Attempting, somewhat, to succeed where HBO’s “Luck” failed (canceled after three horses died in production), the Esquire Network has debuted a new reality show called “Horseplayers.” As the title indicates, it’s about the bettor, and as The New York Times reminds, it’s strictly entertainment. What is interesting, and noteworthy for our purposes here, is the closing paragraph of The Times’ review (1/20/14):
“There is no hint, at least in the first episode, of horse racing’s negative aspects: drugging, animal cruelty, gambling addiction and so on. And only the largely empty grandstands at the racetracks testify to the sport’s troubles attracting fans.”
Animal cruelty? Empty grandstands? See, it’s not just us.
