The Canadian Sportsman
May 27, 2011
The best from our Post Parade Q & A feature
Past Posts
Favourite answers from past Post Parades
Mike Hamilton (above, Sept. 22, 2010):
If you could pick one super power, what would you pick and why?
“Time Travel would open up a whole host of possibilities for the good of mankind. I remember a Superman episode in which the bad guys had a device that allowed them to go back and forth in time. They took it to the racetrack and made a killing, but, of course, Supe’ put an end to that.”
Scott Zeron (Sept. 2, 2010):
What’s the secret to life?
“Abiding by the law of attraction.”
You have over 750 friends on your Facebook page. What’s your plan for getting that up over 1,000?
“My little sister forced me to get Facebook. Now I just press ‘confirm’ on every friend request.”
Randy Waples (June 9, 2005):
Which athlete do you admire most and why?
“Steve Prefontaine. There’s a movie about him called Without Limits. Watch it and you’ll know why.”
The Commish
Everyone gets the “If you were the Commissioner of all of harness racing...” question. Here’s the best responses.
Mike Hamilton (Sept. 22, 2010):
“I’d bring all parties to the table and mandate a gradual phasing out of pari-mutuel wagering, to be replaced by a North America-wide exchange betting system and state-of-the-art technology that would do to pari-mutuel wagering what eBay did to auctions and what iTunes did to music. We have the legal right to offer betting on horse racing and wagering is a huge growth industry. The problem is simply that our product doesn’t appeal to the masses and our product is pari-mutuel wagering. I know this could be changed through technology. But don’t get me started!”
Roger Huston (Sept. 30, 2004):
“I would suspend the horses along with the trainer and the owner on a positive test. The owner gets suspended, too. That’s the only way this business is going to get cleaned up. Suspending the trainer is not enough because the owner will just go to some other trainer. But when the owner starts getting suspended and the horse starts getting suspended then you’ll see a cleaner racing industry. I made that suggestion to the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission probably in 1985.”
Mark MacDonald (July 1, 2010):
“You know what really bothers me about the racetrack setup? I really wish the slot machines and the racetracks were tied in closer together. If I were commissioner, I would make it so that wherever you went to play the slots, you would know you’re at a racetrack, because there would be betting and TVs and everything in the slot hall. It wouldn’t just be a casino and a separate entity.”
Handicapping Challenge
Post Parade subjects set the odds when asked the “chances the following will occur in the next 10 years”
Slots will come to the Meadowlands
Geoff Stein (May 26, 2005) — “2-1”
Bob Marks (Feb. 28, 2008) — “1-5.”
Ron Gurfein (March 20, 2008) —“1-9.”
Hugh Mitchell (Nov. 27, 2008)— “Even money.”
David Scharf (May 1, 2008) — “3-1. For sure we aren’t seeing them for the next three years as the supplement from the casinos just arrived. There is going to be a time when all tracks will have them and the Meadowlands will too.”
Moira Fanning (Oct. 18, 2008) — “3-1”
Gord Brown (March 18, 2010) — “Even money or 99-1, take your pick.”
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October 25, 2010
The best from our Post Parade Q & A feature
Jack Darling (above) (June 18, 2009):
What’s your nickname?
“When I was young my friends would call me spud or nick.”
What talent do you wish you had?
There are two things — I wish I could play a musical instrument and I wish I could putt.”
Hec Clouthier (Feb. 12, 2009):
What’s the best lesson your father ever taught you?
“That I was no better than anyone else, but no one else was any better than me.”
You’ve run a lot of marathons. But, what’s your greatest athletic achievement overall?
“In 2005, I ran the Boston Marathon on a Monday. My wife Debbie and I flew to Spain on Thursday for our 30th wedding anniversary and I ran the Madrid Marathon on Saturday. Two marathons on two different continents within five days at age 55.”
Please share one secret about former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien from your time working in the Prime Minister’s Office.
“In spite of the fact that he is looked upon as ‘the little guy from Shawinigan’ he is an expert on Canadian art. He will look at a painting and tell you immediately who the artist is. His favourite is Jean-Paul Lemieux and he had a collage of Lemieux’s paintings in the Prime Minister’s office on Parliament Hill.”
Jim Simpson (May 22, 2008):
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What drives you crazy?
“People who talk too much.”
The Commish
Everyone gets the “If you were the Commissioner of all of harness racing...” question. Here’s the best responses.
Chris Roberts (Jan. 22, 2009):
“Take a very, very deep breath. Then build a small cabinet of the smartest people I could find. Did you expect me to say uniformity of rules?”
Ken Middleton, Jr. (Feb. 7, 2008):
“I’d create harsher penalties for the rule breakers and I’d ensure that a competent staff was in place to enforce the rules in every facet of the sport.”
Jimmy Takter (Sept. 16, 2004):
“That’s a tough job. I would probably universalize all medication laws and rules. I would make it one rule for every state, including Canada. Also, I would change the entries to be universally the same. A license would be one license for every state.”
Handicapping Challenge
Post Parade subjects set the odds when asked the “chances the following will occur in the next 10 years”
Vegas-style sports books will come to Ontario racetracks
Kelly Spencer (Jan. 5, 2009) — “20-1”
Chris Roberts (Jan. 22, 2009) — “7-5”
Hec Clouthier (Feb. 12, 2009) — “2-1”
July 12, 2010
Past Posts
Favourite answers from past Post Parades
Ken Middleton, Jr. (above; Feb. 7, 2008):
What’s the worst job you ever had?
“The worst job I ever had was being a cook at Kentucky Fried Chicken while I was attending high school. Being asked to clean the ‘grease trap’ brought my cooking days to a screeching halt.”
Charlie Leerhsen (June 12, 2008):
What’s the most common myth you were told about Dan Patch?
“Well, not every myth is untrue, but probably the most common misconception among people who’ve heard of him in the first place is that he was owned by a marketing genius named M.W. Savage. The only part of that that’s correct is that he was owned by M.W. Savage.”
What talent do you wish you had?
“The ability to turn off the charm.”
In as few words as possible, describe what it’s like in the high-profile New York magazine business?
“Way too interesting, thanks to the general state of print media. Also not as interesting as it used to be, thanks to the decline in communal drinking.”
Your daughter, Erica, is an actress who has been in a number of films, including a remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Blair Witch Project 2. Looking back, beyond a flair for drama, did she scream a lot when she was a kid?
“Only once, when she saw me in a Speedo. Actually, she was very, very shy and barely spoke, let alone screamed.”
John Bax (Oct. 16, 2008):
What’s your favourite of your kids’ music?
“Fortunately, my oldest boy listens to Josh Groban. I like him.”
The Commish
Everyone gets the “If you were the Commissioner of all of harness racing...” question. Here’s the best responses.
Jody Jamieson (June 21, 2007):
“I have to be careful there. I’d make sure the administration of the ORC is brought to task on absolutely every small thing they’re going to investigate.”
David Scharf (May 1, 2008):
“I would encourage racetrack owners, general management and racing offices to understand that without the customers wagering on our races and without owners (a large majority of them who lose money in this business) entering horses to race there wouldn’t be a business or a job for them in this industry. Customer service drives brand loyalty and we must recognize who the customer is.”
Ron Pierce (Aug. 5, 2004):
“I’d probably furnish and decorate my office. I like things just the way they are.”
Handicapping Challenge
Post Parade subjects set the odds when asked the “chances the following will occur in the next 10 years”
There will be a significant reduction in the use of the whip in Ontario racing
Kelly Spencer (Jan. 5, 2009) — “2-1”
Chris Roberts (Jan. 22, 2009) — “1-9”
Chuck Keeling (March 26, 2009) — “1-9”
Hec Clouthier (Feb. 12, 2009) — “2-1”
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