motoGP host - Kevin McGee

[Cath]

I'm just watching the motoGP at Donnington and I can't decide whats wrong with Magee....

(Any possible explanations are welcome )

(edited by admin...)

[JetPilot]

Your to funny Cath...

[Slow and wobbly]

I was meant to be on abstinence.. but this was the first post I checked on in active topics for the last wek and makes my blood boil!
I know Kevin personally and this is bloody offensive.

[Gosling1]

Cath - KMcG suffers from a slight brain injury sustained many years ago during the US GP back in the old 500 days. He had stopped to do a burnout on the slowdown lap at the end of the race, and Bubba Shobert (?) ran straight into the back of him - it was a massive accident, I recall that KMcG was in some sort of coma for a while after the prang.......he has made a mighty recovery, but still has a bit of evidence left of that injury, which is the slight ..stopping to think...of his words.

If you weren't watching GP racing during the late 80's ( and you probably weren't), then this will all be news to you.

Adrian - Yes I can understand fully why this would make your blood boil, but not everyone out there knows everything about all that has happened in the past..........as offensive as that post may appear to you, I am sure this will all be news to Cath, and its not like Foxtel have ever made any reference to the lingering effects that this prang many years ago, still has on Kevin.

[plane]

I'm with slow and wobbly on this one.

Head injuries are a bitch and for Kevin to be on T.V. at all is to be admired!

Whoever posted this poll really needed to do their homework.

Cheers,
Pete

P.S. You can't even spell his name correctly!

[Cath]

Thanks for explaining that Gos - that's the first I've ever heard of it.

I apologise unreservedly and wholeheartedly. I honestly thought he was just another celebrity (which I consider "fair game") and watching tonight, I thought he was actually a bit drunk, as he had a few pauses and made an odd comment. I thought it was kinda funny to watch a celebrity behaving a little drunkenly on TV, and so I posted what I did - a very lighthearted thing, that I was hoping might give people a few smiles and contribute more to lightening the mood that this forum currently needs. Instead, I achieved the opposite - I'm sorry to all I have offended. It was completely unintentional.


Knowing he has sustained a brain injury actually makes me amazed at what he does do - since this is the first time I ever had an inkling he might be battling anything.


I'm now off to go and learn about the man.

[Gosling1]

No worries mate - I sorta figured you must have never heard about the prang and subsequent injuries, because I know you would never post anything like that in jest, if you had actually been aware of his injury.

There is plenty of stuff out there about *The Horsham Hurricane* as he was called during his heyday. I actually have some photos here of a round held at Oran Park during the late 80's, when Kevin Magee, Rob McElnea, Mike Dowson, etc raced at Oran Park in an odd type of 'International' GP-type event.......its been a while, I think it was called the Swann International Series......I'll dig up the photos and post them up here......

When you go looking up his history, do some searches under 'Bob Brown' - this was the bloke who built the Ducati 600? Pantah, that Kevin raced with much success in Oz before he went up a few classes, then overseas and onto fame and fortune. The guy was one hell of a rider in his time.

[red_dave]

Wow... I didn't know about the acco.

Good on him for doing what he does!

[Kwak addict]

Magoo is 500 times better to watch/listen to than "Mr Personality" Daryl monotone Beattie & a real down to earth bloke to talk to as well.
While we're on the subject, there has never been a more entertaining commentary team than Keith & Jules from back in the early-mid 90's, they had the ability to make a race sound exciting even when God (Mick) was 20 seconds ahead of everybody (which was nearly all the time) & when God, Rainey & Schwantz were having one of their race long dices, you'd swear one or both of them was going to have a coronary. I really miss that.

[Slow and wobbly]

Gos I can dig out the footage of the Swann series if you like. Calder park and Lakeside.( Billy loaned it to me but since he hasn't asked for it back then I'll take credit for owning it )
Yes I did edit my post to include the first and last sentences of it. Between it was an absolute tirade of abuse that I thought may be inappropriate.
Kevin was a world class racer and still is a world class bloke. It was his injuries that prevented him from continuing his career as a racer and I, as am many others, saddened by that.
I know "The Horsham Hurricane" because I have family in Horsham. At the time I read the first post I was holding a stubby holder signed by KM. Great bloke to have over for a BBQ or a quite beer. Damn honest and down to earth. You can take the boy out of Horsham but.........


Go and pick on Gobert for being a Dumb Arse if you want to cut down tall poppies

[Gosling1]

.....Gos I can dig out the footage of the Swann series if you like. Calder park and Lakeside.( Billy loaned it to me but since he hasn't asked for it back then I'll take credit for owning it )
Yes I did edit my post to include the first and last sentences of it. Between it was an absolute tirade of abuse that I thought may be inappropriate. .....

Really ? It would still be on videotape I guess?? I went to the rounds in the mid-80's at Oran Park, I am *almost* sure it was 1986 or 1987......mate if I could get a copy of that tape(s), it would be sensational !! I'll send you a pm....stand by.

I'm glad you held back with your original post - even though for a lot of us, the image of Kevin being absolutely belted from behind by Shobert is still fresh in the memory - for a lot of others out there - they just have never seen this footage or ar aware of the circumstances of Kevin's long recovery and return to motorcyling, albeit in a commentary position.....

Darryl Beattie has worked pretty hard on his style I reckon, and towards the end of his career as a commentator, was actually quite funny !! Although at the beginning, I remember his early days with Barry Sheene......my god he was just so boring.....

[Slow and wobbly]

Shivers down my spine every time I here Bazza's voice and wit.
Beattie is trying at least.
Got some swann series on dvd I'll burn a few for ya's up there.

[Gosling1]

cheers Ado, that would be heaps good mate !!

I often watch the old Barry Sheene DVD's I got a few years ago ...... he was just the best.

[sneakypete]

i know Magoo had a brain injury suffered at a GP meet, i even recall he was in a coma for a while...i still voted on the poll, coz when he is speaking, he appears like he is a "bit slow & a bit drunk".
having said that....i KNOW that his injury is what creates that impression. i dont think it happens EVERY time, its more when David Murdoch asks him a question on the fly, and he basically has to search the files in his head and get out what he wants to say. i've even seen him "freeze" coz he couldnt get out what he wanted to say, and DM had to prompt/finish it for him. so what? the man does bloody well all things considered and i am not at all bothered if he comes across as "slow/drunk"

i do not back away from what i voted, but i also take his condition into account when listening to his commentary. i still think he has great insight to the GP world, i much prefer his delivery of a hot lap as opposed to Daryl Beattie ( who has improved lately).
my vote is not intended to be inflammatory, so dont take it as such

[aardvark]

Magoo is 500 times better to watch/listen to than "Mr Personality" Daryl monotone Beattie

Agreed. Some of his quite subtle wit gives me a good chuckle from time to time.

At about 8:36 is some footage of the crash in question.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3WgS5cuBdU