Please sit down here Talps as I do not want to shock to much, but I do agree with the highlighted part but will temper it heavily by saying that today with the Internet there is often confusion between what is media, what is journalism and what is 'keyboard heroics' performed by armchair experts.
In the days of Doohan, Kocinski, Spencer (mentioned for Pete), Sarron (another who copped it a bit) and let us not forget Rudroff, there simply was no internet and we relied on journalists to provide stories and insight into the sport. This was done then, as it is now by the motorcycle journalist with generally little to no adverse personal criticisms of the riders 'personality' as it was not deemed a large part of the sport (that having changed dramatically since the internet age).
I do feel that we, as fans of the sport (that is opposed to the mindless throng that do follow an individual) often confuse what we read on the internet as 'media written' or driven when it is no more than mindless banter on a forum.
Whilst it is absolutely true that the internet age has allowed many enthusiasts to develop their love of the sport into a journalistic career (and I am sure that Krop will not mind me using him as the example - as he himself often states it), he is not similar to the journalists of old as his tools and communication methods are different. That said, he is also an exception in that rarely, if ever does Krop seem to stoop to a level that we have seen with 'non-motorcycling mainstream' journalists, such as those that formed the basis of the attacks on Rossi during the taxation affair (and who no longer comment on the sport).
IMO, the internet age does have a lot to answer for in our demands on these riders as well as the manner in which we judge them as all is now there for our consumption, and often a small snippet taken totally out of context can be twisted and manifested into something that it clearly was not to be (JB's 80 second comment being a possible good example).
IMO and I am sure this will not surprise but I do feel that Stoner cops far more than many other's have over the years, and yes I agree that some may well be deserved (just as it is with Bautista at the moment etc), but I also have no doubt that in 2013 there will be another villain developed by those in the media and forumland that need that as their focus.
The shame is that we ourselves often cannot discern the truth from fiction from opinion from fact and yet we pass judgement as if we were present at the time (all of us)
And glad to see you haven't changed your name to 7-0
Good points mate, our opinions are just that I guess. These guys also get well compensated financially for what they do, so I can't feel too sorry for them.....
