You keep using that term but it doesn't mean what you think it means.
You keep using that term but it doesn't mean what you think it means.
Same as Stoner then but you attack him, Stoner as far as I recall never did anything to receive the hate he gets other than beat the most popular rider in the sport and if you say "well he moaned a lot" show me a rider who has achieved a lot and has never moaned.
"Oh look what Valentino has done for youngsters compared to Stoner"
So ....... what, it's motorbike racing, it's a hobby, Stoner got bored of it and ...... off, Rossi didn't and stuck about fair ....... play to the pair of them is what I say. People take this .... too seriously sometimes.
I both like the Princess Bride, and am well aware of the nature of the red herring logical fallacy.
Whether Rossi fosters young riders, and whether he has dealt honourably with his rivals, can be entirely unrelated, and obviously are imo, and are certainly unrelated to the Laguna Seca 2018 race, the ostensible topic of this thread, concerning which we also have differing opinions, mine being both that Rossi almost caused a serious accident the avoidance of which was entirely outside his control, and that rather than being on a bike a second or half a second a lap faster than Rossi’s as was the common wisdom at the time Stoner was actually on a bike on which Rossi would have been lucky to be less than a second slower than Stoner.
Sure Rossi is of course the greater rider overall, I am quite good at arithmetic as it happens as well, but denigrating Stoner’s riding on a Ducati in any context involving Rossi is unlikely to put you on the winning side of a debate.
Last edited:
Joined Nov 2015
872 Posts | 420+
Stratosphere
I will answer - nothing.
But he did help many younger riders while racing (US riders come to mind) and fought for the 125cc guys to have paddock rights that they otherwise did not have.
Now as for Aussies that have helped their countrymen I suggest you look on the back of a postage stamp for the answer because the answer is very small.
Gardner - helping family
Doohan - nobody
Magoo - nobody
McCoy - runs a ride school but not tailored at international level
Bayliss - probably the most helpful but again, more localised but has used influence to get a few guys WSBK rides.
Vermuelen - not sure to be honest
Many of these guys do poke their heads in at junior meets from time to time but at the same time, one thing that the vast majority of Aussie sportsmen and sportswomen do is that they do not seek publicity for their assistance so many may well be helping far greater but we just will not know of it
Facts are that in this country we do not have a conveyor belt of racers that we had in the past so the chances to help are greatly reduced plus none of these guys made the money of a Rossi nor have the business connections, thus opportunity to help is greatly restricted anyway.
The Aussies that are 'putting back' if that is the right term are the likes of the Cudlins who run a junior race program (MotoStars) where the likes of Bayliss, Vermuelen, McCoy etc will show their faces from time to time to help the kids (source - know someone very closely involved).
Besides, why should they help (Serious question)?
Once a person retires from work, do they use their money, their skills to help people who replaced them or are they off enjoying retirement?
Last edited:
Everyone is supposed to always try to emulate what is imagined the legendary Rossi would do or else they will be scorned. If they do emulate him and do a better job, they will be scorned also.
Safest thing is to just keep saying how amazeballs he is while backing away slowly.
Safest thing is to just keep saying how amazeballs he is while backing away slowly.
For Aussies the equation is pretty simple if they want to be a star. Get to Europe as early as possible.
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Marc’s dad is a middle class machine operator, Marc made himself the rider who caught the big money sponsors attention. It’s not like he was born with a silver spoon up his ... and had big money backing his entire career.
Last edited:
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Or, they are able to leave the spotlight and get on with their lives enjoying the fruits of their labor. Some are so self absorbed they will do anything to keep their mug in the tabloids.
Joined Jun 2007
10K Posts | 1K+
Norah Head
The ongoing forum narrative is that Rossi is highly manipulative off track and has encouraged a rabid element among his fandom and used his influence with the press to foment campaigns of vilification against most of his rivals over his career.
If you are going to quote Inigo Montoya, you should examine your ground a little more carefully. It is entirely possible for Rossi to both encourage young talent and be a prick to his peers/rivals. There is a direct quote from Marco Melandri which encompasses this phenomenon. There is also a guy prominent in the paddock for several decades who has been reckoned by many to be a loathsome manipulative scumbag, hence him being dubbed Darth Puig, who has simultaneously been excellent at identifying and developing young talent with far greater success than Rossi thus far.
(EDIT no-one doubts Valentino’s love for bikes and the sport btw, or at least if they do I disagree with them).
Last edited:
None of the guys I mention are being selfish as they are not doing their thing to the detriment of others, they are simply doing their thing, besides which, even if they are selfish is that an issue?
Certainly, as racers they would have been selfish as they are only concerned with their bike and their performance so will not go out of their way to assist another competitor in terms of their race, although as we have seen time and again riders will genuinely congratulate the other or give lifts where a machine has failed.
Now you bought up Rossi and selfish so I will go there.
Yes, I think he is selfish in a racing sense, but again, as I just said it goes with the territory of being a competitive person and athlete. We will all call for a level playing field so long as it is MY playing field that is level. Plus, as I have said time and again, he (like any of them) would be an ..... not to take advantage of that which is offered that may benefit them ..... they all may race for fun but they want control of that fun.
Now, away from the track ............. that may well be a totally different story on all of these people as that is where they can relax using the method that best suits them ........... and that is not something that it is fair to criticise as relaxation methods are a personal thing.
Sorry Baz, wasn't aware of that one ............ rather low key affair which kind of backs up some of which posted that many people do support but do so quietly
LOCALS TAKE HONOURS IN CASEY STONER CUP - Australian Motorcycle News
I agree he is entitled to be selfish on track, barring the odd dirty move such as Jerez 2005 and Sepang 2015, and to take advantages available to him as others of top rider status have also done. It is the so-called mind games and incitement of his fanbase to which I object.
Last edited:
Did you say mind games?
"Lorenzo's approach "doesn't work at Ducati" - Dovizioso"
https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/lorenzo-approach-doesnt-work-dovizioso-ducati-rossi-1042162/
They ALL do it to various degrees. Except maybe Asparagus A; I don't recollect him playing mind games with anyone else.
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
Again, I said so called mind games, and have previously defined what I take issue with, inciting his rabid fan base (EDIT biologically implausible though rabid sheep may be, there is relatively recent precedent cf mad cow disease) and using his influence with the press, Dorna etc to make rivals and potential rivals, even Toni Elias for winning that one race when he got Dani’s SNS tires, into public enemies. It is a shame Mighty Mick crashed and injured himself again, I would love to have seen him last long enough for Rossi to try it on with him, although MM might be even tougher, blithely continuing on his winning way despite all attempted Rossi machinations.
Last edited:
Similar threads
