Cutter

I am asking this as someone who gained an interest in the MotoGP last year. It seems as though Rossi's decline began in the 2010s. Positions averaging on 6th each race? Don't get me wrong, I love the guy but people continue to worship him even though there are many other players that are killing it in the league. Yes, I know of his past accomplishments; he deserves the revered status, but to think he is going to start getting continuous podiums all of the sudden is a far cry.

A poster on this website mentioned his decline in performance was due to being in your 30s, your heart rate begins to slow. Any merit to this?

I was a Dovi fan when I gained a love for superbike racing, I was let down the past two seasons and became a Quatararo/Miller fan.

michaelm

I haven't liked his off track manipulations for a long time, and don't believe he can any longer be called the unchallenged greatest rider ever as was perhaps the case at the end of the 2009 season, but he remains one of the greatest, and that he competed very closely for a title as recently as 2015 against 2 other all time greats was further evidence of same.

Time waits for no-one though, and his most recent seasons and a further season at age 42 is rather pushing things imo.

Keshav

He got old. End of.

misfit

I'm not so sure what you're getting at.

I'm a fan of Rossi and his achievements, and will not stop being a fan simply because he is still riding in his aged state and is not able to keep up with the younger riders. Yes, his off-track antics have left a lot to be desired, but I have come to realise that all too often, the really great riders/drivers will have personality flaws .... as we all do. This is especially so with the yuber multiple champs who spend a lot of time in the limelight and at the bleeding edge of competition where the hunger for victory is highest, since it's closest, and they are pushing to both physical and psychic limits. Tempers will flare and ruthlessness will set it since the prize is always so close. It's then up to each fan of the sport to interpret what they see and weigh the qualities and flaws from their own vantage point. They come out either liking, disliking, or being indifferent about the rider although it's inevitably either one of the first two rather than indifference.

I especially like Stoner because I love his life story up and to the point of his retirement. He was also a über talent and it would make me grin reading and listening to his mates endorse his skills. He always willingly spoke of riding his bike the way it needed to be ridden, rather than insist on trying to encourage a design/setup of the bike that allowed him to ride the way he wanted. I could go on and on.... .... but I respect Rossi and his achievements a lot.

michaelm

Rossi’s achievements during the very long peak of his career stand forever.

I see his situation in more recent years as akin to Federer vs Djokovic and Nadal, although Federer has not as yet hung on past the point of him being competitive with his younger rivals for places at or near the top of the pantheon of the sport of tennis.

I came to dislike Rossi because of his use of a certain element among his fandom against his rivals, particularly Stoner, having perhaps hypocritically not having had as much objection when Biaggi and Gibernau were the rivals being subjected to the fabled ‘mind games’. In retrospect Stoner retiring when he did was the right decision, but at the time I was keen to see him continue riding for at least 2 or 3 more years; I could have watched that guy ride a single lap on his own all day, and enjoyed watching him ride even in preference to my all time gp bike racing idol Mick Doohan. At the time Stoner retired he made it clear being vilified by the Valeban for performing as required by his job description ie winning races and titles, and what he saw as manipulation of tires, bike weights etc to disadvantage him were high up on the list of reasons for his distaste for the motogp circus.

JPSLotus

I don't think Rossi is worthy of revered status.

The manner which he conducted himself in and thought was acceptable, back in 2015 ensured I would never have any real respect for him as a rider and person ever again.

He basically pulled a Trump before Trump started doing it on a national/global scale. Rossi advanced an unproven conspiracy theory regarding the Phillip Island race that year, which had the result of inviting what amounted to an insurrection against Marc Marquez. As you'll recall, security was needed for Marc as well as his family because the Rossi fans who were behaving just like the Trumptards, wanted to go after Marquez for what he supposedly did to Rossi.

I think if those events unfolded in 2020 rather than 2015, given the nature of how the world is now, Rossi may in fact have been given a season long ban, or even a permanent ban for what he did. Rossi stirred up his fanbase through rhetoric and conspiracy then, and even in prior years because he knew his fanbase was more akin to a cult than just a group of passionate fans.

While yes his accomplishments prior to 2010 were impressive, and actually were something of note (something that Trump never managed to do) Rossi is an amoral piece of shit at the end of the day. He has never admitted to wrongdoing, or that he incited his fanbase constantly with his bullshit.

To your other point, he got old. Something his fanbase still cannot accept.