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I had quite a big chuckle.
he better get comfy in 3rd place, Tomac is coming!!
Without parity, it is easy for the casual and even hardcore fan to become bored or disenchanted with racing and tune out from the broadcasts and/or not attend a race when it comes to their area.
That is bad for sponsors, OEM's and everyone involved.
People complain about the broadcasts being all over the map and the low payouts for riders, well the fact is, that is not going to improve if attendance or TV viewership is reduced.
Laugh all you want, but deep down you know that if there was a battle to the finish every week and a tight points race that goes down to the final moto every year, interest would go up and along with that, so would TV ratings and that brings money by way of advertising and sponsorship.
Until this sport figures out a way to create parity and equalize the racing, and I do not claim to know how, but until they do, SX/MX will continue to be considered a lower-tier lower-priority extreme sport that'll bounce all over your cable box at odd hours.
Flame away, but you know it's true.
I believe that if there was parity, a close race every week, where anything can happen and 4 or 5 riders have a chance at winning on the final lap, the public will take notice, not with one race or overnight, but it will gain fans due to that excitement.
I remember a few years back (maybe a decade ago), where MXA addressed this issue and essentially said the same things.
One suggestion was actually used in the Monster Cup, that "Joker Lane" idea (they had no name for it at the time), but it left open an element of unknown and variability.
Another idea was actually used in the X-Games a few years back when they were doing Supermoto, and that is pit stops. Personally, as a business owner and sponsor, I like this the most, because it gives the TV crew a chance to actually show the sponsors on the bike and crew wear, and creates a larger team effort and add a huge "what if" factor. Make fuel tanks 1/2 gallon, require a pit stop and a rear wheel change and let's say it has to be done after the first two laps and before the final two lap board comes out. Now, anything can happen...what if the bike doesn't start? What if mechanic struggles? What if fuel fill isn't swift enough? How fast can they do it? A pit stop is not going to be perfect every time.
There needs to be a sense of anything can happen and anything can go wrong, as it is now, if RV gets the holeshot, the game is over. How many of you said that yesterday when RV got the holeshot? How many of you went "Shit, wonder what's happening on the football game?" once RV got the holeshot and had a 4 second lead by the third turn?
I don't know what, but some parity needs to be introduced, some variable, something to make the fan or casual viewer wonder "but what if?"
Pit Row
Honestly, on that shitty Elsinore dirt (it's hurt me personally more than once) I didn't feel it was over until it was over yesterday... sketchy!
I get what you're saying though.
and that may be what's needed to create parity.
Which is fine, I'm just one guy who spectates at this point.
"Artificially" changing it for popularity, errr.... parity, would be soley for the monetization of the sport and nothing to do with making better "REAL" racing.
Interesting to see where it goes...
Some "fans" may enjoy that, but, any true fan/rider/racer wants to see a guy like AreVee, who has put in the work, get rewarded with a win... I want to see the best guy at his craft doing what he does best. Maybe I'm not mainstream enough.
Brand X comes up with a technology, engine or mechanical, that makes their bike so superior and no other bike can compete against it, and the homologated "production" unit is still light years behind, so only their factory riders have access to it, legally, but it creates an automatic and huge advantage.
So, now what?
This hypothetical is not that far off when you consider the technology of today with electronics, fuel injection, and engineering.
So then what do you do?
An advantage is an advantage, but I still believe it's down to the rider to win.
Not trying to argue, and I agree it is MOSTLY rider, but good equipment and especially factory equipment IS an advantage, ask any rider that had factory equipment and went back to non-factory.
RV has them whipped mentally before the gate drops. He goes to the line every time believing he CAN'T lose and the others guys go to the line hoping he has an issue and they have a chance at winning. The one exception to not being mentally beaten before the gate drops is Ryan Dungey and he's in just as good of physical shape as RV. Ryan Villopoto is willing to hold it on longer and is very comfortable hanging it out when he needs to. That goes back to his competition knowing in the back of their head that he will do whatever it takes to win. He's so similar to RC.
Post a reply to: we need to seriously start talking about handicapping RV