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Joined December 2015
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They don't care. They're soft. They're weak. They don't take responsibility. They're overpaid. Overrated. There's too much pressure. They can't handle the media. They…
Perhaps the greatest gift of the reality-defying Foxes of Leicester is just that: to momentarily suspend reality and take us back to a more…
Donald Trump reckons he's going to build a wall to keep those pesky Mexicans south of the border where they belong. But politics aside,…
He's a man with a plan, Eddie McGuire. He always has been. And more often than not he pulls it off. This latest one,…
It was good to hear in-depth from Racing Victoria chairman David Moodie on RSN radio last week. Moodie covered many racing issues during his…
As revealed in her column on Friday, members of the AFL commission have been detailing for Caroline Wilson their hopes and dreams. In this…
In what appears a first for the industry, an organised group of punters have vowed to boycott betting on Australian racing today. The “punters…
Australia has long had to deal with plagues of feral overpopulation: cane toads, rabbits and politicians. More than a few onlookers have mused whether…
If James Hird's pithy excuse for a tell-all interview offered anything in the way of revelations – and it was spectacularly light in that…
As a homecoming, it couldn't have played out better. With the grand old boy Buffering cruising across the line at the Gold Coast on…
Welcome news yesterday that Racing Victoria will be trialling half-hour intervals between races at all metropolitan and country meetings for a week in February.…
It was a case of two cities, one story to kick off east coast racing in 2016, with both Melbourne and Sydney playing host…
The Ashes aside, Day 2 of the Melbourne Test can have a low-key feel about it. Certainly for all but the most avid watchers,…
Jose Mourinho saw it. Back last season, when 'The Special One' still knew his football (just joking... I think), he reportedly approached Jamie Vardy…
Departing slightly from the question of what Dustin Martin did to a woman in a restaurant last weekend, it would appear the AFL have…
It's been interesting to hear the concerns of racing authorities surrounding in-play betting on sport. In-play wagering – allowing punters to bet online on…
I wouldn’t go the whole hog like Jason but I’d really like to see the Melbourne Cup card improve, it’s very weak imo. Not often you get a public holiday to punt (well us Mexicans do) and it’d be nice to have some real quality!
Happy for the Cup to be the sole G1 but would like to see a good support card of Group races, the day deserves it.
Ultimately I think that carnival is too long over 4 days… that’ll never change due to the revenue it brings in but in a purely racing sense to pull the weakest 8 – 10 races out of the Flemington Carnival and have it over three days would be great. Move Oaks Day to the second Saturday, hold the Mackinnon that day too, and shift the Stakes back to Derby Day. Sat – Tues – Sat works well I think, bit of fatigue about it the last few years somehow (I’m probably just getting old).
Australian racing calendar restructure: Melbourne and Sydney spring
Good work again guys… is the conversation getting a bit caught up in the whole “G1/G2/G3” thing? Seems in many cases we’re suggesting fields will remain the same a current G1 race even if it became a G2 – so in that sense, does it really matter?
Surely it’s about ensuring appropriate scheduling (proper spacing and no clashes) for each race type… get that right, and I don’t think it matters too much whether it gets designated G1 instead of G2, as long as the prizemoney is there they’ll come. You could probably say the same about the location of races, if we’re taking a national view to the schedule it shouldn’t matter too much where it’s run – at the top level they’ll travel between Melbourne and Sydney. So would seem a shame to be throwing out tradition by shifting some grand old races not just to another track, but to another state.
The Roar's Australian racing calendar restructure: Sydney and Melbourne autumn
Enjoying these articles guys… some good ideas raised even though I don’t agree with all of them, and it’s hard to see anything happening unless a national body actually takes control.
Spoke about this in a recent piece (excuse the self-plug, it’s just easier than re-writing it here!) http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/02/08/stupid-saturday-exposes-lack-leadership/
A lack of leadership is at the heart of all of racing’s problems… at the very least a national body is required to control scheduling, broadcasting and wagering… basically to look after the most important person, the punter. The punter’s interests are racing’s interests.
For an industry doing its fair share of squealing about external threats (in-play sports betting), it’s very, very good at own goals.
Australian racing calendar restructure: Melbourne and Sydney spring
“The arbitration agreement that binds the players can be said to constitute an unlawful restraint of trade because it gives the CAS the power to unreasonably prevent players from pursuing their livelihood under certain circumstances.”
How does this work with the players still employed and being paid throughout their suspension?
They’re still footballers and still earning a livelihood, just suspended from taking the field at this time under the rules of the competition. Not to mention the compensation payout they’ll receive in addition.
I’m presuming for the German skater and most other individual athletes, no play = no pay. Hence prevention of livelihood / restraint of trade.
If this still the case even if their earnings are unaffected? Talking about the players still on AFL lists now of course.
The Essendon 34: Can CAS’s decision be appealed?
Good piece. I’m sure MM was offended as she wishes to be taken seriously as a sports journo – which as she showed at Fox, she’s more than capable of. Just can’t help thinking this makes her a bit of a square peg in a round hole regarding the Big Bash however. It’s clearly not trying to be serious, and the broadcast is geared the same way. These guys are just ex-cricketers telling anecdotes and joking around rather than analysing the game, with Maher and Howard enabling as the lad sidekicks. That’s the case with all cricket commentary but the BBL takes it into overdrive in a thoroughly intentional way.
Then cut to MM who is trying to be serious about the contest. It doesn’t really fit.
She interviewed countless footballers on Fox, some of them doubtlessly jokesters or “playboys” in the Gayle mould, and I don’t recall this happening (stand to be corrected). Difference is it was a deadly serious sporting contest and was covered as such, at least between the whistles. Not something that some players still clearly regard as a holiday.
Guess my point is would Gayle (or Bravo before him) felt comfortable or disengaged enough in the actual contest to go with this stuff if it was a Test match (if they played them of course)? Something tells me not.
If there’s offence caused it doesn’t excuse it. But if it’s about wanting to be taken seriously then of all sporting competitions I don’t think the BBL is where you want to be. McLaughlan’s role at Fox was more her go I think.
Gayle-force dumb descends upon Big Bash League
If Smith has a choice in the matter he may become just Test and T20… ODIs really seem to be getting squeezed out, they don’t have a place with the emergence of T20.
BBL week ahead: May the cream commence rising
Good points re human consensus Allthanus, though I think there’s one crucial point with racing – it doesn’t exist in a microcosm any more. It’s ripe for the picking by a throng of external competitors. So while the strongest folk in racing itself may be getting their way at the moment, it really isn’t in their long-term interests either – the sport suffers, there’ll be less money in it for everybody. There’ll be no buyers for the breeders’ products.
Racing owned the gambling sphere – it certainly doesn’t any more. Despite the protestations, online in-play sports betting is already here and will only expand. It’s inevitable, you can’t piss against a tide. I think sports wagering in Aust is now around 30% “non-traditional” betting sports, and the racing codes 70%. Overseas where all bet types are legal, it’s closer to the opposite. That’s the future for racing. It will largely die if it doesn’t shape up and get fight-fit, because it’s in a battle whether it wants to acknowledge it or not (at the moment it certainly doesn’t). You have to get people involved and that means giving them what the other sports do – simple access, convenient scheduling, the best possible contests. The sport will largely die (at least as we know it) within a generation otherwise. It’s selfishness and bloody short-sightedness.
The Roar's Australian racing calendar restructure: The summation