McGrath is the king

[Rcannon]

I dont care if he races anymore. He grabbed my kids and set them on his lap. He then said (jokingly) Dad, get busy with that camera before I have to!

Needless to say this is how he treated me with a two hour line!

Thanks Jeremy. You made the sport for two ten year olds!

David Villimin was also very cool. He spet a lot of time talking to us atthe Pro Circuit truck.  I wonder what is up with that/ I have pictires, but dont lmow how to post them.

Roger D signed my sweatshirt and ws really nice. He acted like he ad all day to help me.

Was the trip worthwhile...YOU BET!!!! Yhe race sucked, but we expected that!

RC is a prick. He described the other guys as desperate...even though he took second place. Huge boos erupted. My autograph time came up. I looked him in the eye and pointed to my roger d sweatshirt and said Sorry, this is reserved for hero's. Thanks anyway. You would have thought I kicked him in the crotch!

A great day. Thanks to David V, Roger D, and Jeremy...True gentleman of the sport!

 

[JMD]

Didn't hear what Ricky said, but try not to hold it against him unduly. He is, after all, a pretty young kid in a very stressful job, with tons of aggressive instict boiling over during and immediately after a race. Easy to say things you shouldn't. Ricky is a great motorcycle racer and by most accounts a pretty nice kid. Not everybody can be a PR whiz like MC.

 

[Patman]

Rcannon you ROCK! :aj: That was exactly the kind of thing he needed to hear. I hope it sticks in his head and will halp make him a better champion. Key word better, he'll never reach McGrath's level. BTW I agree he's got to be the absolute best with kids but Travis Pastrana is a real close second :thumb:

 

[mx547]

Originally posted by Rcannon
I looked him in the eye and pointed to my roger d sweatshirt and said Sorry, this is reserved for hero's. Thanks anyway.

did you really do that?

 

[TheGrinch]

Originally posted by Rcannon
... My autograph time came up. I looked him in the eye and pointed to my roger d sweatshirt and said Sorry, this is reserved for hero's. Thanks anyway. You would have thought I kicked him in the crotch!....

That's harsh. I agree Ricky definately needs a few more PR lessons, but he is still a champion and a hero to many. Having said that, as Patman said, it may be the wake up slap in the face he needs.

 

[Rcannon]

Yes, I did it. Why??? My god, I had allready met and talked with David villiman (he rocks), Nic Wey, Hamblin (nice guy), Had my camera taken by Mr McGrath, and had Roger sign my sweatshirt! That was Saturday!

Friday,Kenny Bartram, forced me to eat lunch with him at Ogio! For 1 1/2 days I was somebody!


I took my ticket for Ricky, but he was not going to occupy the same space as Jeremy and the cool guys. What did it mater? There were 149 other suckers waiting!


I am a nobody in the industry. I own or know no one. Just your everyday uncle taking care of his nephews.

Jeremy, Roger, and David, you guys made me look like a hero!

Dand David had us behind the Pro Circuit fence! He used Mike Browns seat as a desk!

I just said "Mr. Vullimin, sorry your not racing tonite. He says..Oh, thats ok, no big deal"

Not one of these guys was rude or anything but pleasent to my boys. The boys looked at me for permission to go with DV. You would have died!

 

I know travis is ok. I believe he was in the booth most of the night. I met him once doing that thing where folks fall out of airplanes....good man.

 

It just gets to me that some folks actually realize how much a smile or a special justure means to a small kid.  Thanks Roger , David and Jeremy. You guys did it for me.

 

 

 

[Patman]

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[Smit-Dog]

Originally posted by Rcannon
... I looked him in the eye and pointed to my roger d sweatshirt and said Sorry, this is reserved for hero's. Thanks anyway. You would have thought I kicked him in the crotch!

Nice to see you showed the same tact and class that you're so indignantly demanding of someone else. Leading by example?

:|

 

[motomike137]

Yeah wow, I'll bet you just ruined his whole career. What an awesome move (NOT!).

 

[flynbryan]

I'm really at odds about ricky.(not that my soul impression is going to end his career) He's an amazingly talented rider, but have noticed he has an attitude problem. I think he is a good person he just needs to learn to hold back that frustration till he gets back in the truck where he can't get busted on for what he says. I'm sure there are many of us that have been mad after we fell(or got taken out, depending on perspective)and wanted to just tear the guy a new @#$hole. The difference is that we're not on National television. Many of us have tempers(and some quite a bit worse than RC's), the difference is no one cares about ours.

 

[Patman]

Obviously some folks feel if their meal is served half cooked and the server sneezes on it they should just keep their mouth shut.

I doubt what Rcannon did will have much impact on RC, then again maybe it's the little push he needed, who could say for sure. Having the stones to do it is something I doubt many have. Accepting what you view as unacceptable behavior because the person is famous shows how weak a majority of the population has become. It's easier to ignore the problem and hope it goes away rather than use your freedoms to express your opinion?So many sheep. :|

 

[XRpredator]

personally, I like Rcannon's opinion.

He didn't wait in line to say that, he just wanted the autograph on something else.

There's still room on that shirt for Hannah, ain't there Rcannon? ;)

 

[Rcannon]

I made my own personal choice. Not yours.   I respect his abilities, but not him as a person. Is there something wrong with that?

At what point did I say I wanted to be RC's role model?

 

[Smit-Dog]

Originally posted by Patman
Obviously some folks feel if their meal is served half cooked and the server sneezes on it they should just keep their mouth shut.

I tried to think of a weaker analogy, but couldn't come up with one. ;) ... Although the sheep reference is a close second...

It has nothing to do with having the "stones" to speak out against "unacceptable" behavior (jeez - was RC beating a puppy or something?).

I just found it ironic that someone would speak out against rude and whiny behavior by being rude and whiny. :)

 

[flynbryan]

Patman I'm not sure if the response was towards myself or Smit-dog, but I definately don't believe myself to be portrayed as a sheep. :silly: I simply was stating that everyone gets pi$%y and frustrated the same way Ricky does we just are not on television or in the media for anyone to care. I also think that its great that ricky now has some major competition. I think now he needs to show the maturity and good sportsmanship that comes along w/all those #1 plates he has. I in no way condone the way he acts, it just seems to me that people tend to frown upon his acts w/a "I'd never do that" persona. Not to point the finger at you Patman, just the public in general. I'll again state my opinion that if the guy would just keep his mouth shut till he's away from the media alot of his public interaction problems would be solved.

 

[mx547]

Originally posted by Smit-Dog


I just found it ironic that someone would speak out against rude and whiny behavior by being rude and whiny. :)

and then bragging about it.

 

[Patman]

I'm all about weak analogies, they are easily digested by the weak minded :laugh:

I just try to look at RC as being an employee of both Honda AND the people that pay for a ticket/pit pass. He's providing entertainment and if his actions fill in the blank with your own words (unacceptable, cry baby, puta, sore loser....) are not what the customer wants why not call him on it? Hey the guy crashes better than I ride but if any of my people acted like he does in public we'd have a serious problem. His job is multi-part and being good a one part (racing) does not entitle him to be a poor PR worker bee.

I also don't see the post as "bragging". The information was posted just like any other bit of information on DRN. Was this supposed to be kept a secret? Maybe the ride reports where people did a climb, or jump they never before pulled off should not show up either? Oh and let's not forget about getting a new bike!

RC has flaws just like the rest of us that are not perfect. Yes I know it's hard to imagine but I'll bet big money it's true. :)

 

[flynbryan]

Originally posted by Patman


RC has flaws just like the rest of us that are not perfect. Yes I know it's hard to imagine but I'll bet big money it's true. :)

The only response I was trying to make as well Patman. :thumb:

 

[Patman]

And so by hearing about them perhaps he can become a better champion or should he not be told? :think:

 

[Bob Brooks]

When it comes to any type of sporting event, as fans, we need to have people to root for and people to root against. RC is an easy guy to dislike. Number one, he's on top right now and winning most of the time and as Americans, we like to root for the up-and-comer and not the guy on top. I remember even McGrath getting booed at some supercrosses in the mid 90s when he was winning constantly just because most people were sick of the same 'ole story and wanted to see something new. The other thing going against Ricky Carmichael is that he doesn't have that charismatic, fan-endearing personality that McGrath and Pastrana are blessed with. He's too serious most of the time, often sullen and he doesn't take losing well. Even when he smiles and tries to turn on the charm for the camera interviews, we can tell it's forced and not genuine and most of us fans don't like that. And, I can understand rcannon's frustration with him at the autograph line. When you're dealing with kids, especially if they're your own or nephews or nieces, you want their heroes to act appropriately.

But the bottom line is that we don't have to like RC. After it's said and over and Carmichael retires from the sport, he'll be revered and labeled a legend, despite his sleepy personality and poor PR skills. Bob Hannah wasn't a very good sport either and most fans adore him. The difference is that Hannah was a jerk and didn't care what anyone thought and in some peculiar way, we all applauded him for that. For the most part, Carmichael tries to be a nice guy but sometimes doesn't always pull it off and because of that, he's not a very popular champion.

Nevertheless, despite his personality, nobody works harder, rides harder or tries harder at this sport than RC. Perhaps some of the personality characteristics that make him a poor interview are the same traits that make him such a bulldog on the racetrack? He reminds me of Patton...not always pretty or nice or even agreeable, but damn succesful and effective. We all have the option of rooting against him if we choose to, that's one of the beautiful things about sports.

 

[flynbryan]

Like I said again, I don't agree w/ the guys actions, and I never said that what Rcannon did was wrong.

 

[Philip]

I think all these guys should have a little bit of a temper, maybe that would get some fire in there a$$ and we could see some of them up front. Reed gets just as mad as RC and last year in the outdoors many called him a whiner because of his comments about Bubba. Make up your mind people you want racers or sunday school teachers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And BTW next time one of you get mad at something let me stick a camera and a mic in your face and see how well you control yourself. :moon:

 

[flynbryan]

:laugh:

 

[Smit-Dog]

I don't care how RC acts on camera, off camera, or working the lemming autograph line. Regardless of his riding ability, his personality/behavior will just dictate how much he's embraced and endorsed by the public and sponsors.

MC will have longevity after retirement because he has great PR skills. RC's lack thereof does not detract from him as a racer. If you feel otherwise, I don't see the need to be a prick to him about it.

BTW - Well said Bob. I understood (and agree) with everything you said, even without feeble analogies. ;)

 

[dirt bike dave]

Well said, Bob Brooks.

My $0.02 is I admire Ricky's riding and determination so much, I am willing to overlook his shortcomings in the PR department.

I recognize PR is part of his job, but IMO it should be a SMALL part.