Dump the Song - Belmont Stakes Should Stick With "New York, New York"
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Belmont Park can dump that new song, "Empire State of Mind," and the 16-year-old girl named Jasmine Something who sang it (although Jay Z is associated with the song).
For decades two songs were associated with the Belmont Stakes. Old-timers such as me remember "The Sidewalks of New York." Then it was replaced by Frank Sinatra's classic, "New York, New York," which was to the Belmont Stakes what "My Old Kentucky Home" is to the Kentucky Derby.
This year some genius decided to dump Frank. "Empire State of Mind" has a lousy tune and we couldn't even understand the words.
But "New York State of Mind" is Jay Z's song and he is a good friend of Lebron James. This was another subtle pitch to LeBron to come to New York. Even Belmont Park is part of the New York conspiracy.
That's all for now. Hope to see you in the winner's circle.
This article reprinted from CoughlinUnplugged.com, through a partnership between Dan Coughlin and The Cleveland Leader. To read more of his writing, visit his website.
Comments
Here, here! I agree totally.
The singer was inaudible. Were there any lyrics? If so, I didn't hear them. The crowd at Belmont Park looked quite unimpressed. And the topper, ABC cut to commercial in the middle of this painful exercise. Nobody ever went to commercial in the middle of ' New York, New York' !!
Nuff said.
15 July 2006
2 hours 3 min
That was funny that they cut the song off in the middle of it. What a disaster!
I have been going for 30 years. This was the weakest event ever. There was no excitment at all and the lame song did nothing to whip the crowd into any sort of excitment. Bring back NY NY!
If they keep that song I am going to boycott in my wagering.
I thought "New York State of Mind" was a Billy Joel song.
the song was bloody awful!..there was no tune to speak of, no melody and the singer was apparently off key. bring back ol' blue eyes.
I LOVE Belmont park and went regularly for a long time, not just for Stakes day, usually camped in the paddock area w/ my cameras filming as much as possible the entire day, not to even see my seat until Stakes horses were entering the tunnel. Due to reasons outside my control, 2010 was my first time not to go to Belmont Stakes since I moved to NY several years ago, so I was watching it on TV. I had the option to watch from OTB, grapple frustratedly with TVG (i think it's unethical for a racing channel to be run like a shopping channel) or via ESPN, to hear any updates about the horses, etc, so I chose ESPN. (The earlier races were watched OTB as i detest pretty much every commentator on all racing channels.) I took a moment to leave the room and go to the back of the house, but turned up TV loud enough to be able to hear what was being said before leaving the room. Suddenly I hear something that sounded like a screech owl that was hurt coming from the TV. I listened for a moment longer and rushed into the room because i honestly thought they had interrupted Belmont Stakes pre-race events for an important news break and people were hurt, etc. I came to the room just in time to see some girl standing there attempting to sing something i couldn't understand and then *boom* to commercial. I couldn't figure out what that was supposed to be or if it was related to Belmont, etc. What a horrific program choice for Belmont activities. Keep the live performances out in the carnival area, and keep the actual Belmont activities TRADITIONAL!! Earlier commentators were talking about how proud Belmont is of it's long history, how it is the largest track in America built in the 1800s, etc, and had so many trainers and jockeys talking about being in NY. That should have obviously been followed by a traditional NY song. Either Sidewalks or NY NY would suffice.
So yes, I agree w/ comments and article above...please bring back a classic NY song that is steady, understandable, etc. Belmont with it's lousy speaker system throughout half of the seating (all my years of going i always end up next to a broken speaker where i can't hear any of the race no matter where i am seated, or under an upper deck ledge where bird poop is plentiful...but both are something special about Belmont park, not grievances) is not the place to have a live performance by a Miley wannabe. Something traditional, steady, understandable and clear that people may recognize if they can only hear a piece of it now and then while avoiding bird bombs. I felt horrible for people there for having to endure it. Keep the carnival in the carnival and the traditional in the tradition.
I'm kind of a traditionalist when it comes to the Triple Crown races. I have never been happy with the switch to " New York, New York", to tell the truth, so imagine my absolute horror at this latest abomination. You've never seen the Kentucky Derby change it's song from "My Old Kentucky Home" to "Blue Moon of Kentucky", have you? Or "Kentucky Woman"? "My Old Kentucky Home" even has offensive, racist lyrics (not the part that's actually sung tho) and yet, it's still there. So what was the reason for the dreck performed this year at the Belmont??? Someone thought "NY NY" wasn't hip enough?!
think everyone at the track agreed. a lame attempt to court a younger demographic...it was embarrassing for all.
Yuk
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