I guess the business model followed by the WWF and Nascar is just too compelling. I guess the powers that be want to see some banging, with no lines drawn . . . anywhere. The AMA caved in to popular sentiment (or the vocal minority?), and awarded Kevin Windham his ten points back. What’s coming next? Take some time to look around the net for quotes from Bob Hannah, David Bailey or, better yet, David Vuillemin himself. These guys know it’s payback time.
The irony is that the AMA wasn’t doing anything new by punishing Windham in the first place. Dirty riding has been punished since before the Damon Bradshaw/”Chicken” Matasiavich incidents (the early 90s). The AMA just recognized that a fine of a few thousand dollars doesn’t work when the rider involved can fly to the races in his own airplane and pick up an extra $50,000.00 bonus for winning the race. That same fine could destroy a privateer. Point deductions really hurt . . . independent of a rider’s wealth.
Okay, get the picture? The AMA sends this message: The most skilled rider shouldn’t win the race. It should be the last man standing. WWF-style. That’s machismo. Every other idea about sportsmanship is for sissies.
It seems like every other journalist fell in line. “Free Kevin Windham”, someone said. “Fans” posted messages like “**** the French guy.” It became PC on the net to bash the AMA for the point deduction.. If you said anything different, you were labelled a Yamaha shill or someone who didn’t understand “real motocross”.
Now that the AMA has reversed its decision, guess who the biggest loser is? The biggest loser is the motorcycle industry, because this will help perpetuate a stereotype we have been fighting for decades. A stereotype that has something to do with recklessness, lawlessness and, dare I say it, immaturity. The biggest loser is the motorcycle industry, and the biggest individual loser in that industry is the biggest manufacturer of motorcycles. Kevin Windham’s sponsor. That’s right, Honda Motor Company. Be careful what you wish for . . .
