Ricky V Reed

By TMX Archives on 12th Dec 03

Motocross

BACK IN the day, your entire personality could be uncovered by which rock band you preferred - the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. It's an overly reductive formula to be sure but the debate remains intact to this day. BACK IN the day, your entire personality could be uncovered by which rock band you preferred - the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. It's an overly reductive formula to be sure but the debate remains intact to this day. And while those on either side of the argument have more in common than they would like to admit, the divide remains. And it's a question of darkness.For all their religious and chemical experimentation, the Beatles managed to retain most of the squeaky-clean image they cultivated in the Hard Day's Night era. They were four loveable lads from Liverpool, sent to get the teenage girls all worked up - but not too worked up. They were sexy in a cute way.The Stones, though...they were dangerous. At the end of the day, they just didn't care. For all the controversy, the Beatles were still guys that you would feel comfortable taking home to meet the family. The Stones were different. They didn't care if your mother liked them or not - they just wanted to kick your ass with rock n' roll. Mick and Keef didn't have time to play nice - they were too busy inventing the rock n' roll lifestyle.Today, American motocross has its equivalent to the great Stones-Beatles debate and your answer to the question can provide great insight into your worldview. So, which is it - Ricky or Reed?Australia's Chad Reed is seen by many as the heir-apparent to Jeremy McGrath, the undisputed King of Supercross. It was Jeremy who brought moto to the masses. He put a marketable human face on our sport and his legend will forever loom over stadiums across the land. He was friendly and open and he possessed a marketing savvy that would lift the entire sport to a new plateau.Reed, while certainly not on a level with MC just yet, certainly looks to have the right stuff. First, there is the cosmetic similarity - Reed has the same effortless riding style as McGrath. He has patterned himself after Jeremy and it shows on every lap he rides. Reed also has the nice-guy angle working in his favour as shown by his donation of his $100,000 US Open winnings to his injured friend Jamie Brockman.And then there's Ricky Carmichael. What he may lack in Lennon-McCartney fan-friendliness, he makes up for in Jagger-Richards mystique. For all the interviews and podium speeches he gives, you never get the sense that you know the guy. He's a closed-source computer programme, a brilliant machine whose inner workings are sealed off from public display. And this closed-off nature has cost him. At the races he's regularly been booed, especially in California and Las Vegas. People send letters to the Racer X office to voice just how much they dislike the man, for whatever reason. He refused an autograph here, he was rude to a fan there, he robbed a bank, stole a wife, started a war, you name it.The difference in the matter is simple - Ricky just wants to win. He's there for the racing, not the television cameras. He wants you to like him because he's the best racer in the country - maybe the world - and not because he gave your kid his jersey after the race. And these days that just isn't good enough. And so he's the bad guy by default. While Mick and Keef may have worked to develop their dark, dangerous reputation, Ricky has had darkness thrust upon him. Not that he cares all that much.However, the dangers of poor self-marketing are well-documented in today's era of form over function. Appearance is everything and Carmichael appears to be figuring that out. He has gained acceptance of late, beginning with his decision to attend - and his heroic performance at - the 2003 Motocross des Nations. All of a sudden, for the first time in his career, Ricky began to look like the good guy and it wasn't a moment too soon. Reed had won the last six races of the 2003 supercross series and although Carmichael was rarely challenged on the outdoor circuit, he was seen as vulnerable indoors - another first. Reed was coming to claim the SX throne that once belonged to McGrath his personal hero.The Ricky versus Reed feud took a turn recently when both racers announced that they'd be flying to Europe to contest the first two rounds of World Supercross GP in Spain and Holland. Reed had raced both rounds in 2003 but Carmichael had decided to sit them out. Perhaps sensing the sea change in public attitudes regarding him, Carmichael made the decision to go to Europe this year and challenge Reed to the SXGP title. It was a big moment and the anticipation was intense. Then it all went to hell.A few days ago, we got word that Carmichael is suffering from a damaged ACL and will be out of action for up to four months. Just days later, Reed injured his shoulder - a reported billiards-related accident - and was scratched from the European rounds.All this has left supercross in a state of composed chaos. And it raises the question, without the Beatles and Stones who takes over? You've got your Led Zeppelin and The Who, your Nirvana and U2 - but no clear front-runner. Rumours have been swirling about a McGrath comeback but everybody knows that Elvis races supermoto these days.As it stands, it looks like we'll just have to wait for Reed and Carmichael to heal up and renew their battle. And with the wonders of modern medicine - and the magic that comes from a heated rivalry - that may happen sooner that any of us expect.By Jeff Kocan, courtesy RacerX

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