Great Champions' reputations do NOT get tainted because eventually they succumb to younger riders, Bun -- otherwise all great champions would have tainted reputations...
I think Valentino is truly great because after all he's won and all the money he's made he's still there at 32, ready to offer himself to the challenge of younger and hungry champions. He could have been off after 2005 and remained an "untainted" king (in your view) with as many titles as Doohan, but he didn't. He's still there serving as "target" -- as Kropotkin rightly says -- for an entire generation of younger riders, and now he is even ready to chase them. That fact alone deserves respect.
Rossi's only problem is that his captive fans consider him to be God, something that's not possible. His haters (or better, the haters of his captive fans) will then attack him every time he does not perform like a God. Difficult position! But for me, if he manages top 3 results towards the end of this season and then will be capable to fight for the title in 2012, it will be another of his stunning achievements.
First sensible rebuttal!
All true, but my main point is that if he hadn,t made the move to Ducati his record would have looked so much better. His ego didn,t let himself stay at Yamaha and compete on an equal footing. No matter how justified poor results in 2011 may be (because the Duke is a dog) it will still make his CV the worse for viewing.
You could say..........out of the frying pan, into the fire.
You make some valid points, but I think I do also (humble opinion).