Motorcycle.com

acecycleins · 05-27-2011, 06:58 AM

No Ken, You are look at this from the wrong approach. Go to Cycle News and read the Pegram article. Our biggest issue with roadracing in America is exposure. In vitually every other country that races bikes there is a huge grass roots following becasue of the way they educate, train then promote the sport. This allows kids that are still on Pocketbikes at the age of 6-7yo to be seen on TV occassionally to keep the fans and potential fans engaged in the sport. Much like TV works for Soccer everywhere but here.
If I knew that the USGPRU was televised, or at the very least documented for a 5-6 show run like Larry's Superbike Family show, then I would be more inclined to sponsor the kid. In a world were the majority of riders are now riding for no or just personal sponsor money they need TV exposure to expand the fan base. AMA is terrible at TV exposure. If I were the AMA I would give up the big Speed name and run my series on VS if they would televise all the races live. Fans want live races. Nascar made a fortune doing that. The only sport in racing you can't get away with live rounds in is Drag Racing. There's too much down time between rounds to make that effective. But in road racing you can schedule live rounds- GP and WSBK do.
If you can't get the kids live then build a brand based on reality TV that shows Loretta's and other kids on MX bikes, Flat track kids and road racing kids and turn it into a 10-12 show highlight reel of all that's going on. It gets kids with talent in front of potential sponsors for their future.

Morbo the Destroyer · 05-27-2011, 09:12 AM

Kirk, I'm totally in favor of kids racing! We all know the best racers started as kids and worked their way up the ranks. But this looks like it's over the top to me; especially the television coverage. We all know what "Reality TV" does to people.

I dunno why this bugs me so much. It's probably no big deal...

Sir_Angus · 05-27-2011, 09:45 AM

It's a neat idea & it's not like the sport isn't already saturated with overbearing parents. So, what little entertainment can be had at their expense could be something I'd watch. I don't see how televising the races would do anything except improve the kids chances at sponsorship down the road.

Morbo the Destroyer · 05-27-2011, 10:33 AM

I say we feed the little bastards to the lions and watch THAT on TeeVee.

"Ohno, little Johnny lost an arm on that one, Frank. Do you think he's going to make it to that spear in time to fend off the next attack?"

"Bob, Johnny's been 2-0 in the series so far, but that was his last arm. I'm afraid we won't be seeing him in the finals."

Kimbosquee · 05-27-2011, 10:59 AM

Ken, this is a show where kids appeared on one episode each. They covered many different motorsports with different kids for each episode. It's almost like those kids that do interviews on the news about what they do. This is not something like Jon and Kate.

05-27-2011, 06:58 AM	#11
acecycleins Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Georgia Posts: 4,125	No Ken, You are look at this from the wrong approach. Go to Cycle News and read the Pegram article. Our biggest issue with roadracing in America is exposure. In vitually every other country that races bikes there is a huge grass roots following becasue of the way they educate, train then promote the sport. This allows kids that are still on Pocketbikes at the age of 6-7yo to be seen on TV occassionally to keep the fans and potential fans engaged in the sport. Much like TV works for Soccer everywhere but here. If I knew that the USGPRU was televised, or at the very least documented for a 5-6 show run like Larry's Superbike Family show, then I would be more inclined to sponsor the kid. In a world were the majority of riders are now riding for no or just personal sponsor money they need TV exposure to expand the fan base. AMA is terrible at TV exposure. If I were the AMA I would give up the big Speed name and run my series on VS if they would televise all the races live. Fans want live races. Nascar made a fortune doing that. The only sport in racing you can't get away with live rounds in is Drag Racing. There's too much down time between rounds to make that effective. But in road racing you can schedule live rounds- GP and WSBK do. If you can't get the kids live then build a brand based on reality TV that shows Loretta's and other kids on MX bikes, Flat track kids and road racing kids and turn it into a 10-12 show highlight reel of all that's going on. It gets kids with talent in front of potential sponsors for their future. __________________ "Slack" - a state of being in which everything flows smoothly.....a frame of mind so at ease that the universe naturally cooperates.

05-27-2011, 09:12 AM	#12
Morbo the Destroyer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,309	Kirk, I'm totally in favor of kids racing! We all know the best racers started as kids and worked their way up the ranks. But this looks like it's over the top to me; especially the television coverage. We all know what "Reality TV" does to people. I dunno why this bugs me so much. It's probably no big deal... __________________ Fun Facts to Know and Tell! Thomas Jefferson wrote that the 1st Amendment erected a "wall of separation" between the church and the state (James Madison said it "drew a line," but it is Jefferson's term that sticks with us today). The phrase is commonly thought to mean that the government should not establish, support, or otherwise involve itself in any religion. Its.......A FACT!

05-27-2011, 09:45 AM	#13
Sir_Angus Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 210	It's a neat idea & it's not like the sport isn't already saturated with overbearing parents. So, what little entertainment can be had at their expense could be something I'd watch. I don't see how televising the races would do anything except improve the kids chances at sponsorship down the road. __________________ "There is no conspiracy. Nobody is in charge. It's a headless blunder operating under the illusion of a master plan." - from the film Cube

05-27-2011, 10:33 AM	#14
Morbo the Destroyer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,309	I say we feed the little bastards to the lions and watch THAT on TeeVee. "Ohno, little Johnny lost an arm on that one, Frank. Do you think he's going to make it to that spear in time to fend off the next attack?" "Bob, Johnny's been 2-0 in the series so far, but that was his last arm. I'm afraid we won't be seeing him in the finals." __________________ Fun Facts to Know and Tell! Thomas Jefferson wrote that the 1st Amendment erected a "wall of separation" between the church and the state (James Madison said it "drew a line," but it is Jefferson's term that sticks with us today). The phrase is commonly thought to mean that the government should not establish, support, or otherwise involve itself in any religion. Its.......A FACT!

Sponsored Links	Remove Advertisements
Motorcycle Forum Advertisement

05-27-2011, 10:59 AM	#15
Kimbosquee Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 4	Ken, this is a show where kids appeared on one episode each. They covered many different motorsports with different kids for each episode. It's almost like those kids that do interviews on the news about what they do. This is not something like Jon and Kate.