SX Champions = Quitters

[BIGGITY]

So I'm getting a little tired of this. McGrath dominates and nobody is close to his level but once someone shows up to compete with him he retires. Then you get RC who dominates for a few years and FINALLY someone shows up who can give him a run for his money and HE STEPS DOWN!

All I want is for more seasons like this year. 1 good season every 10 years blows.

How about being a champion and stepping it up once you get some competition. All I want to see is some good bar banging and some good racing (like this year) but now it will be back to one guy dominating everyone...

[R1der]

Im pretty sure if RC stayed around hed get beat so yeah I dont blame him for wanting to leave but still I agree with what your saying to an extent.

[Brokenparts123]

Your really ignorant aren't you? In this sport, RC is past his prime, its going to be extremely hard for him to still keep his number 1 spot. Its not his fault it took a while before someone could challenge him. And for your information, RC has very very bad knees, he has been postponing surgery for a while now. He cant hold it off much longer. I'm pretty sure he Isn't a QUITTER. You are a very very misinformed MORON

[Baron Von Beard]

Ever heard the saying "Going out on top"?

[velosapiens]

Your really ignorant aren't you? In this sport, RC is past his prime, its going to be extremely hard for him to still keep his number 1 spot. Its not his fault it took a while before someone could challenge him.

isn't he 26? i don't think that's past his prime, unless he's a quitter.

fwiw, i can sort of understand rc's thinking. he hates to lose, and he's likely to be doing alot of losing in the future, because james is just plain faster at sx. it's got to be pretty tough mentally to try to keep training at that level when he knows he'll never be the top guy again.

imho, rc isn't any slower either, he's as fast as ever. james is just faster. if rc were getting old and slowing down to the point where kdub could catch him, then yeah, it would be time to retire, lol.

[indy16]

RC didn't have anything to do with JS getting hurt last year, and when JS wasn't hurt RC lined up with him every race.

RC never backed down from JS this year. He raced him everytime. RC said two years ago that this was it for him. His semi retirement is not a reaction to Bubba, unless RC knew two yrs ago that Kawasaki and JS would be a lot faster in 2006.

[Brokenparts123]

Apparently you dont know what its like to Dominate and all of a sudden not be able too...

[rideblueforever]

I agree. SHould stay another year even though bubba will beat him. To leave once the competition gets stiff, and not try at least a year now that bubba is on, is taking the easy way out. Hats off to RC, he is the man, but this looks bad.

[indy16]

What will be interesting is if next year RC beats Bubba straight up somewhere. Then what will every body say? JS is getting slower?

[brad21]

I agree... HOWEVER; I think you need to take into consideration how long these guys hammer their bodies for. I think there comes a time, winning or not, that a lot of these guys just say ENOUGH! If it was golf or bowling... heck even pro competitve cyclists don't get much past 33-35.

It's the same in any sport really. I know RC is still relatively young in the real world, but in the MX world he's getting up there. And feeling the pressure to perform to make a living. Not that he couldn't retire completely right now.

[GENE426]

hey he has been racing since he was 5 years old

so thats 22 years

most of us retire after 20 years right

and in a phisical sport like MX thats a long time

[indy16]

If RC or MC were quitters it would have showed up a long time ago. You dont race MX/SX and get to this level (winning 5/7 championships) and have any quitter in you.

GENE426 makes a good point, there is a lot to be said for living without pain, especially when you are under 30 and havent had children yet.

[Chickenhauler]

Hell we all see guys in their mid 40's that ache and groan-hell that's some of us! Think what these guys bodies have endured in 22 yrs of constant hammering-Why do you think Pastrana quit? He abused his body and saw what was happenning. Ever think what these guys hear from their joints first thing in the morning-especially after a big digger in practice?

Anybody ever see Evil Kneivel anymore? That poor old sap ain't got much spring in his step these days. Maybe RC wants to be able to walk upright at 50 years old.

Just a thought

[yammerhammer98]

Ever heard the saying "Going out on top"?

...with a few million $ in the bank!

How many people would continue to beat the crap out of their bodies, and sacrifice any sort of personal life, if they were that rich?

David Bailey made that point in a column in Racer X a few months back. He opined that the middle-of-the-pack competitors are making too much money, and aren't "hungry" enough to drive themselves to excellence.

[yzf918]

i understand why he would want to get out at the top but what i thought was lame was on some other site he said he may race the whole next supercross season depending on how he does in the first few rounds.

[Lemay427]

here is the solution: stop watching if you are mad that RC is not doing supercross. maybe he doesnt want to deal with the pressure anymore. maybe he just wants to go out on top. think of the athletes that SHOULD have went out on top. instead they looked like idiots and tarnished their image. the only people that are pissed about this are the RC haters. they want him to come back and get stomped by bubba or millsaps or whoever. instead of crying about this stupid Sh%t, go out and TRY to conquer a rythm section or something. i know this is "i am bored at work talk" but seriously, this has been beaten into the ground entirely to deep. why dont we anticipate the seasons coming up with millsaps, allessi and stewart? that will be some good racing.

[FLboy]

Give me a break. RC is a champ... He's waiting to start a family so he can be around for his kid. He's been racing for 22 years. I don't blame him. If it wasn't Bubba... it would be someone else challenging him. Bubba's day will come too and people will say he is a quitter also. There's some 16 year old out there right now that will be moving up to the SX class in 2010 that will keep Bubba honest. Ever seen some of these kids at the local races tracks.. they're doing nothing but improving on the ground Bubba is breaking ... just like Bubba did watching MC and the others when he was small.

RC is the GOAT today...

[brennnenn]

Would you rather go out on top? or go Down as a "Has Been"?

[indy16]

Dont underestimate the impact of Ernesto and James Marahall's accidents. When you see one of your friends go through that well, its gotta make you consider some things.

I was at Atlanta and there were several guys carried off that night alone.

Not to mention the big get off RC had a few rounds back. That had to remind him that he doesn't have anything else to prove and there are alot more important things than a 6th championship.

Just like the rest of us, these guys have a lot more to lose than a race when they ride.

[Derekm621]

First off, yes RC is lame for quitting because he knew that he'd get beat. McGrath on the other hand, was around for about 3 more years after getting beat and retired after dislocating his hip and getting top 5, so he obviously wasn't quitting on top and could not run with the top guys anymore. I wish ricky stuck around another year so bubba doesnt easily own next year, but he'd still lose to bubba. Does anyone know if rickys racing nationals every year still?