Joined Apr 2011
1K Posts | 87+
Pangea
I dont get too caught up with the cult of celebrity worship of an individuals persona simply for the fact I dont personally know any of these guys and my opinions are only formed through their words and actions in the media and on the track.....I am not a massive fan of Casey Stoner in terms of his demeanour which at times can annoy me - but his lack of charisma and whining is made up for by his bravery and riding style which I dont believe any other rider at present can match - he is outstanding to watch ride a bike at the limit and I would love to have see him on a 500 stroker. In the end his abilities in this regard mean far more to me than a few indiscretions or a lack of judgement in the heat of battle.
What I do admire about Stoner though is his ability to speak out exactly what is on his mind without fear of retribution. He isnt in MotoGP to be "loved" and appeal to the unwashed masses instead preferring to let his actions speak louder than his words. He is there because he loves riding motorcycles very fast and to do a job - both of which he does very well.
The one guy who defines "character" for me is Troy Bayliss. Genuine, humble, brave, honest and skillful. His celebration on the podium after Colin Edwards valiantly defeated him in 2002 at Monza to claim the SBK title ranks as one of the greatest sporting moments I have witnessed. It was truly the mark of a great man to celebrate a rivals victory in that manner after what must have been a devestating result for him personally. It was as heroic as any of his races when he barvely rode through the pain barrier after carrying injuries he sustained from riding....such as the busted testicle / lost finger incidents. Wayne Rainey is the other that springs to mind. They were both great riders but also wonderful people who rarely spoke badly of others....to me that is the very definition of "character".
I have only ever intensely disliked two riders. Carl Fogarty and John Koczinski. Both had very few redeeming qualities from what I could gather but I also dont "hate" either rider.
What I do admire about Stoner though is his ability to speak out exactly what is on his mind without fear of retribution. He isnt in MotoGP to be "loved" and appeal to the unwashed masses instead preferring to let his actions speak louder than his words. He is there because he loves riding motorcycles very fast and to do a job - both of which he does very well.
The one guy who defines "character" for me is Troy Bayliss. Genuine, humble, brave, honest and skillful. His celebration on the podium after Colin Edwards valiantly defeated him in 2002 at Monza to claim the SBK title ranks as one of the greatest sporting moments I have witnessed. It was truly the mark of a great man to celebrate a rivals victory in that manner after what must have been a devestating result for him personally. It was as heroic as any of his races when he barvely rode through the pain barrier after carrying injuries he sustained from riding....such as the busted testicle / lost finger incidents. Wayne Rainey is the other that springs to mind. They were both great riders but also wonderful people who rarely spoke badly of others....to me that is the very definition of "character".
I have only ever intensely disliked two riders. Carl Fogarty and John Koczinski. Both had very few redeeming qualities from what I could gather but I also dont "hate" either rider.
