The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. announced on Monday, August 24 that it has hired Cal Bricker as its new Senior Vice President of Horse Racing.
Building on the work that has been underway over the past several months, Bricker will provide dedicated leadership as OLG continues to integrate horse racing into the provincial gaming strategy, according to an OLG release on the hiring.
According to his Linkedin profile, Bricker served as Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications for Waste Management in Canada from 2003 to 2014. Prior to that, he worked in Public affairs, for Labatt Breweries of Canada from 1992 to 2001, and Labatt USA from 2001 to 2003. Bricker has a PhD, International Relations, from the University of Alberta.
According to the OLG, Bricker will strengthen the OLG’s efforts to support industry self-governance by focusing on the ongoing development of strong working partnerships with the horse racing industry, government and regulatory bodies.
Touching on Bricker’s background, the OLG release states that Bricker has experience working in complex business environments that generate revenue while protecting the public interest. The release goes on to state that Bricker’s background in building partnerships among diverse stakeholders with multiple interests will serve OLG well, as the corporation works to create the conditions for sustainable horse racing industry in Ontario.
Bricker’s first day at OLG will be September 1, 2015.
Lynn your comparison of a
Lynn your comparison of a dentist doing a carpenters work holds true with horsemen doing a promoters work. Get the best people for the job who have the skills and training to do the job and horsemen will, and do gladly cooperate. Horsemen are the low man on this totem pole and leadership starts at the top. As for trackside promotions horsemen are the main participants except for the give aways. Horse people work 7 days 3 or 4 nights a week and are supposed tell track management how to run their business as well ? No one blames track owners for not upholding their end of SARP, the main reason for ending SARP, and who still continue to collect millions in "rent" from OLG annually.
In reply to Lynn your comparison of a by jkchill
So are you suggesting that
So are you suggesting that hockey players are also the low man on the totem pole? Again, they also work 7 days a week, and play 3-4 nights a week. They however also still have a say in all the things the management does. It is like you completely did not read my post, and want to make yourself sound like the victim again.
Again, in ALL other pro-sports, the low man on the totem pole has a unified voice created SOLEY by them. Not by an appointed group. Mr Hill, if you can not seem to make the comparison, do you think it might not be time to step back and look at others that can see how other pro sports have the "low guy" on the totem pole dictating the futures they have? Until you, the low guy has a real voice, which is something you apparently are not interested in and want to blame others for not having, you are going to be constantly out of control of your own fate.
At this point Mr Hill..... the one thing I totally blame the horseman on, is not banding together and getting that unified voice. Watching you blame others...... is getting tiring.
In reply to So are you suggesting that by Will Yamakva
No I am not suggesting pro
No I am not suggesting pro athletes are the low men in their sports, in fact quite the opposite. I couldn't agree more that we need true representation by the horsemen for the horsemen. However the ONLY people Kathleen Wynn will listen to is her appointed "experts" end of story. We have had numerous rallies at Queens Park with support from PC and NDP MPP's and had support from both opposition parties on the floor of Queens park only to have it fall upon deaf ears. Do you really think Jodie Jamieson and Anthony McDonald could change her mind ? What do you suggest if the horsemen did have one unified voice? A strike would be playing right into their hands and bring about the sports end that much sooner. Listening to your uninformed opinions is also getting tiring.
Will---you are right---again!
Will---you are right---again! To be frank, I don't know why you still bother to contribute your thoughts here. I have all but given up. Horsepeople are hard-headed apparently. Can we at least give Mr. Bricker a chance before we slaughter him? Will is so bang on about getting the right people to do the job at hand. Example---we were renovating a bathroom years ago. My husband, a dentist (a damn good one!) decided he could do it himself to save money. Not!! Hired a carpenter to tear down what hubby had done and do the job right. Lesson learned---stick with what you know and are good at if you want the job done right AND to save money in the long run.
As for horsepeople getting more involved with THEIR sport/business, it better happen today--not tomorrow, next week or next year. We are soon going to be obsolete. This attitude that we can just keep on breeding, training and racing horses to compete with all of the distractions that are gobbling up the purchasing public's dollars without any change in direction is simply going to be our ruin.
RUS is racing tonight at Georgian Downs. Riders (some who don't have mounts) have volunteered to do PR work throughout the grandstand and to be in attendance at our booth to answer questions about our new sport. Drivers could take a lesson. John Campbell usually gives away his whips at Legends Day in Clinton. You bet those kids (and adults) will remember that for a long time to come. If we haven't the pride to promote ourselves at the trackside level, why the hell should anyone try to do it at the managerial level? As Taylor Caldwell said: "It's a waste of money to help those that show no desire to help themselves.".
As for Will promoting himself on this site---that's what promoters do and he is doing it well. Why not? What else is he getting out of posting here? Certainly not a lot of respect for his input or even a "thank you" for giving a damn and still banging his head against the wall that is made up of horsepeople. I don't blame him even if he isn't intentionally doing so. By the way---Thank you Will!
Will, you constantly use this
Will, you constantly use this site for self promotion. Don't tell us about your accomplishments. Show them to us. We haven't seen any examples. How about putting someone like Cal Bricker in your position. Lets see if he is as good as you.
In reply to Will, you constantly use this by [email protected]
Mr Hill. Take note, the
Mr Hill.
Take note, the people that I congratulated, are participating in did not require a racetrack or the government to get them to do. They at least tweet. It aint much, but it is a start. You say that I blame you for not participating, and that is not at all what I am doing. You need to be a vocal part in the planning, or designing, or leading of your own promotion.
Like I stated in my last post, the NHL players do not just go to practice and then play in the games, and that is enough. Each team has a rep that is part of the union. That group gets together, and decides what it wants to do with the league and its own promotion. The players have a HUGE say in the deals that the NHL has. Hockey cards, to video games, to the faces on cups given away, to promotional nights at the games, all has some dealings with the union or the players.
You seem to think that it is the track's idea to come up with everything, and the horseman just show up. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. No pro sports have it that way, yours shouldnt either.
The guys that I complimented, are tweeting, and getting with the information age, and that does not require a racetrack telling them to do so.
----
Mr Rose, my "self promotion" is more to show you an example of someone that puts bodies into seats or buildings DESPITE not actually being a musician or having actual musical talent. There are HUNDREDS of people like me in the business. One does not have to have much of a clue how to actually do something, to lead it. His lack of horse background is not relative to his ability to perform his role. It would take FAR more money than your industry has to offer me, and there is too much resistance and negative attitude from the horseman to ever want to work in that industry. The fact the majority of comments here are aimed at the government and not rallying each other to make the sport better, and so much focus is tossed at the government, I even question why I post to you people.
Will, seems you have finally
Will, seems you have finally got it. We are horsemen and there is no doubt you could do a better job of marketing and promotion than the horsemen just as we could train a horse better than you. Everyone has their duties in this business and ours is to put horses on the track. Marketing and promotion fall into track owners duties. I agree we do not need to be led by a horsemen but it would be nice if people being appointed by OLG to lead us were familiar with the industry and not need on the job training. When this happens it seems to me that they are there for lip service and to rubber stamp any OLG directives and to do as they are told.
In reply to Will, seems you have finally by jkchill
Mr Stewart... despite your
Mr Stewart... despite your opinions of Mr Bettman, you are in the same position as his employers, the owners of the franchise. Mr Bettman has brought hockey to all time highs. Viewership is at its highest. Attendance is at its highest. The teams are worth more now than they ever have been and one franchise has now reached the billion dollar mark in terms of value. He has an incredible national deal with 2 seperate networks that are bringing in the owners a fortune. Have the traditionalists been sour at him? Sure, but that does not change that without Bettman, the game would not be anywhere close to where it is with anyone else.
Mr Hill.
You seem to always miss the point. It is NOT soley the track's responsibility to market and promote the game. You must be a HUGE part of it. Do the hockey players just show up and play? NO. So quit assuming that is your entire job. I had the pleasure of meeting a professional soccer player that was out pushing the game at an appearance at a kid's camp. That had NOTHING to do with the team and was something that the individual's agent had arranged. You see the players in the NHL are organized enough to have the NHLPA, to which they have appointed reps on each team, and a union boss. Bettman and those 30 players and union reps meet with Bettman and discuss things and as a group they decide the direction the game is going. Do you think that the company that makes all the jerseys for the NHL teams just spoke with Bettman to make that deal? no. The Players union had a HUGE voice in that. The union often discusses how to market the game with Bettman.
You REALLY need to lose this idea that racing is just enough.
BTW..... shout out to Billy Davis JR, and a Anthony MacDonald and the few other drivers that actually are doing a little something with the regular tweets about their drives that night. Its the little things like this that I am referring to that are what the sport needs to utilize in today's marketing driven world.
If you cant figure this out Mr Hill...... you are going to be left behind as the sport currently is.
In reply to Mr Stewart... despite your by Will Yamakva
Will in one sentence you
Will in one sentence you blame horsemen for not participating in promotions and the next you are congratulating horsemen for their participation in promotions ??? To my knowledge a horseman has never refused to participate in any promotions. I think it is you who are missing the point!
He seems overqualified.
He seems overqualified.
I'm sure he will be asset to
I'm sure he will be asset to the O L G and WEG in building on the existing casino portion of the business. Time will tell his take on horse racing.
Something is missing, in my
Something is missing, in my opinion. There is no mention of horse racing in Mr. Bricker's resume.
In reply to Something is missing, in my by gordon hart
Why does someone have to have
Why does someone have to have a background in something to lead it?
Gary Bettman has never played a single game, coached or was a GM of a team, Pete Rozelle never led or played a minute of football. David Stern nor Adam Silver have played or coached a team.
This idea that a horseman should lead the charge is silly. This is a business. THe best business minds should be leading the charge. Im not a horseman, but after reading the comments here many days, its clear that I could do a better job at putting bodies in the seats and making a profit than a large number of the horseman. My career has been all about promotion, from bars to nightclubs, to large conferences, to concerts, to charity events to sports, many times for bands I had never heard of, to charities that I did not know existed to sporting events that I would never even attend myself.
There is no need for a horseman to lead anything to do with your BUSINESS!!!
In reply to Why does someone have to have by Will Yamakva
"Gary Bettman has never
"Gary Bettman has never played a single game, coached or was a GM of a team"
That truly illustrates why at least some background is required to lead a business.