Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but paid users have great benefits. Paid member benefits:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
The Shop
1. MX Sports knows rider use of PEDs is going on, and does not want to address it.
2. The AMA / MX Sports promotion agreement expires in two years...
Isn't it amazing how someone can take some pretty reasonable statements...and come off like a complete nut job...
My favorite part of the show tonight was DV. He cut right to the point with Tony...and Tony crumbled...and went into freak mode. DV called Tony out on how he responded (like a child...when he is a grown man). Tony then got madder and madder...finally culminating in the drug ring / MX Sports is going down statement...
Matthes offered good advice to Tony (just fall on the sword)...but Tony literally could not understand what Matthes meant....
I get that Mike likes to do things his own way. Most entrepeneurs that I've worked for (including Malcolm Smith, Bob Osborn from BMX Action magazine, and Linn Kastan from Redline Engineering, Mike Sinyaed at Specialized Bicycle, or my current boss, Brad McDonald) have been stubborn and tenacious. That's part of why they became successful in the first place. But I never got the impression from any of them that they'd let their worst employee derail any of their efforts.
Here's hoping cooler heads prevail.
Anyways, back to the discussion. I personally don't see how MA800's "crew" should affect his punishment. JA801 is a grown adult. He supposedly made the decision on his own. If I'm at a sporting event and go off to buy a brew and come back to a buddy of mine getting into a fight with another person over something that I had no part of I wouldn't be held responsible for him fighting and be arrested for assault. Why should this be any different? You can't control peoples stupidity. I feel like MA800 is really being dealt with a severe punishment. Also, I've read the report and it says no where in there that the rider has to be in the same class. It does, however, say they are held accountable for the crew. Last I checked, TA is a part of Frieses "crew" since he is the team manager.
Like I said, I don't think Friese should be held accountable for any of this and punished in any way shape or form. I'm just trying to figure out the reasoning behind coming down on MA800 so harshly.
Edit: just read that Tony used the words 'drug ring', so maybe I thought wrong.
PS to the Vitard (thought it was in this thread but it isn't) that posted he cranked called MCR today a couple of times and asked if they had laser pens and goggles congratulations on a major douche move. Way to disrespect someone who has spent big bucks of his own money to fund a team for several years. Mike Genova is obviously a major enthusiast (strong move when he picked up Pourcel) and was doing this out of passion and to have fun.
The sport will lose a good man and team owner if Genova walks.
The whole point of running a team is to garner positve publicity for your brand by winning races and through your support of the sport. Sadly I don't think Jeff or Tony's actions and outbursts this weekend have added any positive enhancement to Moto Concepts.
There's plenty of great riders out there looking for a ride. Hope Mike Genova clean's house and comes back with a stronger team and race manager!
Pit Row
My thoughts, after I got over my "good riddance" response are what a drag this is for Mike & for my fellow-Missourian Friese. I kind of understand why Mike got slapped with a fine, but he can cover that with a quick check. The read sad deal is that both these very talented riders are left out in the cold without a ride.
With that precedent, there is absolutely no way to question the penalties that MX Sports handed out. Honestly, I think they were fairly lenient on Mike considering what happened and considering that, in the end, he is responsible for his crew's actions.
Also, to those of you who are asking how Jeff was considered there with Mike, he was wearing a motoconcepts team shirt, had team headphones, had been in the rig, and is the brother of the team's main rider and son of its team manager. It's not any one of these things, but the sum of all of them that show that Jeff absolutely was a part of the operation, to say otherwise you have to ignore literally the entire statement by MXSports.
I thought I had heard the most of it when I went to bed last night, but sounds like it hadn't even started yet...
The fallout here is ALL on Tony and his actions AFTER the laser incident itself - and he's too dumb, arrogant, or mentally unstable to realize it.
Sad sad sad...
(Big 800 fan here BTW...)
Did he really say "tell Mike to find another goggle sponsor"? Why, because someone called him a name?
His job is to report the news and as a rep for X-Brand goggles.
What did you want him to do? He didn't report something that didn't happen... It happened. There's proof!
I'd imagine he said find another goggle sponsor because he doesn't feel the company he reps for should be associated with shit like that.
As I said in another thread, I like Mike, Tony and Dani, we have always gotten along well and been nice to me. I do not know Jeff that well.
I feel bad for Mike and Dani, this is their livelihood and it got screwed up by someone else, but the rider is responsible for his team, that rule is universal and applied at every local track around the world.
My take away in all this is;
A) I hope Genova has a change of heart, coughs up the $10K and then re-evaluates at year end.
B ) Genova keeps in mind that by not showing up to those final races (and paying the fine), he loses all of the sponsor monies and any contracts become void, including Mike's personal contracts. You're obligated to race, you don't show, sponsors don't pay.
C) If this year's contracts aren't fulfilled, next year it will be impossible to get or retain sponsors, on a team or personal level for Mike
I really hope this works out better than it looks like it will, and maybe it is time to consider Europe and start over.
Good luck, Mike and Dani
Steve....I pee'd in your gas tank.
Post a reply to: Mike Genova on Pulp Mx