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In all fairness, Michael Ball did not actually say win or you’re fired.
He said I didn’t hire you to finish second or third. Or, presumably, tenth.
“I never told Bahati he would be fired,” Ball said. “The bottom line was this: I told Bahati, ‘I didn’t hire you for second or third, I hired you to win. You have got a month to win.
Read more: www.velonews.com
Sure, it sounds the same to me. But what do I know?
And there is a whole lot more on this train wreck over at cyclingnew.com today. Some juicy bits below:
Several companies told Cyclingnews that they experienced inconsistent treatment from Michael Ball and Rock Racing. Indeed, the musical chairs it has played with bike sponsors in the past six months is the most salient example. For the 2007 season, Rock Racing was riding Scott bicycles. According to Adrian Montgomery of Scott USA, the team was slated to ride Scott bikes again in 2008. “We had an agreement, but not a contract, for the 2007 and 2008 season,” said Montgomery. “I couldn’t get a good contract … he (Ball) has to be able to opt out of anything.”
Montgomery indicated that Ball had “good lawyers” and as such, he found the legal process difficult. He said his experience was “the same thing he is doing with his athletes”.
… Adrian Montgomery said that all indications are pointing towards an inevitable outcome for the team. “It became very evident after dealing with them that they just were not getting it,” he said. “And nothing I could do was going to help. It’s more fun to watch it now in the media.”
“No other bike sponsor is ending up with anything positive,” Montgomery added. “And then the next step is for him to go make it all himself.”
Tick, tick, tick.
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what a fun guy!!
This is going to be the (only) reason to keep going back to VN and CN this year.
….yeah, it’s gonna be gauranteed to provide a giggle or two, that is until the whole thing craters when shit-for-brains realizes no major race is going to touch him with somebody elses ten-foot pole (or syringe)….
….tick tick tick indeed….
I’ll tell ya what.
I won’t buy one fucking thing from sponsors that support that team.
Zero.
Any sponsor that gets in with that piece of fucking shit, don’t deserve to have a fucking product, a market place, or a single fucking customer.
The guy is a nut job. I don’t know him for shit, but, like Rick James said “Cocaine is a helluva drug”. He’s gotta be just straight blasted all the time. If I had his kind of money, I would be, ‘cept I really don’t like blow, ’cause it turns you into a loudmouth pretentious asshole know-it-all.
Get what I sprayin?
…a couple a’ questions & a few thoughts for micheal ball…
…feeling a little confrontational, are we, mr ball ???…i guess people in this sport won’t jump through hoops quite the way we’re used to, huh ???…would it be fair to say we’ve been getting our way because we can usually buy our way in, mr ball ???…doesn’t always happen, despite our selfish interests…
…those facts alone should give you pause but that doesn’t seem to be your style…
…if you’ll slow up a half step, you’ll notice that the activity, sport & industry of cycling involves around people enthused, quite simply, about bicycles…it’s a cultural thing & while, as you’ve so graciously pointed out, sometimes a good shaking up is needed, perhaps it would behoove you to take a look at the ground you’re standing on…you haven’t been standing there long & you’ve already trod on a lot of toes…
…you’ve done impressively well for yourself in your clothing business, no doubt about it…i would imagine you might even make a worthwhile contribution to the sport of cycling, if you took the time to see the people you’re dealing with…while they may offer needed commodities, they themselves are not commodities & it’s a shame you feel the need to treat them that way…
…it’s ok, mr ball, you’re young, you’re impetuous & you’re successful & someday you’ll ‘get it’ but in the meantime, please, don’t piss all over our sport …as you know, pro cycling has had a history of pissing all over itself for a while now…why not help us get it back on track in a positive manner ???…
…just suggestin’…
….douchebag also needs to realize that one thing the Bike business revolves around as well is making friends and building community…don’t know anything about the jeans biz, but pure cock-swagger doesn’t get you too far ’round these here parts….
– Hah! He thinks he’s going to do Milan-San Remo !! – I’ll bet the Italians & Belgians are pissing all over themselves right now….
I seen and heard a lot in the bike industry over many many years. Ball is a complete a hole. He fails to grasp the most basic concept of competive cycling and yet justifies his ignorance every time he opens his mouth. The cycling world needs to just say no the f’er…….
i’d still rather hear about the state of Big Jonny’s balls than read any more hogwash about this egomaniac and his “team”
Rock Racing and Mr. Ball is just bad for cycling. His attitude is not what this sport needs, but we could use his money. I feel sorry for the riders on the team as this will all end badly one day and their names will be tarnished as having worked with this guy.
I can’t wait for him to try to make his own bikes. He should call it the Breaker. “Rock Racing to ride the new Ball Breaker…”
Got Balls ? hehe
Take a look at Bikesnob nyc’s take:
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/01/purloined-letter-ball-to-hed.html