Re: Re: Re: That sucks.
 

I'm not speaking to you until you destroy those Pennzoil pictures.

T2x:p

I can give a sh it about TV as long as I can race where the rules are fair and enforced, and the competition is intense. I am not a blind follower of the APBA, I was in Orlando as a skeptic and heard what they had to say and liked it. I was all ready to jump ship and race SBI exclusively. Now I will do a little of both.
It has been my experience both in APBA Offshore, snd racing APBA inboard that their rules, regs, infrastructure, and history are head and shoulders above the rest. The weakness has been in the leadership(I have only been involved for 4 years) with offshore.
If the new regime is the real deal, the foundation for success is there.

Friends,

First, thank you to Too old, T2x and those of you who have supported me. The following is my perspective, and not an official position APBA. I write this from the heart, and quite honestly with much sorrow. The irony of our sport's downward spiral, is that we have brought it on ourselves, and we are accelerating the demise every day. It is not Sea Turtles, or Manatees or Tourist Development Councils cancelling races. It's our history if internal warfare, essentially us eating our young and
making us distasteful to host sites, sponsors, competitors and fans.
This very day, there is one organization going after existing and former APBA sites and sponsors and portraying APBA Offshore in the least favorable light. They believe they are doing the right thing, yet how right are we in the eyes of our consitituent interests when we simply change shirts and logos and smear the very organization we belonged to last year? What picture of our sport do we put in the minds of TV, City Commissions, Sponsors, etc. when we are more fractured than humpty dumpty?

Many are saying that when the dust settles, we'll somehow come together. However, as we fractrure further, with regions and clubs each going their own way, will the pieces, if ever assembled, fit back together? Our problems are not of an external nature.

I don't have the answers. What I will do, and promise to each of you, is that I'll be fair, and straight as your referee when you participate at an APBA event. We'll break bread, we'll work together, we'll seek solutions, we'll try as best as we can to do the right thing.

Hope to see each of you in St. Cloud.

Steve

"after the initials LLC are finally removed from the APBA's testes....."
I personally think that is the answer to the majority of the problems.
Steve...I know you'll do a great job with what you have to work with.

Dan

Here is a hint....... There initials start with OSS

I'll add nothing to the above except to give Steve my two highest praises.

1. I trust him

and..

2. He doesn't suck


T2x

Here's another hint...... Finger pointing will only make this mess worse.

T2x

Can it get worse? Just curious........in your opinion (which I respect greatly) at what point in time was the sport in its worst shape?

High praise from T2x !!
Hope Steve can pull this together..But even i know,He cant do it alone

Good question............


Probably during the time just prior to Gene Whipp's arrival, although right now is no walk in the park either. It is tough to compare because today we have the confluence of two very negatively impactful phenomena.

1. The near total loss of credibility brought on by all of the infighting, baseless claims, bragging and prostitution of the past few years.

2. A changing socio-economic dynamic that is going against the grain of all forms of boat racing. Hydro-Prop has fallen, The Champ boats are struggling, Offshore is in disarray, The UIM fleets are dwindling.....

However, there is always hope. That new Jet boat timed rally thing is catching favor with a random audience...proving that boat racing, if packaged in a proper way, has the ability to draw fans. All that is needed is two ingredients..... a proper vision...and a leader who can bring the troops to understand and embrace it.

Certainly we have individuals with the ability, knowledge, logic and experience to create the former........ and Mr. David has been (and will be) my choice to provide the rest.

Of course he'll never forgive me when it happens;)

T2x