Bob Baffert Now Blaming Fallout From Medina Spirit's Failed Drug Test on Cancel Culture
Bob Baffert appeared on FOX News this morning. He's in full damage control mode as he's hoping to see tainted Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and a second horse run at the Preakness this weekend. On Sunday Baffert told the assembled press that "Bob Baffert is not the problem with horse racing." Today he told FOX News that the whole situation is a "cancel culture kind of thing."
lol Bob Baffert went on Fox News and called the uproar about Medina Spirit's failed drug test is a "cancel culture kind of a thing" pic.twitter.com/aZLeOp8kBz
— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) May 10, 2021
And then he went on Dan Patrick and said it again!
Baffert on Dan Patrick: “Churchill came out with a really harsh statement. I think it was a knee jerk cancel culture kind of reaction. They violated my due process.” Says positive tests are usually confidential until split sample confirmed. “Now I have to fight this in public”
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) May 10, 2021
Hopefully, someone asks him to expand on that thought, because otherwise you might think he's just throwing out the code word to get people to rally around an issue they don't understand. This appears to be the first time that cancel culture has been the problem with a horse - or any athlete - breaking a rule. It should be a matter of weeks, if not days, until an MMA fighter drops a cancel culture bomb as they vow to contest the results of a drug test.
The Preakness draw was supposed to take place on Monday, as Baffert's horses are en route to Baltimore, but they pushed it back to Tuesday. Presumably because they need to figure out what to do about Medina Spirit. It sounds like he shouldn't be allowed to run at all.
From a sports media perspective, if Medina Spirit doesn't run it could be disastrous for NBC, who will broadcast the race. Without the Kentucky Derby winner, there is no chance to witness the second leg of a potential Triple Crown winner. As we learned last year, weird Triple Crown races don't rate well. Not to mention the extra interest in wagering on a horse trying to make history, even if it's a "junky" horse.
So Baffert is not only fighting for his own reputation and ability to make lots of money this week, but really for the overall interest in the entire sport. And he's already spent the last few days garnering negative attention. And he appears to be doing it on an increasingly large stage, which as we all know, is the true result of "cancel culture."