The Baby gets his Bottle..

so he wants to improve his chances next year.. and he believes that switching to bridgestones is the way to do that. if its a mistake then it's a mistake.. and we'll only see that next season. (which is taking too long to come... aaargh!)

either way, let's hope we see a good race next year.

<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!


Well since it seems the thing to do, i feel i should reply to this post.

Firstly i agree with a lot of what you say, mainly because i can appreciate the impact of Rossi, and i can also appreciate your frustration at some of the comments that fly round here coming from new members that all have one flag in common. However i don't think we should be too harsh on newer fans of the sport. I remember watching in 98 and thinking that Doohan was a grumpy old ....... and that Biaggi was the man. In time i learnt more about the sport and my opinions have changed, and i think as much as you or I may disagree with people who don't regard Rossi the same as us we shouldn't get angry at people who look on him from a differnt angle.

Furthermore i would like to point out as others have that Rossi is a rider, not a religion. He is not bigger than the sport, he is a part of it. Nobody can take away his achievements and few would doubt what he has done, but that does no mean he cannot be questioned. It also does not mean he is always right and he is always justified. As far as i am concerned Rossi is the best rider of all time, but right now he hasn't been impressing me much on or off the track. Either way he is still a facinating sportsman to watch, and he enterains us all either as a favorite, a rival of a favorite.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom @ Nov 5 2007, 11:14 PM) [snapback]98977[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>

Furthermore i would like to point out as others have that Rossi is a rider, not a religion. He is not bigger than the sport, he is a part of it. Nobody can take away his achievements and few would doubt what he has done, but that does no mean he cannot be questioned. It also does not mean he is always right and he is always justified. As far as i am concerned Rossi is the best rider of all time, but right now he hasn't been impressing me much on or off the track. Either way he is still a facinating sportsman to watch, and he enterains us all either as a favorite, a rival of a favorite.


true.

we need to remember that he is human... and he makes mistakes. because that's how people learn.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AlexdeAngelis-Fan @ Nov 5 2007, 02:05 PM) [snapback]98953[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
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?



Do you think Stoner shared anything with Capirossi this year? They were both on Bridgestone, but the engine and chassis setup were already so different after a few races that Capi was never using the same tyres as Stoner, and vice-versa...

Team mates in this sport have never been 'sharing' much, hardly anything at all. The proverb goes, "your first rival is the one in your own team"!

As someone already said,watch Honda,they will be back with a vengeance in 08.S`why I`m tipping Nicky again but Dani is looking good too (no,no not the she-man ).Gonna be a great year

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BarryMachine @ Nov 5 2007, 12:00 PM) [snapback]98942[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
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

nope, i ment 50 five zero cc mate. they use to sound like a swarm of bee's

<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 am saying the sport would not be as big as it is today without rossi,eurosport and forum's like this

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(michaelm @ Nov 5 2007, 12:04 PM) [snapback]98944[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
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.

pleased to here there's a few of us 40+ here
and i dont doubt you have followed the spot for 20+ years. i can tell who speaks from memory and who speaks from google

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roger-m @ Nov 5 2007, 01:16 PM) [snapback]99035[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
nope, i ment 50 five zero cc mate. they use to sound like a swarm of bee's
i am saying the sport would not be as big as it is today without rossi,eurosport and forum's like this
pleased to here there's a few of us 40+ here
and i dont doubt you have followed the spot for 20+ years. i can tell who speaks from memory and who speaks from google

50+ here and i remember having to wait on monthly magazines to come out to get Gp news.No Tv,no internet,just a small blurb occasionally.I was an interested bystander at that time,late sixtys.early seventies.Then King Kenny won it all and BAM,i was hooked.Even then there was no television coverage,and still no internet but the rags started covering it more and more because there was an American champ.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Gaz @ Nov 5 2007, 11:24 AM) [snapback]98922[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Totally correct Roger but I took BikerGirls post to be aimed at the 'Premier Class' and therefore took a little licence.

Garry


I distinctly mentioned 1996 - the year Rossi started in 125cc. I am perfectly aware of the history.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(krusty @ Nov 5 2007, 12:12 PM) [snapback]98930[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>

Unless I'm mistaken, Marco didn't chose Bridgestone, Team Gresini did (yes, granted, he probably had a say in the switch)!

You are indeed mistaken. Bridgestones were Marco's choice all the way. He was tired of getting no real support from Honda so wanted to get support at least from that end.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skidmark @ Nov 5 2007, 12:29 PM) [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.
I'd like to clarify. I never said Rossi made the sport. If you choose to misconstrue my comment then that's up to you. I only said that he made it the crowd puller and mass entertainment source it is today. I invite you to take a look at records for crowd attendance and tv viewership of races. Rossi made it entertaining on and off track. That's all I said. As a result more people have been attracted to it than otherwise would have been. If you've been watching since the days of Agostini good on you and I hope you're enjoying your well-deserved pension.

As for the guy (sorry forgot to quote) who said that Pedrosa is the newest attraction in spain..sure he does have fans. But I was at the race this weekend and I can assure you that a good chunk of the spectators here were wearing bright yellow merchandise and they were all speaking Spanish. I only saw a few wannabe Mrs Pedrosas sporting Pedi caps.

Without reading any of the previous posts:

I'm dissappointed but wish him the best (like I do any other rider undertaking a challenge).

I hope he gets whupped by the Mich Yams more than once though.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bikergirl @ Nov 5 2007, 07:44 PM) [snapback]99051[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
I distinctly mentioned 1996 - the year Rossi started in 125cc. I am perfectly aware of the history.



Well apologies then as I did see the 1996 but knew it was not MotoGP at the time (yep, I am that old) so assumed by your mentioning of MotoGP you meant his premier class days (knowing he started prior to the Premier Class being referred to as MGP).









Garry

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bikergirl @ Nov 5 2007, 08:44 PM) [snapback]99051[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
I'd like to clarify. I never said Rossi made the sport. If you choose to misconstrue my comment then that's up to you. I only said that he made it the crowd puller and mass entertainment source it is today. I invite you to take a look at records for crowd attendance and tv viewership of races. Rossi made it entertaining on and off track. That's all I said. As a result more people have been attracted to it than otherwise would have been. If you've been watching since the days of Agostini good on you and I hope you're enjoying your well-deserved pension.



...fair enough bikergirl, I didn't wish to misinterpret a single thing you said, but you have to admit, your opening statement below is way stronger than saying Rossi simply made things more entertaining, isn't it?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<div class='quotemain'>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. <u>Because kid yourselves not, the man is largely responsible for today's popularity of what you call your favourite sport</u>.

...sounds to me like you're saying Rossi made the sport, or very close to it. If you're not then I apologise for my acerbic response.

I would loved to have seen the likes of Ago or Hailwood or Surtees racing first hand but I'm not old enough. Just list all the great riders in GP racings' long and rich history and you will be hard pushed to identify one guy that did more for the sport than the other. Occasionally, a rider will stand out as exceptional and capture peoples' hearts but it is not the rider that makes the sport. Mention the word hero and you'll think Sheene, Hailwood, Rainey, Doohan, Rossi and the next one and the next one after that. This is a different age, when I was a kid in the early eighties, all you got was MCN once a week, back then it was full of racing news, clubbies, nationals and GP's, WSB didn't exist. But aside from the odd race on the TV where the commentary was usually pretty woeful and nobody fully realsed the big picture. that was all you got. But still, even in those media dark ages, Hailwood, Roberts et al became household names, how did they do it in what seem to be such innocent eras when compared to today's world? Somebody tell me?

Now we are bombarded with crap 24/7, more people watch TV, everybody's online, everything is 'marketed', Valentino Rossi is marketed, he's a houehold name. His marketing guys are .... hot, He started his own PR company, he makes millions out of endorsements and other marketing add-ons. You'd need to be a hermit to have never heard of him. The next guy will be the same, be it Lorenzo or whoever, that's the way the world is.

This is so wrong, I have to quote you again...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<div class='quotemain'>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. <u>Because kid yourselves not, the man is largely responsible for today's popularity of what you call your favourite sport</u>.

^^ so skid, your saying more people are interested today, not because of vale but vale's pr team. i see what your saying about other greats but if you want to talk "house hold names " ask someone who has never followed gp and i bet they have never heard of hailwood robberts ,i bet they no rosso sheene and mabe doohan tho.
im not putting all of motogps popularity down to rossi altho he has played a large part. i think the media have also played a large part what with better tv coverage internet ect. but the media sure used rossi to bring the sport to the masses, just look at the amount of yellow in the crouds and how many stoner fans on here have openly stated to be "ex rossi fans "

When I was a kid Barry Sheene was the only name you knew. He was in ads, on every talkshow, hosted t.v shows, had documentaries made about him. He was even in an ill advised movie. The visibility all depends what country you come from.

You would have to be pretty dim witted not to realise that sea of yellow at every race counts for something. There will be other "heroes" on that scale, but you can't force people to like a rider, they have to be likable in the first place. & You can't put it down to PR, they have to be good enough to win in the first place to generate the headlines.

If Stoner hadn't been so dominant, do you think he would have got headline 1? & In turn attracted so many fans to PI?

Whoever wins it's good for their country of origin, to get proper headlines worldwide, that's something special.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(baldylocks @ Nov 5 2007, 12:50 PM) [snapback]98950[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
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.


Aha but Rossi only really ever had gibbers as any kind of rival. These guys Stoner, Pedrosa and now Lorenzo have big competition and it seems now there is some serious competition things are a changing. But to be 7 time WC in any class has a definite diamond quality in that he has remained hungry for the WC and coming third this year quite obviously did not come easy to Rossi, it looked like quite a bitter pill to swallow looking at Rossi's face post race and of course there was nothing he could do about it which must have been so frustrating, but he didn't leave the garage instantly did he? He didn't just feck off and leave his team, he would have nursed that bike round to the end if he could have done, and that's the thing about this guy Rossi, he doesn't give up, he doesn't just spit his dummy out and park his bike he tries everything before he leaves the track, even on 2nd rate tyres he had some fantastic battles this year and persevered where others have just given up and fecked off (KRJR to name one that stands out)


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom @ Nov 5 2007, 02:57 PM) [snapback]98972[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>

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.


This is either going to be his spectacular Michael Jackson cutting nose off to spite face moment..........or his Elvis come back special...........Oooooh the anticiption, next year is gonna be something special thats for sure.

can't bloody wait.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roger-m @ Nov 6 2007, 10:27 AM) [snapback]99134[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
^^ so skid, your saying more people are interested today, not because of vale but vale's pr team [ get real rog

] i see what your saying about other greats but if you want to talk "house hold names " ask someone who has never followed gp and i bet they have never heard of hailwood robberts ,i bet they no rosso sheene and mabe doohan tho.
im not putting all of motogps popularity down to rossi altho he has played a large part. i think the media have also played a large part what with better tv coverage internet ect. but the media sure used rossi to bring the sport to the masses, just look at the amount of yellow in the crouds and how many stoner fans on here have openly stated to be "ex rossi fans "



...agree with you 100% Rog. A lot of it used to be down to what country you came from but everything is global now. The US is yet to get the motogp bug in as big a way as Europe and Asia but it'll come eventually. Dorna and everyone else jumped on the Rossi bandwagon, and over the years it has built up formidable momentum, people love winners. Ironically he's kind of jumped on his own bandwagon, becoming a mythical caricature of himself, the personality is bigger than the man, the celebrity taking over what happens on-track in terms of importance. On track has been a different story though. In other words the marketing men take over and we cannot believe when he is beaten. I hope Rossi doesn't end up like Sheene, a few bad decisions meant he left the sport not at the top in a blaze of glory, but kind of side-stepped off second rate machinery. But mark my words, the media will turn on Rossi very quickly when the time comes, or rather turn on the celebrity they created. [edit] Some of the fans may turn out to be just as fickle.

Rossi is MotoGP!........ BOOM!!!!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Morgo @ Nov 6 2007, 11:44 AM) [snapback]99159[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Rossi is MotoGP!........ BOOM!!!!!!


Rossi is PART of Moto gp,my friend.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skidmark @ Nov 6 2007, 11:19 AM) [snapback]99153[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
...agree with you 100% Rog. A lot of it used to be down to what country you came from but everything is global now.

Yeah & that's why we see an influx of Aussie fans only after they get a winner.

I think you (purposefully?) underestimate the value of nationalism in generating interest.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Goatboy @ Nov 6 2007, 01:48 PM) [snapback]99172[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Yeah & that's why we see an influx of Aussie fans only after they get a winner.

I think you (purposefully?) underestimate the value of nationalism in generating interest.
Not on purpose goatboy, I never made the Aussie connection but yes I guess you are right. Like I said, people will rally behind and support winners.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roger-m @ Nov 6 2007, 09:27 AM) [snapback]99134[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
the media sure used rossi to bring the sport to the masses, just look at the amount of yellow in the crouds and how many stoner fans on here have openly stated to be "ex rossi fans "


I've asked friends who are not that into bikes and they say Valentino is such a funny bloke.

He tries to keep the entertainment level high and hes the best rider thats why people love him.