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Ok, got an interesting email today from one of my “informants” LOL. Anyway it seems that some people have begun to think that my goal is to turn every track in NJ, aba.
I will at this time now reveal my master plan for NJ.
Turn every person in NJ into a BMX supporter. Race, freestyle, whatever, so that we can get little NON SANCTION practice tracks going.
That’s it.
Now, back to rumor control.
I will tell you this. NJ has some major marketing power. We have 3 tracks all nbl, have been nbl for over 20 years. (Basically means any “contract” that says we have to stay with a sanction for more than a year is ILLEGAL) Now, what do we all LOVE to do. Complain how things are not getting done right, points this, nationals that, software this, promotion that…and WE ARE ALL DOING IT. From Les, to Janeen, to me, Vinnie, Dale, basically anyone who has been doing this for more than a year.
Ok, back to 3 tracks.
So these 3 tracks basically control all BMX racing in NJ. Cool, as much moaning as we do sometimes, I still say WE are doing a good job. We all say the nbl is NOT holding up their end of the bargain.
I talk about aba so much to make everyone realize there is another sanction, we can go there, any damn time we want. We can USE this to make change. If you don’ t think that everyone saying to Bob, Polly and Erma that the whole damn state of NJ is going aba next year wouldn’t give them a wake up call, you just don’t understand business.
And to me it is obvious the aba is hungry.
Look at Bill Curtin, direct from the aba on the site answering questions, the aba has also said they would IMMEDIATELY, give us a Redline Cup race when we turned, and who knows what else would go down.
I am trying to make everyone realize we are not sheep who have to do as we are told by some sanction. We hold the power, the money, that the sanctions need to survive, where are we going to put it and who will listen to us best to make things better?
I DON”T CARE WHO DOES.
But whoever gets our money better be doing it.
Scott, Vinny and Bill had to jump all over Bob to get us the regional and even then the guy is sorta dismissive, and busts Scott’s chops over nonsense. CJ has been nbl for over TWENTY FIVE YEARS, he should be bending over backwards to make us happy, regional Scott? national Scott?, fly you guys to CC for free?…what does the nbl need to do to make you happy….
EHT….almost doesn’t get the national because WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS? Hey Bob, bring in a staff to run YOUR freaking NATIONAL, (national guys=BIG TIME, not park a big rig and crack open the rolling atm)pay us for use of the track and that’s it. 23 years bud, we have been nbl and guess what, that track started as aba…anyone remember bargaintown eht? I do, I got a national aba trophy from there.
Flemington…my god, flemington has been nbl since pete’s bike shop days and that is 1978….28 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!
And what does the nbl offer flemington as incentive? Can anyone answer that?
My point has and will continue to be, you all have the power to make change wherever you see fit.
DO IT.
Honestly, I want us to be the ones to turn the nbl around and get things set right, and the only way to do that, according to a good friend of mine is to back Bob into a corner and get him to listen AND ACT.
Barring that, there is a movement afoot as we speak, to make significant changes beyond either sanction.
So, to answer the question.
No, I do not want to just “flip” the tracks to aba.
I do however want to twist some nuts to make things better for all.
So who else wants to do some twisting?Man you know i love twisting someone’s balls. For the first time in a long time i feel committed to something. And i am still waiting for a response from……. Well you know. See you tommorow. And to think i almost gave up bmx!
B-
While I haven’t been involved much in BMX over the last year or so due to work and Family obligations. I love BMX and I always will.. My son is starting now and I want it to be good for him in the future. BMX did alot for me and I wish the same for all riders and families out there.
You say well then what do you know. I do know I have been racing for over 26 years current and I love BMX and what you and the people (Volunteers/ Mothers and Fathers) are doing is AWESOME.. I Hope you could promote BMX to Where it should be… On that note.. I would like to just voice a few things..
I do know this and take my comments whichever way you may want. After reading your posting it got me to thinking about what you said. While you have been back for a year plus now and running what i think is a terrific forum for all people to speak there own minds.. The “twisting nuts” format could very well blow up in the states face and those that have been around for over the years do know that. The ABA is and has been after this state for a long time now due to the power it holds on the North East corridor and what it could do for THE ABA back East. Yes the ABA has opened some tracks back here over the years but none made it. Thats why an established name track Like LES’S or Cranmer’s/Vinnie’s or FLEMINGTON would be a huge draw for them. But trust me when I say this. THE ABA promises the world. BUt they don’t deliver… I know Bill Curtin personally and he is a good guy but his motives since the NBL screwed him is to turn all the tracks ABA. I mean look what he did to MASS a NBL state and he played the same game with the NBL. Did not work and then he tried to do it with CT didn’t work..
The Volunteers in this state…. Les (who knows what I am saying I am sure) Vinnie who runs a great program and I don’t know who is running flemington these days Danek I think.. They all work hard and do the best they can with the support they get from the NBL.. If ANY. Brett I know what you are saying but BE CAREFUL..
Sometimes when you play you get burned and you know that. We are in a position of power but it doesn’t always end the way we want it..
The ABA is hungry and they say all sorts of things. We will come build you an awesome track we will give you nationals we will do this and that. then get 1/2 if any of what they promise. Look to build a national program around the ABA back east isn’t practical. All the big nationals are out west and to be honest many of the other states aren’t going ABA. So Racing nationals for someone starting out would be tuff. National ABA moto count back east is small. You know what I am saying. Use the Carrott but don’t go too far. I know this state has many ABA promoters. ( Crazy Craig, Caveman ect)… To compete at THE ABA”S Big nationals you are flying to CA or AZ. Bottom line and to have a kid getting psyched to go to an ABA national in Kingston NY and seeing 75 motos and all wouldn’t work in My opinion. Go check out a ABA east Coast national and let me know what you think compared to a woodbridge VA NBL national.. Thats all I am saying. Your Idea is good and you are right we are not married to the NBL but going ABA to jam it in Bob’s face isn’t the answer and I have no clue if thats what you are saying but the ABA isn’t the BE all end all. Both sanctions need work and the NBL does need to help NJ more… I agree..
I agree about us turning the NBL around. Good idea and they should bring EHT staff for nationals ESPECIALLY FOR LES. I mean the guy has run regionals for all these years and NATIONALS. HE has a huge draw at his track when the races come there. Imagine if they gave him a better time of year for the national. HELLO.
In the end I do agree. Bob Flakes and he complains and you have to beg to get anything done with him. Backing him into a corner won’t work in my opinion.. I know him I have worked with him. MAybe you and the new era of people involved can get it to work. I am all for helping out however I can.. Contact me I have some more to say on this but I would be writing forever..
Good Luck.
Also to all that attended the NBL grands.. Congrats to you the riders and the families for a great job.
Craig time to turn EXpert…..
Farside you are an animal.. Crazy .. I am glad you ended up safe..
Cave-man keep it straight..
Brett, I disagree with you on a few points
1) To do it so we get big races isn’t going to help the local scene, which is what needs to be built up!! Yes I’m pro ABA but what we need now are stronger local programs, which means co-opration from all, and more get out the word
2)As far as the ABA goes, there system is a little easier. Less different plates, no plates for novices, points system structure is better, and so on. That being said, it does nothing to encourage new growth!!! New riders no none of this!! The complexities of the current state structure are what are slowing growth!! Less meetings morre action!!!!!! Throughing it in Bob Ts face isn’t going to help anything, only the people you have at the local level will make the difference at getting the ball rolling, as well as a few rule changes.
And yeah I’d be happy if they were all ABA tracks, I’m biasedThere is a third option.
Start a new sanction, the first new sanction in 20 years!!SHOW ME THE MONEY !!! NO one wants to invest in this sport as we don’t have the draw we had in the eighties
Exactly what I have been saying. Case in point. We just got back from the ABA redline cup finals in dayton OH and have some observations. First, Dayton is @ 40 miles from Indiana, I thought that it was supposed to be the East. Most of the East coast riders did not show because of the distance. There were only @100 motos(most of witch the nbl would consider mid-west) so I would call that poor decision making on who gets this race. It would be akin to the NBL having its East coast regional championship there. I dont know how well attended it would be. Second, I dont think a rep from the ABA saw the track. Bill, you would have been right at hone as it was a glorified trail set. In today’s bmx there are a few certainties: one is that there will be berms big enough to pass on and gain speed. My son, who is 12 and is @5 feet tall was taller than two of the three berms. Yes, I said that there were only 3 turns. The first was a lond sweeping left hand turn with a 5 ft. berm. Anyone who went on the berm lost 2-3 bike lengths. The second was another left hand 180 degree turn with a 6-7 ft berm. This should have been the place for tech riders like my son to pass, but there was no place to hi-low, or block pass. The last turn was a right 180 that had a 3 ft berm, wow. I am telling you guys this, not to complain(my son got second both days) but to show you that the ABA has the same lame brains giving out the nationals etc. BTW, my son said that while he loved riding the track, he hated racing the track. The third, if you got an outside gate you were done unless you happened to be justin posey. All weekend in my son’s races, whoever got the inside lane won. One kid had all inside lanes all weekend on sat he fell at the line in the lead for third. On Sun he won the moto but got gate 7 in the main, and finished 3rd. All weekend long there was no really close races, just a long train of riders.
On a good note, the fack that they bring officials to the race makes for a better run race. there are no volounteers on the corners or scoring. The announcer was much better than any of the NBL’s and they made is easier to protest. My son and another rider protested the finish on Saturday.(didnt cost us anything for the video protest) It was right there and the official could look right away and correct the scoring. The ABA also has a better staging system.
Having worked for them, and attended both sanctions Nats, I can safely say that they are run better by the ABA, and that is not a biased thing. That track if it is the same one, the first straight turns to the left as you come out of the gate and continue down the straight. I know I got eight for a not main there one year it sucked
Bill, that’s the one although they widened the first jump. I just want to know who thought it was a good idea to give this “track” a big race.
MAcdaddy… Great answer and point. Gold Cup East in OHIO. THATS EAST.. I look at MAps all day long. Thats MID WEST!
Your answer from the gold cup proves my point. ABA back EAST won’t work or shall I say PROBABLy won’t work. Its all about the sanction power. Hayden we all know your realtionship with the ABA. No doubt you would be tickled pink if “it” meaning the state would go ABA. Rules are different. They’re whole way of doing things is different. They have some good points and bad as they both do. Bottom line.. BAsic FAct. The kids and competitors of this sport will get alot more out of BMX back here as a NBL rider. Will everyone agree. heck sometimes I don’t agree but it is the way it is. Some of the Stronger riders building thru the ranks will engage in the ABA going out west and what not. It would take alot to get the ABA build up back east.. In fact the NBL woould not allow it. The US is split and half and has been for along long time. ABA out west and NBL back East and a little mixture in the middle. A new sanction would be the answer. Someone who knew how to put the propper people in place and take constructive points form all would burry both sanctions. Its odd because we all grew up racing it and all of us now are adults. I have to say I am surprised no one has done it yet. BMX could be a very profitable venue if it were run like a business.
The best of luck to you all and I know we all have one thing in common whats best for the riders both young and old..
Bmiddaugh seen you race alot. but only talking to everyone the rest of the time you want a revolution grab a shovel and broom a mic something besides running your complaint department. action starts a revolution not complaining you even wrote an add in your zine about shutting up and helping regardless of your opinion. hey you wrote it?!!
Heres one synopsis.
Points
ABA used to have a nice points section in the ABA Action newspaper. Then they renamed it American BMXr and tried to make it magazine like. If it were a small sanction, that would work but for ABAs size, you need a magnifying glass to read the points. Plus with 50 states and some states having over 20 districts no one really cares as much about district number 1.NBL. Track Points. Local Points. State Points. National Points. 3rd Moto Points if its raining.
New Sanction. – would have large enough font you can actually read the points, clearly laid out like the USBA was, so you can find the section your looking for easily. Points that matter, States limited to 3 districts: North, South and Central or East, West and Central (Huge states like NY, PA, TX and CA could have 4 or 5 districts maybe.
New Jersey would be North, South and Central
EHT – South (Mullica Hill, Deptford etc)
Howell – Central (Flemington, Lawrenceville etc)
None- North (Craigmuer, Vernon Valley, Oakland etc)Points go to where the rider lives. You can tell where a rider is from cause like the old NBA youd have a big distrct decal like 10s for South etc.
A second decal on the plate would have the State.
All riders must have approved plates that are clean, meet crtiterium of number size etc and have on the new sanctions state and district decal.can you imagine watching a football or baseball game , even at your High School and all the players could do whatever they wanted on their uniforms. Wouldnt look dialed in at all. BMX to get national support and become an event the racers must treat it like an event. The new sanction must enforce its own rules, if the sanction doesnt take the sport seriously why should the riders?
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