The importance of transparency

Whether it’s bad news or good news, harness racing needs to be transparent always…and in all ways!

Our future depends upon it.

Over the past week, I have really noticed the need for transparency in just about every arena of the world.

I am finally, after 80 years, opening my eyes.

Being an optimist all my life, I, too, used to try and hide the bad and only focus on the good…from a strike out in my little league games 70 years ago to being bullied a time or two in school 65 years ago to not facing up to some not-so-good grades some 60 years ago to any failures in life since.

I have always brushed them aside with the hope they’ll just go away and be erased from memory.

Yes, I have had my share of proud moments, and I am proud of all of them…

But here it is, reflecting on the past “four score,” and I am beginning to see the light that one cannot get past failure if it’s not confronted.

I am not alone in my failures.

People are not alone in their failures.

We all face failure during our lifetimes and most of us are just too weak to do anything about it.

Lying to yourself is the worst lie in the world because nothing will change!

Using proper protocol, recognizing the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, he has had to deal with health spells over the past few weeks and the doctors say he’s good to go back to work.

You know what?

I DON’T BELIEVE THEM! They are being far from transparent.

Recognizing the distinguished Madam Senator from California, she has been battling with several health issues including heart problems, shingles, encephalitis, paralysis and eyesight.

It appears she has been cleared by doctors to return to work.

You know what?

I DON’T BELIEVE THEM.

In fact, her daughter has been appointed power of attorney.

Where’s the transparency?

Heck, I have “end stage kidney disease” and have faced it, am on dialysis, and trying to do something about it!

Politics is stained so badly with mistruths and out-and-out lies, that one can believe very little—if anything–in the political arena!

It’s hard to face reality. It’s hard to be transparent. Our own invisible protective shield prevents it!

Harness racing is not alone in its failures.

With the medication situation and the races, themselves, nobody knows what’s going on when the gate is rolling.

Bad news isn’t bad news if it leads to better news.

Every one of the news stations to which I have turned have begun their newscasts with “bad” news.

From the Jimmy Buffett news to shootings throughout the land to political infighting that does the people no good to the fires in Maui to the rare California hurricane to 100 more stories, they were all bad news…with, maybe, a piece of good news in the final 30 seconds…

And, you know what?

People watched!!!

My friend loves auto racing and attends them quite often!

“I go to see the speed, the danger and the anticipation of wrecks! That is the excitement. That’s why I go!”

I have seen the stupidity of these “slap” fighting matches, where they try and knock each other silly.

It’s brutal…it’s dangerous…it’s ugly…it’s deadly…and people love it!

The world’s first “underground slap fighting” league is spreading like wildfire throughout the U.S., England, West Africa and Columbia.

It has resulted in over 1 BILLION VIEWS worldwide and knowingly can cause memory loss, brain swelling, brain bleeding and death…AND IT’S TRANSPARENT! It’s right there in the open for everyone to see…no coverups!

If tragedy happens in baseball, football, soccer, track and field, auto racing and just about every other sport (except our sport), it’s becoming transparent.

And as transparency becomes clearer, the sport gains reputability.

There are those that attack Tim Finley for his stance on transparency.

Tim should be applauded for his efforts.

Tim Finley is the MLK, Viola Liuzzo, John Lewis and Jimmy Carter looking at the future of harness racing and its equine athletes.

He’s keeping the conversation going, instead of letting the conversation being swept under the rug to be smothered.

Transparency earns trust…and there is no sport that depends on transparency and trust than a pari-mutuel sport that begs for the bettor’s dollar bills.

When Herb Score got hit in the eye with a line-drive while on the pitcher’s mound, they didn’t run out with a cover to hide it from the crowd.

From the “Black Sox” scandal of 1919 to use of steroids in baseball and cycling to betting on football and, in rugby, faking injury to stop the clock, transparency has helped the reputation of sports.

With the serious football injuries and basketball scares in recent months, it was all over the news outlets…in words and videos!!

When a serious knockout happens in the boxing ring, they don’t run in the ring with a curtain to cover it up…

It may be a horrifying thing to see, but, when a tragedy happens on the racetrack, let the people see and feel the dangers of a sport where all of the participants—both equine and human—are always in danger.

With the sentencing of those who got caught in the Federal Government’s crackdown on horse doping at our racetracks, well, that was a “stride” in the right direction.

Next step…the appointment of a “tough” Commissioner to take the bull by the horns and vacuum harness racing’s problems that are being swept under the rug.

With millions of dollars in purse money and BILLIONS of dollars in pari-mutuel handle and, if we ever catch up to the times, prop betting on harness racing, ALL OWNERS (big and small), ALL TRAINERS (big and small) and all BETTORS (big and small) deserve an even playing field…in this case, the racetrack!

by John Berry, for Harnesslink