On Sunday, I went to Philadelphia Park for a friend’s birthday. We spent the day out in the picnic grove, watching and betting on the horse races while celebrating. Our group included several kids under the age of ten. Looking around, I saw quite a number of kids enjoying the place with their families. I am not sure why this surprised me, but I really had not pictured the track as a family place.

When I was a kid, my father used to take me to the same track (then called Keystone Race Track) to watch the races. We never sat outside, though, preferring the atmosphere of the indoor grandstands. He taught me things that every kid should know, like how to read the racing form, how to understand odds, and how to place bets. I used to love those afternoons. Looking back now, I imagine that there was a lot of cigar smoke, drinking, certainly gambling… not really something that immediately makes me think of taking a child there. I didn’t notice any of that then, though. I just enjoyed the day with my dad, and I loved figuring out which horse to bet on as much as I enjoyed watching the races themselves.

Still, in these days of overprotective parents, I didn’t expect to see all of these kids running around. Maybe it was the fact that we were outside, rather than in those grandstands, but it really did seem to be a great place for the whole family. I have not done much research into how the horses are treated, and, as an animal lover, I hesitate to promote something that might mistreat these wonderful animals. I think, though, that the horses are treated decently, if only because, as my wife pointed out, the owners have quite a large investment in them.

So the next time you want to spend an afternoon outside with your kids, think about taking them to see some races. They’ll love the horses and the excitement of seeing the race a few feet from where they are standing.

Good sports, continued:

2) Every year, the Penn State football team holds an event called Lift for Life, which they use to raise money for kidney cancer research. Other schools are picking up on it now, and it has really grown into quite an event. The Nittany Lions have raised about $50,000 a year since it started.  Well done.

3) Dustin Pedroia, of the Boston Red Sox, will miss the All Star Game to be with his pregnant wife. Always nice to see an athlete who has his priorities in order.

Bad Sports:

1) Arturo Gatti was killed in Brazil this week. His wife has been accused of murdering him.

2) Ja’Quayvin Smalls, a football player from Western Carolina University, died Wednesday after collapsing during a workout.

3) Investigators have determined that Steve McNair was killed by his girlfriend, who then killed herself.

Bad Sports, Good Sports appears every Monday

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Alan Spoll

Alan Spoll is a software quality assurance director from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he lives with his wonderful wife and children. He has spent his entire life as a passionate fan of the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and Penn State. Recent Phillies success aside, you will understand his natural negativity. Follow me on Twitter - @DocAlan02

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