Seemingly the last chance for what has been a great tradition in NY, the Empire State Games, will come to an end in 2009. Many newspaper articles has the reason being budget cuts proposed by the Governor, but in reality it seems the true reason is the office of NY State Parks and Recreation unwillingness to oversee the games. Officials in that department would prefer an outside vendor take over the games, which is why, if they continue, the cost will be prohibitive to many participants and exclude masters and veteran athletes.
A good question to ask a legislator is "where exactly are the record dollars received from the lottery games going?" That money paid for a great deal of the ESG, not our tax dollars.
Snowshoe racing, one of the largest participatory sports during the winter games in the Lake Placid area, will continue to grow and survive. Talk is already under way about having a NY Championship race, location to be announced. There is also an excellent chance the USSSA National Championship will be in New York for 2010.
I lifeguarded at the (then) brand new 50-meter pool in Burnet Park for the swimming events for the inaugural ESG in Syracuse in 1978. I've since swum in the geezer, errr Masters division in several ESGs since then. It's hard to believe they will go away for good. I'm optimistic they will return when the state's economic situation improves.
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