Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128141
IINot a single article about road bikes or road racing. Helmets, Etc. o me, the "In the Wind" piece about e AMA supporting a bill to repeal elmet laws in California pretty much onfmns, once again, that AMA mangement is clueless and operates in a acuum. They continue to support asting membership money to permit ore of their members to kill or seriusly injure themselves while at the arne time trying to get anyone who ill listen to believe that they take cers' (supercross, motocross, road, tc.) safety concerns seriously and ill do so in promoting supercross vents. AMA management does not, will ot, and rarely has employed comon sense. Anyone who believes hese clowns will somehow salvage ext year's SX season by backing own and "doing the right thing" will e deeply disappointed. I just hope e factories listen (and read) to the ans and racers and will send the MA a clear and convincing mesage: Grow up! DanCaneva V1a the Internet No Streetblkes just received the latest issue of ycle News. Not a single article bout road bikes or road racing. osh, I hope that doesn't happen Tom Catron Nashville, TN Dorna? orna and the FIM taking over superross! Goodness knows how prolific hey are at screwing up a good thing! sk any of the World Superbike ridrs, teams or manufacturers. They're about to kill that golden goose. Look what they've done to Grand Prix motocross. Two motos, three motos, one moto. They just can't leave it alone, not until its completely dead. These are the people we should trust to run supercross? I've never felt so screwed over in my whole life. Shame on Clear Channel. LaTTY Gaulin V1a the Intemet Can't We All Just Get Along I just wanted to go on record as saying that your editorial on the AMA vs. Clear Channel split was very well written and hit the nail on the head. As a racer and fan, I too am pissed off, and I agree with your views as to what each organization's responsibilities should be. Up to this point, I supported the AMA as I thought they would take care of the riders, (a point I think you missed), and because I personally see Clear Channel (the whole corporation, not the motor sports division in particular) as an evil conformist monster. However, your mentioning of the AMA wanting to "make" money on SX and promote the races themselves has put me on the fence. ::JoeCelso V1a the Internet Disagreement I just read your perspective on the Supercross split and I have to say that I disagree. Clear Channel has promoted Supercross for 27 years and still can't get it on television. Clear Channel can't get supercross top billing over high school cheerleading, bowling or the strongest man competition - what's up with that? The A·MA announces three-hour live coverage on Speedvision (SpeedChannel) immediately with Jam Sports. Finally. I can watch Supercross on television the same day. Not one week later or at two in the morning after I already know the outcome. And why are there three races at Anaheim? Yeah, if I lived in California I would think (supercross) life was good also. The best riders in the sport come from Florida (Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart), yet we (in Florida) don't get a supercross by Clear Channel. Get real - Clear Channel is holding down the sport of Supercross. They are nothing but a promoter who is only interested in money. Like you said, if Clear Channel thought they could make more money by making Ricky Carmichael wear a clown suit with his hair on fire then they would do that. The sport of supercross is ready to go nationwide and Clear Channel only wants it to be a west coast series. You California wimps must be afraid the east coast riders will show ya'lI what supercross is all about (that is in jest, of course). I agree that the FIM/Doma twist is confusing, but who wants to have their name on a meaningless supercross title when you can have your name on a title (AMA Supercross) that has 27 years of histor}' with all the best names in the sport engraved on it? Look at all the upstart football leagues that have flopped trying to compete with the NFL. The only reason the IRL (Indy Car) survived is because Tony George had the rights to the Indy 500. If the PGA Tour kicked ABC Sports out of the Masters, do you think the players would go to the ABC Sports Golf Champi- 11 onship or go to the PGA Masters (with all the history)? I still think the AMA has the upper hand. Come on 2003, with live coverage and a supercross in Tampa and Daytona and more spread out across the nation. Long live Supercross although I really enjoy the outdoor National series better. DavtdEvans V1a the InffHnet Agreement I agree with you 100 percent. The sport of supercross is reaching tremendous levels of popularity and is also pulling the sport of motocross on its coat tails. I have numerous people at work inquiring how the previous weekend's racing went. I see not only Fox Racing apparel out on young and old people alike, but also No Fear, Thor and many others. And even more stunning is that most of them know what sport this attire comes from and who wears them. Therein lies the problem. The AMA sees what a fortune is being made connected to this sport and figures that they are entitled to a bigger piece of the pie. Nevermind that as a sanctioning body they should not have a personal/financial interest in the sport that they supposedly govern. They can't even enforce their own rules with an impartial eye (i.e. John Roeder and the claiming rule, Rick Johnson's lightweight Hondas). Now is not the time for the AMA to get into a pissing contest by being greedy. Clear Channel has repeatedly left the door open for the AMA and they have continuously refused. They need to stop trying to grab as much money as they can and do what is best for the sport. We have come too far to let it all come tumbling down due to greed. Changing the subject, Ryan Hughes needs to be especially applauded for his charitable work for the injured Bobby Bonds (and Justin Smith). Carlsmvens OWosso,MJ Lessons Learned? Apparently, the AMA has learned nothing from the road-racing lawsuit they lost with our money. Now they are in yet another power grab over supercross. Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand how what is supposed to be a non-profit organization can have this stealthy, little-mentioned dummy corporation called Paradama. Surely I'm not the only one who sees conflict of interest and ethical problems with this. So many people write in and defend the AMA, but I fail to see any good they've done. They enforce rules in all forms of AMA racing inconsistently at best. They have consistently put money before rider safety, and as far as lobbying for riders rights such as helmet laws and keeping riding areas open, other organizations such as CORVA have done a much better job at that. If the AMA and JamSports win, expect a cross between a rock concert and a two-wheeled WWF in the supercross future. Why doesn't everyone just admit that the AMA sucks and always has? Personally, I hope Clear Channel squashes them for good and never looks back. Bobby Bonds They apparently think that they are the major player in the popularity of the sport when it has really been an amalgamation of many efforts by the riders, promoter, press, and most importantly, the public. We are on a tremendous upswing leWis 6reer V1a the Int9met in presenting our sport as legitimate. cue' • n e _ S • FEBRUARY 13. 2002 5