The Canadian Sportsman
Know What I Hate?
Back To Know What I Hate?September 04, 2009
Market this: get your circus off the tarmac so I can see the post parade
I always thought marketing was what Bernie does on Saturday mornings when she gets up at the crack of dawn to pick and paw at fresh fruits and vegetables. Apparently not.
I’m told that marketing is the reason why I have to listen to a half-baked stand-up comedian or some blockhead in a cowboy hat do an impersonation of some rattle-and-bang rock band between races.
If I’ve never heard of the supposedly famous version how much do you think I want to see the knock-off making a racket? They could have Mel Torme himself and I still wouldn’t want him singing while I’m trying to watch the post parade.
I remember when entertainment at the track was watching the light bulbs flash as the odds changed on the toteboard. That was nice. There was mystery, suspense, intrigue and interactivity — everything you could ask for. I could be entertained for hours.
Now, they play “Let’s Make A Deal” in front of the grandstand all night long and sometimes even rope the poor drivers into the act. I want my driver focused on bringing home my 6-1 shot in the next race, not urging me to pick what’s behind door #2.
My racing buddy Carl just got back from visiting his sister Shirley in Indianapolis. He told me, if you can believe it, some redheaded whippersnapper threw Mardi Gras beads at him at the track down there and another guy winked at him. For the love of Christmas, what’s going on here??
My son Robbie says that all this stuff is just trying to ‘grow the game’. I told him, ‘You know what Del Miller did to grow the game? He built a racetrack, that’s what he did.’
“Whatever,” Robbie said, rolling his eyes, as he left to put his name in for the third round of Let’s Make A Deal.
I have no son.
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12:21 PM
And why is your brother Carl going on trips visiting his sister when most old buzzards should be out trying to meet women in smokey bars? He only told you about the Mardi Gras beads because for 65 years he's been wanting to tell you the whole truth... so now he gradually will, and as much as I hate your hat, you better hold onto it.
~ David Mattia
4:27 PM
Tracks have to compete with other gambling venues and other sports. It is for this reason that the track marketing crews have done their homework. They entertain the patrons bewtween races with games that usually relate to the sport or that include personalities from the sport. Grand River Raceway should be celebrated for their Tarmac show and efforts to breath life back into this sport by giving their patrons a sence of belonging to it. These people may well turn out to be the future handicappers which is what this sport needs more of. I only wish more tracks would follow GRRV's lead in trying to promote the sport.
Big thank you to Dr. Clarke, Kelly Spencer and the rest of the marketing crew at Grand River Raceway.
~ H.J. Velenosi
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