When many hear the name ‘Ed Olczyk’ they instantly think of the dynamic former NHLer that has left his mark on the ice, behind the bench and in the broadcast booth. What some may not realize is that the 50-year-old is very passionate about horse racing, and has been since his teens.
Like all that have a deep appreciation and understanding of horse racing, Olczyk wants to see the industry thrive. He recently commented on one thing that horse racing should be doing in order to grow its base of handicappers: target fans of fantasy sports.
"I see the fantasy sports, and I see the boom and all the money,” Olczyk was quoted as saying by the Chicago Tribune. “I sit there and go, ‘well, that's what horse racing has been forever,’ and that's one of the things horse racing needs to do a better job on. Then maybe you would get the younger people.”
Olczyk’s comments came in advance of last weekend’s Kentucky Derby, which was captured by Always Dreaming in 2:03.59 over a ‘sloppy’ Churchill Downs track. The former centerman was part of the NBC broadcast crew for the Derby and gave his analysis of the live program.
Olczyk sees fans of fantasy sports scrutinizing numbers, angles and facts before making their DFS wagers, which sounds a heck of a lot like handicapping the ponies.
"When you think about horse racing, on any Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you can have action every three or four minutes if you want it," Olczyk was quoted as saying. "It's right there for you."
(With files from the Chicago Tribune)