Some in horse racing talk about “sports entertainment”, and the importance on “emotional attachment”, but it’s almost always the blahs blahs.
Horse racing just can’t shake itself off from sticking to the usual tired and set narrative with the blinkers still on and looking in only one direction- the long forgotten past and the loneliness of that long distance runner long since put down.
Meanwhile, the Fourth cricket Test at the Gabba between Australia and India had it all- brilliant batting and bowling, yes, crisp “barbecues”, rants, youth versus the village elders and proof positive that the crowd of almost 90,000 EVERY day were ENTERTAINED and INFOTAINED by everything going on in the middle of the pitch and enhanced with new technology and knowledgeable presenters!
Those at the MCG and the millions around the world watching at home or wherever the match was being streamed- over 370,000 for the five days- were ENTERTAINED!
Entertained by the brashly entertaining debut of 19 year old Sam Konstas and 23 year old Yashasvi Jaiwasal, both of whom brought youthful energy plus an almost interplanetary display of batting dexterity and creativity that broke every rule and created new ones.
There was the sheer bowling brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah that should be compulsory viewing for all young cricketers- and the usual “chucker” brigade.
Wrong and reckless, unless backing India, there was the entertaining audacity of Rikash Pant, who played a major role in Australia winning the Test, and mistakes that had the great Sunil Gevaskar have a meltdown in front of the cameras.
King Kohli seemed to be sleep walking and the crown slipped with his unnecessary shoulder ramp aimed at Konstas and was very probably also responsible for the unnecessary runout of young Yashasvi Jaiwasal.
There was the emotional attachment of Nitish Kumar Reddy scoring his maiden Test century in Australia in front of the 90,000 including his proud father who gave up everything to make sure his son could pursue his dream to play professional cricket
Everything was certainly entertaining and which resulted in social media going on overdrive.
Speaking of which, it was interesting to read that after his debut Test Century, Sam Konstas saw his popularity on social media platforms increase by hundreds of thousands.
For those talking about horse racing’s “influencers” in social media, please.
Let this through to the keeper and keep fanciful thoughts in check until those who are supposedly leading racing and trying to keep it alive realise the need to Know Your Competition and the importance of hires who are actually BETTER than you than having more shoeshine people massaging overblown egos.
Knowing one’s competition and after the same consumer dollar was something drilled into us in advertising by our mentors, those visionaries who knew the lay of the land and the fickleness of those who will always be attracted to the best deal and interested enough to, at least, try The New and very easily tire of the same old same old.
Cricket has reinvented itself through variations of the game, constant new technologies for spectators to understand the game better and appreciate the skills of the players and always aware of those keeping everything alive and infotaining.
The leaders in horse racing?
Dunno.
Most appear to be happy in their cubbyholes and going through the motions of pretending to be doing things and believing their own hyperbole- but unaware that even the current customer base sees through fakery or are too old to care.
Do I hear an Amen?
Yassir, I do!
Comments