Eli and the Secrecy

I think it is probably mental now. Just don't feel that Eli is a flat-out liar, and he said multiple times on Friday that there is no injury. Sometimes something happens, and it spooks you and messes up your mind for a while. 

And it was kind of strange how he was wiping his eyes right before the start or does he always do that? Vision issue? Stress? You never know what is going on at home, either.

Eli pretty much always has a point in every series where he isn't that great.  This seems to be it this year.  

Except 2022 Outdoors.

Beast.
Animal.

Maybe he isnt a wa wa cry baby and instead of complaining about his bike or whatever issue he has going on, he is dealing with it by himself and not asking message board members to help figure his plan

Dude, don't you know that we have all the answers here? 

Would be cool if he figures it out and we have a 3 way battle to the wire. 

So you're saying ET would have been better off getting some 2nds and 3rds in the beginning and building to winning? Maybe putting too mich on himself and riding tight?

Elito seemed to have no problem handing the controls back to Eli when Webb caught up at the end of the race in Detroit.

Eli ain’t fooling me , bruh is nursing a injury ala ‘22  ATL trying to repass ando , Eli just ain’t saying nothing but my eyes tells me he’s hurt 

Let’s be honest.  The competition isn’t even remotely concerned about tomac right now.  If anything. Saying you’re injured would make the comp put their guard down.  

That’s not honesty. That’s stupidity. 

Round 1?

I’m not disagreeing but you think hunter is even thinking about Eli?  He was happier after that main with a third than his wins.   

You’re not wrong about Hunter, yes.

Maybe too many off season races and testing new KTM too.

Caught up with him, rundown catch a virus and you are depleted for a bit.

I would have initially guessed Epstein Barr or an injury just from the way he went from dominating and riding aggression to riding around being passed by J Coop and Webb without any fight. I was watching the Press Day ride closely. He looked off even during that. You can tell when he feels good, His body language, the lean and head positioning James talks about going over triples. It's not there. 

What is throwing me off is he was very upbeat in the interviews. Especially with Lewis. He was on the line of the second Qualifier this weekend joking around with Kenny, laughing, talking a lot to one of his biggest competitors and again looked happy. I can't imagine it is a bike issue. Going back to the beginning of year settings would just be too easy,. He dominated on those settings in all types of conditions. 

At this point IDK. This weekend's race was terrible. He knows what's on the line and he is just letting guys catch him from way back in the pack, like Webb this weekend. He has zero fight. I just hope he is playing the long game but damn, it's time to go. I am praying for a fired up Eli at Nashville. Would be awesome to see him, Kenny and Hunter have a thrown down the last 5 rounds. It will suck if he just fades away and loses another championship. 

I hate the fact that gambling is now a part of the sport.  Can't help but think of that fact when I see strange stuff like this happening.

I don't believe so.  
James Stewart is saying that Tomac is fast, but he's 'mental,'  In context, the conversation is how the sport has changed in the last 20 years.  James is saying that American riders don't seem to have the desire to win that they used to have.  He says Villopoto had it, and Anderson at one point.

"I thought Tomac would and he should... he should smoke all these dudes like it shouldn't even be close. Like he's... I remember telling the guys even when I was racing that he was the guy that was gonna come up and like he was the only one I was worried about because he had speed that would separate him from anybody... like when he's in the 250 class.
But then I saw like the weakness of him and it was... he was mental. Like and that's not a knock on the guy, I mean he's one of the fastest guys I've ever seen ride a motorcycle but then like he would win a race and then finish like ninth the next race and when it came down to like titles I just saw him like just struggle with that" (James Stewart Jr. 2009).

I messed up.  I meant 2022 MX season.

You don't see a mentally broken or temporary weak person behave like Eli does in interviews, if he is beat down right now. You would stay away from media until you figured it out. As he has done before.

What is annoying is that he is straight up lying to fans and media if he has an issue right now. Don't think we have seen that before from him? It's not a good look. 

Staying silent and away is one thing, using wording in PR like "we had a bad night" another thing, but he is straight out lying if there is something. Not sure I see Eli as that person in front of cameras.

Why is everyone convinced it’s not age?  Eli is 33; at some point he won’t be as good as he was.  In fact it often happens exactly this way - nothing obviously wrong but suddenly the results just aren’t there.

In 2001 MC was 29; the year before he’d won his 7th SX title.  First three rounds he goes 1-3-1, then Ricky wins in Phoenix and MC never wins another SX race.

It may be other things but to categorically rule out age catching up with him is either extreme naivety or blind fanaticism.

Two words:

John Dowd

John Dowd got old, too. 

It happens to everyone.

Not saying he didn't ride well, but he was around Eli's age when he quit winning and became just 'one of the pack'. 

I think it’s the bike set up on these sticky tracks.  He’s commented how much traction the KTM gets. I think it might have too much grip on these soft tracks. Eli’s loves charging hard into a corner and getting the rear loose. On these softy grippy tracks he’s not able to drift and slide his way around the track. Opening up some corners that call for it or drifting the rear on corner entry to square it up. 

We’ve seen plenty of times when he’s not comfortable he backs it down and 5-10 finishes aren’t unlikely. 

Hired the PR firm D.A.M.S.

Don't Ask Me Shit!

there was that short post-race interview he did (can't remember exactly where- too much content to review to find it) where he was upbeat and said he was looking forward to getting after it the next 5 races or similar. Reading between the lines there it tells you there has been something going on but it's been managed and his timeline for recovery is about here and he'll be attempting to be back to competing hard again.

He started slow and had a bit of a slump there and allowed chase to catch up and take it to Pala. You're not wrong that was probably his best year but he had some off weeks where he wasnt just murdering chase as well. 

Eli is waining not waxing. Be glad you get to see him compete. 

Mav I DM'd you.

Other than Seattle where he won on a rutted track I tend to agree with you. But this makes too much sense for some on this board.