Here goes my Tim Olson rant

[Thump]

In the past in the MXA/Tim Olson slam fests I have pretty much defended him and the mag, until now. Honestly I will still read the mag because I like it but that is not what this is about.... See last Vet national I went out to watch Billy race and I got to meet Tim. I had talked to him on the phone before and invited him to DW in the past but meeting him in person was not what I expected. He was about my age, 30ish and really pretty decent to talk to, not the arrogant prick that he is made out to be here on DRN. Anyway we talked about DW03 and I told him I hoped that he could make it out this year. He asked me to call him when it got closer and he would see what his schedule looked like.

So.... I called him about 1 month ago, left him a message to which he did not return. I sent him an e-mail, no return. I have called him and left messages probably 4 times total and sent as many e-mails. Not one response. Nada, not even the time of day.

I was inviting him for 2 reasons. 1) the coverage of DW and DRN would be good and 2) I hoped that it would bridge the gap between us internet folks and the print folks. I have spoken to the other major magazine guys with no problems, Ken Faught, Donn Maeda have both been in touch with me about DW. Yes, No or maybe are all better than getting put on the ignore list. That shows a lack of class and integrity.

Well Tim, I may am not a big shot magazine guy, in fact I am just a graphic artist in Texas that rides dirtbikes for fun but I am going to venture a guess and say that more people read what I have to say than what you have to say. I made the first, second, third.... and last attempt to offer you a welcome hand. I officially give up on trying with you. The ball is in your court now and whether you choose to play ball or sit on the bench I really don't care because from what I have seen out of you thus far, you don't deserve to be invited to DirtWeek. :think:

 

[NEMX305]

Stalker ;)

 

[James]

SO since it is in the Flame board...I am curious...does this bridge need to be burned at this point??

 

[Rich Rohrich]

I have plenty of spare combustible liquids that can be used for bridge burning or the odd effigy that may be hanging about ;)

 

[James]

LOL Rich!

 

[Green Horn]

Originally posted by NEMX305
Stalker ;)

:laugh:

 

[Thump]

Originally posted by NEMX305
Stalker ;)

The line between good marketing and stalking is thin... but I have something to market, DRN. :)

 

[Green Horn]

I'm still trying to "market for" my ex-girlfriend from highschool. Damn, she was a looker. :)

 

[bclapham]

allthough i think not returning calls and emails is rude, why on earth would Tim Olson want to come to a meet up in the middle of the country, where the people meeting are all from a website that has many threads personally aimed at slamming Tim and his work? cant say i blame him really. I also remember from some threads from ages ago that there was some considerable bad blood between Tim and some of the higher ranking members of this website, so why would he want to go>?>?>?

 

[Okiewan]

So he'd have a chance to changes some minds possibly? Frankly I don't think I'd go either, but I would at least return the call to say "Are you outta your frickin' mind?" :p

 

[Patman]

You know I don't really care if he or any of the magazines come. Just look at the DW forum and see what's happening this year! By them ignoring the gathering it just proves their ignorance and it will bite them in the butt in a big way. Maybe not this year and maybe not next year but it's sort of hard to stick your head in the sand when a couple of factory rigs and factory employees disappear for a week. Maybe those factories might be asking the print rag types why they don't cover such an event because it would gain them some exposure as well. :think: I can see it now "Uh well... gee... uh you see we don't cover it because I think I might get beat up by some Internet guy that will be there...":silly: I mean it's not like they could say "It's not a SoCal thing and besides what could it be 10 or 15 people! The Internet thing is just a passing fad anyway...". Oh sure there is no advertising dollars going their way and sure it's in freakin' Oklahoma, and sure there is no purse money or industry class but then maybe that's what makes it work. The people I go to hang out with are the one's that will be there.

Just think it was all started and continues to be established as a fun event a family reunion of sorts!

Besides everybody knows Rich is just a big fuzzy bunny anyway :)

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Eventually this DirtWeek thing is going to get so big that MXA will be the only mag not covering it. Tim should hop a plane in Sept and come out to Okieland and get a feel for how the rest of the dirtbike world lives. He might take some useful feedback home with him. ;) He may even have a good time :aj:

 

[VintageDirt]

If Tim comes to DW I'll buy all his beer, cook all his meals, walk him to the porta-can in the middle of the night, and wash his bike twice/day with a feather duster up my ass. But I get a front row seat for his wrestling match of wits with RR. :laugh:

 

[Patman]

Originally posted by VintageDirt
... But I get a front row seat for his wrestling match of wits with RR. :laugh:

A one sided fight if ever there was one.

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Originally posted by Patman
Besides everybody knows Rich is just a big fuzzy bunny anyway :)

Just for the record Tim was the one who said he wanted to kick MY ass while he was at the Indy trade show one year. I think he was just shooting off his mouth and trying to be funny. I don't make a habit of settling my differences with people through physical means, and I'll hazzard a guess that he doesn't either. I have nothing against him personally, I just don't like what he and his crew of witless boobs have done to a once great magazine.

... of course if I were FORCED to DEFEND myself during an unprovoked attack. :aj: :yeehaw: :aj:

 

[VintageDirt]

he said bסּסּbs :)

 

[jaction125]

Hey I don't want to get on the wrong side of the fence but you guys have a pretty bitchin website here, why not start an equally bitchin mag? :thumb:


By the way if their quoting "internet boobs, wierdo's, hacks" or whatever they call us, they are paying attention! ;)



crawls back under rock...... :eek:

 

[swapmoto]

You know, I have to step in and defend Timmy here. One, Tim is not the Editor of MXA, Jody is. Sure, he should call back and offer a polite "No thank you," but it probably isn't really up to him if MXA comes to Dirt Week or not. Like myself, I am sure that Tim is wide-open with deadlines, bike intros and such. Cut him a *little* slack - he is a cool kid.

I had to decline our invitation because in addition to the huge buyer's guide issue that lies ahead, we've got something big up our sleeves that will require me to be in town for the next few weeks. And besides, we covered DW last year!
;-)

 

[VintageDirt]

Well OK, then I'll leave the feather duster at home.

 

[Thump]

Originally posted by swapmoto
And besides, we covered DW last year!
;-)

Does that mean that you'll run an article on it again this year if we get it written up and get some good pics? I do wish you could have made it though it is something you have to be there to experience... And AJ says your kung-fu is no good and he'd spank you on his XR100/CR80 hybrid.

As far as giving Tim some slack. Well I have. I have ALWAYS defended him in the past bash MXA threads. And when I met him he seemed like a decent enough guy, which is why I invited him, whether MXA covered it or not, it was just an invitation, which he told me to remind him about as the time got closer. At least when I spoke to you, you looked into it even though you had to decline. I just talked to Scott @ RacerX about it too, real nice guy. Don't know yet if he'll make it out but I bet one way or another I'll get an answer. Same with Ken Faught... Yet the one magazine guy that I have met and thought was a decent enough guy, and the one magazie guy I have defended in the past right here on DRN I get not even a simple "nope, can't do it dude." To me that comes off as, "you are small-time bro and I don't have the time to waste calling you."

What I really don't understand is why a magazine would not JUMP to cover an event like this. It is as grassroots as an event can get. Its not an internet thing, it is a dirtbike thing. Most of us are not racers or even close to pro caliber... we are just the foundation of what this sport is made up of, the people that buy the magazines and bikes and aftermarket stuff. This event is about the sport and the people that make it up. Yeah its cool that KTM, Yami, Dubach, Cooper, Bartrum.... and others will be there but the coolest part is that so is the Zimmerman family from WI and a CHP officer from CA and hundreds of others from all over the nation and the world.

 

[jmics19067]

we are just the foundation of what this sport is made up of, the people that buy the magazines and bikes and aftermarket stuff. This event is about the sport and the people that make it up. Yeah its cool that KTM, Yami, Dubach, Cooper, Bartrum.... and others will be there but the coolest part is that so is the Zimmerman family from WI and a CHP officer from CA and hundreds of others from all over the nation and the world.

gotta just love that feeling in this quote! I mean its probably less than 1% of the dirt bike population that is a famous star. We are the reason why the bikes are so good because we buy them and ask for more. We work at regular day to day jobs and plunk down are hard earned money to have fun. FUN! If they are so serious that they have to work on the game and not enjoy the fun part of being with fellow riders maybe they should write for golf digest.

 

[markthomps]

Swapmoto: As you are, I'm in magazine publishing. Been at it a long time, including with a variety of moto-mags. While it's great that you're a member of DRN and participate and contribute, the reality is that Tim has an obligation to at least respond to Thump, even with a "sorry." You shouldn't be making excuses for him. You're not his dad and we all have deadlines of one kind or another. The diff is that Tim is intentionally snubbing one of his magazine's customers. Why? I dunno. What I DO know is that it's an all-to-common and too-obvious part of the culture at Hi-Torque and other publishers. They don't give a damn anymore about their readers. You see it in their products and it's why they're constantly being criticized on DRN and in private conversations. It's why I've stopped subscribing to nearly every motorcycle magazine and why I know so many other friends who ride have done the same thing. Customers don't like being taken for granted, no matter what the product is your're selling. With magazines, they take it very, very personally.

 

[Patman]

Swap,
Let's see dialing the phone and leaving a message should take all of what? 60 seconds maybe even 3 minutes if he actually had to talk to Thump. Cripes he could even be stuffing a burrito in his pie hole while talking, I'm sure "He man sorry I can't make it." could get out between bites. Heck he has an account here he could post, email or PM and not even have to risk wasting his valuable time speaking to bottom feeder nobody like Thump. Sorry dude I just don't buy it. The only people I don't respond to are spam email and sales calls, everybody else will get a response. Now granted I'm not working 23.625 hours a day like a magazine guy but I guess that's one of the bonuses of being a nobody :silly:

Besides if you could get a kitchen pass I'm sure you'd meet a lot more people that are even cooler than Ice Ice Timmy.

It's all good though because I'll still renew my subscription to TWMX :thumb:

 

[nephron]

I just talked to Scott @ RacerX about it too, real nice guy.

I met him at Vegas last year and liked him as well. What's funny, is my wife's about as '10' as they get and I guess one of those odd things happened where cool guy starts bragging in front of pretty girl, or ??? I didn't see it that way, but she thought he was an arrogant bastage. ;)

As far as TO's behavior--doesn't surprise me. It's a Kali thing in 'certain circles' to behave that way. Not all do, obviously (Faught, Maeda)--but there's a higher percentage of those inner circles out there than anywhere else (that I've seen). My brother was in SD before me, in 'business' mode, and that's where I saw some of the biggest scumbags on earth. Nice enough if you can get them to slow down for a few seconds and talk. Then total garbage and backstabbing behavior the other 99% of the time.

Bruce, you're just not surprised by it because you live in San Diego...the capital of that kind of thing. ;) I'm with YOU Thump--that kind of behavior doesn't float my boat much. I'd not worry about it much, though. He apparently doesn't have the balls to say no and 'why' he said 'no'.

 

[motometal]

regarding invitations to magazines, "industry people", etc.

not sure what % of members would agree with me but...

i'm personally not too keen on trying to make Dirt Week such a "big deal".  An ideal dirt week involves hanging out with and riding with a reasonably small group of members that post on a regular basis, not feeling like i'm stuck in a busy campground full of guys that "read about it in a magazine and thought it sounded like fun".  Am I selfish?  Probably.

that being said, keeping things small may not provide enough funding to keep this website going indefinitely, and I understand that publicity from DirtWeek helps this site year round.

But, this thread wasn't really about DirtWeek so i'll stop there for now.