Still Pissed; The Johhny-O Saga
Me, NOT sandbagging somewhere in Utah.
OK, so I was so pissed all night I couldn't sleep. Seriously, what f*****g nerve this guy has. After the 2004 National Title, he actually deprived a good and loyal athlete of his rightful spot as the NEXT National Champ..TWICE. This guy (or two?)should be called and handed the trophy by default.
WOMEN don't even GET a Semi-Pro category! Does that make the WOMEN tougher than Johnny-O? Yes, yes it does. Ladies like Chrissy Bono, White Chocolate, and recently-MOVED THE F**K UP PRO Joy D. had to suck it up EXTRA tough and bridge the gap from local EXPERT one day, to racing Jimena, Georgia, and Mary Mac the next.
Prick.
I'm not done...I need to go outside and light something on fire to calm down for a second.
Did I say "Prick?"
posted by Sharpie @ March 13, 2008
40 comments
40 Comments:
Don't they have an "old man" pro category? I Thought they did and if they don't they should.
Well the good news is hes only getting older and may slow down eventually. Unfortuntently he'll probably then move down to sport
Nicely done V. Oh, and you are a great example of a WOMAN who would have to make that jump to Pro if you kept going. No Semi for the lassies!
The guy is 47 years old give him a break! It is not fair to force an old guy into the semi-pro class and race against guys half his age. Mountain bike racing needs a Masters 35+ and Masters 45+ class like road racing, until then, cut grandpa some slack.
How much more slack does he need? Bert Blanchette never beat him, but podiumed enough in his category to move up to Semi-Pro LAST YEAR...and he has never been the Expert Nat Champ 3 years out of four. Slack my ass. Is it fair that the guys in his subsequent National Champ bids had to race the guy who just won it? No, of course not.
Racing also needs a girls semi-pro class..but they don't, so they move up.... or quit.
Are you then suggesting if a guy in the 65+ age group wins consecutive national championships he should move up to semi-pro? I have a guy on my team that is 47 and moved up to semi-pro this year but that was his own choice. Since semi-pro and pro classes don't have age categories it is not just a standard "move up a class you sandbagger" argument.
AND ANOTHER THING..
He wasn't 47 in 2004.
I don't care if you are 95. If you are turning that many 1sts, you are out of excuses no matter how many "industry" buddies you have.
I don't know who socalmtb is but dude you just walked into a lions den so I suggest you get out while you still have your balls danglin.
That would be a defensible argument if he was 20 minutes outside of last place. He's not.
And yes it is a "move up you sandbagger" argument. Age has nothing to do with it if you are at that elite level of fitness/competition.
And Randy, I am well aware of who it is...balls will remain intact.
dude you need to go bsck outside and ligt fire to ????? well call me and i'll give you a few suggestions.
I'm sorry, but that 47 year old passed me 10 seconds after the LEADER of the PRO men passed me. He had the second fastest time out there. Yes he should be racing semi pro because obvioulsy he can.
If 10 years from now Lance Armstrong decided to do one of our little state races and said "I'm 45 so I should get to race expert" that would be ok?
Thats it. I'm moving down to junior beginner women. I want to tell everyone how great I am and that I won a national championship
" I am well aware of who it is"... I read and enjoy this blog all the time, we have never met before so I'm pretty sure you don't know me (no I don't have anything to do with Sho Air other than race against them here in SoCal). You never answered my question "Are you then suggesting if a guy in the 65+ age group wins consecutive national championships he should move up to semi-pro?"
While creepy, I admit, I do know who you are. And I did answer the question. If the times are competitive it's no longer an issue of age. It's an issue of fitness..and ethics.
That would be a "YES". If a 65-year-old was turning laps on par with the likes of Adam Craig he should not be racing Expert.
Oh, and for anyone confused as to how I know who they are...that sweet little sitemeter at the bottom has a great pay service that allows me to know exactly who everyone is...
Well worth every $!!!!
All I have to say is that if my former teammate Jim Dover can race semi pro (and he is in his 40's, and was already in his 40's when he upgraded......), then Johhny-schmo can race semi pro. It has nothing to do with the age, Jim went out there and kicked some butt.
As for a women's semi pro field, yes, we need it, sadly though, I don't think there are the numbers to warrant it! The pro women's field is not what it used to be when I raced in it (we used to consistently have 60-70 women in the field).
SiteMeter tells you which WiFi network I'm on not who I am. Could be my WiFi, my neighbors WiFi or the free community WiFi.
"turning laps on par with the likes of Adam Craig he should not be racing Expert."
Johnny O is fast but he is no Adam Craig.
According to GeoLadders race result comparisons:
2007 NMBS Fontana (pros did 4 laps, experts did 3 laps) Adam averaged 31:32/lap, Johnny was 34:30/lap
2006 NMBS Fontana (pros did 4 lap,s experts did 3 laps) Adam averaged 31:35/lap, Johnny was 35:43/lap
I don't think I'm changing anyone's mind here but I enjoy the debate.
Chris, I'll introduce myself when I see you at a race.
If it makes you sleep better at night hoping my sitemeter can't I.D. you, that's fine. And you'r not using your neighbor's wifi, although that's a nice try.
ALSO...Johnny's lap times compared to ADAM CRAIG's, at your own admission, are only THREE MINUTES off the pace(Fontucky 2007). You really didn't help your case by posting those times.
Also, Johnny didn't always race Expert..but I'll save those pages for another day next week.
Let's look at the entrants to the debate so far..
Sport riders, expert riders, and a Pro..both male and female...and you are the only one still defending him.
hi! i am an elite sport class racer from ohio.
i race expert because i don't like sandbagging. typically every race i attend has several sanbaggers in the sport class. dudes that should be racing expert. they usaully pass me on my second lap(their last). i always tell them they should be racing with us. i hold them in contempt.
time for this poser to pony up and roll with the big boys! does he race C class in MX too?
"only THREE MINUTES off the pace(Fontucky 2007)"
That's 3 minutes PER LAP. In the 3 lap Fontana races Johnny would lose to Pro Adam Craig by NINE MINUTES (and that 3 minutes per lap was for Adam's 4 lap race, he would have faster lap times in a 3 lap race).
You are full of BS when it comes to knowing who I am from SiteMeter. You may know the IP address of the network I'm logged into but even SiteMeter's website for premium service details shows you don't know who I am.
Just to test how full of BS you are go ahead and post who I am since you've already posted 4 times that you know. No excuses, just post my name, I've nothing to hide, my posts were all respectful.
Not changing minds, but nice statistics. I exaggerate; obviously no one is Adam Craig but Adam Craig.
If you're looking at time gaps though, in that 07 Fontucky race behind O'Mara's 34:30, you'll notice 2nd place averaged 36:39 and 3rd place averaged 37:15
welcome Trainwreck! The guys in Ohio you are talking about surely are a pain in the ass...but Johnny-O sets the all time record for d-bagginess. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Only 3 minutes off the pace per lap is what I was referring to, and there were plenty of other Pro's who were doing worse than that. As far as BS, I am full of it..but not about this. I'll call Abel and see if he can have one of the Pacoima boyz roll by and leave ya a note tonight. Sleep tight.
Nice work Vegas! I'll find some of his results when used to race ABOVE Expert for a while and we 'll compare those too. I am fairly sure John Tomac doesn't race Expert, and he's not 20.
By posting your name, it would also mean you'd quit commenting on this topic..and my BLOG #'s are EXPLODING..and that's just bad marketing to cut that off so early, right?
Oh, hold on...I have to sign for this UPS package real quick...another crate of sandbags heading for Johhny-O's place.
Oh, and as far as "respect," I posted your comments on my personal funhouse, despite the opposing opinion. Keep posting comments though...it helps my numbers and gets people through their slow days.
Just to add even more fuel to the fire here, and add to my previous post, my friend Pete had spent years trying to beat Johhny-O in the expert men "old fart" category. While Pete podiumed many times, unfortunately for him, he was never able to grace the top of the podium, OR earn the national championship title b/c.....oh, and why would that be? Oh yeah, that's right b/c of that sandbagger. I get it that it is always fun and cool to get to say you are a national champion, but seriously, doesn't it get OLD telling people year after year that you are the national champion of the SAME category every year?????? Personally, it gets tired, wouldn't a person want to finally be able to say "yeah, I race in the Pro category", people respect the Pro title. Maybe he just needs to be able to keep saying he is the national championship cuz he is compensating for lacking in other areas.....if you know what I mean...............
3 minutes behind the Pros and 3 minutes ahead of Experts in his class (PER LAP). If only they had a category in between the two.
Oh, wait...
socalmtb- Are you serious. I mean you don't have to totally agree, but you are flat out saying its perfectly ok for him to race expert. Times don't lie. He would be a winner of the semi pros a lot of the time. Yes he wouldn't win my 20 mins like he does now, but he could still win.
You really must hate this sport because people like and him are ruining it.
Hello everyone, I will not hide who I am, I have no need, Scott Tedro Team Sho-Air. I have read these posts and I think you all make valid points however I obviously have my opinion on this.
This is the way I feel, the Semi-Pro division (to me) is supposed to be for up and coming riders that want to make it to the Pro level and are not quite ready, the Expert level is for the very best Armature riders. What would your prefer, Johnny racing Semi-Pro against (the majority) 18 to 25 year old kids that are trying to get to that next level (and beating some or most) or riders his age that are not trying to have a career in mountain biking?
Shouldn’t the National Champion be the baddest guy out their?
Do you really expect a 47 year old man that has already had a Pro career (Motorcycle) to race Semi-Pro?
Isn’t it the race organizers that have let you down? In road racing they have a master’s class, they should have one in mountain biking, and I can assure you, if they had one, Johnny would be in it. As for the argument that has been made about other over 40 riders that have moved up to the Semi-Pro ranks, well if they all stayed in the expert class, then maybe Johnny would not win as much.
I think the real problem is that the 40 and over riders are not getting recognized like they should, and they very much need their own class. I am sponsoring a mountain bike stage race in august (http://www.americanmountainclassic.com)and that is why I have specifically included a Masters 40 and over $ paying division (no Johnny wont be racing, he has Epstein Bar Syndrome and cannot handle that much riding at one time).
You can all help solve this problem, write to the UCI and demand a 40 and over, or for that matter a 35 and over Masters Elite class, so we can all watch these great athletes go at it, until then, I encourage Johnny and others to ride in the expert category and kick some ass.
Bye the way, Johnny has never run a complete State Series race schedule, because he wants to give the opportunity to someone else to win the State Series, so to be honest with you, I think that shows what kind of a man he is. As for the Nationals, it is supposed to be the best of the best, and that is why he does it, if they add a Masters division, he will race in that instead of Expert.
Thank you all for your time.
Scott Tedro
Ahhh Scott. I was hoping you would comment. I was ssaving this tidbit just in case you did.
Remember a couple of years ago (2005?)when you were at the 24hr race at Idyllwild? You had approached the Kenda booth where Jim W and I were working, and began to chat us up about your team. You mentioned that you had Johhny.
My first question to you after that bit of info was "When is he moving up?" Slightly embarassed, you said..."Next year for sure." Those were your exact words. I remembered them because I knew this day would come. Still in Expert though..isn't he? The fact is, you encourage him to stay in that class so you can tell the sponsors you have a "National Champ."
And as far as talking to USA Cycling...I have been in personal contact with them for THREE STRAIGHT YEARS OVER THIS EXACT ISSUE..actually over Johnny-O himself. I have not been alone. Unfortunately, USA Cycling is woefully understaffed and hasn't the time or resources to address everthing.
Move him up.
Oh, and as far as the race organizers letting ME down, no. I don't have anyone in Johhny's class. I don't because he actually MOVED UP AFTER GETTING ENOUGH PODIUMS IN A YEAR. Is he 18 to 25? No. He's in his 40's. Oh, and Johnny didn't always race Expert did he?
The Nat Champ should be the baddest guy out there...so should we let John Tomac race beginner DH at Mammoth? He's the baddest, so that makes sense to you, right?
Of course not.
Also dropping the EBS note in there isn't helping. If the guy is turning top-10 Pro times while sick, that makes the situation look even worse.
Wow, how sweet. He'll take the Nationals three years out of four..but he's a nice guy so he'll hand you STATE. Nice. Thanks for the favor.
Hello,
I am sorry you are mistaken, Johnny O did not join the team until December 2006, when we talked at the 24 hours of Adrenaline I didn’t even know Johnny and we were talking about Manuel Prado, who moved up to Semi-Pro, and is racing Pro this year, in fact he won at Bonelli and just won at Keysville today. Anyway, I respect everyone’s opinion and I think this is an interesting topic, however I don’t think it is fair to single Johnny out, and yes, he did race Pro before, but how long should someone race Pro? Why is he a bad guy for being the best at over 40, I mean come on you really think he should be racing Pro? Isn’t it awesome that we get to race against the best guy out there? And he can be beat, Dermot beat him last year at the Big Bear #2 race, I don’t see you telling Dermot to move up? I know, I know you are going to say JO had a bad day, or that Dermot didn’t post a Pro time, whatever. Bye the way, Bob Blatner is the a two time National Camp in the 60+ and group and will be going for a third, if he wins, he will not be moving up to Pro :).
Cap’n, I respect your team and have always had positive experiences with them, I wish you and yours well, and hope to see you soon,
Scott
If you look at the question mark after the year listed (2005?) I certainly left that open for debate..and we were NOT talking about Manny Prado, who's name sounds nothing like Johnny O'Mara.
You can list all the names and OTHER people you wish, but that doesn't change anything on Johnny's side. He's the topic of dicussion here. His times, despite his age, are enough for him to have moved up already. We aren't talking about ANYONE else here, just him. We all have a great deal of respect for the remainder of the Sho-Air team as well, especially guys like Manny and that awesome lady-racer on the NINER, Heid Volpe.
It's past time, he needs to move up and let Sully have a shot at that National title.
No further comments are needed on this toopic for now everyone, since I clearly won't be changing my mind. Let's all roll on, OK?
This is F-ing rad Captn. just keep it going man, and as far as hammer time come on man thats all you got thats way to week for this blog so please exit stage left you got no game.
So if "Deadly Nedly" Overend comes back to racing full time this year, will he be in Expert or Pro? I mean, he is an old man now, and one of the greatest racers of all time. If they ever hold the Kami at Mammoth again, will Johnny-T downgrade to Expert since he is over 40yrs old? No. Because despite their age (which doesnt matter in the cases of these extraordinary athletes) they are still capable of posting amazing times that are on par with riders half their age that are in their prime of fitness.
And Scott from Sho-Air, I respect Johnny for his athletic ability, he really is a talented rider. It is especially impressive to know that he is pulling those amazingly fast lap times when he isn't well. But, it's time to move him up. Yes, semi-pro is aimed at up and coming racers, but it is also a place for racers who are faster than the amateurs, but not quite on par with the Pro times yet. A person doesnt have to be an up and comer or a young rider to race semi-pro. It would be a great place for him.
Backbone(racers)?? Pathetic...You sound like a bunch of weak road weenies. He's going too fast. Waaa Waaa. Get over it! It is really simple. Pro = Pro, Semi-Pro = aspiring Pro, Expert = Very competitive. The Pro or semi pro class is not for older riders. No matter how fast they go. The way I see it the Semis and Pros better step it up..
See you at Fontana
Captn, I was thinking last night about hammer time's comment and did a little digging and now have a good idea who this is, so hammer time take some time and think about who the REAL PUSSY is ???????
OK!!!! Guys, we need to move on. I made my point..hell everyone made their points. It's pretty clear that this was something that needed to be discussed, since there were so many people taking the time out to comment. And 'Hammer Time.." bagging on roadies is not the smartest move you can make, since everyone who races competitively on dirt trains on the road. You just can't be that weak when you post stuff man, it's too easy for everyone to pick you apart. Oh, and don't tell the large and growing number of 40+ athletes in the Pro and Semi-Pro classes they are too old to be there, they won't be so inclined next time to push you up that hill when your struggling.
OK people, I have lots to do and don't have time to keep coming back to this, so let's all get over ourselves..and that includes me.
Chris tell James to stop playing on the computer. J/k don't post this
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