Team USA 2005 Confirmed for the MXdN

Cool for Ivan, sucks for Brown. I feel bad for the guy, but they are right...gotta send the best available and Brown has not been as consistent lately as he was earlier on.

This whole thing does seem a little suspicious. Brown may not be riding at the same level as RC and K-Dub. But most of the teams are not made up of the top 3 riders in the world. In my opinion if Bubba will not go the best choice is Mike Brown or even Ryan Hughes. Both these guys can ride the hell out of 125's/250F's and both have euro experience. Wasnt it 2000 when RC, Pastrana and Hughes went? They did great. I think its pretty weak of the AMA to cut Mike Brown. Or for his buddies to stab him in the back. Man its like the credit card companies kickin a guy when he is down. The AMA just raised his APR from 5.9% to 29.9%. Lame. I say pick a team and 2 alternates incase of inuries and stand behind them!

Pretty damn lame. Make a decision and stick with it.

I think they looked at it as a business decision. Its a big commitment both time and money wise and Tedesco has been consistently putting in better results than Brown. It wouldn't be hard to make a good case for Hot Sauce considering that barring something really strange happening he will be the current 250F Supercross and National Champ by the time the des Nations rolls around. On the other hand I like Brown and know that he has the experience of racing in Europe and has an axe to grind with his former employer so I have no doubt that he would have given it his all. Another thing that makes me think that there is no hidden agenda is that Brown and Carmichael have been buddies for a long time so I'm sure that it was tough for Ricky to be part of the decision to do this. No doubt it will be a strong team. GO USA!

I'd sure like to know what is REALLY going on here. From what I am understanding, it sounds (or smells) like the AMA, or someone has tipped over the outhouse with MB in it. They (AMA) sure are not handling it well, P.R. wise! Par for the course, I guess. :uh:

Bubba could have gained some "Brownie" points by representing.

I thought for sure Alessi was going to get the nod. If he hadn't been trampled by Langston in Hangtown or could have stayed a little healthier, I think he would be on top of the 125's. Also, he is going to be in Europe to compete in the last GP there after riding Glen Helen.

Saying all that, I am elated that Tedesco is getting a little recognition. He's been tearing it up for the last few years in SX and has elevated himself to a new level in the outdoor nationals. He has been the ONLY rider that has been getting consistent results and that is why he is leading the 250F class. Plus it doesn't hurt that HE'S MY BOY! :nod:

Also, I think the AMA has done a terrible disservice to Mike Brown. Honestly, I thought that the other guys would catch him when he was leading and I wasn't too thrilled when they did announce the team a few weeks ago. However, why did they campaign for the guy and select him if they weren't going to stand by him 100%? The AMA. Rights. Racing. Rip off artists to Mike Brown. :pissed:

Brown has had a tough year, I wonder if this will be the nail in his coffin and he'll retire soon.

I also found this quote from that interview that someone posted quite interesting

"a lot of people might be doubting that the way I’ve been riding, but I have had a few more problems than the others, that’s making me ride that way"

I wonder what these problems are, I bet Ricky knows about these problems if anyone does. Maybe that had something to do with why Ricky would vote to get him off the team.

i dont know what the fuss is about. send your best team, so the two points leaders from both classes (RC and Sause), and the next guy in points from the premier class (KW). It a team race, and why would anyone want anything other than their strongest team???????

as for Brownie, seems like some bad karma has caught up with him- the AMA did him a favour really, he has already had is ass handed to him in Europe once this year.

Just because Tedesco is leading the series at "THIS" point does not make him the better GP or even outdoor rider!

It may very well be that Mike brown has some other issues that we dont know about and letting him off like this is better for him than quiting.

Found this at Racer X.




August 25, 2005

Open Letter to the Fans from Ricky Carmichael

August 25th, 2005

I wish that I could write one of these when everything was perfect. Maybe next time?

I am writing this to hopefully shed a little light on this mess with Brownie and the MXDN. I want to begin by letting you know that Mike and I have not had any falling out at all. Mike has been a guest of mine for weeks at a time this season and is always welcome at my house. I have always been there for Mike and consider him a valued friend. This has not changed.

I am a little upset about the press release that Dan Dilkey wrote this week. I understand that he is upset for Mike and he wants to make his opinion known, but he doesn't seem to have his facts straight. For instance, Dan wrote about a meeting that did not include Mike, implying that he was not invited. The fact is that Mike had already left the track and was to be included in the brief meeting that Kevin and I attended with Steve Whitelock on Sunday after the race. This meeting covered several topics ranging from approving our helmet designs for the team to the hotel information for the trip to a possible film crew following us to document our trip and of course our concern for Mike with his struggles these past few weeks.

Regarding Mike, Kevin and I made it clear that as riders we should NOT be put in a position to pick the team. We are totally committed to the MXDN and don't just want to go, we want to win. However, we should not be put in a position to pick the team or in this case to determine if a chosen rider should be removed from the team. I suggested at this meeting that in the future we should send the 125 Outdoor National Champion, the 250 Outdoor National Champ and the next best available rider. (If an American rider does not win the Championship then the highest ranking American rider would be chosen.) My hope would be that every rider would start the outdoor season hoping to do well enough to be chosen for the team. When we left the meeting we were told by Steve that he would be speaking to Mike and that he would follow up with us.

Let me remind you that Mike and I have spent a lot of time together lately. We have ridden together, trained together and even traveled together on a private jet that I had arranged for the East Coast events. Mike attended dinner at my Mom and Dad's house for "Family Night" every Tuesday--he is family. We have discussed the issues that Mike has been having with his equipment and the difficulty of racing at the top level as a privateer. I have seen how frustrated that Mike has become these past few weeks; he even packed up his stuff after Millville and left my house without saying anything because he was so frustrated. When asked by my mechanic where he was going, Mike told him that he was going home and that maybe they should pick someone else to ride on the MXDN team. I knew that he was just frustrated and didn't take his leaving as anything other than that. I'm also sure that being at home with his wife and son would also help his spirits.

Like me, Mike is super-competitive. He wears his heart on his sleeve and kills himself to win. I think that his struggles over the past several rounds of the series are bothering him more than this MXDN trip. I try to remind myself that Mike did not write the press release and I understand that people around him are very upset about this decision. I spoke to Mike on Tuesday night before the press release went out and he and I are fine; that's why I was so surprised to see the message online the next day.

I feel bad for Steve Whitelock too. The MXDN venture is extremely expensive and packed with pressure for everyone. The manufacturers are absorbing a huge expense to send over a full staff with parts and equipment with the expectation of winning. I'm sure that Steve has been pulled in all directions and will take the blame for most of this decision even though I'm sure that it was not his decision alone.

In closing let me say that I'm sorry for Mike. If I was the reason that he is not on the team I would say so. I will also tell you that I still plan to give 100% effort to win the MXDN and will back the team that we are sending.

Thanks as always,

RC

Thanks DWreck. I would have found it eventually, but nice to read it here first. Still more unknown, but RC is laying his perspective out there, much to his credit. Thanks, RC. :cool:

RC is very cool.

:cool:

Yeah, I figured RC would not stab his buddy in the back.

I blame the AMA for announcing the original team too early. They never should have put Brown on the team if they thought they would cut him for falling of the podium in the 125 nationals.

IMO, once they put him on the team they should have kept him on unless he got injured.

A bullet dodged, and still no answer as to who made the decision. I like RC, but that was a lame response, IMO...that is, unless he's thinking of running for Senate.

bclapham said:

i dont know what the fuss is about. send your best team, so the two points leaders from both classes (RC and Sause), and the next guy in points from the premier class (KW).

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Yeah, that's what they did. They selected the two points leaders when Brown was leading the points... not Tedesco. To back out on Brown now, whether he's having a tough time or not, isn't right. I'm not a big fan of Brown, but he's at a big disadvantage because of his privateer status. If he was getting the starts like everybody else, I think the standings right now would be a little different. His "Jim's Motorcycle" ride isn't as good as the factory and Pro-Circuit bikes... even though he has PC parts.

Ryan

Here's DeCoster's interview from DMXS radio. I don't agree with a LOT of things he's saying here. He said that being on DMXS is more important than winning the first 250 championship with RC. What? Also, he seems to be fueling a fire in which he doesn't have the facts (Relations between Brown and RC)

Here's the LINK

I think it's called sarcasm . ;)

you know how DJ's are, it's like when you win something on the radio, you have to say I love KSUX or whatever.

nephron said:

I think it's called sarcasm . ;)

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See... if they would've inserted the [Laughs] after he said that, I would've realized it. You gotta excuse me, I'm a little slow.

Ryan

It's a lame to kick Brown out after selecting him, printing up a bunch of shirts and just clipping him like that... Make a decision and stick to it... Just because of the last few races results they clip him like that... I think that's pretty unamerican if you ask me... Brown would have done great...

dante said:

unamerican if you ask me......

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what??? come off it, people get dropped from teams all the time. If your star quaterback keeps getting sacked or cant throw a pass, do you play him all year???

get over it guys, Mikey started some bad karma and he got some back.

send the wrong guy and we dont win when we could have.................that would be something to :bang: about

Overall, Hindsight says they announced the team too soon and should wait until the last moment possible to announce the team.
No matter what they would choose to do, it is a win/lose situation.
chances are brownie wouldn't have done well . (I could be wrong, but thats the way it is looking now). Keep him on the team to appease the fans, and the team looses, its a win/lose.....kick him off the team and the team wins, its a win/lose, win the race, but lose to the fans who think Brown was shown a disservice. Rc was quick to promote him early becaue he said brown got dissed with 9/11 incident. RC must know he isnt up to speed to have been able to have meetings to change it up and have him replaced.
.
I agree with BClaphams analogy. Should a pro sports team keep an aging, declining star athlete on the team to appease the fans, or replace him with a better performer and have a chance to win the title... And that is what the goal of the Des Nations is, to bring home the title.
I agree that Brownie got shafted, but business is business and when not viewed that way, ie personal, it is harder to swallow.
.
As for the Pro Circuit rumors, it would be easier for me to live with the decision that he was got per his recent performance, then to know it was that PC wanted their own rider/equipment there...that is pure rumor going around now though.

I've got a couple ??'s....

1) For all you guys that want to take the currently fastest guy out there, all Brown has to do is ride decently at Steel and if Alessi and Short get in front of Tedesco, then what will you want to do? We all know how Alessi did at Steel last year???????? My money is on him to win it, and a viable situation is to have Alessi win the recent 2 races and Brown end up first in points again, and then what?

2) How's Tedesco getting permission from Kawasaki to go? Wasn't long ago that Kawasaki was certain none of their riders would be allowed to go.

This sucks. Plain and simple.