Awesome job in the booth RC

I don't understand RC's weirdness in the SuperCross booth.  He's a pretty normal guy on his Podcast.  Maybe they need to put RV in the booth with him since He seems normal with him.  Or maybe whoever is in his ear in the booth needs to STFU and let RC just be RC?

id say anyone who has raced BMX knows more about flex than a dude that had to be shown video footage to change his jank setup. the dude is a great rider but a technician he is not. 

"We know from experience. Ricky was infamous for his off-the-wall suspension setup. When we tested Ricky’s Supercross-winning CR250 in 2003, we couldn’t believe that he could win anything on a bike that hung down in the rear and didn’t move unless a nuclear bomb went off under the rear wheel. That all changed after Chad Reed started beating him during the latter rounds of the 2003 Supercross series. Honda showed Ricky videotapes of his bike and Reed’s YZ going through the same sections. It was then that Ricky realized that he needed to let the Honda suspension technicians change his settings. "

 

he's insecure and hasn't embraced his authentic self when in at least some public settings. parent(s) didn't allow him to form an identity outside of being the best mx racer ever and so validation is conditioned to be sought after externally. it would fuck me up too being judged every day of my childhood by my mother like he was. 

I’ve gotta have my head examined to weigh in on one of the mainstays of angry Vital posters, but it seems to me the continual (and justified) Vital criticism of Supercross announcing (especially RC’s) is a complaint that the announcing doesn’t adequately communicate a sophisticated technical understanding of the art of riding and racing that many of us have and want to hear, about a sport we all love. 

My only real comment on all of this is simple—the sophisticated and technical analysis of expert level riding techniques and racing strategy we all would like is not what the broadcast is selling.  What they actually are selling is something more like big and splashy daredevil stuff, more like WWF, or Monster trucks, that the general public wants, complete with the “greatest of all time” as an announcer, however amateurish he might be, to lend some authenticity to people who don’t ride or race. Proof of that is AMA’s (and RC’s) reaction to Deegan’s blast into first place this last weekend, and his cheesy “suck it” comment on the broadcast. If Supercross were about quality racing, with quality announcing, that move would have resulted in a severe penalty, like it would in AMA dirt track, or Motoamerica road racing, or any other major racing series in the world. But in the WWF/ Monstertrucks world of Supercross, RC carefully explained several times why Deegan’s move was ok to him, in spite of the arena full of spectators booing the move. The announcers really aren’t there to inform us in depth about the technical side of racing so much as they are there to present a circus. We can complain about the shallow level of announcing all we want, but that’s the problem, and that’s why there hasn’t been a fix. We want to hear about the science of Supercross, and they’re selling the spectacle, fireworks, takeouts, and all. 

What I miss is what guys like Baily used to do. He was able to bring you inside the mind of the racer.

Here's a great example. Go watch from 29:50 to 30:25 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmKRDuP6PVQ

Baily articulates what RC and Chad are thinking during these classic & historical events. 

This dude gets it, 100%.

Amid all the title drama, I'd hate for RCs INCREDIBLE performance last night to go overlooked. He did such a great job repeating everything everyone else said in the booth it really gave me the time I needed to process the deep insights being espoused on the broadcast. It just hits different when Rick says it, ya know?

Despite numerous career concussions, James has to really be ehcited [sic] his cognitive capacities continue to surpass those of his esteemed and seasoned booth colleague. 

For real tho, RC was sounding like Grandpa in the booth. He's cooked. Needs to go cover Indian Supercross for awhile or go help some Chinese mushroom brand develop a motor scooter. 

I’d take Weege, Emig, and JT. I think RC is fine but Emig really worked hard on his craft. Emig was just too nice all the time and needed to critique more. 

C’mon SPODEBOY, it’s not that hard to spell his name correctly. It’s Bailey, not Baily… 

 But I agree that David did a great job in the booth ! RC was not mean to be a broadcaster. 
He is a legend as a racer, no doubt, but his announcing skills aren’t on par with what we have been use to in the past 

Exactly, we could be waiting until next week for the ESPN2 airing just like we did 20 years ago. We have every US SX/MX televised live. I'll keep my b*tching and whining for something that actually matters. This is coming from a guy who really dislikes RC.

You may have RC Derangement syndrome….

oldest excuse in the book: "At least we're watching LIVE". Whatever. I used to watch the SX races in the '90s at noon the next day. Did that for almost the entire decade. No it wasn't live but it was a helluva broadcast. To this day I don't watch the races live because of the endless length of fthe show. I watch them the next day (just like I did in the '90s). Difference now is that the production is produced by a 3rd grader.

 But the commentating crew does not decide what to broadcast. Leave out the personnal feelings and announce the race. When the leader is way out in front do not cut to what the rider thought or said yesterday. Just announce the actual race action. 

Couple fumbles yesterday…even by a couple of our fav’s.   Was confusing as hell

Things to work on for SMX and next year.  Team, broadcast and project the action as if a blind person was listening in.  Ooohs and Ahhhs don’t cut it…

Is RC out for the Nationals? 

We can only hope. 

Stew is relaxed and just a breath of fresh air. Great insight, extremely modest and natural ability. 

Weege always good as well.  

Jt is great and so is the female pit reporter.   

A great crew.  

stew's cadence this year is not unlike David Baileys. good stuff.