DISAGREEMENT AT THE BALTIMORE SUN
Baltimore Sun TV blogger David Zurawik compares those politicians that have okayed slots at Arundel Mills to Bob Irsay, the much-maligned former owner of the Baltimore Colts who moved the team to Indianapolis without warning.
Click here for the short but emotional response to the recent happenings in Maryland and then come back and let us know what you think.
Tags: Arundel Mills, Baltimore Sun, Bob Irsay, David Zurawik
December 28th, 2009 at 9:28 am
I believe publishing names is a good thing on this and many issues. If individuals are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem and should be exposed and made to explain, whether they are simply self-serving destructionists or passive vessels who float on the waterway of benign neglect.
December 28th, 2009 at 9:46 am
While I agree that Ersay was skunk, he did own the team lock, stock and barrel. Stealing the paid for fight instituted by the MD racing industry is way, way worse. The people voted on slots at tracks with some other possible non-track venues. Now that it is not at any track and peon pols at county level are STEALING THE REFERENDUM FROM RACING (which could be self-inflicted because of the mismanagement of MJC and MEC) is absolutely deplorable. Where the hell is the MJC, Governor and state house????? The politicians are hypocrites and ******. Never liked the deal, especially take-out by MD government, but this is dysfunction, greed and short sightedness beyond comprehension.
What a mess.
December 28th, 2009 at 11:40 am
When has MEC ever been prepared to confront a political issue with the power and prestige it demands? This joke of a company has failed in almost every case and in every jurisdiction where it stumbles, bumbles and fumbles with the Stronach sycophants who are utterly clueless without a press release to read from…..that was e-mailed from Canada.
December 28th, 2009 at 11:55 am
It’s not the fault of the Anne Arundel County politicians; they did what one would expect them to do, support the wishes of the biggest real estate developer in the county. The real fault lies with Frank Stronach, who could have taken the $28 million (and more) that I’m sure he spends on bimbos and luxuries for himself and paid the deposit for his slots application. After January 8th, the date for the MJC auction in bankruptcy court, there may be a new owner for Laurel and Pimlico. One only hopes that it will not, by then, be too late to revisit the slots issue.
December 28th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Sorry, but the bigger, ultimate fail is with the MJC (cowering to MEC) and the state house/executive (governor) branch. Stronach/MEC may be T***S, but the judicial, state legislators with a tone of incompetence and apathy from MJC, governor are the roadmap.
And yes, AA pols are so much scum…they opposed slots for the track last I checked (maybe I have that wrong). Those that didn’t now worship at Cordish’s butt because it reeks of green.
Still say HPBA and others non- MEC have one hell of a law suit, constitutionally.
December 28th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Here’a a novel idea: Make your business thrive on its own. Put down the tin cup, get up off your knees, man-up and start plugging the holes in the business model. Instead of lobbying for welfare, try lobbying for de-regulation and de-taxation. Lobby to experiment with takeout rates and betting platforms. Slots at racetracks have been around for about 15 years and during that time there has been a steady erosion of attendance and handle. Why continue with the same failed practices? Combining the casino’s player development model, along with Australia’s betting platforms (tote, fixed odds, and peer-to-peer) would go much further in building a robust racing industry than the corrupting influence of begging for welfare. Soon, we’ll have to start renaming the big races. The Welfare Cup. The f&m race would be The Welfare Queen Clasic. Then there’s the Succor Stakes, Handout Handicap, On-the-Dole Futurity.
December 28th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Have to side with Picksburg Phil on this one. Blame whomever, however, whatever. When you’re done whining and complaining there’s still a business to be run. Try running it somewhere besides into the ground.
December 28th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I’m not against slots, but the long term solution for racing in Maryland and elsewhere (if there is one) is to build up your business. Promotions, marketing, advertising, clean facilities, good food. How about a theater room showing great races of the past? How about tours of the backside? How about seminars? How about suggestion boxes? How about contests (own a horse for a day for example)? How about a racing crossword puzzle in the program? How about a racing-related weekly trivia puzzle in the local newspaper or on the internet with a small prize (eg. $50 wagering ticket)? How about win-a-lunch with a racing personality contest? The list is endless if you have any imagination. Look at the number of people that sign up for the Derby Road to the Roses contest. Obviously not everybody cares about horse racing, but there are still a lot of horse racing fans out there. Give people reasons to go and become fans. The Maryland tracks are dumps. Frank deFrancis had racing thriving until he died by promoting the sport. And while that was a different era, Maryland horse racing was anemic before him as well.
Sadly, Maryland racing has since been under incompetent and unimaginative management who can’t think past getting slots. Even if they eventually succeed, how does that help the sport of horse racing except as a short-term bandaid?
December 28th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
There’s plenty of fault to find in this MD slots debacle. Now, I hope the combined efforts of “Stop Slots at Arundel Mills” and the MD racing industry will collect enough signatures to put a “No slots at Arundel Mills” referendum on the ballot. Already the politicians are trying to undermine this effort. Council Member James Benoit was quoted in a recent “Washington Post” article: “I don’t want to discount anyone’s passion for an issue, but it’s a long shot. These things rarely succeed.”
Hmm, he must not have noticed the extremely successful “Trim” ballot referendum in Prince Georges County, MD, or “Proposition 13″ in California or various referendums formed by citizen’s groups against legalizing gay marriage — they were all signature driven and highly successful. The Post, several writers for the “Baltimore Sun” and certain Maryland politicians are exhibiting standard tactics used by the development industry. Dishearten the opposition, convince them they will fail, and they will give up. Well I haven’t given up yet!
December 28th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Phil –
Very well put; I have nothing to add.
December 28th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
From the Washington Post, Cordish answers his critics.
” “What do they know about anything? They’re in bankruptcy,” Cordish said, referring to the track’s owners, Magna Entertainment Corp., and its operators.”
Cordish certainly has a clear understandin of the racing industry. It would be a disaster if the racetracks were to run the casinos. They would charge for parking and admission, raise the takeout to 25% on all games, take away the free drinks, and dress the cocktail waitresses in burkhas. And they would be so self-absorbed that they wouldn’t even notice the diminished attendance.
December 29th, 2009 at 5:50 am
And the winner is William Rickman. The owner of Ocean Downs and Delaware Park. The only horse track in the state to get slot machines is owned by Mr. Rickman who always seems to be flying below the radar. If there is anyone in the state of Maryland who can save horse racing it is him. I would say he has no interest in Laurel or Pimlico otherwise he would be bidding for them Looks like he’s waiting for the dust to settle while he builds his own slot parlor at Ocean Downs. Once Laurel and Pimlico are sold to developers you can bet Mr Rickman will step in with plans to build his own track somewhere in Maryland and like his other two tracks it will have slot machines.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:47 am
Great blurb, I dig that spin on it.