O thank you, a reasonable response.
Thanks for the chin up.
The Spain and Italy thing is problematic. As we saw with Greece the EU will get to a point where they dictate austerity measures. It may be a long shot, or sooner than we think, I know that here in Oz the treasurer is doing nothing but giving us gentle warnings that things are slowing, interest rates down, BHP announcing no new expansion on key mining sites and so on.
IF and I like the hypothetical (if) to not unfold, but if the debt issues hit austerity measures in those countries and this involves changes to taxation (company tax, specific deductibility) as it did in Greece then this could dry up rather suddenly.
I think motogp (unlike WSBK) has its eggs all in one basket, and that by getting Caramels grubby little fingers on that basket (the WSBK one) he can create a safety net for a dumber motogp series AND now remove the competition by controlling how level the playing field is between the two.
He might just prove me wrong by really kicking the WSBK series along. I'm always prepared to bet a few beers on that though. In another thread someone (birdman?) called it MotoSpainVR or something like that. Getting back to my point, Casey Stoner will never really fit into a MotoSpainVR business plan, however the business plan doesn't really include me or us down here.
I'm actually pretty close to you and I often ride down through Numinbah and Murwillumbah on by bike (bycycle not motor). Keep your eyes out, you will also often see a former Aust WSB world champion and MotoGP winner floating around the same track on a bike also.
One of the big problems in Spain, is the collapse of the employment structure, particularly in the South. Officially Spain has approx. 25% unemployment and close to 50% of males under 25 are unemployed. This puts a huge strain on the country.
In reality, the real situation is nothing like this, with a huge proportion of work being undeclared, under the table, while people still claiming benefits . The problem though is reduced tax income and higher unemployment benefits creating massive strain on the country.
Austerity measures in Greece reduce money in the economy. Less money going around, less VAT, less income tax, and more likelyhood for people to do exactly as they are in Spain. The problem for the Government gets worse not better, and they turn to the only reliable source of income, big business who cannot get around government regulations........
They need complete economic reform.
I won't even start on the incompetent idiots in government in Australia, and the corrupt dealings with the mining industry (could go on for pages).
None of any of which has anything to do with Stoner ruining the sport.
As I see it, Stoner is a simple guy, who simply wants to race bikes, and be the best. He's not interested in the money, the fame, corporate sponsorship, or the political ........ that surrounds any sport and favoritism of all things Spanish and Italian. He has finally spat the dummy, and packed up to go home. In doing so, giving up on his biggest goal, to match the number of wins of his idol, Mick Doohan.
He hasn't ruined the sport, he's simply a square peg that does not fit in a round hole. Because he has been outspoken and said exactly what he thinks, to whoever he wants, he has come under a lot of critisism. He has however bitten the hand that feeds him.
Would the situation be treated differently if it was Rossi or Lorenzo saying the same things, probably, but neither of them would be silly enough to be so outspoken, because their motivations are different.
No question the sport is hugely popular in Spain and Italy, but its needs to become more mainstream around the world. There is huge interest in bike racing in Asia, and South America, but very little effort made in these areas. I think DORNA should appoint a Board of Directors to manage each of MotoGP and WSB, with the board made up of reps from different areas of the world, and including some business leaders and former riders. The Board to manage the direction, tech regulations, and business dealings of the sport. Frankly, the model used with V8Supercars in Aust is not bad, where 75% of the series is owned by the teams that hold the racing licenses, and 25% owned by the managing company.
Ezy can stay on as a figure head if his ego desires, but the structure needs to change somehow.
