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Lame Games ?
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Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
Track was awesome though. Get rid of an Anaheim and take a SX back to the Colosseum.
I bet the riders enjoyed the payday...not bad for a Thursday!
But that doesn't matter compared to what the "core" "old-school" message boarders think, right?
JR
The Shop
Track was pretty good, typical slick SoCal SX track, except the WTF dust. They only showed battles in the front like they do at all MX/SX races, what's the difference.
X Games on Day 1 was exactly what I expected, nothing magic, nothing bad. Just X Games. When I don't like a movie I don't go watch it, just to complain. Mostly old-school peeps are going to never like it anyway. It's just a different event, like doing a GNCC or going to Le Touquet or the Erzberg, different stuff.
My "old school", "core" 45 year old ass sat on the couch and watched it, while on the phone with my "old school", "core" 52 year old buddy, as he watched. You think any of our boys or their friends (all riders/racers) watched it? They didn't know it was on, and couldn't give two shits when we told them it was on.
My oldest did perk up when I said TP was winning freestyle, and watched his last run with me.
Oh, and I don't think I'd tune in to see it again. I guess the boys must have watched it last year
That's not surprising, X Games is mainly followed by the BMX and skate crowd.
As it is, it's not represntative of real SX.
The freestyle had me nervous and on the edge of my seat. I just hate seeing those guys get hurt. I definitely plan on watching tonight tho.
I'm not bagging on the idea of X, or the value to avertisers.
Do the riders care about it? Not that much it seems. Mostly B team guys, guys on their way down and out, except for the JGR guys, or a few unknowns trying to make a name, or the guys paid by their energy drink sponsor to be there...
Pit Row
the racing wasn't bad...... the Hot Sauce vs lil' Hanny duel had to be good in person.... although the camera guys had a hard time figuring out what to follow....
i was dig'n MC.... sounded much better than usual..
i don't normally like watching the chics but it was pretty dern good..... those chics were huck'n it....
Again, the core MX crowd isn't the crowd they're attracting with it, and that's why I question it (we'll see if it sticks around a couple more years), the Freestyle and Trickster crowd is a better fit. Get it?
but I do agree, ESPN's cover could have been better, especially witht he FMX. That was poor coverage and camera work for MotoX and FMX. The splitscreens for replays during live runs was lame. Then showing an entire half lap replay of Moto X during the live race!
Skate park, and bike park fun and games are a lot closer to FMX, and it's easy to see the crossover in interest there. FMX has been pretty successful with X, wouldn't you agree? All the big names show up for it. SX racing? Not so much.
Yes, I tuned in, and I probably wouldn't again, "to watch MX/SX racing". It was kind of a non-event. Not much there to entertain a "race fan".
Would I tune in to see Best Whip? Yeah.
ESPN created the X Games as a commodity to sell, and vehicle for extreme sports athletes to sell themselves. ESPN constantly tinkers with things, types of events and the formats for them, to tailor them to snapshot excitement, short attention span friendly TV formats.
They don’t have any affinity to MX and its traditions other than to take what works to fit that formula. Pure MX in its traditional form is not large-audience friendly (as least as the racing is or is presented now) in that there’s an element of patience in it for the riders and the audience. Even “real” SX is not bull riding or even four-lap speedway racing. The pay off for the audience is when it hangs in there. ESPN knows that’s a small audience.
Can it or should it attract more championship contending riders? Big names to us? Does it need to? They made Gracyk a star a couple years ago and most of their audience probably didn’t know he was any less a talent than RC in any meaningful way. It would be just as good a show with a field of nationals backmarkers and suit ESPN fine. And they would trade away any soul element of MX to better serve their TV format needs.
Sidebar: the trick for outdoor MX is how to improve the TV presentation to expand the audience while preserving the soul elements of MX at the track. IMO it revolves around creating more, closer and better racing moments and continuing improvement of the TV production to capture and present that.
Bit of a ramble, sorry.
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