I recently saw a thread named the Jett Lawrence Problem, I could not click the video but looked it up on Youtube and found it. It was a quality watch and strikes an interesting point... he has all the capability in the world to be the face of our sport to the mainstream. Just like Tiger Woods for golf, Michael Phelps for swimming, Lance Armstrong for cycling Tony Hawk for skateboarding, Kelly Slater for surfing and the list goes on. No offense to RC, RV, or even Dungey but they didn't have that cool, good-looking factor that Jett has. Dungey was a great face for the sport but didn't have the personality so I agree Jett hits all the points to take our sport to the next level, the closest we had to this was Jeremy but Jeremy didn't have that Justin Bieber quality that Jett has, lol. It's obviously his life and his decision to make, not ours but still raises an interesting point.
Why do people always bring up Justin Bieber? 😂
Where is this 'mainstream/next level'?
Bigger stadiums? More stadiums? Glen Helen? More bikes? Cheaper bikes? More crowded parking lots? More tshirt sales? More expensive tickets? Less expensive tickets?
What is it you guys want?
I want exciting racing. And we get that...sometimes. Uncertainty is what makes it exciting.
The sport becoming more popular could equate to better positioning with TV networks and advertisers, which could mean more money to go around. Maybe factory teams can add another guy or two, privateers could have better opportunities, etc.
Will Jett and Deegan bringing more eyeballs to the sport for sure equate to that? Well, that's hard to say.
This was a recent debate in my moto fantasy thread on FB..
for me, it comes down to money just like it does with the riders. More fans = more money. These guys should absolutely be able to sign 10 million dollar contracts if not more for what they do on the track. The NFL is so big with so many fans that guys can literally sit on the bench, never take a hit and make 3 million. I think Jett needs to do whatever he can to get more fans (money) pumped into this sport and you only have to hope FELD takes that money and gives a lot of it back.
The selfish side of me says "Fuck the fans, put in the work, make your money and bounce with whatever legacy you want"
The other side of me is you are only as good as your word. If you came in wanting to change and grow the sport, then do what you said no matter how much money you are making. Don't back off because you are having more success then you thought. Give back to the sport that's making you who you are.
More to the point.. we have to figure out how to make these guys more successful. The money they make at the 5-20 level is just embarrassing. The top dogs will eat but the rest is crumbs. I couldnt imagine being the top 5 of something in the entire world and not making over 10mil given what their peers make in other sports
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They’re still trying to “grow” the NFL. when the fuck does it end? It doesn’t. That never needs to be said but any sport.
Yet there's still only 22 or 40 gates, the stadiums only seat so many people, the racers can only survive so many supercross/motocross races per year, we already have 7ish manufacturers competing, and the gates are full.
If Ken Roczen makes $1.2M or $1.7M this year, what does that mean to you?
If Feld or MX Sports makes more money this year, what does that mean to you?
If NBC carries all the races on mainstream TV vs. just Peacock, what does that mean to you? (besides more commercials)
I don't get the obsession.
If the top dawgs make a ton, the little guys and even locals will make some/more. A rising tide lifts all boats.
Also, unless you've had your head in the sand you're aware that we're losing riding spots across the country. More fans/supporters/riders means a better chance at fighting that kind of stuff.
So the real question is, if people start making more and bringing in more money, why does that piss you off?
the gates and the seats are irrelevant. It's the eyeballs watching the screen that pays the bills. And like it or not, we are a niche sport. We will be passed on tv money by pickle ball tournaments.
TM
So many people talking about the few NBC live coverage being more relevant that the Peacock feed…
Are we sure this is true?
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