Was Ryan Dungey better this year or last year?
Was Ryan Dungey better this year or last year?
Better SX Season for Dungey, ’10 or ’11?
Swizcore- Its hard to argue with a Title in your rookie year in the mens class but Im going with 2011 as the better SX season for the Dungenator. My reasoning? Read on.
Through no fault of his own, Ryan Dungey fought a no win battle on his way to the title in 2010. First it was Reed out in round 2 with a broken hand, then Stewie two rounds later when his broken wrist sidelined him, later Hill became a nonissue with broken ribs and finally a late season surge from RV2 ended tragically in St. Louis. All Dungey did was stick to his program and execute it as best he could. In the end he would win the title in his rookie year, a feat only done once previously by a man they now call, “The King”. Not too shabby. Unless.
Unless you believe in asterisks, luck and excuses. Unfortunately, many people exercise those discussions regularly in this sport instead of taking it for what it is, racing.
Bringing home the title in his rookie year should have been a phenomenal achievement, nothing less. But, alas it was met more with speculation than adulation. “Wait till next year” the masses would say. “The field was thin/weak”, “he didn’t beat anybody”…
Well, it’s now the end of the 2011 Supercross season. The season believed by many to be the best in the sports history, with more guys going faster than ever before. What did Dungey do? Finished 7 points out of the title even with a DNF.
No excuses, no asterisks, just 3rd in the best season ever. Last year may have been a fluke, but it wasn’t for Dungey, look at those who injured their way out of the series for a fluke. This year’s 3rd overall validates last season.
Matthes- Swizzle, Swizzle, Swizzle- yeah sure this year Ryan certainly rode pretty well throughout the season but the simple fact was he also got out-ridden a whole bunch as well. Last season The Dunge was always up front off the start and that was a massive help to him. When you’re confident and feeling it, the starts will come. When you’re not, they go away faster than that hooker ran away from you this past Saturday night.
You can’t say that a third in the series with the least amount of wins out of anyone around him was a better showing than the six wins and a title last season. Ryan Dungey was a fe-nom last year and this year, he wasn’t. It’s that simple silly Swizzle.
Swizcore- You don’t know what he’s been through maaaaan! Actually, it is quite comical to me that you insist on downplaying the most consistent rider in the series. David Vuilleman said it best when he said, why would I want to get the holeshot and fade to 5th when I could get a crappy start and be a hero working up to 5th. I’m paraphrasing of course but you get it. So Dungey did this all year, got a mediocre start and uneventfully just “ended up” on the podium at THIRTEEN of SEVENTEEN races!! Are you high??!!! We’re not talking about whether he is the best interview or the most exciting racer.
Let me put it this way, if Dungey didn’t compete this year, last year would be forever questioned and hollow in many fans eyes. He needed this year to not only validate or disprove his title worthiness in 2010, he needed it to work as the proverbial “yardstick” moving forward. He did compete this year and it did validate his 2010 title. 2011 did two positive things whereas 2010 did one, with a question mark, not a period.
Bing!
Matthes- I’m finishing this up after a good nights sleep and you know what Swizzle? I’m changing my mind and going with you. I’m jumping ships as it were. I started really thinking about this thing last night and sure, we have each taken a side of an argument that we really didn’t believe in but for the sake of debate, we argued it.
This Point/Counterpoint was a little different because I truly believed that Dungey did not have as good of a year as last year, I mean he won the title in 2010! How could it get any better? But upon talking to some guys about the level of competition this year, guys like Chad Reed, I have come to the conclusion that he was indeed better this year.
The thing that swayed me for Dungey having a better year is the fact that he got the most podiums out of anyone this year. Thirteen podiums is pretty amazing, RV’s got twelve and Reed had eleven. So he was the guy standing on the box the most and that means something when a guy like Reed tells me that this season, everyone was going pretty damm fast.
So yeah, I’m a waffler. Dungey wasn’t good enough but he was pretty damm good this season and although his bank balance won’t reflect it, he was better in 2011.
How’s that?
