Above – Case in point! The 722
Fellow 90’s youth, will recognize that phrase from a very cool scene in “Pulp Fiction”. But it's not just cool it’s also very true. In sports, like all aspects of life, personality counts for a lot. Sometimes it’s because that great personality is genuine and authentic, sometimes it’s a bit of an act, maybe even coached by parents or agents.
No doubt, a rider's personality makes them money and gives them opportunities. Personal gear deals and sponsors are more likely and of course, so is a better team and bike and with that of course comes better results.
For example, I’m tipping Dean Wilson signing autographs in the pits gets a whole lot more action than Joey Savatgy does. I am by no means criticizing Joey, I actually applaud him for being so honest about his struggles with being in the spotlight, and it’s just who he is. But Joey’s been at least as fast, if not faster than Deano for some time now, this year Deano had a factory ride and Joey didn’t even have a full-time ride. Deano, of course, is a great example of what I’m talking about, he held on to a factory ride well past his prime due to having a
great following, which of course, sponsors love. And all credit to him, the ability to connect with people is a talent, and Deano is a natural.
Above – Joey, aboard his latest ride for Rick Ware Racing at the WSX
Sure, like always there are exceptions. Eli Tomac and Ryan Villopoto got all the goods while barely cracking a smile on the podium, but when you spend your career winning then you can do what you like! Funnily enough, RV is full of personality since retirement, and Eli has lightened right up in the twilight of his career.
The sport is full of riders who make the most of their off-bike time. Adam Enticknap “The Seven Deuce Deuce”, Gerard Stienke “Stank Dog”, Alex Ray “ARay” and Alex Martin “Troll” are some other examples, it’s no coincidence that every fan knows those nicknames. I’m sure Stank Dog, who only makes a couple of main events a year, is selling more merch than Vince Friese.
Even the post-career opportunities are better for these guys as they have built a personal brand. It’s not hard to imagine the 722 as a trackside comments guy or live announcer or ARay with a great job at ONeal. Troll already has his “Troll Training” business up and running.
Austin Forkner burst onto the scene as a mini phenom, won a race in his first year, and should have at least one championship but has had a lot of injuries, sound familiar? It’s almost the exact same story as Adam Ciancirulo. Both these guys are at points in their careers where it really is unknown if they can get it done. But if AC ends up with a tragically short career, he will have people beating down the door to hire him. I’d be very surprised if he didn’t get a TV gig. With his personality and personal brand, the moto world is his oyster even if he is not racing anymore. You can’t say the same for Austin.
If Logan Karnow was a seriously reserved person, how do things pan out this past year? He probably doesn’t finish the season and is probably looking for a real job.
If Justin Cooper had Aaron Plessinger’s personality, does he have a full-time ride this year? No chance Monster Energy let Star racing bench him for Supercross if he’s “Doin' it for Dale” and diving into mud puddles.
Above – AP doing AP stuff
If Shane Macelrath had Michael Mosiman’s personality, he probably has a factory ride right now, Shane’s career trajectory was just below Chase Sextons a couple of years ago. Now as I said with Joey, I’m by no means criticizing these riders, I’m just telling it how it is. It's not fair, but not much in life is. Shane is probably the nicest guy in the sport, super grateful and polite. Being a little dry or I hate to say, boring is the nature of many good people. But when you live in the spotlight of professional sport, then the world judges you. And the fans want personality.
Above – Deano, being loveable
The good news is that the industry has recognized it. You can’t totally change someone’s personality, but you can improve it a lot and you can also build confidence with communication skills. I myself was a kid who would be absolutely terrified to stand in front of a classroom, let alone a crowd, and as an adult, I love public speaking, gimme that microphone! The difference was practice and confidence. Confidence counts for a whole lot.
This year we had media training as part of the Pro Motocross combines and podium interviews at Supercross futures. The KTM group junior program, the “Orange Brigade” have Daniel Blair holding the reins, with media training and brand coaching as part of the plan to get these kids ready for life in the sport and in the spotlight. No doubt other brands will follow suit if they aren’t already. And of course, the social media landscape now days lends itself to people opening up and getting used to the attention.
Go Riding
Comments