Sports Fan Behavior?
Zenyatta going to the post in the Vanity (crystaldiamondk2)
It’s very curious to me that the either/or mentality that has, in my opinion, cast a pall over our country is alive and well in racing in the form of Rachel vs. Zenyatta. Zenyatta fans, of which I count myself, seem to be a bit miserable this week after Rachel’s win the Haskell.
One Zenyatta fan writes “I’m not ready to jump off the Zenyatta band wagon just yet” while another posts a comment here at GbG “I will be the first to admit as a huge Zenyatta fan that all you Rachel Alexandra people must be whooping it up right now after two mind-blowing performances in the Acorn and Haskell…”
Jump off the Zenyatta bandwagon in order to be a Rachel fan? You Rachel people must be whopping it up? What?? I don’t know about all y’all but I’m on BOTH bandwagons and will be whopping it up just as much when the mighty Zenyatta wins her TWELFTH race a row as I did for any Rachel win. Why is the assumption that if you are for one you are against the other?
No doubt “Zenyatta fans” (who think that they must somehow be against Rachel in order to be a Zenyatta fan) are feeling left out of the fun because her connections have not chosen to give her any challenges worthy of her greatness thus far this year. I know I would have loved to have seen Zenyatta cruise past Rail Trip in the Hollywood Gold Cup (except that I cashed a nice ticket on him), thus proving what we all already know about her… she’s friggin’ fierce.
And no doubt Jess Jackson’s on going refusal to run in the BC has “Zenyatta fans” nervous that they’ll never get the vindication that they seem to crave. While I want to see the two of them battle it out just as much as anyone else, I’m with Gary West & Val (check out her new kick ass site!) on the BC issue.
But back to my point, which is NOT about Jess Jackson and the BC (I suggest you jump into the comment thread here, if you’re interested in that topic). If this either/or mentality is what the industry is so dying to convert to racing, i.e., sports fans, let me just say that I’m not a fan.
Update: Val at Fillies First expands on this topic while Jessica at Railbird provides a spreadsheet tracking Zenyatta and Rachel’s 2009 campaigns.
Posted by dana on Aug 07 2009
Filed Under: 2009, Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, Rivalry, Fans, Industry, Racing
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I have massive respect for Zenyatta. If I lived out Left, I’m sure I’d be ga-ga gone. I tend to love what I see up close.
She’s not—to me—quite as feminine as Raitch–she’s just a freakin’ monster, and worth all the accolades she’s gotten.
Her owners just haven’t given her the chance…
But a Classic win and a six-year-old season could get her the history we’re all after.
“But a Classic win and a six-year-old season could get her the history we’re all after.”
please, PLEASE let this happen!
The internet seems to be a breeding ground for either/or, nuanced be damned thinking. I count myself as a huge fan of both b/c I love great horses. Great post !
thx Kevin! yeah, I can’t get over the I can’t be a fan of X because I’m a fan of Y approach… boo sports fan thinking!
Thanks for the plug, Dana - appreciate it.
Do we have any reason to think that the Mosses will bring Z back as a 6 yo? Have they said anything to that effect? Love to see it, but I have to say I’d be pretty surprised — they’ve already established their “good sport” cred by bringing her back this year.
You’re a Zenyatta fan? LOL Your other posts on Z reek of typical East coast bias in racing.
Frank - any time!
Nancy - how so? because I think her 2009 campaign is boring so far? guilty as charged! guess you missed the posts from 2008 about her being HOY. let me make it easy for you:
http://www.greenbutgame.org/2008/10/24/welcome-one-and-all/
http://www.greenbutgame.org/2008/09/18/new-poll-hoy-so-far/
http://www.greenbutgame.org/2008/09/17/back-in-the-saddle/‘
and here’s another example that wreaks of east coast bias (???)
http://www.greenbutgame.org/2008/10/17/mtv-cribs-zenyatta/
as a fan, I’d like to see her challenged which has nothing to do geography. she could easily be challenged right there in sunny old Cali, by running in open company… that would rock.
Despite what might be viewed as “eeking out a win” by some yesterday, she closed into that slow pace and made up a ton of ground; her last 1/4 in 22.47 over the play-doh.
Even if they meet up, there will still be a ton of debate, considering pace scenarios, running styles, and who got help from the other horses etc.
Debates about horses being better than one another have and will endure forever.
I though her win yesterday was impressive. Jessica also pointed out this data from Trackus to me in an email … the final quarter and sixteenth in :22.91 and :5.65 (40 mph). Pretty incredible.
I think it’s premature to say RA is a lock over Z, I’m not willing to pick one. Debates are fine but it’s the shenanigans like commenter Nancy who seems to think it’s either/or that I find depressing. I’m also over hearing anything Jackson or Moss have to say… Moss’s comments yesterday were downright stupid. Officially putting my fingers in my ears over this mess (hey, I think I feel a post coming on!)