For the second Friday in a row the sports world had substantial off-field news thrust out…last week it was the unexpected resignation of AFL Commissioner David Baker and this week came the late Friday announcement that the Breeders Cup has banned steroids from all its races, again taking a stronger leadership role in horse racing. While the timing for bot.announcements was dictated by the fear of rumors getting out following board meetings, the tone of both announcements was extremely well placed and has legs beyond the 24 hour news cycle.Breeders Cup differs in that the word is extremely positive for a sport that has had its clouds over drugs in the past. It takes a dirty word in any sport…steroids…and immediately states the clear position of the organization as to the consequences for anyon.tainting the two richest days in sports with cheating.results should be positive (no pun intended) for the event to lure partners who may have been on the fence, media who still look towards horse racing with a skewed vision and fans who always wonder about the legitimacy of a sport where gambling is prevelant.the extensive race card and coverage that Saratoga gets this time of year.the coverage of the Friday announce was not as sparse as it could have been in other times of the year, and the ability to retell the announcement by officials going forward at the Haskell (where Big Brown will run) and through the Breeders Cup's ESPN partnership should extend the window and get the word out clearly before the 25th running of the event at Santa Anita in the fall. Well worded, well positioned announcement.by a group that is taking a much stronger public leadership position in a sport that is holding its own with potential to grow.
Some other good reads…George Solomon in Sunday's Washington Post has a great story on the father-son relationships between Art Monk and Darrell Green and their sons…great example of getting even further inside a story by a veteran journalist who knows the subjects…Roy Johnson's Ballers, Gamers and Scoundrels blog has a series of very insightful pieces on a veriety of topics that have gone unnoticed in other places, ranging from the fallout of the Ron Artest trade, to Javon Walker's issues in Oakland to other topics…well thought out from one of the best writers and editors out there…Promo Magazine has a good piece on Evian's rebranding efforts around the US Open…and on the Olympic beat, Greg Bishop has a great piece in Saturday's New York Times on The Incline, one of the most storied areas for training Olympians just outside of Colorado Springs…
