Under-Rated and Over-Rated Riders

Rossi is under rated in america, bacause you can't go up to any person on the street and find out who he is. 99.9% of americans probably have not heard of him. but probably 100% of americans have heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hayden Fan @ Aug 1 2006, 03:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi is under rated in america, bacause you can't go up to any person on the street and find out who he is. 99.9% of americans probably have not heard of him. but probably 100% of americans have heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon.

Pretty sad isn't it Hayden Fan?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hayden Fan @ Aug 1 2006, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi is under rated in america, bacause you can't go up to any person on the street and find out who he is. 99.9% of americans probably have not heard of him. but probably 100% of americans have heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon.
maybe someday this will change....... but i doubt it

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Electric Mofo @ Jul 26 2006, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Valentino Rossi - Overated!
When Rossi came into MotoGP who was his competition? Biaggi? Sete? some other old people! Biaggi, who was Criville's, Doohan's, and Roberts ...... was never really a threat to anyone. So how can anyone say that Rossi's as great as they say with such poor competition? From 2003-2005, who was there to push Rossi? Melandri! he was a rookie on a crap bike, he was plagued with injury and wasn't consistant enough. Hayden! this kid almost got sent back to AMA because of poor performances. Sete! well it seems that ever since Kato died, its lit some sort of spark in him but Sete isn't exactly a legend of the sport is he? Now where in 2006, guess what! the competition gone up a level and Rossi hasn't stacked up to the challenge. The inclusion of Pedrosa and stoner have made everyone raise their game. Melandri, Hayden, Roberts, Hopkins, Pedrosa, Stoner, Vermuelen have all made 2006 a very tough season for Rossi as well as Bike problems ( which has never been an issue with Rossi before ) have ended his championship race. what about all the times that Caparossi, Melandri, Hayden, Sete have been plagued with bike problems? why doesn't anyone want to talk about that? why is it that when it finally happens to Rossi, people start to give a damn? For the reason I've stated above and that people dare say he's better than doohan, for those two reasons Mr Rossi is over-rated.

Hang on... Rossi = 7 times champion, nuff said.

You can ..... all you want about how over rated he is, how riders are getting better, lack of competition etc... but the fact is, he's won the big one 5 times and 125 and 250cc gold. He's done it, and weather you like it or not, that's a fact. Now I agree he may be over hyped and Melandri, Hopkins, Stoner are under rated, but have they won the world title? Rossi's done it 7 times, and once on a bike no one even thought thinkable last year, yes he did it.

He's amazing, not over rated at all because he always performs, would you say the same about Schumacher last season? Everyone has poor seasons, and it looks it finally hit Rossi.

Yeah Melandri has a title he was 250cc world champion!

I know that, but once, and not in the majar class.

Electric Mofo....just some food for thought.....if you put all the riders on equal bikes.....who would you put your money on? Try this before you decide who is under or over rated....you might have a change of heart....I'd put my money on the 46.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Checa_7 @ Aug 1 2006, 09:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Hang on... Rossi = 7 times champion, nuff said.

You can ..... all you want about how over rated he is, how riders are getting better, lack of competition etc... but the fact is, he's won the big one 5 times and 125 and 250cc gold. He's done it, and weather you like it or not, that's a fact. Now I agree he may be over hyped and Melandri, Hopkins, Stoner are under rated, but have they won the world title? Rossi's done it 7 times, and once on a bike no one even thought thinkable last year, yes he did it.

He's amazing, not over rated at all because he always performs, would you say the same about Schumacher last season? Everyone has poor seasons, and it looks it finally hit Rossi.

Yeah so he's won the big one 5 times, but one could argue that he's had a very fortunate time, not having to deal with all the downfalls the other riders have had over the years. Alot of people realise he's had no bad spells, even the commentators on TV, its just not something you can count out. So don't give me any of that "he's 7 times champion like it or not" because there's a hell of alot more to it than that. And speaking of Shcumie, why is it that no is able to say that he's the greatest of all time, even though on paper he is? maybe its because he's been unchallenged, been with the best team or because he's had better machinery? until Rossi joined Yamaha, he was in a position just like schumie. And for Gods sakes if I hear anyone say that Rossi won on a bike that was crap one more time, Im going to explode. Are you people blind or something? did you not see that so called crappy Yamaha blitz pass the honda on the straights and through the corners? or I suppose thats Rossi's magic ability making the engine go faster

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Doc 79 @ Aug 2 2006, 03:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Electric Mofo....just some food for thought.....if you put all the riders on equal bikes.....who would you put your money on? Try this before you decide who is under or over rated....you might have a change of heart....I'd put my money on the 46.

I'd vote for Pedrosa actually! what was the point you were trying to make?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Electric Mofo @ Aug 2 2006, 06:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I'd vote for Pedrosa actually! what was the point you were trying to make?

Point is Mofo that you can only consider someone over rated if they are a sheep in wolfs clothing....for example if everyone said that Ellison was the best and that he was amazing....HE'D be overrated....but if you back up your press with results....ie 7 championships and countless clutch performances....you are NOT overrated....by leveling the mechanical playing field (putting people on the same bike) you get down to who is the better rider.....by the way...if you put Pedrosa and Rossi on the RC211v....Pedrosa would be urinating in his pants at how easy Valentino could pass him.....

Fair enough thats your opinion.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Electric Mofo @ Aug 2 2006, 10:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Fair enough thats your opinion.

Yah....I know...thanks for reminding me man.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Doc 79 @ Aug 2 2006, 09:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>(putting people on the same bike) you get down to who is the better rider.....by the way...if you put Pedrosa and Rossi on the RC211v....Pedrosa would be urinating in his pants at how easy Valentino could pass him.....

It seems rather unfair of you to compare Rossi and Pedrosa in that instance as the latter is new to the MotoGP bikes. As to who is the better rider, that remains subjective.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Doc 79 @ Aug 2 2006, 08:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Yah....I know...thanks for reminding me man.

No problem!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Electric Mofo @ Aug 2 2006, 12:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>And for Gods sakes if I hear anyone say that Rossi won on a bike that was crap one more time, Im going to explode. Are you people blind or something? did you not see that so called crappy Yamaha blitz pass the honda on the straights and through the corners? or I suppose thats Rossi's magic ability making the engine go faster
I'd vote for Pedrosa actually! what was the point you were trying to make?

Rossi won on a bike that was crap!

No seriously he didn't but if you suggest that the Yamaha was fast in 04 you have a bigger problem. It was clearly underpowered, and the only reason Rossi could keep up was that he had a "magic ability" to carry speed out of the corners. On a Honda you could see hem pass others barly out of the corner, on the yamaha he could creap closer at the start of the exit and keep the distanceto the drivers in front until they were flat out on the power. That made the differences look smaller but they were still very clear on long straights.
That said it was maybe the best bike on brakes and in the corners, but that was due to Rossi and his teams efforts. They made that bike good, nobody else. In the first rase of '04 he was racing with maxed out ride hight and off the limit on the chain adjustment to create a long enough swing arm/wheel base. That shows how wrong the bike was and how they desperatly worked to create a working bike.

Maybe so! but Rossi a brakes and corner rider anyway. The bike was probably better suited to him.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ros @ Aug 3 2006, 02:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It seems rather unfair of you to compare Rossi and Pedrosa in that instance as the latter is new to the MotoGP bikes. As to who is the better rider, that remains subjective.

Actually, if you think about it....there is nothing "more fair" than putting two riders on the same bike on the same track to determine to some extent who is a faster or more skilled rider. You may not see it, but by taking the mechanical/performance comparison out of the equation, you're left with who can ride it better.

Problem is the bike, though ain`t it doc? I agree Rossi would probably tear Pedrosa apart on an RCV or any SBK, but put them on a 125 or 250 and Pedrosa would probably teach Rossi a thing or two. It`s complicated, and I guess it just comes down to a matter of opinion, you know?

As for Yamaha being crap when Rossi joined, well, it was Burgess, all Burgess. Burgess Burgess Burgess. He put Rossi on the top, and he keeps him there. I declare myself a Burgessbopper

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Doc 79 @ Aug 4 2006, 12:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Actually, if you think about it....there is nothing "more fair" than putting two riders on the same bike on the same track to determine to some extent who is a faster or more skilled rider. You may not see it, but by taking the mechanical/performance comparison out of the equation, you're left with who can ride it better.


But experience does count, doesn't it? And if you're talking about putting Rossi and Pedrosa together on the MotoGP bike to see who can ride better, it seems unfair to me because Pedrosa has been riding it for only like what ........ 8 months?!!
And to say Pedrosa would be urinating in his pants at how easy Vale could pass him, i find your remark is a little bit bias. Looking at Pedrosa's achievement so far, i'm sure he would certainly do more to fight back rather than to just urinate.

Calling someone over or under rated depends mainly on what you expect of them, and if they achieve that or not.

Nakano is easily the most underrated rider int he field, he is a legend. i'd say that most other ridiers get it reasonably fair, the old guys are still being judged on there previous years performance, only time will tell if they still have it or not. the young guys of course will need time to bed into the class, thats just normal of a sport at this level.

As for rossi, surely it is impossible to over rate the best rider our sport has seen, look at the stats, the last person to defeat him was KR Jr, and that was a while back.

They should make an "A1" version for superbikes. That way all the bikes will be the same, but possibly have the maximum of 2 cars for each country instead of 1?