Live Sports Radio at the Post

The Wall Street Journal (sorry subscription required) ran a column last week about a new device that spectators can purchase, often en route to their seats, that keeps them informed about every aspect of the game or event they are paying to watch. It is called Live Sports Radio, and it is a live broadcast, via satellite radio, of the action. Spectators at the recent PGA Tournament were spotted wearing them--they look like blue-tooth devices clipped to one ear--and they were a big hit last season with many college football fans.

At $20 apiece, they are an impulse purchase but one that golf fans, in particular, who typically camp out at one hole and have no idea what is going on elsewhere on the course, have become enamored of. And since they only attach to one ear, you are not losing the live feeling or the play by play commentary, only enhancing it.

American Express is the sponsor of the device at the upcoming U. S. Open and will provide thousands of radios free to its customers. The idea is to allow spectators to hear what John McEnroe is saying live on television about the very point they are watching. Plans are in the works for a Super Bowl broadcast in Spanish and frankly, I can see endless possibilities for the device, which is the brain child of an English rugby fan, Nick Opperman, who wrote the business plan as part of his MBA.

I would love to see racing incorporate this gizmo, although I am sure they will be slow on the uptake. Imagine if with your racing program, you could get a running commentary about the breeding and past performances of each horse in each race. Knowledgeable insiders would tell you what to look for when you watch the horses warm up in the paddock and on the track.

What a concept. The first time race goer would not have to be limited to picking numbers, names or hunches but might actually learn something about the sport. There could even be commentaries about historic races, legendary superstars, jockeys...well, you get the idea.

Create an informed consumer who has already made the decision to shell out the gate fee and keep them coming back for more. It would not annoy the regulars since they would not have to listen, but would certainly enhance the experience for the newcomers.

Are you listening TRA? Get a sponsor and get on board. Major League Baseball has long been ahead of the curve technology wise. What would it take for racing to embrace change--perhaps the realization that without it, the sport could be history.