Comments on: HALL OF ZERO http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/ An independent voice for news, analysis and commentary on the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:26:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: SJ http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2738 SJ Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:41:46 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2738 D.G. Van Cleif-- please read this article. Then, for the first time in your life, get off your #@! and do something about it. D.G. Van Cleif– please read this article. Then, for the first time in your life, get off your #@! and do something about it.

]]> By: Sysonby http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2108 Sysonby Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:45:16 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2108 Well stated. As is often the case in the "museum environment" there is little forward looking and much navel gazing. Some within the staff have tried to expand their reach and that of the Hall of Fame bu to no avail. It is like trying to shove a glacier. The Museum needs to enter the 21st century and get some people who are truly excited about the sport and both its past and future. The wealthy who run the sport need to tear off the full cup blinkers and see what is all around them. At Saratoga I see members of racing's elite walk through the clubhouse looking smugly through hundreds of fans who probably know more about the game than they do but who have no input into any of it. Alot of folks were excited about the HOF inductions this year because they love Nafzger and Prado. Sad to say but if you find the owner of a horse dull, going to see him collect another trophy and say a few words is meaningless. The Museum should be honoring the many people who have dedicated their lives to the game. Writers, breeders and even stallions themselves have contributed a great deal to the sport and should be recognized. Well stated. As is often the case in the “museum environment” there is little forward looking and much navel gazing.
Some within the staff have tried to expand their reach and that of the Hall of Fame bu to no avail. It is like trying to shove a glacier. The Museum needs to enter the 21st century and get some people who are truly excited about the sport and both its past and future.
The wealthy who run the sport need to tear off the full cup blinkers and see what is all around them. At Saratoga I see members of racing’s elite walk through the clubhouse looking smugly through hundreds of fans who probably know more about the game than they do but who have no input into any of it.

Alot of folks were excited about the HOF inductions this year because they love Nafzger and Prado. Sad to say but if you find the owner of a horse dull, going to see him collect another trophy and say a few words is meaningless. The Museum should be honoring the many people who have dedicated their lives to the game. Writers, breeders and even stallions themselves have contributed a great deal to the sport and should be recognized.

]]> By: Steve Zorn http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2101 Steve Zorn Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:06:03 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2101 Hard to disagree with anything you say. To take just one example of bad program execution: I had lent the Museum a trophy for a proposed "Women in Racing" exhibit some years ago (The trophy was from the Maryland Million Distaff, won by our mare Flippy Diane in 2000. Flippy, a $20,000 claim, was the first horse ever trained by Leah Gyarmati, and was ridden in MD by Diane Nelson, so there were some nice women-in-racing connections). When I finally got up to the Museum to see how they'd treated the subject, and us, I was dismayed to find the trophy stuffed in a display case with some Julie Krone memorabilia and other odds and ends. No real presentation of the story of women in racing at all. As you might expect, I took the trophy ack and it's now being enjoyed by my partners. Hard to disagree with anything you say. To take just one example of bad program execution: I had lent the Museum a trophy for a proposed “Women in Racing” exhibit some years ago (The trophy was from the Maryland Million Distaff, won by our mare Flippy Diane in 2000. Flippy, a $20,000 claim, was the first horse ever trained by Leah Gyarmati, and was ridden in MD by Diane Nelson, so there were some nice women-in-racing connections). When I finally got up to the Museum to see how they’d treated the subject, and us, I was dismayed to find the trophy stuffed in a display case with some Julie Krone memorabilia and other odds and ends. No real presentation of the story of women in racing at all. As you might expect, I took the trophy ack and it’s now being enjoyed by my partners.

]]> By: Nathan http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2097 Nathan Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:19:34 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2097 Nice story, but you have only scratched the surface of the many problems the Hall of Fame has. It really is an embarrassment when you compare it to other sports. The museum and its Hall of Fame are nothing more than an extension of the idle rich who have run NYRA into the ground over the last thirty years. Will they respond to criticism? They never have before. They'll just carry on as if everything is wonderful. Nice story, but you have only scratched the surface of the many problems the Hall of Fame has. It really is an embarrassment when you compare it to other sports. The museum and its Hall of Fame are nothing more than an extension of the idle rich who have run NYRA into the ground over the last thirty years.

Will they respond to criticism? They never have before. They’ll just carry on as if everything is wonderful.

]]> By: Little Fan http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2096 Little Fan Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:11:48 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2096 Entering the Racing Hall of Fame should be about quality, compassion toward horses and honorable conduct, not on occasions impressive numbers on steroids attained in a graveyard. Entering the Racing Hall of Fame should be about quality, compassion toward horses and honorable conduct, not on occasions impressive numbers on steroids attained in a graveyard.

]]> By: Billy Huntington http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2095 Billy Huntington Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:55:59 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2095 Ray - that was outstanding. Ray - that was outstanding.

]]> By: Garrett Redmond http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2094 Garrett Redmond Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:46:07 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2094 BigFan has it right. The old "blood royal" gang must go before anything changes, anywhere in the American Thoroughbred world. BigFan has it right. The old “blood royal” gang must go before anything changes, anywhere in the American Thoroughbred world.

]]> By: stan bergstein http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2092 stan bergstein Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:03:04 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2092 Have the trustees and/or interested parties drive down the New York Thruway to Goshen and take a look at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. It is run by a staff of 8 or 10 under a professional director, Gail Cunard, has spectacular exhibits and dioramas, iadds new ones and updates old ones constantly, ncludes writers, breeders, announcers and anyone involved in the sport among its honorees, and has a hard-driving fund-raising pair in the Gerry brothers, Ebby of Brown Brothers Harriman and financier Peter. It is a treasure for the sport and a model for others. Have the trustees and/or interested parties drive down the New York Thruway to Goshen and take a look at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. It is run by a staff of 8 or 10 under a professional director, Gail Cunard, has spectacular exhibits and dioramas, iadds new ones and updates old ones constantly, ncludes writers, breeders, announcers and anyone involved in the sport among its honorees, and has a hard-driving fund-raising pair in the Gerry brothers, Ebby of Brown Brothers Harriman and financier Peter. It is a treasure for the sport and a model for others.

]]> By: BigFan http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2091 BigFan Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:12:12 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2091 No major sport in today's landscape can be considered legitimate w/out a legitimate Hall of Fame. Thoroughbred racing's current version is utterly emblematic of every problem that has retarded our sport and industry for decades. It is stultified in its policies, unfair and flagrantly biased in who it admits and who it leaves out, and run, like so many other industry organizations, exclusively for the benefit of a few old families who believe the status quo in racing is A-ok. The National Museum of Racing should change its name. It should be called, simply, A National Joke. No major sport in today’s landscape can be considered legitimate w/out a legitimate Hall of Fame. Thoroughbred racing’s current version is utterly emblematic of every problem that has retarded our sport and industry for decades. It is stultified in its policies, unfair and flagrantly biased in who it admits and who it leaves out, and run, like so many other industry organizations, exclusively for the benefit of a few old families who believe the status quo in racing is A-ok. The National Museum of Racing should change its name. It should be called, simply, A National Joke.

]]> By: Superfecta http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hall-of-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-2088 Superfecta Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:21:53 +0000 http://www.paulickreport.com/?p=179#comment-2088 As someone who has spent a good deal of time working in library and museum land, I can see how things end up that way; it's very difficult to get enough money to pay a professional staff (especially outside major cities, where you can rarely get the best people to move) much less to have extra money on hand to update exhibits or to have ongoing programming. It doesn't mean it's not worth pursuing, but it's also not a simple matter of picking a direction and moving forward. In order to really shake things up they would need to hire fundraisers, grant writers, exhibit designers, etc. just as a beginning - and that takes cash. One would think that there would be 'Friends' of the museum with deep pockets, but I can say from long experience that even those who are interested in the mission of the organization and its future can drag their feet before writing a big check. As someone who has spent a good deal of time working in library and museum land, I can see how things end up that way; it’s very difficult to get enough money to pay a professional staff (especially outside major cities, where you can rarely get the best people to move) much less to have extra money on hand to update exhibits or to have ongoing programming.

It doesn’t mean it’s not worth pursuing, but it’s also not a simple matter of picking a direction and moving forward. In order to really shake things up they would need to hire fundraisers, grant writers, exhibit designers, etc. just as a beginning - and that takes cash. One would think that there would be ‘Friends’ of the museum with deep pockets, but I can say from long experience that even those who are interested in the mission of the organization and its future can drag their feet before writing a big check.

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