Moto on the Huffington Post

bayodome wrote:

This is my first post of many more to come on the Huffington Post. Enjoy and debate away. Pretty pumped on this one. [url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bayo-olukotun/trey-canard_b_1151219.html?ref=sports]Way Too Trey...

This is my first post of many more to come on the Huffington Post. Enjoy and debate away. Pretty pumped on this one.

Way Too Trey: Is Trey Canard Trying Too Hard?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bayo-olukotun/trey-canard_b_1151219.html?ref=sports

mag23 wrote:

Nerd sounds pissed... article seemed pretty good, no?

mag23 wrote:

Nerd sounds pissed... article seemed pretty good, no?

Nerd wrote:

I'm not pissed at all. I just think if you're going to be critical of someone, it should be for legitimate reasons. I've never heard any...

I'm not pissed at all. I just think if you're going to be critical of someone, it should be for legitimate reasons.

I've never heard any other racers mention any "risky maneuvers" by Trey Canard at all. At least not since Canard took out RV for the 2008 Lites title.

So, it sounds to me like the author was trying to bolster his own opinion by saying that "some of his competitors" have the same opinion, but I question the likelihood of this. Not the likelihood that some racers may have this opinion, but rather the likelihood that they would've made a point to volunteer such an opinion, that is unlikely to be widely held, to a member of the media.

If your opinion is worth any salt, as a writer, you don't need to bolster it with anyone else's opinion.

So, I asked a simple question. Of course, haven't gotten an answer, either.

As media, we have a responsibility to be as forthright and honest as possible, and when it comes to the mainstream press (a category in which the Huffington Post likely could fit), it's even more important not to try and make a mountain out of a molehill just to fill space.

The reality is that Trey makes mistakes sometimes. Just like I do. Or anyone does. And when you make a mistake at your job, normally you just say "oops". But when he makes a mistake at his job, he crashes. And at the speeds he's going, he crashes hard. The same goes for any other racer out there.

Some guys do make more mistakes than others, but making mistakes doesn't equate to "taking unnecessary risks" or "riding over your head". They're simply not the same thing. And if you say someone is making "risky maneuvers", I think you should be at least able to cite a couple of specific examples. Can anyone do that about Trey Canard?

Because the crash at Washougal, Trey wasn't scrubbing any harder than anyone else near the front. He didn't scrub too hard, he made a mistake because he missed the line he was taking in previous laps, and that line gave him a lot less lift on his front wheel.

Another example is when Trey broke his wrist in 2009 while leading with a couple laps to go at High Point. Chris Pourcel was close to Trey, and since there were only a couple laps left, Trey switched lines off of the jump where he crashed, taking the inside through the turn. The jump was very rutted, and you couldn't see the bottom of the rut. Trey hadn't hit that line all moto long. And there was a kicker in it, which caused him to be kicked over the bars, breaking his wrist really badly.

Is that a "risky maneuver" or a "mistake"?

Obviously, a mistake.

When he broke his femur the first time, at Washougal in 2008, he was going around a lapper and the lapper went the wrong way to try and get out of Trey's way, and they collided - on flat ground, out of a turn - causing Trey to go down awkwardly on his leg, breaking his femur.

Risky maneuver? Or mistake?

Look at all of his injuries as a pro:

2008: Broken femur at Washougal - Mistake

2009: Broken wrist at High Point - Mistake

2010: KO'd at Phoenix - Could go either way, because he was passing a guy and probably trying to make too much happen too soon, but it wasn't a scrub or anything, so it wasn't some sort of a "wild riding style" crash. He just overcooked it over a jump and endoed over a berm.

2011: Fractured femur (the one with the rod in it, from Washougal '08) after he overjumped a downhill jump at Competitive Edge while testing outdoors. He landed in the braking bumps, which tossed him off the bike. - Mistake

2011: Fractured same femur at Washougal - Mistake

2012 (off-season): Broken collarbone. I don't know what happened. Does anybody else?

Looking at that list, though, is it really fair to say "the risk involved with some of his maneuvers are not always necessary or worth the reward" and to link that thought with his injuries?

I really don't think it is. It reads like someone who went off half-cocked on something without thinking it through. I've done that a few times in my writing career, too. Hopefully, this serves as a learning experience, though. This article, on a mainstream site, wasn't a fair representation of the facts, in my opinion.

Nerd wrote:

Somebody say something?

Nerd wrote:

Somebody say something?

WORCSRacer wrote:

Perez this is exactly the kind of thing that (IMO) makes you look like a pompous fool and now you can add insanely jealous. The guy...

Perez this is exactly the kind of thing that (IMO) makes you look like a pompous fool and now you can add insanely jealous. The guy gets a piece posted in the mainstream media and you spend 500 words complaining about his choice of phrasing to get his point across that Trey Canard crashes and gets hurt, a lot. Is it a mistake or risky behavior WTF difference does it make? If Canard can't mange to stay off the ground maybe he should consider riding more conservatively and take fewer risks to stay upright. It was a valid point. Afterall he really doesn't need to sight his contacts does he? Didn't you just rally to Sondys defense and state a journalist should never give up their source?

Good lord get over yourself.

mag23 wrote:

Nerd sounds pissed... article seemed pretty good, no?

Nerd wrote:

I'm not pissed at all. I just think if you're going to be critical of someone, it should be for legitimate reasons. I've never heard any...

I'm not pissed at all. I just think if you're going to be critical of someone, it should be for legitimate reasons.

I've never heard any other racers mention any "risky maneuvers" by Trey Canard at all. At least not since Canard took out RV for the 2008 Lites title.

So, it sounds to me like the author was trying to bolster his own opinion by saying that "some of his competitors" have the same opinion, but I question the likelihood of this. Not the likelihood that some racers may have this opinion, but rather the likelihood that they would've made a point to volunteer such an opinion, that is unlikely to be widely held, to a member of the media.

If your opinion is worth any salt, as a writer, you don't need to bolster it with anyone else's opinion.

So, I asked a simple question. Of course, haven't gotten an answer, either.

As media, we have a responsibility to be as forthright and honest as possible, and when it comes to the mainstream press (a category in which the Huffington Post likely could fit), it's even more important not to try and make a mountain out of a molehill just to fill space.

The reality is that Trey makes mistakes sometimes. Just like I do. Or anyone does. And when you make a mistake at your job, normally you just say "oops". But when he makes a mistake at his job, he crashes. And at the speeds he's going, he crashes hard. The same goes for any other racer out there.

Some guys do make more mistakes than others, but making mistakes doesn't equate to "taking unnecessary risks" or "riding over your head". They're simply not the same thing. And if you say someone is making "risky maneuvers", I think you should be at least able to cite a couple of specific examples. Can anyone do that about Trey Canard?

Because the crash at Washougal, Trey wasn't scrubbing any harder than anyone else near the front. He didn't scrub too hard, he made a mistake because he missed the line he was taking in previous laps, and that line gave him a lot less lift on his front wheel.

Another example is when Trey broke his wrist in 2009 while leading with a couple laps to go at High Point. Chris Pourcel was close to Trey, and since there were only a couple laps left, Trey switched lines off of the jump where he crashed, taking the inside through the turn. The jump was very rutted, and you couldn't see the bottom of the rut. Trey hadn't hit that line all moto long. And there was a kicker in it, which caused him to be kicked over the bars, breaking his wrist really badly.

Is that a "risky maneuver" or a "mistake"?

Obviously, a mistake.

When he broke his femur the first time, at Washougal in 2008, he was going around a lapper and the lapper went the wrong way to try and get out of Trey's way, and they collided - on flat ground, out of a turn - causing Trey to go down awkwardly on his leg, breaking his femur.

Risky maneuver? Or mistake?

Look at all of his injuries as a pro:

2008: Broken femur at Washougal - Mistake

2009: Broken wrist at High Point - Mistake

2010: KO'd at Phoenix - Could go either way, because he was passing a guy and probably trying to make too much happen too soon, but it wasn't a scrub or anything, so it wasn't some sort of a "wild riding style" crash. He just overcooked it over a jump and endoed over a berm.

2011: Fractured femur (the one with the rod in it, from Washougal '08) after he overjumped a downhill jump at Competitive Edge while testing outdoors. He landed in the braking bumps, which tossed him off the bike. - Mistake

2011: Fractured same femur at Washougal - Mistake

2012 (off-season): Broken collarbone. I don't know what happened. Does anybody else?

Looking at that list, though, is it really fair to say "the risk involved with some of his maneuvers are not always necessary or worth the reward" and to link that thought with his injuries?

I really don't think it is. It reads like someone who went off half-cocked on something without thinking it through. I've done that a few times in my writing career, too. Hopefully, this serves as a learning experience, though. This article, on a mainstream site, wasn't a fair representation of the facts, in my opinion.

WORCSRacer wrote:

Perez this is exactly the kind of thing that (IMO) makes you look like a pompous fool and now you can add insanely jealous. The guy...

Perez this is exactly the kind of thing that (IMO) makes you look like a pompous fool and now you can add insanely jealous. The guy gets a piece posted in the mainstream media and you spend 500 words complaining about his choice of phrasing to get his point across that Trey Canard crashes and gets hurt, a lot. Is it a mistake or risky behavior WTF difference does it make? If Canard can't mange to stay off the ground maybe he should consider riding more conservatively and take fewer risks to stay upright. It was a valid point. Afterall he really doesn't need to sight his contacts does he? Didn't you just rally to Sondys defense and state a journalist should never give up their source?

Good lord get over yourself.

bayodome wrote:

It is an opinionated blog post that I do not expect everybody to agree with. Anyway, there are more posts to come and I hope you...

It is an opinionated blog post that I do not expect everybody to agree with. Anyway, there are more posts to come and I hope you keep reading.

yota wrote:

the last few of TC41's big crashes do seem to be scrub related.

yota wrote:

the last few of TC41's big crashes do seem to be scrub related.

Nerd wrote:

Washougal was. Which others?

yota wrote:

the last few of TC41's big crashes do seem to be scrub related.

Nerd wrote:

Washougal was. Which others?

Sherwood wrote:

When he broke his femur before the nationals for Honda last year.

mag23 wrote:

Nerd sounds pissed... article seemed pretty good, no?

Nerd wrote:

I'm not pissed at all. I just think if you're going to be critical of someone, it should be for legitimate reasons. I've never heard any...

I'm not pissed at all. I just think if you're going to be critical of someone, it should be for legitimate reasons.

I've never heard any other racers mention any "risky maneuvers" by Trey Canard at all. At least not since Canard took out RV for the 2008 Lites title.

So, it sounds to me like the author was trying to bolster his own opinion by saying that "some of his competitors" have the same opinion, but I question the likelihood of this. Not the likelihood that some racers may have this opinion, but rather the likelihood that they would've made a point to volunteer such an opinion, that is unlikely to be widely held, to a member of the media.

If your opinion is worth any salt, as a writer, you don't need to bolster it with anyone else's opinion.

So, I asked a simple question. Of course, haven't gotten an answer, either.

As media, we have a responsibility to be as forthright and honest as possible, and when it comes to the mainstream press (a category in which the Huffington Post likely could fit), it's even more important not to try and make a mountain out of a molehill just to fill space.

The reality is that Trey makes mistakes sometimes. Just like I do. Or anyone does. And when you make a mistake at your job, normally you just say "oops". But when he makes a mistake at his job, he crashes. And at the speeds he's going, he crashes hard. The same goes for any other racer out there.

Some guys do make more mistakes than others, but making mistakes doesn't equate to "taking unnecessary risks" or "riding over your head". They're simply not the same thing. And if you say someone is making "risky maneuvers", I think you should be at least able to cite a couple of specific examples. Can anyone do that about Trey Canard?

Because the crash at Washougal, Trey wasn't scrubbing any harder than anyone else near the front. He didn't scrub too hard, he made a mistake because he missed the line he was taking in previous laps, and that line gave him a lot less lift on his front wheel.

Another example is when Trey broke his wrist in 2009 while leading with a couple laps to go at High Point. Chris Pourcel was close to Trey, and since there were only a couple laps left, Trey switched lines off of the jump where he crashed, taking the inside through the turn. The jump was very rutted, and you couldn't see the bottom of the rut. Trey hadn't hit that line all moto long. And there was a kicker in it, which caused him to be kicked over the bars, breaking his wrist really badly.

Is that a "risky maneuver" or a "mistake"?

Obviously, a mistake.

When he broke his femur the first time, at Washougal in 2008, he was going around a lapper and the lapper went the wrong way to try and get out of Trey's way, and they collided - on flat ground, out of a turn - causing Trey to go down awkwardly on his leg, breaking his femur.

Risky maneuver? Or mistake?

Look at all of his injuries as a pro:

2008: Broken femur at Washougal - Mistake

2009: Broken wrist at High Point - Mistake

2010: KO'd at Phoenix - Could go either way, because he was passing a guy and probably trying to make too much happen too soon, but it wasn't a scrub or anything, so it wasn't some sort of a "wild riding style" crash. He just overcooked it over a jump and endoed over a berm.

2011: Fractured femur (the one with the rod in it, from Washougal '08) after he overjumped a downhill jump at Competitive Edge while testing outdoors. He landed in the braking bumps, which tossed him off the bike. - Mistake

2011: Fractured same femur at Washougal - Mistake

2012 (off-season): Broken collarbone. I don't know what happened. Does anybody else?

Looking at that list, though, is it really fair to say "the risk involved with some of his maneuvers are not always necessary or worth the reward" and to link that thought with his injuries?

I really don't think it is. It reads like someone who went off half-cocked on something without thinking it through. I've done that a few times in my writing career, too. Hopefully, this serves as a learning experience, though. This article, on a mainstream site, wasn't a fair representation of the facts, in my opinion.

Titan1 wrote:

I can't tell if this is jealousy, or Nerd simply trying to take care of the "hand that feeds him" (so to speak)...but either way, his...

I can't tell if this is jealousy, or Nerd simply trying to take care of the "hand that feeds him" (so to speak)...but either way, his nose is as brown as they come right now.

(Now Nerd can say: "Trey, Trey...hey, Trey...What?...Oh...Okay, sorry, I'll never touch you again...anyway, it's me, Nerd, remember we did that interview a while back..oh, you don't?...No, no don't feel bad, I wouldn't expect you to remember...but, did you see how I was defending you on Vital, did ya, did ya? I was really given' it to those guys, huh?...You're so awesome!...I was actually thinking about becoming a christian, can you help me be born again?...REALLY, you will! that'd be awesome!..You're so great!..Hey, can I have another interview some time?)

Titan1 wrote:

I can't tell if this is jealousy, or Nerd simply trying to take care of the "hand that feeds him" (so to speak)...but either way, his...

I can't tell if this is jealousy, or Nerd simply trying to take care of the "hand that feeds him" (so to speak)...but either way, his nose is as brown as they come right now.

(Now Nerd can say: "Trey, Trey...hey, Trey...What?...Oh...Okay, sorry, I'll never touch you again...anyway, it's me, Nerd, remember we did that interview a while back..oh, you don't?...No, no don't feel bad, I wouldn't expect you to remember...but, did you see how I was defending you on Vital, did ya, did ya? I was really given' it to those guys, huh?...You're so awesome!...I was actually thinking about becoming a christian, can you help me be born again?...REALLY, you will! that'd be awesome!..You're so great!..Hey, can I have another interview some time?)

Nerd wrote:

Haha... That's good. I'm simply pointing out the facts involved. You guys can decide what you want. Look through his crashes that resulted in injuries and...

Haha... That's good.

I'm simply pointing out the facts involved. You guys can decide what you want.

Look through his crashes that resulted in injuries and decide for yourself.