You asked, I answered Bro.
You asked, I answered Bro.
Steve why is it that the sx and mx promotors don’t have a professional flagging staff for each race?-Bobby
This is a great question as I’ve seen numerous examples of poor flagging both at the indoor and outdoor races. I’ve also seen poor examples of flagging by AMA staff in regards to the blue flags and those guys are supposed to really know what’s going on in the world. The answer to your question is simply cost, it would be very expensive to fly a group of 15 or so to each and every race, put them up in hotels, meals, etc, etc. It’s much better for the bottom line to just recruit locals that have done it for years, are pumped on the free t-shirt and the meager dollar amount in return to sit on the side of the track and cheer on their heroes because that’s the bottom line here, the flaggers are fans that want to be close to the action and god bless them. I sure wouldn’t want to be a flagger and much like people who vote on referendums and such, the world needs these types of people.
There are so many other issues in our sport that I’m afraid getting a flagging staff at every race is pretty far down there but good idea for sure.
Is this the year the Leafs make a serious run at the cup and how great would it be if they faced an Original Six team, preferably the Red Wings? Dave
Nothing would make me happier Dave than to have the Leafs make a run at the cup but I’m afraid it’s not coming anytime soon. I often dream about what it would be like to have them win the cup and I bet it would be a rather empty sort of feeling. Like I’ve built it up so big in my mind that that I’m sure the feeling of winning the cup couldn’t match the euphoria I’ve built it up to be.
I’ve been a fan of the Leafs ever since I can remember even being able to form conscious thoughts and I’m not sure why. I think I liked Darryl Sittler who was the guy for the Leafs in the late 70’s so I would’ve been around five or six years old back then. Here’s a timeline of the Leafs since I’ve been following them
Late 70’s- Good team, some rising stars but then torn apart by their owner over salary increases that said young stars wanted.
1980-1991- One of the very worst teams of the decade. Three times finishing in the bottom five teams in the league, a few playoff wins that were huge upsets and they were only in the playoffs because for years the NHL had a playoff format that allowed 16 out of 21 teams (!!) into the post season. I remember in 1989 they finished with around a .500 record and you would’ve thought they won the cup in my eyes. This year and the fact that they had the great Wendel Clark (who did everything he could to try and win in every shift he ever played) bring smiles to my face.
1991-1995- Acquired Doug Gilmour in a trade, robbed Buffalo of Dave Andreychuk, had a young goalie come on and was one of the NHL’s best teams for a brief span. Got to the final four twice under coach Pat Burns and they provided me with great memories to this day. I have a VHS tape of the 1992-93 season that I still watch now and again. Only the Leafs would put a commemorative tape of a year that they made it to the final four but you have to understand the pain of the last ten years to get it.
1995-1998- Forced to tear the team down because of finances, the new owner also hangs on to the old guys way too long and for the next few years, they suck again. The team also traded Clark for Mats Sundin and I remember I was pumping gas and there was a little radio next to my head with the news playing of the trade while I was trying to make change and the devastating blow of hearing my hero had been traded caused me to almost just hand her over the entire cash register and ask her to drop it on my head.
The good news is that Sundin was a great player for the next decade and Clark’s battered body soon started to break down. And a few years later the Leafs required Clark and he ended his career as a Leaf,
1999-2003- New coach Pat Quinn and goalies Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour provide the backbone to some more good finishes and even another appearance in the final four. They made it all the way to one series before the Stanley Cup without their best player Sundin and once they got him back for the series, the Leafs promptly drop the next three games and lose the series. Go figure.
2003- Now- Badly misjudging the new rules coming out of the missed lockout, the Leafs haven’t made the playoffs for seven seasons now and in that time made some horrible trades (Vesa Toskala? Andrew Raycroft?) and suffered some horrible goaltending that made me appreciate Eddie and Cujo way more now.
And that’s my life as a Leaf fan. It’s been a roller coaster with much more downs than ups but one day, the cup will come home. It’s inevitable really. I just hope I’m alive to see it.
Hey Steven what’s happening? I have a question about Suzuki, if they were willing to throw down all the money to hire Stewart, why would they shut their off-road team down now that they don’t have him. Thanks, Travis
Travis, I suppose that’s a good question but it’s sort of apples to oranges really. I don’t think that money is just laying around to be doled out forever. I think that Suzuki is cutting back big-time on racing right now (rumors are that the new president at Suzuki is a Japanese guy who was an IT computer guy before rising through the ranks so it’s safe to say racing isn’t exactly in his blood) and I’m sure the off-road program was wacked before the decision to go after Stewart was made. As Mike Webb, Suzuki team manager said on our podcast, the most they could do was offer Stewart a one-year deal and I can almost guarantee you it wasn’t for that much money. And in the end, Stewart didn’t think it was good enough and went elsewhere.
And I’m sure that some people at Suzuki are relieved that James didn’t take the deal and now their bottom line looks even better for 2012.
Steve, who will be the biggest sleeper in the 2012 SX season? Hanson, Millsaps, Windham of Tickle? John
John, I’m not sure you can call Windham a sleeper at all. He’s well known, expected to do pretty good this season and if he’s feeling it and has a start, could win on any given Saturday. So he’s out. Millsaps is what he is at this point, he’ll probably get injured at some point, he’ll have some good rides as well. Hansen? I just don’t think it’s going to work to be honest but if it does, I’ll be the first guy to say I was wrong. Tickle? I think he’ll do all right but not a sleeper pick (Swizcore probably very upset right now).
Nope, If I had to go with a sleeper right now, I’ll say it will be Hansen’s teammate Josh Hill. Hill’s missed a year and a half with an injury and by all accounts he’s healed up. He’s probably got an appreciation of what he almost lost, he’s got some skills and not many are talking about him. That all makes him my sleeper pick for the season.
Steve,
Do you think that H&H rider’s results will reflect their new video showing them hitting kickers at the sand dunes? I find it funny that everyone else is pounding laps, running, and cycling, but the H&H guys thought it was a good idea to put a paddle on and go to the dunes. I did think it was a cool video, and Josh Hansen has some definite sand dune skills for sure. Maybe that is the idea. I liked watching that better than pounding laps.
Thanks, Cody
Cody, you can’t judge anything by a promo video the gang did with Shift. Anaheim one is still a ways off and I’m sure one day in the dunes isn’t going to affect the guys. Besides, at one point every team has a photo day/poster shoot where they don’t do anything but jumps and berm shots all day. I think the video is cool and typical Fox, they know how to promote their athletes and make everything look cool.
You basically talked yourself out of your initial point by the end of your email so I’m sure you’re thinking what I’m thinking.
Steve, When is pulp mx gonna finely get hooked up with GoPro as a sponsor? B/c Matthes it’s not like you don’t see those reps for go pro every weekend at the nationals and supercross outside there rig prompting there bad ass camera
And also, when is Lindsey Coming back on the show? Watson is a fat prick, and probable can’t even start one of the HH bikes-Derek
Derek, I’ve never asked the GoPro guys for a sponsorship and they’ve never approached me. Good one, maybe now I will. One of the things I can pitch them on is a “Kenny-cam” where Watson puts one on his head and you see him during the show eating, looking at his phone, watching TV, looking at the chat room and basically not paying attention at any point.
Wait, maybe not.
As far as Lindsey, I’m asked him to come back on and he’s agreed to. It’s always a good time to have Paul on and get Kenny going about Paul’s notebook he carries around with him at every race. Kenny’s not a fat prick at all and I bet he can start an H&H bike. As far as putting it in gear and riding it, that’s another story.
Steve,
I have a question for the Mailbag feature on PULPMX.com. I am a pure motocrosser through and through and in my “bucket list” as they say is a dream of attending all the major different types of motocross races. I know that you have to been to many different races in your life; and I was wondering in what order would you rank them in importance to attend? Whether it is because it is a cool venue or city or country even; I am just a superfan of the sport and have been involved with motocross for 18 years and I am only 23 years old!
The races on my list in no particular order are: Bercy SX, Motocross of Nations in a country other than US, any FIM World Motocross, any US Supercross, any US Motocross.(Feel free to add any that you think I should attend that I left out)
Before you give me your importance list I will give you a list of the races that I have ALREADY attended in my life they are: Every US Motocross except High Point, Anaheim SX, Phoenix SX, Las Vegas SX, US Open/Monster Energy Cup SX, Budds Creek Motocross of Nations.
I would like to attend a new event every year or every other year if possible so which would you attend first? Thanks for the help!
Tyler
Tyler, that’s an impressive list you have already been to. And I wouldn’t really add anything to your list of races you still need to go to except I would bump the MXDN in another country to the top of your list. It’s an incredible event no matter where it’s held but when it’s in Europe, well it’s a different deal all together. I don’t know if we’re more buttoned up as a society (and I would say yes seeing as how at 10PM in Europe, there’s basically soft-core porn on TV as opposed to all of America freaking out over a .3 second shot of a nipple) or we have too many lawyers but when the MXDN is in USA, it’s definitely more subdued. Bercy is also a must see event with the French fans right on top of you blowing airhorns and running their chainsaws wide open. I was doing some TV commentary from there this year and I couldn’t even hear my own words it was so loud in the arena.
And I would say any Summercross should be on your list as well but they’ve only had one of those ever in history and it was awesome. Tim Ferry is still the defending champion of Summercross and should they bring it back, he will have the number 1 plate.
Steve,
Everyone keeps talking about the gamble that Dungey made going to KTM and an unproven bike. What do you believe is going to be the biggest hurdle? Is it horsepower, power delivery? Handling or suspension? Over the last two years with Alessi on the 450 and Short on the 350 what have you noticed about the KTM’s (besides the 350 being down on power)
GNCC Ryan
Ryan, I’m guessing by your handle, you love GNCC’s and that means you love KTM’s as well. The orange crew has come a long way from their bankruptcy proceedings in the mid-90’s and are now seemingly the only OEM going out there, developing new bikes and making a push to go racing. Some day we may look back at the pullback of the Japanese OEM’s as to when KTM became the preeminent motocross racing power in America.
We’re not there yet but maybe. Anyways, the biggest hurdle for the KTM guys are really getting the chassis to where it needs to be on the new bike. They have a steep learning curve ahead of them but they have the right people working there behind the scenes. The difficulty is that you have no prior settings you can go back to. After all, it’s only been a couple of years since they put a link back on! I spoke to a KTM guy this past weekend at Endurocross and he said that Dungey is really getting along well with the new bike, they’ve found some new settings and that Ryan is enjoying the flex that a steel frame is providing him after years on the ultra-stiff aluminum frames.
Hey Matthes,
I love all things Pulp… I’ve always been a fan of sx/mx but sort of fell off for about ten years. The PulpMX archives and the current shows really have taught me a lot and helped me catch up on the industry.
My questions is… I plan on attending my first SX event this year (LA, Dodger Stadium) and I wanted to know what to expect. Should we come SUPER early to watch practices and wander the pits? Are the riders going to be as cool to me (a random fan) as they are when they are on your show?
I love what you and journalists like you do for the sport. I don’t know jack about what Lebron or Tom Brady do for fun but I know that RV2 likes shooting, Barcia loves to fish and Windham has a giant home with too many air conditioners thanks to PULP.
I’m not a hockey fan but I have a friend who is.
-Kenneth
You should hang out with your friend more Kenneth. Anyways, you should get there early and walk around. If you can get a ticket that has a permanent pit pass on it to where you can get into the pits around 9 and don’t have to leave around 6, then even better. Just loiter around the teams, you’ll see the riders and crews relaxed and hanging out. Once the pits open for everyone around noon, riders become sort of scarce because practice starts and they have to focus on the task at hand.
Before track walk though, the guys are chilling for the most part and although most of them are good guys, I can guarantee you they won’t be as cool to you as they are on the show. After all, they don’t really know you and maybe you’re a bit creepy? Not saying you are Kenneth but you know, you never really know. The riders all know me, know Watson and know that they have people listening so they put on their best front. That’s the way the system works.
But they still are cool guys and most of them will talk to you and seem interested about your local track where a guy you raced with once had dinner with them. Try getting that close to LeBron or Brady…good luck!
Matthes- Why does Gatorade not have a place in motocross?
I don’t know! Seems like a natural fit although most of the riders swear off the stuff because of the sugar in them. Still, they could fake it! Gatorade was on RC’s gear for a long time so they are aware of motocross. Wonder why they couldn’t break off a couple hundred grand out of their millions and help us out?
Will Dean Wilson have to wait another year to join Chad Reeds team or will he be there in 2013?
Wilson’s in his last year on the 250’s (according to him which could change) and that means that if I’m Jake Weimer, I better have a really, really good season in 2012.
Could Mookie have gone to Pro Circuit, or did his brother burn that bridge by going straight to Factory Kawi back in the day? Or is Big James the issue?
I know Pro Circuit was interested in Mookie and I also know that having Big James around was also some of a the reason why he wasn’t signed by them. He had a contract from Star Yamaha but wouldn’t give up some of his personal sponsors (I don’t know for sure but I heard it was Oakley) so he basically decided that a goggle/sunglass company would stop him from having a factory supported bike in favor of a team that hasn’t really done anything (yet) in JDR KTM. Some curious decisions made in Team Stewart but then again, there’s a history of that so why would anything be different now?
In your opinion, will James ride outdoors? I think not… unfortunately.
I think he will. I think if supercross doesn’t go well for JS7, he’ll be closer to saying no but in the end, I do think he’s sick of people bagging on him for not doing motocross and will suit up this summer.
Could Nick Wey have been more of a contender early in his career?
He was a contender early on in his PC 125 days and finished top three in the points a few times. Unfortunately, he only won one sx and one mx race in his career and some would say he never reached his potential. I’m not one of them though, he was a top rider in the sport for a long time and although he never won races and championships, he proved that year in and year out, he had speed. Unfortunately in the Carmichael era, there weren’t many winners.
Thanks Bud. How bout them Lions!
Lions look good but too bad for them, the Packers and Bears look better!
Sincerely, Nick
Got a question? Send to steve@pulpmx.com!
