From today's Times

Don Groth, president of Catskill OTB, said the new security measures would be costly and unnecessary and would not have averted the scandals.

"I wonder if we're reaching for every possibility," Groth said. "There are costs. I don't know that every idea can be afforded."

When will this guy be fired? Please spare us this idiotic input (from Day 1, when he was familiar with Derrick Davis after Mr. Davis' dazzling no-bet spree at Catskill preceeding the Cup). At the very least, spare us his misuse of the English language. Can this idea be afforded? If I was president of Catskill OTB, I would be trying to persuade people that I would bring in Sherman tanks if necessary. Instead Groth dangles the horror of "reaching for every possibility" (earth to Groth, that's precisely what good management is, reaching for every possibility, you know, to improve your product? duh hey?) and refers to budget constraints ("well, we can't afford to fix it" - way to reassure your customers G).

Has any racing executive ever betrayed less knowledge of the process and product? I know this is a tough question. Barry Schwartz, in the same article, is a regular Abraham Lincoln by comparison. HP