What's with the Dunlop guy and the hats?

My wife noticed him and thought it's hilarious 🤣

Pretty tacky for sure.  

Yeah I seen that and thought wth, no way Kenny is wearing that hat in the interviews 

If it was the ugly yellow Dublop hat with the embroidery on the bill, they have been doing that since at least the 1980s.  Always trying to stick them on guys heads when they are on camera.

No way that Dunlop guy is Broc...

Even this guy won't wear the yellow one

The guy with the hats is Marshall Plumb. He is a long time pro mechanic, having wrenched Guy Cooper to his 1990 125 outdoor National championship and has been a tire tech for Dunlop for many years now! 
Marshall is an awesome fellow and still operates Marshall’s Racing out of Stillwater Oklahoma…why he is tasked with the “hat on the bike before the rider can get his helmet off” is a curious reality for sure! 🤪 👍❗️
 

I see no issue with it. If a team gets free tires and whatever else, who cares what a sponsor does. Dunlop tires do more for a rider’s results than Red Bull, Rockstar, or Monster does…..as they drink water out of the cans……

I don’t understand what the fuss is all about

Looking at your front tire thinking I either change mine way to often or that things cocked homie 

I can tell how many here know nothing about Bill Brodrick.

The Original Hat Man.

Water….no way

This has been going on for Decades.

And, not just Dunlop.

I've had plenty of Laughs when several hats, for various products, have been put on a riders head, one after another. Sometimes, leaving 2 or 3 on the blokes scone.

Contractual obligations, I daresay.

None of it ever influences me in the slightest for product buying for myself, but, as companies continue to do the Hat Dance, I guess it pays off for them.

As Motojmag247 put earlier, at least Tyres have a direct influence on a bikes performance. Though, the various 'poisons', as many refer to the drinks, well, they are putting money into the sport. But, I don't drink any bloody one of them. 

And Swink, Larry Ward and Canadians Ross Pederson and Kevin Moore prior to that!

Yeah it’s roached, it came on the wheels, I just threw them on to test fit

It's probably one of the team's contractual obligations to Dunlop. 

"When a rider wins or lands on the podium, he must display a Dunlop hat on his person or the motorcycle." Or something of that nature. I guarantee you there's a similar thing from Monster ("rider must take a drink from a clearly-labeled Monster Energy can, aiming the logo toward the camera and any onlookers,") and the rider's goggle brand ("Rider must display a pair of goggles slung around his neck, clearly displaying the logo.") There are probably many others. 

Its advertising promotion $$$$$$ and bonus money too.

    Maybe you can just buy it, but I always assumed the  yellow hat with the oak leaf design on the bill was intended to represent victory, and the official version only available to the winner ( the oak leaf design on a cap does have actual meaning ), and since they’re an official sponsor it doesn’t seem unreasonable that they would go for some media exposure after the race just like every other sponsor, associate, etc…

   It would be nice if they let people get their  redacted  together before sticking a camera at them post race ( initial emotion and language, snot, dirt, etc off their face, you know, STUFF under control ).

🙂

They did the same stuff at lorettas last year, i thinks its quite tacky as well. Even when they gave Raycin Kyler her sponsorship, the way they did it came off as more of stealing the spotlight to me. Maybe im wrong, i just didnt feel it was a tasteful approach.

It’s very poor taste and tacky. I mean they are like 90% of the motorcycle tire anyways. It’s like hot girl who try’s too hard. 

When was the last time you heard a podium speech where a rider thanked his tire sponsor?

I still laugh at the goggles around the neck, its so natural to wear new goggles around while tired and sweaty  

I swear Kevin Windham got really good at saying during his podium speeches..." My Dunlops hooked up great off the start to get my Geico Honda to the front..."

But when i went looking on the choob all i got was Justin Brayton thanking Dunlop while staring at Erin Bates huge cans.

Well I guess it was pretty effective cuz it caught my attention and apparently many others... 

Got to get that valuable TV time. 

Justin Cooper used to quite frequently. Wouldn’t be surprised if he is one of the elite few getting the good good stuff (factory specs)…

When the Dunlops last more than 5 rides and come with a $50 of a pair promo, then I'll buy rhem instead of michelins

Jeff Emig used to thank Bridgestone every time he got on the mic. (pretty sure it was Emig). Riders must have had good Bridgestone contracts back in the mid-late 90s to early 2000s because you heard it a lot.  

Bingo!