skizzott

I can acknowledge it, however I personally don't consider it a 'choke'. No one is perfect, he just succumbed to the pressure/made a mistake as everyone does at some point. Just show's he is human, albeit super.

Funny thing is that while I'm a huge Rossi nut rider, I was happy that it happened and Hayden go the championship. Was nice to have a local (American) with running the #1 placard. And I have to tell you that I love watching the end of that race and get such a warm fuzzy feeling when Rossi pulls up and shakes Hayden's hand and you can practically feel the emotion through the T.V. Good stuff, imo, and shows you what a sportsman Vale is.

All I want, point blank, are exciting, white knuckle races. I don't care who is at the front, as it will be the better men, hopefully. I just hate watching the race for 4th and down, because the first 3 get so far out there is no action between them.

I've only really watched the premier class, but I hear that WSBK are the races to watch, so I might have to start broadening my scope.

jwfzr

Spoken like a truly blinded by love fanboi Pete. Admit he choked the biggest race of his life and move on please.

richardlpalmer

I'm a huge fan of Vale, Hayden, Hopper, Edwards, Capirossi, et al. Whoever's running well can make it fun to watch.

Remember a couple years ago Olivier Jacque (riding the Kawi) started reeling Rossi in big time during a rain race? Just the prospect of him pulling closer and closer made for an exciting race. It was awesome watching him close in seconds per lap!

As for the Rossi's loss in 2006 which kept him from taking the title I never saw that as a choke. A choke would be running well for the whole race and throwing it away. That clearly wasn't the case.

mnewell

Another thing about the 06 season... Didn't Rossi have some tire issues that year? I seem to remember a race or two (Le Mans?)?

If Rossi wins the title he will have won every GP title in the modern era. That's pretty amazing.

jwfzr

Running well for the whole race and then throwing it away? That is what you call a choke? What about entering the last race of the season with an 8 point lead after making up a pretty big points deficit only to throw it away early on. This is the greatest choke ever made in motosports history.
Tire issues? Who does not have some sort of tire issue every season? Excuses are all that is ever offered up. The fact of the matter is that it was a fantastic choke that forever tarnished his legacy.
On the other hand as mnewell said it would be pretty impressive, but not unprecedented for him to win this year and have titles in all current gp classes.

richardlpalmer

No, that sounds like a poor race to me.

How is it not unprecedented? Rossi's won world championships in 125cc, 250cc, 500cc, MotoGP (990cc) and if he wins this year he'll have won MotoGP (800cc). No one else has won every class in the modern era...

GixxerPete

I won't admit it as I just don't see it that way. I don't think it was the biggest race of his life for one thing, and for another I don't think it was a choke. Rossi doesn't choke. He is incapable of choking, iti is beneath him. Rossi can make mistakes however, which is all this was, a simple mistake. It was in the beginning of the race. It didn't even look like he was pushing that hard, just one of those "shit happens" front end slides we've seen a million times... two riders going around the same corner at the same speed, one of them suddenly washes out, the other doesn't.

So I know you love to take one small mistake (that did cost him the championship) and try to blow it out of proportion and call it a "choke" in a pathetic attempt to put a chink in the armor of the GOAT, but it simply doesn't hold water.

Let's not forget he had two mechanical DNFs that season, as well as being taken out by Elias. Three zero-point race weekends that were not his fault. Had those not occured, he'd have been so far ahead of Nicky he could have not even shown up for that race and still won the championship. But that's racing.

Now if you want to see some quality choking, just watch Stoner in the last couple of races.

It is interesting though that despite the fact that Rossi is doing exactly what you said he could not do, win another championship, you still dog on him. Why can't *you* just admit what everyone else already knows... Rossi *is* the GOAT.

GixxerPete

Right you are, Ken! He had his tires chunk to pieces twice, forcing him to retire.

I spose Jason will call those "chokes" too.

GixxerPete

That's an easy one... cuz winning just one championship on a blatantly dominant bike is unprecendented.

richardlpalmer

Shoot! I forgot, I shouldn't bring logic to the table when it's a discussion about racing. Won't happen again!

mnewell

You gotta be kidding me.

How is that choke worse than Stoner losing Laguna Seca? His practice times were faster than the whole field's qualifying times. He qualified how much faster than Rossi?

What about the last race? Stoner qualifies over a second faster than Rossi. Leads the first few laps, builds a nice lead but then manages to crash out while in the lead. No one was within a second of him...

If you are a fan of Stoner, you should be pretty well-versed in chokes...

jwfzr

Maybe I've been giving you guys to much credit? I really should not have to explain why the Rossi choke is in a whole other realm. Here it is boys so pay attention.
8 point lead going into the final race of the season. All he has to do is finish in the top 5. What does he do after Hayden goes by? Throws it down the road. Comparing Stoners recent demise to this catastrophe is ridiculous.
As far as Rossi winning all classes in GP. Yes it is a big deal until one considers it's been done in other eras, and one looks at the lack of competition Rossi has faced throughout his career not to mention the fact that he has been on superior equipment the entire time with the exception of one or possibly two seasons. If he does go on to win this season my hat goes off to him. He will have done something I did not think he was capable of doing. Winning against real competition.

Ciao998

uggghhh, you guys give me a headache

dragracer1951

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/S...Rossi+catch+up

Even Stoner thinks he can't beat Rossi....

skizzott

Now he's got an old hand fracture that mysteriously reoccured, possibly from a 'shake of the bike'. Just building up the excuses for when he succumbs to the pressure and loses on Sunday. Imo, of course.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/S...+hand+fracture

tophyr

Now, what is he choking on... that is the question

skizzott

Wow, I got up at 4:30 this morning (after being out late no less) to watch the race live. I won't give anything away, but wanted to bump the thread to discuss after it has aired tonight.

dragracer1951

This should be a good discussion.....

wheezl

<deleted very very vague reference to what happened in the race, though it still lives on as quoted text!>

All I was saying is that if your GF calls you up for that threesome you have been talking about and you decide to watch the race instead, you will be disappointed

One thing it does prove is that Speed Network is an absolute joke. I can understand them delaying it because they are generic losers who know nothing about motorsports, But 11PM?? That is retarded. It should have been on live at 5am then if they wanted to delay it they could have shown it again at 11am. They should also have at the very least condensed coverage of 125cc and 250cc. It would be one thing if they had a ton of other content crowding out MotoGP, but they have *nothing* on *ever*. I understand a large part of their audience are nastards so it is understandable that they show those races live, but filling up space with reruns of races and endless talking about those races makes no sense.

Most of the races are Central European Time and never conflict with any sporting even in the USA. Dorna makes an english broadcast that Speed network just uses anyway... so they don't even have to hire announcers. I can only guess that Dorna would charge too much for the live feed. It's not like they are going to get many more viewers for a race at 11pm on a Sunday than they would at 5am.

FatMatt

Will you please shut the fugg up until 9:00p.m. PST?

wheezl

OK ok But really, why would anyone check racing related threads if they decided not to watch the race live?


Anyway no more outta me in this thread until speed elects to show the race.

richardlpalmer

Spoiling race results is a quick route to becoming hated and/or banned on a motorcycle forum. Have some common sense and either look for the thread marked SPOILER! or make one yourself if you want to talk about results.

Seriously...

DoubleD

Stoner crashes again, this is like de ja vou from a few years back...MrsD

Ciao998

Stoner is a boner..................this year.

Hope he gets his head right soon.............JOhn

fastfoodfred

Whooo's the Bitch naaaoow?!?

richardlpalmer

Well, I haven't seen the race yet...

Fuck me, thanks for ruining it for me. What part of post another thread marked "SPOILER" didn't you understand?