2013 Race Factory Gaming Nationals

[pinit24/7#12]

I like this idea. RF Sponsors deserve alot more credit then just a banner on the side of each track. We can only hope that people use a sponsors name in a good manner though.

[Sweendoggy]

I like this idea. RF Sponsors deserve alot more credit then just a banner on the side of each track. We can only hope that people use a sponsors name in a good manner though.

All the more reason for rF to take charge and monitor all that stuff, and make SURE our sponsors are taken care of. Also we will be able to make sure deserving teams get something in return as well, as some teams already know we do when setting that stuff up.

[Brina927]

That's a little too dictatorship-ish to me. Most of rf sponsors already have a team so what's gonna be next? Team limited decal red and team limited decal blue? Lame..

[tyskorn]

I don't really get it. We wouldn't be able to have team Intrinzic Graphix unless it's an official sponsor of rF?

[TH_722]

I think it would be cool if we just went to no team sponsors

[checkerz]

That's a little too dictatorship-ish to me. Most of rf sponsors already have a team so what's gonna be next? Team limited decal red and team limited decal blue? Lame..

First off, just quoting you Brina because you are the first reply of likely many. It's always the cool thing to do to say, "OMG you're wrong, you are trying to control everything blah blah blah blah..."

But I like to type many long long posts.... so here goes another.

Situation 1)
A company I have worked with for a long, long time outside of rF and has a good relationship with me approaches me with a chain of emails written worse than Phathry texting a booty call after 12 beers, "kin U sponser my teem" basically. It wasn't just one email, but a ton. Now this sponsor may or may not have wanted to sponsor rF prior to this email, but MXS was not just a case of laughter for this guy, but he was seriously annoyed with the emails. I know of others who have been bouncing around company to company like a Vegas hook....errrrr pinball asking companies to sponsor them. I will be a dick and straight up say, most members of this community aren't mature enough to not go 5th WFO into a competitor let alone approach a company professionally about sponsorship.

Situation 2)
John Doe drafts up a series of fake emails with a major company and passes them to us as his official right to sponsorship. I now first have to exchange emails back and forth with John Doe investigating whether I think he's legit. After that, if he passes that test, I then have to follow up with the company and see if they are legit. If they ARE legit, it raises a red flag to the company as "why the hell are these guys checking, why wouldn't it be legit" or if it isn't, "Why the hell are they bothering me with something so petty..." Something else you may not understand, the MX industry is full of people who work way too many hours for way too little money, time is valuable and I'm not about to waste potential sponsors time or my own. FYI this has happened multiple times each scenario. It isn't just a made up "fear".

And finally... rF has built a website which cost many many hours and time is money. rF puts on a crapload of events which takes a lot of time and time is money. rF puts a ton of effort into promoting the events and site which takes a lot of time and time is money. Oh and shipping prizes too actually costs money. And finding sponsors and managing them and making sure they are getting their money's worth takes time and therefore money. And the companies/sponsors, they are buying their ad space. So how fair is it that ONE and FLY have to "buy" their way onto our site but O'Neal gets on there for free? What does it benefit rF to giveaway all of the time and money to build a platform for exposure to O'Neal for free? Why would O'Neal ever invest a dollar into this community if they are already getting on the site, broadcast, and into the events for free? (Sorry Devin for picking on O'Neal, it was the first one that came to my mind. For the record, I like the O'Neal guys and wish they would support rF and I work with them through RT all the time.)

So all those words to say... It isn't fair to our current sponsors and it is MORE work for rF to provide a platform for these other sponsors that do nothing in return for rF. Plus, it is way cooler to have custom teams like "Team Massacre" and "Team Whipstyle" who have some real personality.

[Pumaxcs]

Wheres Joe at? Team Creative revive.

[Ddavis]

So even though I talk to the rider rep from O'neal and know the owner personally, I can't run their name because they don't sponsor rF?

[TeamHavocRacing]

I guess with all of the typing you do, you STILL can't read or comprehend.

[Brina927]

I think it would be cool if we just went to no team sponsors

I like this idea better

[tyskorn]

I get it now. It's because the company that isn't an official sponsor is getting free advertisement while Fly and other people are paying for the same advertisement.

[Cody Darr]

I get it now. It's because the company that isn't an official sponsor is getting free advertisement while Fly and other people are paying for the same advertisement.

DING DING DING DING DING WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

[checkerz]

I think it would be cool if we just went to no team sponsors

Team Barry is a great outlet of exposure for FLY Racing and sponsoring a team was something that they really wanted to do. Not only does it help keep the sponsor happy, but they also supported the community with extra swag as part of their deal to give to their team riders as a thank you for representing them. It's an outlet of exposure for our sponsors to give them their money's worth, and something we have setup to be able to manage, so I don't see why it should be taken away.

Perhaps we should work on a ranking system for teams to "pick" or get assigned sponsors, but I honestly would rather have that judgement call because there are some members that shouldn't be responsible for representing a company.

I do find it a bit funny that teams are always such a big topic of discussion when they don't have a ton of meaning as compared to the rest of the racing that goes on. Not that it's abad thing.

[Sweendoggy]

Dictatorship

I knew someone would try to immediately label this as that...sigh

Well honestly it's either this or we just drop teams all together and let it be the wild west, which I am ALL for, as I don't really like teams anyway. Just trying to find a middle of the road, but the current system is unfair to our sponsors. Also, why should rF promote all of these "team sponsors?" Basically all these teams are doing right now is putting the sponsor name in their team name, and letting us do all the work by having a nice series/website to post the name all over and give out free advertising and promotion, while many of our own sponsors sit teamless... If you REALLY get support from a sponsor for your team, and you want to support them back with exposure, you can certainly build a website/series and everything else around it to deliver to them. We want to deliver to our supporters in that same way, and we want to use all of our tools for them, not for some coat tail riding "sponsors" Again if you want to promote something, you will have to find a new medium, rF no longer will do it for you, that is a larger driving force behind this new policy. We really are pretty easy to work with, but without laying down rules like this, we are not going to grow IMO, we are just going to get taken advantage of, and drive down our value to potential sponsors. But if you want to call it a dictatorship, feel free to take your team to another series.

[Boblob801]

I understand part of this point but at the same time I see no significance. I agree about the entire time is money, why should fly pay but O'neal doesn't etc etc. But there are multiple teams out there legitimately using sponsors names (It annoys me that there's people spamming companies about this) yet rf don't "back" them. What I'm trying to say is I have a sponsor. I represent them get there name out there on my own, the only help I receive from rf is the ability to be in an event. Not trying to be an asshole but I don't entirely understand, rf isn't boosting (advertising) every team sponsor.