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.

Bob Carson

Second tier professional sports franchises fail at a depressing rate. Investing money in a women’s professional basketball team, or a minor league hockey team, or a roller derby league, is economic madness. After reporting on dozens and dozens of fledgling Minor League and Independent League professional baseball teams, it is clear that potential franchises need more than enthusiasm and a love of the game.

The formula for success with new sporting franchises is elusive, but to my eyes, there are four essentials; good demographics, fertile territory, a new facility and a sport with a rich historical legacy. From their opening day, the Dayton Dragons baseball team has been wildly successful. They touched all four bases. Countless others failed because they felt they could skip a base.

Harness racing could offer all of these ingredients if we found some new stomping grounds. We could touch ‘em all and add a fifth base in gambling revenue.

Autumn Ryan graphic

The plethora of states that do not have horse racing is troubling; especially states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia which have nice weather, rural roots, strong demographics, rich equine histories and few competitors for the sporting dollar.

Obviously, these states have statutes that prohibit gambling, statutes that were written long ago by fine folks that wanted to keep the pool halls from causing trouble in River City. Maybe these anti-gambling stances made a smidgen of sense in 1899 or 1936 or 1969, but they do not make much sense in 2013.

While on my travels to the Harness Racing Congress in Florida, I pulled out my I-pad and gambled away a hundred dollars on horse racing in the city of Valdosta, Ga. I could have gambled away thousands from the veranda under the Pecan trees. Who knows where the money went, but it did not visit Georgia. How many millions do you think get wagered illegally on college and professional football in the deep south? Cyberspace has obliterated state lines.

Forward thinking and reasonable people realize anti-gambling arguments in the internet age are anachronisms. Archaic state laws that were written to keep the lid on the gambling pot become less relevant with each passing day. There are are plenty of ways and means of gambling from anywhere. There will be more.

Laws that prohibit horse racing will soon make as much sense as these (actual) Georgia laws:

• Acworth – All citizens must own a rake.
• Atlanta – It is against the law to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.
• Columbus – It is illegal to cut off a chicken’s head on Sunday and it is illegal to carry a chicken by the feet down Broadway on Sunday.
• Gainesville – Chicken must be eaten with the hands.
• Jonesboro – It is illegal to say “Oh, Boy”
• Kennesaw – Every head of household must possess a firearm of some kind.
• Marietta – Though it is illegal to spit from a car or bus, citizens may spit from a truck.
• St. Mary’s – No spitting on the sidewalk is permitted after dark.
• Quitman – Cars are not to drive on sidewalks and no one may carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket if it is Sunday.

The world changes at lightning speed. Politicians come and go. Voters change their minds on issues. It would be refreshing to be at the front of the line when changes happen in states that do not have legalized gambling. Money and jobs are the lifeblood of a state.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing to get harness racing into some state mixes and watch new racetracks take root instead of just watching old racetrack territory struggle to hang on?

Show a government a solid plan that brings revenue and those out-of-date statutes would fall like drunken ice skaters. In the modern world, examination of existing workable models that help agriculture, state coffers, and tourism should get traction — even in River City.

This was on my mind as I attended the Congress, when a nice chap named Tom Hicks ambled over to introduce himself. Talking with him added more fuel to this virgin territory expansion theme. It did not take long to recognize Tom knows harness racing from A to Z. He is a successful turnaround guy who has a rich history in breeding and racing trotters. His family has been in the Standardbred business continuously since 1945. In the course of our conversation, Tom opined that French harness racing is much different than racing in the United States, and is very successful.

When asked why we do not copy at least parts of the model, he answered, “The U.S. has many entrenched and convoluted political interests, plus we have a fractured horse front. The states that currently have racing would have a hard time rebuilding, but a new state, starting from scratch could do well.”

This brings us to the old, “So, whadda ya gonna do about it?”

A little research shows that previous efforts to bring horse racing to Georgia failed; that does not mean future efforts should be abandoned. After a few hours of investigating, it was interesting to discover that horse racing has supporters in Georgia. In fact, legislation almost made it to the statehouse floor last year. The present governor is anti-gambling, but his term will end and surveys indicate public opinion is shifting. Why don’t we do a little groundwork to help those trying to expand our base?

When organizers schedule harness racing conferences, workshops or awards banquets, consider holding them in a non-racing state. A site like Atlanta has easy plane travel and many hotels. In future years we could try Birmingham or Raleigh.

Since we already have some harness racing allies in these states, when we are coming to these towns we could mail invitations based on any existing information we have regarding previous forays into approving racing legislation. Why not invite a select group of business folks and government officials from Georgia to show them what nice folks we are and what we could bring to the state table. Just because the doors have previously been closed does not mean we should stop knocking. Let’s bring some Georgian movers and shakers to our next meeting.

Remember to bring your rake and don’t spit on the sidewalk after dark.