Won't Root for a Motorcycle Racer I don't "Like"

[denydog]

I'm sure there are countless reasons that people cheer for their favorite motorcycle racers, but I've seen several recent posts that seemed to indicate that some would or wouldn't root for a particular racer depending on whether they liked them as a person, or a least used non-skill traits as a justification.  

Do you root for the good guys only?



BTW- I suppose this question would also apply were it about most athletes, and politicians.

[Hotbrakes]

I root for whoever comes from the back and makes a good push for a podium spot, the Americans in Moto GP, and any underdog.  It doesn't really matter to me, I just want to see a good race.

[Orson]

Not really.

Kenny Roberts is sometimes portrayed as an arrogant SOB, while Freddie Spencer is sometimes portrayed as a tee totaling church-going pillar of cleanliness.

seeing what Kenny did with a TZ750 dirt tracker was enuff to make me a fan regardless  

I never understood the hate piled on Pedrosa...is it just because he doesn't smile?

Doohan was a bit of a stick in the mud, but that didn't make me hate.

[bomber]

Good racers make good racing.

A "nice " guy might be important to sponsors, but not so much to spectators, I think.

[scottzilla]

I voted "Must be likable" if I don't like them i'm not a fan no matter how hard I try.
I never warmed up to Biaggi, Pedrosa, Doohan, Hacking, Mladin and Yates simply because I think their personalities suck.  All are great racers (Except Hacking.  Fuck him) and I respect their abilities but I just can't consider myself a fan.

[RRdvark]

I voted "likable" also, but that means likable to me.  I liked Spencer, Lawson, and Roberts, but I rooted against Schwantz for years, mostly because he was on a Suzuki (remember Rainey vs. Schwantz on superbikes?).  I don't like Pedrosa (or his manager Puig) or Biaggi, but I rooted for Mladin and Kocinski.  It's not necessarily just personality that makes a rider likable, but also what bike they ride or how they have reacted to certain situations ( like Biaggi when asked "do you miss Italy" and he says "I have Miss Italy" - that made him a little more likable in my book).

[phoenix]

no, I don't root for a racer I don't like. What's so hard to understand about that?
If I think someone is an a-hole, generally, I want them to lose. Not crash and die, just lose. Well, maybe sometimes crash.
For me, this is not even 10% of the guys on the grid. The other 90%, sure, I'll root for them to win.

[bluepoof]

I root for whoever's butt looks best on the ass cam view.  

[bomber]

no, I don't root for a racer I don't like. What's so hard to understand about that?
If I think someone is an a-hole, generally, I want them to lose. Not crash and die, just lose. Well, maybe sometimes crash.
For me, this is not even 10% of the guys on the grid. The other 90%, sure, I'll root for them to win.

Actually, I DO find it hard to understand -- it's not like the racer is your buddy that mistreated you, or dated and then dumped your sister . . .. if those were true, THEN wishing the rider a good crash might make sense . . . .

;-}

[phoenix]

Actually, I DO find it hard to understand -- it's not like the racer is your buddy that mistreated you, or dated and then dumped your sister . . .. if those were true, THEN wishing the rider a good crash might make sense . . . .

;-}

I really don't follow what the guys do off the track. I could care less about their personal lives and such.

I am not a fan of Jorge Lorenzo. He's an arrogant little shit IMO. The whole "I won at Laguna Seca is like the first man on the moon" or "I am so great I am like the 4th Beetle".  

Sometimes it appears to me that someone has an unfair advantage. I find that easy to dislike, and hence, root against. A few years ago it sure looked like GP-Ducati's had much more HP than anyone else. And last year I considered the Buell's as having an unfair advantage over the 600's in Daytona Sportbike. This year, I'm rooting a little for Danny Eslick, until it seems like he takes a cheap shot at someone and wins the race at someone else's disposal. I can't say that this has happened in 2010.

I don't care for guys who points-race. Give us a race, fer crying out loud.

Overall, maybe I've just got a tendency to root for the guy who looks like he's a bit of an underdog and has to use everything he's got (within the rules) to finish well.

[bomber]

Ph -- got it -- our opinions are very close, indeed.

Good close racing, is what I enjoy. Wanna join me at Peoria next month? MotoGP could only WISH for good, clean, close racing like what we'll see there.

Plus, you know, pok chop sammiches.

[denydog]

I voted for "I don't even know these guys".  There are a ton of people on the television machine that I try hard not to judge unless I have more information from other sources.  But sometimes I can't help calling them idiots, or whatever.

As others have mentioned, when it comes to competitive sports, I'll most always root for the underdog, unless it's the home team.  Of course my home teams are pretty much all underdogs these days.

[nnjhawk02]

I never understood the hate piled on Pedrosa...is it just because he doesn't smile?

No - its cause he wiped out Hayden in '06 & he performs in midget porn in off season

[scott19]

"Liking" a racer, or whomever, doesn't necessarily mean that you appreciate that they are a nice person. There are plenty of folks that like "bad" people.  To be geek for a sec, I'm sure there are more people who "like" Darth Vader than there are are who "like" Luke Skywalker.

It's all about personality, and to quote Samuel L. Jackson: "Personality goes a long way."  

[sammyseaman]

"Liking" a racer, or whomever, doesn't necessarily mean that you appreciate that they are a nice person. There are plenty of folks that like "bad" people.  To be geek for a sec, I'm sure there are more people who "like" Darth Vader than there are are who "like" Luke Skywalker.

It's all about personality, and to quote Samuel L. Jackson: "Personality goes a long way."  

Dude, your mom is gonna yell at you for interwebbing so late. Hell, she might even cancel your WOW account.

[Zen Rider]

No - its cause he wiped out Hayden in '06

 

[1000lbs]

I root for whoever I picked for the fantasy racing league  .

Oh, I also root less for riders who constistantly have excuses for not winning (even after a good performance) and not giving the winner credit for being faster that day.  This pretty much applies to any form of competition I spectate.

[DogBoy]

I'm sure there are some riders I'd enjoy having a beer with more than others but they aren't on the track to make me feel good, so I judge them by their performance. Sure some are more ruthless or goofy than others but there isn't a single personality type that makes a great racer and the variety of characters makes it more real and more interesting.

I was as pissed as anyone else at Pedrosa's Estroil dive-bomb in 2006 but I think he gets a bum rap. There's a lot more to Pedrosa than one mistake in 2006. Some 20 year old kid named Nicky Hayden knocked Haga off his Aprilia at the Laguna Seca WSBK round in 2002. That shit happens in racing.

[Orson]

but I rooted for Mladin and Kocinski.  

Those two make my dick head list  

Mladin for his blocking attempt of Ben Bostrom's qualifying lap at the Pikes Peak national a few years ago, and Kocinski for his "If you ain't American, you ain't shit" comment, for which he later expressed remorse (I think).

but even then, I didn't root against them, although I wasn't particularly sad when they lost  

[JonS]

I have to like the guy or he is the lesser of two I don't care for. Nationality means nothing to me. This year I'm having a hard time warming up to Spies because he beat Haga last year for the title. I do think he's an ok guy and will probably get over it. In MotoGP, I really don't like Jorge because he always looks so smerky. I loved it 2 years ago when he was crashing so much. I didn't want him to hurt himself though. I'm not completely insane with this stuff. Stoner bugs me because he is such a crybaby when things aren't going his way.
On the other hand, I have nothing against Dani. I think he is just shy and has a hard time in the spotlight.

[J-Mac]

Anthony Gobert has ruined his life. Purse snatching, working at Subway, always in trouble.
But if he got another chance, I'd root for him.

I don't like Dani for crashing out Hayden.
I didn't like Eslick when he rode the cheater bike, but I'm starting to like him now.
Everyone has to love the Bostrom brothers. They're so cool!

[2WheelPilot]

Has to be likable... to me.  I can like an arrogant a-hole, if he's not too arrogant, and he can back it up.  I like KR.  What he did on that TZ was amazing.  For me, dirty riding/driving puts me off.  Pit politics puts me off.  And whining.  I can't stand whining.  Also quitters.  If you have a job getting paid to race a motorcycle (or anything really), get your a** out there and give the fans and your employer their money's worth.  I don't see this as much in road racing, but I see it a lot in motocross.

I was as pissed as anyone else at Pedrosa's Estroil dive-bomb in 2006 but I think he gets a bum rap. There's a lot more to Pedrosa than one mistake in 2006. Some 20 year old kid named Nicky Hayden knocked Haga off his Aprilia at the Laguna Seca WSBK round in 2002. That shit happens in racing.

Yes, that crap happens, but in addition to the bone headed dive bomb move on a team mate (who basically had the championship wrapped up if nothing bad happened), Pedrosa and Puig controlled Honda during Nicky's championship season, and did everything they could to torpedo Nicky's championship.  The dive bomb was just icing on the crap cake.  I don't want to see Pedrosa injured, but he's the only rider anywhere I LIKE to see crash.  I LOVE seeing him fall back through the field.  I would LOVE to see him get fired by Honda, and wind up on a Kawasaki... in WSBK (and I'm a Kawasaki guy).  Unfortunately, the little bastard IS fast and will likely be with Honda for several more years.

[Redbandit14]

I answered Who cares but.... I don't like Pedrosa Or Lorenzo. Not 100% sure why.2006 sure but that was ages ago you'd think i'd get over it.

 I don't want either to win a championship. Guess I'll be disappointed.

[sammyseaman]

The way Lorenzo celebrates after a win and after we all find out he's a little whiney bitch I have to say I'll be rooting against him for at least a couple years.