A personal apology to Vinnie Mannino and CJBMX

[bmiddaugh]

No doubt someone has told Vinnie about the jump thread yesterday. I just want to say that I know what that guy has to go through every day, it’s not every week folks, there are things that go on behind the scenes at a race track or ramp park that at times just want you to say, “why am I doing this”.
In no way was that thread meant to demean Vinnie in any way and as I stated plenty of times, he’s told me he’s got some cool stuff planned.
When Farside and I were joking about that parent thing, I was just kidding with some of the stuff I was saying, I definately don’t want it taken in the wrong way.

You may also notice I moved some topics over to the “Veterans” forum. I have some younger people who come here and when we go off topic into more “adult” activities, I’d like to keep it sorta seperate from the rest of the racing crowd. Hope that’s cool with all you guys.

[bmxlegend]

vinnie is doing a super job

[RaidenHayden]

I’d like to say, that nothing was ever directed at Vinnie, it was more at the direction of the sport, and the attitude that the sport as a whole has taken towards building tracks these days. Anyone who takes the time to volunteer, should be commended, and I apologize as well on behalf of all us, because with out the volunteers, we would be talking about how great it was when we had tracks!!!

[bmiddaugh]

As Dave said, Vinnie is doing a great job. I just put this out there, because I really do respect all the guys out there doing it and I don’t want this place to EVER turn into the bash NJ BMX land. This place is about growing ALL forms of BMX and we’re gonna do it.
That’s pretty obvious by all the enthusiasm we had yesterday, now let’s take it to the track.

[BIGANT-DOG]

I started this thread and in no way meant to offend anyone. Vinne is doing a hell of a job.

[bmxlegend]

you know what i think… bmx is the best shit ever.. and ive made the best friends in my entire life thru that damn bike..

[rideodybmx]

I apologize to anyone who may have been offended by the posts in the thread.
Vinnie is doing a really great job as track dr. and i hope he stays on for a while. i cant wait to see what he has planned for the track and am full on ready to help, put a shovel in my hands and tell me what to do. because im here and ready to help keep the sport alive.
again sorry to everybody, and lets keep the sport growing and going

Tim

[bmiddaugh]

This apology was more about some crazy jokes I made in the thread…
Tim you have nothing to be sorry about, you voiced your opinion and let it be heard and you didn’t call anyone out or be an a** to anyone so don’t ever think that what you said there was wrong…
I on the other hand definately went over the top with my busting…

[rideodybmx]

i know i didnt outright insult anyone, but i just felt like i was doing nothing but complaining about the jump instead of getting out there and trying to help everyone out with it. and that isnt me, im usualy the one wanting to go to the track to get it going, because even though i havent been raceing that long, i feel like part of the family, and i want to help it grow and grow and seeing riders stop and not want to race because of something like that or that the track isnt ready shouldnt happen. so again lets pulld together and help vinny and everybody work on cjbmx and make it the great track it can and should be

[BIGANT-DOG]

I am almost sorry i started the topic, had i known people would get offended,well you know. But i too am willing to help out.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes offense is your best defense.

[Karen]

First off, I’m positng by my givin name because I don’t want anyone to mistake who is making these comments. They are my opinions along with some input from my husband Bill.

Your right about your little chat being the talk at CJBMX. I am appauld at the childish backstabbing that has taken place under the moster jump post and let me tell you this public apology to Vinny has very little meaning!!

I was there with my entire family the day the original track changes were made. It was long. It was hot. It was a long awaited track change that needed to be done. Bill and I, along with Scott, Vinnie and others busted our butts last year trying to get the NBL to recognize our little track and earn that regional. A regional that will not only bring in the money needed to continue improving the track but will earn even more ridership. Every national we followed Don Olsen, reminding him that CJBMX is ready and will make them proud. We brought a photo album filled with pics from the Memorial day parade to show Tedesco what a great group we have and what we are willing to do to promote the sport of BMX. You know they carried that photo album around with them for hours showing other people how great of a job we were doing at CJBMX.

Yes, orignially there were some younger, expert riders giving their imput on the monster jump. There was not one person there who didn’t feel their needs were greater or there idea weren’t the best. No one really had a firm plan but knew we were short on time and only had the equipment for that weekend. The jump was made and that’s that. Later after my exhausted husband, along with other volunteers looked at the jump they realized that it needed to be toned down from 30 feet peak to peak to 23 feet peak to peak and that was done the following weekend. The jump is still being worked on as is the rest of the track with volunteers who are donating resources and their valuable time.

Do you really have any idea how much time and effort it takes to run a track??? It’s not just show up, take a couple of runs on the track, grab a bite (You darn well better!!) and go home. We’re there early and the last to leave. How many of you came in an helped at the snack stand last year, or ran the gate, or corner marshalled, or helped prepare the track before the race, or did the bike inspection, or picked up garbage that was laying around your car, or cleaned out the bathrooms, or did registation, or stayed after and handed out trophies, walked around with the 50/50, participated in the lap-a-thon, got donations for the great give away race the list will go on and on but I’m getting bored and sleepy all at once.

You go to any regional or national race and you will be faced with the same type of jumps and track changes we’re trying to accomplish at CJBMX with the exemption of EHT because you seem to enjoy the easy flow of that track. And before you think I’m bashing EHT……….I’m not. That is the personality of the track and that’s the way they want to present it so that’s fine. Remember too, That is township property and they receive help from the town. For example they have the advantage of using perfect dirt. CJBMX has to beg for donations and people willing to transport it or put out the money to purchase it. That leaves CJBMX in a huge disadvantage because the track need excessive mantainance playing with crappy dirt.

The point I’m trying to make is if you go into the Regional or National circut or for our younger riders have the vision to one day represent the United States in the Olympics then the tracks need to change with the times and help provide a place, close to home to train. Instead of being proud of your home track for attempting to make this possible, your whining that it’s not compatiable to your style of riding. So what I think you need to do is either one, like another poster said “get off the PC and get on your bike and start training” or two leave the sport to the people who are up to the challenge of being the best that they can in their chosen sport.

Sincerely,
Karen Gillis

P.S. If you have any problem’s with my post I am willing to discuss this but please e-mail me. I will not have the time to do this while I’m making your breakfast sandwich 😉

[bmiddaugh]

Hi again Karen, lol..
I’d just like to say that the original apology was from me, not about the jump, but the joke I made to Rich about giving Vinnie “ether” to let us play with some nasty racer parents, which just grates on us older guys who do race. Whenever we see a racer getting yelled at by a parent it drives us crazy because BMX is one of the few sports where a parent can get on a bike right next to their kid and have at it. The funny thing is that joke would never apply to you or Vinnie or any of the people I personally know, but there are a few I’ve seen in the pits that just got under my skin over the past year..blah blah whine whine… I just wanted to clarify that, so no one feels responsible for my stupid joke!
I saw your other post in the other forum and you are a great “Race Mom” and Bill is like one of the best dudes I’ve met at CJ!
I know when someone comes on here, not just yourself and sees some of the “postings” and seems to think “backstabbers”! It really must seem that way, but 90% of the guys here are just posting their opinions on things, it’s just that sometimes people feel ignored and they need a place to vent. I’ll admit that is my intent with this site, vent, tell ideas, opinions. I want to hear it and I hope track directors and board members want to hear it. I don’t want personal attacks, no let me rephrase that I will not tolerate personal attacks. But I can’t just let things that I and other riders see as sorta bad decisions not be made light of.
I remember being there that day with you guys and Bill was sorta bummed as no one was listening to him! I was behind him with his ideas and I applaud Bill for having the testicular fortitude to go ahead and change that one jump with no one to help, I mean what do I say to someone who has that drive when there is no reward.
I have a different view of the NBL then most of the people involved in NJBMX because I am an outside there, nats, regionals, stuff like that don’t mean a lot to me. I mean jeesh, it really seems like the NBL just hurts the local scene, they give national numbers to beginners, which immediately cuts into the local tracks bottom lines by taking those riders from you and having them go to “real” races…nationals.
Then the NBL has NINETEEN nationals before even the end of May. I would respectfully ask the NBL to release the beginners back to the local track and to have less nationals so as to have them become bigger events, and to truly make nationals mean something…But the NBL bottom line will not allow that.
I understand that the riders should be and do want to be pushed to become better but we have to stop at some point and say where are we going with this?
I wasn’t at South Park last year, but, and I hope someone will tell me if this is true, they actually had a helicopter there to take out riders who were injured and the police actually said, no more, we need this thing elsewhere…is this true?
If so, I again stress that the time has come to divide tracks between National level and local level. These ideas must come from the top, I respect you guys, you love your kids, you love BMX…It’s time for us to effect real change. People go to competition congress but no real headway is made, I do not know what goes on there, all I do know is that the same people have been running organized BMX racing for over 30+ years at the sanction level and though the top pros will be in the Olympics, where are we going with the local beginner scene.
If we continue to trend toward bigger and bigger jumps, racing will become a semi elitist “sport” like modern day freestyle vert riding.
This post is not meant as a dig on anyone because these factors are all beyond your control.
We sorta don’t know how the Olympics are going to pan out, as J-Rich said, it could be curling, ach! or if done right, it could be the 100 yard dash with mega media craziness…my bet right now….I’m CLUELESS because the NBL is giving no direction!!
Let’s say the Olympics rock, its the story of the century, Jason Richardson, Original Jersey Boy, comes back from an almost career ending injury to win the gold against the rocking chinese contingent trained by ex-racer Greg Hill…
Johnny 9 year old goes MOM DAD…RACE!!!!
They go to the track and see something that they cannot progress into.
I’m gonna say it again, I am currently working with 3 other guys on getting a demo team together that I am going to use to promote racing to the kids.
All the parents that have been into racing for awhile, if you took your kid to the track and the first thing you saw were what you see today would you be more inclined or less inclined to let them throw down.
Again, don’t read angry inflection into anything here, I’m just throwing out what I see going on.
Just a guy who loves BMX,
Brett

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