I’ve been writing online for a dozen years, and on Motorcycle.com for a decade. MO allows basically any site on earth to re-post my work, which is cool. However, this is the first time I’ve ever noticed a racing authority like David Emmett flirting with stealing my stuff.
Here is part of the lead paragraph in my Jerez results article, which I posted on May 5th:
“Four riders were separated by nine points heading to Jerez; four riders remain separated by nine points heading to Le Mans. Life is good.”
Here is a fragment of David’s recent article posted on Motogp.com on May 14th:
“After Austin, the third race of the season, the top four in the championship were separated by just nine points. After Jerez, race four, the top four are still separated by just nine points, but now in a completely different order. Life is pretty good at the moment if you are a MotoGP™ fan…”
Ignoring the fact that I’m green with jealousy at David’s appearance on the MotoGP website, does anyone agree that the two fragments are disarmingly similar? Or, for that matter, that David’s is excessively wordy? Asking for a friend.
Tags: Bruce Allen, David Emmett, motomatters.com, motorcycle.com
Late-Braking MotoGP 
May 16, 2019 at 6:54 am |
Wordy for sure. I’m seeing what you are seeing about how similar it is.
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May 16, 2019 at 9:31 am |
Well, at least those in high places are reading you Bruce. If he hadn’t added the life is good part, it would have been fairly unclear, but he did. So you appeared on motogp.com if you look at it that way Bruce.
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May 16, 2019 at 10:43 am |
The three points are copied. The wording is changed albeit not in a good way. As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…..
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May 16, 2019 at 4:40 pm |
That’s true but try telling it to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving.
Look on the bright side, Bruce. Nobody steals from bums.
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May 16, 2019 at 4:42 pm |
THAT made me laugh. And it’s flattering to think David reads my stuff.
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May 16, 2019 at 3:18 pm |
I lost interest in David’s commentary when it became more promotional than analytical. But I traded emails with him about four years ago, and he seemed like a very nice, decent person. I’m not convinced that he has or would plagiarize others’ work.
I don’t deny that his wording is suspicion-arousingly similar, albeit inferior, to yours. Keep up the good work, Brucey. And roll with the punches.
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May 16, 2019 at 6:30 pm |
I met him in 2008 in Indy. He was kind to me, as I was greener than owl shit. I tried to get him (and Beeler) to buy some of my work. No go. Whatev.
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May 17, 2019 at 3:25 pm |
“Greener than owl shit,” where do you get these?! Does every Midwesterner know that owl shit is green? Is examining owl shit part of the Midwestern standard middle school science curriculum?
I can’t wait for Emmett to write, “greener than owl shit.” I’m sure every boy in the UK knows about owl shit.
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May 18, 2019 at 5:49 am |
I have a personality disorder in which every funny thing I’ve ever heard in my life sticks in my memory. These things come in handy if you think of yourself as a humorist. The original expression substitutes “smoother” for “greener,” and was shared with me by the VP Ops at my last corporate gig in 1986. I live to put smiles on the faces of you and the other Mensas who read this stuff.
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May 18, 2019 at 4:37 pm |
I hope I can remember at least some of the funny stuff you’ve said.
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May 18, 2019 at 6:05 am |
Oh, and one more thing. Until I met him I thought his name was Kropotkin. Never read much Russian lit.
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