Ups & Downs
Ups & Downs
ROUNDUP
UP: To Mike Metzger, for perfecting the motorcycle backflip. The self-proclaimed Godfather of Freestyle Motocross celebrated this past Independence Day with his own brand of fireworks, landing no fewer than 21 complete 360-degree rotations on his Honda CR250R. According to onlookers, he even executed no-handed and no-footed versions of the stunt!
DOWN: To CNN.com, for its sensationalistic reporting. This past June, in its coverage of Paul McCartney’s wedding to Heather Mills, reporters referred to the former Beatle’s fiancée as “a model who lost her leg in a motorcycle accident.” C’mon folks, it’s not as if Mills, who also suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung and fractured pelvis when she stepped off a sidewalk and was nailed by a speeding motorcop in 1993, was blasting across the desert and muffed a corner! Sorry, Lauren...
UP: To Read2Race.com founder and children’s book illustrator Ralph Masiello, for encouraging literacy among youth motocrossers. By reading and reporting on books and magazines suggested by local libraries and schools, participants in the 700-plusmember New England Motocross club earn prizes provided by area dealers and aftermarket suppliers. In the future, Masiello hopes to expand the program nationally.
