The Cult of Rossi???

VALENTINO Rossi is without a doubt the greatest motorcycle racer of his generation if not ever....but this week I'm starting to wonder if he isn't, in fact, just bad for our sport.

I can hear the cries now (heaven knows I've heard them all before)...."what are you talking about woman?" ...."don't you know anything about bike racing?".....and then the old chestnut "What sort of journalist are you?".....but this time, I refuse to budge.

The reason for my sweeping statement comes on the back of the frankly disgusting behaviour of some of the great one's fans at Donington Park on Sunday.

Bike fans in general have long joked about the "Rossi muppets" who have suddenly bought into the sport in recent years on the back of his success.

It's like the Manchester United effect, where all these people who you've never seen before suddenly come out of the woodwork to don their favourite yellow and blue clothing, cover themselves in the number 46 and wrap themselves up in huge flags bearing The Doctor in massive letters.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Year upon year the numbers attending the British GP at Donington creep up a few thousand, and for a minority sport we're not doing too bad.

But what I witnessed on Sunday afternoon changed my mind completely. As race winner and reigning World Champion Casey Stoner took to the podium, the masses of fans (who incidentally had already defied the rules and stormed the track, despite calls not to) booed and jeered the tiny Aussie.

Among the boos and whistles, a heavy chant of "Rossi Rossi Rossi" broke out, as the fans attempted to scale the metal fences in a desperate bid to get closer to their idol.

Sat in the press conference room, overlooking the riot which was escalating out of hand before our very eyes, myself and a number other English journalists were just in shock.

How proud we were that this blue ribband championship, the greatest series on two wheels in the world, turns up for its annual visit to our fine country and the 2007 champ and race winner gets booed.

When our photographer landed back at Media HQ, he had his own tales to tell. Tearful families consoling their children with "Second is the best we could've hoped for, we mustn't get too upset"....and one mother dragging her young daughter across the track towards the podium saying "oh we're being very naughty but we must get to see him."

He had also been shocked at the rows of 'fans' lining the track who were sticking fingers up and making other international gestures at Stoner every time he rode by.

Stoner himself admitted he was pretty shocked by it all. He had been taken aback as he completed his cool-down lap after taking the chequered flag to the boos, jeers and other obscenities thrown his way, only to be then met by the abuse on the podium.

Speaking to some of us after the press conference, he shrugged and said it was something he just had to get used to. "I don't know what I can do to make the English fans like me," he said.

"You hear all of this stuff as you're out there, you look up and see people making w****er signs at you but you just have to get on with it"

Rossi meanwhile refused to comment. As my mate Michael Hill, brandishing a microphone asked him what he thought to his fans' behaviour, the normally happy cheery Italian put his head down, said he knew nothing about it, and scuttled away.

Is it Rossi's fault? No. All the guy has really done is be the best at his game, but somewhere down the line he has been elevated to demi-god status, and is clearly attracting fans who have no respect for anything other than their messiah.

It's not even like a religion, it's more like a cult....the cult of Rossi.

As many of the UK and international press have sighed and said "thank god that's over for another year" over the last two days, it leaves us wondering what can be done to solve the problem.

Sadly, however, I think it's a problem we're stuck with until the great man decides to hang up his helmet for good.

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit