Hey folks, it’s that time again, Fred and the Fantastics for BLEAV and PodClips. Laura Snoke, Mark Mancini and Art Sorce will discuss anything and everything in the wonderful and wacky world of sports, and Art, I know you’ve wagered a shekel or two on horse racing, and I did as a kid. I didn’t know how they treated some of the horses they’ve been racing at Santa Anita that used to be a million are now going for $300,000. Is horse racing dead, totally?

Sure looks that way, Fred. Other than the, you know, the three, the Run for the Roses and you know, the Belmont and the Preakness, I think it’s, it’s having troubles. What’s interesting to me is because of the gambling boom in sports, I thought that horse racing would actually get a lifeline from that, and it seems like it’s, it’s affecting the other sports in a positive way, but not affecting horse racing in that set. But I think you hit it right on the head, Fred, what they’re doing in the background, you know, like, what we had happening at Santa Anita and the California tracks there for about a three-year period, where they were euthanizing all these horses, and they’re the most beautiful creatures on the planet. When you see them up close and personal, you just go, wow. I think that has a lot to do with it. I think the world’s a little different than it was back in the ’40s and ’50s with Seabiscuit and Affirmed, and all those Secretariats were racing. But yeah, I do think its, um, its days are numbered. It’s going to be like the heavyweight fight game.

Yeah.

I think it’s gone the same way.

Mark, What do you think?

I think it is. You know, back then it seemed like the horse racing when it was slipping, that dog racing was really picking up, Artie. Uh, in it, dog racing is more of a Back East thing. I think.

Yeah, I used to go to the dog races with Pete Rose when I worked for them.

Yeah, I mean, like, but I don’t know. It’s like, like we were talking to, you know, earlier, about hockey and basketball. I’ll tell you guys, I think in hockey is going to overtake basketball. Considering what happened last night when they, they, they got new eyeballs on that sport.

I mean, it was exciting.

What do you think?

I’m going to throw a wet blanket over this whole issue because I think horse racing is animal abuse. I think it should be abolished, I don’t think animals should be exploited. If athletes want to go out and play sports and take the risks, that’s on them. But these animals have no choice in the matter and the way these horse races are being treated, I, I just think it’s animal abuse and I think the sport should be abolished.

And I respect that view, I absolutely do, I kind of, I kind of feel kind of the same way now.

Again, I grew up, I grew up on horse racing, I, I scheduled my classes around it,

Lafitte Pincay,

I would take night courses. I did not have any idea how some of the owners and some of the trainers treated the horses, and they don’t treat them well

Willie Shoemaker,

Like dog fighting, you know,

Eddie Delahoussaye,

For years, I used to really enjoy reading books on horse racing. And, uh, you know, there’s a seedy side to that sport that, uh, the people really are not familiar with. And, uh, you know, I just, I, I’m kind of with you on that one, Laura. You know, I mean, it’s just, it’s just something that’s a little scary for me. But hey, on a, on a positive viewpoint, positive note, um, I will say this, uh, one of the things I noticed about the NHL and in this, this, this playing for your country. And we’ve talked about it in golf with the Ryder Cup, uh, we’ve talked about it, you know, in the Olympics, when you, when you go and you compete for your country, how special that is. I think there’s a lot to be said for that, and, uh, I kind of like it. I, you know, I, I, I looked at this. What can you do to bring hockey to the American, you know, forefront of sports? I think they did a great job. Gary Bettman deserves a kudos for that. It was very, very exciting and I don’t know, have you guys ever been to a hockey game in person, up close and personal? It’s incredible. I mean, there’s, it’s

I did, I did the color for the Kings 40 years ago, so

OK, you were there, you were, you and Jiggs McDonald?

However, however, uh, Canada is about to buy the United States, and the United States is going to become

I heard Greenland’s going to go in on that deal.

The eleventh Province. Back with more on Fred and the Fantastics right after this.

Fred and the Fantastics for BLEAV and PodClips.

Fred, I got to tell you what happened earlier,

I’m sorry, what?

I got to tell you what happened earlier today.

I don’t know if you saw the, the governors at the at the White House. The governor, the governor of Maine. Basically told Donald Trump in front of everybody else that she’s, she’s not going to go with this, you know, no women allowed or trans, trans in sports. I don’t know if you saw this, this back and forth. It was, it was, it was pretty bizarre, but you’re going to see it on the nightly news tonight, for sure. Did you see it? Laura?

No, but I loved Hochul, I loved Hochul when she said, New Yorkers fought against the King 250 years ago. When we’re not about to be under another one. it was great.

Well, you know, what’s interesting is he’s, he’s, he Now, he’s going after, he’s trying to clean up all the IRS people too, next.

I mean, he’s just fired 6,000 employees, you know what?

Fred says, Fred says, I’m 127 years old, so I’m looking for a little bump in my Social Security.

No, you know what? It’s the only people who are going to be paying taxes are people who get paychecks, anybody who doesn’t get a paycheck, there’s not going to be enough people to even deal with the returns. We’re going back to feudalism here, we’re going to have a bunch of serfs that are getting wages, that are paying taxes. And then we’ve got this thin layer of people that enable the world ruling class, like lawyers, like me, and doctors, and engineers. And then there’s going to be this peak at the top and they’re going to get everything, it’s just going to collapse.

How are we going to educate kids?

I wish I could be alive in a hundred years to see how this turns out.

How are we going to educate the kids in our society? is the most important question, because the future is the kids.

Sure.

And I mean, you know, what is the truth anymore? What is the truth anymore?

Well, the problem, the problem is what they’re trying to do. And my daughter’s a teacher, and my oldest granddaughter’s an assistant. They’re trying to get the kids to keep the phones out of the equation. Now, the only bad thing with that is if there’s an emergency, you know, how is anybody going to get to the kid? That’s the only thing I see with that. But I think

When we were in school, when we were in school, Mark, somebody called into the principal, they had the, you know, they had the little button in the classroom, the button rang, and Artie, they need to see you at the office, you know, or whatever you know, it can be done. And I mean, one of the things I noticed when I go to the mall, you guys, and it really kind of affects me a little bit, is the kids are really into their handheld devices, to the point where I’ve seen kids walk right into fountains and malls. Because they were talking to somebody and they’re,

Well, the problem, the problem,

Everybody’s into their handheld devices, not just kids,

Agreed.

But the problem, the problem with the education today, and I’m not saying all, all the kids are. But I would say seven out of 10 have no idea on customer service skills or how to react or how to talk to people. At least seven or eight out of 10 are going to be like, lost, because they have no communication skills as far as that. Now, as far,

Interpersonal communication skills between people.

Yeah, OK, let’s wind it down by asking this question. Who plays third base for the Boston Red Sox, Laura? Alex Bregman. Or what do you think,

Devers.

Devers.

Laura. What do you think?

I’m not really. I’m not really up on the whole issue. I know Bregman is certainly, isn’t he their first, their third baseman now?

Yeah, well, I think,

I only follow the Dodgers, so

I think I think the most important thing there Fred, is, there is a spot open at second base and I think Bregman can play second base really, really, really well. And Raphael Devers has been the All-Star third baseman, I think two of the last three years under Joey Cora. You know, the bottom line is put your best nine guys out there.

Yeah,

I think when you, when you have Casas who they want to put a DH, you know, there’s going to be a position to play. I think that whole American League East is going to be a tough, tough division.

But hold on, hold on one second. Devers has made the most errors,

I agree.

As a third baseman seven straight seasons, so you know, he’s not a great defensive third baseman. Bregman is.

Yeah, so put him at second, that’s my call.

But he said, but he said he wants to play third. That’s all it is.

Did you know, did you hear the Dodgers announcer? And I know, we know Tim Everett and Rick Monday were on doing the Cub game yesterday, and one of them said, like, yeah, we’re, we’re Goliath, and you know, it’s nice to be on top. And I’m saying to myself, well, everybody else must be a bunch of Davids trying to take down Goliath.

You know what my grandmother always said, don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.

There’s going to be a David coming out of left field.

And that’s the article we were talking about before you got on the air, Laura, earlier on Sports Overnight America. I was reading, you know, Bob Nightingale, “The Haves and the Have Nots.” And he’s a great baseball writer, writes for the USA Today, writes for Baseball America. A lot of different things. And he basically said, there’s six, seven teams in Major League Baseball who have the wherewithal to compete to win it all, and the other 23 teams, you know, and this is part of this problem they have with, with marketing baseball now. And you know, by the way, on another note, ESPN is going to be losing after this year.

Yeah, baseball.

The package, the baseball package, and I grew up watching John Miller and Joe Morgan on Sunday Night Baseball. I thought it was one of the great shows of the week, it reminded me of when I was a kid, watching the Major League Baseball Game of the Week. I used to stand in line on Fridays to get the TV Guide so I could see what the Major League, you know, Game of the Week was on Saturday morning. And my grandfather and I would watch it together and, and you know, it was, it was just great times.

11:15 on Saturday,

That’s right,

What great memories.

Yeah. And I remember being with my grandpa, and my grandpa would talk about watching the Yankees of the ’30s and ’40s because he was from New York, and it was just great. And I mean, what a great time to spend with your, your grandfather, or your father, or your uncles at the ballpark. I mean, you know, Laura, going to Dodger games over the years, nothing quite like it, isn’t it?

No, it was great.

How about the NFL? They would do that Saturday. Recap the previous week’s games.

Yeah, the NFL with Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier.

Yeah, all right, everybody. Thank you guys for listening to Fred and the Fantastics with Art, with Laura, and with Mark. You can always email us at sportsfred@aol.com, and back with more very soon, Fred and the Fantastics. Bye, everybody.