Update on the Alice situation

[rforsythe]

Ok, as I indicated in the other thread I had a really good conversation with Howie this evening, here's a summary of it...

First off, he says he never intended for things to be taken this way, and I believe him. While the DJ's did laugh along with other people saying what they'd like to do to bikers, and while that's encouragement of those things in our eyes, he says he would never wish harm on a rider, and I believe him. He indicated that many members of his family ride, and while he doesn't own a motorcycle, he knows what it means to have your loved ones in harms way.

That said, he is very sorry to everyone that things were interpreted the way they were, and wanted me to let you all know. Because of policy coming down from his management, he isn't allowed to bring this up in his show and set it straight, though he'd like to. However he is willing and able to help us do some positive things, such as...
- Promote and participate in a memorial ride, which I know some of you have been discussing.
- Meet up with some of us for lunch, so we can meet face to face and get to know him a little better, since I think how he is on the radio isn't how he is as a normal guy.
- Talk up things like MRA races, Racing 2 Save Lives events, safety classes, and other things which demonstrate how we pick the right time and place to ride fast (i.e. on the track), give back to the community, and use our bikes safely because we enjoy riding them.
- Maybe more, that's just what I came up with off the top of my head, but it's all stuff we discussed and he is open for it.

So, yeah... Our conversation went very well, and he wants to take action in the ways that he can to show that he is pro-biker, and pro-sportbike in this case. I'm all for it, because any message we can get out there that either keeps a rider safer or helps public image is beneficial for ALL riders.

With all that said, I feel we've made our point with the boycott, and I think the message has been received. While I know why they were laughing along with callers, I also don't think they realized the gravity of those jokes, and that we've been dealing with people intentionally harming motorcyclists for some time now. Anything where that is made to be acceptable only encourages the deranged minority who would take it that far, and I think I explained that sufficiently. I also know that serious threats have been made to affected parties on both sides of this, and are significant enough that I feel it's time to transition this thing into something positive. As such, I will be ending the boycott.

Everyone who supported this for what it is, did an awesome job of banding together as motorcyclists - not just in CSC, but in the state, and even around the country, and not only limited to sportbike riders or even people who ride motorcycles at all. I'm not sure that Alice even knows the level of attention this did receive, but I also feel it's fair to recognize a genuine effort on Howie's part to help motorcyclists in Colorado going forward, and to allow that to happen I think we all need to move on with this.

If anyone has any questions please let me know, otherwise be proud that we did something that made a difference. Be proud that we were able to take something very negative, and turn it into something very positive. It's time to rise above it, and I hope everyone does just that.

I also look forward to working with Howie in the coming weeks, and welcome your input on ways we can do that. Feel free to PM me if you like.

Thanks all!

[pilot]

Glad to see this one has settled down and some good may come from it.

[mtnairlover]

Now that's what I like to read. I hope there's just as much exposure in the media to what is good about this community for many weeks to come. Thanks Ralph and everyone behind the scenes for everything you did.

[wulf]

Originally Posted by rforsythe

If anyone has any questions please let me know, otherwise be proud that we did something that made a difference. Be proud that we were able to take something very negative, and turn it into something very positive. It's time to rise above it, and I hope everyone does just that.

I'm happy we as a club stood up, and that this is coming to a peaceful and beneficial end.

But aren't you counting your chickens before they hatch here? NOTHING has actually been done other than you two talking on the phone.

Calling off the boycott before they've actually agreed to one of your ideas of helping the community seems very premature to me. Being open to the idea and actually doing it are two entirely different things.

[Ricky]

Wow, this is great to hear. This connection might actually help in the future

[rforsythe]

You're right wulf, we did just talk on the phone. However...
- Howie did agree to all of our ideas on helping, and was enthusiastic about it.
- I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, and taking him at his word. If he falls through then it's all out here in public, but I don't think he's going to fall through, I think he will do the things he quite passionately committed to while talking to me.
- SOMETHING was definitely done. I spent several minutes talking to Wendy yesterday, and about 20 this afternoon just talking to Howie. I think if he wasn't serious, he could have blown me off a lot faster than that.

FWIW I never committed to calling off the boycott over the phone, however I'm doing it as a show of faith, and because I think it's the right thing to do - which is what got us here in the first place, standing up for what we think is right.

[wulf]

Originally Posted by rforsythe

You're right wulf, we did just talk on the phone. However...
- Howie did agree to all of our ideas on helping, and was enthusiastic about it.
- I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, and taking him at his word. If he falls through then it's all out here in public, but I don't think he's going to fall through, I think he will do the things he quite passionately committed to while talking to me.

If he gave you his word, that is something different. Your first post only mentioned him being "open" to the idea. If you trust his word, then i will take that, as you have actually spoken to him.

I will hold my thoughts and doubts on this, but i stand by my first post.

[Slo1299]

Yeah if Howie wanted to, he could have just ignored all of us and went on business as usual. However, he did listen, and is willing to help us promote sportbikes as something positive which is much more than many others are willing to do.

Thumbs up for Howie in my book.

[Aracheon]

This is great news! I'm glad to see that things are panning out, and I'm DEFINITELY glad to see that he's willing to support future pro-sportbike things. Awesome!

If he's up for a lunch sometime to meet us, let me know. I'll make it if I can.

[awilbur77]

I'm not buying it. He's bluffing. It's a common reaction from people like him who can talk alot of shit... offend almost everyone... and then kiss ass like nobody else can just to silence the lambs. I've seen this same scenario played out countless times with my ex-wife and I've seen the same physcology at work in high stakes poker games by top pros.

That being said... I never talked to Howie, and have no desire to. After all, if I took him "at his word" I'd be carrying an aluminum baseball bat with me on my bike for when he tried to open his car door on me.

I am all for doing something positive if we can get them to agree to it, I just think we're being hasty with entrusting this guy who made these comments in the first place "at his word".

The sad reality is, the world we live in is a world full of these types of people who can talk the talk but never walk the walk. They smile alot, talk alot, act little and are usually full of shit and just common liars. Nowadays if you take ANYONE at their "word" you are setting yourself up to be a sucker 90% of the time, and the other 10% of the time you might just get lucky and find one of the 10% remaining folks on this planet that actually has some hint of integrity left.

Good thing it's a free country still (at least for a while until they continue to strip us of all our rights and ability to make choices) and everyone has a right to an opinion. That's my opinion.

[Spy007]

I think thats great news actually. Im going to put my faith in that he will stick with it and it will turn into a huge positive.

[wulf]

awilbur77; I'm also quite skeptical, obviously. But i think you take it too far. Maybe it's because i'm from small town in farm country but if someone is going to give you their word it means something.

On the other hand the station he's representing is just as bad as you describe, which is where my doubts come from. They denied this ever happened and now are doing their best to cover it up. To the best of my knowledge, Howie is not trying to deny it, he's trying to make amends.

Oh, and i wouldn't be surprised if some members of this club had more than baseball bats in case of a "love nudge".

[1ofTheBoys]

Great job Ralph andd all the rest that helped out. I think positive things will come of this.

[AshliRider44]

Ralph,

Any word if he would be willing to come down the last MRA race?

[Cat118!]

I'm glad to hear all went well!! Shows how close the riding community can be.... its like an extended family. I look forward to meeting Howie and doing positive.....

[Sonic Boom]

This made the news all the way to Orlando guys. I was driving around last night listening to our local clear channel talk station, and I heard them talking about this.

Whatever you've done to get it into the news, you've done it right.

[Devaclis]

Realize, this is not a bash to anyone. Take it as an opinion, my opinion:

Thanks for taking point on this Ralph.

I for one, will not be happy until Alice admits that they were wrong. Heck (Man I wanted to insert and expletive here) , I have sucked up my pride MANY times and admitted I had made a HUGE mistake. Even paid for mistakes with jail time. Because they will not do this, ever, then they will not be able to be supportive in good faith.

I will also NOT be stopping my boycott of the advertisers until some form of retribution is made.

Good job in getting some positive words and some forward momentum from this Ralph, you are definitely the one to head this up. But without actions, we are still in the same boat we were last Friday. They did something wrong, and they have not made it right. At least not by me.

Keep working with them. Good things will happen for sure.

[AshliRider44]

Originally Posted by Devaclis

Realize, this is not a bash to anyone. Take it as an opinion, my opinion:

Thanks for taking point on this Ralph.

I for one, will not be happy until Alice admits that they were wrong. Heck (Man I wanted to insert and expletive here) , I have sucked up my pride MANY times and admitted I had made a HUGE mistake. Even paid for mistakes with jail time. Because they will not do this, ever, then they will not be able to be supportive in good faith.

I will also NOT be stopping my boycott of the advertisers until some form of retribution is made.

Good job in getting some positive words and some forward momentum from this Ralph, you are definitely the one to head this up. But without actions, we are still in the same boat we were last Friday. They did something wrong, and they have not made it right. At least not by me.

Keep working with them. Good things will happen for sure.

I hear you Dana.

[Κανελλόπουλος]

Originally Posted by AshliRider44

Ralph,

Any word if he would be willing to come down the last MRA race?

I like this idea.

[Bueller]

+1
The goals of the original boycott have not been met. A simple public apology is all that is being asked for. What is the big deal with management not allowing this on air?
After the objective is met, then we can go forward with the do-gooding.

my .02

[ihavealegohead]

Isn't Howie paid to be a professional talker? To make callers think that whatever subject he is talking to is believable? I think lawyers are schooled in the same tongue.

BTW found this site after reading the 9news story! I guess what’s good for Alice might be good for cosportbikeclub too?

[konichd]

Originally Posted by Devaclis

Realize, this is not a bash to anyone. Take it as an opinion, my opinion:

Thanks for taking point on this Ralph.

I for one, will not be happy until Alice admits that they were wrong. Heck (Man I wanted to insert and expletive here) , I have sucked up my pride MANY times and admitted I had made a HUGE mistake. Even paid for mistakes with jail time. Because they will not do this, ever, then they will not be able to be supportive in good faith.

I will also NOT be stopping my boycott of the advertisers until some form of retribution is made.

Good job in getting some positive words and some forward momentum from this Ralph, you are definitely the one to head this up. But without actions, we are still in the same boat we were last Friday. They did something wrong, and they have not made it right. At least not by me.

Keep working with them. Good things will happen for sure.

I'm with Dana!

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

I think with all of the negative feedback that alice was receiving, Howie was forced to "have" the conversation w/ Ralph, I'm not saying he was being fake, but It's hard to trust any radio personality or anyone on the phone for that matter, b/c you can't see their face when you are talking to them. Who know's what kind of eye rolling is truly going on when they are talking b/c they know you can't see them.

[Devaclis]

Well, Ralph has been working on this for a while. He know his stuff and is VERY good at speaking and giving information. I believe that everything Ralph stated above is 100% true.. It WILL end as a good partnership. I just has not gotten there yet.