tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9651790.post-1164732704231744152006-11-28T11:51:00.000-05:002006-11-28T11:51:44.426-05:00I don't want to get <a href="http://www.vet.upenn.edu/barbaro/messageboard.php">all mushy or crazy</a> on anyone, but Barbaro should be considered for SI's sportsman of the year this year.<br /><br />Like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_Award">Eclipse</a>, the award is based on something more than stats and figures. Some of the "odd winners are: <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/specials/sportsman/2004/">Red Sox Nation (04</a>), <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/specials/sportsman/archive/1987/">Athletes who Care (87), </a>so their is a precedent to not name the guy with the most home runs or most money earned. Like Barbaro they've named figures with <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/specials/sportsman/2003/1973/">similar facial features</a>, <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/specials/sportsman/2003/1998/">athletes on drugs</a>, and <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/specials/sportsman/2003/1986/">athletes prone to break their leg</a>. Furthermore, for representing most of the sports world pretty evenly over the last 50 years the last horse racing person was <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/specials/sportsman/2003/1977/">Steve Cauthen in 1977</a>, so the sport is due for some recognition.<br /><br />Let's only spend one paragraph on what Barbaro did on the track, as I don't think that's the basis of this article and we all know we could write novels about his racing exploits. He won graded stakes on turf and dirt, won one of the most decisive Kentucky derbies in history, and was one of the most credible Triple Crown prospects in 10 years. Not to mention winning the Derby off a 5 week layoff that hadn't been done since <a href="http://handride.blogspot.com/2006/04/who-is-needles.html">Needles in 1956</a>. There is no question that he was a special horse. I believe trainer Matz when he says we did not see the bottom of the horse. Agree or disagree with the above that's fine, it's not the point.<br /><br />The point is that Barbaro had a much larger affect on our sport than his races indicate. It was in his injury and recovery that the nation has gone wild about Barbaro: <a href="http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/interviews/09210602.html">He receives more fan mail than a lot of other sports 'heroes'</a>, <a href="http://www.vet.upenn.edu/giving/giving_ways.html">in his name the UPenn Vet School has raised thousands of dollars</a>, <a href="http://www.whittierdailynews.com/sports/ci_4727181">his owners have been championed wherever they go</a>.<br /><br />And finally, his lasting effect is that any track that switches to a synthetic surface could also be known as 'a track that Barbaro built.' I don't think it's any coincidence that we're seeing more tracks switch to a synthetic surface. True, California was already in the works, but a surface switch is now being championed by anyone attached to racing, or hoping to be attached to racing. In fact, let me rephrase, I don't think it's any coincidence that track surface switches are becoming front page news. It's no surprise that these discussions are front page news (in racing media) because people care.<br /><br />Barbaro got people to care and help futher change in a sport that hasn't been cared for or changed since 1977 (if you use SI as your gauge), and that's noteworthy and deserving of the Sportsman of the Year award.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9651790-116473270423174415?l=handride.blogspot.com'/></div>Handridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365169347148710377handrideclothing@yahoo.com32