As Harrah's Chester hosts Super Stakes Sunday with some of the top harness racing talent in North America, an ad created to promote the event has generated a ton of buzz by being deemed too lewd by broadcast standards
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The network’s standards and practices department for Comcast used the words ‘obscene,’ ‘indecent,’ and ‘lewd’ to describe why they effectively banned it from air. The video appears below.
Fans who can’t make it to the track won’t have to miss the biggest day in Pennsylvania harness racing. Super Stakes Sunday will be broadcast live nationally for the first time from Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack on the MavTV cable network as well as locally on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. MavTV is airing the ad as it appears above.
“With over $2.4 million in purses – enough to attract the country’s top horses including Hambletonian winner Broad Bahn and national sensation See You At Peelers – Super Stakes Sunday has truly become a national event,” said Sam Beegle, president of the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association. “We’re thrilled harness racing fans outside of Pennsylvania will finally get a chance to see the card’s top races in high definition.”
The one-hour show begins at 5 p.m. eastern time on both networks. MavTV will re-air the broadcast multiple times as well. MavTV is available nationwide on DISH Network’s high definition programming tier (channel 361) as well as select local cable systems including Time Warner, RCN, Verizon, Charter, Cablevision and many more. Participation varies by market. A complete coverage map is available at MavTV.com.
The live broadcast will be helmed by the same team that produces the weekly PA HarnessWeekTV show. Veteran sports anchor Lou Tilley will guest host alongside Steve Ross. They will be joined by Heather Moffett, reporter Sharla McBride and handicapper Susan Ehlers. The show will cover the card’s top three races: the Valley Forge three-year-old filly pace, Battle of the Brandywine three-year-old pace and Colonial Trot three-year-old trot, all of which have long and storied histories in southeastern Pennsylvania.
I agree this add should not
I agree this add should not have been banned. Having said that, is this the best we can do to promote our sport? How stupid. We need to focus on bringing the younger crowds. Don't think this will cut it.
This ad is suggested to be
This ad is suggested to be distasteful, give me a break !
We have to do everything
We have to do everything possible to promote our sport! If it takes a hilarious act to generate some buzz then I am all for it. People need to quit being so square and appreciate any advertising we can get.
An add like this would
An add like this would entice me to go anywhere that I didnt want to, but it wouldnt keep me away either.
But ban the ad?? Give me a break. I thought the ad was halarious and it did it jobs on here within the harness community.People are talking, and thats a great first step.
Not lewd, but misguided. An
Not lewd, but misguided. An ad like this would not attract anyone in or out of our sport. And it calls to mind the "fan" who ran out on the track at Pimlico years ago and tried to slug a thoroughbred as the field stormed down the stretch. We do not want to see that again.
On a more humorous note, the great Del Insko was correct: "The only thing that would surprise me (in harness racing) would be a naked broad at the finish line".
Best ad I have ever saw for
Best ad I have ever saw for racing.
Ban it, you must be joking, make more shocking ones like it and you have a campaign !!
It will bring more attention to the sport and attract the younger crowd which this business needs to go forward.
Whatever ad agency did the ad should be hired immediately up here and it wouldnt cost 9 million to do it!!
Gary Blackburn
Yeah Georg, because people
Yeah Georg, because people are really flocking to the track these past few years for the "wholesome, fun-filled family experience" ain't they. Anything - and I do mean anything - that might make people notice harness racing must be done. This made me laugh - the "think of the children" brigade object to everything anyway so screw em.
Disgusting or pure genius? I
Disgusting or pure genius? I have no use for today's advertising, most of it is an insult to your intelligence, BUT! This ad has created quite a stir & lots of interest, surely this is what advertising is supposed to do.
As for Mr Robinski's comment, harness racing can indeed stand on its own when marketed right, check out PEI this week!
I agree with Stephan...What
I agree with Stephan...What were they thinking?
You know some idiot would actually do this if he got the idea from the ad. Instead put a message in the ad about great it is for your whole family. Don't suggest that your wives and daughters will have to see guys who expose themselves to the public.
Other professional sports take the cameras off the idiots who disrobe and run on the field so that nobody thinks they will get famous for it. Isn't it bad enough that we had an owner/trainer fined and suspended for bad behaviour?
Let's emphasize the positive, friendly nature of the business and how much fun it would be to watch, dine and wager.
I am glad that the ad was banned but not because I think it's worse than TV.
When you have to resort to
When you have to resort to contencious ads such as they did it only proves that Harness Racing can't stand on it's own!!
I'm glad they banned it.
I'm glad they banned it. What were they thinking???
They banned that ad?? Lewd??
They banned that ad?? Lewd?? Obscene?? Are you kidding me?? There's more "racey" behaviour in the litany of awful day-time soaps that clog up or TV channels every week day... I thought the ad was great!
Are you serious? This was
Are you serious? This was considered obscene? Have they watched TV lately. I for one think this is a great ad and am happy that harness racing is trying get the interest of the commen viewer. We have a great sport and it is to bad many people only see the negatives because there a lot of positives. This is the type of stuff we should have promoting our sport here in canada. "just my thoughts"