MX SPORTS

newmann
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12/5/2012 10:20am
Honest question here. When MX Sports took on WMA and placed it on the national stage, did any of the people or groups who had advanced the sport to that point back away or did they stay in it promoting the sport as diligently as before?

I remember the late Kat Spann of TexMX News promoted womens racing here in Texas thoughout the 90's and brought together some amazing talent from around the world to compete here in the US. Kristy Shealy and Dee Woods were usually out from kicking ass but there was some pretty good racing going on. Those two girls were F A S T.
Grieby54
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12/5/2012 10:33am
Canadad wrote:
So nobody cares about womens motocross..............really? The way i see it, it is the only growing segment in our sport. Several years ago my daugther would...
So nobody cares about womens motocross..............really?

The way i see it, it is the only growing segment in our sport. Several years ago my daugther would be the only one on the line for a race, now you can guarantee a line of 20+ riders, pretty decent growth to me. Just about every other class has declined in that same period. DC perhaps you have some data you can share on this, I am just going by what I see at the track.

"The average MX fan does not want to watch WMX"............your missing the point.........the definition of the average MX fan is changing and is including the female gender at an alarming rate.

Sponsors want exposure and the 250 and 450 classes are where all the interest is right? So that would mean the current 250MX champion should garner all the interest over the current WMX champion Ashley Fiolek? Interesting how Ashley has more than twice as many followers on twitter as Baggett. Yes it's true, twice as many people are interested in what Ashley has to say than Blake. AC92 is the new marketing machine you say....29,808 followers vs Ashley's 41,877. Yes we can argue that the depth of following is much less for WMX but the fact that Ashley is in the same company as Trey Canard (44,924) and Justin Barcia (43,215) is impressive. We need to capitalize on this not kill it!

DC, I realize this is a very difficult issue to resolve and you face real finanacial and logistical hurdles in trying economic times but don't forget that this segment IS growing in our sport right now and the industry is in desperate need of new growth and new opportunity.
Surely Ashley's following consists entirely of MX enthusiasts, right? It can't possibly be because she's an inspiration to thousands of people due to being a professional athlete that's deaf, could it?

She doesn't get talk shows and news articles for her achievements in MX, she gets them for her achievements in MX despite being deaf.

Twitter is hardly a benchmark of her notoriety due to her sport, it's a popularity contest. It's easy to twist numbers in your favor - ie: leaving out the fact that Fiolek's main competition (JP$) has about 8k followers, not to mention the non-existent fan base for any of the other WMX riders...
Canadad
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12/5/2012 11:20am
Since when did Ashley's notoriety have to be limited to the fact that she races motocross? Do we have to calculate how much is because of her on track achievements, how much because she is female and how much because she is deaf? Why does this even matter?

Having non-MX followers is a good thing. In order for the sport to grow, it needs non followers to turn into followers does it not? The interest in Ashley cannot be denied.

The fact that she is a professional athelte with a disability who has risen to the top of her sport is an outstanding acheivement, a benefit not a detrement. Our sport can gain exposure through avenues we would never get to without the fact she is deaf. This is called exposure, something to leverage not shy away from. We could not ask for a better ambasador for the sport than Ashley.

We have some momentum here, arguing about how we acheived it is irrelevant, what matters is that it continues in whatever format that makes sense.

As for twisting numbers you may want to reread my post................"Yes we can argue that the depth of following is much less for WMX " I am under no illusion of the interest in WMX vs the guys, only trying to highlight the fact that there is significant interest and that the definition of the "average mxer" is changing.
FreshTopEnd
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12/5/2012 12:24pm
You seriously think you have momentum right now? WMX has lost what momentum it had before the economy collapsed, and you're kidding yourself if you think otherwise.

Ashley was a skilled rider who had a public interest hook that captured some attention in a general public that's always interested in inspirational stories. The women's motocross element of that exposure was a curiosity, not an attraction. The general public was interested in Ashley, not motocross.

The Shop

TeamGreen
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12/5/2012 12:30pm
For Analytical purposes: WMX is waaaaaay ahead of where they were 10-20 yrs, ago.
Grieby54
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12/5/2012 12:35pm
You seriously think you have momentum right now? WMX has lost what momentum it had before the economy collapsed, and you're kidding yourself if you think...
You seriously think you have momentum right now? WMX has lost what momentum it had before the economy collapsed, and you're kidding yourself if you think otherwise.

Ashley was a skilled rider who had a public interest hook that captured some attention in a general public that's always interested in inspirational stories. The women's motocross element of that exposure was a curiosity, not an attraction. The general public was interested in Ashley, not motocross.
This.
FreshTopEnd
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12/5/2012 12:36pm
20, yes. 10, not so sure. 5, no way.
mxvet89
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12/6/2012 2:58pm
Davey, what makes the three chosen rounds of the 2013 WMX season more suitable to include the women than the other rounds? What exactly is the issue of time constraints? It seems like there should be plenty of time in the day for 6 motos and practice sessions. Can you provide more insight on where the issue lies?
FreshTopEnd
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12/6/2012 3:14pm
mxvet89 wrote:
Davey, what makes the three chosen rounds of the 2013 WMX season more suitable to include the women than the other rounds? What exactly is the...
Davey, what makes the three chosen rounds of the 2013 WMX season more suitable to include the women than the other rounds? What exactly is the issue of time constraints? It seems like there should be plenty of time in the day for 6 motos and practice sessions. Can you provide more insight on where the issue lies?
His first post refers to structuring the TV package. They definitely had to fly loose on even the men's schedule last year for some of the live rounds.
SwapperMX
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12/6/2012 3:14pm
If people wanted it there, it would be there. They dont, so its not. There is way more demand to see 125 cc races, and that isnt going to happen any time soon, so just be happy you get the 3 rounds.
KellyMac
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SLC, UT US
12/6/2012 3:35pm
I'd rather watch Pro Quads race like they did a few years back at Steel City, instead of watching WMX.
SwapperMX
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12/6/2012 3:53pm
KellyMac wrote:
I'd rather watch Pro Quads race like they did a few years back at Steel City, instead of watching WMX.
Agree. Most people would probably watch anything else but the WMX, especially at a Pro National.
IceMan446
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12/6/2012 4:13pm
How about this...Lets let Davey work on getting all the races live and growing the fan base outside of the general mx population and then worry about the women's racing.

Without the the nationals there is NO women's series. Id like to see the women's series be successful but that's just the fact of the matter. They haven't been able to stand alone on their own.

They have choices, and more then two but if no one is really willing to step up and make the changes then they will have to live with the results. Davey gave them what he could with out compromising the everything else, they chose otherwise for their own reasons.

Davey and MX Sports stepped up and took hold of the MX series and is bettering it on a yearly basis. Who is willing to do that on the women's side?
TeamGreen
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12/7/2012 10:13am
mxvet89 wrote:
Davey, what makes the three chosen rounds of the 2013 WMX season more suitable to include the women than the other rounds? What exactly is the...
Davey, what makes the three chosen rounds of the 2013 WMX season more suitable to include the women than the other rounds? What exactly is the issue of time constraints? It seems like there should be plenty of time in the day for 6 motos and practice sessions. Can you provide more insight on where the issue lies?
His first post refers to structuring the TV package. They definitely had to fly loose on even the men's schedule last year for some of the...
His first post refers to structuring the TV package. They definitely had to fly loose on even the men's schedule last year for some of the live rounds.
I see someone's actualy reading the info and explanations.

WTF are you doing in here?
mxvet89
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12/7/2012 11:45am
TeamGreen wrote:
I see someone's actualy reading the info and explanations.

WTF are you doing in here?
TeamGreen, Im here because I'm a member and I have right to read the thread and make comments. I've read the previous comments that DC has made. I merely wanted to know why the three chosen rounds were more conducive to hosting the WMX than any other round. Is that a problem with you?

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