Don't equate dogfighting with horse racing

Horseracing Betting Lines

08/18/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In Philadelphia the sports reports have been dominated by Michael Vick. His signing by the Eagles has also filled a sizable block of the overall news programs.

It didn't take long for a defender of Vick to call a sports-talk show equating dogfighting with horse racing. The caller tried to say that horses are just as poorly treated as the dogs Vick and his associates tortured and killed.

As soon as the caller mentioned horse racing I changed the station. The program host did not interrupt the caller to tell him how wrong he was to mention horse racing being equal to dogfighting.

First off, horse racing is legal. It's a well regulated sport in the United States with committed individuals involved in the industry. People in the sport care about the horses, with an extremely small percentage outside the mainstream.

The caller mentioned that racehorses, no longer able to race, are cruelly killed. I nearly hit the roof. Horse racing is continually working to improve the fate of horses that are no longer able to compete.

There are new style riding crops being used throughout the racing industry. These equine friendly riding crops are made to encourage the horse through sound and not pain.

"The padded flap is much kinder to the horse," said Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado. "Jockeys across the country have been using the new riding crops on a trial basis for quite a while, and in Kentucky the new riding crop is the standard. In New York, now is the right time to make that change and Saratoga is the proper place."

Jockeys at Saratoga will begin using the riding crop on Wednesday, August 19 following the lead of Monmouth Park and Del Mar earlier this summer.

"The New York jockeys, like the Del Mar jockeys last week, deserve the credit for being proactive in adopting this measure," said Terry Meyocks, national manager of the Jockeys' Guild. "This action is an example of the commitment of the jockeys to work with all groups in the industry to help overcome the challenges facing it. In New York, the jockeys want to continue to work with NYRA to strengthen the racing industry in the state."

Basically, I needed to write this column just to let off some steam. Horse racing may not be perfect, but everyone involved is working to improve the sport and the care of the beautiful animals that keep us coming back.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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