Barbaro put down

not really. people loved that horse. only eagles fans loved that cheapshot artist. i say that with all due respect. i don't exactly mourn for ty cobb, either, ya know?

that said, r.i.p., andre.

 

Well, this toads the wet sprocket.

Poor horse.

 

A couple things:

1. Fuck off, Idaho.

2. I'm glad the horse isn't suffering anymore. It seemed like it was time. The vets did everything they could, and I'm glad they didn't let the horse suffer anymore.

3. Those who accuse the owners of being greedy need to understand two things: 1.) They could have cashed in on the insurance right away if they'd put him down at the track, and 2.) I may be wrong here, but I don't think thoroughbred racing allows horses to be bred with artificial insemination -- so anyone who thinks they kept him alive solely for future stud fees is incorrect.

3. Because it bears repeating: Fuck off, Idaho.

 

Been nice knowing you.

 

I'm not a medical ethicist, but I'll play one for the sake of this thread.

Did Barbaro suffer? Yes, I'd say he did. Did he suffer additional pain needlessly? Honetly, we probably won't know that for several years.

In human terms, what Barbaro went through was probably similar to what Barney Clark and Williams Schroeder went through more than 20 years ago -- or more recently, Tom Christerson -- when they received artificial hearts. These individuals were going to die, but the modern advances gave them (and others) a little extra time and have allowed doctors and surgeons to determine ways of helping humans live through heart failure.

Was their additional suffering needless? It probably depends on who you ask. To a family member or loved one from someone who benefitted from what those gentlemen went through, the answer is probably no.

If what Barbaro went through helps doctors treat horses in the future, then it wasn't needless. What will be sad, however, is that the current caste system of horses likely will still remain.

My guess is only top stakes winners will ever be eligible to receive this kind of treatment. If you're a maiden claimer and you break down, then sorry, you're likely out of luck. How you react to that scenario pretty much tells whether you think the attempt to save Barbaro was an act of foolishness or bravery.

For me, for now anyway, it was brave.

 

Would Barbaro want us fighting like this? Peace people. Peace.

 

I'll agree the coverage has been extensive and some people's attention to it has been questionable -- Doyel wrote an interesting column about it on SportLine a few weeks ago.

That said, this was the first time anything like this had been attempted. On top of that, the horse was only the most recent Kentucky Derby winner. In this country, most sports fans can name just a few horses -- and in most of those cases, that one of those horses is the most recent Derby winner. So, yeah, it warranted coverage.

As far as Idaho goes, I respect him more than perhaps any other poster on here. He's entitled to his opinion, as are the others who feel likewise.

 

I don't celebrate Barbaro's death. At the same time, I wonder about people who get more worked up about a horse dying than a person.

 

There are a lot of athletes who I would much rather see put down than Barbaro... To list them all would take all day...

 

You've got no right, Jim. Put in a little more time here, and maybe your opinion will mean shit. But for now, YOU fuck off.