Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Mouse racing

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The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was Keep clear enough consensus to keep, also IMO sufficient media coverage to be notable. Computerjoe's talk 16:12, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mouse racing

It has 59 total hits on Goggle. That certainly isn't enough for this small sport to be on Wikipedia. RobJ1981 08:06, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

  • After being pleasantly surprised and amused by reading mobile phone throwing, I was hoping this was another plausible silly sport. However, getting 0 Ghits for "mouse racing" "mouse jockey" indicates this article is likely to be OR. Delete. Awyong Jeffrey Mordecai Salleh 08:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • How many hits does something need to be on Wikipedia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Redcow (talk • contribs) 2006-08-30 09:14:51
    • What an article needs to be on Wikipedia is sources, sources, sources. This article cites none, and the Google searches coming up empty means that editors cannot find any for themselves, either. Uncle G 09:51, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Keep and cleanup. I get 636 Google hits including a version where mice race boats from TIME.com. - Mgm|(talk) 12:11, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
    • Comment Heh, that's actually an article from 1946. But Time magazine is certainly a reliable source --Xyzzyplugh 13:03, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
In that case, it proves it's not just a recent fad. All the more reason to keep, especially in combination with the sources below. - Mgm|(talk) 08:08, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Weak keep It does seem to exist, although there may be a more common term for it. Here's another source, from People Magazine:[1]. Can't find anything about miniature jockeys, though. Zagalejo 14:47, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Comment: Here are a couple more sources: Gambling Magazine article, Geraldton Guardian article. Zagalejo 17:43, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • More sources Using Lexis-Nexis's major newspaper search, I received 58 unique results for "Mouse racing," most of which are relevant to this topic. They seem to take place in the US (especially popular in St. Louis and St. Petersburg), the British Isles, and Australia. I'm pretty confident now that this can make a solid, interesting article, and if it's kept, I'll committ to cleaning it up in the future. Zagalejo 18:01, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • More I'm finding more articles using the World News options. The races take place in New Zealand, too, and it seems like they have attracted the attention of the RSPCA. (Here's a free article for your consideration). Zagalejo 18:07, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Delete. What's next? Horned toad racing? Dodo racing: can non-existent creatures beat one another? Per Mordecai.-Kmaguir1 09:23, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Comment: If people had been racing horned toads on three continents for over six decades, wouldn't it be notable? I don't really understand your argument here. Zagalejo 17:43, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
Good point: no, it wouldn't be notable if people had been racing horned toads on three continents for over six decades.-Kmaguir1 04:11, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Keep and cite appropriate sources. -- Whpq 20:21, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Delete NN "sport" fails WP:VERIFY. Come back when it's as notable as Cow tipping or Dwarf tossing. Even as a "business buzzword," it's not in the same class as "putting lipstick on a pig" or "chasing butterfies in the dark" as a metaphor for futility. --Dennette 09:06, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
  • The statements in the article aren't sourced at the moment, but the sport is verifiable. We're discussing the subject here, not the page as it currently exists. Mouse races have been around since the 1940s, and probably earlier, and they're played throughout the world. I have nontrivial newspaper and magazine sources to back that up.
Here are a few of the newspaper articles I found, in case no one believes me:
  • Glen Sparks. "IN THE GATES: ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, SQUEAK!". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 29, 2004. p. 1
  • Clare Garner. "Life in the fast lane 'is cruel to mice'". The Independent. December 27, 1997. p. 2.
  • "Mice for racing plan condemned". The Irish Times. December 27, 1997. p. 4.
  • Yvonne Martin. "Pub offers beer with a whisker chaser". The Press. July 17, 2001. pg. 1.
And there's more where that came from. Note that these are all from the last ten years.

Zagalejo 14:15, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

  • Comment I've re-written the article and included sources. It's only a couple of paragraphs long, but it's a start. So, take a look, if you wish. Zagalejo 02:24, 2 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Keep Zagalejo has really cleaned this article up and I think most of the objections have been dealt with. I encourage anyone who voted delete to take another look. --Aranae 17:40, 2 September 2006 (UTC)
The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.