<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Jul 30 2009, 04:00 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Hi Levi,
What does "have no use for him" mean? Does it mean you don't like him? I can understand that, I don't particularly like him either, while in the AMA, though I have started to warm up to him considerably in WSBK. But that is not the question, is it?
(Disclaimer: Not being bellicose here, as I was recently accused of being "abrasive", which I often am, this is not one of those times, and "long winded" sorry, this is one of those times).
I was not aware that he has the rabid fanboys and worship to any degree of comparison to Rossi. In fact, the comparisons to Rossi is a bit laughable at this point. (So he has a few fanboys, .... in that case pick any rider on the grid, you will find these types of fans, yes any of them). The truth is he hasn't been around long enough to garner such worship, yet.
Here is the problem I have with your second point, even though I agree with you that any kind of "worship" or "rabid fanboyism" is a turn off and distracting (though I admit, I've been guilty of feeling a strong sense of admiration for Nicky Hayden which can easily be called fanboyish) you are suggesting that the "worship" is unfounded. You do admit he is "good" but that is grossly understating his accomplishment so far.
You know, I started to get some stats for you to prove my point just how shocking his dominance has been, but I decided against it because frankly is a lot of work. But is this stuff that give the impression that he is starting to be "worshiped". Suffice it to say that anybody who is close to the sport is amazed at Spies dominance. Its already mentioned before, it seems you are not impressed, but its one thing for a veteran like Haga to have so much success, after all he is the standard of the series and has been runner up to the champions several time, it quite another universe for a rookie, in every sense of the word to be consistently beating everybody. Again, this point cannot be understated. But then factor in that his dominance in every aspect of qual to race has been routinely crushed by Spies, well then that just puts him in a stratospheric class. Don't mistake the reality of his dominance when people point it out in amazement as rabid fanboyism. That would be incorrect. Don’t mistake people trying to get a glimpse of the new sensation as worship, they haven’t had time to build a tabernacle since everybody who really understands the level of competition and what he is doing with it, is still shocked.
Here is another way of looking at it Levi, pick another rookie, either in WSBK and MotoGP (the two highest levels of the sport) and try to make an argument why he is NOT an extraordinary anomaly of dominance. Consider, poles, wins, laps led, fastest lap, circuit records, on a new bike, new tires, new tracks, new team, new class, new series experience (don’t forget to factor in mechanicals and torpedoes please). I think you will find, that he fits the bill, in numbers alone, that he is truly a astonishing! That doesn’t make one a fanboy or a worshiper in recognizing this, it just makes them aware of his accomplishment so far.
All true, no question. Great post. Simply; I'm just not a fan.... (yet) I think he's fantastic and will have a great career and I don't wish him any ill, I would just like to see Haga or some other established "older school" WSBK rider take home the metal this year. While I have no real explanation there is something that cheapens a series (to me) when a rookie comes in and strolls away with the hardware uncontested. Absent Ben's poor luck at the beginning of the series this would be a runaway uncompetitive season. Every pole, most of the races with ease. To me, it just cheapens the whole series. Makes it look foolish if you know what I mean?? I would love to see Haga take the hardware, get his well deserved trophy after so many years. Then next year Ben can go on to win every race, every pole and I would cheer his racecraft. I suspect Spies will go on to have an almost legendary career no matter what happens this year. With that in mind, I'm cheering for the other guys right now............... thats all, nothing more.
