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I think that you should have to win a 450 championship to get a single digit and finish inside the top 10 in total points within at least the 3 most recent years to keep it (so someone can't just injure their way out of their number). A 250 championship should get you your choice of career 2 digit number, but shouldn't get you a single digit. The rest should be based on finish.
Think about this group of people, and tell me who doesn't belong:
- Ryan Villopoto
- Mike Brown
- Blake Baggett
- Ryan Dungey
- James Stewart
- Ivan Tedesco
You've got 3 world class riders in there, and 3 riders that haven't done much to be in the single digits. This is all just my opinion of course. I certainly don't think any number should ever be retired, but I think you should have to prove yourself a legacy in the sport before you earn a single digit.
The system may be flawed for guys that dont race that come back and just score enough points to keep their numbers. I do think that is flawed but it is the rules.
For anyone to say Blake hasnt earned the #4 is crazy. The kid has won almost half of the 250 LitesMX races during the last 2 seasons and has scored a boatload of points along the way. To win something like 19 motos and 10 overalls in a period of time with serious competition proves he is a force that baring injury should be here for a very long time. The AMA put a lock on the #4 for RC for an extended period of time as a sign of respect, same as they did for MC with the #2, and when RV picked up the #2 people gave him shit for it as well. MC will always be #2 and RC will always be #4, and so it will continue.
Blake shouldnt be compared to RC, as he is not out there saying that he is going to do this and that talking shit. The kid earned a single digit number by virtue of his championship and chose the lowest number available.
One thing some of the people on here should do is go find the AMA rulebook online and read it. It will help you to not make yourself look like an ass on here when you post your opinions that have no relevant basis. For example, Barcia hasnt won a major championship and therefore cant pick a single digit, same as Tomac. If your true fans of the sport and your going to spend time to write long drawn out posts on this forum or any other do yourself a favor and educate yourself a bit.
By the way most riders when choosing a new permanent number that was held by a retired rider call that rider before picking the number as a sign of respect. I know that Blake called RC and and asked him if he was OK with it, and from my understanding RC was, and was glad that it was someone with Blake's training and dedication to the sport that was potentially going to take the #4.
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that's all I have to say about thayat.
An opinion doesn't have to have a relevant basis - I am of the opinion that white cars with black wheels look good. You might share that opinion or have another, but I don't need a relevant basis to have that opinion.
It is of my opinion (with knowledge of the AMA rule book) that anyone with a single digit number should be a major icon in the sport. Neither Ivan Tedesco, nor Mike Brown are icons to the sport, and I don't believe that BB has yet proven himself to be one. That's my opinion anyways - if'n that's ok with you...
This is all of you complaining... buncha fucking babies.
BTW, I think Carmichael is the baddest dude ever. Retiring his number for an amount of time was good, but with the shitty numbering system, they can't keep it retired forever. Things have to change. It's been 6 years. It might be time to let it go.
AND END THREAD
OK, there are 9 single digit numbers (I know, this information is ground breaking). If we don't care about retiring any number then whom, currently racing, should they belong. One caveat, don't include guys who like to have their own branding and want to run their own specific number, e.g. 22, 800, 51, 14, 15 etc. unless your argument is purely results based.
What about red with black/red rims?
...badass. They're just plain badass...
It's the stupid system that is flawed.
Don't blame it on the riders who have the option under the stupid system who take the lowest number available.
The system seems to give riders an entitlement on a number, it would be better if the riders "earned" their numbers.
Being able to identify the riders consistently and not having casual fans confused helps in keeping them coming back year after year.
Pit Row
Blake Baggett @blakebaggett4
It's official, my new career number is #4!
Michael G West @_MichaelWest_
@blakebaggett4 Fuck you, arrogant punk. Gonna take the GOAT's number the same year u lose the MXdN with ur pitiful performance? Wow. U suck
Blake Baggett @blakebaggett4
@_MichaelWest_ please, tell me what you do other then talk shit with a key board. Your fingers must be tuff! Go buy a bike and race a1!
Michael G West @_MichaelWest_
@blakebaggett4 Lol. That's the best you've got? Lucky for u Dean Wilson was hurt or you'd have won NOTHING this year. Lol.
Blake Baggett @blakebaggett4
@_MichaelWest_ Y don't you talk about things you've done in life, or you can live thur other people accomplishments cause you have none!
Michael G West @_MichaelWest_
@blakebaggett4 I have plenty. But there is a reason nobody has picked #4 for years. Only someone as arrogant as u would think u deserve it.
Blake Baggett @blakebaggett4
@_MichaelWest_ I deserved it by winning a national championship. When you can say the same about yourself, I'll give you the #4! #getalife
I can't believe these people call themselves fans. It's a number at the end of the day.
Blake has had times where he dropped 2 seconds per lap on the most stacked outdoor 250 field ever assembled.
Please have some respect.
I may not like him running the number four, but it's not some big deal. I just think it's gonna look weird. It has more to do with the tiddler class than anything, I think. Something about a single digit on a small bike just irks me. I didn't like RV2 when he was with PC, then the second he hopped on a 450 I though it looked straight badass.
#4 will always be RC in our minds, but I'm sure Baggett will do just fine in his career.
I will have to give you that one for the good of the sport if it really increases the amount of fans coming back year after year. However, casual fans probably are more intune with a rider's name instead of a rider's number. And with the current class champion running the number 1 plate at least one rider in every class will not be running their number. If you are that casual of a fan how in the hell will that work out for you?
The flaws in the system as I see it, are that the numbers will always continue to change, whether it be 1 year later or in the extreme cases of Brown or Dowd several years later because no rider will be able to keep their number forever. Thus the current system only works for a period of time depending on when low numbered riders leave the sport. When the system was first implemented of course the top riders were all for it, as they were the ones to benefit from it, the current riders don't have the same starting point.
The upcoming cream of the crop riders will not have an opportunity to choose a real low number until one becomes available and dependant on the timeframe at which they "earn the right" to choose a low number under the existing system there could become a point in which no top 10 number would be available to a current champion.
The number of years the riders have in the sport can be fairly limited and I personally liked it better when they could "really earn" the opportunity to run a low number and feel that it benefits the riders and all their sponsors for their accomplishment. Case in point, a privateer that might earn a low number, even if for only one year, should be rewarded for same.
I do however feel that there is a marketing advantage to the riders by having the same number year after year. I also like the fact that with the current system riders like Alessi and Canard can "pick" a number that means something special to them.
So there really are some advantages to the current system, it just seems that the "bragging rights" of a short career privateer who does well one year gets left out in the cold. Plus we wouldn't have people complaining about "how dare anyone" choose a number that a rider like McGrath or Carmichael used to run.
I liked better when you earned your number, but then again I feel 250s should run against 250s, even if they put out a little more smoke. The old "earned it" is a whole lot more of a method of earning it than the new "earned it."
Of course this is only my opinion and everyone is welcome to their's as well.
God bless motocross!
That is awesome!
I am surprised to see no one has said anything about Hanny with #60 though.
Post a reply to: blake bagget #4 done