Sometimes *@!$ happens. Sometimes it happens every day, for weeks, or even longer. How much “control” do we really have? Talk to any shrink and they will tell you we have NONE. But we can increase our odds, certainly. We can eat right, exercise, sleep an acceptable amount, do our homework, and then keep lining up. We line up even when we get our teeth kicked in. If we want to win, we just shake off life’s challenges and we go back for more, and hope we have a few teeth left when we’re done, and back on the winning track.
We went into this year’s MotoGP season with great anticipation for Ben Spies. Bigger motor, more experience, more refined team, bigger fan club, and a new brand. Expectations can be a profoundly heavy weight to carry. Looking closely, what we are getting in return for our expectations is actually much more than what we bargained for. No doubt Ben’s having a tough go at it. No doubt his fans are having their mettle tested this year. And Ben is finding out who his fans really are. The real ones who are with him no matter what.
We go about our day to day and we have our own challenges. Personal challenges. Business challenges. Working in post recessionary periods where it’s still more uphill than down. But we keep lining up. Or hopefully most of us do. And for some it’s been a very long haul. We need a signal, or a beacon to remind us we are not always alone. To show us what it’s like to keep lining up. Maybe just a human doing inhuman things. Someone who bleeds just like we do.
Ben is that signal for us. We’ve seen it all and nearly fell out of our chairs when we saw him hit the tarmac in practice and in the race. We dismiss the negativity and the haters because they just don’t matter. They have no idea. Maybe they don’t know what it means to “line up” anyway. We feel the challenge, the grit, and the pressure from thousands of miles away. Groundswell fan momentum is starting to build, as Ben reveals more of his heart and determination. We’ve seen the real fans and friends initiate campaigns such as “” to show their support and push the real love (good people like – who has a day job).
If you saw the last two races you without a doubt know that Ben is the real deal. He’s like a lion in a cage and it’s obvious he’s coming into his own. It’s the real down-and-dirty evidence of how a human can line back up, over and over, and do the inhuman. It’s something we could / should all take a lesson from. Ben’s the guy we are pulling for, make no bones about it. He’s a guy to watch both in the race and the details of how he gets there. To watch what it’s like to line up again and again. We’re with you, Ben, lining up. Your fans.
Mary, Randy, Brock, Brad, Vivian, Claire, Amy, Cathy, Seppe, Ljiljana, Esther, Luca, Chiara, and RD2 — the list goes on and on.
Couldn’t have said it better. Dead on Chris, and you are 1000% correct….in Spies we trust!
Thanks, Brock! I believe in this lining up thing, big time. And it’s huge to see someone line up big, when it’s all on the line every time…and to do it like a pro.
It’s because we see his guts and determination week in, week out that we admire him. He’s a fighter. I line up because he does. Great blog Chris!!
I’ll say again what I mentioned the other day….One of the things I respect the most about Ben is that he is always professional, polite, and humble regardless of outcome. Says to me that he knows exactly who he is. Rare, admirable quality indeed.
I mentioned it elsewhere, a personal of sponsor is taking out ADS in magazines and on the internet for their support of Ben.(they say in good times, in bad times because its Ben they support in total) and his Elbowz cycle team drives themselves harder to show their appreciation and comradeship with Ben. Stunning following and I only hope that we can all re-charge and appreciate life and those like Ben that live it right each day. If you know him, follow him, you are impacted in some positive way. A great example of staying power and being grounded. He is even very funny, who would know?
Its not how hard you can hit in life that counts, its how hard you can take the hits and keep moving forward thats what defines a champion pick yourself up spies and take the crown !!!
Well said Chris. It’s too easy to support someone in glory days… People who believe in Ben won’t stop for some bad result or for some bad luck. Plus, since we love motorcycles and racing we can recognize the real value in the competition without being blinded from what medias want us to believe. Ben is one of the most talented riders the motorcycle world has ever seen and he’s definitely a title contender, no matter what people can say. And the ones who will join the bandwagon (there will be plenty) in glory days will not understand it in the same way.
This really hits the nail on the head!
Ben is a rare breed of racer, polite, professional and always willing to own up if he has made a mistake.
He has some of the best fans in the world and he deserves them! I wouldnt wanna line up with anyone but Elbowz and his fans
There’s a reason why the word Fan comes from the word Fanatic, because a true fan goes through the ups and downs with everything. Your head goes down when something happens. NOT in shame, but in belief that you knew it was possibl for thing to go right and they didn’t. A Fan is not a Coach, but instead more like a behind the scenes teammate, such as a sixth man in Basketball, etc. Which means when your teammate is down, you help them up and tell them lets get’m. Ben is definitely a force to be reckoned with, an there’s no use for fair weather fans here. GO #11, and Team Yamaha!!!!
I saw earlier when you mentioned that, Mary. It’s great that sponsors like that really “get it.”
Right On, Martin!
Well stated, Luca. Keep up the great work!!
Exactly, Brandon – Ben has a HUGE team in all of us!
That’s right, Amy. Lining up against Team Eleven is unwise…
Been a fan of Ben since back in the CMRA days, I’m also friends with some of the Elbowz crew, funny that the two happened completely independently of each other and time-wise, a long time apart of each other. Makes me want to push ever harder when I race my bicycle even though I’m not at their level, and when I don’t seem to have it in me to win. Still keeps me “Lining Up”. Wonderfully put, and only the true people that are passionate about racing will fully understand. Excellent read, Stay focused and determined Ben. I’ll keep “Lining Up” as well.
its like everything in life some people are only interested when things go right but true fans will stick and eventualy things will click into place. Never give up (i know you wont) and show them all
Thanks Jon – Where are you from?
You can always tell the measure of a man when the chips are down. Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity. Go hard Ben. You are successful.