<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Feb 25 2009, 03:20 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Pete/Austin (& anybody else who has an unexplained dislike for the guy) , have you ever met Hopkins? (Just wondering, not that you need to, but it might change your minds about the man).
I've never met him but I'm sure he'd be good to grab a drink with. Not sure if he's genuinely a good guy as clearly his marketing skills are up to task but that's besides the point. I'm sure he'd be a pleasure to have a chat with.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Feb 25 2009, 03:20 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I can't really see where the dislike for the guy comes from. The top three reasons seem to be:
1.
Gets paid "too" much. (Ok, give back some of your paycheck then you have the right to talk .....)
2.
Partied too much after fight with girl, once. (OK, if you've never had to call in sick after a night of partying, you're probably a major prude, and your opinion means .... to me. Its called life, and you obviously don't have one.)
3.
Hasn't won a MotoGP race. (You'd be hard pressed to win on a Suzuki while in the same race with a Rossi/Honda-Yamaha or a Stoner/Ducati or a good Rider/Honda. Basically
ALL these guys
at the same time would need to have a real bad day, and you have a spectacular day, and then maybe, just maybe. This is just reality.)
4.
Very white teeth. (Only Rog can have the right to talk .... on this one because only a person with gold teeth could look at another guy with white teeth and say; "that .... is wack."
1. The amount of his contract has never been the issue for me. I'm all for riders collecting all they can in their short careers.
2. Not showing up for practice because he's too hungover isn't a reason to dislike him, it's just easy to make fun of him for.
3. It would take a combination of favorable circumstances to win a GP on a Suzuki, no doubt. But CV managed to do it.
4. I have no problem with well-groomed guys. It's apart of the deal these days. There was even a bit in the latest Colin Edwards interview at Soup about how all the guys on the grid now have bleached teeth. Edwards admitted to doing it in '92 but continuous tobacco chewing has discolored them again. If CE does it then it's safe.
You know where my problem with Hopper lies, Jum. Why bail on the Suzuki when it was better than it's ever been in the four stroke era, only to jump to Kawasaki? A factory that had no more potential than Suzuki. While in previous years he had turned down Ducati to stay at Suzuki because he didn't want someone else to reap the rewards of all his hard work. It came down to money and Kawasaki/Monster were willing to give it to him. Like I said, I'm all for riders taking as much as they can while they have the chance, but I find it very frustrating for a rider to stay so true to a factory through the hard times only to bail when his hard work is about to shine through for a pay day with another group.
Maybe that can be construed as a dislike regarding his contract. That's not the point. My issue is his loyalty, lack thereof or too much of it depending on your take.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Feb 25 2009, 03:57 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>
Yes, I know he may not be a "top" rider. But,
is he the worst on the grid? Does he make the top ten among a very depleted field? Lets look at the current grid:
Would you rate him better or worse than these? (Be honest now Pete)
Vermeulen (arguably, perhaps a push)
De Angelis
Takahashi
Canepa
De Puniet
Kalio (perhaps a push)
And on current form:
Toseland
Gibernau
I would take CV and Kallio over Hopper but The Hype over the rest.
Additionally, I know you kept asking for Pete's opinion and I realize that I'm not Pete but I thought I would chime in.
