LITTLE ROCK — Thinly disguised as on-the-job research, watching two solid hours of the NBC Sports Network was a first.
Officially, taking in two divisions of the Arkansas Derby, the Oaklawn Handicap and the traditional “Trail’s End” was preparation for writing about sports without fans on site and had nothing to do with $12 investments in each of the last four races on the final day of Oaklawn Park’s racing season.
Truth be known, there is little chance the Razorbacks or any other college team will play football without some fans in the stands and only long-distance participation in Oaklawn happenings was available Saturday, sadly ending a 50-something-year streak of spending at least one day at the racetrack.