PETA's demands:

"We are calling for cruelty to animal charges to be pressed regarding Eight Belles against the jockey and the owners of the horse," Rajt said. "It is actually a Kentucky state cruelty to animal charge. We also say the steward's board at Churchill Downs needs to immediately file a complaint against jockey Gabriel Saez for whipping Eight Belles as she came down the final stretch to the wire. We need standards in place to bar horse owners who allow this kind of cruelty."

I take no side in this debate, except to say that one of the counter-protester's signs on Tuesday, "Horses Are Born To Run," is very misleading. I believe that the photo below proves that horses would all rather be doing something else if given the choice.

PETA Demonstration At KHRA Expected To Continue In Baltimore [Thoroughbred Times]

On behalf of the more than 1 million members and supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) worldwide, I am writing with a solution to the recent drama of a few high-profile NBA players who were whining about fingertip scratches and scrapes caused by the new composite basketball adopted by the league. As excruciating as these "injuries" must be for a worldclass athlete, thousands of cows stand to suffer far worse if the NBA goes back to a leather basketball — so we'd like to suggest a compromise.

PETA would like to offer a lifetime supply of cruelty-free hand cream to any NBA siss ... excuse me, superstar who'd be willing to give the composite ball another shot. Recreational players and NCAA athletes have been using composite balls for years without experiencing scratches or scrapes — but we understand that the delicate hands of pampered NBA superstars are far more sensitive than those of your average Joe who actually has to work for a living. The hand cream comes in a variety of scents, including "Filthy Rich Organic" (perfect for any overpaid millionaire) and "Peaceful Patchouli"-Nash, we have a whole case of that set aside for you. Maybe by taking care of your own skin a bit better, you can allow cows who would otherwise meet their end in the slaughterhouse to keep theirs.

You can download their full letter right here, in PDF form. As much as we might enjoy some "Peaceful Patchuouli Nash" hand cream, we think this might be an example of fighting demons that aren't there. (That said, we're leather offenders ourselves.) The real question: What's their take on Barbaro?

We're Avoiding "With Leather" Jokes, But You May Feel Free [Deadspin]

In January 2006, PETA contacted the National Basketball Association (NBA) and requested that it switch from leather basketballs to cruelty-free synthetic balls ... Along with the request, PETA sent information on how the leather industry tortures and kills millions of cows, including the fact that it takes the skin of an entire cow to make just four basketballs ... In June 2006, the NBA announced that it would switch to synthetic basketballs beginning with its 2006/2007 season.

My only question is ... if I'm going to be eating the rest of the cow anyway (and I damn sure will be), why not use the skin to put together a few basketball? Do we went to use the whole animal, like the nice Native Americans in "Dances With Wolves," or do we want to be like the bad white men who kill the buffalo for their tongues? Think about that, Pam Anderson.

The NBA denies that PETA had anything to do with the switch, saying that it's "a better ball with a better grip and feel and more consistency from ball-to-ball." Ignoring the words "ball-to-ball" for a second, pretty much everyone in the league agrees that the new basketball does not have a better grip, feel, or anything else. Everyone from Shaq to Mark Madsen hates it.

I think the NBA caved in to PETA. For a dress code that the players hate, the league stands up like they're Corleones. PETA applies a little pressure, though, and they fold like little girls.

About PETA - Victories [PETA]
PETA likes "cruelty-free" ball [ESPN Insider]