@PING 6

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Ping, 

Great work on everything you do for the sport in all your ventures.  Now for my question (s)…  I’m a big F1 fan, and they have a constructor’s cup. Why can’t the powers that be make that happen in Motocross? Think about it:  6 brands- competing for the most bikes in the top 20.  The rider doesn’t have to be under the factory tent to give that brand points, just on their bike. This points race would obviously boost the privateer status as the brands would want to make sure that mid pack guys get in the top 20. The teams could just set up a tent for all privateers that qualify into the main and give some type of support… a free meal at the very least. The fans would love the team that does the best for the privateers and reward them with sales. Or am I just living in la-la-land?
Mike

Mike,

That’s an interesting idea. The caveat, as I see it, is the same hurdle in front of many great ideas: Money. Who funds that? Offering even something as simple as food and drinks for privateers must come out of somebody’s budget, and race teams aren’t likely to offer it up. The obvious candidate would be Feld, but I don’t know if they are interested. Another issue is that when all the riders are healthy there are nearly 20 factory and support riders on the gate in the main; privateers struggle early in the season for a reason! Hey, maybe a fan like yourself could propose it to Feld and offer to run it? That would be one way to make it happen. Don’t get cheap on us, Mike… do it for the privateers!

- PING

Ping,

I am currently a law student and have an interest in sports law, which encompasses representing athletes. A common theme that has presented itself through the interviews on the show is that there are many riders, past and present, who feel that they need better representation of their interests, whether that is within contract negotiations, track safety, or financial planning. It is also apparent from the interviews that the lawyers involved are not fans of the sport. I do not know how widespread this is as I honestly know little about the legal side of professional motocross. With that in mind, I wanted to reach out to you and gain any insight or connections you might have within the legal community of motocross, whether that be an agent, or anyone who can help me get involved. Thank you for taking the time to read this and help make my dreams a reality.
Best,
Kohlton Fry

Kohlton,

One of the holes in our sport is good financial management advice once the ink is dry on the contracts. I’ve said before that agents do a great job of negotiating to get riders the most dollars possible, but that’s where it ends. Most of these kids don’t have somebody in their corner telling them why and how they should invest the bulk of their earnings. They need somebody to slap them in the back of the head when they try to buy a Lamborghini or a $15,000 Rolex. They need a guy to draw up a prenuptial agreement when one of the Monster girls get their green claws into their 20-year-old rider after he signs a seven-figure deal. 

I don’t know the grey area between being an attorney and being a financial advisor, but we are missing a link between those two things and if it’s something you think you can help to bridge, shoot me an email [ ping@vitalmx.com ] and I’ll connect you with a few folks I know.
Cheers

- PING

Ping,

I don’t think there has ever been a television announcing duo who was universally loved in our sport. I remember the early greats like Larry Huffman and Larry Maiers, the long-time pairing of David Bailey and Art Eckman, and the various others who’ve come and gone. My questions is, who was your favorite and why? Also, how do you like Ralph and Ricky together? Thanks, and keep up the great work at Vital MX and on the show… I’m a huge Guy Cooper fan and his stories were amazing!
Brock

Brock,

The problem with comparing commentating teams is that we are all going to be partial to the announcers who were calling the action during our heyday. For me, it’s tough to beat the ‘90’s. And from that era, we had some great guys in the booth. I was a fan of the voice and personality of Larry Naston. “Nasty” had a voice that was made for motocross announcing, he was a student of the sport and he was a genuinely great guy. Sadly, Larry passed away in 2015. My favorite color commentator is David Bailey. David genuinely knew the job: Let the announcer do the announcing and answer the questions why/how/who/when/what when your partner throws it to you. He knew how to add stories from his career when it was prudent, but he wasn’t there to inflate his own ego. 

I’ve been completely impressed with Ricky Carmichael this year as well. RC is taking this job seriously and he’s doing the things he needs to do to be a great color guy. I am worried that he’s going to need all new suits if he keeps losing weight though. Somebody get him a Double Double from In-N-Out, stat!

- PING

Do you have burning questions that need answering? E-mail Ping at ping@vitalmx.com. Want more? Click the @PING tag below to quickly find all the previous columns.