Piqued by curiosity I initiated a search of what others have commented on their pages about Ladies day. The most amazing find was that the Superfecter blog had suggested that the Breeders Cup stage a Ladies Day way back in Feb 2007. Perhaps the brain trust at the Breeders Cup reads these blogs and they were inspired by this well presented post. Some of these pages are maintained by well educated fans, the creme de la creme of race fans. It is very shrewd of Breeders Cup to skim the top of the barrel when looking for inspiration.
Here is quote from the post that initiated the idea;
4) Create something akin to Ladies' Day at Ascot -- don't leave the pomp up to d-list celebrities at the Derby. If the Breeders' Cup is going to continue to add races, why not make it an occasion? I would gladly take a Friday off work and would even invest in a hat for that purpose.However the same person that may have been the inspiration for Ladies day commented on the "Complain Overkill" post that they do not like the breeders cup staging a Ladies day. A total one hundred eighty degree reverse of opinion while not acknowledging their own creativity!
I think you missed those of us who are simply annoyed that they've moved a great race to day no one will watch or attend -- as a working mom, I certainly cannot just take a Friday off and fly across the country for a few races.The conclusion I draw from this is that even the most educated, resourceful fans can have a knack for the negative. They come up with an idea, a real idea with limitless potentional and when it is implemented they still complain. Rather than giving the fans instant validation for their confused concerns with Ladies Day I think breeders cup should run with the Ladies days for two years and see how it works. The people complaining may feel a sense of initial rejection that their petition was a failure but perhaps after the knee-jerk offensive feelings subside Ladies day may end up becoming a rousing success. A celebration of the beauty and grace of the feminine form and the generosity of the female racehorse. Do we really want to celebrate juvenile horses? Everyday is kids day, but a whole day dedicated to the Ladies is so much better. Maybe in the future if Ladies day succeeds, ESPN could secure a Sunday slot. One has to realize that replacing NFL football coverage with horse racing is not going to be a something that could happen at this point in time. That is the reason Ladies day is on Friday this year. This is not marginalizing the woman it is validating the Women with an entire day devoted to her, where she can be the headliner. It is day to celebrate the beauty in the difference of the sexes that makes life so sweet.
3 comments:
Alas, you've missed the point (and, through some rather selective reading, my other posts saying 'nice try, here's now to make it work'). I've remained of the same opinion from the beginning -- create an event worth attending, not a day of throwaway extra races.
As I've said many times, I'm all for creating a tradition -- I'm even fine with calling it Ladies' Day (especially if it means I get in for something less than $200 a pop), even if it's clumsy and slightly lazy from a naming persepctive.
What the BC has proposed is nothing of the sort (nor do they even call it that) -- moving all the filly & mare races to a Friday is nothing akin to Ladies' Day at Ascot or Cheltenham, both of which are high points of the racing calendar in their respective countries (and note that in those countries female horses typically compete with males at the highest level -- yes, there are filly & mare races, but there is a lot more mixing; the US situation is something of an accident of purse structure).
I'd take Friday off to see a real mix of quality races (mixed and female-restricted) -- not to see one formerly great race buried among some filler and marketing glurge.
(For the record, I don't do greeting card 'holidays' of any sort -- I think they are a cop-out for people who don't treat their friends, co-workers and family well the other 364 days a year).
You'd be better off learning how to use an apostrophe correctly than claiming to speak for anyone else.
Greg, I don't know why you demean those of us who have given a good deal of thought to this process by labeling us "knee-jerk" and "politically correct." It dismisses the thought that we have given to this topic and implies an emotional reaction devoid of intellect and reason. I have read a number of reasoned defenses of the BC decision, and I am most willing to listen to those who also give credit and respect to my point of view--it's a basic tenet of argument, and human nature.
I appreciate your returning to this charged subject, but I don't understand why you must denigrate those who think differently from you.
And feel free to check out my post to see why the Ladies' Championship at Wimbledon is a completely different story to Ladies' Day at the BC. Essentially, the same rules apply (prize money aside) to both men and women; the same terminology is used to describe both sexes; and both championships are held on weekends.
That same post also explains why "lady" carries such negative connotations, if you're interested.
If it's a success, the people who "came up" with the Filly Friday idea will come out of the woodwork.
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