Fans of all sports try to compare the greats from different generations --- a tough task, to say the least. There is an abundance of variables to attempt to line up, and thus making a fair comparison can be challenging
and, at times, trivial. Hall of Fame driver John Campbell has gone on the record regarding the evolution of North American standardbred racing, and although he doesn't compare stars directly, he did state that times have changed.
Campbell's comments have come via an article by the London Free Press. The native of Ailsa Craig, Ont. was close to his hometown yesterday, as he was a part of the annual Rogers London Sports Celebrity Dinner and Auction.
The report quotes Campbell as saying that the North American harness racing product has changed over the years.
"It's more aggressive," Campbell stated. "If we asked horses back then (in the '70s and '80s) to do what we ask them to do now, they wouldn't have been able to. The breeding has changed. It used to be you could get a bad draw and still be OK and come on at the end. Not anymore. It's more and more driving from the front."
(With files from the London Free Press)