SHOCKING NEWS: In No Time Disrespected ‘ Kevin Schwantz’ Finally Breaks Silence Over Alleged Issue
Opinion: On Disrespecting Kevin Schwantz
Why you should care.
I’ve never met Kevin Schwantz, and if he fell over me he wouldn’t have a clue as to who I am. Despite this, I find myself jumping to his defense in the ridiculous brouhaha in which he is pitted against the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, TX. If this development somehow missed you, Schwantz has filed a lawsuit against CoTA contending that he holds the right to stage a MotoGP race at the track. According to Schwantz, while attending a mid-March test session at the track, CoTA asked that he “leave the track immediately and was not welcome at the circuit.” Unfortunately, it will probably require the court system to unravel this mess, assign blame, and in the end, place a large black, official smudge on the reputations of both parties. I take no sides with this legal issue as I sense that it will prove to be a Hydra-like issue and I have very few actual facts at hand.
So why do I care? I care because it is emblematic of not only the way business is done today, but also the way we so often treat our motorcycle icons. In the greater scheme of things, motorcycle racing rates a very tiny blip on the radar of importance. In this country, in particular, it rates far below any number of stick-and-ball games. Those of us who are close to the sport—be it as a participant or a fan—understand the talent and dedication it takes to race a motorcycle successfully. And to reach the pinnacle that Schwantz has scaled, 1993 500cc World Champion to begin with, places one in the very rarefied air of elite athletes…and then some.
“There are but three true sports—bullfighting, mountain climbing, and motor racing. The rest are merely games.” While the origin of this quote is debatable, its basic truth is not. When you race a motorcycle, as either a rank amateur or a world champion, you put it all on the line; your skill, your determination, your life. Do it poorly and you’ll either leave the sport quickly or get hurt. Do it well and acclaim awaits you …right up to the point where you no longer do it.
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