QUOTE (RandyS @ Aug 2 2009, 06:29 PM) 
I didn't really read the HOF email completely, just looked at the names. I assume it's some kind of new section for riders who started in BMX and went on to greater things in other areas. If that's the case why not. Do one a year, it can't hurt anything. Hannah, Omara, Lance Armstrong, Jeff Gordon, Spike, Palmer, Craig Kelly................... What can it hurt. There's a place for people to go read about the HOF now, why not give them more things the non BMXer will be interested in.
Actually that is a very good idea! Especially John Tomac who was 1984 NBL 16 Cruiser No.1 and 1982 ABA Michigan District 2 No.1 and raced "B" pro but quit a few dollars short of turning "AA". He moved on to mountain biking and road racing because he was bored with the BMX tracks that existed then! I remind everyone McGrath in in the Hall on a honorary basis only!
I don't mind at all that McGrath got a honorary induction, but revelation of being included is a case of very bad public relations by The Powers That Be. I wish TPTB had explained all of this up front instead of issuing "Great things are in store" type press release post. Not told us who it was, that could've stayed a surprise, but how and why a person with comparatively few BMX credentials (it seemed) is going to be honored and that honor is going to be different than the normal Inductees. That would had eliminated all this suspicion, misunderstanding and hostility. They should had hammered home that it is honorary, and not the equal of the real inductees, much like a "Kentucky Colonel" isn't an actual Officer Commission in the old Confederate Army (Civil War) but an honorific for being valuable to the war effort. Instead we had smiling promises and teasing about how great things are in store in the future like propaganda agitprop from the Soviet Politburo. Then when the S--t Storm hit it was justified by saying we were "narrow minded" and it was marketing 101. That made it seem less of a honor and more of a manipulation, a scheme, a means to an end (it was kinda comical though with "Thumperpilot" posting (in the "Hall of Fame?" thread page 5 post #81) thinking he was putting out a minor blaze only to find out he sprayed high octane gasoline on the fire and had to run away like a screeching Frankenstein with is rear on fire himself from the blow back with "us" chasing him with lit torches!
That's Entertainment!) Apparently this is the formal title of his honor:
"....BMXer lifetime achievement award.."
http://www.bmxultra.com/news/2009/news07.html
They should had told us about the new rules and the nature of the honor for McGrath from the beginning. But that wasn't the only thing wrong and indeed by far it is a minor thing compared to a more disturbing thing (to me) about the process. It stuck in the craw of the majority of people here it seems (including two very well known Old School racers, one a HoF Inductee most loudly If you read the thread "Hall of Fame?" you know who they are) Mass mailings!
Let me lay out how I understand it and if I am wrong then someone tell me because I haven't anywhere read how this works exactly from TPTB:
A member of the Induction Committee who had a vote out of the five voting chairs on the Committee to chose who gets in the HoF also sent out mass mailing urging people to vote for a particular nominee(s) when they use their public fifth voting Chair on the Committee. So this Committee member had his vote and strongly influenced a second. If I am wrong please set me straight. In fact post exactly what happened to the general public here. Anyway, going on what I could glean from the bits o' pieces here is my rant:
Ban mass mailings! Especially from a member on the Induction Committee that supposed to be deciding these things without bias (I would think)! Having a vote and manipulating a second. That is conflict of interest for sure, this official "cheerleading". Imagine a congressman who was once a representative of the Ford Motor Company being on the congressional committee deciding what company will get the contract for a new military utility vehicle to replace the Humvee and he sent out a mass mailings to the other committee members constituents urging them to write there congressman to tell them to award the contact to Ford. UGH!! Ban mass mailings to influence the vote. Even if we go back to the old system and only a select few are given the honor to vote for the nominee of their choice, only a simple ballot with the resume of the nominees should be mailed, that's all. Having a person on the Committee actively campaigning for a nominee is unfair to those nominees or even more telling racers who have the background but never are nominated who don't have a cheering section and are probably forgotten or at least not in the forefront for various reasons. This diminishes the honor and meaning of the HoF, not McGrath getting in. That was a case of bad PR. Mass Mailings is bad policy.
Again, If I am under a false impression, then please, someone in the know, post here and correct me in detail.
One last thing about McGrath: He is on the cover of the September 1992 issue of BMX Plus! with Eric Carter (who should be a "first ballot" HoF Inductee himself!). They are "racing" each other; Carter on a 20" BMX bike and McGrath on his MX machine. McGrath has an interview in the same issue on page 16 called "The Roots of Jeremy McGrath" which includes a photo of him holding a BMX trophy in one hand and his old stock ABA issued CA-1 No.2 district plate with what look like seven NBL medals around his neck (I don't know what they are for specifically).
If I can dig up this stuff why can't TPTB do it to explain why they chose him? To much secrecy, bad PR all around.
Oldtimer1980s.
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