There are only 4, maybe 5 riders with a shot at becoming world champion. The 4 current Aliens (and yes, Jum, that does include Valentino Rossi, though he'd have a much better chance if he wasn't riding a Ducati) and maybe Spies. Simoncelli may well win a race or two, but he's not championship material, Dovizioso likewise. The rest are just grid fillers. Should they all retire?
Kropo, thanks again for your input. As always, its much appreciated. We are much better for it, all of us.
Sounds to me you make the point for me, that is, package trumps talent. Why include Valentino in that list if he's nowhere near the front? Oh yeah, he's sequestered on a Ducati. Kropo, can you put the other "aliens" (except Casey) on the factory Ducati in your mind please. Which would win the title? Lorenzo, Pedro, Spies, Simo? The reality is, despite only extremely rarely saying it or admitting it, this series covers up the complete ........ that we call "aliens" on the only competitive machines. This is WWF where the winners are prescribed by virtue of the dynamic of the series. Nobody wants to admit it, and very little is reported on it, if at all. Perhaps this is because we would then admit we are watching a farce. And the media, well that would be tantamount to suicide. You should know best of all; this is NOT an authentic competition. I have friends who sit down and watch the races with me and say, hey, what's happened to Rossi, he's no good any more. Why? Because they are almost like us, they look at results as if this were a spec series. The Rookies Cup is a more fair assessment of rider talent than MotoGP.
I suppose you say “even including Rossi” because you rate him a great rider (though you wouldn’t know it from this year’s results). What makes you or anybody think the reverse is not true?
That is, the reverse being other sequestered riders “looking like aliens” given the supreme advantages that Rossi has been given in MotoGP. This has pretty much been my only theme ever argued in the time I’ve been a member, and I have yet to find somebody debate it with sound logic. We always get the denials of special treatment, skewed politics, and the virtue of a non-existent level playing field, not just Rossi, but he’s the prime example, and Pedrosa to a high degree. Just about every argument that counters is based on fallacy. That motorsport is “just this way” is not an argument.
There is no question the top four contenders are super talented, but what happens to them when they have one minor issue? They look quite ordinary. These “fillers” you speak of come into the completion with build in ‘minor issues’ by design.
And I say, if there is one "alien" here, its Stoner (though as you can see, even something as minor as 'tire pressure' made him a mere podium contender rather than a race dominator. You can just imagine then if he had special access to tire advantages.)
