Finally, after 8 months of constant updates on his health, untold thousands of dollars spent, and the creation of a message board dedicated to a horse who could not read, Barbaro was put down yesterday.
Now, I get the point that there are a lot of people out there who enjoy horse racing. Why, I have no idea. But that is their choice. My choice is to not watch a horse being poked and prodded to run around a track for a couple of minutes. My choice is to not watch an animal being beaten with a whip in order to win some race. And my choice is to not get upset over the injury or death of a horse. Now, I'm not totally heartless, I was very sad when my dog died as a teenager. When the time comes and my cats pass away, I will be sad. But the difference is that they were mine, and part of my life day in and day out. They were not some animal that someone else owned and that I only got to see on TV.
It bothers me the amount of media ink and TV time that was spent following this horse. The New York Times would run half page stories, while real sports, like hockey, get AP blurbs when the local teams play on the road, due to cost cutting. Tell me, what sport is enjoyed by more NY area residents, horse racing, or hockey?
"Death of a Champion" blared the full back pages Post and News this morning. The Times had half of page 1 of the sports section dedicated to Barbaro. The Times had a sub headline "Horse's Desperate Struggle Touched the Nation". This really galls me. Yes, there was a small percentage of the population that was interested (some fanatically so) with the recovery of this horse. But to say it touched the nation is a bit much. You know what touches me? The fact that we have members of the Army, Marines and the Navy being injured and killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The fact that every day, little kids are being hurt or killed by people, and that our court system does little to stop these predators from being back on the streets. The fact that we have too many people in this country who do not have access to good health care. Those things touch me, not the fact that a horse was injured running a race, and had to be put down 8 months later.
I have news for all of you people who were hanging on every word, the reason Barbaro was being kept alive was money, pure and simple. You see, in order for a colt to be registered, it has to be created through natural acts, not with a turkey baster. So the owners needed to get this horse healthy so they could profit from his offspring. Yes, I am sure that the owners cared deeply for Barbaro, he was a part of their day to day life, but if he had not been such a winner in the Kentucky Derby, he would probably have been euthanized at Pimlico, not after months of surgery and treatment, and untold stories in the print and over air media about his struggle for life.
End Barbaro Rant
Otherwise, not much going on with my teams. The Jets are quiet, resting their bodies and minds. The Mets get ready for Spring Training, and add on Aaron Sele, this year's version of Jose Lima. Maybe they wanted another Aaron around to keep Heilman company.
As for the Islanders, they won their last game before the All Star Break (quick, if you air and All Star Game on a network that no one gets, did it really happen?). Then, after a week of rest, they come back to Rick DiPietro giving up 3 goals on 5 shots in the first 5 minutes of their first game back. That Rick, he sure knows how to keep his head in the game. How the hell do you not come ready to play after a week off? Thankfully, the team sacked up, and earned a point against the Thrashers that night. They followed that with a come from behind win against another first place team, the Buffalo Sabres, winning 5-3, as a rested DiPietro played well, and Aaron Asham scored a couple of goals. The second, third and fourth lines are starting to score a bit, but Yashin and Blake are still quiet. They need the balance. They have a shot at the playoffs, though it will be a touch road. Frankly, I want Snow to trade Jason Blake at the deadline, and get some youth. He is going to want a lot of money next year, and at 34, with big money already tied up with Yashin and DiPietro, too much of the cap will be concentrated among those three. Also, if there are any takers, trade Satan. Let's bring some of the young guys up and give them a shot. Then, use the open cap space to make a run at some free agents. Finally, buy out Yashin at the end of the year. He had a great start, and I know he is still struggling with his knee injury, but if he can't turn it around, blow it up and start over.
I'll be back tomorrow with the observations.
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5 comments:
Ed, agreed--the Barbaro thing is ridiculous. You'd think Jesus just died or something. Check out my recent post on the Barbaro shennanigans for further examination on the topic.
Nick - I read it. Nice job.
I was gonna post about Barbaro myself. But anyone who knows me realizes I'd end up angering everyone with my "insensitivity" & such. So I opted against it.
But I agree, Ed. Mostly about the fact that they could have saved the poor animal montsh of excrutiating pain & suffering if they put him down at the track.
A horse getting shot is sad, but an animal made to run and stand (and fuck while standing) laid up in horse-traction for 8 months? That's terrible.
Mike - As you can see, I would not have been angered if you posted. We seem to agree.
I question the integrity of keeping Barbaro alive as well. I rooted for him, just because I love animals and it would have been nice if they saved him. But I also put it in proper perspective. It's a horse.
I think trading Blake is a good idea Ed.
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