It works on stock cars, why not on race horses?
The Kentucky Derby, that hallowed playground of thoroughbreds, has succumbed to the bugle call of corporate sponsorship.
When Saturday’s 132nd running of the classic answers the bell (3 p.m., 4 p.m. post time, KUSA-Channel 9), fans will notice – or sponsors hope they will – the logo for Yum Brands, parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A&W and Long John Silver’s. It’ll be on the saddle blankets, starting gate, paddock, pony riders and even the familiar towered grandstand.
The “Run for the Roses” becomes the “Run for Extra Crispy.”
Hard to believe it took 132 years for the Kentucky Derby to get around to a “presenting sponsor.” Stock-car races are always tagged with corporate handles, like the “Chevy American Revolution 400” (5:30 p.m. Saturday, FX). And practically every college bowl game is backed by a chip, salted or computer.
The Derby might have come up with a classier backer. Say, Southern Comfort.
Emmys for sports
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports, sisters under the corporate skin, combined to take home almost half the awards handed out at the 27th annual Sports Emmy ceremony Monday night in New York City.
ESPN/ABC won 13 awards, well ahead of HBO, which won six. Fox bagged five and TNT two. CBS, ESPN Classic, ESPN.com, USA and HBO/NBC each won one.
There were 700 entries in 28 categories.
The Dick Schaap Writing Award went to “SportsCenter’s” production “Finding Bobby Fischer” on ESPN. Pro-football analyst Cris Collinsworth, who’ll be working games on HBO, NBC and the NFL Network next season, was named Outstanding Sports Personality. Fox Sports’ Jack Buck was named best play- by-play man for the fifth time.
Around the dial
More than 36 million watched at least part of ESPN’s 17-hour coverage of the two-day NFL draft last weekend, according to the network. First-day coverage drew a record 4.2 million households, a 10 percent increase over last year’s record. … Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins, in response to Sports Illustrated’s question, “What do you do eat for breakfast?”: “I don’t get up in time for breakfast.” … Ex-major leaguer Jeff Huson joins play-by-play man Drew Goodman on FSN Rocky Mountain for Rockies games against Cincinnati (noon today and Friday) and Houston (6 p.m. Saturday). … ESPN will own and run the inaugural New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 23 in Albuquerque, matching teams from the Mountain West and Western Athletic conferences. … Quotable: “There’s a lot of bad ‘isms’ floating around this world, but one of the worst is commercialism.” Screenwriter George Seaton
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
