I guess winners take it all

[A.F.F.]

I have often thought how little is the assesment of overall podium places in motorsports comparing to other sports.

Let's say should Mikko Hirvonen come in third after this season. I can assure that if we take out the rallying fans, nobody won't notice it in any way here in Finland :mark:

If we take any other sport for instance in athletics, should any Finn win a medal, even a bronze one, he is treated like a hero.

I think it pretty unfair, considering rally drivers with their co-drivers fight the long season to that achievement. Athletics may have that one event where they succeed and that's it. Yes, there might be a long career and lots of training in back but still, motorsports doesn't enjoy the assesment of great public. heck, there are thousands of people who think motorsports are not even considered as sports at all. :eek:

I'm sorry about this post but it just make me mad that some hippey long jumpers get more respect than Marcus and Mikko combined here in Finland :mad:

Is this an universal phenomenon ??

[Woodeye]

Could it be that we are so used to getting success in motorsports in overall that 3rd places don't get too much publicity?

I would say that Rally gains much publicity compared for example to Enduro where we have numerous World Champions without any hype at all. SAmuli Aro, Juha Salminen, Kari Tiainen...

[Addicted]

Maybe it is like this because those athletics dont have 16 world championship games or olympic games every year, instead they have games every fourth year. That might be good for rally also, not having full champioships every year but every fourth year.

[A.F.F.]

I would say that Rally gains much publicity compared for example to Enduro where we have numerous World Champions without any hype at all. SAmuli Aro, Juha Salminen, Kari Tiainen...

I agree. That's why I wrote motorsports, containing them all.

[Maui J.]

Maybe it is like this because those athletics dont have 16 world championship games or olympic games every year, instead they have games every fourth year. That might be good for rally also, not having full champioships every year but every fourth year.

Exactly. Over-saturation. 16 WRCs a year plus 19(?) F1s a year makes for 100+ podiums. I guess you Finns are used to having podiums placings in the top level of motorsport. Too much of the same thing probably doesn't get the newspapers excited anymore. Where as the Olympics is the holy-grail. One shot at glory every four years.

I guess if you lived in a country where motorsport success was few and far between, like this one, then you may see a difference.

[A.F.F.]

But, I was mainly meaning the final position in championship standing. Not the podium place after a rally.

[Miika]

Athletics and WRC - could there be a bit of a difference between the amount of people competing in these sports? Yes, that was sarcastic.

[jonkka]

heck, there are thousands of people who think motorsports are not even considered as sports at all.

Might be the very same people who consider Big Brother et al worth watching.

[ZequeArgentina]

And it is even worth in most countries where rallying gets less attention than in Finland.

You can go on the streets here in Argentina, and except Corodoba province /where WRC is held), most people will not be able to mention a rally driver! And same is almost everywhere, except may be 5 or 6 countries. (Finland, Spain, France, UK, Sweden for the pasts, may be Norway after Solberg era)

[N.O.T]

To be honest i never really cared about 2nd 3rd 15th and 67th ..... in Motorsports and in Sports in general if you compete to be just a contender then you should just say home.

Now about the Athletics vs motorsports i think that there is a more nationalistic feel into the sport since usually the team surrounding the athletes is basically from the same nation as the athlete while in motorsport we have a multicultural efford for success. So its normal for people to coonsider the track and field athletes better representatives of a nation.

[White Sauron]

To be honest i never really cared about 2nd 3rd 15th and 67th ..... in Motorsports and in Sports in general if you compete to be just a contender then you should just say home.

Now about the Athletics vs motorsports i think that there is a more nationalistic feel into the sport since usually the team surrounding the athletes is basically from the same nation as the athlete while in motorsport we have a multicultural efford for success. So its normal for people to coonsider the track and field athletes better representatives of a nation.

Your first ever post I liked, NOT! Well said!

[Tomi]

I think it has much to do with sport journalists too, at least here many are quite conservative by favoring ballgames and athletics and other junkies.

[N.O.T]

also take into account that motorsports are based on activities that are considered illegal in the real world by the general public...something like Boxing.

[jonkka]

also take into account that motorsports are based on activities that are considered illegal in the real world by the general public...something like Boxing.

Bearing in mind that most of the olympic games sports are derived from military activities of antique Greece, I don't think that police would look it with a kind eye if I were to throw javelins in city square.

I think that with recent developments, cycling is starting to look very attractive sport to me. Free drugs...

[jonas_mcrae]

I guess if you lived in a country where motorsport success was few and far between, like this one, then you may see a difference.

Absolutly true, In mexico the only real motorsport success after the Rodriguez brothers in F1(60's ) is Adrian Fernandez when he was racing at CART and winning races he was hugely famous he was even nominated as sport personality of the year and belive me the races on sunday were on national television and watched by millions of people. Also if you compare it to the few olympic athlelets that have succeded they are famous too but only for a short period of time, nowadays Adrian is still famous and regarded by some people as a hero. So it really depends at what the country is good at and how many people succeed. Also the time between people being succesfull matters, the difference btw adrian and the rodriguez bros was almost 40 years!! so that really counts.

[MikeD]

I guess if you lived in a country where motorsport success was few and far between, like this one, then you may see a difference.

Well, some of us remember Chris Amon, but otherwise New Zealand hasn't produced many motorsport names.

PS: But didn't you get second place in the A1 GP last year? The only problem is that nobody watches that series because it basically sucks.

[Brother John]

Yes I take it all! :D

[WRCfan]

Well, some of us remember Chris Amon, but otherwise New Zealand hasn't produced many motorsport names.

PS: But didn't you get second place in the A1 GP last year? The only problem is that nobody watches that series because it basically sucks.

If you have a country in A1 it's pretty well followed. Not because of manufacturer or driver but because it is country based and everyone can relate to that.

Scotty Dixon,Nelson Hartley, Kerry Jones, Possum Bourne (even though RIP we HAVE to include our dear Possum), Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren, Deny Hulme, Josh Coppins, Scott Column, Ben Townley are a few names I can think of from New Zealand although having a few Kiwi's at the forefront of motorsport categories has been a while...

[AndyRAC]

I think it has much to do with sport journalists too, at least here many are quite conservative by favoring ballgames and athletics and other junkies.

That could be said over here as well. Except Motorsport is F1, end of. I may be wrong but I don't think there are any dedicated WRC, Moto GP journalists on any of the daily newspapers, yet they all have a F1 writer. Personally Athletics, Tennis, get far too much coverage especially in Britain.

[Daniel]

Well, some of us remember Chris Amon, but otherwise New Zealand hasn't produced many motorsport names.

PS: But didn't you get second place in the A1 GP last year? The only problem is that nobody watches that series because it basically sucks.
I'm sorry but how could anyone forget Possum Bourne? :mark:

[FrankenSchwinn]

golf is not a sport, neither is curling, cricket or american football.

if these are considered "sports" then any motorsport ought to be considered a sport and cherished more than ANY of the previously mentioned passtimes, period.