Motorcycle Forums

Not again

Can you imagine how entertaining MotoGP would be without him?

Yes, as it was and as it will be

The racing was being shown live back in the 90s along with WSB, long before Rossi entered the 500 class, so please don't attribute live coverage to Rossi - pathetic. Live coverage now is confined to the BBC when they can be bothered to show it on BBC2 otherwise it's on the red button. Eurosport can only show delayed coverage and sometimes that is still a few hours later if a bigger sport is being screened.

I didn't dispute how big a name Rossi was did I? As usual you don't respond to what is written, you see what you want to and trot out your standard response. Again another schoolboy level reference to Stoner.

The point is, Rossi is heralded as a rider who has introduced a whole new audience to Motogp, without whom it would crumble. Rossi introduced no-one to Motogp through direct promotion for the good of the sport. They are his followers and a by-product of his success. When did he ever undertake unpaid, self-driven Motogp promotional duties in order to garner interest from a new hitherto uninterested audience. If he does that following his retirement from racing then you can say he has introduced Motogp to a wider audience. Until then, keep it real. Your assumption that we wouldn't have live coverage nowadays if Rossi wasn't around is pure assumption, based upon the need to drive your own argument and you obsession with one rider.

Marquez will generate new interest in the racing this year but probably from an existing 'fanbase'. I doubt very much he will be as big a name as Rossi outside of the sport and therefore won't drag in fans who will be personal supporters rather than people who just enjoy watching racing, some of whom choose one of the existing riders to follow during that riders era.

But similarly, unlike the Manchester United fans, they won't disappear when the success stops either will they, leaving the real long term supporters of bike racing to continue watching each coming era.

As for Rossi bringing sponsorship back to Yamaha, they were his own personal sponsor, they didn't step in to sponsor Yamaha. Bu they didn't want their sponsored rider up against Lorenzo who was sponsored by a rival as they were worried that their rival would get more coverage. They had little choice but to fork out did they, from a commercial viewpoint. Monster are global and sponsor god knows hown many sportsmen / women

As for star quality, the paltry £1m pales into significance when you look at Rory Mcilroy's 150m deal with Nike doesn't it. That's star quality and global recognition - obscene though it is.

tips from hayden!

if you can't talk positive about your self or the brand your riding for then yes the only thing to say is how good another rider could be. Say it hayden. Marq is better then the whole duc factory. even if has no experience at all. is that what you are saying. YES! only now duc must have 1000cc in wsbk and thiere so called racing experience would die instant with no victory's at all anymore. please do so ducati so we can all whitness you were cheating sinds the first race wsbk existed

Hi Bulto

I said I would make no further comment on the Rossi phenomenon but out of respect I will  briefly try and answer your question.  Like it or not - same as all other sports MotoGp is a personality sport  the vast majority of fans have their favourites who they want to win. Every so often a flamboyant character emerges who by their very nature like Sheene and Rossi bring their sport to the attention of otherwise uninterested parties. Their promotion is obviously not direct -it's their personalities. Look at the abysmal attendance of MotoGP in this country in the 90's during the Doohan era ( who was an outstanding rider but zero personality). During this period we had Fogarty in WSB who had a massive bad-boy personality.    120,000 spectators to see Fogarty at Brands  against  30,000 spectators at Donington to see Doohan.  It speaks for itself.   As a comparison as you quote football - look at Usaine Bolt - Mr personality of the 100 metres - how many hundreds of thousands of otherwise uninterested spectator has he attracted to athletics ?   Are you really saying Bulto that as a die-hard fan - at the drop of the flag - you don't really care who wins ? I think you do.   I have been a die-hard fan for more than 50 years - they come and go and Rossi will be gone soon  but everyone has their favourites.   Thanks for the discussion rather than trading insults.  Ciao !!!  

Saturn

I accept Rossi's pulling power, it's not under question

But some are using it in the context as though he actually goes out and actively promotes the sport and brings in a new audience - again, the insinuation is that other riders don't/can't do this when the fact is, none of them do. All they want to do is race and win. Rossi was different in that he also seeks public and media attention much more than the rest, some of whom would rather shun it. I don't dispute he may have pulled in aadditional fans because of the way he is, and gained allegiance from some already watching Motogp, but as I said, the benefit to Motogp is a by product. You're saying the same thing here

Their promotion is obviously not direct -it's their personalities

My only issue is that the above is irrelevant in terms of how they should be rated as racers. That is what happens on the track, not how they undertake promotional duties or perform in press conferences.

If Motogp needs a 'charachter' to survive then it is a sport that doesn't deserve mainstream coverage as that is turning it inot a show about that character, not a motorcycle race for the fastest riders in the world. What happens when the star moves on - manufacture another one. It's not for me.

Are you really saying Bulto that as a die-hard fan - at the drop of the flag - you don't really care who wins ? I think you do.

Not sure about die-hard fan...  I'd rather be out competing myself, so a die-hard competitor each weekend yes, until I can no longer get on a bike, die-hard fan - well, I could live without it.

I liked to see Stoner win because of the way he rides, no denial there, I liked to see Gibernau win because of his Bulto connection, although he was a bit fragile of temperament for me, a bit highly strung, McCoy because of his slide it riding style, but it wasn't the be all and end all if they didn't. Just a shrug of the shoulders and on with my own life. This year, I have no interest in who wins it. Cal is the best British hope but there is something in his attitude I can't take to - yet. He comes across as flippant and a touch of arrogance in interviews and probably says too much, but that could just be akwardness in front of the camera. It would be good to see him have some success but realistically, a win in unusual circumstances is probably his best bet. Of the rest, I can honestly say no, I don't care, I could even put up with Rossi winning it if it was achieved fairly...

.

Keep it real pal, you just made yourself look a dick again with that..

Haha..that makes two of us then Pal.

Total bollocks?..The contention JL, DP & CS are in a completely different league, which by extension intimates Biaggi and Gibbers were shit and Rossi had it easy, is completely subjective and another baseless orange fanboy pre-supposition.

Rider aids do exactly what they say on the tin..and all three of them have been riding the big class getting some serious help. Just because the likes of CHR & your good self believe otherwise and they would have smoked Biaggi etc. doesn't make it so.

What makes you think Dani, who smoked Casey and had more wins than Jorge this year, would have out performed Biaggi on a 500?..and Gibernau DID ride an RCV 990 better than Stoner.

The desperation to prove Casey was better than Rossi comes from you Sunshine. Rossi's record speaks for itself. He hasn't fucked off disillusoned & whining in his prime and lives to fight another day.

Stoner bottled out to keep his sanity intact, afraid of a head-to head with Rossi, Marquez & the rest.

No need to take last year's disappointment out on the real fans.