Sun spots: Editor's note
"Anonymous" sent a comment regarding the Toronto Sun's Bill Lankhof's unfortunate comment in the paper on Wednesday regarding horse racing being the cruelest sport of all.
The anonymous comment made sense in its context, but is not responding to the point of this corner's observsation.
Certainly media members have to be objective and no, racing should not look for them to write good things about a race if it is not warranted.
However, Mr. Lankhof's note was about horse racing in general, that there is not other sport that is crueller. Someone who is of this opinion would not be seen at a racetrack let alone a function to celebrate a race, would he? If this corner hated soccer, you would not see us at a free dinner for a soccer event.
The anonymous comment made sense in its context, but is not responding to the point of this corner's observsation.
Certainly media members have to be objective and no, racing should not look for them to write good things about a race if it is not warranted.
However, Mr. Lankhof's note was about horse racing in general, that there is not other sport that is crueller. Someone who is of this opinion would not be seen at a racetrack let alone a function to celebrate a race, would he? If this corner hated soccer, you would not see us at a free dinner for a soccer event.
posted by Jen Morrison @ 4:22 PM
5 Comments:
At 4:59 PM,
Anonymous said…
I'm not sure how the media works but it would be my guess that if Mr. Lankhoff was at Woodbine for the Queen's Plate it would be because he was assigned to do so and not by choice given that he clearly doesn't like racing. The fact that the track feeds the media isn't the media's choice it's that of those that run the track, likely a desperate ploy to get them there in the first place. The fact that the "corner" wouldn't go to a soccer dinner is a moot point because it is unlikely the "corner" would be assigned to do so.
At 9:23 AM,
Michael said…
How about Boxing? Where the point of the sport is to inflict injury upon another.
The point of horse racing isn't to cause injury, it is to run faster.
At 3:56 PM,
t said…
Easy, there Scoop. There are as many misconceptions about the Sweet Science as there are about horse racing. Boxing, too, is a grand sport.
Despite the conspiracy theorists, racing is an incredibly fair and uncorrupt sport compared to boxing, although that ain't saing much.
At 5:30 PM,
Michael said…
Brad,
My point wasn't to compare the fairness of Racing and Boxing, rather the basic brutality.
How about bull fighting then?
At 1:13 AM,
Anonymous said…
The comment made by Bill Lankof is disgusting, in it’s context and it scrutiny. I don't think he or the interests whom he represents should be allowed to set foot on a racetrack for the comments printed!
Skepticism will always surround Horse Racing, it is a dangerous sport where animals AND PEOPLE are subjected to dangerous situations, but is there a sport, which one would call safe?
I have been following Barbaro news quite closely, not only did Bill slander racing, it was the only article written that was non supportive of a great champion, even referring to Barbaro as dog food, a complete jerk!
No one in the racing community has given up on Barbaro and I don't know if there is a horse in history who has received such an out poor of support. In many cases the race must go on, but the whole world is behind this horse and whether a person is a racing fan, a spectator of big events or fully engaged in the sport (Racing is a lifestyle). Everyone should be offended.
If I were Bill, I would not dare step foot in that press box, surrounded by true racing fans and "horse people", does he know fellow members of the media are owners and trainers? He truly does not understand the dynamics of this sport and the relationships which people have with these animals, his comments were cruel, and as a journalist he should learn to stick a sock in it.
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