BEST OF JODY’S BOX: “WHAT GOOD IS BEING THE BEST, IF IT BRINGS OUT THE WORST IN YOU?”
By Jody Weisel
Opinions, everybody has them. They tell you a lot about the person who holds them. Here are mine. Just take into account that the stronger the opinion the weaker the facts.
*************************************************
Play riding is like watching a TV sitcom. It is formulaic, predictable and comes in bite-size doses. Plus, you can quit if the going gets tough. Racing is like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It’s full color, it keeps you on the edge of your seat and is full of intrigue. You never know what’s gonna happen, and you can’t quit until it’s over.
*************************************************
I am a disciple of trainer Jeff Spencer, but we parted ways when it came to nutrition. My idea of a balanced diet is a hamburger in one hand and a milk shake in the other.
*************************************************
Just so you know, the $52 billion the USA spends on foreign aid every year would buy 5,200,000 Honda CRF450s. That is a brand-new bike for every man, women or child in the USA (or Africa if you prefer).
*************************************************
The only tattoos on my body have involved Novocain, doctors, cat gut and bandages. I think that scars earned in moto combat are the only body piercings worth having—plus, they are spontaneous. The only other tattoo that makes any sense for a motocrosser is having your name tattooed across your back so that when the ambulance guys roll you over they don’t have to asked who you are.
*************************************************
An undefeated seasons may seem like the greatest motocross accomplishments of all-time, but if there is no possibility of failure, then where is the success? You aren’t judged by your victory as much as who you beat, how hard you had to work for it and how gracious you were when you finally lost.
*************************************************
Being married can extend a man’s life by ten years over an unmarried mans. Conversely, it also shortens his racing career.
*************************************************
On rainy weekends when the races are canceled, you can take a Slinky to an escalator for hours of fun.
*************************************************
Last week I saw a kid sitting on the starting line talking on his cell phone. In a society where status comes from having the trickest cell phone, doesn’t that make the person who refuses to use a cell phone above the fray. If you are powerful enough not to have to take calls—you must be important.
*************************************************
When did every person at a race track become a Japanese tourist. I don’t mean they are from Japan, I just mean they have a camera around their necks and are anxious to capture every mundane moment—some of them in focus. We are becoming a sport overrun by amateur paparazzi.
*************************************************
In the sporting world, fandom is rampant. We think our favorite rider is the best that ever lived. Take Formula 1 as an example, we proclaim Max Verstappen as the greatest driver in history, but just last week I saw a women in car, drinking a latte, talking on a cell phone and beating two kids in the back seat while doing 70 mph down the 405. Now, that’s a great driver.
*************************************************
Don’t bore me with your crash stories. Been there, done that.
*************************************************
There are two distinct types of people in the world—those who love KTM and those who hate KTM. The dividing line is whether they win on one or get beat by one.
*************************************************
The only rumor, gossip and innuendo that interests me is stuff that is considered inside information under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
*************************************************
The first thing that my dad taught me about motorcycles was how to wash one.
*************************************************
Gary Jones once gave me the best racing advice I’ve ever heard. He said, “Win the race by going as slow as possible.”
*************************************************
Here is a question for you. If you could have dinner with Roger DeCoster, Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart or Bob Hannah, who would you… choose? The correct answer is, what restaurant are we going to?
*************************************************
Often motocross clothing designers are proud of the look of their new gear and support it by the fact that they can “think outside the box.” That is only true if they have a track record for thinking in it.
*************************************************
There was time when I would have sold my soul to the devil to be a motocross star. Unfortunately, it was a seller’s market.
*************************************************
I like to think that I would have won every race I ever entered, if only they hadn’t waved the checkered flag so soon.
*************************************************
To be perfectly honest, if I never saw another double it wouldn’t bother me. To me, doubles are motocross’ version of Rubic’s Cube. Easy to do once you do it, frustrating until you master it and subject to incredible peer group pressure during the learning process. The problem with my analogy is that I never had my spine driven through the top of my helmet when coming up short on Rubic’s Cube.
*************************************************
Taking a dirty bike to a mechanic is like eating peanut brittle before visiting the dentist. Both the dentist and the mechanic can fix the problem…but do you think they want to?
*************************************************
I have some sage advice for every high-powered Pro rider who has an image problem with the fans, “What is good about being the best, if it brings out the worst in you?”
*************************************************
Photo by Debbi Tamietti. Treatment by Pat Carrigan
Comments are closed.