tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post1861188309295271741..comments2023-05-23T06:58:05.579-04:00Comments on Fugue for Tinhorns: When less isn't more ... which is most of the timeGlenn Cravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09760553404742644042noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-19529445338833835392009-07-17T10:00:48.209-04:002009-07-17T10:00:48.209-04:00That doesn't mean that such tracks shouldn'...That doesn't mean that such tracks shouldn't be allowed to find a way to stay in business.<br /><br />Say I own an independent bookstore in a small college town and I find it difficult to stay afloat selling only reading materials. But I realize the college kids are driving 30 or 45 minutes to hang out for hours at Starbucks.<br /><br />So I clear out space in my building, set up a coffee bar and some tables, and hire a handful of baristas -- from among the recent liberal arts grads at the college who have no other job opportunities, of course.<br /><br />Suddenly I'm handling twice as much business in coffee sales as I ever did selling books. I'm happy, the coffee drinkers are happy, and while it certainly creates a different atmosphere in the building and might be considered an inconvenience to some of my books-only customers, isn't that better for them than if my bookstore went out of business entirely?<br /><br />It isn't exactly the same scenario. But it isn't exactly different, either.Glenn Cravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09760553404742644042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-76777280065419716482009-07-17T05:32:22.425-04:002009-07-17T05:32:22.425-04:00Lost in the concept of downsizing is the impact th...Lost in the concept of downsizing is the impact this will have on the economy of the affected States. The economic impact goes much deeper than simply tracking handle and anyone wanting to suggest downsizing should address this in their solutions. Do you have jobs for all the grooms, blacksmiths, van drivers, tellers, etc. for each of the "AA" tracks when they close? Do you have logistics figured out for closing tracks for part of a year and racing on a circuit? Do you really think people in the industry can simply shutdown for months at a time or move around the country like gypsies?<br /><br />And the point about CT is absurd. Ask anyone in the city of Charles Town what they think about the track and I'm sure you will get a different opinion. Before Charles Town added gaming, the city was nothing more than a track and something resembling a small town. The commercial and residential growth in CT has been nothing short of amazing and the town continues to grow and prosper.<br /><br />Anyone in the game knows things need to change but shortsighted "solutions" are not going to fix the problems.Stewart Nickelhttp://www.winnerscirclepartners.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-36450463903205179632009-07-17T04:24:09.381-04:002009-07-17T04:24:09.381-04:00"Charles Town and Mountaineer aren't bein..."Charles Town and Mountaineer aren't being kept any more artificially alive than all the Pennsylvania tracks, Louisiana and other locations with alternate gaming revenues." - absolutely true, and I would like them all to either survive without it or die. Let's see what will happen in PA when the politicos end the slots racing charade.<br /><br />Non-slots tracks (i.e. real race tracks with a focus on racing) can't match those purses. It's like competing with Dubai in the airport business - if your competitor doesn't care about the bottom line, any attempt at matching them is essentially suicidal. The WV or PA tracks aren't viable, they just don't care for viability.<br /><br />While overall handle hasn't been in a steady decline, the trend that few tracks operate a profitable racing product has been the case for several decades now. So has the fact that very few if any minor-league tracks operate profitably.malcerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02913127739083446726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-63006196903874018272009-07-16T21:20:28.314-04:002009-07-16T21:20:28.314-04:00My dreams are coming true! Check my blog to see w...My dreams are coming true! Check my blog to see why!!!Gina Eaveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145297908173255612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-21723169684294997922009-07-16T19:24:57.374-04:002009-07-16T19:24:57.374-04:00Charles Town and Mountaineer aren't being kept...Charles Town and Mountaineer aren't being kept any more artificially alive than all the Pennsylvania tracks, Louisiana and other locations with alternate gaming revenues. Anyone who wants to bemoan their improved purses due to slots or other gaming need only to have matched them to keep their business. It isn't like what they're doing is secret or couldn't be duplicated.<br /><br />Handle hasn't been consistently going down over the past few years. Just a quick scan of Bloodhorse.com shows quarterly handle was up 2Q 2007, up in 1Q 2006, handle down slightly overall in 2005 primarily due to cancelled dates and meets due to weather (Hurricane Katrina, namely), though handle was up overall in 2002 and 2003, etc.<br /><br />The news isn't consistently bad.Glenn Cravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09760553404742644042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-88635105785981406072009-07-16T18:11:48.017-04:002009-07-16T18:11:48.017-04:00The problem that racing supply far exceeds demand ...The problem that racing supply far exceeds demand has been acute for decades now, it has absolutely nothing to do with the current economic climate.<br /><br />The days when gambling alone could attract large crowds to the local track in every city have ended with the advent of OTBs. Ever since, racing has clung to one band-aid after another, trying to ignore the most basic of economic principles. In the age of online betting, nobody needs the local AA-level track to run 200 days per year; and ignoring this simple fact has been the main catalyst behind such catastrophic “innovations” as slots racing.<br /><br />CD won’t be able to attract 30.000 people to average cards five times a week. If anything, this experiment proved that large attendances CAN be attracted if tracks offer something special, as in running fewer days and putting more emphasis on every single one of those.<br /><br />The hatred for places like CT or Mnr is because these are the tracks that absolutely should be dead by now. Because they are artificially kept on life support, they steal business from tracks that in open competition probably would be viable.<br /><br />If we have learned anything at all from those successful Asian racing jurisdictions (Singapore, HK, Japan, Macau) it’s that, yes, less is more in racing. Much more.malcerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02913127739083446726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-33680543167348989822009-07-16T16:55:02.817-04:002009-07-16T16:55:02.817-04:00Well said. I miss the full, vociferous grandstand...Well said. I miss the full, vociferous grandstand of the late 1980s at Woodbine.<br /><br />Woodbine have a high level of racing. The best turf course on the continent and night racing on Wednesday nights. It's well marketed but where is everyone?<br /><br />So many options for the shrinking entertainment dollar. <br /><br />I hope the economy returns soon. It's lonely by the rail!Keith - TripleDeadHeathttp://tripledeadheat.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com