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In so many areas of life, Jamaica seems comfortable with easy-going, laid-back, “no-problem-mon” archaic circumstances. The separated but related industries of betting, gaming and lotteries are no exception. In the 1980s when the remarkable Dennis Lalor ruled both the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) and the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries...
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BY THE TERRIBLE TOUT I can’t believe this is my 50th column for Public Opinion. Or that you’ve allowed me to bore you to death for so long. Ah, well, once more onto the breach…… So the racing promoter has a new website. Nice idea; horrendous execution. The navigational...
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It’s that time of year again when the fillies, dull and listless all summer, tend to pop up as unappreciated long shots and reward faithful punters committed to clear thinking with huge returns. Of course, public hypesters (o/c “tipsters”) do not fall into the above category as their thought...
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Two of Jamaica’s sporting organizations, the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA), and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), will be arranging elections for new leaders very shortly. The president of the JNA, Paula Daley-Morris has opted not to seek re-election. This has resulted in (to me) a surprising amount of vitriol...
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Last week, in-between family duties, I watched as much of the five-day Glorious Goodwood festival from Sussex, England, as possible. On Thursday, a peculiar thing happened. Although the first race went off on time (routine for a country seasoned in live horse racing coverage and the importance of holding...
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The inability of our Under 23 male footballers to qualify for the next Olympics by failing to beat fellow Caribbean neighbours Dominica and St Kitts is another embarrassment in the management of our football by the present Jamaica Football Federation (JFF). The array of “stars” on the team assembled...
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Unfortunately, local horse racing continues to bleed customers of all ages. Very few of the millennial generation are sufficiently interested to invest in a tote that extorts 30% of stakes wagered in win and 40% in exotic pools before declaring a dividend; in purchasing horses that cost a...
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The following apocryphal story has been making the rounds since I was knee high to a grasshopper (or grass lice whichever you prefer). Lord Nelson was on the bridge of HMS Victory lying just west of the Cape of Trafalgar, when, through his telescope, he caught sight of approaching...
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An early goal, nervous first 20 minutes with unnecessary turnovers, meant that despite excellent goalkeeping, and Jamaican determination right to the final minutes — Brazil 3 (ranked 10 in the world) Jamaica 0 (ranked 53 in the world) was not unexpected. As we sat in Grenoble’s full stadium with...
