The List: Bad Boys
Thursday, January 31, 2013 | 3:55 PM
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PrintBy Racer X Staff
It seems like the sport of motocross and supercross has always had its bad boys, men in black helmets who race hard and become known for their aggression. They are the ones who seem to end up often in the principle's office, and trouble has a way of following them. Here are a few that come to mind!
Damon Bradshaw: Not afraid to wear the black hat? Bradshaw literally wore a black cowboy hat during supercross opening ceremonies in the early 1990s. He blockpassed and rammed, and motivated himself by hating his opponents. That didn’t play to his favor when the ’92 AMA Supercross title came down to the wire, and most of the riders on the gate wanted to help Bradshaw lose it. But no doubt, Bradshaw’s take-no-prisoners style worked…for a little while.
Bam Bam: Straddling the fine line between confident and cocky since his minibike days, Justin Barcia loves adding some contact to his on-track content. That makes him a love/hate character, except when he goes to France, where Bercy SX incidents with Greg Aranda and Cedric Soubeyras put him 100 percent into the jeered category. Back stateside, he’s gotten a little cleaner lately, but no doubt if someone wants to bring some Bam, he’ll smile over the chance to bring some right back.
Damon Bradshaw didn't go to the races to make friends.
Racer X Archives photo
Vince Friese: Friese doesn’t exactly embrace the role, as he usually tries to claim innocence on rough riding incidents. But, he’s been in too many of them to stay off of this list.
Rollerball: [We of course go to all-time Rollerball fan Steve Matthes for this one] We all know I’m a fan of Ross “Rollerball” Pederson, the great Canadian champion who raced a ton in the USA. I’ve asked a ton of riders who have raced against him what that life-altering experience was like. Mitch Payton told me that riders he helped like Jeff Hicks and Danny Storbeck came to him to ask if he could tell Pederson, a rider that used Pro Circuit, to back it down a bit. Tim Ferry told me that Rollerball would try to break his leg when he was a kid racing the Florida Winter-Am series. Motocross Action Magazine took a poll among racers in the mid-80s and Pederson ranked as, “Toughest rider to pass.” I personally watched Rollerball slam dudes right off the track in some Canadian arenacrosses when I was a kid. He was a tough hombre, and the nickname Rollerball (after a 1975 movie starring James Caan whose tagline was “In the future, wars will no longer exist. But there will be Rollerball.”) was well earned. I guarantee you that if told Ross he has a black hat on signifying the villain, he’d think that was pretty cool.
When you saw that nickname on the back of the pants (two lines!) you knew you'd have to get around the “Toughest rider to pass.”
Li'l Hanny: Josh Hansen proves there are multiple roles in this sport, as some brands, teams and fans are looking for something different than the clean-cut kid. With his long hair and tats, Hanny looks the part, and the checkered past of his career backs it up. Hanny isn’t afraid to get physical on the track, either.
Sorby: No body, no body, no body, actually admitted and embraced the take out like Eric Sorby. Just ask him.
One Punch: Tyler Evans eventually turned his rough riding rep into a box office draw, playing his One Punch character to the hilt and getting some notoriety from it. Deeper within, though, other riders didn’t find it funny—the ramming on the track was not an act.
A year or so ago, Sorby tweeted, "I would like to make a comeback. Why? To take out, take out and take out."
Racer X Archives photo
The Russians: When the Russian star Gennady Moisseev was battling Czech rider Jaroslav Falta for the 1974 250cc World Championship, his teammates like Vladimir Kavinov and other Eastern Bloc riders were told to take Falta out, which they did often. But Falta still won the title at the last round in Holland, only to be DQ'd for jumping the starting gate. The Russian thugs got no penalty, and the Moisseev-Falta duel remains one of the sport's all-time dramatic chapters.
"Rocket" Rex Staten: Rex was as tough as they come, and known for taking the roughest lines. We saw Rex at Anaheim a few weeks ago and asked him about that, and he admitted it was all a game. He'd purposely used bad lines when the competition was close and trick them into thinking those were the lines to use. Once out of site, he went for the smooth stuff, but his rep was better served through the “I’m tougher than you” intimidation factor. P.S. He still looks like a scary dude today.
The Russians are coming!
Racer X Archives
Brian Deegan: Like Tyler Evans, Deegan built something around the persona—but his was much more of an act, and much more successful. The Metal Mulisha donned all-back gear capped with giant spikes, and threatened to take over the world. In a way, it did.
Swink: When Jeremy McGrath became the poster-boy for the sport, even though his style had an edge to it, his contemporary Brian Swink had morphed into a darker version. He wasn’t afraid to get gnarly on the track, and he’d bust out some impressive pre-freestyle moves like the Can-Can (the answer to McGrath’s Nac-Nac). At one point, Swink was running a shaved head and giant goatee, too. In many ways, his jumping, his attitude and his look served as the forerunner to the harder looks we see today.
Healey: Mike Healey was a rocker and rebel without a cause in the mid-eighties who basically got himself kicked off Team Suzuki for having a blue Mohawk. He landed in Europe, raced for Cagiva, KTM and Suzuki, nearly winning the 1991 250cc world title. He lost after some interference with Jeff Stanton at the last round in Japan, which led the punker Healey to flip off the reigning AMA Supercross and 250 Motocross #1 in the middle of the race! Healey's time after racing is more "Breaking Bad" than bad boys, but he was quite a character!
Before freestyle comps, this was as radical as anything anyone had ever seen--and that's pretty much what led to freestyle comps, at all. Swinkster was ahead of his time.
Racer X Archives photo
J-Law: Dustups, squabbles, scuffles, you name it, Jason Lawrence did it. You could piece together a nice, thick carpet will all the hair pulled out collectively by team managers, sponsors, track owners, promoters, rental car companies and racers that had to deal with him. The fact that the two riders he rankled most—Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto—turned out to be the best riders of their generation shows how good J-Law was at the game.
This is J-Law running the West Lites #1 plate in 2009--but it could also represent all-time bad boy status.
Simon Cudby photo
Bonus!
Evel! Evel Knievel was a hard-as-nails scrambler and dirt track racer properly named Robert Craig Knievel, but his rough-riding and abrasive attitude earned him the nickname Evel. He went on to become the best-known daredevil in history, a showman and hustler for all ages. He once appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone as "The King of the Goons," and later beat a sports reporter with a baseball bat (careful, Matthes!). When he got out of jail for that little episode, he promptly told other reporters "there will be more frontier justice" if they made him look bad again. Those were the days!
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Some of these guys were bad boys, and I admired their toughness in the face of stiff competition. Others are just punks who quit training to be rock stars, so they made up for a lack of discipline by literally "leveling" the playing field in Supercross and MX.
It takes all kinds in every walk of life. Always has and always will.
What about the Hurricane? His "slam dances" with the Rhinestone Cowboy were epic.
"When Jeremy McGrath because the poster-boy for the sport, even though his style had an edge to it, his contemporary Brian Swink had morphed into a darker version."
horrible sentence.
A Norton sponsor Robert Knieval to change his name to Evil as a gimmick, but he didn't want the bad biker image/ bad person image, so got the sponsor to agree to Evel.
A Norton sponsor wanted Robert Knieval to change his name to Evil as a gimmick, but he didn't want the bad biker image/ bad person image, so got the sponsor to agree to Evel.
No body canna cross it!
Eric Sorby was a dirty one, if my memory is correct, I remember him banging with RC for one race, until RC punted him off the track.. He was one who want afraid to bang.. Isnt he the one who DV12 b!tch slapped after a race also??
Cant forget about the "CHICK"
RYNO AND Henry going at it MMA STYLE
Retlaw....replace "Because" with "Became." Just a typo - probably spellchecker striking once again.
Bam Bam runs away from every fight he starts. Roosts and disrespects medical guys and his friends. He's a punk.
Pit bull: Amen
really Wilson and Barcia are equal in my opionion and neither are dirty they simply have the rep of being very aggresive and equaly so to everybody.
A list of rider style and aggresion that I like and admire would consist of- RV, CR, TC, DW, ET, JBarcia, I fault JS for losing control but certainly not his aggresion, I fault RD and KW for being too nice and passive for their talant.
I can not stand riders who are actually dirty riders that enjoy and do take out others- Hanson, Sorby, Friese, J Law, Evans, etc. These to me are the worst guys for and in our sport. Included in this list to me would be one who will cheat every chance they get and or slow clearly faster riders- MA, and really just a few others.
I could list a hundred great riders that make up the bulk of our sport who simply race to win and are great sportsmen.
I have said many times bumping, block passing, brake checking, taking wide are great racing moves that are good clean racing. Intentionally taking someone out, t-boning, cross jumping, are dirty moves that should be penalized for.
The move CR put on JS (2 years ago ?) is a great example of good hard aggresive racing for the win that was close but not dirty in my book- because JS could have braked and avoided the wreck if he had chosen to do so- it was borderline but good racing-
Riders who spend all their energy totally to find speed like RV and Tomac- the guys will race their heart out but are never trying to hurt the other guys, I admire
A close second
Hey RacerX Staff!!!! What about the one and only Jammer?!! How could you forget Jimmy Weinert? He was twice as bad as Rocket Rex. Hey Jimmy, if you read this you can rest assured that many of us will give you the credit you deserve!
Barcia a bad boy?? NO way. He runs like a little girl when someone stands up to him.
Pitbull and Persona hit it right on the head!! That incident with Bam Bam last year was just disgraceful!! Don't think I will forget that in a while, he deserved a bigger penalty for that for sure. It will take a lot to win me over as a fan.
I have issues with a lot of the guys on the list. Even Bradshaw A real bad boy would not choke at the last race.
.True bad boy's?/
.RC
.RV
.RJ
.I could give a long list.
.Guys that WIN and are not scared to hang it out when they need to!
Did anyone hear of the story of Bradshaw throwing rocks at a magazine photographer after crashing out of a race?
BillC, those are bad asses not bad boys.
bd200.......you are thinking of roncada.........dv bittch slapped him at atlanta...........but there was a lot more too it behind the scenes........
@BILLC-- Kinda like going to a pit with nobody around and shoving over a someones bike right?? Kinda cowardly..
Gogogo and ban VF!
Barcia a badass? Remember when he wacking into Wilson in SX a few years ago? Wilson was new and not sure what was up. Pourcel had already shrugged off a Bam attack or two (basically by leaving him behind, MUCH faster), but liked Wilson and warned off Barcia. Barcia did it again and CP punted him into the cheap seats.
After the race Barcia had some comment. Pourcel just said something to the effect that if you pick on my team-mate you can expect more. And that was the last time BamBam got near Wilson or CP.
Paper tiger, liked most bullies.
@davidl-
Reed's move on JS was dirty. Just like in criminal cases, you have to objectively consider Reed's actions with the perspective of "intent" in mind. It was blatantly obvious that Reed had no other "intent" but to slam into JS's bike and take him out. There is no way on earth that Reed could have possibly negotiated the turn or maintained his balance with the line he was taking. It's on video and it's obvious. He cut the corner and targeted JS. Don't get me wrong, I like Reed and I think he is a great rider and I think has matured even more since that incident, but call a spade a spade. He took him out on purpose!
It's the 'principal's' office, not 'principle's'. But anyway, I think guys who do this crap aren't 'tough'; they're a-holes. When I raced, I never did that to anyone, and no one ever did it to me either. It's actually possible and preferable to race fairly, you know? I agree with what davidl said re: what was cool and what wasn't.
ron lechien
Yea, AFTER Pourcel left........ which tells you all you need to know about tough-guy Barcia.
Like when you backdown some idiot and then when you go around the corner and he thinks you can't hear, he gets brave and mouthy. SO lame.
You are all missing the point of the story here...they are Bad Boys, not Bad Asses which doesnt mean they can beat some ass, it just means they were always into trouble on and off the track. They were riders with the I dont give a crap about anyone or anything attitude. From all the stories we read it sounds like there was a certain group of guys in the late 80's and early 90's that partied and crashed rental cars and basically lived awesome lives and got paid doing it. Now if a guy does that he is a loser with no focus or desire and gets shunned from the sport, kinda like J-Law and Lil Hanny. Our sport needs more characters like this.
Whatever happened to a nice whip on the last lap while leading a heat race? One of my best memories when I was a kid was Jeff Stanton doing a no-hander over the first triple on the first lap of the first heat race after pulling the holeshot, in front of his home Pontiac crowd. You never see that anymore. All they care about is lap times and its getting really boring. I hope Dean Wilson doesnt ever change cause he is a throwback from an era that is long gone.
Hell Yeah...Ron Lechein!!!.... doin' lines and racing moto!!! Thats pretty bad.....but he was fairly clean on the track...all guys have run someone high or taken them down either out of just "rubbin' and racing" or on purpose like the Reed/ Stewart Atlanta deal...there are quite a few highlites of Reed coming in on James and taking them both down........
On & off the track as well as RacerX site
ronniebarnhardt tops all ! LOL !!!
Thanks for the Ron Lechien reference, racer 628. I'm a little suprised he didn't make the list.........too obvious?
and no "Bad" Brad Lackey?
Seriously though, those Russians were some bastords, but Moiseev gets my respect (grudgingly).
Um yea why isn't Bob Hannah on this list.
Good idea for a story but, most of these guys are a bunch of wimps with flat billed hats, who think tattoos make you tough.
And, I've seen "bam bam" full-on crying on tv over getting passed on the last lap. So , he can never really be a "bad boy". More like puss-boy. He IS an amazing rider though.
You should balance this article dedicated to the shit-bags of SX with another called..... " The List: The White Knights" with guys like RV2, RD5, KW14......
Jason Lawrence should only be mentioned when you are speaking of him in a pejorative manner...he shouldn't be mentioned with professionals.
@ elsinoreracer
That is true! Bam bam is a chicken $hyte! He would ram some racers and wait to see if he'll get answered. If not he kept on going, like with Wilson. If he got answered he would never mess with that rider! CP was the perfect example. I kinda like the way Barcia cleaned his riding up. Serious threat for wins, awesome riding style! He couldn't back his bam bam status up anyway!
I think Barcia rides with a lot of emotion ,period...it means a lot to him and banging on the bike doesn't necessarily means he needs to fist fight after every bump...he does what he thinks he needs to do to win..its motocross racing ..,its a contact sport weather you like it or not......the mention of Barcia and you can smell the jealousy on here..and I doubt if it bothers him much if everybody that 'would never stoop so low as to show some emotion or actually lose their temper' god forbid , is not a fan...Love to see you get on the track with him or even your local fast guy and show them how "a clean" pass is done...good luck with that.....Hannah vs Howerton , RJ vs DB , Decoster vs Mikkola LaRocco vs Kiedrowski vs Matasivich ,RC vs Js7...even Canard ...bangers....!!!!!!!!...and ALOT of local pros who would chase you through the pits with a hammer after a good 45 minutes of bump and run..allegedly.....I'm glad the sport has all kinds ...always has..it what keeps it interesting.
Cant believe you guys forgot Jeff "can pipe" Emig.
Black hat would look swell with the black shift gear.
Talk about eyes in the back of your head
"believe the hype" took a page from fro's book.
What about Stephane Roncada?
The reason stuff that was not big a deal 20-30 years ago is now unacceptable is because the human race is constantly evolving. Just look at only 150 years ago people were shooting one another and people looked the other way and thought nothing of it. Makes you wonder what lies ahead.
I think there is a big difference between aggressive riding and just being a dick. Bam Bams tantrum last year where he roosted those guys was just a disgrace! How could that possible be good for the sport where a top rider roosts medical staff aiding a downed rider. He is an immense talent, but that was just a complete loss of control. The sport needs its charactors , but that is way over the line!! Just my opinion.
@voodootele and many others: you have a fair point,, but lets not forget, these guys are kids... Truly kids. They're under 25 in most cases and they've lived very limited lives, as required in order to ride at the professional level. Let's give Bam Bam the benefit of believing his sincerity when he apologized for his terrible behavior- the roost incident- for now. He lost his temper, and there's not a single person on here who hasn't lost it before. His behavior since then has demonstrated that he learned from that incident. Lets let him continue to prove that he's a tough kid who can learn from his own mistakes. He's been doing well with his temper since then.
Guys like J-Law, Hanny, and Sorby had multiple incidents and have proven over time to be vindictive, angry riders. A little bit of that keeps people watching the sport... It's exciting. We WANT a bad guy. The AMA does a damn good job of keeping those guys in check. They got Josh Hill to shape up, and made his buddy J-Law ship out. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been a fan of the sport for about 35 years and I'd hate to see 20 Ryan Dungeys or Andrew Shorts on the gate every weekend. Stand-up guys. No argument there. But what a snore to watch. The hero can't exist without the villain. As long as the AMA monitors the action and keeps the sport as safe as possible, I'm glad we get to enjoy the guys in black helmets. They're so fun to hate!!!
Please don't go the "kid"route as the biggest asses to be found are no longer kids (Hanny, J-Law). I still never got that anyway as you can look in other sports and see "kids" that have amazing amounts of poise and maturity....and they are making WAY more money and have WAY more fame.
To give someone a pass to be an ass because they are "kids" comes from a biased viewpoint, because if a 15 year old from the neighborhood steals your car or breaks into your house you want to kill him. Only the most liberal hippie is going to refuse to press charges and say "Oh he's just being a kid". When did being a kid mean you have to act like an ass anyway?
Wow, I didn't even finish that whole post to see how much more stupid it could get. You LIKE watching the asses do what they do? It's exciting? How? You like seeing Hanny t-bone the 2nd to last guy in the LCQ (while he is LAST)?! Exciting stuff! I'm guessing it is exciting as they sit at home or fail to qualify as well? Man, some people are just out there.....way out there.
@BK-R
Yes Bradshaw crashed at Red Bud National going up the Monza Wall. It ripped his AXO pants off and down to his knees. He got hurt from it and was pissed. And a photographer was taking pics of him. So he started chucking rocks and dirt clods at
the guy. Ended his championship hopes with Stanton.
You guys should be all be AMA officials. You could black flag anyone that makes contact, and watch racing go down the toilet more.
There is a difference in rough racing like the Reed JS incident and the Hansen AHOLE incident.
If I'm paying Chad Reed a million dollars, and he DOESN'T go for that pass on James?? IM PISSED!! It's RACING!!! Holy Christ
RC was the king of intimidator. Remember him blocking Tortelli to a dead stop at Budds Creek in 01?
RC used to slam dudes in his early years to the point that people recognized not to even deal with him. He threw a whip at Roncada that nearly took him out..
A rider like Barcia WILL establish himself as "don't fuc$ with me" and other riders will back off, I guarantee it. Why?? Because he is HUNGRY to win and be knows its his job to try. Not be a Sally polite rider that races fair and never stuffs anyone. Ugh..
Out society as a whole is becoming a society of whimps at every facet. Go wear a helmet to ride your tricycle too..
@ RCRDDW - you are right and also get the word of the day award. pejorative -Good word.
But if you look at other sports we are lucky. Look at guys like Ray Lewis and the NFL. The NFL commish wants to make him a consultant!!
chainlube, go watch the vidio of cr and js again. JS was well ahead but CR cut the corner and got in JS's line- AHEAD of JS. JS then had three options-hold line keep it pinned and wreck, brake,or best yet swing wider and keep it pinned. FACT- JS ran into CR and not the other way around- JS hit CR's BACK tire.
In my opionion JS could have kept it pinned and swung 2' to his left and he would have retained the lead, probably making mild contact, there WAS room to do this.
When I watched it happen I was angry with CR but when I got home and watched the replay it became clear to me that it was Extremly aggressive but CR actually took JS's line and JS ran into him. Borderline and suprised all of us but I side with good old clean bar banging racing.
If JS had no options I would certainly call it dirty- but he did and could have avoided it. Also it was for the lead and at the end of the race and JS could have protected his line by taking the same path that cr did and we would never be having this discussion.
I believe JS thought he had enough lead to ride the fast line and made the mistake and left the door open.
Something you should know about that picture of Swink.It was at Red Bud, he didn't get his foot back. It got cought on his bars and endowed while leading a qualifier for guys out of the top ten.He was quite lucky to get up and finish.
No disrespect but I would have like to see anyone in this list trying to mess up with some guys like Carlqvist, Mikkola, Malherbe or Bad Brad Lackey....maybe Saten or Popenko (THE soviet torpedo in the Falta conspiracy) would have stood a chance... Bad boys Vs real tough guys ?
Forgot Joel Robert...
Yeah, you guys are right, being a dirty rider shouldnt be glorified. Being agressive on the other hand, is a good attribute.
I just get annoyed about how some of you have to make that trypical commment about "guys with flat billed hats and tattoos"...
could you be any more stereotypical? You're probably the same person that gets pissed when anyone makes racist remarks about stewart, but you totally make people with flat hats and tattoos look like dipshits.
P.S. - I've raced 20 years. Im 24. I dont take people out. I am a friendly guy and just plain love the sport of motocross. I graduated high school, and college. I now have a successful job using my degree, own a house, am engauged, and DIDN'T VOTE FOR OBAMA (In other words, i have my stuff together)... But, guess what? I WEAR FLAT BILLED HATS, AND I HAVE TATTOOS. SO SUCK ON THAT.
There's a older out of shape guy at work whho wears skinny jeans on casual Friday. It's halarious.
OK, So I am late here today Now I have put Hannah on the list!!!! He also hated everyone on the track, Yes his duals with DeCoster and Howerton were epic! Never mind what was left of the rental cars he got!
Spagina :
for the record, I love racist jokes about gary coleman, or ANYONE for that matter.
However, flat-bill hats and neck tattoos are part of the reason this sport can't get big sponsors. No big company wants to sponsor a guy who looks like a meth dealer.
You probably follow many more stupid MTV fads that you forgot to mention.
Hannah was "bad" in that he was great. He could be super aggressive but only vindictive when someone messed with him.
Lawrence was "bad" in that he was and is a complete idiot.
@urbani you're a moron.
There are so many NBA players that look like freaks and that sport pulls in some big sponsors. I know a lot of people who will not watch it because they consider most players to be thugs. I'm in the military and have been my entire adult life. I see people in there that would have never cut it back when I started. They wouldn't have enough people if they stuck to the old standards.
@B-KR:
You're putting words into my mouth. Read what I wrote, not what you think I wrote.
A) I said give BARCIA a chance to grow up. I did NOT excuse his behavior. We were all 20-somethings at one point... I'm much older than that now, don't know how old you are, you're welcome to volunteer it if you so choose. I do NOT condone or endorse what Barcia did; I'm not "...giving him a pass..." as you paraphrased. You're assumption is incorrect. However I surely don't put him in J-Law's camp either. He (Barcia) SEEMS to be growing up. My point is that we as fans allow him to continue to make good on his apology. He seems to be doing that. You are correct that while WE know these guys by name, in the general scheme of things they aren't that famous. They don't deserve carte blanche to be a-holes, but they don't deserve the electric chair either.
B) I DO NOT EVER want to see anyone getting hurt, but tell me in all honesty how much fun it would be to watch a gate full of Dungeys, Shorts, and Windhams (one of my all time favorite guys btw) holding the door for each other in the turns. We need the antagonist. Nascar had DE3, Football had Terrell Owens, Basketball had Sir Charles, and I'm sure they all have contemporary versions... though I don't follow those sporst closely enough to know. MY POINT IS that bar banging, elbow rubbing and an occasional, well disciplined dirty pass keeps us watching. Reed/Stewart a couple years ago was one of the all time great seasons!! I still hate Reed for that crap! If you think that means I want someone taken out or injured, you completely misread my comment. Watching Hanny take someone deep is a BLAST! You scream and yell and you want that MotherF&^$%r to get his butt handed to him in the next turn... That's great tv, and trust me the producers LOVE that stuff!... as long as there's no intent to harm the guy. I agree whole-heartedly that that's crossing the line. If you want to watch a chess match, you need to pick a different sport. I love motocross, I loved seeing Tomac hand Wilson his ass after Wilson tried to play dirty (Wilson is also one of my favorite young guns), thats great racing! We all love hating the bad guys... take them away and tell me how much the sport would suffer. After all, If that happened what you and I be talking about right now??
I think all of us that really raced have had to take someone out to pass them, This is not a sport for wiimps! Glad someone mentioned Emig as he was also one of the widest guys on the track! I never tried to block anybopdy on purpose but when they started blocking me I would take em out as I passed them if I could. Motocross is a full contact sport or at least it used to be, I never tried to takem out but sometimes ther is a thing when they start blocking you and you have came from 10th to 2nd I think ya dont need to waste your time getting by because they are slowing you down. I will see if I can scan a pic I have of a perfect pass without taking em out. Then send it in. or paste it here.
I have been passed by much better riders than me and some have done things that I call passing with athority and I wished I could do it.
Trying to do things like come across someone on a jump where you could really mess them up is where most people draw a line.
I have played hockey and I think it is a lot the same as that sport. Some people are so good at hockey they are like surgeons and it amazing. I have been taken out and there is nothing I could do about.. at least until we took the skates off.
Authority, My typing skill suck. And I was half joking with the skates off comment, but you can tell when someone is justing playing rough or trying hurt you or make you look bad.
Bad boys pull cops over.
Where's Emig & Dogger? Teaching Sunday School?
@spagina:
It's "engaged", not "engauged", you flat-bill-hat-wearing, cliche-tattoo-sporting, crystal-meth-dealing moron!
Awwwwwwwwwww Yeah.
Evel got his nickname in jail while he was still a teenager in Butte, Montana. The guy in the cell next to him was nick named "Awful" Knofel so the jailer started calling Knievel, "Evil" Knievel. He later changed it to Evel to match the spelling of his last name.
This dishonours a great Great rider - Guennady Moisseev.
Falta is one of my all time favoured riders, as is Guennady Moisseev (and Kavinov, and Faltas' compatriot, Zdenek Velky). Falta won the 74 LA 250SX - Velky got 9th in '74 and third in '75, by the way.
What the Russian Team Manager, under His 'controllers', ordered his Other riders to do, was not Moiseevs doing. Falta has acknowledged that, for many years.
Please Don't dishonour a multi time World Champion, by inferring that he was behind dastardly deeds, that he Did Not Do.
As for the 'often' comment - it went both ways. Falta went to the Russian round, knowing no quarter would be given. Just as the Russian knew that when they set wheels in Czecho, they'd be give no quarter. The Czechs, hated Russia, with a passion, especially after the brutal crushing of the Czech uprising, only a few years before.
What happened to Falta, was blatant, and a dreadful thing to see, and read about. The final round, was brutal. But Moiseev, rode his own race. Certainly, I feel that Falta should have been the World Champion that year. The "Jumped Start" BS, was the clincher. Politics - within the FIM, conquered, that day.
Certainly, Moiseev was a Hard Man - as any top flight Russian needed to be (or, indeed, Any of the riders of that era had to be - Falta survived Leukaemia, with an Eastern Block pioneered (multi time?) full blood transfusions / marrow transplants) to survive in Cold War era Russia, and get out into the rest of the World, to compete against the best riders in the World.
wow! Barcia but no Hannah or Lechien?
i cant help but chuckle when you have some dick on the internet who busts someones chops for a simple spelling or grammar error in someoes post. blaming the image of riders with tattoos for lack of outside sponsorship is ridiculous. most of the time when you see riders on tv they have their gear on and you cant see their tattoos anyway. as already mentioned, look at the players in the NBA and NFL...they have tons of visable tattoos and all the big corperations gobble it up. im willing to bet that some of you who are pointing fingers at riders with tattoos are probably fans of these players in other professional sports with tattoos. in fact, you will be watching the those players in the super bowl tomorrow wont you? all those zany (and stupid) commercials bringing in OUTSIDE money. now feel free look for any errors in my post and grade it accordingly.
That photo of Swink reminded me of his crash at Red Bud that year (95, I think). He did a can-can over Laroccos leap in practice but couldn't get his leg back over. He landed with his leg still over the bars, crashed and the got right back up and kept on going. Swink was def a bad ass.
Trust me LaRocco and Rick Johnson were as mean as any you have mentioned here (Have scars to prove it!!!!
For Mathes to get beaten with a baseball bat....he'd have to be a "sports reporter" first...instead of a suck up "former factory mechanic"....
Whatta' BS article...