Heroes and villains
By TMX Archives on 16th Nov 05
By Jeff Kocan Photo by Steve CoxLast month I fell all over myself trying to find new ways to compliment Ricky Carmichael - a task that becomes seemingly more difficult with each passing day. By Jeff Kocan Photo by Steve CoxLast month I fell all over myself trying to find new ways to compliment Ricky Carmichael - a task that becomes seemingly more difficult with each passing day. As you've probably heard by now, The Champ added the US Open of Supercross championship to his 2005 tally. That makes five titles in one year - THQ AMA Supercross, THQ World Supercross GP, AMA Motocross, the Motocross des Nations and the Open.But perhaps even more remarkable than all of that is the way in which Carmichael now carries himself. If anyone in this sport is entitled to be cocky or arrogant it's RC but he has matured into that rare creature - the Graceful Champion.There's popular saying in American football, attributed to former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry. 'When you get to the end zone, I expect you to act like you've been there before.' Now the fact that Ricky indeed has been there before - many, many times over - certainly makes it easier for him to follow that advice. So why is it still so surprising when it happens?It helps to recall that Carmichael was once one of the most hated men in the sport - for no good reason. Nobody who was around to hear them will ever forget the boos that rained down on him in 2001 from the stands of the very same MGM Grand Garden Arena where he won this year's US Open. What was the cause? Some were angry at his perceived disloyalty to Kawasaki when he switched to Honda while others were probably just tired of seeing him win all the time. And, in truth, his PR skills weren't quite what they are now. But he has since become a fan favourite across the nation and while we remember the boos, we do so with more than a little humiliation.But the truth is Carmichael's 'dark' period probably helped him more in the long run than it hurt him. His turnaround - perceived or real - made him all the more likeable. The conversion from bad boy to good man, the public growth and maturity, is a symbol for the way we like to see ourselves. We've all got our skeletons but we like to at least cling to the hope that we might someday outlive them and sport gives us a vicarious means of doing just that.All this might provide at least some hope to young Mike Alessi, the rider currently wearing the bull's eye in the States. You'd find it difficult to come across an Alessi apologist these days following his still somewhat shocking display at the season-ending Glen Helen National.Going into the second moto Alessi was 10 points behind Ivan Tedesco for the title. Before the first lap was over, Tedesco went wide in a turn and Alessi slammed into the Pro Circuit Kawasaki pilot. Both riders hit the ground and while Tedesco's bike was still running, Alessi's had stopped. The KTM rider then proceeded to stand on Tedesco's bike in an effort to keep him from rejoining the race.That little escapade cost Mike Alessi $5,000 and his chance at being named AMA Rookie of the Year. He was also disqualified entirely from the Glen Helen event. Even more, it cost him literally thousands of fans.Another popular saying around these parts is that you need to hit bottom before you can start your way back up. Well, Alessi just found the bottom. Unless he kills a man in cold blood it won't get much worse. So now comes the time to rebuild.Just a few days ago my boss sent me Mike's latest Racer X column for editing. At the very end of the story he thanked some fans for sending him encouraging emails, saying, 'It made me smile when I needed to smile most and I won't ever forget your support'. I sent a reply email to Davey. 'Man, I just can't not like the kid.'Mike Alessi is a smart kid. He will learn from this. He'll think back on his actions - if he already hasn't - at great length and realise that what happened (not on the track but inside his own head) must not be allowed to happen again. He's got all the potential in the world and if he can learn to stay humble and respectful and keep his emotions in check he can still become a great champion. If Carmichael's fall from and return to grace is evidence of anything, it's the people's ability to accept that a man has changed his ways.So, of course, Alessi's actions at Glen Helen were ridiculous, immature and frankly almost impossible to believe. Yes, stupid too. But were they unforgivable? Not a chance. Let's call them 'temporarily unforgivable'. I think he's got a hell of a future in front of him and I'm betting he'll go far in this sport. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the rest of the country feels the same way, even if they don't know it yet.