Some fans need the drama, some need the perfect style or the fat whips, some need the great social media content, the fireworks and light shows. Then some, including yours truly, love nothing more than witnessing unbelievable talent. Even if said talent has a 20 second lead.
Any true fan loves everything about our sport, I even love the things I don’t like, if that makes sense? It’s the good and bad that makes up the sport which consumes my life.
As I write, we have 3 supercross titles just about won, and only 2/3 way through the 2022 season. Eli, Christian and Jett are a level above their competitors. For some fans it’s gotten a little stale, this makes sense though, as a human race we have become accustomed to constant entertainment. Sure, I love close racing, who doesn’t. That Salt Lake City mudder at the height of covid, where Eli and Coop went at it comes to mind. And I love a bit of good LQC carnage, maybe a bit of trackside biffo! But I love seeing greatness even more.
Maybe take a look at the past, our sport had its biggest booms during times where big leads and easy wins were the norm, none more than Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael and we sure don’t think back to the King and the Goat being boring, no, we remember the greatness.
Honestly, in twenty years when I think about this season, I’m not going to remember the take outs and drama, I’m not going to think about weather Chase or Kenny had the most perfect technique, or who had the best Instagram posts. But I am going to remember Eli’s wicked first season on Yamaha. I’ll remember Christian hopefully getting it done after years of setbacks. And the first of hopefully many Supercross titles for the Jett.
I was a mad fan of the sport before the Nac Nac was even a thing, so I guess I’m attracted to pure racing and I’m still more impressed by ridiculous corner speed than any “instabanger” you can come up with. I can listen to Dave Arnold (Look him up Kids!) talk about the different flex characteristics of early works alloy parts with much more enthusiasm than I would watching a Team Fried video.
Just one old moto nerd’s opinion, feel free to disagree. I’m a “camp at Red Bud” type fan. You might be a “hit the casino after the night show” fan. But please, just take a moment to realise the history you are watching.
Go ride.
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