These Races Heading in Different Directions

The state of racing in America in 2004:

* Humans racing on horseback -- Look for the union label.

* Humans racing on foot -- Look for the BALCO label.

* Humans racing in stock cars -- Look for the stock car underneath all the labels.

This weekend’s horse racing-NASCAR doubleheader -- the Kentucky Derby today on NBC, the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway Sunday on Fox -- illustrates the generations-upon-generations gap between these two forms of transportation, competition and gambling.

Horse racing, with a mind-set still mired in the 1930s, spent the week leading into its biggest annual event convulsing over the issue of jockeys wearing advertising patches on their white racing pants.

NASCAR, with a marketing strategy perfectly amped for the 21st century, where no one’s considered a sellout if everyone sells out, has stormed past baseball and basketball as a major corporate player, in part by consenting to advertise almost anything almost anywhere.

Jockeys threatened to boycott the Derby if the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority continued to forbid the riders from wearing endorsement patches in this year’s race. Some wanted to wear the logo of the Jockeys Guild on their pants. Others wanted to wear a bit of advertising to pick up some extra pay.

They took their case to court, eventually winning the right to promote capitalism, the American way and some company’s product by stitching on patches for today’s race.

How quaint. NASCAR can’t relate, NASCAR standing for “Need Anything Sold, Can Arrange a Rate.” This is a sport that would plaster labels for light beer, paper towels and clothes-washing detergent over windshields if the drivers could just figure out a way to race without seeing the track.

In NASCAR, owners would sue if drivers insisted on racing without advertising.

Hopelessly swamped in the past, horse racing actually believed Hollywood could reverse decades of dwindling popularity by releasing a movie, “Seabiscuit,” that would reignite nationwide interest in the sport.

Never happened. The movie came and went, the Derby is back and lead-in coverage has been dominated not by talk of a great horse or a great race, but by what the jockeys might not be wearing.

NASCAR would say that’s putting the cart before the horse. A movie sell a sport? NASCAR is a sport that sells movies, with such films as “Spider-Man” and “The Passion of the Christ” getting box-office boosts from promotional paint schemes.

Even horse racing officials understand the power of a NASCAR paint scheme. At last week’s Aaron’s 499 in Talladega, Ala., Sterling Marlin’s No. 40 car was adorned with the official logo of the Kentucky Derby.

It’s time to cut the jockeys a break, cut them in, considering each of them will be riding today on saddle cloths bearing the corporate logo of Visa, which sponsors the Triple Crown races.

Besides, if you watched HBO’s recent documentary on jockey weight restrictions and the dietary torture they endure to make weight, you know that their endorsement potential is limited. You probably won’t be seeing many patches for McDonald’s, KFC or Snickers on jockeys’ pants today. Elsewhere on television this weekend:

TODAY

* Colorado Avalanche at San Jose Sharks (Channel 7, noon)

While we’re on the topic of nutrition: Have you noticed that the Avalanche’s big-A emblem and the Atkins diet logo are near dead ringers?

The Avalanche, despite having the best NHL roster money can buy, is on the verge of being eliminated in the second round by the Sharks. Somebody in Colorado needs to start eating more carbs.

* Cologne Centurions at Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Network, 10 a.m.)

Big NFL Europe matchup in Germany. Maurice Clarett and Mike Williams study possible career options.

* Montreal Expos at Dodgers

(Fox Sports Net 2, 7 p.m.)

How important is home-field advantage? The road-weary Expos, due to play only three of their first 26 games in Montreal, took an overall winning percentage of .217 into this series. That’s better than Alex Cora’s batting average and not much else.

SUNDAY

* Lakers at San Antonio Spurs

(Channel 7, 12:30 p.m.)

The latest bad idea to roll out of ESPN HQ: Trying to enlist Dick Vitale to work the NBA playoffs.

Obviously, the message -- less Vitale is more -- is not getting through to Bristol. Of all people, it was down to Vitale to provide some semblance of good sense and restraint and decline the offer.

What could Vitale add to the never-ending chatter already threatening to swallow these playoffs whole? Just this: “THE LAKERS AND THE SPURS!!! THE BEST OF THE BEST, BAY-BEE!!! THE LAST FIVE TITLES BETWEEN THEM!!! AND THEY’RE MEETING IN THE SECOND ROUND!!! IT’S A CRIME!!! IT’S A SHAME!!! RESEED THE TOURNAMENT NOOOOOW!!!”

* Toronto Maple Leafs at Philadelphia Flyers (ESPN, 1 p.m.)

Commissioner Gary Bettman and player union chief Bob Goodenow met this week and discussed shaving 10 games off the NHL schedule next season, from 82 to 72. A 72-game schedule would be the league’s shortest since 1966-67, the last before the Original Six expanded to a 12-team league.

For hockey fans, with the threat of a work stoppage hovering over the 2004-05 season, this is a glass half-full, half-empty issue.

Half full: Ten fewer games is better than 82 fewer games.

Half empty: Ten fewer games isn’t going to improve the on-ice product. Ten fewer teams would.

* Tampa Bay Storm at Orlando Predators (Channel 4, noon)

Kurt Warner is scheduled to stop by as a studio guest during NBC’s arena football coverage, to reminisce about his past ... and contemplate his future?