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The guys work real hard.
Which one were you trying to say?
The Shop
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Well all have to do things in life that "are not fun" to accomplish our goals... B F D.
On Friday night when most of us may be sitting down on the couch with a beer and some chips and salsa and watch TV for a few hours, these guys are probably still training or at least preparing themselves for another day of training or racing. They can't go out and get wasted and stay up until the wee hours of the morning and still get up and go to work...well most of them at least.
If you haven't been there, then you don't know. When you are racing for a living...yes it is a GREAT job, but everything you do is all about your results and making your sponsors happy!! The grind of training and racing takes its tole on your mind, body and spirit over time and I am sure all of them think to themselves at times, "Man I wish I could just be a normal person, and get to go out tonight instead of getting ready for this race." or in the Privateer's mind, getting loaded up and driving for 10hrs on a Friday when all your friends are ending their weeks and taking the weekend off.
These guys do have GREAT jobs and lives for the most part and I am sure a lot of you think that you would love to be in their shoes and if you were you wouldn't complain about anything...right?? After a week of doing all that is necessary to compete at this level, most will probably want to put their old shoes back on and just be a fan/spectator again. I am not saying a Pro Racer isn't lucky or that someone working a desk job doesn't have to work hard or sacrifice things too, but it is all perspective. I am sure if you asked JS or Chad to swap spots with you and sit behind that desk starring at that spread sheet on the computer screen, they will say, "no thanks....I will keep racing."
For some of the guys who may be lucky to have a ride again this year...maybe they should work a "normal 9-5" for about a month and see how hard they start training after that!! I know I wish I had gotten that opportunity to look into the future.
i have went to a track with only 30 dollars to my name and used every penny of it for entry fee.... Blubba has a hard enough time showing up to race while he's getting paid.... what are the chances of him paying every last penny to his name just to be able to race???? think about it before you put those guys on some ridiculously high pedestal.....
When I posted "BFD" it was directed more at the message board "defenders" than at any of the pro riders.
Dude, we get it, that it's a hard gig, totally.... that's not the point, the point is, that that is the road you guys have chosen, so it is what it is, if it's too tough, change jobs... I'm sure that's what you'd tell me to do if I started complaining how hard it is to do what I do.
I don't know what it's like to be a professional motocrosser anymore than you know what its like to be me... it just may be harder than you can even imagine.
Peace
This is nothing against James or anyone else here, but motocross is not the center of the universe.
I have a full time job, a wife (with a full time job) and two small kids. If you think I can get up in the morning and decide what I want to do on a whim, I'd laugh in your face. If I want to go out alone with my wife, I need to find someone available to watch my kids. If I want to go riding, I have to do the same or make sure that my wife has the day off from her job that she works hard at.
There are sacrifices everyone makes to do what they do. These sacrifices must be worth the trouble because he's in a position to leave it all at any time he wants. I know I have to make sacrifices to have the family and job that I have. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Someone above said something about JS complaining about his life...he was not complaining....he was only making a statement that he has sacrificed a lot to be where he is. I am not a JS fan, so there is NO pedestal here. Just respect.
Question....what we all of you be doing tonight at 10PM EST, 7PM PST??? I am guessing watching these guys live on Speed, right??
Pit Row
I think I'm going to at least one of the other two Anaheim rounds... it's tough right now as the work in my trade is slow, but, I will probably be able to scrape together the $150-$200 it will take to go to the race... which will help (a little) to pay guys like James, to continue to "sacrifice".
Without diehard fans like (most) of the dudes on this board, James would just be a guy that rides really good on his local practice track, on his days off from working at Home Depot... hehe. Just kidding!
They were passionate about racing when they had nothing. He has been passionate for almost 12 years+ of racing for championships AM and Pro.
I agree they got it made, but saying they are not passionate about the sport and wouldn't spend their last dime to race, is incorrect. They just happen to be in the point in his career where it has payed off and they can enjoy the benefits of their hard work.
As someone who rooted for Chad last year; I think this title is James' to lose.
One point i didn't see anyone bring up yet , is the early years they sacrificed! When 99% of us were out playing with our friends , and doing what kids do best....play! These guys when they were kids were out pounding out motos. In the high school days , they probably skipped a lot ( or all) of extra school activities and sports.......or they didn't even have a chance to go to school , and became home schooled.
What i'm trying to say is.....a lot of these top racers started sacrificing everything we take advantage of everyday at a very young age. Weather you believe it or not , they started working at around age 5!
I have a few friends that have sacrificed a lot to live this dream of racing bikes.....and on top of all their sacrifices , they deal with injuries , hospital bills and so forth , which hardly any of us could even comprehend.
Using James for an example : He has been doing his "job" for 20 years. It uhas to take a toll on you.
It's always easier looking from the outside / in......understand?
All I was saying is, if you're gonna make that choice, you gotta live with it, good and bad.
I've sacrificed a buttload of money, time, injuries, etc. just ti ride and race for fun... we all have... it was OUR CHOICE, so we live with it, for better or worse.
James was blessed with the talent to take all that sacrifice to the top and make a great living at it.... nothing but respect here for that!
Enjoy the races tonight everyone!! The person who wins tonight will likely be the guy who has sacrificed the most.
"Sacrificing my life" he used words like grateful, blessed and lucky to have the opportunity. Also I think there are very few riders that get paid what they should, I really respect the Privateers and the riders busting their butt and their bank accounts to race. That was a great post though, don't take this wrong.
Post a reply to: JS7.com video.....