FELD Banning Team Managers From Events (WTF)

Does anyone else find the “removed from the text chain” part laughable. 

Like high school drama BS when someone gets singled out and made fun of or something. 

“like is everyone on board kicking Stacy out of the group chat, her hair is just sooo 2008” 

I have a feeling they would rival the worst posts at Vital.

I would not be a bit surprised that Cokers and Hendlers texts were unprofessional and would have men like Roger D., Dave Arnold ,Ian Harrison etc just shaking their head in embarrassment. 

So what’s the plan?

Just wait till Friday when they come out with their new media rules.

Hearing about it was funny enough, but seeing it written out as an official punishment took it to another level 

So much about this is hilarious.... I want the names of the people who got their feelings so hurt that they put this out on paper so I can virtually point and laugh at them. And I'm sorry but anyone who puts out an official looking penalty report saying they kicked people out of a group text is not someone who needs to be in a decision making position. You are not up to the job. 

Biggest real issue here is the total blurring of the line between promoter and sanctioning. Who's responsible for what exactly? 

If I were one of the team managers I would not say another word this week. Don't appeal. Just show up next weekend as if nothing has happened and call their bluff. Let them call security to have a team manager removed from the tower for all to see. 

Yeah, I'm all the way on Jbone's side after listening to Pulp. If you are in a group text used for official communication for the event, don't 💩 in it. Putting the penalty out the event press release was necessary; if nothing was done everyone would complain about "shadow bans" or other BS. Yes, it looks childish by description but it was necessary. 

Doesn't address the underlying reason of burning up race engines in the mud for a lesser championship benefit, but that is not the way. Not that there is a way; no pro team is going to really not attend, and no way Feld/NBC are going to a 1 moto unless it was a safety/lightning issue. Goes back to the endless argument of a half-ass series, but it gives privateers money, but it costs them money to rebuild their bikes after this mudder, and costs the factories even more.

Btw are we naive enough to think that similar stuff couldn't happen to the industry media in the future? FELD and MX Sports wants complete control of this whole business and the narrative. I bet they will push more and more towards "in house" media that will tow the company line in every situation.

A bit too negative/critical regarding venues, rules, officials, owners etc? Yeah say goodbye to your credentials the next 2 rounds.

 

That’s the real issue here. It’s a slippery slope and they want to be judge and executioner. Feels has been running things horribly for a long time IE his buddy bondo directing the cameras and if this goes unchecked it’ll just keep getting worse

You have to sympathise with the teams, burning bikes to the ground at a point in the season where it really doesnt matter any more seems a bit much. 

With the cost of attending, travel and all the rest, it must be tempting to say ' i pulled a muscle', pay your guy the top 5 bonus and stay home. 

SMX is a shit show run by a circus. 

Imagine if there was an indoor and outdoor series that was combined for points and ran SX for 2 weeks than MX for 2 weeks etc. 

I mean if you make the payout worth it the top teams and riders would simply move over to that “new” series. 

Lifelong fan here (45 years). Every year SX and this corny SMX makes me follow it less and less. 

I got bad grades way back in school because I just read MX mags everyday. 

I hope they fix it because they are not going to gain new fans besides monster truck crowd….wait maybe that’s  all they want in a 20k seat 4H Fair venue.   Sold Out….Race Fans Race Fans. 

Go to a local Mx track with a cooler of beer and it will be cheaper and way more fun. 

Will these smx “titles” still count once smx is extinct? 

No one who has ever been on an SX bike and track, would suggest to alter 2 weeks between MX and SX for a full year.

It's two different sports. It's why the ones in the hunt avoid moving over during breaks.

This is such a joke lol. 

Who's making the teams go?  Why not sit it out to take a break and let the privateers stack some cash?

Is this situation similar to Slater skins guy getting kicked out of Glen Helen for being rude to the gate worker?

AMA code of conduct violation due to interaction between team employee and promoter employee?

LOL, multi-million $$ promoters, sanctioning body, OEMs, Team owners, athletes, management, ect... and they manage communications through group text? 

Like, seriously?

They use to have MX Nationals before SX ended. 

Some of those MX races were in…..wait for it……Florida of all places. 

Imagine not having any outdoor National in Florida. 🤔

The Orphan National. 

I sure miss Gatorback. 

“There would have to be an agreement between the teams to run stock Motors in Rain races and would have to be checked because if one team runs their race bike it will be deemed as an advantage.” ~ HUH ??? 

that’s not how it works 

Anyone surprised by this hasn't been paying attention over the years to Feld Entertainment or the man at the helm, Kenneth Feld. I'm not saying the CEO himself had a hand in this particular matter, only that there's a pattern with how they behave regarding criticisms going back decades. One only needs to read up on the story of Janice Pottker and her experience after writing a magazine article critical of Ringling Circus and Kenneth Feld's father, Irvin Feld. Millions of dollars were spent to spy on her for years and they even hired her in a secret, roundabout way to write an unrelated book to keep her occupied so she would be too busy to further publish anything damaging the Circus' or Feld's reputation. This is just one story that we know of. There are undoubtedly more, possibly worse ones that no one knows about.

If you have some free time and want to know the details, give these articles a read:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/exclusive-send-in-the-spies/

https://web.archive.org/web/20080514181208/http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2001/08/30/circus/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/19/AR2005111901467_pf.html

Sorry, but even government security departments are running group communication in WhatsApp or texts. It's stil the most effective way of getting communication going quickly around a small group of people.

Better if they setup a Teams-channel so everyone needs to struggle with login and accounts, coverage and data plans that doesn't work and so on?

It's 2026. Shortest path, lowest threshold gets things done. KISS

If I recall correctly, the female security guard was  black and Slater came in dropping the hard “R”. 

 in my opinion that’s a little bit more than just being rude. 

Who thinks Weege will talk about this controversy on the next SMX broadcast?  I'm betting no.

Oof. If that’s really went down that is f’ed up.

I am conviced that this sport is run by a bunch a 60 year old adolescents. Who...are borderline fkng retarded.

Don't underestimate the power of a good group text...

Hahaha so true!

I can't imagine being offended that some managers wanted to save 50k per bike from being ruined in a side show race that doesn't really matter. Oh no, the horror. Egos bruised. BANNED.

No.... 

the biggest "real" issue here is feld publicly embarrassing high ranking members in the industry over something ridiculous.... they startn chit with companies that are already pissed... 

Perhaps, but it's not illegal, merely communication that violates terms of conduct.