X Games vs Olympics Options

[seventotheone]

Where would BMX Racing be better placed/suited: X Games or the Olympics? Which perhaps would sponsors and viewers be more interested in?

The Downhill BMX at X Games did not last but maybe BMX Supercross has a place at the event?

Excerpt from an interview I did a while back with Harold "Mcgoo" McGruther who was one of the people involved with DHBMX back then:

Where did you come up with the idea to take BMX racing and add a Downhill element?

McGoo: The idea to add downhill to modern BMX wasn’t unique—The most legendary BMX tracks of the ’70s and early ’80’s both in America and abroad were downhill. When BMX was taken indoors in the early 80’s to give track operators year ’round racing without problems from weather, the age of the downhill BMX track ended. When my group pitched “downhill BMX” to executives at ESPN in 1999, they were riding a high on NASCAR and Freestyle. I simply told them that downhill BMX would be like NASCAR on BMX bikes, and they bit.

Downhill BMX used to be part of the X Games roster didn’t it?

McGoo: Downhill BMX was an X Games medal sport for three years from 2001 to 2003. The costs involved with building a track, finding a host venue, doing off-site TV production, running 32 athletes through the system, media research, etc. for a 6-minute TV spot were simply too prohibitive for ESPN to continue supporting the sport. In 2001 ESPN hired the man who produced the Superbowl to do the X Games DHBMX. He told me he used 15 cameras to cover the football game. We used 21 cameras to produce our first DHBMX. With these kinds of costs, it was a miracle we got ESPN to sign a 3-year deal!

[Jason F.]

21 cameras, 1st mistake.

[TonyHoffman]

You can fit 10 park courses, vert ramps, big air events etc... In the spot it would take to put up a SX track. The hill and size of the track is a bust in my opinion for most venues that xgames or dew games go to. No one is going to travel to another area to watch a different sport apart of X-games or Dew Games except those who race BMX.

X-Games wants money from each sport to even be considered, that's how stupid events like Enduro cross get in.. not because people want to see it because sponsors have the money to make it seen.. BMX has zero cash flow. we cant even pay the pro's what they deserve let alone a 25k check for winning one event.

It needs to stay in the olympics.

[mxmug]

Some sharp points are made in this tiny snippet. The main problem is not that bmx lacks excitement, but rather thats its just to short of a show. I think thats why they have the time trial event at the sx events. May also be why we have seen 3 and even 5 pro mains at national and grand national events. It gives more entertainment value to the spectator.

This post has been edited by mxmug: Nov 13 2011, 04:06 PM

[RedMist]

Some sharp points are made in this tiny snippet. The main problem is not that bmx lacks excitement, but rather thats its just to short of a show. I think thats why they have the time trial event at the sx events. May also be why we have seen 3 and even 5 pro mains at national and grand national events. It gives more entertainment value to the spectator.

The 100M dash is the premier event at the summer games and runs under 10 seconds. Is Endurocross entertainment value? I would rather watch paint dry.
As to the OP. BMX racing is well suited to both the Olymics and X-Games imo.

[Stileman]

X games is better. Get shown every year versus once every four years. Only have 15 discplines, in 3 sports versus how ever many the Olympics has.

Racing would get way more exposure in the X Games vs the Olympics. THe only advantage to the Olympics is that Countries are putting money into developing athletes. But with the money that the X gamers gets that would be more beneficial in the long run for the athletes.

[Jason F.]

4 man gate 2 laps on a track set up by the racers.

[thebondtrader55]

There is only one group in existence capable of positive cash flow generation - the local, average riders ( hundreds of thousands of potential riders completely untapped).

The DH concept failed and the Olympics and SX have yet to give BMX any bounce whatsoever. Toby Henderson admitted as much in his interview with Mike Carruth not a week ago. Why do the powers that be continue to beat a dead horse?

If the O's don't domino I pray that this sport changes direction in a very determined way. Novie, intermediate, and average experts money is green and spends extremely well. And there is a ton of it.

Waiting for the revolution,

Thanks

[reedhamilton]

4 man gate 2 laps on a track set up by the racers.

Interesting. Can you elaborate on the track layout for a two lap race?

[nickdawghaters]

I think the X Games/Dew Tour is the key if your talkin about growing the sport local level and across the nation. If you want the hoopla of being an "Olympic Sport" than congrats we have that, but its done nothing for our sport in all honesty, and Im sure someone will get on me about how much the games has done for our sport, but with the exception of a little more hype to sell the olympic dream I think something more mainstream is needed. And yes I think the Xgames/Dew Tours are much more recognized and mainstream than the Olympics.