Where was Mat???

Where did Gobert finish in the POINTS....

so who is crying now....

Has Gobert ever beat Mladin?? In a Champoinship??

 

lame. can mladin ever win on world stage? er.... NO.

 

Nor did Gobert....

WHERE is his Number One Plate???

enuff said.... f^&kstick!!

 

gobert didn't win on world stage? who's the fuckst8k now? er.... you are. team atomic little numbnuts with no name. every race he won {other than an ama ducati which is questionable} was a piece of shit. lapped fogarty in the rain on a bimota. mladin couldn't break top five at home on a factory kawasaki. mladin is a girl.

 

c'mon coco. that was a cock move to skip on the festivities afterward. i do happen to be a 3 time cross stitch champion and was more than happy to congratulate my opponents, even after i had screwed up a "home is where the heart is" piece during a match. bad move, mladin.

 

lighten up everyone...

It was the last race of a crummy year for Mat, he can be forgiven for being a little cranky.

Now someone check his diaper.

 

te he!!!

 

Nice!

 

Well, include me out. I was always the first to defend Mat, even against my buddy and Director of Press Relations, Brad Wilson. But no longer. Being brave and tough on the track is one thing and granted Mat's fine there. But to skip the podium ceremony? The post-race press conference? Sorry, mate...or rather, bloke...yer on yer own!

If anyone thinks the podium and press conference are not all that important, sorry guys. I don't agree with you there. Getting onto a podium is a team effort. What about the mechanics you see who slave over the bikes all day and night...under the canopy in the heat, but not in the air condition of the fancy race haulers? Don't they rate the thrill of being in victory lane, basking in the recognition of their rider, slapping the backs and having their backs slapped by their peers?

What about Suzuki itself? Here we have a case where someone is paid a lot of money doing something they love and doing it on a level that requires some giving back at times. Like being there for us "little people" at moments like a podium or to be interviewed directly at press conferences so reporters can write better stories. As for pro riders who hate reporters or photographers, they should be taught to look past any superficial dislike for people in "our profession." The Suzuki racing brass probably have to fight over budgets with their higher-ups to support the team and what do they get at their top rider's best finish of the year? A spoiled brat who doesn't feel like mingling with us "little people."

Hell, I don't like most reporters and I is one! Okay, so we don't ride at 180mph, but some of the thousands of people who read my newsmagazine do. (Okay, maybe 140mph) And that's who the professional rider is presenting himself to...not us reporters, but the guy who struggles to make the $243 a month bank payment for his Suzuki street bike or the club level racer who eats peanut butter all weekend at the AMA race so he or she can buy a new Mladin T-shirt.

Someone tried to justify Mladin's actions by saying he had a bad day. Had a bad day? He finished second in a Superbike race. I'm sure he got to hang out in his air-conditioned race hauler, while many of the people who pay his salary (no, not the Suzuki brass) but us "little people" who buy bikes, parts, and jet skiis, boat motors, generators, etc. were getting sunburned and walking for ten miles!

I admit I always winced at how Brad Wilson would write about Mladin. I'd think, how could a club level racer with, like Novice#230 said a "smurf raped by a banana" set of leathers, publicly criticize a three-time Superbike champion? Well, the sad thing for Mat is that by blowing off the podium and press conference, he TOTALLY JUSTIFIED everything Brad has said about him.

I think Due North was the one who questioned why there wasn't more media coverage and editorials of why Mladin did such a thing. Well, I think, number one, the honest and unbiased racing publications haven't had time to come out about it yet in print and number two, the ones who don't are afraid of writing their true feelings about this because it may jeopadize their advertising relationships with Suzuki. Me? I'm general interest. MY advertising base is diversified.

I'll bet you if Lee Acree, Craig Connell, or Brian Livengood had the same equipment and support (not to mention salary) that they would have showed up for the podium or press conference. And they also probably would win three championships as well. I'll bet you Lee Acree would have been there with his burned leg and all...and not crying about it.

All sports are guilty or pandering and excusing their "prima donnas." But, boy I wish Suzuki would buck the trend, tell Mat, "Mate, you don't seem to be happy here, so buh-bye." Then go get Lee, Craig, Brian, or any number of riders who understand the team nature of the deal and that fans are the ultimate base of the sport they love so much.

Brad, you were right.

Mat, you are a bloke!

 

bruce, for once............ i'm speechless.

 

Mladin's a sore loser, so am I. I would have been there on the podium though, ask Jake Zemke how he felt.... Lost the championship that day, and he made it up there and was quite gracious. Suzuki needs to put him on a TLR for a few seasons, then he'll have something to cry about!

 

I never have been a Mladin fan....or hater for that matter (always leaned toward the hater side), but unless he has a good excuse for not showing up, that is not cool.

Like was said earlier, he needs to show his mechanics, Suzuki and the fans some respect.

Jake Zemke seems like one of the coolest riders out there. Always very positive, and seems to be happy just to be riding!

 

I for one am still stunned that there was more interest with Yate's fainting act, than Mladen's no-show. I was thinking the same thing as Bruce, maybe nobody in the media has the stones to write a scathing report...........

 

I loved his explination for why he pulled out of the 600 race.
"Yeah man, I've got a superbike race this afternoon, so I didn't feel like it so I pulled off."

very californian...

 

OUCH!

 

Gobert wins PR war

Yea, who would have thought that in the PR wars this year Gobert would smack Maladin around. Gobert has also had an extremely bad year, yet every interview I've seen with him he's been upbeat and positive about the team, bike, etc. Think he's frustrated? Think he's tired of being hurt, and being on the slowest superbike in the field? You bet. Think he takes that frustration out on the team, factory and fans? Nope!

Maladin gets a definite thumbs down for blowing off the press conference. Not the first time he's done it though.

And on a side note - Hacker did the worst interviews off all this weekend in both the superbiek and 600. He shot down the team and the bike. I think it's safe to say he's not only burned his bridge with Suzuki, but he's set it on fire with napalm!

 

i still like matt. i do not agree with what he did, but like coco said, none of us have ever been in that situation. maybe he would rather be bashed for not going to the podium instead of being bashed for crying. maybe he has anger management problems and it was best that he was not there. who knows, maybe his wife was consoling him - if you know what i mean - and he lost track of time. i would at least like an explination and an appology. it has been hard to be a true fan this season, especially after reading the bbs bashing all year. i think he owes it to his sponsers and his fans to fess up.

 

The picture of Mat is great. Good stuff! I met Mat a couple of years ago and as now, he was a prick then. This guy never smiles and never seems to acknowledge the people who buy the products from the companies that sponsor him and his riding. He also acts like riding is a 'job', which to a degree it is, but if the 'job' is so much of a bother, he owns his own shop. Go run it if you are so damn tired of what you do. His attitude stinks. Miguel Duhamel is 5 years older, arguably more wealthy but they have acheived similiar levels of success. Miguel is always happy to oblige a fan and I have NEVER, EVER seen him frown like Mat does. Mladin is a sore loser and real downer of a guy. To hell with him.

 

yeah!