No Love for the Leprechaun

[XRpredator]

Looks like Ricky is gonna be the guy everyone loves to hate this year. From Cycle News:

It started when Ricky Carmichael was lowered from the ceiling during last Friday's THQ U.S. Open opening ceremonies, wearing a crown and cape and sitting on a throne, and it continued throughout the weekend until the podium ceremony presented him as the overall winner: The Las Vegas crowd was booing the current top rider in supercross and motocross.

It's a new, unexpected, and hopefully temporary development for Carmichael, and one with which he is understandably still less than comfortable. "It seems to me that somebody was up to something, but I might just be jumping to conclusions," Carmichael said mysteriously at Saturday's post-race press conference, alluding to more specific speculation he had just made off the record to a couple of reporters. "It bums me out a little bit. I feel like I'm a good person...If I see you broken down beside the road, I'll stop and help."

Presumably, the champ's slip in popularity stems from his lucrative switch from Chevy Trucks Kawasaki to Honda (and from his clear insistance that the red bike is the better machine), though the fire may have been fanned by comments made by Ezra Lusk during a recent Racer X interview with Eric Johnson, in which the former Team Honda and new Chevy Trucks Kawasaki rider made some surprisingly harsh public criticism of his former pal (Lusk claimed that Carmichael no longer wanted to ride with him, and seemed to think that the Floridian would have trouble adapting to the CR250).

"Everybody's entitled to what they want to say," Carmichael said. "I don't know why he said it to the press; I'd have probably been more conservative with it, like talking to me first."

Carmichael is known for letting his riding do the talking (one reason that he doesn't bother running the number one, and that he asked to forego the cape and crown for Saturday's ceremonies), and his performance at the U.S. Open - no matter how strangely unpopular it may have been - appears to have adequately responded to Lusk's intimation that Carmichael would not perform well on the Honda.

I know the US Open crowd may not be representative of the rest of the fan base, but this is an interesting development. It'll be interesting to see how things are come January.:think

 

[super rat]

Booing the best mxer ever, I dont get it. Why do these people even go to the race?

 

[dirt bike dave]

Maybe the 'fans' were booing because of the crown/cape/grand entrance King of Bercy thing. The I'm-the-Best theatrics just don't go over too well, IMO. But I'll bet the grand entrance wasn't RC's idea.

I'm in awe of RC's skill and determination, and it doesn't bother me at all that he doesn't have the media skills of Travis Pastrana (who is a natural).

RC haters need to realize that if the other rider's had RC's talent and work ethic, they wouldn't have to worry about him winning so often.

 

[Duneman]

I'm not a big RC fan in fact i don't care for him and I'm not sure why, but i thought it was so wrong for everyone to boo him. He is a great racer, he rides clean unlike some people(mike rockehead) "one of the best" not the best there ever was. To be able to say the best there ever was you would have to had seen all the other greats race and how the tracks were designed back then. In the early 80's supercross tracks were way diff than they are now and the bike were very sloppy compared to today standerds. Amen :silly:

 

[justql]

Originally posted by super rat
Booing the best mxer ever, I dont get it. Why do these people even go to the race?

:think :think :think

 

[super rat]

Frown all you want but all you have to do is look at the numbers. Say what you want about the kid, he is short, he was fat, he has red hair, he is cocky, he is not so good on the podium speech, what ever. The kid is the fastest mxer I have ever seen, and I have seen alot. Note how i said mxer not sx'er, fan or not you are a fool if you cant see that this kid is one of the all time greatest mxers, I'll just call him the best ever.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by dirt bike dave
Maybe the 'fans' were booing because of the crown/cape/grand entrance King of Bercy thing. The I'm-the-Best theatrics just don't go over too well, IMO. But I'll bet the grand entrance wasn't RC's idea.

I'm in awe of RC's skill and determination, and it doesn't bother me at all that he doesn't have the media skills of Travis Pastrana (who is a natural).

RC haters need to realize that if the other rider's had RC's talent and work ethic, they wouldn't have to worry about him winning so often.

My sentiments, exactly.

 

[Okiewan]

I'll just call him the best ever.

Humm. He may be capable of earning the title someday, but to call him that at this point is nothing more than emotional opinion. No doubt he's fast, we'll just have to wait and see how many titles he can string together. His Amateur career has already been surpassed.

Ricky has a simple problem. It's not just something relating only to MX, pretty much every sport. There is a "look" and a personality all of the sponsors want. If you don't "fit", the spoils that come with the championship (ads, commercials, tv spots, exposure in general, etc.), aren't as plentiful. There are plenty of champions that don't "do well" in that position, two immediately come to mind:

1) Mike Tyson
2) Doug Williams

Ricky is still a just little rough around the edges. He still needs to learn some podium skills. Right or wrong, if you put Travis in the same spot, he would be put in front of the camera a LOT more and I'm sure rake in a LOT more $ in endorsements. There is a lot more to being a champ than just being the champ. You have to be marketable.

 

[IBWFO]

You guys should know it's not RC it's HONDA! Lusk hasn't gotten the attention he was used to since he was on a Honda, but I bet he will now that he is on the Green machine.
They boo'd Honda last year and the year before.
RC would have gotten a standing ovation if he was still on the green bike.
So far he is the best ever and has proven that. Bubba has grown up riding with RC and it shows. RC might not have the same # of championships but he has dominated his class(s) so far like no one else, even MC.
I still think MC has what it takes, and barring that bad start(s) he might have given us the show-down we all wanted.
I can't wait for Anahiem I, i've got my tickets!

 

[XRpredator]

Originally posted by Okiewan
. . . 2) Doug Williams . . .

Former Redskins QB?:think

And as far as "best ever"--that's debatable. He deserves mention, though, right alongside such names as Hannah, DeCoster, Robert, Johnson, Ward, and McGrath.

But that's another topic altogether . . .:D

 

[IBWFO]

My Bad, Best ever remains to be seen,
Fastest ever He is!

 

[Duneman]

I can't understand why some still want to say the best ever or fastest ever,
I have been going to Motocross & Supercross races way back when Marty Smith was still winning , Hannah,Omara,Bailey,Glover,Lackey,Chuck Sun,Johnson, Ward,Danny Laporte, Bikes and Tracks have been changing all along. Put RC in a time machine and send him back to the 70's then 80's, I don't think he would be any faster than the greats I just mentioned. He is an awesome racer and should be mentioned along with them. I don't beleive MC is best there ever was, he has won the most Supercrosses, and has proved he can win at MX and has a title to prove it. his passion is supercross. I'm am glad somebody finally got smart enough to train hard and give MC a licken, it was getting to easy for him. Now it's Mc's chance to prove he is still young enough to beat him back. Mark Barnette was one freakin fast rider, and Barnette was racing against factory riders with works bikes, riders that got paid the same as 250 riders, you see it's a whole different game now so you can love him all you want, and he is great but in no way the greatest,fastest,or best. RC is a great champion like the others, and rides clean.:silly:

 

[XRpredator]

Originally posted by Duneman
RC . . . rides clean.:silly:

I dunno. Ask Tortelli his opinion on that one.:think

 

[Duneman]

oops, the last race i saw in las wages supercross last season i was impressed how he was clean with MC,,,,,oops my bad:eek:

 

[IBWFO]

Justify it however you want. Bikes are better AND faster, there is no doubt about that. If you think not, ask Bailey or Hannah or Barnett.
You might not agree with the fastest part, but there is no argument there.
Tracks are much more difficult than they used to be.
You can't go back, only forward. It's like comparing race cars or drag racing, times today are MUCH faster than thery were years back, and on the same tracks?
Fact is bikes are better and riders can take then to limits Smith, DeCoster and Hannah couldn't. Bottom line is the guys today are faster, and RC is THE fastest. Listen to what the past champions are saying about RC.
regards

 

[super rat]

Okie, all ball busting aside, what the hell are you talking about? Mike Tyson? A look the sponsers want, who cares? I'm talking about racers, RC has put up more numbers than anyone , no one has put up the wins/titles he has in four years. I have no emotions for RC I like the kid because he goes fast not because he is a nice guy. I have seen lotsl of the great US mxers ride and RC is on the gas sooner, harder and longer than anyone I have ever seen ride. The last I checked a block pass is clean:silly:

 

[KXKen]

IMO comparing Old and New riders are apples and oranges because there are to many variables.

Champions win races. That's what makes them champions.

I never liked Mohammad Ali (spelling?) but that doesn't mean he wasn't a champ.

It always kills me when I hear the older guys (which I am) talk about the great riders of the 70s and 80s and how aggresive they where in their riding styles and how motocross hasn't been the same since. Well you Ricky haters should go read some of the interviews that Bob Hannah did. Don't get me wrong I thought Hannah was great but IMO the guy was (and still is) a big jerk. Ricky never gave me that kind of impression (maybe it's just me). I think Ricky rides simalar to Hannah but is a much nicer guy.

I believe Ricky will prove himself in the years to come. Call him all the names you want he's a champ. and will probably continue to be one. Just my .02

 

[SirReel]

Normally...

I don't get in these who's best wars but a couple of comments above made me post.

RC has put up more numbers than anyone , no one has put up the wins/titles he has in four years

'cept for MC. Didn't he win his first 6 SX titles out of 6? Plus an outdoor title thrown in there for good measure... I admit RC is fast and I love to watch him ride, but he took quite a while to get used to the 250, and I think some of the youngsters (TP, Bubba) will be taking over long before he gets close to any of the longevity records...

 

[LWilson250]

I would say that RC is the fastest but not the best. I think to be the best you have to also be the smoothest rider. Look at Windham, he is SO much smoother then RC. Over all I think that Windham is a better rider then RC even though RC is faster. Then there is MC; I have never seen a smoother rider then MC. He may not be faster but he is still better then RC. McGrath has taken supercross to a whole new level, he is smooth and fast and makes it look easy, RC always makes it look harsh...

Lee W.

 

[KXKen]

It seems to me that being the best IS being the fastest.
The guy that gets the #1 plate isn't always the smoothest rider. One challenge (I think) Ricky has is to be able to hold on to this wild riding style he has, stay injury free, and be consistant over the up and comming years.

 

[Duneman]

oh yeah i see what you mean back in 1982 a YZ 250 put out 32 horse power and the new ones stock put out about 45, and with the better suspension and disc brakes yeah I see what you mean RC does go faster than Broc Glover, ROFLMAO! MC won 2 championsships in the 125 class and said okay it's time to move on, then in the 1st year in the 250 class dominated in 1993-1996,1996 in Motocross lost in 97 oops did I say lost, he got second with only 2 weeks on the Suzook, damn flat tire and cutting his foot in a resturaunt on a broken glass the night before a supercross, yeah, but he took it back the following year, 1998-2000. and I don't hate RC he is a great racer he means business, RC is my second fav 125 rider all time.I don't think he is anything like Hannah, Hannah took people out on a regular bassis and taunted riders on the starting line. Truthfully my fav riders where guys like Guy Cooper, Doug (Magoo)Chandler, Johnny Oshow, Pastrana,and MC for some reason I have always liked riders who show boat and entertain and on the track and RC does somewhat , but lets see if he is still fast when he is 29 or 30 like MC, Now if you want to talk about natural talent then MC and myself are by far the best. LMAO:confused: ;)

 

[mx547]

one outdoor championship is not enough to qualify as "best ever". i think mc screwed himself by not continuing to race the nationals (i don't mean financially). he had the chance to prove himself as the "best ever" but he decided to forego that opportunity. speculating on what he could have done doesn't count (imagine what rj could have done). i believe that he quit racing the nationals because he knew that he could not dominate, no other reason. i'm not so sure that he was even considered a contender in the 125 nationals.
regarding racing at 29 or 30, i would bet the house that rc is not racing at 29. but what does it matter now? personally, i think that mc is the best sx rider ever and probably will remain so, and i think that rc is the best mxer ever. but only one of these two can have the chance to claim "best rider ever" and it's not mc.

fire away, mc homers.

 

[XRpredator]

Originally posted by IBWFO
Fact is bikes are better and riders can take then to limits Smith, DeCoster and Hannah couldn't . . .

The old schoolers couldn't take the bikes to their limits? I beg to differ! Sheesh! I wish they'd show some of the old races, where Hannah is cowboying a YZ250 with sacked-out suspension through the whoops!

Believe me, those guys took their bikes to the limits and beyond. If today's factory heroes had to ride what yesterday's did, they'd all go on strike!

 

[Duneman]

AMEN Xpredator!

And I never said MC was the best ever at anything, maybe he his.:p

 

[IBWFO]

You just made my point. They couldn't go as fast as the riders today, for one because of the equipment!