#prostanswering

I like your style, anon, you're so polite! It's rare nowadays, I'm happy we're able to discuss positively even matters that are so "hot", such as rebranding and the infamous 2015 fallout (and everything that cascaded from it).

I was at Mugello this year, and I still saw a lot of the things you mentioned, including coffins. The booing was insane: paying for a ticket that isn't even cheap doesn't give you the right to behave like an animal; you're allowed not to cheer for Marc (not even Dall'Igna appearing in your sleep armed with a gun will ever force you to) but, sooner or later you'll have to outgrow your hooligan phase...and I'm a Valentino fan too, so I know what I'm talking about.

it’s not as simple as uh oh evil washed vale bullied a child

duality is sexy

What do you mean? Isn't he a 396,271 months old baby? Blimey!

Jokes aside, I very much second this, anon! No real hate towards Marc, but let's keep the babyfying shit on Ao3, thank you.

It baffles me as someone who follows sports like gymnastics and figure skating—which are fighting against putting kids barely in their teens to compete in senior categories and forcing them to retire in their mid 20s—to see that in other sports what people want to see is teens and 20somethings to be the ones competing at the top, and forcing those who reach their 30s-40s to retire because they're "too old".

I see we have a pretty strong opinion here, but I'd still like to share my own.

First of all, I believe that as long as your body - or even more so, your mind - allows you, and someone still offers you the opportunity, there’s no real reason to stop. With so many rookies coming in, we can't even say that he’s taking away opportunities, so.

I don’t see it as sad or pathetic. It’s tough, yes, to see a fighter like Alonso who, with the equipment he’s got now, looks like a shadow of his former self. But without that fire, without that persistence, we wouldn’t have had Valentino Rossi’s last years. While not successful in terms of results, they remained significant and meaningful. And to clarify, I am not in the least equating the two, but Rossi exemplifies the idea of continuing as long as the body permits.

Furthermore, one must not forget - though many so very often do - that this is their profession, indeed their entire world. Imagine dedicating your entire life to something, only to be forced, at thirty or forty (not even half of an average life span), to stop and to reinvent yourself completely. Even remaining within the sporting sphere, it is by no means the same.

Just to add a bit more context to your point.

marc fans hating on vale on here happens privately on their blogs on the internet where the man himself will never ever fucking see it! i don't condone it but trying to compare it to the hate marc gets is ridiculous! i'm sure there are plenty of marc fans that enjoy wec, do you see them rocking up to races wearing marc merch and booing vale? do you see marc fans hauling insults vales way when he stops to visit the motogp paddock? do they wish him death? no they don't! i don't like seeing people talk shit about the man i grew up idolizing either but i just block or ignore it because i know it's not the end of the world nor is it in way as big of an issue as the hate marc has to face every race

and yes i agree vale speaking up probably wouldn't have done a whole lot to the crazed cult that was acting out but he should have at least tried! he should have adressed the situation instead of just ignoring it because it was unacceptable!!!

Fun fact: Valentino Rossi has religiously taken part to every safety meeting since 2003 (when Daijiro Kato died in Suzuka). He removed himself from his self-appointed role in 2015.