Sunday, May 04, 2008
'A locomotive, on champagne-glass ankles'
I wouldn't equate horse racing with dog fighting. But Bob's right to start asking questions in the wake of Eight Belles's tragic death yesterday after the Kentucky Derby. Questions are already being asked, here and here, in the MSM as well. ... The Eight Belle tragedy was probably caused by many things -- but breeding should be at the top of everyone's causes list. Race horses are simply being overbred. It's not unlike the overbreeding of Labrador Retrievers. The former have delicate legs, the result of genetic over-tinkering by humans. The latter have delicate hips, also the result of genetic over-tinkering by humans. The answer sounds simple: Stop overbreeding. But society has a hard enough time as it is when it comes to trying to monitor/influence/regulate performance enhancement in human sports and entertainment (think 'steroids' in MLB and 'anorexia' in Hollywood). How do you stop abusive performance enhancement, i.e. overbreeding, in horse racing when the goal is to produce ever faster and stronger horses? ... I'm no expert on horses or horse racing. But there comes a time when participants in sports/entertainment events become physical freaks of nature -- and we need to address that physical component of a problem. I tried to do so when it comes to the obscene size of football players today. But no one listened to Hub Blog on that score. ... P.S. -- I'm not in favor of banning horse racing. I'm also not in favor of banning football. I am in favor of addressing the problems in both sports. ... Photo via NYT/AP.
I wouldn't equate horse racing with dog fighting. But Bob's right to start asking questions in the wake of Eight Belles's tragic death yesterday after the Kentucky Derby. Questions are already being asked, here and here, in the MSM as well. ... The Eight Belle tragedy was probably caused by many things -- but breeding should be at the top of everyone's causes list. Race horses are simply being overbred. It's not unlike the overbreeding of Labrador Retrievers. The former have delicate legs, the result of genetic over-tinkering by humans. The latter have delicate hips, also the result of genetic over-tinkering by humans. The answer sounds simple: Stop overbreeding. But society has a hard enough time as it is when it comes to trying to monitor/influence/regulate performance enhancement in human sports and entertainment (think 'steroids' in MLB and 'anorexia' in Hollywood). How do you stop abusive performance enhancement, i.e. overbreeding, in horse racing when the goal is to produce ever faster and stronger horses? ... I'm no expert on horses or horse racing. But there comes a time when participants in sports/entertainment events become physical freaks of nature -- and we need to address that physical component of a problem. I tried to do so when it comes to the obscene size of football players today. But no one listened to Hub Blog on that score. ... P.S. -- I'm not in favor of banning horse racing. I'm also not in favor of banning football. I am in favor of addressing the problems in both sports. ... Photo via NYT/AP.
