Where Do The Great Ones Go

Article By: Chris Callen

Ya know, growing up I never thought that I'd see the day where I'd start saying stuff like the old guys did, but here it is, thirty years later, and I bitch as much as they used to. I'm not sure if I have a lower tolerance from being beaten down over the years or if the world is really heading in a bad direction at an accelerated pace. Either way, it seems like everywhere you look there are examples of social and moral values deteriorating. This really hit me on a local level this month when my hometown hockey team announced that they might consider moving. Apparently they have a better deal with another city and since their contract is up with Pittsburgh, it would be perfectly legal for them to make this move.

OK, let's forget the legal aspect here and talk about just exactly what the problem with this is, and then how it applies to motorcycling.

It used to be, just like in motorcycling, that if you worked your ass off and got a few breaks along the way as a professional sports player you might get to do what you love for a living. This was still not like hitting the lottery since only the very best careers were rewarded with the big pay checks. Names like "The Great One" were born during this era while the bulk of the league still rode buses and made a very nominal wage.

The professional athlete today is a different animal all together. They're bought and sold by the highest bidder and any way you look at it, it's all considered good marketing. After all, the "Great One Du Jour" will have new fans who will want new jerseys so just crank up the presses, right? What's worse now is that the same kind of value has been placed on the coaches, the name of the venue where they play and the final straw, the entire damn team. Where have all the heroes gone today? I'll tell you, just so the next time you want to be pissed at the kid for stealing a twenty out of your wallet you'll know who to blame. We've replaced the names like Gretzky and Jordan with those of Jefferson and Franklin. I mean, look at what went down in Cleveland awhile back, even though as a Pittsburgh native I was bred to hate the Browns, it broke my heart when their owner sold off the team. After all, this wasn't because they were in a town that didn't love football, oh no, this was just a better deal. If you have any doubt about the towns feelings on this subject just try walking through the flats with an Art Model shirt on and tell me how that goes. But the fact that the fans get mad doesn't matter anymore, money controls the whole game and it's a sad day in Mudville.

In the first case I stated in this editorial, is a team that we have been supporting in my town for as long as I can remember. Many of those years were not "Great Ones" but still we loved the team. As for the Browns, they were an institution in football and thankfully the city of Cleveland did manage to get another team, but not before the damage was done. Who the hell do these people think they are? And don't give me that "it's just business" line, because when you deal in the hero trade you have a moral obligation to the generation that wants to grow up to be like their favorite sports star. I wonder, in that respect, if Mario has considered what lesson he is handing down to young people who view him as a role model?

Anyway, I promised that I'd explain what this all has to do with motorcycling and before I go on at the mouth let me try and make my point. Motorcycling has always been the anti-schism of common minded people. While many of us came from different backgrounds it was something special that we all believed in and it had very little to do with big money or big business. Because of this, for many years at least, we have been immune to the strange happenings the rest of the world deals with daily. Not that motorcycling hasn't had its share of sell outs and money grabbers, but for the most part it's been good.

Today, however, we find ourselves on the edge of change in that respect. With big deals in the wings from major corporations and television networks, I can't help but see the danger in where this all may go. You gotta' make some of the same comparisons here right? I mean, take a look around at the next national event you go to and tell me if you don't see FANS, walking around with their favorite players jersey on. Some of them even lucky enough to catch a game ball from left field. So the same laws do apply here, as far as the role model scenario. It becomes the responsibility of these individuals to be good examples and let their actions be motivated by the passion for what they do instead of how they can land the next best deal.

Wild Man