Jason Weigandt's RV article

PTshox
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Edited Date/Time 9/6/2014 5:33am
I think Jason was dead right about his RV article on RacerX. Ryan has done a terrible job keeping has fans informed for the last few years. In my opinion he needs to play it straight and tell the fans what he’s thinking. Or tell them what his thoughts are. An honest straight up approach is always the best one.
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9/3/2014 1:07pm
I remember the last time a pro anything did this..........
huck
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9/3/2014 1:09pm
Why do fans think that the riders "have" to tell them anything?

9/3/2014 1:16pm
Sorry I have to agree why does he owe anything other than racing to fans? Should he post his daily routine, or what his bathroom schedule is?

The Shop

9/3/2014 1:20pm Edited Date/Time 9/3/2014 1:23pm
RV is loyal to Kawi...and many of his communication issues are due to following Kawi's instructions. I personally think that near the end of the SX season, Kawi was already thinking about a GP run with RV. They want a premiere class GP title badly. Knowing RV was going to need knee surgery, they were struggling with the math. It is now known that RV is not going to do SX...because he will not be ready from his knee surgery. At the end of the SX season...they were dealing with this math, and they were not sure how it would all shake out...hence the inconsistent communication. Cut RV a break...there is more going on that just "keeping fans informed."
Sully22
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9/3/2014 1:23pm Edited Date/Time 9/3/2014 1:25pm
Why does RV owe anything to anyone other than himself, his handlers, and his sponsors? Because you're impatient and can't wait and live in a culture where everyone is owed something and they want it now? when you're at RV's level you can't just willy nilly make announcements about your future racing plans without a coordinated effort between himself, his handlers, and his sponsors.
philG
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9/3/2014 1:30pm
well one way and another , we pay his wages....but if he wins and people dont buy ... i get that he doesnt have to tell everyone everything , but his fan interaction is pretty poor , and always has been. Riders who engage more get better recognition ,and a more enduring fan base , not giving anything back shows a lack of awareness....
mxb2
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9/3/2014 1:30pm
Sorry I have to agree why does he owe anything other than racing to fans? Should he post his daily routine, or what his bathroom schedule...
Sorry I have to agree why does he owe anything other than racing to fans? Should he post his daily routine, or what his bathroom schedule is?
True, but some info would be nice. Believe it or not some fans plan vacations to see their favorite rider. no different than suzukis camp keep fans uninformed.
SRP33
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9/3/2014 1:37pm
I for one do not care if Ryan tells us anything, he does his talking on the track.
Weege had a great article, I do disagree with one thing he said though,

If he wins another title or race, it doesn’t mean as much to the press and fans because he’s supposed to. Yet, if he loses, it’s catastrophic.

This may be true for the people who need to find things to talk about, BUT any true racer, fan knows how freaken hard it is to win at any level, let alone the level RV is riding at. I am just so thankful to have been able to watch Ryan race and accomplish what he has. I have also been lucky enough to watch and ride with Rodger Decoster, watched all the greats in person Hannah, Glover, Howerton, Johnson, Bailey etc. So what ever RV does or doesn't do he deserves it.

RV thanks for being the best
EddieC
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9/3/2014 1:47pm
I asked a factory teams marketing person this question and I was told this. In situations where something is not completly set in stone its best to hold off on any comments. But with regards to keeping fans in the loop and conncected, social media plays a big role in helping promote sponsors. Almost every athlete has come contractual obligation to participate in social media. That obligation is negotiable and can be a simple as one social media post a week to multiple posts with varying degrees of involvement. The sponsors would like for the athlete to do the posting but what often times happens in the girl friend, man friend or boy friend does the posting. RV's money has been made with his racing and winning championships but as the field gets deeper I feel the days of one rider winning everything is long gone. Riders will have to take a page from FMX and learn how to self promote and cash in on personal business ventures such as Twitch and DBK, Deegan and MM and Nate Adams with Deft.
huck
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9/3/2014 1:48pm
philG wrote:
well one way and another , we pay his wages....but if he wins and people dont buy ... i get that he doesnt have to tell...
well one way and another , we pay his wages....but if he wins and people dont buy ... i get that he doesnt have to tell everyone everything , but his fan interaction is pretty poor , and always has been. Riders who engage more get better recognition ,and a more enduring fan base , not giving anything back shows a lack of awareness....
In one way or another I pay the wages to the manager at Wal-Mart...do I have the right to go up and DEMAND he give me personal information about his life?

Outsider
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9/3/2014 1:49pm
So, every time the rumor mill fires up, these guys have to hold a press conference?

Maybe, just maybe, he will speak up when the deal is done/not done.
mach6972
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9/3/2014 1:49pm
RV is loyal to Kawi...and many of his communication issues are due to following Kawi's instructions. I personally think that near the end of the SX...
RV is loyal to Kawi...and many of his communication issues are due to following Kawi's instructions. I personally think that near the end of the SX season, Kawi was already thinking about a GP run with RV. They want a premiere class GP title badly. Knowing RV was going to need knee surgery, they were struggling with the math. It is now known that RV is not going to do SX...because he will not be ready from his knee surgery. At the end of the SX season...they were dealing with this math, and they were not sure how it would all shake out...hence the inconsistent communication. Cut RV a break...there is more going on that just "keeping fans informed."
See how loyal he is if another brand offers to double what Kawi is paying him.
Crush
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9/3/2014 1:53pm
The whole media and rider relationship in MX is ridiculous.

Riders shut up shop if they don't like something that was written, opinion or not, or even if they just don't feel like talking. It's actually pathetic.
TeamGreen
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9/3/2014 1:53pm
The Suspense keeps you coming back.

It's working.
philG
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9/3/2014 1:56pm
philG wrote:
well one way and another , we pay his wages....but if he wins and people dont buy ... i get that he doesnt have to tell...
well one way and another , we pay his wages....but if he wins and people dont buy ... i get that he doesnt have to tell everyone everything , but his fan interaction is pretty poor , and always has been. Riders who engage more get better recognition ,and a more enduring fan base , not giving anything back shows a lack of awareness....
huck wrote:
In one way or another I pay the wages to the manager at Wal-Mart...do I have the right to go up and DEMAND he give me...
In one way or another I pay the wages to the manager at Wal-Mart...do I have the right to go up and DEMAND he give me personal information about his life?

Yeah , good comparison.....

RV doesnt do squat , thats fine , but dont expect me to be a fan , or buy any of the shit he peddles , Dungey on the other hand does a lot of charity stuff , and at least has a go , makes him likeable , and likeable means bankable..

He can give us fuck all , thats fine , thats why he comes across as a miserable ginger kid... i dont see him ever doing an RCU type of thing , cos that aint how he is wired up , but considering he is supposed to be the premier MX athlete in the US , he misses the point big time.
mccread
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9/3/2014 1:59pm
Strange that racing the US part time is better than trying to win a World title for America in the eyes of the US media lol

Giving the USA a world title for the for the first time in 20 years and leaving the sport as MXGP World Champion after winning the toughest mx series in the world would be the best script ending to a fantastic career! He would go out an absolute legend.
huck
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9/3/2014 1:59pm
philG wrote:
Yeah , good comparison..... RV doesnt do squat , thats fine , but dont expect me to be a fan , or buy any of the...
Yeah , good comparison.....

RV doesnt do squat , thats fine , but dont expect me to be a fan , or buy any of the shit he peddles , Dungey on the other hand does a lot of charity stuff , and at least has a go , makes him likeable , and likeable means bankable..

He can give us fuck all , thats fine , thats why he comes across as a miserable ginger kid... i dont see him ever doing an RCU type of thing , cos that aint how he is wired up , but considering he is supposed to be the premier MX athlete in the US , he misses the point big time.

TeamGreen
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9/3/2014 2:07pm
And the Fan-Boys and Haters go, "Blah, Blah, Blah...Yada, Yada, Yada".

I'm with Huck on this one.
JJO741
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Fantasy
9/3/2014 2:25pm
Sully22 wrote:
Why does RV owe anything to anyone other than himself, his handlers, and his sponsors? Because you're impatient and can't wait and live in a culture...
Why does RV owe anything to anyone other than himself, his handlers, and his sponsors? Because you're impatient and can't wait and live in a culture where everyone is owed something and they want it now? when you're at RV's level you can't just willy nilly make announcements about your future racing plans without a coordinated effort between himself, his handlers, and his sponsors.
Amen
IWreckALot
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9/3/2014 2:28pm
philG wrote:
Yeah , good comparison..... RV doesnt do squat , thats fine , but dont expect me to be a fan , or buy any of the...
Yeah , good comparison.....

RV doesnt do squat , thats fine , but dont expect me to be a fan , or buy any of the shit he peddles , Dungey on the other hand does a lot of charity stuff , and at least has a go , makes him likeable , and likeable means bankable..

He can give us fuck all , thats fine , thats why he comes across as a miserable ginger kid... i dont see him ever doing an RCU type of thing , cos that aint how he is wired up , but considering he is supposed to be the premier MX athlete in the US , he misses the point big time.
In a round about way I agree with this. I don't expect RV to give us any information but it's easier to be a fan of a guy who will interact with fans in one way or another. I don't care if he gives us the information we want most, but any kind of snipet of his personality outside of racing makes it easier to be a fan. We don't get much of that. I certainly don't lose sleep at night because of it.
TommyLee93
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9/3/2014 2:33pm
IWreckALot wrote:
In a round about way I agree with this. I don't expect RV to give us any information but it's easier to be a fan of...
In a round about way I agree with this. I don't expect RV to give us any information but it's easier to be a fan of a guy who will interact with fans in one way or another. I don't care if he gives us the information we want most, but any kind of snipet of his personality outside of racing makes it easier to be a fan. We don't get much of that. I certainly don't lose sleep at night because of it.
Very well said.
S.Loyer
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9/3/2014 2:50pm
RV cares about Dollar signs and championships. And thats all he should care about.
tblazier
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9/3/2014 3:23pm Edited Date/Time 9/3/2014 3:25pm
OK here is my two cents.

Yes, the riders in the end have no obligation to tell any of us anything. They can lie, cheat, take IV's or do anything they want and not say a dang thing about an of it if they choose. This sport is very small compared to the NFL, NBA, MLB et al and there is almost no "investigative journalism" due to the nature of such a small and insular community. If a MX journalist says ANYTHING, then he gets blasted by the rider, team, man friend, Twitter and Instagram followers, mom, dad and his 6th grade history teacher. It is not a great situation, but it is not going to change for the foreseeable future.

Now, the issue at hand is whether you think any of us as fans have a right to any of this information. Do we have a right to know if RV is racing outdoors? Do we have a right to know why the entire Stewart clan has disappeared without a trace (except for every open practice day at Chicken Licks)? Do we have a right to know that Barcia does not like his CRF's suspension and wants to hang out with Weege in NC? I submit yes we do.

If you are a professional athlete a certain level of intrusion (within reason) should be expected. I don't need to know who you are sleeping with or who you are cheating at poker, but I do expect you to keep your fans abreast with some reasonable information. It was ridiculous of RV to keep telling EVERYONE he was racing outdoors when he knew damn well he was not. It shows a disrespect for his fans, the press and the sport in general. If you don't want to say, just say you can't comment, don't just lie to everyone like they are idiots.

The James thing is sad, because it is the same crap he has pulled his entire career. It is probably the biggest reason I have never been a big fan of the guy. He is amazing on the track, and actually great in interviews, but the second things don't go his way he heads for a spider hole in the Haines City. I can understand that he cannot comment on the whole PED suspension and the IV thing certainly did not look good, but to just not show up for weeks on end without explanation is pretty unprofessional and disrespectful to his fans and sponsors.

Is any of this likely to mean a hill of beans to the riders? No, of course not. In their world, they are surrounded by an entourages that pumps them up and declares anyone criticizing them a hater. It is the nature of the beast and I accept it, but I don't have to like it.
mark_swart
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9/3/2014 3:40pm
I do corporate communications/PR for a living, and the issue isn't that he owes more info to anyone. But there is value in communications and visibility, and when he goes off the grid, I think the lack of visibility probably has some impact on the companies who pay him money to race for them, not to mention the framing of his own legacy as Weege put it. One of the messages we preach to our organizational leaders all the time -- If you don't tell your own story, someone else will.

As I look at AC and KR's near daily updates and antics on facebook, I have to wonder how things will be for them in the future as they deal with issues like this.

ChrisB10
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9/3/2014 3:41pm
Weege wants RV to let us know what's going on but are we even sure RV knows what's going on ? This is a life altering decision for RV I can understand him taking the entire summer to figure out what he wants to do. Deciding on retirement/SX/MOTOGP is a hard enough decision but then throw in a pretty nasty knee injury that apparently still isn't 100% and I'm not surprised we haven't heard anything. People stressing this need to find another hobby during the off season.
41NDT
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9/3/2014 4:25pm
Crush wrote:
The whole media and rider relationship in MX is ridiculous. Riders shut up shop if they don't like something that was written, opinion or not, or...
The whole media and rider relationship in MX is ridiculous.

Riders shut up shop if they don't like something that was written, opinion or not, or even if they just don't feel like talking. It's actually pathetic.
This may have something to do with being raised by industry people all there lives saying how good they are yes i'll hook u up etc etc. Some just will never be able to accept anything slightly negative even if it is 100% truth
Getndome
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9/3/2014 4:53pm Edited Date/Time 9/3/2014 4:53pm
They all look like idiots when their story gets told on vital or pulp mx before they pull their heads out and get around to their "press release".

Famous quote of 2014 RV to matthes "where did you hear that vital mx" yeah real funny considering matthes called you on your B.S and was 100% right
Crush
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9/3/2014 4:57pm
tblazier wrote:
OK here is my two cents. Yes, the riders in the end have no obligation to tell any of us anything. They can lie, cheat, take...
OK here is my two cents.

Yes, the riders in the end have no obligation to tell any of us anything. They can lie, cheat, take IV's or do anything they want and not say a dang thing about an of it if they choose. This sport is very small compared to the NFL, NBA, MLB et al and there is almost no "investigative journalism" due to the nature of such a small and insular community. If a MX journalist says ANYTHING, then he gets blasted by the rider, team, man friend, Twitter and Instagram followers, mom, dad and his 6th grade history teacher. It is not a great situation, but it is not going to change for the foreseeable future.

Now, the issue at hand is whether you think any of us as fans have a right to any of this information. Do we have a right to know if RV is racing outdoors? Do we have a right to know why the entire Stewart clan has disappeared without a trace (except for every open practice day at Chicken Licks)? Do we have a right to know that Barcia does not like his CRF's suspension and wants to hang out with Weege in NC? I submit yes we do.

If you are a professional athlete a certain level of intrusion (within reason) should be expected. I don't need to know who you are sleeping with or who you are cheating at poker, but I do expect you to keep your fans abreast with some reasonable information. It was ridiculous of RV to keep telling EVERYONE he was racing outdoors when he knew damn well he was not. It shows a disrespect for his fans, the press and the sport in general. If you don't want to say, just say you can't comment, don't just lie to everyone like they are idiots.

The James thing is sad, because it is the same crap he has pulled his entire career. It is probably the biggest reason I have never been a big fan of the guy. He is amazing on the track, and actually great in interviews, but the second things don't go his way he heads for a spider hole in the Haines City. I can understand that he cannot comment on the whole PED suspension and the IV thing certainly did not look good, but to just not show up for weeks on end without explanation is pretty unprofessional and disrespectful to his fans and sponsors.

Is any of this likely to mean a hill of beans to the riders? No, of course not. In their world, they are surrounded by an entourages that pumps them up and declares anyone criticizing them a hater. It is the nature of the beast and I accept it, but I don't have to like it.
That's at least 50 cents
bd
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9/3/2014 5:09pm
Sorry I have to agree why does he owe anything other than racing to fans? Should he post his daily routine, or what his bathroom schedule...
Sorry I have to agree why does he owe anything other than racing to fans? Should he post his daily routine, or what his bathroom schedule is?
Agree 110%. I am grateful to witness one of moto's greatest. Nothing more needed. Some of the fans feel too enttiled.

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