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/128199
"If you want to watch time-trial pro- cessions, sWitch to Fl cars, girls." Wanting Art He's Sorby I guess this would be a question for ESPN. I watched the Phoenix Supercross on ESPN. Is it me? Or does everyone else feel "no vibe" from the announcer who commentates with David Bailey. First, I would like to say that David is a great announcer, and I look forward to many more years of the knowledge he provides every weekend. As for the other guy, he doesn't seem to know anything about motocross or supercross. He uses terms like "motorbike" and always gets the rider's name, number and brand of bikes wrong. It's obvious he is an ESPN employee. I especially liked when he announced that Bubba Stewart is so talented that he had time to pull a whip over a double in the middle of track for the fans. He was actually maneuvering the bike, not showing off. Second, what happened to the sound and the excitement? You hard- What happened last Saturday went from bad to worse for Eric Sorby. Racing is dangerous enough without on-track antics, but I must applaud Eric for the courage to stand up and release an official apology. Rough racing has been a-buzz as of late, and for him to acknowledge his error is good for the sport, his team, and himself. I hope others who take notice of this incident think about their actions for others and their own safety. In the heat of the battle, adrenaline is flowing at accelerated levels, and things can easily get out of hand, but I don't believe the brain completely stops functioning under such circumstances. Thanks for thinking, guys, and good luck racing. EdWard a Gerhardt Wahmbr4M1 ly hear any dirt bikes at all during the race. I felt like my TV was on mute. I listened to supercross live (on the Internet) from Anaheim and was glad to hear Art Eckman's voice. My question is - what happened to him, and how can we get him back? Shelly Becksfoffer via the Inmmet Wanting Art II What happened at ESPN? I know that Art Eckman moved onto greater things in life, but where did they get Todd Harris from? I love watching the great supercross and motocross coverage that ESPN provides, but this year's broadcasts so far have been anything but race coverage. I can see that they (ESPN) are trying to incorporate new things into their broadcast, but can we just stick to the racing? David Bailey does a great job in the booth; why can't his new sidekick? I hear more about what is going on off the screen and about riders who are not even in the right running order than I do about the great race action. And the crowd shots in the middle of the race? Come on, ESPN. I know if I popped in a tape of last year's supercross races, Art and David would be spot on with their commentary and running order. And the editors only showed crowd shots before and after commercial breaks. Let's get it together and stop coming up short on the triple out of the corner in front of the booth. Jesse Wilkes Montrose, CO Dear Jeremy It's been almost a month since you announced your retirement, and I still have mixed emotions, but I guess the overwhelming one is that of thankfulness. Thanks to you for bringing the sport of supercross to where it is today. Thanks for making dirt bikes something that we riders enjoyed in small numbers and without much outside awareness. A decade ago, we were lucky to have 20,000 people show up in a stadium that would seat 50,000 - now you have to order tickets months in advance to get decent seats at any venue (we ordered Vegas '03 tickets last September)! Before McGrath, fans were riders, their families and maybe a friend or two. Now, many who watch have never even thrown a leg over a bike, let alone ridden a track. You've turned this sport into something it never knew it could be - a spectator event! I know some old school fans are upset because supercross is now a gargantuan media event, but I think it's great. Why? Because there's power in numbers! More fans equals more riders, and that equals more involvement in the sport at a local level. That equals more political power. Manufacturers sell more bikes and hopefully keep more riding areas open, all due in part to Jeremy McGrath. On a personal note, I'd also like to thank you for making my husband and me feel so good about being McGrath fans. My husband's ridden for almost 40 years (I started much later); he's been a racer himself for so long that most pro riders never really impressed him, until you. Your professionalism and skills turned him into a fan. Prodded by him, I began making banners for you about seven years ago. At every race we attend, you find a way to acknowledge our hard work with an autograph, a photo and sometimes a wave or thumbs up from the track. Your ability to make us (and thousand others like us) feel special and respected is amazing, and we truly appreciate it. In time, history will show what a benefit you have been to this sport. For now though, please accept the thanks of two riders and fans from Oregon whom you have made into lifelong fans. We will miss seeing you out there every week, but we know that every time we see supercross on TV or see a kid wearing a supercross hat, it's in part because of what you've given to this sport. grown-ups who cry like they still fill their pants) readers apparently cannot understand that supercrossers are out there racing. That means competition, one-on-one. If you want to watch time-trial processions, switch to FI cars, girls. And there you will also find the sort of snotty cretins like Michael Schumacher, then you will realize that Ricky Carmichael, if not the greatest "personality" in the world, is a nice guy doing what he is paid for, namely winning, not sitting home with yet another non-racing injury. By the way, in a traffic accident the guy behind is always at fault. And if you are so stupid to let yourself get brake-checked, tough &%$#. Alex Hodgkinson Echm, Germany Ouchl After haVing read several recent interviews with Travis Pastrana, and after the first few races of the season, it's painfully clear that he hasn't matured or learned anything from his mistakes. For the sporadic races he does show up for, until he crashes, he is only getting in the way of the racers who are there for the championship, not just to have some fun. Maybe he has attention deficit disorder. I don't know, but I'm 100-percent confident in saying Pastrana will never be supercross champion - he doesn't have the right attitude. To all the Pastrana groupies waiting in long lines for an autograph, my question is: An autograph for what, being the world's highest paid spectator, or for being team Suzuki's crash dummy? Maybe Pastrana and Kevin Windham can form their own team. They can call it Team Bonehead! Mike and Pam Faldonl Ben4 OR something that even my non-riding nephews know and love - they've The Block Pass never ridden a bike, but they wear Can you believe all this crap over a block-pass? I thought we English were supposed to be the gentlemen, but perhaps your mardy (that's the northern English expression for pajamas to bed with McGrath and Pastrana emblazoned across their shoulders. Before McGrath, supercross was cue I e Lewis Greer Sprfngffel4 MO n e _ s FEBRUARY 5, 2003 5