So Big Brown is going for the Triple Crown today.  Unlike just about all the pundits, not to mention everyone I know, I am going to be rooting hard for the Field.  Why?  Not just because I'm cranky and a contrarian.  Big Brown's shot at history bugs me on a few levels:

1. I've never been able to pull for the prohibitive favorite.  It always seemed lame to me to side with someone who was sure to win… at anything.  And let's face it, Big Brown is about twice as big as any of the other horses.
2. I don't recognize horses as athletes.  Sorry… they are animals.  When ESPN recognized Secretariat as one of its Top 50 athletes ever, I think I went cold turkey on ESPN for a month.  That is saying alot, save for the fact that it was July and nothing really happens in sports in July.
3. Big Brown isn't owned by a horse racing legend — he's owned by a hedge fund.  Though I'm a capitalist, I think the involvement of hedge funds in sports just can't be positive.
4. Big Brown's trainer seems like a real jerk.  I really want him to eat his words.

So… enjoy the race today with a good Belmont Breeze or something.  But don't drink the Belmont Breeze for the tradition… folks have enjoyed that drink at Belmont for a whole 10 years.