I thought it might be kind of cool to see a Triple Crown winner after 36 years; there were three of them in the 1970s and no one foresaw such a long drought coming.
But after watching NBC's ridiculously over the top coverage of the Belmont, I'm glad now that California Chrome didn't win. I only watched the last 45 minutes of NBC's 3 hour build-up, but that was 44 minutes too much. The hero worship of a mere horse was sick, but then again in this weird society in which most people care a lot more about animals than they do their fellow man, it was to be expected. In fact, during one shot of California Chrome entering the track, Tom Hammond remarked about how the fans were "cheering their hero."
Animals as heroes, animals given human qualities -- how was California Chrome "feeling," an NBC reporteress astride a horse asked the horse's jockey right after the race. At various points before the race announcers remarked how "calm" California Chrome was, as if he understood what was going on. Joe Namath did a spot in which he wished the horse "good luck." This is a very strange "culture" and getting stranger all the time.
But after watching NBC's ridiculously over the top coverage of the Belmont, I'm glad now that California Chrome didn't win. I only watched the last 45 minutes of NBC's 3 hour build-up, but that was 44 minutes too much. The hero worship of a mere horse was sick, but then again in this weird society in which most people care a lot more about animals than they do their fellow man, it was to be expected. In fact, during one shot of California Chrome entering the track, Tom Hammond remarked about how the fans were "cheering their hero."
Animals as heroes, animals given human qualities -- how was California Chrome "feeling," an NBC reporteress astride a horse asked the horse's jockey right after the race. At various points before the race announcers remarked how "calm" California Chrome was, as if he understood what was going on. Joe Namath did a spot in which he wished the horse "good luck." This is a very strange "culture" and getting stranger all the time.