If you set aside a technical disaster — NBC’s call of Saturday’s Derby collided with Churchill Downs’ call, making both indecipherable — the telecast included one highly remarkable sight and sound.
Certainly, no postgame, post-match, post-race interview produced what NBC presented when Bob Neumeier tracked down 68-year-old winning owner Barry Irwin, who was en route to the winner’s stage.
Neumeier first noted that Irwin was a former sportswriter, to which Irwin needlessly emphasized, “I am still a former sportswriter.”
Despite and in appreciation of his candor, judging from what soon came out of Irwin, he might’ve been forced to become an ex-sportswriter — all those libel suits, and all.
Two questions later Neumeier asked why Irwin had only recently brought in Graham Motion to train Animal Kingdom. Ready?
“I was just tired of the other trainers lying to me. I wanted a guy who’d tell me the truth.”
Whoa, Nellie!
Neumeier was stunned, but heroically kept his balance.
“Really?”
Then, with a fabulous, satanic smile, Neumeier asked, “How many trainers have lied to you?”
“Plenty,” said Irwin as he began to bolt, “Gotta go.”
Geez, if the Kentucky Derby’s the greatest two minutes in sports, this was the wildest short-form, post-race — or anything else — interview.
Although horse racing’s second cousin, never removed, has long been suspicion, owners usually bash trainers and jockeys as liars and thieves in discreet venues, such as the diner on the way home from the track.
I may be wrong, but no horse owner ever before accused former trainers of corruption on national TV after winning the Kentucky Derby. But there’s a first time for everything.
Perhaps Animal Kingdom someday will sire a foal that Irwin can leverage to help settle some legal issues, perhaps a filly named Slander Sue.
* More Derby: Who knows how Larry Collmus, well-regarded Monmouth/Gulfstream race-caller, made out in his first Derby for NBC? With NBC not taking care to lose the in-house call, both calls blended to sound as if the intercom at the Jack In The Box drive-in was beefing with a Beastie Boys CD.
NBC, for the first time in 10 Derbies, saw fit to keep the odds crawling more often than not. Sweet!
* Two Minute Warning: Asked by NBC why he attends the Derby, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers explained, “For the excitement of the last two minutes of the race.” Wait’ll he gets a load of the first two minutes!
* NBC had Bob Costas grab jockey John Velazquez before he mounted the winner. Pure kismet. After losing co-favorite Uncle Mo to a late scratch, Velazquez caught Animal Kingdom, on for Robby Albarado, who had been kicked out of the race.
* A Horse is a Horse, Of Course, Of Course: Velazquez explained to Costas that he was unfamiliar with Animal Kingdom; all he’d seen was video of his four races. Then, in a 19-horse field, Velazquez rode a stranger to win the Derby.
Take that, all of you who still think there’s a “big adjustment period” when MLB players switch leagues!
Sugar sham hard to stomach
OK, so Sugar Shane Mosley didn’t much feel like fighting Saturday night. Whattya want for 55-60 bucks?
* Nice note from FOX’s Kenny Albert during Rays-Orioles, Saturday: “Joe Maddon’s mom is 77 and still works as a waitress at the Third Base Dugout in Hazelton, Pa.” A luncheonette specializing in American fusion, the daily special is full meals for 10 bucks.
* There was Pat Perez with the lead in Saturday’s PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship, when the CBS fellas reminded us that Perez has a nasty habit of throwing tantrums. So true. But why is that nasty habit never seen in Tiger Woods?
* Michael Kay on YES, yesterday, said Derek Jeter “showed some power [Saturday].” Next pitch: Jeter’s first HR of the season. David Cone gave it up; told Kay that he’s spooky.
Stiller bit ruined by bad timing
As long as a Mets’ game remains close, there’s no reason for SNY/WPIX to keep interrupting them with cuts to Kevin Burkhardt for this and that.
Saturday, with the Dodgers and Mets tied in the top of the eighth, and with Andre Ethier batting — he was 0-for-3 with a walk and trying to hit in his 31st straight game — the telecast got stuck in (and stuck us in) its own devices. There was no worse time to present a rambling interview with Jerry Stiller.
Though we understand that because Burkhardt’s exceptional at what he does, the temptation to use him is constant. Still, too much of good, but indiscriminate thing …
* Not completely sure why modesty has become passe, but modern media dictate that the modest finish far behind the showboats, me-firsters and braggarts. A modest wide receiver, after all, is an NFL pregame pariah.
That’s why WFAN did well Saturday to include a sound bite from Mets center fielder Jason Pridie. Asked about hitting a homer the night before, after the Dodgers intentionally walked Ike Davis, he said he didn’t take it personally, not a bit:
“When you see Ike Davis up there and Jason Pridie on deck, you’ve got to pitch to Jason Pridie.”
* For all his talent Jose Reyes, at 27, still too often approaches the game like a T-baller.
In the second inning Saturday, Reyes was picked off by the catcher because he paid zero attention as he meandered back to first base. In the seventh, score tied and Reyes on second, he was thrown out at third on a ball hit to … shortstop!
Ron Darling, on Ch.11, spoke the self-evident: Inexcusable, “at this point in his career.”
Still, we’re told that Reyes’ enthusiasm is “infectious.” Is there a doctor in the house?
* Baseball in the Age of Bud: Saturday’s Twins-Red Sox was played in 2:45. The rain delay lasted 2:10. Given an hour travel, there and back, customers were expected to invest seven hours in a 2:45 game.
* Evander Holyfield, 48, fought over the weekend in Denmark. Worse, he won — a 10-round TKO. That means he’ll likely keep fighting until his slurred speech and glassy eyes improve. Yeah, I know; he has to keep fighting because, more than $200 million later, he’s broke.