COLUMN: Not so grey-t

     I woke up the morning after the Nov. 6 mid-term elections in a deep gloom.

     Not because of anything that happened in Iowa. Or in the national races.

     Because of Florida.

     On Election Day, the state of Florida passed an amendment to its state constitution banning greyhound racing, effective by the end of 2020. According to the amendment, they actually have the right to stop racing at the end of this calendar year.

     Anyone who has any connection to greyhound racing knows what an impact this could have on the sport. There are 17 tracks in the U.S. that race greyhounds, and 11 of those are in Florida.

     That will leave just six, including the Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque. Given the likely shutdown of many race breeding operations across the country, the hope that these six tracks can stay alive long-term seems – pardon the pun ­– a longshot.

     I know I sound like a sore loser. Whining, sour grapes, all that good stuff. But to try to understand my reaction, a bit of perspective might be useful.

     Are you a golfer? Someone who can’t wait until the weather warms up again so you can get back out there and tee it up? Imagine if somebody from some other part of the country was able to push through a law stating that two-thirds of the golf courses in the country were going to ban the sport. And that maybe, just maybe, your state was next in line.

     Or, this: When the Monticello Express sports editor job came open in the fall of 1998, much of the appeal was that my future wife worked in a school district less than 20 miles away.

     If I’m being honest, another part of the appeal was the greyhound track in Dubuque, which Diane and I had visited a few times during our long-distance dating days. Had it not been there, it’s very possible we would have ended up elsewhere.

     There’s a part of me that tries to see a bright side. Maybe the reduced number of tracks in the country will make the remaining ones more vibrant. With few options for greyhound players, betting handle might rise at each one, and those tracks might thrive. Supply and demand, and all that.

     But suppose the Florida vote eventually does kill the sport nationwide. Maybe it’s all just a big “so what?” Presumably, the sun will keep rising, and our lives will go on, even if one of my favorite hobbies has been consigned to memory.

     The future is cloudier for the thousands of people who work at the tracks or who breed and raise racing greyhounds, who are about to lose their livelihood. Same with the thousands of racing greyhounds – born and bred for that purpose – who will soon need homes.

     Meanwhile, in Florida, an activist group – remaining nameless for purposes of this column – is celebrating that it has raised its profile and is no doubt lining its pockets with increased membership dues. Way to stay classy.

     Me? I’ll get over it. Maybe.