On Saturday, two huge sporting events took place; the Kentucky Derby and the Oscar De La Hoya/Floyd Mayweather Jr. World Boxing Council super welterweight fight. Today, only hours after both events, does anyone care? The short answer to that question is no. Americans love spectacles and clearly both were that but neither activity is anywhere near its glory years and it’s possible the two large paydays Saturday were the last gasps of two very tired sports.

The Kentucky Derby, for the first time in its history, had Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in attendance at Churchill Downs (CHDN). I’m sure the Queen, a noted horse lover, felt it was important to get here while she was still relatively mobile and could enjoy the day. From all accounts on television, she appeared to be having fun. The attendance, 156,635, was the third largest in the history of the Run for the Roses, the first of three legs in the Triple Crown, horseracing’s biggest spectacle. Bets totaled $118 million, slightly less than last year’s record setting number when the fan favorite Barbaro won the Derby. It was a good race (Street Sense won by 2 lengths), a great day for thoroughbred racing and an even better one for Churchill Downs. Yet, it probably isn’t enough to get horseracing back on its feet.

Then, on Saturday night, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. met in the ring, live from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. The event, hyped as the biggest pay per view draw ever, larger than any heavyweight title fight, including the 2002 Mike Tyson/Lennox Lewis bout that garnered $112 million, was big but numbers are likely to fall short. The arena itself sold out immediately, producing $19 million in gate revenues, a record, ensuring a noisy crowd for Saturday night. In the end, the fighters took it easy with a split decision going to Mayweather’s corner. While not a terrible fight, boxing needed more bang for its buck. With the Ultimate Fight Club selling out across America, the pugilistic pastime needed a real donnybrook. Instead, it was more like a waltz.

When viewed in isolation, Saturday’s events would lead one to believe both these sports were at the pinnacle of their popularity. Sadly, for both, that is the farthest thing from the truth.

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