No place

That whole fighting mess post race with the a$$hole fans is really disturbing.

I'm all for the heckling of your friends. Calling them freaks and sandbaggers or telling them to shift into the big ring or saying they suck... There is a line that shouldn't be crossed. If you can't say it to their face when they aren't pre-occupied (being interviewed, racing... what not) then you really shouldn't say it, No?

I've heard about this from a few different source. G-Ride, JD, JP and RBRcx. All have different viewpoints. G-ride being agitated for good reason, and probably very lucky (for him) that he was tapping a kidney when it happened. JD because he's seeing more disheartening stuff happen to the sport. I'm still incredulous about the incident he described earlier this year. I can't believe that. I can understand internal holding up on a somewhat accidental basis between competitors, but not a spectator holding people back.

Heckling while a PRO is getting interviewed is pretty shitty. Take a page from the euro fans. You don't like the guy? Give em the silent treatment. Works no?

There are lines all over the place. Having fun at a race is important. But if your idea of having fun is getting in fights and breaking Richard Sachs's bikes, that's NOT cool. No? Don't cross the line.

I don't see this as the death knell of the sport though. But it is a warning sign. If people don't get their shit together and speak out saying this kind of crap isn't to be tolerated, and enforce it with peer pressure, not physical violence then it can and probably will take over.

Most of us really like the cross "vibe" because from one person to the next we'll help eachother as much as we can. Even help out those who we are racing against. Loaning wheels, tires, chains, tools, rides, beds, what not. Advice, beer, food, tubes. Sure there are assholes who race. Some guys turn into assholes on the course and are nice off.

Totally randomness now I guess.

The photos are pretty crazy. Two guys ganging up on a 300# Cop there to support his sister and brother in law and then the cop's sister gets in on it too. Insane.

This shot is just showing flat out malice and evil. Overalls jackass trying to shove a cop into a pile of Richard Sachs bikes. Cop is doing a great job of not stepping on or landing on the bikes (in the next shot), but drunk violent overall boy lands flat on top of them. Attacking and pushing from the back, just not cool. You want to go at someone? Go at em face to face, or don't do it. Got something to say to someone? Say it to their face when they have a chance to say it back. I've been in a fair number of fights and way more altercations that could have been fights but were talked down by cool head and facing someone. Rarely can a fight not be avoided with a bit of discussion.

Kind of my dichotomous self. On one hand my reflexes and temper often over ride the desire for peaceful conflict resolution. I'm very quick to respond... and often it is instinctual and reactionary. If i was there and saw these two drunk jackasses yelling at any bike racer while they were being interviewed i would most certainly feel compelled to ask them to show some respect. Probably would have tried to get someone with some authority to do something about it, only because you have to at least try to do things the right way (only in my head maybe). If i walked over and saw this and them going after Cori, well. My reaction would have been what G-ride went off on. First off two guys picking on one is pretty cowardly, and yeah I still think there isn't anything worse for a man to do than hit a woman. Call it chauvanistic or whatever, it is still wrong. Ain't making it right for a guy to beat up another guy but that's often okay to leave between two individuals. Going up two on one ain't right. Pretty common sense rules of thumb... no?

I wasn't there. I can't judge or pretend to know how I would react if I was.

This kind of crap can't be tolerated. Make a point to remember this next year and prevent it from happening down the road, help keep our sport on a good path. It will change no doubt. Be we have some control over the path. We all have to carry that responsibility.

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