Michael Ball! Holy crap!!

[Shannon]

You guys should check Ebay. Found this one this morning.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Rock-Racing-Team...QQcmdZViewItem

[roach]

Nobody should be supporting these idiots in their bling-bling costumes. Rock Racing is an embarrassment to cycling. The short term hiring of Cipo actually improved their image. Cipo’s leaving of the Rock Racing circus and his great performance at the TOC made me realize he’s actually an awesome cyclist, glad to see he got out of Rock Racing (too bad he couldn’t use them a bit longer to participate in Milan-San-Remo).

Even if you’re a hot chick, these ridiculous costumes are embarassing (unless you're a podium girl). If you’re a guy and you want to look this ridiculous you will most definitely get heckled/laughed at, maybe even puked on.
Micheal Ball is the worst kind of idiot, he has a ton of money.

If you’re new to the sport, and can’t figure out how to dress, please don’t try and emulate these washed up monkey puppets. If you’ve forgotten what’s cool, I’ve attached a picture of what it looks like.
(Roger De Vlaeminck on his way to winning the 1972 Paris-Roubaix).

[SheDevil]

Right on dude. **ahem** I mean...oh my!

[richie_rich]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Kind of hard knowing the money your spending might end up in Mr Balls pocket.

Well mostly his pockets, but also the team members he supports (certainly not saying he needs it), but he's doing exactly what he wants, just think about how many people are talking about him, the team and now the sport. I hate to mention it, but he supports a fairly large domestic team of men and women who might not be on a team otherwise, regardless of their past they are still competitive racers.

Although the team is circled in controversy he is also supporting some young up and comers who may not have been looked at otherwise. I know one of these young guys very well and he is grateful he got a FULL Pro sponsorship at 20 years of age...tell me how often you hear of that?

[shudder]

It was Ball's chopper that provided all the aerial cam work during the TOC. No one else stepped forward to pay for that...

I don't know Michael Ball from liverwurst. I do know the he owns and runs Rock & Republic, but I don't know him. Are we bagging on him because he's been a successful entrepreneur? Hm.

Seems to me that any person who has the wherewithal to spend his money wherever he wants, but chooses to do so in order to to enliven the sport we hold dear ain't all that bad a dude.

Old school is cool. New stuff is cool. I don't see a divide that segregates us.

shud

[Pickettt]

Originally Posted by richie_rich

Well mostly his pockets, but also the team members he supports (certainly not saying he needs it), but he's doing exactly what he wants, just think about how many people are talking about him, the team and now the sport. I hate to mention it, but he supports a fairly large domestic team of men and women who might not be on a team otherwise, regardless of their past they are still competitive racers.

Although the team is circled in controversy he is also supporting some young up and comers who may not have been looked at otherwise. I know one of these young guys very well and he is grateful he got a FULL Pro sponsorship at 20 years of age...tell me how often you hear of that?

Michael Jackson has given millions and millions to charities around the world.....my kids won't be going to his sleepovers though. (I don't have any kids, it's just an example)

[Letyrides]

When is Old Navy starting a team? I might be able to afford one of their kits.

[SheDevil]

IMO he doesn't enliven the sport...he makes a mockery of it. The boneheads in the slammed vehicles and the podium girls are proof in the pudding. Just because I have a bunch of money and somebody says hey dude....go be popular and pay for that...doesn't make it or me respectable. He is flashy and trashy. I'm all for new guys getting their shot tho...kudos to anyone who gives a new racer a foot in the door. I just cringe at the avenue of success.

This is just my lil ole worthless opinion tho k? No biggie.

[shudder]

Point taken.

He's certainly over the top. Mockery, though? I dunno... Seems he's dumping an awful lot of mula into the sport just to make a mockery of it. Perhaps he has good intentions, but is too outlandish about it. Again, I dunno. I'm kind of diggin' it.

[dirtmistress]

Originally Posted by shudder

Point taken.

He's certainly over the top. Mockery, though? I dunno... Seems he's dumping an awful lot of mula into the sport just to make a mockery of it. Perhaps he has good intentions, but is too outlandish about it. Again, I dunno. I'm kind of diggin' it.

He wanted to break tradition and make cycling"cool" but tradition is a hard thing to change and he has learned some tough lessons and I believe he has been humbled more times than we actually know about!

[Knuckledragger]

Originally Posted by dirtmistress

He wanted to break tradition and make cycling"cool" but tradition is a hard thing to change and he has learned some tough lessons and I believe he has been humbled more times than we actually know about!

I agree... The more the merrier! Money and any hint of cool is a welcome addition to the sport as far as I am concerned. Cycling in the U.S. needs a kick in the ass and if M.Ball is nothing more than the first breath bring it on!

[Pain Freak]

Even bad publicity can be a good thing. If it gets another athletic kid on a bike, it's a good thing in my opinion.Who knows we might have another Lance out there some where.

Michael Ball has a big mouth and is constantly shooting it off. He says some really dumb things and then doesn't apologize even though he knows he should. On the other hand he is helping guys and gals who might otherwise never get a shot. He is getting cycling more to the front in the sporting world here in the states. Now if he can quit fighting the powers that be, he may come up with a team that could be history making.

[Danimal]

Originally Posted by roach;307480
Even if you’re a hot chick, these ridiculous costumes are embarassing (unless you're a podium girl). If you’re a guy and you want to look this ridiculous [B

you will most definitely get heckled/laughed at, maybe even puked on. [/b]
Micheal Ball is the worst kind of idiot, he has a ton of money.

If you’re new to the sport, and can’t figure out how to dress, please don’t try and emulate these washed up monkey puppets. If you’ve forgotten what’s cool, I’ve attached a picture of what it looks like.
(Roger De Vlaeminck on his way to winning the 1972 Paris-Roubaix).

There is no accounting for taste in styles.
If someone likes how something looks, that is OK.
If everyone wore and looked the same where would the originality be?

Personalities aside, I think if anyone was to laugh and make fun of someones choice in styles that would make them worse than any Mr ball. My opinion is that statement show a lack of maturity. Are we still in grade school?

I don't know or care about what the jerseys stand for, if you like the way it looks wear it, if you don't, don't wear it. Simple Huh?

[dirtmistress]

I remember when Bike mag completely insulted Primal jerseys. It was a few years ago.
They received a barrage of e-mails against their arrogant opinion and ultimately had to run a free ad for primal in the back of the mag.
The ad took a dig at Bike but I don't remember what it said.
Conversely, they just goo and gaa over Swobo wool jerseys which are oh so hip and trendy but when I bought one years ago, I could never wear it because it was the ultimate itch fest even though they said it wasn't. Cool looking though. But damn itchy.
Anyway, Roach. Some people like being puked on. I've seen those ads in the back of some magazines.
That aside, I like the jerseys and most people I talk to do also. They are different and stylish. I'd buy one if I was flippin' rich. Being a podium girl though, I'm getting one for free from Santiago tomorrow.
I'm going to wear it with SPD sandals and still kick your ass in the sprint!!