Pige, do you think your entry here is not as tainted as you claim BM’s post is? Yeah, how dare BM compare VR to other lesser riders, right? (One of which came runner up to him during a season). Anyway, here is the main difference, and no Mick, its not about the titles, its all about his influence (as Anarchists alluded). Melandri was the first to try this bike that felt like it rode on ice. We all said what a ...... guy he is,
Ducati even one step further, sent him to a shrink (Marco must improve for Marco to be Marco). After ONE TEST (despite peeps trying to convince us it wasn't a big deal), Ducati declares, "WE MUST IMPROVE for Rossi to be Rossi." The message: clearly its our fault, not the rider, in this case three other world champions did not get this benefit of the doubt. How is that for a complete opposite reaction. Anybody still want to argue Valentino Rossi GP experience has been on a level playing field? I agree with the idea in general that Melandri is more mentally fragile than Rossi, but there is a reason. I'm sure it really screwed with Melandri's mind when everybody was saing, yo, you are the problem here not the bike. Now multiply that over a year. After on test, Rossi was given the immediate benefit of the doubt, yo, the bike is ...., not you Vale. Rossi has had it all his way, except this year, and just look how he reacted. To use a term I learned fro Chops, 'like a baby throwing out his toys from the pram'. The way Rossi reacted to Yamaha signing Lorenzo showed a mental weakness that we have not seen before, and with good reason, whenever he has said to jump, Dorna have not asked why, they say, how high? Anybody claiming that Elias or Melandri are not close in talent to Rossi (as you here protest enough to leave the thread) is simply wrong; they do have similar talent, just not all the accomplishments (as MickM alludes). But I suppose if you were to put all your backing, the breath and depth of a governing body, the manufactures and providers, in a single minded purpose of preferential treatment, during their best years, its not unimaginable that Melandri or Elias could have done more.
Rossi will not suffer the same fait as Melandri. Why, because Ducati are now in the predicament of risking their entire brand on Rossi's success, which means everything is on the table for a change. When Melandri came on board, since there was not real benchmark except Stoner, we could have ignorantly agreed it was just Melandri being ....... Ah, but them Hayden suffered the same experience. Even still, the ignorant could claim, well Nicky is not better than Melandri. Now, a third good rider that is Rossi takes the Ducati and laps a pubic hair better than Karel Abraham, (to use the words of Jerry Burgess) "ALARM BELLS WOULD HAVE BEEN RINGING...". Yes, a siren must have been going off with red light, and a few holy .....!
Make no mistake that Ducati Rossi rode will not show up in any way shape or form next season! (Despite the claims that just a few tweaks here and there was all they did). Its what GP does, it scripts the winners and us ignorant folk swallow the results at face value. Then sit here and argue how the accomplishments mean this or that about the rider without deep analysis. Now you will have peeps read my post and think I'm saying Rossi is ...., then remind me hes won a hundred titles. But like Pige here, who is disgusted that BM compared Melandri and Elias to Rossi, oh what a crime, is basically saying they are of no value compared to the great Valentino because they did not win in similar fashion. Something that applies to every rider on the grid then. Hahaha.
