Maybe demise isn’t a strong enough term. Greyhound racing is in a collapse. I just wish, for the sake of the dogs, the collapse was coming at a faster pace.

The New York Times headline Thursday morning was – “Greyhound Races Face Extinction at the Hands of Casinos They Fostered.”

The key points:

A – The races are losing money at a rate of millions per year. But despite this fact, the tracks in Iowa (and in other states) are required to hold a set number of races per year.

B – Legislative movements are underway to cut the requirement that tracks hold races, leaving the gambling to the tables or slots that cannot feel emotional or physical pain and suffering.

C – The general manager at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs casino in Iowa calls greyhound racing “a dying sport.” (Although as a point of fact, it is NOT a sport).

D – Council Bluffs can hold 6,500 in its stands, but the New York Times reports only about 70 regulars were there for a race day last week. Only about 70 fans? That’s about the same number of people who actually look forward to the musical guests on Saturday Night Live each week.