Stars and Stripes forever

Okay, she's hot. "Auntie Sam" showed up at the Bercy Supercross, strutting her stuff. Too bad she couldn't find a pole long enough to keep that oversized flag off the ground. Hmmm. From his Racer X Gallery, Simon Cudby always gets the best angles.

Even French gangster-elles were unable to stop him

A pair of Bercy beauties, brandishing real tommy guns! (nope) Not bad, but not quite as hot as some of the Monster and Rockstar girls we've seen. And who's goosing the one on the right? Photo by Geoff Meyer/mxlarge.com.

"The fastest man on the planet"

James Stewart is winning hearts and minds in France. I wonder if his popularity is getting an Obama bounce? Photo by Geoff Meyer, from his great coverage of the first night of the 2008 Bercy Supercross in Paris.

SuperX is super innovative!

Chad Reed's SuperX: The Australasian Supercross Championship is underway and you MUST check it out. Talk about thinking outside of the box, the SuperX organizers are using "Four all-new revolutionary race formats that pit riders in a bar-to-bar battle to the chequered flag - Super Sprint, Man-on-Man, Survival and The Triple Challenge."

At first glance those formats sound hokey, but there's a remedy for that: check out the video from the Geelong round, which features The Triple Challenge... instead of a 20 riders contesting a 20-lap main, they run three 6-lap sprints. Spoiler alert: would you be surprised to hear that Chad Reed won all three motos?

As for the overall production, I am impressed. They clearly have their business act together, the video coverage is great, they have crazy hype announcers (too crazy for me; one of 'em runs down an injured Daniel Reardon and sticks a microphone in his face to ask him a question that surely could have waited), they have an obvious name recognition factor with the X Games, so expect to see more Australasian racers competing in that event no doubt. This series looks like a winner, and Chad and his partners have a 10-year license to run this series for Motorcycle Australia. This could be Reed's most heads-up play to date.

Go Chad, itsyabirfday!

American Motocross owes a debt to Husqvarna

Such a beautiful machine. The AMA's Motorcycle Hall of Fame has a feature on this 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross at their website, saying "Few motorcycles have started more off-road dreams than this one." That's quite a claim until you realize that this very motorcycle starred in that great classic "On Any Sunday" ridden by absolute motorcycle superhero Malcolm Smith.

It's cool that the AMA recognizes the pioneering brand in the Hall of Fame; I still think it's too bad they didn't "recognize" the 2008 Husqvarna 450TC that tried to enter the Nationals this year. Remember that? Racerhead even reported that "One critic critic called the AMA 'retarded'” (that wasn't me; I said, "Sure, the AMA stuck to its guns at Glen Helen, but in a weird way they wound up dissing the marque that arguably brought motocross to America").

Irony loves the AMA, because it always seems to follow it around. [extra point trivia question: How many Huskys in the Hall of Fame?]

Hey different man, nicer shot!

Rockstar brought out the talent, but hot as she is, they get even hotter in Paris for the Bercy Supercross. Photo by Racer X's Simon Cudby.

Hey man, nice shot

I like this photo of James Stewart getting flat at the Rockstar U.S. Open from the French site Motoverte.com, as they pump up the crowd for the upcoming Paris Supercross.

DC speaks about Motocross to Vital MX

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Word. Actually, voice and slides over some snazzy background tunes, MX Sports' Davey Coombs talks about the future with GuyB.

Because it is all about them

Just one cool photo from the friendly folks at "The #1 Amateur Motocross Magazine and Website in the US!" of a couple of unidentified mini racers at Branson, Missouri. The National Motocross Championship has always inspired kids like these to pursue the dream of a racing career. The task at hand is to build a series that can make more of these dreams reality.

Working Hard and Hardly Working, Pt. II, or "Drop the bomb on the MX Crew!"

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

MX Sports head honcho Davey Coombs, I believe, is the hardest working man in American motocross (though I am sure he would bestow that honor on some of his staff). I also think he has the coolest job in the Nation, taking on the task of re-tooling the American motocross championships without the fetters of the AMA. From literally growing up at the racetrack in West Virginia, to revolutionizing the way the sport is covered in the media, to now having his hand on the wheel... talk about the living the American dream!

Addressing the motocross world from a podium in Las Vegas this weekend, DC presented the "first round of significant improvements" to the 2009 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF. GuyB brought back the goods.

And it is good stuff. The centerpiece is the improved television/web package with the Speed channnel, featuring a "minimum" of three races broadcast live, same-day broadcasts for the rest of the 450 class races (yes, they dissed the 250s again, but I'm sure it was for a good reason) and free live web video of the first motos of all races! And they rectified the class name bullshit. And a few other things... it's a great start indeed (here's hoping they rectify more bullshit with the next round of significant improvements).

I think 2009 will be just fine.

Working Hard and Hardly Working

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Take your pick. Rockstar rolls out the hotties in Las Vegas. Of course. GuyB couldn't resist (thank God).

Change is in the air...

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Look who's officially racing a Yamaha: the undefeated 2008 National Motocross champion, James Stewart, Jr., flogging that thing like a two-stroke. GuyB went to the official L&M San Manuel Yamaha Team introduction.

2008 Red Bull Motocross des Nations, Vurb Moto style

Once again, Price - Williams (Williams - Price?) deliver the goods. And once again, I can't figure out the margins thing.

The Best in the World: Team USA 2008

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

They did not dominate, but they still reigned supreme over the best of the rest of the world. Hold your heads up high, guys! You make us proud. Excellent pic by GuyB.

Congratulations Team USA for winning the 2008 Motocross des Nations!

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Check out this shot of the start of moto 3. These guys are going for it! And the shocker of the year: James Stewart did NOT win this moto! The guy doing the Ricky Carmichael impersonation is #4 Sebastien Pourcel of France. Yes, Seb won the moto!

There are a lot of great stories trickling out of the motocross media, so your best bet is to do what I'm doing: check out GuyB's great shots at VitalMX, and check in regularly at MXerDWs Racetime Pressroom Daily, which links to all of the latest posts throughout the MX world.

It's a beautiful day! Congratulations for a hard-fought win Team USA!

MXdN Saturday: The Man They All Came To See

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

No doubt about it, the World Motocross scene is hungry for James "Captain America" Stewart. Just like he did in the States at every outdoor National this year, James dominated qualifying for the Motocross des Nations, setting overall fast lap for the day. Despite falling twice (?), Stewart easily won the qualifying moto for MX1. GuyB catches a quiet moment.

MXdN Saturday: Ryan Rolled

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Ryan Villopoto dominated the MX2 class practice and qualifying in his own imitable style. GuyB downloads the transatlantic feed.

Price - Williams: International Motocross Sophisticates

It's Saturday on the Left Coast, the Motocross des Nations weekend is underway at Donnington Park in England, and this is a perfect time to just be a motocross fan. Check out this superb video of Saturday qualifying by the powerhouse team at Vurb Moto. And let's all raise a glass to Wes Williams and Gary Price for the fantastic compositions they're beaming back to us.

And I would embed it, but hey, today I'm just being a fan.

USA!

And now.... the Defcon series by One Industries

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

One Industries stepping out in a big way, so big props to them.

Ready for some Cool Sh*t?: Zach Oz speaks

And Wes Williams delivers anotha stunna, this interview with potential 2009 World Champion Zach Osborne of the Utag Yamaha team. There's even more at Vurb Moto.

Pingree: I lol'd

Racer X's David Pingree has a funny short one on the MXdN. I'm kidding. It's really funny.

The Bike that will Beat the World

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Ain't it pretty? This is my current desktop. I love factory bikes, especially the outdoor racebikes. And if the move to L&M/San Manuel/Yamaha goes according to all the reports, this is the last ultra-trick Kawasaki outdoor bike that James Stewart will ride. At least for a while. From a cool gallery by GuyB.

Getting ready to cross an ocean to do battle

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Team Kawasaki personnel pack James Stewart's race bike in preparation for the Motocross of Nations. GuyB has a cool gallery of shots here.

And now for something completely different...

Scott Goggles rocks the Bat Wing. No, that's not what they're really called; Oakley probably has the trademark on that word anyway. This is the Voltage ProAir, according to this VitalMX article.

Hey, I lived through the first day-glo revolution, so I'm not entirely suprised to see this generation get the bright color jones for a while. It'll pass. Eventually.

The new owner of Supercross: Kenneth Feld

This picture of the CEO of Feld Entertainment is from this deeply jarring 2003 article by CBS News. The story is about a writer suing Feld for retaliating for an "unflattering" article she wrote about the Ringling Bros. circus. Holy crizzap.

"But that was back in 2003, Paul, why bring up that old news?" you might ask. Check this out: that suit has been in court since then and there were some significant actions in the District of Columbia Superior Court’s civil division just a few weeks ago:

The Court ruled that Jan Pottker had presented evidence leading to “undisputed facts [that] form a sufficient basis to deny judgment to the defendants on all of the counts brought by Pottker and WCI [her writing company] against the Feld defendants.” These undisputed facts are the following:

(1) [Kenneth] Feld did not want Pottker to write about his family or the circus;
(2) Feld wanted Pottker diverted from writing about the circus;
(3) Feld contacted [Clair] George [former Deputy Director of (covert) Operations at the Central Intelligence Agency] to commission the writing of a favorable book about the circus to be used if Pottker appeared able to publish her proposed book on the circus;
(4) George, with Feld’s knowledge, consent and money, hired [Robert] Eringer to carry out the twin goals to see to the production of the shadow book and to divert Pottker from writing about the circus;
(5) Eringer sought out and befriended Pottker to obtain information about her writing and plans to secure her trust as to his value to her in the publishing world so that he could provide information to Feld;
(6) Eringer reported his information and findings to George through memoranda and dixcussions;
(7) Eringer received the money he needed to carry out plans to divert, such as securing the money from Feld entities to partner with National Press Books to co-publish the Mars family book, Crisis in Candyland, by providing PPB the money that went for Pottker’s advance and securing the right to edit the book, but all in confidence with NPB without Pottker’s knowledge;
(8) Eringer entered into a written agreement with Pottker to publish Celebrity Washington, but made editorial suggestions that, under any reasonable interpretation, were designed, at best, to impede or delay the publication; and
(9) Eringer had to listen to “all of Pottker’s life plans” because he was paid to do that.

No, that's not moto. That's just nuts. This site calls it "... the latest chapter in one of the most bizarre stories in the annals of espionage..."

The supercross "circus" and the "real" circus... what the heck is going on?

Exhibit C: Yes, The Future again

Supercross. That word has changed hands again.

On August 29, Racerhead reported a rumor that "LiveNation has sold supercross to another entity..." Today, Racer X Online posts this press release from Feld Entertainment. Turns out LiveNation didn't just sell supercross, it sold its entire motorsports division, which is now called Feld Entertainment Motorsports. Sexy.

The press release states that the new entity "will maintain its current management, tour schedules, promotional partnerships and performance structure." So at first glance, it looks like the 2009 Supercross season should go along as usual. However, what's interesting to me is the way they refer to motorsports events as "performances." Now, I have referred to the "show" before, but coming from the folks responsible for Ringling Bros. Circus and Disney on Ice, for some reason it seems more disconcerting.

I was working for ABC News in the '80's when the network was bought by Cap Cities, and I remember that the transition barely registered at the studio level. Cap Cities was wise enough to leave the news shows alone, at least initially. I expect that a company of Feld Entertainment's size and experience will mostly do the same with Supercross. But change eventually arrived at ABC, and it will do so at Feld Entertainment Motorsports as well. Hang on, Sloopy.

Exhibit B: Another part of The Future

Okay, the last post looked funny 'cause I called it "The Future", but it featured a photo gallery from the past. I was referring to the fact that Racer X Online has completely revamped their site and now include easily linkable galleries featuring captions... something GuyB at VitalMX has been doing for a while now, I should add. But I think it's great that Racer X is stepping up it's online game even more, and they are the undisputed leader of online videos and race coverage in the U.S.

Anyway... in this post, The Future I am referring to involves a young man from the crazy state of Virginia (I can say that 'cause I know the place), Zach Osborne, who has landed a factory Yamaha ride to contest the World Championship in the 250 class, or what they like to call MX2. In this story from Cycle News Online, Osborne is joining the British Utag Yamaha.com team. Um, okay, guess I'll have to find out what the heck Utag is; unfortunately Cycle News didn't say. News, ladies and gentlemen, it's in the name.

ANYWAY, big huge props to Zach Osborne for landing a dream ride at the young age of 18, and for having the guts to take a different path by seeking the World Championship instead of the U.S. title. I wish him the best and look forward to following his progress in 2009.

Exhibit A: The Future

This just in (to me)... Racer X is dropping photos "gallery" style... here's the first one that caught my eye:

Photo Gallery » Flashback with David Bailey

You gotta read Bailey's caption on this one!
Posted using ShareThis

Saturday is Stewart Day

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Check out this VitalMX Perspective on James Stewart. Excellent slides and interview by GuyB.

Warning: prominently features that very weird, but strangely cool Fox neon gear.

Stewart Says: I definitely want to come back to run the number-one plate and try and go 48 and 0

That's what James Stewart told Steve Cox in the Racer X Monday Conversation.

There ya have it. Even though the deal with L&M Racing/San Manuel/Yamaha team is '09 SX only, James wants to race motocross and extend his winning streak.

Just three short months away. Let the silliness really begin.

Undefea7ed

Why so happy? C'mon, it's only motocross... ! j/k Congratulations again to Team Kawasaki for a phenomenal year, including Supercross. Photo by Steve Cox/RacerXIll.com.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Team dominates the 2008 U.S. Outdoor Nationals

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Congratulations to James Stewart and Tim Ferry and the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki team for getting it done, the two best racers and the best team taking the top two steps of the podium. Broc Hepler earned the right to bask in the glow for a race. History captured by GuyB.

Steel City: The 23rd moto, no pressure, right?

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

James made his perfect season look easy, but it wasn't. All those guys out there with him? They ALL wanted to be the dude that stopped the streak. GuyB on the case.

He Did It. Twelve Nationals in a Row.

Let's see that victory wheelie again. Photo by Steve Cox/RacerXIll.com

24 and oh he rode like this the entire time.

Photo by Steve Cox/RacerXIll.com.

Congratulations to James Stewart, Jr. for a Perfect Season

Great shot by Shan Moore/CycleNews.com.

No doubt, the Party of the Year... part 1

Great shot!

Killer Commercial for the Racer X Motocross Show

Perfection.

"Supercross" sold to "another entity"

There's a lot of cool stuff in this week's Racerhead over at Racer X Online, so I definitely recommend the read. But this quote stopped me in my tracks:

What’s going on with supercross? I’ve been hearing rumors that Live Nation has sold supercross to another entity and it is not DMG. I don’t know what that means for the sport, but I will do my best to find out more about it.

I'm not sure if that quote is David Pingree or Davey Coombs.

I would think that there's a public record of the transaction, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the investigative reporters covering the MX biz beat come up with! Happy Labor Day everyone!

Southwick: Fox Getting Carried Away With It

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

James Stewart came and conquered Southwick, winning his 21st and 22nd motos of the year, while wearing the Weirdest. Clothes. Ever. To come out of Fox Racing. Ever.

I had a chance to watch the first moto live webcast, and I saw James nearly endo over a fast jump. Later, he told Erin Bates and the SPEED TV webcast audience that he had a lot of close calls during the moto. Wow.

GuyB always gets the goods.

Southwick: The Man Who Should Be Second

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Timmy Ferry. Finished fourth in the first moto, finished fourth in the second moto, and finished third overall, behind Suzuki privateer Cody Cooper. This is probably the only time that a third place finish is not good. Of course, Ferry can always look at the points standings and say "Scoreboard," but with one race remaining in the race for second place, he is only 8 points ahead of Andrew Short. And it never looks good to be the factory guy getting "tooken" by a privateer. GuyB captures the sand blast.

Southwick: Seven Style Start

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Second moto start of the 450 class, and it looks like James Stewart has learned how to check out in the first turn! What a cool photo by GuyB.

Southwick: Villo Stops the Streak

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Freshly-crowned three-time National 250 Champion Ryan Villopoto dusted everybody in the sand, digging deep to win both motos and burying any chances of the "other Ryan" (Ryan Dungey) extending his two-National win streak. Decisive photo by GuyB.

Southwick: Wild Style Wharton

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Nice. Geico Powersports Honda's newest addition, Blake Wharton, put down some stylishly fast laps in the sand at Southwick. Wharton started off with the first moto holey and lead for four laps! A crash at the start of the second moto messed up his chances at a top five finish, but he did clock 10th overall in the 250 class with a 4-28 tally. Photo by GuyB.

Millville: Man (still) on a Mission

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Fox Racing made some special threads for James to sport in the second moto at Millville. Stewart won both motos, extending his streak to 20 wins in a row.

I think it's cool that James wanted to wear the #1. I hope he puts it on the bike in 2009.

GuyB photo.

Millville: Cannonball Run

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Congratulations to Ryan Villopoto for "salvaging" his season after losing the SX title by three-peating as the 250 National Motocross Champion! The Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki racer crashed hard during the first lap of moto two, losing not only position but style points as well. Fortunately he was not hurt, but he got up well back in the pack.

With the title already wrapped up, and the number one plate secure once more, Villopoto could have cruised around throwing whips and clickers for the crowd. Instead RV locked it WFO and passed everybody but Dungey. GuyB captures the hardcharger style.

Millville: Hometown Hero

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Hey, I didn't coin the phrase, I got it (and this pic) from GuyB of course.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey did it, he won his second national, and backed up the first quite nicely. However, there is no question who the really fast guy is...

Millville: "Another" Alessi steps up!

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Almost-factory Honda rider Jeff Alessi stepped it up big time at Millville, taking the holeshot from James in the second 450 moto. I think Jeff needs the spotlight, the exposure seems to do him some good... more top tens will do it. GuyB photo.

AMA Toyota Motocross National Championship: 10 rounds in and it's over!

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

2008 is definitely a year for the record books. The National Champions of Motocross were crowned on Sunday at Millville, two rounds before the actual conclusion of the series.

If Motocross utilized a "playoff-style" to determine its champions, this would never happen. Just sayin'...

Still, James Stewart, Jr. and Ryan Villopoto were/are so dominant in their respective classes, 450 and 250, it could be argued that most of their competition conceded the titles before the season even started!

To the champions, their teams, families, friends and fans, congratulations! Your unbelievable dedication to your craft, your unwavering commitment to excellence inspires us all to believe in and go for our own dreams. We salute you!

And to the undoubtedly hardworking people who put on the races, please consider that it may time for some "out-of-the-box" thinking to get more out of our sport. I mean, what's the reasoning behind using a points system that allows the title to be decided before all the races are run? Why use a scheme that increases the risk of financial loss for the remaining races? Sure, the riders get bragging rights... what do those promoters get, besides maybe heartburn?

Good Job, James

Keep knocking 'em down.

Millville Saturday Practice: Whatcha Got?

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

To me, the biggest question of this race weekend is can Ryan Dungey make it two in a row? The stop watches say no, as Dungey did not top Ryan Villopoto's fastest lap. Of course, that was the case at Washougal as well... GuyB gets the floater.

Millville: Brain Trust

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

James and James confer over lap times in the Kawasaki pits. One thing for sure: ALL of the Stewart championships have been the result of the parents and son working together. A Stewart Family affair. Spy photo by GuyB.

Millville: Class Act

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

Donny Schmit was one of my favorites, a real class act. Millville remembers the American World Champion. Commemorative pic by GuyB.

My Condolences

To all who have recently lost loved ones.

"The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity." ~Seneca

No, really. This IS Jason Lawrence's Ferrari 599

Motocross.com's Kristin Beat spent some time with "Out"Law at the X Games. So this beautiful, 600 horsepower V12 Ferrari actually belongs to Jason, ESPN did not rent it for him or anything of the sort. Check it out:

Surprisingly, Jason drove the car safely and flawlessly. From the parking lot to the pit entrance Jason was nothing but a calm gentleman. Even approaching parking security whom were hesitant to let J-Law pull the car in, Jason was patient and respectful. The pristine vehicle safely returned to the pits where it was parked on display in front of his motor home. J-Law may not have taken home a medal at X-Games, but I’m sure he had fun with his new toy regardless.

Did I say I was a little jealous? Now I'm even jealous of Kristen. How much of a Ferrari-loving wimp am I?

Chad Reed: "Maybe you’ll see me at Steel City"

Eric Johnson, one of the premier writers in motosports, talked with Reed about his new deal and Racer X put it online. Chad Reed has become eminently quotable:

I had an amazing experience and a great time at Yamaha. I definitely worked with some lifelong friends—Keith McCarty and his crew, I have nothing but respect for those guys, but I think it was time for a change. I needed some new motivation and there were just some different things I felt that I needed to do to be a better rider and that was the team I wanted. I put all my eggs in one basket and I’m glad we got it done.

That's the nice quote. Then Reedy dangled a carrot for his American motocross fans:

I would love to have a race before the Motocross des Nations. Maybe Southwick or Steel City. I really enjoy Steel City. The Coombs family puts on a great show there and it’ll be on a Saturday afternoon, so it’ll kind of be like a supercross. I don’t know…. Maybe if I get into shape and get up to speed and get comfortable, maybe you’ll see me at Steel City.

Okay, that would make ME want to go to Steel City, and I live in California!

But what he said about the team and the bike that Carmichael developed and rode to such dominance, well, that's why you should go read
"5 Minutes with... Chad Reed" at Racer X Online.

But before you go, ponder this: in 2009, Chad will be on Ricky's old bike with Roger DeCoster managing the team, while it is "rumored" that James Stewart will be on Chad's old bike with Larry Brooks managing the team. Things that make you go "Hmm..."

New Rockstar: Chad Reed on Suzuki

See More Motocross Photos at VitalMX.com

And he's taking the number 1 plate with him.

Chad Reed (correction: Two-time Supercross Champion Chad Reed) announced his new deal with Rockstar Makita Suzuki, and it sounds like a one year, supercross-mostly contract, if I'm reading this press release on VitalMX right:

Reed will race the 2009 AMA Supercross series and other selected events in the United States as well as compete in supercross events in his home country of Australia aboard his Suzuki EFI RM-Z450.

Nice looking bike, SuperX. Let's see what you can do on it. GuyB on the case.

X Games: This is Jason Lawrence's Ferrari 599

Well, it's the one he was driving at the X games (shown here outside Jlaw's Monster'd motor home), according to Trip at VitalMX:

X Games does give the bigger names flashy cars for the week they are here. I heard the car was his agents, maybe X Games rented it for him? It had a little Monster sticker in the back window.

Okay... I'll just admit to being a little jealous, sure, but is this just another example of ESPN playing the nation's top motorcycle talent? And the racers don't care because it feels so good to be treated like the moneymakers that they are!

Loretta Lynn's: Historical Style

I confess I don't know who this young man is [update: it's P.J. Larsen, winner of the Motocross A Pro Sport championship and co-winner of the AMA Horizon award]. The shot is from Amateur MX Magazine's Thursday report and it is uncaptioned. But it is so cool.

Loretta Lynn's: Racing Royalty

Eli Tomac won 6 titles this year at the Ranch. For a while, he was known as the son of mountain bike legend, John Tomac. Now he's known for his own multiple national championships. I'd like to see him turn pro on a Suzuki; wonder if Roger's thinking the same way? This great shot is from Impound #22, Chris Hultner's LL and Ponca City wrap up at Amateur MX Magazine, where you can catch even more videos of both amateur nationals.

The Eyes of the Industry

That's the caption for this shot from The Pulse: Loretta Lynn's Edition, Andy's wrap up over at MXSports.com (where you can also catch all five days of MX Sports Center episodes). Holy cow, that was the 27th running of the AMA Air Nautiques Amateur National Championship Finals! Some might have different opinions, but I think LL's has got to be the single most important race for aspiring professional motocross racers in the country, if not the world. If you kick ass at Hurricane Mills, Tennessee against the hot shoes that show up there, you can probably kick ass pretty much anywhere. That's why these guys, representing the top teams, are watching.

Smiles come in threes

Everybody gets this picture. Steve Bruhn shooting the soul of MX.

Actually, there is no "X" in motocross...

... and there is no "I" in team, blah blah blah, so what, right? I just wanted to run this Steve Bruhn/Racetime photo of some off-weekend amateur action straight outta Birmingham, Alabama's Warrior MX. "Amateur action" sounds kinda nasty, doesn't it?

X Games: ESPN giveth and ESPN taketh away

I'm reading an intensely interesting book right now, "The New Media Monopoly" by Ben Bagdikian, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who also happens to be dean emeritus of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley. In one chapter, Bagdikian describes the power plays implemented by the huge Gannett media conglomerate in the late '70's, when they were attempting to merge with another large media company, the Combined Communications Corporation (catchy name, huh?). Bagdikian wrote, "At the time, it was the biggest media merger in the country."

However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was reluctant to approve the merger for numerous reasons, not the least of which was the fact that outside groups were complaining about Gannett's record on hiring women and minorities. The author goes on to describe how Gannett went into action, making highly visible (yet still profitable to the company) moves to show the public it was positively responding to the charges. The FCC approved the merger, and one would think all was right with the world. But Bagdikian presents evidence that the merger only served to strengthen Gannett's media monopolies in a growing number of markets in America.

Whew.

This year, ESPN (or EXPN, whatever), for the first time in 14 years, has opened up the X Games to professional female motocross racers. Personally, I find this amazing... amazing that it has taken this long, and amazing that it is happening at all. But the people behind the X Games went even further in this sudden inclusiveness and created an event for physically-challenged motorcycle racers. Yes, the motorcycle portion (called "Moto X" in their lingo) of the X Games now specifically includes women and minorities. Well, a very special, very small minority. The message to the world is very clear: the X Games are good.

Which makes their "Darkmane" ad campaign even more infuriating to me. But I'll get into that later.

Now, I don't mean to imply that the X Games ever intentionally EXCLUDED women and any minorities in any of their previous broadcasts. The fact is, I have no idea how they decided who to invite to their games, or how they decided which sports would be included. It is obvious, though, that ESPN has fully embraced showcasing the dirtbike aspect of X, to the point where they now realistically compete with the traditional supercross and motocross promoters for the top talent in racing. Moto X World Championships, anyone?

And that is the point. Racers have made it no secret that the X Games people treat them like the superstars they truly are (or think they are), as opposed to the treatment they usually get from the promoters of the sports in which they make their livelihood. Maybe it's not obvious to most, but ESPN is definitely making a move on the most important part of professional motocross in America, and I'm not talking about the stadiums or the tracks.

Explain how the AMA can ban Jason Lawrence from professional competition, yet he is welcomed to compete in supercross at the X Games? Explain why Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath, both AMA legends and both permanently retired from AMA competition, choose to risk injury to compete for X Games medals (and cash)?

Did anyone say "live television coverage on a major cable channel and broadcast network?" Well, yeah, that's a major part of it, too.

So, back to the original point, does anyone wonder why ESPN decided to include women and the physically-challenged in the X Games lineup? I would like to believe they did it because it's the right thing to do. But my business sense (and the Gannett story) lead me to think that they did so for other reasons, ones that directly or indirectly affect their bottom line. Let's not be childish about this, we're talking about a company owned by Disney, which is, like Gannett, one of the world's largest media conglomerates.

Still, the X Games has got it going on, just admit it Pdub and stop being a hater, some might say to me. Look, I'm fine with most of what the X Games is about. I really like the skating and BMX portions, I'm over the freestyle stuff, I won't get drawn into the manufactured "step up" dramas, I think they finally have figured out how to do supermoto well, I'm glad they have finally embraced real supercross, and I respect them for experimenting with "Moto X Adaptive" for the physically-challenged riders. But the ad campaign this year rubs me the wrong way.

Admittedly, I may be hyper-sensitive, given the increased focus on racism in America due to this historic Presidential election cycle... all that Pennsylvania Primary stuff was nuts!... so when I see ESPN create a supposedly non-racial (he's wearing a mask!) character called "Dark"-something who "hates" X Games athletes and wants to enlist my help in "destroying" the X Games... it just pisses me off that someone confuses that with "creative" and then uses it to promote something that involves the sport I love, motocross.

Yes, what I want is the X Games to get it right, all the way, all the time, in my eyes. Yes, I may be asking too much, but that's only because I set my standards high. We can have great competition shown live on television, events that treat the athletes with respect and advertising that doesn't subversively manipulate the fans. That is not too much to ask.