<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Oct 12 2008, 01:21 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>There's so much anti Puig sentiment on these threads lately it was a job to know where to post this. I suppose going by the title this is as good as any.
There are probably those who have frantically been googling all things relating to the post of Sporting director at Repsol lately, and discovering a less than illustrious career. I am old/sad enough to remember him racing, so didn't google the man, but did on the other hand peruse my Moto GP Top Trumps, (check out the Shakey Card BTW - there always has to be one that's so utterly useless that even if you've got the likes of Rossi and Doohan, you can still chock the lot), only to learn from Bertie's card something I didn't know, based on the year of publication I can deduce the .......s a year younger that me...(Christ alive I'm a geriatric me -
even Roger's got a year or so in hand on this old ....).
I was however reminded that his career was abruptly cut short in '95 after a qualifying accident in France...Paul Ricard I guess. As Rockgod pointed out on another thread, this is a man with the grand total of one win and he has the audacity to call Nicky. I agree he accomplished comparatively little during his own foray into racing, but always thought he showed appreciable potential, and I for one wouldn't mind saying at my time in life that I raced at the top level of racing, won my home GP an finished fifth in a World Championship. Plus, I think that the Moviestar Cup introduced some great talent to GP racing, and who was Bradley's mentor up until last year?
Does this give him the right to make the comments he did? Of course not, nothing justifies such ignorant and hateful diatribe. Puig has very few friends in the paddock - probably intentionally, and has just alienated himself further from the racing fraternity. For this reason, and coupled with the valueless and negative comments he aired about Nicky, I would agree with many on this forum that Dani's continued relationship with the Puig Mafia is only destined to damage his career in the long run. When HRC drop him like a stone as they are prone to doing, of course team owners will clamour for his signature, but not for his marketing potential or charisma, factors which have prolonged many a career beyond its shelf life. Little Dani might be a giant in Spain, but as GP seeks to expand its geographical and marketing frontiers even myopic Ezy can detect that his appeal outside of old Iberia is about as imposing as his diminutive frame, and as we speak, shrinking faster than a Leehman's brothers hedge fund. Furthermore, as these bikes are busy finding their bollocks again, we are seeing a tentative return to the 990 approach (he says hopefully), that, coupled with a single tyre - and the developmental inertia associated with this isn't going to suit Pedders with the resultant closer racing, late braking and envisaged faring bashing that he so detests. The pressure is on - as someone else on this forum pointed out, Dani has backed himself into a corner - he has to deliver. Remember Edgar Allen Poe's famous caveat from the Monkey's Paw, 'be careful what you ask for, you might just get it' - to cite another thread 'How long will HRC wait for Dani.?' I still believe we have yet to see the best of him - but next year has to be his defining title bidding season.
As an ex Puig acolyte, Dani could find himself out in the cold within a few seasons, with the stupid ....... '07 RCV pocket bike that had his name on it a distant memory. Meanwhile, Puig will be busy churning out the next generation of neophytic Repsol clones, - by the time Mark Marquez comes to the fore Dani will be serving Paella in some dingy tapas bar in backstreet Barcelona - witness another ex 125, 250 champion Manuel Pogialli and his pizza deliveries in suburban San Marino, while Nicky is crowned two time World Champion riding bareback on a bucking Desmosedici...
wouldn't that be bloody nice.
As we approach peak oil and Repsol tighten the purse strings pulling out of race sponsorship finally terminating their venerable relationship with HRC, Messrs Puig, Jara etc etc could hopefully go the same way as Dani.
Anyhow, who needs Moto GP 08 when you've got Moto GP Top Trumps - even if it is now a shredded card short of a pack. 'Puig really is a ....?' - I'd say that's a fair assumption.
haha i started a thread about puig based on info from my trump cards
and puig is 8 months older than me but i look far younger than him
