Ever since EA Sports ran a TV commercial showing a freestyle MX rider blasting forest animals with mud and roost, and then setting the forest on fire, the off-road community has responded strong and loud.

However, not everyone thinks the commercial did any harm. So read on:

I just finished reading your article on the Freekstyle video game. Now this is just my opinion (and we're all allowed to have our own opinions) but I think you are kind of blowing it out of proportion.

First off, I found it rather offensive that you seemed to be putting down people with tattoo's and crazy hair as "punks" and "thugs" as if we're all a bunch of law-breaking nogoodniks.

Secondly, you complained about how no one is wearing safety equipment, come on, people have been riding with out safety equipment for years, they're what we call "morons" and I highly doubt anyone that wouldn't be stupid enough to ride without saftey equipment before they played the game would suddenly have a dramatic change of common sense (although, I would say that regardless, they should have some sort of disclaimer).

I really also can't believe that a 30 second commercial for a video game could possibly do as much harm to the sport as you make it out to seem. Anyways, I'm just hoping to try and see your point of view.

John Rogers

PS: Do you believe video games also caused all those school shootings, or is Freekstyle the only video game that you think causes people to do bad things?

You're missing the entire point of the argument, Rogers. First off, I could care less about the game. I haven't seen it or played it and have no desire to do so. The huge problem is the commercial and the harm it's done to off-roading.

If you knew anything at all about the people who want to kill off-roading, then you would know that they're clapping their hands with glee about the commercial. It gives them ammo to force politicians to close even more public land to recreational use. If you can't understand that, then you are a certified pinhead.

Which brings me to your other point. I'll admit it: it do not like to see people with freaky hair-dos and heavily tattooed. It repulses me. Simple as that.

Rick Sieman

Hey Rick,
I'm a 43 year old dad, high school teacher and dirt rider. Been riding since late 60's. Anyone who thinks this type of publicity is not bad for our sport needs to brush up on their history. In the very early days the public viewed motorcycling as an elite sport, almost as Polo is today. Hillclimbs, races and rallies were attended by a broad cross-section of society.

Almost overnight this image was irrevocably changed by one Hollywood movie (the star's initials are MB). Those who did not want to be associated with this image left the sport. Those who wanted to be associated with it joined up. Others rode because they loved the sport, no matter the image.

Many years passed before a Japanese genius convinced the public that you meet the nicest people on Honda. When folks found out you rode a Honda they smiled. The image had changed, but not totally.

I think that now we are once again at the crossroads of acceptability of our sport. Cars are getting cleaner and non-motorized sports such as mountainbiking are incredibly popular. Its cool to mountainbike no matter who you are because the image of the rider is athletic, rugged, environmentally aware etc.

Does this not sound like the attributes of our sport participants? For the general public it does not. We all are aware of the perception of our sport and must be vigilant to improve it. We must make powerful foes aware of our numbers and influence.

In the case of a corporation such as EA Sports, profit is the sole motivation for the development, creation and promotion of this game. In a word, don't buy it. Don't buy any EA Sports games. Encourage others to do the same.

Sincerely,

Jeff Gardner
Blackstock, SC

Jeff, with any luck at all, the writer of the email in front of you with read what you had to say, and learn from it.

you my friend are the epitomy of all that is wrong with the world today. taking everything FAR too seriously. it is an ADVERTISEMENT FOR A VIDEO GAME!

get over it. no one even took it seriously. it's comical.

and by the by ... just curious ... how many of your "5.75 million" readers bothered to read thru your incessant babblings and then feel compelled enough to do something about it? then how many just thought, "man, what a nutjob. he needs to hit the decaf." i'm just curious to those stats.

anyway...i'm done with this.

later,
j

Rick,

As a BRC member, USA-ALL member, UTMA member, AMA life member, NRA life member, multiple ATV / Dirt Bike / OHV club member for the past 25 years, former chairman of the Utah Sportsman Riders Association, former board member of the Wasatch Trials Association, former club secretary / treasurer of the Sage Riders Motorcycle Club (get the picture that I'm a very involved dirt bike rider), etc., etc., etc.

I agree with YOU 100% and will back your efforts to help EA Sports understand the harm that they have done (while making money) and the destruction they have caused to all of the hard work that individuals and clubs have done (while costing themselves money).

Alan J. Peterson
Helper, Utah

Here's what Alan had to say to EA Sports:

I support you 100% in the banning the sale of trash like this that does nothing to help our sport or extend the lives of our young up and coming riders.!

Respectfully,

Andrew Young
United States Navy
(Proud To Be Serving)

Awesome article I just stumbled upon. Funny thing is when I started seeing ads in the magazines for it, I freaked out. I thought like you what this will do to the future of off roading. It is bad enough tracks all over are being shut down as fast as they build them and open land areas used for riding are being depleted in lieu of homes and malls. I support you 100% and will visit their site and give them a piece of my mind.

Louie Ochoa

Amen, these people are scum and should be harrassed!

Brad & Brenda Huffman

Hey Mr. Hunky,

Just wanted to drop a quick note to say "right on" on your editorial of the FREEKSTYLE video game. I agree wholeheartedly and laughed mightily, as I have for years at your columns, back to the DIRT BIKE days.

This commercial was truly revolting, as my wife heard from me first hand as we watched the same program as you, I suspect. My own editorial was perhaps laced with more 4-letter words, but the sentiment was indeed the same.

Thanks for your dedication to our sport, kind sir. You can be assured that I will be forwarding my comments to EA Sports posthaste. I'll do that later tonight after some liquid nourishment, when I'm nice and lucid. :)

Have a great weekend.

Thanks,
Marc Sanders

I agree its too bad that something like this could happen. I have played FS on a demo disk. I had never seen any commercials at all for this game. I was shocked when I did play it. They could have done a better job at making the game and could have left all the crap out of it. (punks, lack of safety equip., etc..) I hope EA will get their act together. Until then I will not endorse them nor buy any of there games.

Matthew Lawson
student 26
Longview TX

Rick,

Thank you for attacking these dipsh*ts. I wrote EA sports an email of my own (which I should have saved, but did not) basically saying the same things you did. I have been an avid video gamer for about 20 years, and a dirt biker even longer. I have never seen such an idiotic, short sighted and potentially harmful ad in all my years.

I also wrote the editors at motorcycle online, and received no response (not expecting a personal response, just a blurb of the issue on their site) , which was disheartening.

In addition, the impression I get from many people that are riding dirt bikes now is that 'freestyle' is 'where it is at' and most of the younger riders only care about having a ramp park to ride at. I think this crowd has no clue on why that ad is going to bite us all in the ass. What a mess.

Dean Massalsky
Technology Coordinator
Trenton Public Schools
Trenton, MI

I believe totally with you and would be behind you 100%. I think we need to do more then just talk to the little people at EA Sports. We need to find another way to make them pay for all of the unneeded and wrongful spotlight that they brought to the sport of freestyle and dirtbiking in general.

I think having a vote on who thinks EA Sports was out of line would be a good thing to have on this web site, or in an up coming edition of Dirt Bike. Please don't use my name.

We've heard of people who have been poking holes in EA game packages at the stores and do not encourage this activity.

THANK YOU RICK, it is refreshing to see someone finally put the game manufacturers in the spotlight and show the total lack of concern they seem to have. It used to be that when an editor of any publication with as many reader's as you have started making waves, the proper dept. head would reply personally and timely. Not only was there a hand-off to a mere peon, it was delayed & lame. Please continue to keep the world up to date on this battle.

Thanks again.

Wavey

You guys have issues. It is just a game! And what's up with you talking about how "cute little animals" got mud splashed on them, and the forest caught of fire? What, do you expect every game to be suitable for a 3 yr old?? That is why there is TEEN ratings.

It was all just ANIMATED anyway. It's not like the forest really DID catch on fire. IT IS ALL FANTASY, if all games were made to your standards, we would be playing games with little kids riding bikes with training wheels up and down the driveway, and before a person would pass them in a race, they would say, "May I please pass you, thank you."

Again, IT IS JUST A GAME, not reality.

Eric Pomroy

Are you brain-dead, Pomroy? Our complaint is with the damned commercial. What part of that do you not understand? And can you not see the damage this did to our sport? That is not a game!

Rick,

I can't agree with you more! I'm a 32 yr old Dad with a 9 yr old who's getting his second dirt bike this spring. He's a heavy PlayStation 2 player as well and just like you said, "hey that's cool" comes out of his mouth with every commercial related to it.

These people suck and there is no excuse for such crap. What can be done?

Bryan Spearman
Greenville, South Carolina

Hello

I totally agree. The first time I saw that commercial I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I too am an off road rider and a parent. That game is not suitable for young impressionable minds.

After reading the response to your letter from EA Sports, if ever a Company deserved a law suit it would surely be them!!!

Regards,
Stefan Cianci
Globecomm Systems Inc.

While I agree completely with you about that game. It's just another example of the sewage that the video game industry puts out. Have you heard of Grand Theft Auto 3? It's one of the best selling games. It glorifies real life crimes that any person with any sense of decency would find shocking. I don't want to get all philosophical, but I'm a little worried about our society.

Fred Burris

Rick,

Thank you so much for your efforts, I will tell everyone I know to never buy another Eass game and will be making a contribution to the BRC as soon as I can afford to.

Thanx again,

Cam Newman

Just another rider

I'm a 20 yr old male from Ohio that is heavily involved in off roading. I own an 84 CJ-7 that I am very proud of and that I take much time to build and modify.

I also own a 98 Yamaha YZF 400 and do to games and commercials like the one you speak, I now must drive over 2 hrs into central Indiana to ride or 4 wheel my toys.

Just make sure to tell the people from EA sports if my drive gets much longer, I'm coming looking for them and they can then find myself and my friends a new place to enjoy our hobbies.

Thanks for your time and thank you for continuing the work you do for the sports live and love.

Sincerely

Adam Johnston

Rick,

you are a f**king pussy a** b**ch!!!!! I hope the next time you get on your moped you break your neck. You should write an article about you & your hippie buddies hugging a tree you wilderness bitch!!!!!!!!!!!~

C. Falk

Falk, you have just shown your ignorance. I've been involved in the land use fight for two decades and have been to Federal Court countless times to keep land open in the Mojave desert, and was responsible for restoring the Barstow to Vegas race in the 80s. With a bit of research, you would not be quite so intensely stupid. Have you ever heard of the Sahara Club? Well, I started it!

Rick Sieman

Well, after reading your article, I couldn't help but come to a couple conclusions; you must be well over thirty, and, you are not really that up to date on current gaming titles. I also think you're missing the point entirely. Games are just fantasy, nothing more. I doubt you will find anything in that game that is not in a bunch of movies or tv shows, all which are easily viewed by a younger crowd.

There are plenty of games that are realistic and just promote edge-of-your-seat riding (while the stunts you can perform would be completely insane and impossible to duplicate, just as dangerous if not more so that a little comic mischief), this one just adds a cartoon element, that is, once again, present in many video games (how about the entire Road-Rash series?).

It is unfortunate that you would dedicate so much energy toward something so trivial. This is another choice amongst the myriad of choices available to us here in the United States America. Some of us think it's funny to take some "punk" and thrash the countryside in a digital landscape, pulling off insane maneuvers and even throwing a little roost a rabbit or two.

It is stuff that any reasonable person knows you would never do in real life, just like the Coyote trying to nail the Roadrunner with an anvil from above; it's harmless fun. IT'S NOT REAL!!! The whole premise of the game, and the title itself, is meant to be ridiculous.

So is the fact that you can't handle a couple of tattoos and piercings, or a FAKE forest fire. Maybe you should trade your adult beverage in for a can of Ensure. Wake up to the fact that we should be able to choose for ourselves, and it sickens me that one person with a bug caught in their crack would try and force the choice for the rest of us.

Change the channel. Don't buy the game, and keep your kids away from a Playstation 2 (which is predominately an adult gaming platform; try a Nintendo Gamecube if you like G or PG gaming!), but don't try and limit my choices.

Besides, I have been riding responsibly for years. We all know better than to emulate stupid and irresponsible actions. It is up to all of us to keep our fellow riders in check. AND, I seriously doubt that this Freekstyle game was meant as an instructional tool for riders. Lighten up a little, will ya?

A responsible (and over 30) rider,

Jim Fox

Fox, you might be over 30, but you have no idea how the commercial will cause an avalanche of land closures by the eco-fanatics. As for the game itself, I could care less. I do not waste my time with games, period. You, sir, are an over-30 fool.