I watched the tape of NBC\u2019s 153-minute broadcast of the Belmont Stakes and thought it was a solid presentation given the fact the network was forced to scramble after I\u2019ll Have Another withdrew a day before the big race.<\/p>\n
The presence of Bob Costas at the helm of the show pretty much guarantees you\u2019ll get context, information and history delivered in a balanced manner.\u00a0 Forced to discard a taped interview with Another\u2019s trainer Doug O\u2019Neill because of the changed circumstances, Costas covered all the bases in a live Q & A with O\u2019Neill and owner Paul Reddam 40 minutes into the broadcast.\u00a0 The viewer had just learned a lot about the injury a few minutes earlier but Costas focused on the decision by Another\u2019s team to retire the horse.<\/p>\n
I understand cynics out there who believe there\u2019s more to the story.\u00a0 But all you can do, all Costas can do is accept at face value the explanations provided by those who cared for the horse and controlled the outcome we got.\u00a0 Costas asked O\u2019Neill if Another could have run with the injury and whether he still could have won.\u00a0 O\u2019Neill appeared to agonize over his response but answered in the affirmative to both queries.\u00a0 He further indicated that a conversation with Reddam about whether to give it a shot despite the medical assessment was a debate ended without hesitation by the owner.\u00a0 Since Costas didn\u2019t delve much further on that front, I\u2019m only speculating but it seems possible that O\u2019Neill would have ceded to a vote to run in the Belmont had a different owner been driving the decision.<\/p>\n
My only real complaint with the broadcast is that it sorely lacked effort to incorporate the unique New York flavor entwined with this event.\u00a0 A feature on Stevie Cauthen\u2019s magical Triple Crown partnership with Affirmed in 1978 sprinkled in the recollections of some New York racing fans but that was about it.\u00a0 You got a shot of Woody and Soon-Yi up in a box and Tom Coughlin\u2019s riders-up instructions.\u00a0 But there was room for so much more.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve spent any time at Belmont on a regular afternoon of racing, you\u2019d know that one of the best parts of the experience is the diverse collection of characters who regularly bet on horses there.\u00a0 This city\u2019s two main tabloids still devote significant space to the sport.<\/p>\n
The easy, obvious feature was the story of local runner Guyana Star Dweej, his trainer Doodnauth Shivmangal and the strong following the horse has here in neighborhoods with big numbers of immigrants from Guyana.\u00a0 Times outerborough reporter Corey Kilgannon did this story a few days before the Belmont and NBC could easily have put something together on it too.<\/p>\n
The boisterous groups of loyal New York horse racing fans with ties to countries in the Caribbean have become the backbone of the live audience at Aqueduct and Belmont and they were there on Saturday surrounded by the fans who come once a year.\u00a0 Add the old-timers who were there for racing\u2019s consistently good days and there are so many ways to give the Belmont broadcast a dynamic that is unlike other events.<\/p>\n
NBC\u2019s Belmont broadcast ended with a rare Costas flub.\u00a0 After Noomie broke news that Smith was beating himself up for his stretch ride tactics on Paynter, he tossed it to Bob for the trophy presentation.<\/p>\n
A big crowd of people in the winner\u2019s circle interfered with Costas\u2019 plan to interview connections of the winner.\u00a0 A split-second after Noomie steered it there, Costas could be heard scowling at a producer.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s my camera?\u00a0 Which camera\u2026\u201d said a flustered Bob before someone cut his mike.<\/p>\n
When NBC finally went to Costas, he was jostling for position as a camera operator desperately tried to gain a view of the principals.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, a makeshift situation here,\u201d said Bob with a unusual display of aggravation.\u00a0 He eventually gained composure but rushed the proceedings as the clock ticked past 7 PM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I watched the tape of NBC\u2019s 153-minute broadcast of the Belmont Stakes and thought it was a solid presentation given the fact the network was forced to scramble after I\u2019ll Have Another withdrew a day before the big race. The … Continue reading