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Lots of great things said. Just wanted to add again that it's hard to appreciate how much of a hub Steve was between the inside of the sport and the fans who didn't get to see the inner workings, and the early days of MT facilitated that with the involvement of a lot of folks who were playing important roles.
For someone as fiercely independent and as smart as Steve, that had to be a bear as a moderator. There were some real assholes on both sides of the aisles; people in the industry who somehow thought he was responsible for regular joes posting nonsense (or legitimate criticisms), and regular joes who accused him of protecting "industrie" people (camel toe, anyone?). It's also hard to recall now how f'ed up the people who were running MX at the AMA were back in 2006-2007 immediately before the board booted them and sold the series, Whitelock among others, and Steve's role as a the face of MotoTalk at the time when the forum was in full swing had him in the lion's den. There may not have been a guy who did so much while getting so much crap from so many people on both sides of the track fence for things he wasn't responsible for or to take care of. The least debatable thing about Steve's falling out with people when the AMA put AMA Pro Racing out to bid is that his place in that reflected how influential he had become as a person reporting on the sport. Not a perfect person, not someone right all the time, but someone who loved the sport and was fiercely independent, and through sheer hard work, in spite of physical issues, played a pivotal public role in the sport's transition to the immediacy of digital media in reporting, commentary and fan interaction. Anything else is really off the table at this point with him gone.
The guy definitely loved a brawl; 99% of the time he argued because he loved to. You needed skin as thick as his to play, and too many people didn't and took it too seriously. It wasn't malicious. Almost everyone who ever got up in arms with him on the boards was taken in by him when you got to meet him in person. Not everyone, and there were a few people who really went beyond even Steve's line in attacking him personally (Rich Cain being one, who tried to do some truly malicious and despicable things to Steve). But the fact that you disagreed with Steve ~ which was inevitable, because no topic could evade coming up and disagreement was an opportunity to be interesting ~ had little to do with his good will toward you. His generosity was impartial. I remember standing with him at Washougal when RC told him that Marty had died. Steve was truly distressed; I'm not sure people grasped how much he enjoyed and really personally expressed good will for the many, many people he met over the years who were willing to engage with him as a friend.
When we got to know each other early on at MT, it turned out we had been together at Fresno State, had some of the same professors in political science, and may even have shared classes. But even though the connection didn't get made until two decades later, I remembered some of his stunts. The one he was most proud of was making his Toyota into a tank and driving it into the Free Speech area as part of a student protest (Iran Contra era I think). Steve was always good for a conversation about all things Reagan.
He was definitely a free spirit and one of a kind....sure is sad to lose him so young
Alas, not to be...
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You will be missed by many.
I am very sad to hear of the passing of Steve "The Factory Spectator" Bruhn. My thoughts & prayers go out to his family in their time of mourning. TFS & I spent a lot of time together on Motocross tracks all over the country & we bumped heads on more than one occasion over petty things, I'd rather have him back here forcing me to fight for something I believed in than losing his spirit to the aether. Steve, I know you didn't believe in god but if you do encounter him on your journey .... Please don't argue with him too much
you will be missed by many, including me - Godspeed.
What a great man.
Are you looking at me fool ?
Good times Supercross Detroit 2007
http://www.racerxonline.com/2013/05/08/rip-steve-tfs-bruhn
Again, I have nothing to do with "stickies" on this site. Sorry.
DC
MX Sports
My condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.
Pit Row
Cool that he did what he wanted for a while in his working life...not many people have the guts to do that, especially when they have a good plan A.
RIP Steve
S
http://www.yamaboy.com/webmisc/chippenteef.htm
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