What's the perception of MX?

typ2vw159
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typ2vw159 7/11/2010 7:51am
7/11/2010 7:51am
Moto is going to be,If you don,t have a sponcer and or a team you will not be allowed to ride in the events.This is what the owners of (AMA pro racing now privately owned) outdoor mx is pushing for. It is all in the 2005 interview with the people that bought the rights and the name. Like a wise man in the bizz said.This is a money maken sport with all the kids that only last 6 to 10 years. Go look in the vids here it is there.
Toste
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Toste 7/11/2010 9:45am
7/11/2010 9:45am
WhKnuckle wrote:
People always bring up Nascar as an example of success, and in pure monetary terms it is, but if you've watched many races over the years...
People always bring up Nascar as an example of success, and in pure monetary terms it is, but if you've watched many races over the years, you'd see that the monetary success came at the price of the soul of the sport. Nascar decided a few years ago that they wanted the championship to come down to a dramatic series win at the last race, so they forced all the drivers to essentially start the season all over with 10 rounds to go. They decided they wanted every race to come down to a last-lap pass for the win so they demand that they all basically drive the same car - with the result that you wind up with 40 cars driving around at 180 MPH in the space of a Wendy's parking lot. And if any race is coming to the finish with a leader way ahead, they find a reason for a yellow flag to group them back up, even for something as minor as a piece of insulation laying on the track apron.

Nascar would never stand for RC or Stewart going 24-0. They'd never stand for Pro Circuit winning all the 250F races. No matter how hard Ryan Dungey trains, they'd find a way to handicap him or his team until the other guys beat him.

Nascar is barely even a series any more. It's basically professional wrestling at 180 MPH. The drivers might as well draw straws for the winner's trophy.

While you're thinking up ways to make motocross grow, keep in mind that the sport has to continue to be a "sport".
Awesome post.
downandup
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downandup 7/11/2010 9:52am
7/11/2010 9:52am
Why do you want to "grow" the sport anyway? I don't want more people crowding the tracks. I don't need any more gear choices, there are plenty out there. May be a couple of more bike makers would be nice to bring the prices down, but other than that, I would rather have less riders! lol
plowboy
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plowboy 7/11/2010 10:35am
7/11/2010 10:35am
downandup wrote:
Why do you want to "grow" the sport anyway? I don't want more people crowding the tracks. I don't need any more gear choices, there are...
Why do you want to "grow" the sport anyway? I don't want more people crowding the tracks. I don't need any more gear choices, there are plenty out there. May be a couple of more bike makers would be nice to bring the prices down, but other than that, I would rather have less riders! lol
sarcasm or true feelings? Growth of the industry means a continuation of the sport...maybe some love for the privateers...improvements at the tracks. Unless there's money to be made things will stagnate or even worse...die althogether. I like seeing full gates and local hotshoes qualifying to run with the big dogs. Those are the guys that inspire/enfuse their friends, neighbors, locals to get "into" the sport and even if they never race...they buy bikes, gear, parts, etc that feed the industry that in turn keeps our little sport alive and kickin'. Everyone has an opinion on the direction of MX...I don't like NASCAR so I don't use that example but I do want the sport to be robust enough to not just survive but thrive.

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Jabjr222
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Jabjr222 7/11/2010 12:34pm
7/11/2010 12:34pm
You know, a few years ago, I was all "MX blah blah NASCAR blah blah sponsors blah blah." Pretty much an exact quote...

But look what "going mainstream" does. It ruined punk music. It's ruined Rock and Roll. Hell, it's ruined hip hop.

NASCAR went mainstream, drew MASSIVE numbers, built itself up as our role model. But now, numbers are down in both viewers and sponsor dollars. You got a bigger machine that needs to be fed. If you can't feed it, it dies. Watch it.

Golf. Tiger, I would argue has been horrible for golf. If he plays, the numbers are great. If he doesn't, the numbers crash through the floor. No numbers, no sponsors and therefor less money to feed the machine.

So f*$k the mainstream. They can't take my moto. Let's let the core fans enjoy moto. All of us older cynical bastards that still believe 2-strokes really are better, to the young kids in their ridiculous hats. You invite the dollars in and the game changes. You think less about the sport and more about the need to do what needs to be done to keep the dollars coming in. It will kill the sport even though the short term gains may be great.
observer
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observer 7/11/2010 2:43pm
7/11/2010 2:43pm Edited Date/Time 7/11/2010 2:43pm
A lot of ideas & concepts! Never thought this thread would garner this much attention.Grin Keep the thoughts coming, I'm enjoying it! Wink This how things get changed....
motokiwi 7/11/2010 2:52pm
7/11/2010 2:52pm
typ2vw159 wrote:
Moto is going to be,If you don,t have a sponcer and or a team you will not be allowed to ride in the events.This is what...
Moto is going to be,If you don,t have a sponcer and or a team you will not be allowed to ride in the events.This is what the owners of (AMA pro racing now privately owned) outdoor mx is pushing for. It is all in the 2005 interview with the people that bought the rights and the name. Like a wise man in the bizz said.This is a money maken sport with all the kids that only last 6 to 10 years. Go look in the vids here it is there.
SPONSOR

NOT

SPONCER


YOU FUCKEN SPOON
RMZ819
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RMZ819 7/11/2010 2:57pm
7/11/2010 2:57pm Edited Date/Time 7/11/2010 2:58pm
typ2vw159 wrote:
Moto is going to be,If you don,t have a sponcer and or a team you will not be allowed to ride in the events.This is what...
Moto is going to be,If you don,t have a sponcer and or a team you will not be allowed to ride in the events.This is what the owners of (AMA pro racing now privately owned) outdoor mx is pushing for. It is all in the 2005 interview with the people that bought the rights and the name. Like a wise man in the bizz said.This is a money maken sport with all the kids that only last 6 to 10 years. Go look in the vids here it is there.
motokiwi wrote:
SPONSOR

NOT

SPONCER


YOU FUCKEN SPOON
Kids like you crack me up. Only a tool will look for spelling errors on a message board and call someone out on it.

You are a fool kid!!!!!!!
oldx
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oldx 7/11/2010 2:59pm
7/11/2010 2:59pm
typ2vw159 wrote:
Moto is going to be,If you don,t have a sponcer and or a team you will not be allowed to ride in the events.This is what...
Moto is going to be,If you don,t have a sponcer and or a team you will not be allowed to ride in the events.This is what the owners of (AMA pro racing now privately owned) outdoor mx is pushing for. It is all in the 2005 interview with the people that bought the rights and the name. Like a wise man in the bizz said.This is a money maken sport with all the kids that only last 6 to 10 years. Go look in the vids here it is there.
motokiwi wrote:
SPONSOR

NOT

SPONCER


YOU FUCKEN SPOON
money maken??
motokiwi 7/11/2010 3:04pm
7/11/2010 3:04pm
Im sorry, I've seen people mis spelling this word so much I just flipped and turned on my caps lock
spode#1
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spode#1 7/11/2010 3:40pm
7/11/2010 3:40pm
Dropbear wrote:
I truly believe you really have to be a rider or have at least ridden an MX bike, dirt bike even MTB/BMX to get Motocross. I...
I truly believe you really have to be a rider or have at least ridden an MX bike, dirt bike even MTB/BMX to get Motocross.

I was watching a SX event on pay TV recently with a friend who is an absolute sports nut , Rugby, AFL, Cricket etc. It was a great race, I was jumping out of my chair and explaining but all he saw was motorbikes doing jumps.(Does SX really need 10 jumps on every straight??)

He tried to like it but he has never ridden a bike and just could not relate and got bored.

I think that is the problem. Everyone has thrown or kicked a ball, and I guess everyone drives a car , so MX is going to never be mainstream.
Completely agree. I've got many stories like this, shoot even in my old fraternity house drunks would get up and walk out instead of stay and watch. I think you can't write off the possibility of mainstream growth until there is close racing. Any sport needs an initial draw-in point for outside spectators, and ours would be block passes and 3 wide through a rhythm section. When that's guaranteed every main, the sport's audience can only go up. I just think of all the appreciative sports people I know who would be clicking through the channels on a sunday and get to cbs supercross, see dungey easing around the track uncontested, with dull announcing, and think "what's on sportscenter?" Often the coolest things shown in last-round flashbacks are crashes and fireworks. That's cool but it isn't the heart of sport.
Ing
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Ing 7/11/2010 4:36pm
7/11/2010 4:36pm
feeble wrote:
IMO, what they should do is shrink the tracks to where they can fit into... say a stadium , then everyone can see the race. they...
IMO, what they should do is shrink the tracks to where they can fit into... say a stadium , then everyone can see the race. they can pack more fans into a smaller area; strategically positioning fending areas where the promoter can make alot more money. statistically, ticket prices and attendance go up based on the size of the jumps and occurance of debilitating crashes, so the jumps need to be just stupid and us can see some cool carnage. i think if they did these things, then motocross would be more mainstream.
Feeble is a great screen name for a brilliant mind such as yours. Yea, more crashes and worse crashes that's what we need. (sarcasm alert)


I'm all for MX staying the way it is now. I would like to see the riders get a bigger piece of the pie though. JMO
feeble
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feeble 7/11/2010 4:46pm
7/11/2010 4:46pm
feeble wrote:
IMO, what they should do is shrink the tracks to where they can fit into... say a stadium , then everyone can see the race. they...
IMO, what they should do is shrink the tracks to where they can fit into... say a stadium , then everyone can see the race. they can pack more fans into a smaller area; strategically positioning fending areas where the promoter can make alot more money. statistically, ticket prices and attendance go up based on the size of the jumps and occurance of debilitating crashes, so the jumps need to be just stupid and us can see some cool carnage. i think if they did these things, then motocross would be more mainstream.
Ing wrote:
Feeble is a great screen name for a brilliant mind such as yours. Yea, more crashes and worse crashes that's what we need. (sarcasm alert) I'm...
Feeble is a great screen name for a brilliant mind such as yours. Yea, more crashes and worse crashes that's what we need. (sarcasm alert)


I'm all for MX staying the way it is now. I would like to see the riders get a bigger piece of the pie though. JMO
it's called sarcasm douchebag! are you that stupid? evidently you are.

i was referring to supercross becoming more prominent than nationals in terms of attendance and accessability; not that it's better.

as for crashes, i don't think they're good for anyone, but i guess i have to spell it out to you, because you are clearly a dumbass,
MX558
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MX558 7/11/2010 8:07pm
7/11/2010 8:07pm
MX in general is a redneck sport at its base. That said get rid of those shots of the fans raising hell for the camera. It really shows how redneck this sport is, if I was a potential sponsor I would not be impressed with the fan base.
TripleFive 7/11/2010 8:32pm
7/11/2010 8:32pm
Our sport is dying.

Too loud and too dangerous for the general public or our elected officials to accept.
Tracks are closing, organizations are suffering and bikes keep getting more and more expensive.


The writing is on the wall, our days are numbered.
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P 7/11/2010 8:41pm
7/11/2010 8:41pm
Rasmus99 wrote:
You know that Nascar only exists in USA? Motocross is Worldwide! And is Nascar realy fun? No becouse its about the car, so is also F1...
You know that Nascar only exists in USA? Motocross is Worldwide!
And is Nascar realy fun? No becouse its about the car, so is also F1. The only way to make it fun is to put money on a driver.

And about betting, Supercross would draw an completely new audience if they made it possible to bet when you arrive to the event!
A few years ago I was in London and what do I see when I turn on the TV.................a NASCAR race.


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sdfog1 7/11/2010 8:53pm
7/11/2010 8:53pm
Dropbear wrote:
I truly believe you really have to be a rider or have at least ridden an MX bike, dirt bike even MTB/BMX to get Motocross. I...
I truly believe you really have to be a rider or have at least ridden an MX bike, dirt bike even MTB/BMX to get Motocross.

I was watching a SX event on pay TV recently with a friend who is an absolute sports nut , Rugby, AFL, Cricket etc. It was a great race, I was jumping out of my chair and explaining but all he saw was motorbikes doing jumps.(Does SX really need 10 jumps on every straight??)

He tried to like it but he has never ridden a bike and just could not relate and got bored.

I think that is the problem. Everyone has thrown or kicked a ball, and I guess everyone drives a car , so MX is going to never be mainstream.
Great post, hits the nail right on the head.

The general public will always think "Isn't it just about the bike? You just sit there and turn the throttle." I heard this talking on the phone with someone after talking about working out for moto and it was so frustrating. If they only knew. I have heard that same quote, or something nearly identical to it, so many times from non-moto people. I swear it makes me crazy but it's how this sport will always be seen, unless everyone starts riding dirt bikes as much as they play ball sports, and that will most likely never happen.
eddie
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eddie 7/11/2010 8:57pm
7/11/2010 8:57pm
TripleFive wrote:
Our sport is dying. Too loud and too dangerous for the general public or our elected officials to accept. Tracks are closing, organizations are suffering and...
Our sport is dying.

Too loud and too dangerous for the general public or our elected officials to accept.
Tracks are closing, organizations are suffering and bikes keep getting more and more expensive.


The writing is on the wall, our days are numbered.
as much as i hate to admit it , i think you are right . the cost alone makes it prohibitive to 75 percent of the population . the current trend is unstainable .... its obvious to everyone but the industry movers and shakers ... apparently .

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downandup
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downandup 7/12/2010 8:59am
7/12/2010 8:59am
The sport is not dying. It has always been too loud and too dangerous for the general public or our elected officials to accept. That's exactly one of the reasons I like it!

Tracks have always been closing, but then again, tracks are still opening.

Bikes are getting more and more expensive, but so is bread, ice cream, and everything else!

I don't want the general public to like our sport. I want it to remain a sport different from football, baseball, and basketball. I don't want our manufacturers t-shirts and hoodies sold in Macy's and Target. Let's not go mainstream, that will kill it for sure!
pie8man
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pie8man 7/12/2010 9:24am
7/12/2010 9:24am
What really makes our sport different and why it will never be successful under the NASCAR plan is that we are riders that enjoy watching our sport at the top level. No other sport out there has this dynamic. I would bet that 95% or more of baseball or any other stick and ball sport fans have not played competitive ball since they were kids. I would bet that 95% of NASCAR fans have not raced a damn thing... EVER!! and never will. Regardless of what is on TV and how good or bad it is, the survival of this sport as a whole is motorcycle and motorcycle parts consumers. The survival of Pro racing is sponsors. This sport does not die without PRO racing we actually do not need it to survive. Right now it is simply an avenue to peddle energy drinks and a great way to stimulate bench racing flame fests on Vital.
I know for sure that I will in some capacity ride motorcycles off road my whole life. I will always attempt to introduce new people and make friends with everyone I meet that loves to ride. They are really the only ones that understand the draw.
jdbmx
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jdbmx 7/12/2010 9:47am
7/12/2010 9:47am
The sport in the UK was more popular in the 50`s and 60`s for one simple reason, cars were too expensive for the average person but a bike wasn`t, simply meaning if you own a bike you can relate to mx. I see mx going like motogp, one race per class, you`ll have mx1, mx2, a youth race and one other and that will be it.
Adam43
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Adam43 7/12/2010 9:59am
7/12/2010 9:59am
RMZ819 wrote:
Motocross will get bigger if DC does not fuck with his new age rule. The sport needs smarter riders not faster riders. As the sports sits...
Motocross will get bigger if DC does not fuck with his new age rule. The sport needs smarter riders not faster riders. As the sports sits right now, by the time a rider gets to the age where they have the ability to sell the sport they are retired. If you look at the big picture, What can the riders in this sport sell outside of energy drinks?? Its not like this sport has 20 Trey Canards running around that have a brain and a adults demeanor.

IMO, The athletes in our sport are the dumbest athletes of any sport X's 100
I bet there are only a few home schooled under 20 yr old riders that could score a 9th grade level anything if they were tested.


Great point. A bunch of arrogrant, home-schooled 20 year old pricks are hardly a marketable image to sell a pro sport with. By the time they are vets and a little more identifiable their days are numbered.
Moto East Mag 7/12/2010 10:17am
7/12/2010 10:17am
For a long time Supercross and motocross were promoted as some type of circus freak show. All the ads were just crash after crash, and a cheesy God voice calling the masses to come witness the carnage. That was always a real disappointment to me, knowing what an athletic sport it really is.
One more thing, and this will get me skewered- but a scantily clad 30-second girl shaking her ass in front of the riders on the start is just so unprofessional.
They have ring girls and cheerleaders in other sports- but they don't sit there and stick their asses in the competitors faces and wag it like "come get it." These guys are super serious athletes, not drunk guys in a strip club somewhere. I don't think this type of thing promotes an image of "this is a serious sport you should pay attention to."

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