Critic's Corner - Hall of Fame Day

re: Critic's Corner - Hall of Fame Day

Saratoga Fan — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:27:26 GMT

Don't blame racing as an industry as the culprit here. With the utmost respect to Mike Kane of the Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, who does a superb job and is one of their great assets, he's clearly laboring somewhat futilely for a nonprofit organization that has resisted, for most of its 50+ years of existence, any significant form of marketing to showcase its annual HOF induction in online media outlets or promote itself to new audiences in any traditional or new media outlets as a major attraction for visitors to Saratoga. Frankly, it's ludicrous in the 21st century that an institution of national stature that celebrates the best practioners of the sport and houses a superb collection of art and artifacts, still operates as if it was simply a private art museum in the 1960s. Quite honestly, I think it shows a real lack of (or inclination for) energy or creative thinking in their management - maybe it's time for some more new and younger blood like Mike to make the staid and stodgy place come alive again. Maybe they'll wake up and get it someday, but I'm not holding my breath.

re: Critic's Corner - Hall of Fame Day

Vic Zast — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:33:48 GMT

These are excellent thoughts. Just this past week I spoke to Blood-Horse decision-makers about increasing the content on this Web site with streaming radio shows. But I would guess that something such as you suggest - streaming video of special events like the Hall of Fame ceremony - is an easier step and requires less of an organizational effort.

re: Critic's Corner - Hall of Fame Day

Glimmerglass — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:41:32 GMT

Thanks Vic for the recap.

It is a shame that in 2009 with significant national fan interest (and the technical means to broadcast any such ceremony vastly cheaper) an event such as this one isn't. Not even an offering of streaming video on the internet.

It is just amazing that the HOF inducts one of the most recognized names of the last 20 years (Baffert) and it's not broadcasted on an ESPN Classic, TVG or HRTV.

Couldn't the HOF folks have contemplated an abridged and condensed 45-minute package of the induction and offer that to the dedicated racing networks?

Once again this sport clearly has no marketing skill whatsoever. You'd think horse racing is still living in a pre televison era.

Squandered opportunities to bring fans closer to heros and standouts in the history of the sport. The Baseball Hall of Fame