by Bob Carson

Editor’s Note: The USTA website is pleased to present freelance writer Bob Carson and his popular “Outside the Box” features. This monthly series is a menu of outlandish proposals presented with a wink — but the purpose behind them is serious. The views contained in this column are that of the author alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of the United States Trotting Association.

“Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.” — Kyle Chandler

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” — Mark Caine

Bob Carson

Imagine you are working away at your job when someone sticks their head inside your doorway and “suggests” you take on additional work. In this economy, you probably paste a smile on your face, but beneath your phony grin you probably fantasize about pulling a tazer from your desk drawer and making the suggestee do the Electric Watusi.

GM’s, CEO’s and executives at harness race tracks are no different. These folks are busy trying to keep a leaky boat afloat in turbulent waters. Throwing unfunded projects at our captains is like tossing them large anchors from hovering helicopters.

Alas, we need new projects and new initiatives in harness racing.

Since our people are bailing away, short on money and time, a viable option is outsourcing. This project is perfect for new people who would willingly work for peanuts.

In our last episode, it was suggested that the digital presentation of harness will be a decisive factor in our future. Attending live races, which many of us love, will be a fractional part of our revenue. The real money, and our new fans, will be found on tablet-like devises. We need to give future visitors to our digital platforms more than just horses, odds and races.

Ingredients

Broadcasters with quick wits and engaging personalities
2 players with quick wits and engaging personalities
5 consecutive harness races
A glass container with 25 ping pong balls (sealed in each ball is a slip of paper)
A large flat panel that scrolls 25 wide ranging prizes

One of the prizes is huge, the bigger the better, like an around-the world cruise or a new car. Some are moderate; a flat panel television, an I-pad, tickets to Hawaii.

Some are quirky; tango lessons, part ownership of a horse, a helicopter ride, a weekend with Charlie Sheen. Some are local; dinner with a celebrity, a pizza each week for a year.

Sequence

At the end of the second race the regular broadcast will switch to the onsite studio. Two players are seated for the podcast or webcast. A host (or two) moderates the proceedings. There will be an audience of friends, relatives or assorted racetrack patrons that make up the live audience facing our players.

Autumn Ryan graphic

The announcer(s) has four minutes to introduce these players. What do they do? How did they get here? Make small talk, fun talk, and lively talk. Try to light a small competitive fire. Try to make viewers choose a favorite. At the end of the segment each player is asked for their envelopes.

Return to regular race format.

At the end of the third race, we switch to the studio and spend another three minutes with our players. During the final 30 seconds of this segment, the host will recap the simple concept that brought our players, the audience and viewers to this point.

“You all know how Neck and Neck is played. Louie and Katelyn will each wager $100 on each of the next five races. The wagers are their own money. They are gambling on the races just like everyone else. They can bet to win, place or show — they can even place exotic wagers. At the end of the tenth race, each player keeps any money they have won. The player who has won the most, or lost the least, will have a chance at one of our big prizes (gesture towards Paris or car on the scroll). It all begins in the fifth race.”

Return to regular race format.

After the fourth race, we return to the studio.

“Okay Louie, it’s time to see who you have in the fifth race.”

“I’m playing 50 to win and 50 to show on horse number 8 — Steaming Sammy. Last time out he was boxed in and came on strong. I think he’s got more (graphics and sound effects).”

“And Katelyn, what’s your bet in the fifth race?”

“Since there are ten horses in the race, and I don’t really understand harness racing — not yet anyway — in this race I decided to be conservative, to start out. I bet $10 to win on each horse. Unless something strange happens, one of them will win (smile, graphics, sound effects).”

Return to regular race format.

For the next five races, we follow our players. They will be on camera for less than two minutes between each race. During each of the five races, a camera inserts a small split screen of the players and their reactions. Hopefully, the players show angst when they do poorly, joy when they do well. There is drama. Who knows what they will say after each race? What they will wager next? How will they react? Will they blow the entire five hundred? Do you like their choices?

The excitement builds and builds. The running tally of of our competitors is displayed. At the end of the tenth we have our exuberant winner and hopefully tearful loser (tears and anger are entertainment gold). Now the drama ramps up even more (a prime motivator of human behavior). Will our Neck and Neck winner win a cruise to Paris or tango lessons?

Katelyn reaches into the fishbowl…..(sound effects, underscore tension)….This escalating, edge of the cliff, big finish format has been a staple of entertainment for as long as there has been entertainment.

What are the downsides to a game like this at a small studio at the racetrack? We have the time between races (often it is simply dead air). The costs are very small; a few production workers, a little early advertising, heck, even the gifts might be gratis on a placement/advertising deal. Regular handicappers are not bothered, nothing in their world changes. The game barely even rocks the traditional broadcast, just a few fun minutes between races.

The upsides? At a minimum, as advertised, a thousand dollars goes into the betting pool from our players (if producers feel the hundred per race is too steep, this could be tried with four players at 50 per race, or eight players at 25 — whatever). Who knows how many friends and relatives will log on to see how Katelyn and Louie do. However, in our modern world, the computer offers the possibility for a much bigger splash.

Say Katelyn is a Penn State alumna who works at a Ford Plant and volunteers at a hospital. Oceans of Penn State students and alumni, Ford workers and medical personnel can be alerted that one of their own might win the car or world cruise. Who knows how many would log on? Maybe Louie is a War Veteran, a sharp handicapper with a sad background, gruff exterior but heart of gold.

It is important to have at least one very valuable prize. Folks are not going to get wildly excited or involved for pizzas — the carrot must be tasty.

There should not be legal issues. These are people who have chosen to play five harness races with their own money. The racetrack is simply giving them a free shot at a prize. Finding contestants would not be difficult. Wouldn’t you be willing to gamble (not spend, gamble) a few hundred dollars to win a car? Lots of us wager that amount with no “kicker.” Heck, if you get chosen to play, even if you are not a gambler or a harness race handicapper, friends would fall out of the sky to subsidize you.

And if we draw the numbers (numbers is entertainment talk for money), television might come knocking. Hey, you have to believe more folks would find a multi-level presentation with horses racing, people squirming, winners, losers, drama, gambling and big prizes — much more interesting than Celebrity Apprentice or American Pickers.

Let’s get back to where we started — looking for people with enthusiasm to implement this little show.

If you dance around the fringes of show business, you quickly discover that everyone wants to enter the business — but few find the door. Everyone is looking for a break. Students graduate from our colleges with degrees in the performing arts who are desperate to get in front or behind a video camera. There are oceans of unemployed podcasters, webcasters, camera operators, audio people, promotion people, directors and producers who would work hard (and cheap) to get in this little niche of show business.

Recruit a few of these stars waiting in the wings. Simply hand them the concept of this show, give them a very modest budget and turn them loose. These young folks can put on a show, they can fill those empty 20 minutes we have between races every evening, they can promote the show via social networking and they might help save our game.