....

There are a few lessons for all of us here :

*Don't be arrogant .

*Don't waste ammunition

*Whiskey makes you think you're smarter than you are .

*Always make sure you know who is in control ...

*And finally, don't screw around with old folks; they didn't get old by being stupid ....

[Nerula 1,403]

Geez youve been there too

Berri fired some buckshot at my ass which i thought was uncalled for so I fired some back. I think we are done.

But agree entirely with your last sentence.

While you are there zzz I bought an iPad before going overseas but couldnt raise 'cafe on wifi as it wouldnt allow blogsites on, for fear of pollution. I forget the exact reference but the foregoing is the guts of it.

Is there a solution to this? Cheers NM