The Baby gets his Bottle..

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bikergirl @ Nov 5 2007, 07:49 PM) [snapback]98909[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
What a bunch of sad pathetic full of sour grapes individuals this site seems to be attracting of late. While you all sit there and gripe about Rossi I wonder how many of you were watching Motogp in 1996 when he started out. And I can't help but wonder, as Krazy91 pointed out, how many of you would actually even know about or be interested in Motogp had not Valentino turned it into the massive crowd puller it is today. Because kid yourselves not, the man is largely responsible for today's popularity of what you call your favourite sport.
So what if he got the stones? For ....'s sake they're just another part of the bike. NOBODY peeped on here last year when Marco kicked up a fuss and switched to Bridgestones. Why? Oh yes...because all the ones around here kicking up a stink probably hadn't heard of Motogp last year! And as for all the Australian flagged members suddenly on this site, where were you when Casey was crashing every other race last season huh???
Why should Valentino get onto a bike with a shattered wrist only to have it die on him half way into a race? The man won 5 world championships, not counting the 2 in the lower classes, something that I've yet to see any other rider on the current grid do. If Motogp is your sport, then the very least Rossi deserves is some respect. If Stoner can list him amongst his heros, then surely his opinion is more worthy than that of anyone on here.
If my car new broke down twice in its first few months I would stamp my foot and cry and feel more than justified in doing so. So why is he such a prima donna for demanding machinery that is actually competitive and that actually works?? It's his career at stake. With 5 world championships under your belt, you would be pretty demanding too, I can assure you, and probably far less humble about it.
Shame on some of you for saying you love this sport!


Like Gaz I appreciate and agree with some of what you say in this post and as an obvious supporter of #46, you are just coming to his defence. That said, I get a little tired of the general "all aussies on the stoner bandwagon, where were you when he was crashing last year blah blah" comments! Like you, I was watching him crash (but he still impressed me last year ... he was quick)! As to where we were, unlike you, I didn't even know this site existed ... makes it a bit hard to post!

Unless I'm mistaken, Marco didn't chose Bridgestone, Team Gresini did (yes, granted, he probably had a say in the switch)! Fiat Yamaha hasn't chosen Bridgestone for 2008... Valentino has ... there is a difference! BTW, I have a great deal of respect for Valentino!

I differ with you about the posters ... across the board I personally think most people have a pretty fair knowledge of MotoGP! Some are stronger on the technical side of things and other are more into the history of the sport/statistics etc. There are some posters from a number of different parts of this MotoGP planet that get carried away, but most of the comments are just stirring the pot ... I'll put my hand up and say I've been guilty of that and knowing myself, would be very surprised if I don't do it again!

One last comment ... I'd much rather read comments from posters that are passionate and who are so one-eyed they must be a cyclops, then from people who label this sport this year "boring"! They are the fly-by-night MotoGP followers that have no appreciation for the finer details of this sport and well, are just plain ......s!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bikergirl @ Nov 5 2007, 07:49 PM) [snapback]98909[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
What a bunch of sad pathetic full of sour grapes individuals this site seems to be attracting of late. While you all sit there and gripe about Rossi I wonder how many of you were watching Motogp in 1996 when he started out. And I can't help but wonder, as Krazy91 pointed out, how many of you would actually even know about or be interested in Motogp had not Valentino turned it into the massive crowd puller it is today. Because kid yourselves not, the man is largely responsible for today's popularity of what you call your favourite sport.
So what if he got the stones? For ....'s sake they're just another part of the bike. NOBODY peeped on here last year when Marco kicked up a fuss and switched to Bridgestones. Why? Oh yes...because all the ones around here kicking up a stink probably hadn't heard of Motogp last year! And as for all the Australian flagged members suddenly on this site, where were you when Casey was crashing every other race last season huh???
Why should Valentino get onto a bike with a shattered wrist only to have it die on him half way into a race? The man won 5 world championships, not counting the 2 in the lower classes, something that I've yet to see any other rider on the current grid do. If Motogp is your sport, then the very least Rossi deserves is some respect. If Stoner can list him amongst his heros, then surely his opinion is more worthy than that of anyone on here.
If my car new broke down twice in its first few months I would stamp my foot and cry and feel more than justified in doing so. So why is he such a prima donna for demanding machinery that is actually competitive and that actually works?? It's his career at stake. With 5 world championships under your belt, you would be pretty demanding too, I can assure you, and probably far less humble about it.
Shame on some of you for saying you love this sport!


Like Gaz I appreciate and agree with some of what you say in this post and as an obvious supporter of #46, you are just coming to his defence. That said, I get a little tired of the general "all aussies on the stoner bandwagon, where were you when he was crashing last year blah blah" comments! Like you, I was watching him crash (but he still impressed me last year ... he was quick)! As to where we were, unlike you, I didn't even know this site existed ... makes it a bit hard to post!

Unless I'm mistaken, Marco didn't chose Bridgestone, Team Gresini did (yes, granted, he probably had a say in the switch)! Fiat Yamaha hasn't chosen Bridgestone for 2008... Valentino has ... there is a difference! BTW, I have a great deal of respect for Valentino!

I differ with you about the posters ... across the board I personally think most people have a pretty fair knowledge of MotoGP! Some are stronger on the technical side of things and other are more into the history of the sport/statistics etc. There are some posters from a number of different parts of this MotoGP planet that get carried away, but most of the comments are just stirring the pot ... I'll put my hand up and say I've been guilty of that and knowing myself, would be very surprised if I don't do it again!

One last comment ... I'd much rather read comments from posters that are passionate and who are so one-eyed they must be a cyclops, then from people who label this sport this year "boring"! They are the fly-by-night MotoGP followers that have no appreciation for the finer details of this sport and well, are just plain ......s!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bikergirl @ Nov 5 2007, 10:49 AM) [snapback]98909[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
What a bunch of sad pathetic full of sour grapes individuals this site seems to be attracting of late. While you all sit there and gripe about Rossi I wonder how many of you were watching Motogp in 1996 when he started out. And I can't help but wonder, as Krazy91 pointed out, how many of you would actually even know about or be interested in Motogp had not Valentino turned it into the massive crowd puller it is today. Because kid yourselves not, the man is largely responsible for today's popularity of what you call your favourite sport.
So what if he got the stones? For ....'s sake they're just another part of the bike. NOBODY peeped on here last year when Marco kicked up a fuss and switched to Bridgestones. Why? Oh yes...because all the ones around here kicking up a stink probably hadn't heard of Motogp last year! And as for all the Australian flagged members suddenly on this site, where were you when Casey was crashing every other race last season huh???
Why should Valentino get onto a bike with a shattered wrist only to have it die on him half way into a race? The man won 5 world championships, not counting the 2 in the lower classes, something that I've yet to see any other rider on the current grid do. If Motogp is your sport, then the very least Rossi deserves is some respect. If Stoner can list him amongst his heros, then surely his opinion is more worthy than that of anyone on here.
If my car new broke down twice in its first few months I would stamp my foot and cry and feel more than justified in doing so. So why is he such a prima donna for demanding machinery that is actually competitive and that actually works?? It's his career at stake. With 5 world championships under your belt, you would be pretty demanding too, I can assure you, and probably far less humble about it.
Shame on some of you for saying you love this sport!



Well shame on me for loving motogp, ...., if only I'd known. Instead of calling us all sad and pathetic full of sour grapes individuals ( btw gimme a break ) why not say what's really on your mind? I accept and respect all your opinions Bikergirl but you're making one major overstatement. Motogp was around long before Rossi and it'll be around long after he's gone. Sure he's a huge draw, but so was Agostini, Sheene, Roberts, Spencer, Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz, Gardiner, Doohan, Stoner, Pedrosa, Lorenzo. This list will continue long into the future. There is absolutely no point in debating to the nth degree as to who was THE most popular or who made the biggest impact, because they all come from such very different eras in terms of media and communications. there wasn't even sattelite TV when Sheene and Roberts were racing, never mind the internet so how can you compare Rossi to these guys? Is Pedrosa not now a huge crowd-puller especially in his native Spain where motogp is as big as football? Is Stoner now that he's world-champ? How big a crowd-puller is Lorenzo gonna be? To say that Valentino Rossi is largely responsible for the popularity of motogp today is a poorly concieved and narrow minded statement, to imply that many of us here would be ignorrant of the sport if not for Rossi is comical. I don't care about the tyre issue, that's a different debate and it's been kicked to death, it's how you've justified your position or rather how you've attempted to devalue the opinion of anyone who dares to disagree with anything Rossi does that is way off the mark. I'm off now to go and 'kid myself not' and other melodramatic anti-Rossi back-flips. Please

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Shupe @ Nov 5 2007, 01:54 AM) [snapback]98849[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
I hope it isn't true, but I have this awful feeling inside telling me that Ezepleta did give Bridgestone an ultimatum. I mean, wasn't bridgestone unwilling to supply more people up until now? Have they lost a couple of bikes, therefore opening a spot for Rossi?

If this is a political move, then it is a sad day for Moto GP.


What is really sad is that rubber is so important and that rubber suppliers have so much influence. Bridgestone's refusal to supply Honda and Yamaha was itself a political, or commercial, act that had nothing to do with sport - the 'insufficient capacity' reason being an obvious excuse - so I really think in this situation a single tyre rule would have been the lesser evil.

But then politics led to more politics and this is the political compromise they came out with in the end - Bridgestone to Rossi only, to satisfy at least the request of the 'most important' rider, and the rest as usual just to keep Michelin in the game with 3 factory bikes.

Moreover, I am convinced this is a weak compromise that will last for 2008 only... Last chance for Michelin to stay in the game. If they fail to win the title next year (as they probably will) then they'll probably retire and we'll have a single tyre (Bridgestone) be it by rule or de-facto.

It is not Rossi's fault if he has managed to obtain what Pedrosa and Hayden also wanted...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skidmark @ Nov 5 2007, 11:29 AM) [snapback]98934[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Well shame on me for loving motogp, ...., if only I'd known. Instead of calling us all sad and pathetic full of sour grapes individuals ( btw gimme a break ) why not say what's really on your mind? I accept and respect all your opinions Bikergirl but you're making one major overstatement. Motogp was around long before Rossi and it'll be around long after he's gone. Sure he's a huge draw, but so was Agostini, Sheene, Roberts, Spencer, Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz, Gardiner, Doohan, Stoner, Pedrosa, Lorenzo. This list will continue long into the future. There is absolutely no point in debating to the nth degree as to who was THE most popular or who made the biggest impact, because they all come from such very different eras in terms of media and communications. there wasn't even sattelite TV when Sheene and Roberts were racing, never mind the internet so how can you compare Rossi to these guys? Is Pedrosa not now a huge crowd-puller especially in his native Spain where motogp is as big as football? Is Stoner now that he's world-champ? How big a crowd-puller is Lorenzo gonna be? To say that Valentino Rossi is largely responsible for the popularity of motogp today is a poorly concieved and narrow minded statement, to imply that many of us here would be ignorrant of the sport if not for Rossi is comical. I don't care about the tyre issue, that's a different debate and it's been kicked to death, it's how you've justified your position or rather how you've attempted to devalue the opinion of anyone who dares to disagree with anything Rossi does that is way off the mark. I'm off now to go and 'kid myself not' and other melodramatic anti-Rossi back-flips. Please

get out of it skid, half those names are before my time and im probably one of the oldest posters here. for the average age on this forum it would have been rossi who bought gp racing to there attention not ago spencer ect ect

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roger-m @ Nov 5 2007, 10:35 PM) [snapback]98936[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
get out of it skid, half those names are before my time and im probably one of the oldest posters here. for the average age on this forum it would have been rossi who bought gp racing to there attention not ago spencer ect ect


Gulp!!

Well I hope I don't appear too old but I ...... was an Ago fan

Based totally on the irregular Castrol Oil literature my dad would bring home from the Castrol reps. who visited such mining Engineering firms as he worked for ...... and I was lucky to get that People were lucky to have TV's then too

I think the sad thing is a lot of folk are in it for the "personalities" ... I don't think they aware that a top formula moto championship has been around for many years ....

Not sure I care about the "more popular" side of it ..... but if it was at the expense of reducing TV coverage of it then so be it.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roger-m @ Nov 5 2007, 12:35 PM) [snapback]98936[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
get out of it skid, half those names are before my time and im probably one of the oldest posters here. for the average age on this forum it would have been rossi who bought gp racing to there attention not ago spencer ect ect
So what you're saying is Rog, if it wasn't for Rossi, you'd have never heard of motoGP?

I am always inclined to agree with bikergirl just on general principles.

However I have to say I was quite happy with the way gp racing was before 1996. I am not knocking valentino though; I am sure he would have adorned any era of the sport going back to its very beginning.

People usually get to be fans in an individual sport because someone engages their interest; for me it was wayne gardner although I now rate many riders ahead of him. I always follow at least the premier class, but not being as absolute a purist as some I am keener when I have someone I am really enthusiastic about supporting, particularly a countryman like casey. I am sure valentino provides the same for an italian, with an extra dimension for italian women, perhaps .

I totally agree with bikergirl's main point; why would anyone want to put the boot into a great, great rider like rossi? Sour grapes is perhaps the best term for it.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skidmark @ Nov 5 2007, 11:38 AM) [snapback]98938[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
So what you're saying is Rog, if it wasn't for Rossi, you'd have never heard of motoGP?

as i said, im probably one of the oldest here, and i followed gp racing long before rossi but after agostini., i aint that old im talking about the majority of todays fans, most of which i doubt heard of the days before motogp let alone 50cc gp

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(michaelm @ Nov 5 2007, 11:40 AM) [snapback]98939[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
I am always inclined to agree with bikergirl just on general principles.

However I have to say I was quite happy with the way gp racing was before 1996. I am not knocking valentino though; I am sure he would have adorned any era of the sport going back to its very beginning.

People usually get to be fans in an individual sport because someone engages their interest; for me it was wayne gardner although I now rate many riders ahead of him. I always follow at least the premier class, but not being as absolute a purist as some I am keener when I have someone I am really enthusiastic about supporting, particularly a countryman like casey. I am sure valentino provides the same for an italian, with an extra dimension for italian women, perhaps .

I totally agree with bikergirl's main point; why would anyone want to put the boot into a great, great rider like rossi? Sour grapes is perhaps the best term for it.

altho i watched before with my dad when it was on tv and the tv was working it was the epic Rainey, Schwantz battles that got me hooked for life.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roger-m @ Nov 5 2007, 10:51 PM) [snapback]98941[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
the days before motogp let alone 50cc gp



now you're talking !!! I remember riding a Kriedler 50 .... 9 spd ..... those were the days!!!
when I think back it seemed not much more than a bmx bike with a whipper snipper motor

50cc grand prix ...... love to see you "Macdonalds eating youngies" sit on one of them without busting something!!

From memory the important thing with 50cc bikes was finding the shallowest uphill gradient changes in the track ..... and conversely on the downhill ...... now were's those skills these days




Edit: It just dawned on me ... Roger did you actually mean tp type "500cc" maybe???

Wow found a photo of one:

was a very memorable experience

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roger-m @ Nov 5 2007, 11:55 AM) [snapback]98941[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
as i said, im probably one of the oldest here, and i followed gp racing long before rossi but after agostini., i aint that old

Don't worry roger there are plenty of people older than you, including me .

All I am claiming by saying I have followed gp racing for over 20 years is that it is a genuine interest for me. There are many on the forum including you who know much more about it, particularly those who have raced themselves, which is why the forum increases my enjoyment.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roger-m @ Nov 5 2007, 12:55 PM) [snapback]98941[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
as i said, im probably one of the oldest here, and i followed gp racing long before rossi but after agostini., i aint that old im talking about the majority of todays fans, most of which i doubt heard of the days before motogp let alone 50cc gp
altho i watched before with my dad when it was on tv and the tv was working it was the epic Rainey, Schwantz battles that got me hooked for life.


I remember watching Spencer in '83, we'd only 3 channels, the picture was ..... but it didn't matter, you just knew you were watching heroes. So what about Rossi Rog? Get off the fence, I'm saying the sport would be just as big without him, you seem to disagree?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bikergirl @ Nov 5 2007, 09:49 AM) [snapback]98909[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
What a bunch of sad pathetic full of sour grapes individuals this site seems to be attracting of late. While you all sit there and gripe about Rossi I wonder how many of you were watching Motogp in 1996 when he started out. And I can't help but wonder, as Krazy91 pointed out, how many of you would actually even know about or be interested in Motogp had not Valentino turned it into the massive crowd puller it is today. Because kid yourselves not, the man is largely responsible for today's popularity of what you call your favourite sport.
So what if he got the stones? For ....'s sake they're just another part of the bike. NOBODY peeped on here last year when Marco kicked up a fuss and switched to Bridgestones. Why? Oh yes...because all the ones around here kicking up a stink probably hadn't heard of Motogp last year! And as for all the Australian flagged members suddenly on this site, where were you when Casey was crashing every other race last season huh???
Why should Valentino get onto a bike with a shattered wrist only to have it die on him half way into a race? The man won 5 world championships, not counting the 2 in the lower classes, something that I've yet to see any other rider on the current grid do. If Motogp is your sport, then the very least Rossi deserves is some respect. If Stoner can list him amongst his heros, then surely his opinion is more worthy than that of anyone on here.
If my car new broke down twice in its first few months I would stamp my foot and cry and feel more than justified in doing so. So why is he such a prima donna for demanding machinery that is actually competitive and that actually works?? It's his career at stake. With 5 world championships under your belt, you would be pretty demanding too, I can assure you, and probably far less humble about it.
Shame on some of you for saying you love this sport!


If Carlsberg did forum replys....^

Well said Bikergirl!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skidmark @ Nov 5 2007, 12:14 PM) [snapback]98946[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
I remember watching Spencer in '83, we'd only 3 channels, the picture was ..... but it didn't matter, you just knew you were watching heroes. So what about Rossi Rog? Get off the fence, I'm saying the sport would be just as big without him, you seem to disagree?

I think it is very unlikely the sport would have become nearly as big without rossi, but it was always good in my time as a fan anyway. Saying this, it probably helped being a doohan fan in some of his championship years. Even then, whilst he may have had the measure of the other riders he still had his bike to fight with.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bikergirl @ Nov 5 2007, 09:49 AM) [snapback]98909[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
What a bunch of sad pathetic full of sour grapes individuals this site seems to be attracting of late.


heh heh - yes Bikergirl - i've noted that also and I've also noted the sudden high proportion of Australian flags attached to these Rossi-fan-baiting posts.

The Ozzies are world champions at rubbing people up - check out any cricket or rugby forum and you'll see the same sort of antagonistic posts (maybe not on rugby forums for a while tho ) but I say - let them have their hour of glory.

Stoner is the champion and he has been quite a revelation this year so they have every right to have a bit of a gloat if it makes them feel better. Personally - i've chosen not to rise to it because that's what some of the posters are looking for. Rossi is still (as far as I am concerned) - the greatest rider of our time and until Stoner or Pedrosa or Lorenzo or anyone else for that matter has a CV to match then he always will be.

One season (ok two seasons) won't change history.

Back to the tyre issue - I think it's an odd arrangement but if that's what's going to happen then so be it. Michellin have been pretty poor this year (although looking at Pedrosa yesterday - he didn't seem to be having too much problem) and the Yams have been a bit un-reliable so I dare say that Rossi would be desperately changing whatever he can to give him a better chance next year - some call it whinging, but there you go.

Changing to bridgestones leaves Rossi back at square 1 as far as tyre data goes so it sure as hell isn't going to be a walk in the park for him either way.

I'm sooo tired of the tyre debate full-stop. Tyres have never played such an enormous role in deciding the outcome of a season (not taking anything away from Stoner) and frankly I hope it doesn't happen again. I don't want a 'single manufacturer' rule but only if the different manufacturers can produce similar quality as each other.

Some tracks favoured Bridgestones some tracks favoured Michellin.

Make it so Michelin

this will make it tough to work together as Team when they using 2 different tires.
but woulnd´t it be kind of ironic if Lorenzo would be more succesfull then Rossi in 2008?

With hindsight maybe Rossi should have just signed a 1 year deal with Yamaha last year then he could have moved to Kawasaki (with Bridgestones) next year and had just as much of a chance at the championship as we will have with Yamaha. I'm basically saying that I think the Kawasaki is the better bike at the moment and he'd have a better chance on that than the Yamaha.

blah blah blah...

seriously? who gives a .......Sito Pons ran both tires with Max and Tamada.


besides...like i said before...
If YOU are a rider...and YOUR tires fell apart on you for the past "2" ....... years....

would you buy them again??

Get over it ladies.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rgvneil @ Nov 6 2007, 12:20 AM) [snapback]98954[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
With hindsight maybe Rossi should have just signed a 1 year deal with Yamaha last year then he could have moved to Kawasaki (with Bridgestones) next year and had just as much of a chance at the championship as we will have with Yamaha. I'm basically saying that I think the Kawasaki is the better bike at the moment and he'd have a better chance on that than the Yamaha.


How do you figure that!!??

The Yamaha was the better bike!!

Edwards beat the better kawa..

You better go read the results for the season again

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(an4rew @ Nov 5 2007, 08:54 AM) [snapback]98898[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Would you not be angry with your bike breaking alot?


A lot of people are saying this, but Rossi knows its a team sport. So if he is allowed to threaten to leave when his bike doesn't perform, they should be threatening to sack him when he drops the thing.

The move to Bridgestones is facinating to me, because its a very big move to make and a huge shake up on the track and politically, all as a result of Rossi's damaged mentality. Whichever way it goes next year it will be great to watch.