Iditarod seeks relevance as race starts in Alaska

We just couldn’t let this stuff go …

When 57 mushers line up today for the official start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, it will be the second-smallest field in the past two decades. Only last year’s field of 52 was smaller, writes Mark Thiessen of The Associated Press.

Interest in the world’s most famous sled dog race has waned in recent years, in part because of smaller cash prizes that make it difficult for mushers to compete in an expensive sport. Animal rights activists also have stepped up pressure on sponsors to drop their support.

Now, Iditarod officials are looking to breathe new life into the competition, joining a global sled-dog racing series that features TV coverage and a GPS tracking platform that they hope will appeal to fans. They are also adding a betting element for the first time this year, and plan to create some type of fantasy application for future races.

“Like many sports,” Iditarod CEO Rob

Urbach said, “we are in a race for relevance.” The Iditarod held its fan-friendly ceremonial start Saturday in downtown Anchorage. Mushers took selfies with spectators, who also photographed and pet some of the more than 800 dogs in town for the event.

The real race starts today in Willow, about 50 miles north of Anchorage.

Nearly 1,000 miles of unforgiving terrain, doused in deep snow this year, await them as they cross two mountain ranges, travel on the frozen Yukon River and navigate the treacherous and wind-whipped Bering Sea coast to the old Gold Rush town of Nome.

“This year we’ve had a lot of snow. I won’t ever say too much snow. But it’s been a challenge to get trail put in,” Race Director Mark Nordman said.

Five former champions are in the race, including four-time winners Martin Buser and Lance Mackey and three-time champion Mitch Seavey. Jeff King, another four-time winner, was set to run this year’s race until he underwent emergency surgery Monday for a hernia and perforated intestine. One of his dog handlers will run the team instead.

Trivia question

What major leaguer has the highest salary for 2020?

Famous sports quotes

• From former Canadiens goaltender

Jacques Plante: “Goaltending is a normal job, sure. How would you like it in your job if every time you made a small mistake, a red light went on over your desk and 15,000 people stood up and yelled at you?”

• From Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron: “It took me 17 years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.”

• From former Chicago Bears safety Doug

Plank: “Most football players are temperamental. That’s 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental.”

• From former NBA great Dennis Rodman: “Chemistry is a class you take in high school or college, where you figure out two plus two is 10, or something.”

Trivia answer

The Angels’ Mike Trout will make the most this season, at $37,666,666. He supplants the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg, who made $39,333,334 last season to lead the pack. Strasburg is tied for fourth this year at $35 million, also behind the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole at $36M and the Nats’ Max Scherzer at $35.9M. Strasburg is tied with the Astros’ Zack Greinke and the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado.