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I like steve, keefer, and all the other guys doing pods, but I am not naive to think that their message isn't influenced by the people signing their paychecks. This sport is way to small and niche for any of our media sources to be truly independent in what they say.
I just find it hard to believe that the person that practically controls half of the sport in the us and the biggest media presence, has no influence over the messages broadcast by people on their payroll.
Now, unfortunately most of them don't even know motocross exists, but I can guarantee you (as a recent grad) they aren't teaching reporters to work in "social media-sized bits." Hopefully our sport can attract those eyes, as you're right about how small this carousel is.
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Other than young Jett, who isn't even in the premier class at the moment and is oodles of potential, who in MX currently has the marketability combined with the ability to win any night. Look at basketball, Jordan took it from a national pastime to an international sport. Tiger Woods got so many people to pay attention to golf that otherwise wouldn't care. Jeff Gordan elevated NASCAR. Even in MX/SX MC and then RC elevated the profile of our sport. Now, anyone could win, yes, but it seems like each time the sport is getting ready to get behind a rider, they get hurt, or for whatever reason cannot keep up with the results, or they just don't have the marketability. Tomac is a great rider, but I wouldn't pin my advertising on his personality.
I'll be the first to say I've enjoyed the hell out of this racing season because every night we're unsure of who could win and parity is great for fans. It is not, however, as appealing for a entity looking to advertise. They want to attach to a known results producer who is also engaging for the fans.
But I could also be a giant idiot, but I really think that history has shown that having an athlete who consistently combines good results with media savvy raises the overall profile of a sport.
When they spoke about copying the mma business model I actually couldn't help but remember you telling Ruttledge the other week we need to make the races free and accessible on YouTube to promote growth rather than him explaining shit to a core audience that already knows.
Interesting take on the capitalism comments, in a capitalist free market the team's would be allowed to sell merch in the pits etc....
Grondahl?
Grondahl sounds like a real kook (haven't listened to this particular podcast yet, just going on this stuff from last fall mostly) but it seems like he definitely had some success with the Honda team over the years.
As far as the status and marketing of the sport, DV was spot on.
As far as "PEDs" go, whenever I hear someone frame that issue using the term "PEDs" with no specificity, they are almost always completely full of BS. They have no specific information of insight. They just believe what they believe. If someone really has insight into drugs being used to enhance performance in a sport, they are going to talk about specific usage. So which "PEDs" exactly are being used in MX? The truth is there are really not that many drugs that "work" to increase performance.
Androgenic/Anabolic Steroids? - They increase protein within cells, especially in skeletal muscles. They dramatically leverage strength training to make you bigger and stronger. How exactly do these help you go faster on an MX bike. THEY DON'T. Maybe to recover off season...? How many jacked elite MX athletes are there? AAS are also now almost impossible to get away with using. For a long time, traditional esters that are delivery mechanisms for AAS have been easily detectable (ester marker detection). This meant the only way you could get away with AAS was to use Suspension...a water suspended testosterone that has to be administered EVERY DAY, usually first thing in the a.m. But now, that does not even work. Why? Because lab synthesized test has a different carbon isotope ration than natural test. So if your test isotope ratios are off, they know you have synthetic test. Busted.
HGH? - Beneficial for keeping body fat down, but again, it is easily caught by current Isoforms tests as administered by WADA. Since 2010, there have been approximately 15 adverse analytical findings reported following the application of the WADA hGH Isoforms Test. Busted
EPO - now this is the big one for MX. Erythropoietin (Epo) is a glycoprotein hormone that promotes the production of red blood cells. EPO enables you to provide more O2 to muscles, etc, for a higher level of aerobic output. At present, the test adopted by the World Anti Doping Agency is based on a combination of isoelectric focusing and double immunoblotting, and distinguishes between endogenous and rhEpo. However, the adopted monoclonal anti-Epo antibodies are not monospecific. Therefore, the test can occasionally lead to the false-positive detection of rhEpo. In other words, this testing is more likely to produce false positives than it is to miss people using. Busted
Blood Doping: This is the one that I could actually believe is being used. But is using your own blood really a "PED"? Also, to get away with blood doping, you have to do it ALL the time, because WADA takes off even and off season tests and then compares to event testing to see if your profile is way different. Busted. It also takes A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
Mental Acuitiy - Adderall, etc. It works to enhance concentration, but again, ask Stew if you can get away with it.
The effectiveness of WADA testing is reflected in how the Russians were able to "cheat". They mainly did so BY NOT TAKING THE TESTS! Due to corruption and lax controls, they were able to submit samples that were not in fact from the athletes supposedly being tested. That is the main way to beat WADA tests. If you get tested, you are getting caught. In fact, the main problem with WADA is that it is so stringent that people get busted for medicines that really did NOTHING to improve performance.
Unless Grondhal can explain how a bunch of non-sophisticated small time ( in the big scheme of things) niche athletes are smart enough to beat the tests, or how they have managed to corrupt WADA and submit fake samples, he is just a blowhard who is spouting his nonsensical opinions and beliefs. He has no more insight than you, me, or some guy on the street.
Isn't Weege a C class racer?
Humans have evolved to pattern seek, and see connections and patterns that do not really exist. This ensures that we do see the dangerous patterns every time. But to do that, we have to perceive patterns that are not actually there. Paranoia and conspiratorial thinking are simply manifestations of this behavior that one had much more value in maximizing survival in a more dangerous world. In a way, they are behavioral "false positives".
The difference between the kooks and reasonable people is that reasonable people have enough self awareness to recognize that certain ways of thinking, are just nonsense in a modern world, even if they come from your own brain. Kooks and conspiracy theorists are not all stupid. But they primarily lack self awareness, which is actually a more detrimental than just being stupid.
That's it, back to getting ready for Pro Motocross '21. See you at the races.
DC
Racer X
If James Stewart couldn't take in main stream...nobody will.
And I'm perfectly fine with that. It's the right size for me...big enough for great bikes, and a great TV package so I can watch most races live.
But, for those that do want to see it grow (and for those that make a living off the sport, I hope it does grow)....if the blame is going to go anywhere for why it doesn't grow...doesn't it land on the promoter? Isn't that the promoters job, to promote, or grow, the thing they are promoting? So I blame Feld...and as long as they keep promoting it like a side show exhibition (Like monster trucks and the circus) that is all it will ever be.
Pit Row
When you put ex racers and fans in charge of big companies and run the racing structure, you get what we have.
In larger racing organizations like NASCAR or F1, the people running those are well educated in business, marketing and promoting a professional series. When people ask why sx/mx cant get any bigger, these are the reasons why. Fyi I'm not trying to downtalk moto its just what it is because of the people in charge and I'm not singling out any one person, its just what it is and always has been.
At the same-time, Davey, you've really got to quit giving everyone "marching orders" including the way you make MXA favor KTM in their shoot-outs.
You really should have known.
The point: riders take money from rich guys that simply love the sport and spend A LOT money "going racing". They might do well to just say,"Thanks" and leave it at that.
But, hey, I could be wrong.
🤔
We’ve all seen massive improvements in the sport from the promoters over the years and I’ve had few, but good interactions with @DC and his family. They have an unquestionable work ethic and love of the sport. Feld, even Feld gets thanks, heck even the AMA.
But, the pyramid is upside down, the foundation should be the riders/teams. The sport needs an overhaul and a league is the answer.
“THERE IS A DRUG RING INSIDE OF MXSPORTS!!!!”
And
“DAVEY COOMBS IS BEATING UP YOUR KID”
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