Yippee. I really hope Honda's PR department is really good at getting you all this Honda hoopla all the time and that payola has nothing to do with it. Not to sound like the cranky ones here, but when your race reports are Honda press releases, I start to wonder...
Hoo's Hoo on Honda
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I guess they've got to get the information from somewhere so what's wrong with press releases.
Go Honda Go.
In fairness, I note that most of the race reports on any of the sites (eg RRWorld, AMASuperbikes and the British virtual rags) mostly derive from (or are posted directly from) the manufacturers' press releases (Honda and Ducati in WSB, Honda, Yamaha and Aprilia -- esp for 125 and 250 gp), and I have to admit that these all do a good job of reporting -- as good or better than many professional journalists, going out of their way to credit the performance of their rivals.
Short of having MO hire a team of correspondants to cover the races and report (they would have to get one hell of a lot more subscribers than they now have, or charge a lot more than $12 each), this is probably the best alternative.
Short of having MO hire a team of correspondants to cover the races and report (they would have to get one hell of a lot more subscribers than they now have, or charge a lot more than $12 each), this is probably the best alternative.
Re: Ben is coming back to AMA?
I should really pay more attention to the racing world.
What are the details on this? Did Ducati drop him or did he choose to come back on his own?
I should really pay more attention to the racing world.
What are the details on this? Did Ducati drop him or did he choose to come back on his own?
Re: Ben is coming back to AMA?
Dropped, I believe.
Dropped, I believe.
No, no, no, not complaining about the press releases, just pointing out that the first info we get on race results from this site is the Honda press release. And then other releases. And then finally a summary with the whole enchilada, listing who finished in what position for the whole field, not just where the Honda riders finished or how the Ducati team feels about the races. How much trouble is it to compile an objective, non-press release race results column from existing sources? Not suggesting they hire a team of correspondences, just one columnist or another surfing around to find out who placed where and what the issues are. Take the honda press release and take the info from it and other releases, do some research or querying to those that don't automatically send a release and do an article. I'm pretty sure that's a lot of what reporting is all about? Or I could be wrong, maybe ya'll are right and its more about reprinting a press release verbatim...
Re: Ben is coming back to AMA?
A little of both, actually. They [ducati] would have rather had BBoz than Xaus but BBoz was intent on coming back to the states. I know he didn't like racing against Michelin while on Dunlops.
A little of both, actually. They [ducati] would have rather had BBoz than Xaus but BBoz was intent on coming back to the states. I know he didn't like racing against Michelin while on Dunlops.
I agree. Unfortunately, it seems that the whole e-zine standard of reporting (at least related to motorcycle racing) still lags far beond that of the print media or of other sports. Probably somewhat of a Catch-22 -- can't afford it until a lot bigger readership, but can't draw the readership without better reporting.
Personally, I think that much of the print coverage sucks too. Auto racing (except maybe NASCAR) is just as bad. Print mags used to have detailed, almost lap-by-lap coverage (this in the pre SpeedTV, pre internet days). Now, by the time they get to press, it is old news, and all you get is a couple of paragraphs (except for AutoWeek).
Unfortunately, nobody in the internet has stepped in to provide this same level of reporting on a more current basis. Roadracing World's Max Oaxly (sp?) does a pretty good job of GP coverage, but his reports are not available on line, until about a month after the print edition is released (they don't wanna cannabalize paid subscriptions with free internet access to the same stories). I have found some half decent WSB coverage on some of the British sites, and if I read Italian or were more fluent in Spanish, I bet I could find the GP coverage I am looking for, but in English, there just ain't much out there.
Meanwhile, for results, I look to www.roadracingworld.com or www.amasuperbikes.com (which, contrary to its name, is not limited to reporting on AMA or Superbikes), and then for analysis, look to those same sites for the press releases, which, as I said, are surprisingly objective and informative.
I suspect that this site's readership is less race-result focused that that of the other sites mentioned, so I am not all that surprised that their reports tend to lag, and that there is a virtually total lack of actual race reporting.
Now, I gotta figure what to do with myself after Valencia this weekend -- is anybody gonna cover ice racing in Norway and Sweden?
Personally, I think that much of the print coverage sucks too. Auto racing (except maybe NASCAR) is just as bad. Print mags used to have detailed, almost lap-by-lap coverage (this in the pre SpeedTV, pre internet days). Now, by the time they get to press, it is old news, and all you get is a couple of paragraphs (except for AutoWeek).
Unfortunately, nobody in the internet has stepped in to provide this same level of reporting on a more current basis. Roadracing World's Max Oaxly (sp?) does a pretty good job of GP coverage, but his reports are not available on line, until about a month after the print edition is released (they don't wanna cannabalize paid subscriptions with free internet access to the same stories). I have found some half decent WSB coverage on some of the British sites, and if I read Italian or were more fluent in Spanish, I bet I could find the GP coverage I am looking for, but in English, there just ain't much out there.
Meanwhile, for results, I look to www.roadracingworld.com or www.amasuperbikes.com (which, contrary to its name, is not limited to reporting on AMA or Superbikes), and then for analysis, look to those same sites for the press releases, which, as I said, are surprisingly objective and informative.
I suspect that this site's readership is less race-result focused that that of the other sites mentioned, so I am not all that surprised that their reports tend to lag, and that there is a virtually total lack of actual race reporting.
Now, I gotta figure what to do with myself after Valencia this weekend -- is anybody gonna cover ice racing in Norway and Sweden?
Re: Ben is coming back to AMA?
Thats how I read it also. From interviews I have seen with Ducati reps and with BBoz, both sides are expressing a great deal of respect for the other, and clearly leaving doors open for the future. I think BBoz had some personal issues that were distracting him while in Europe, and that, had he stayed in WSB, he woulda been pressed to switch back to Michelins. He never got comfortable on the Michelins before, but Dunlop were clearly not up the the standard in 2002.
Ben had, and still has, a great deal of support within the Ducati organization. It seems that they were completely sincere in wishing him all the best with Honda. Hell, they even agreed to let him appear at the Honda Dealers Convention to announce his deal, while still under contract to, and on the payroll of, Ducati.
Thats how I read it also. From interviews I have seen with Ducati reps and with BBoz, both sides are expressing a great deal of respect for the other, and clearly leaving doors open for the future. I think BBoz had some personal issues that were distracting him while in Europe, and that, had he stayed in WSB, he woulda been pressed to switch back to Michelins. He never got comfortable on the Michelins before, but Dunlop were clearly not up the the standard in 2002.
Ben had, and still has, a great deal of support within the Ducati organization. It seems that they were completely sincere in wishing him all the best with Honda. Hell, they even agreed to let him appear at the Honda Dealers Convention to announce his deal, while still under contract to, and on the payroll of, Ducati.
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