Posts
1363
Joined
8/3/2014
Location
Annapolis, MD
US
Edited Date/Time
2/21/2016 10:28am
Has anybody seen the latest Jody's Box? I can't find it online, but he just shreds Supercross.
From the drunken bros in the stands, to the promoters, to the danger, to the Dads that live through their kids-- he compares them all to the Devil. He appears to be totally over it. It's definitely not your usual sports writing stance.
He also says live TV hasn't sold a single bike, and bike sales have plummeted since SX went live on TV. I've never seen this level of hatred for Supercross from a moto journalist:
(EDIT- I didn't post so everybody could hate on Jody. I thought he brought up a lot of points)
f I were the devil.... By Jody Weisel
If I were applying for a job as the devil, and by that I mean the prince of darkness, my resume would list these things as my objective once installed in the position.
I would gain control of the worlds best racing series Supercross, the AMA nationals and the GPs-and i'd run them with such witless abandon that I'd subvert the original meaning of the sport. Then I'd reconfigure them to line my pockets and those of my minions.
I would weaken the rulebook, break traditions, and worship the worst in man's racing instincts. I'd design tracks that had little or nothing to do with actual motorcycle racing, but were instead serpents' nests- with few survivors.
If I were the devil, I would encourage rowdiness from the fans, with screams, chants, and cheering of meaningless slogans and a laissez-faire approach to human conduct. I'd sell Alcohol in cups the size of Kentucky fried chicken tubs with even larger price tags - and then stand back when the drunkards threw beer on the young family three rows below them. Then I would send the same louts out into the parking lot, bleary eyed, and staggering, to gun their pickup trucks through the crowd as though they were some idolized Formula 1 driver, the same automobile jockey that I would make sure was also seen staggering out of a nightclub at 2 AM with the starlit of the moment.
I would dupe the young into believing that winning is all that matters and character counts for nothing. I would seduce young men by getting them to Kneel at the altar of the latest Foul-mouthed miscreant who can ride fast, live high, role cars, do hard time and throw his future away seeking Internet glory. I'd invent a phrase, "he's just a kid," as the catch-all excuse to cover every Misdeed.
If I were the devil, I'd make it socially acceptable to cut the track, take performance-enhancing drugs and push the fuel, sound and production rules to the breaking edge, and I'd assign men to enforce these rules who are unscrupulous in how they do or don't administer justice.
I would advance the careers of the double dippers, the weak of the moral fiber and the embezzlers-in-training until they ran the sport. I would ensure that every up and comer got a posse to lead him in the wrong direction, a handler that looked out for his own best interest, and I'd make sure that every star had at least two paid for best friends.
If I were the devil, fathers would do my dirty work by sacrificing fiscal sanity to live vicariously through their sons. They would rant like whirling dervishes at every child's mistake, throw tools at random, swear like sailors, and protest any fathers kid that stood in the way of victory (even if the victory is 9th place in the C class) this way the Devils Work is sure to be passed on to the next generation. If only one family crumbles, my effort has been worth it. If I were the devil I would cheapen human life by having the sport turn it back on those who have been ruined by the modern home-schooled hoax. I would encourage high-powered companies to sign 12-year-olds to big-buck contracts in the same way that drug dealers give the first hit of heroin away for free and when the 'next big thing' falters at 18 years old, I'd wash my hands of him and go looking for an 11-year-old.
if I were the devil, I'd make it seem Uncool to play by the rules, be respectful of those who came before or take your hat off during the playing of the national anthem. "That stuff is for squares" I'd say.
If I were the devil, I'd make the world believe that the sport of motocross is the best it's ever been. I would ignore the fact that we sell 1/20th of the dirtbikes we sold before we were live on TV, because that could lead us to the realization the television hasn't sold one single bike. Face it, more people would watch the 'real housewives of Supercross' than the actual races - if it were an option.
As the devil, I don't want doers; I want voyeurs.
On second thought, if I were the devil, I'd realize that my work is already been done.
From the drunken bros in the stands, to the promoters, to the danger, to the Dads that live through their kids-- he compares them all to the Devil. He appears to be totally over it. It's definitely not your usual sports writing stance.
He also says live TV hasn't sold a single bike, and bike sales have plummeted since SX went live on TV. I've never seen this level of hatred for Supercross from a moto journalist:
(EDIT- I didn't post so everybody could hate on Jody. I thought he brought up a lot of points)
f I were the devil.... By Jody Weisel
If I were applying for a job as the devil, and by that I mean the prince of darkness, my resume would list these things as my objective once installed in the position.
I would gain control of the worlds best racing series Supercross, the AMA nationals and the GPs-and i'd run them with such witless abandon that I'd subvert the original meaning of the sport. Then I'd reconfigure them to line my pockets and those of my minions.
I would weaken the rulebook, break traditions, and worship the worst in man's racing instincts. I'd design tracks that had little or nothing to do with actual motorcycle racing, but were instead serpents' nests- with few survivors.
If I were the devil, I would encourage rowdiness from the fans, with screams, chants, and cheering of meaningless slogans and a laissez-faire approach to human conduct. I'd sell Alcohol in cups the size of Kentucky fried chicken tubs with even larger price tags - and then stand back when the drunkards threw beer on the young family three rows below them. Then I would send the same louts out into the parking lot, bleary eyed, and staggering, to gun their pickup trucks through the crowd as though they were some idolized Formula 1 driver, the same automobile jockey that I would make sure was also seen staggering out of a nightclub at 2 AM with the starlit of the moment.
I would dupe the young into believing that winning is all that matters and character counts for nothing. I would seduce young men by getting them to Kneel at the altar of the latest Foul-mouthed miscreant who can ride fast, live high, role cars, do hard time and throw his future away seeking Internet glory. I'd invent a phrase, "he's just a kid," as the catch-all excuse to cover every Misdeed.
If I were the devil, I'd make it socially acceptable to cut the track, take performance-enhancing drugs and push the fuel, sound and production rules to the breaking edge, and I'd assign men to enforce these rules who are unscrupulous in how they do or don't administer justice.
I would advance the careers of the double dippers, the weak of the moral fiber and the embezzlers-in-training until they ran the sport. I would ensure that every up and comer got a posse to lead him in the wrong direction, a handler that looked out for his own best interest, and I'd make sure that every star had at least two paid for best friends.
If I were the devil, fathers would do my dirty work by sacrificing fiscal sanity to live vicariously through their sons. They would rant like whirling dervishes at every child's mistake, throw tools at random, swear like sailors, and protest any fathers kid that stood in the way of victory (even if the victory is 9th place in the C class) this way the Devils Work is sure to be passed on to the next generation. If only one family crumbles, my effort has been worth it. If I were the devil I would cheapen human life by having the sport turn it back on those who have been ruined by the modern home-schooled hoax. I would encourage high-powered companies to sign 12-year-olds to big-buck contracts in the same way that drug dealers give the first hit of heroin away for free and when the 'next big thing' falters at 18 years old, I'd wash my hands of him and go looking for an 11-year-old.
if I were the devil, I'd make it seem Uncool to play by the rules, be respectful of those who came before or take your hat off during the playing of the national anthem. "That stuff is for squares" I'd say.
If I were the devil, I'd make the world believe that the sport of motocross is the best it's ever been. I would ignore the fact that we sell 1/20th of the dirtbikes we sold before we were live on TV, because that could lead us to the realization the television hasn't sold one single bike. Face it, more people would watch the 'real housewives of Supercross' than the actual races - if it were an option.
As the devil, I don't want doers; I want voyeurs.
On second thought, if I were the devil, I'd realize that my work is already been done.
Journalism: is the occupation of reporting
The Shop
I have a co-worker who mentioned his little son loved Supercross on TV. A few weeks later I asked him if the kid was still watching and he said "he's grown out of it." Ouch.
The average person sees football as a legitimate sport and SX as a freak show on wheels. It is constantly lined to Monster Trucks and NASCAR and that' s probably how it will always be.
In other news, the sun came up today.......
Economy collapsed a few years back, banks were bankrupt, people were scrambling to save their homes from foreclosure, shoot the automobile industry was on the brink, Obama gave Dodge to Fiat with $50 billion to keep it going.
The guy should stick to journalism
I yet, to this day, have never seen him at one.
Ask Matthes when the last time he's seen him.
He doesn't go to any.
Your assessment IMO is right on the money that Jody or others in the sport do not hate it. Things about it yes but definitely not the sport.
Pit Row
Jody does do that weekly, I'll give him that.
I've been to at more SX than you and I've seen Jody at several in Anaheim and San Diego but for sure have never seen him anywhere else.........he don't venture too far from REM!!!
We all get the message its in every issue whether its SX, MX sports, AMA, bikes, MXGP, etc. their is no shortage of disgust over at Hi-Torque lol.
I enjoy it all and don't really care much about pro mx or sx compared to riding and amateur mx. To me the survival of amateur mx and local riding/racing is highest on my list but i do agree i wish more attention was paid to the grassroots of it all. We need to bring people in for the survival of local mx. Offroad seems to be doing awesome and a lot can be said for that and what that offers people imo.
ROCK ON SX!
That would have been FAR more noteworthy.
The decline? You'd have to live like mick dodge to not see how bad the president has run the economy off the track and into the giggle weeds. Nobody has extra money for a condom much less a sx ticket or a bike you'll be lucky to get time to ride while working 3 jobs for minimum wage.
And,looking at it from a riders point,you aint tearing up your stuff inside a stadium like a national can do.
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