MTM2.com

http://themonsterblog.com/ Live Nation No longer owns the Monster Jam Series . It's a Miracle Folks. I hope they can bring it back as a credible Monster Truck series, and not have it become more of a monopoly in the sport. I'm getting fed up with everything monster truck related being associated as Monster Jam.

Yes, I heard this too. I hope there are no changes - unless they're good. What scares me is, this company also promotes a circus and "Disney On Ice". But I think it will be fine.

What I really do hope is that they maintain the Monster Jam show format, but introduce a points system and make it more like motorsport. Plus another great thing would be if they sold the trucks back to the privateers that owned them in the first place, such as Meents or Anderson. It's unlikely, but I hope they'll pay more too. I'm guessing the current salary in Monster Jam isn't enough to support a family...

Also, this company is privately owned - unlike the massive Live Nation. So they're far more likely to listen to us if we write to them - so get scribbling with suggestions folks

Unless there are drastic changes - bad ones - I will still always be a Monster Jam fan

this was announced on the 5th and while in many ways is welcome news, i doubt we'll see any major changes, at least not while the current people(the ones who treat our motorsport like motorsports entertainment) in charge of Motorsports are allowed to keep there jobs.

seems the Monster Truck Circus was bought out by the real Circus

Great news

Maybe this could mean the return of Bigfoot for the USHRA, I dunno. Bigfoot ceased running events for Live Nation in 1998 due to a dispute involving Team Bigfoot's usage of video footage and pictures.

I'm still not a fan of MJ tho.

I was worried about major changes at first too, but after reading that it will still have the same management, tour schedule, promotional partnerships etc. i think it will be just fine. I don't think that Mancuso will allow any real drastic changes to something that is already successful.

Nothing will change, for the better or for the worse. Its still the same big wigs running MJ behind the scenes so it will be business as usual. We just have to get used to calling them FE rather than LN now.

Well, i wouldnt say things wont change because this new company is a privately owned company(unlike LN), and if enough people bend the ear of the right person things can happen, i would actually expect a downsize pretty soon, and it may reach all the way down to the trucks, and the way the "company" guys are told to drive.

As long as Charlie Mancuso is still the head of USHRA, Monster Jam should be no different that it was at LN. And Paul, there won't be any downsizing IMO. No reason to at this point when they have been selling out stadiums at shows.

That hasn't really succesfully happened since USA Motorsports.



I don't think LN was running MJ back then, MJ has switched hands a few times in the last eight years (SFX, Clear Channel, etc)


Nothing is probably going to change much, at least for now. Maybe a year or two down the road there might be a major change, but I wouldn't bet on one now.

Live Nation aka Clear Channel... good riddance.

I want Penda back!

for that

Many people would say that Penda sucked and Monster Jam is much more exciting, but they're wrong, very wrong.

Penda was actually about racing. Monster Jam does have racing I know, the qualifying, but the freestyle is what everybody goes to see.

Penda is really more exciting, because you have two large trucks racing at high speed over a straight over cars. Plus there is the classic sight of the truck front end jumping up all of a sudden at the start, that's why I love RTS trucks and manual transmission in MTM2, as it lets you replicate this.

The trucks looked so much better. They were actually molded to look like real truck. Yes, there was the odd "animal truck" like snake bite and the outsiders, but at least most of them didn't look ridiculous like a lot of new trucks.



Sorry, but that looks 10,000X better than any Monster Jam truck.

And another thing, what's with all this attention over Grave Digger?
Grave Digger is no better than any other truck on the Monster Jam circuit, plus I'm sure there are better monster truck drivers than Dennis Anderson.
Not to mention they ruined the artwork when they put that purple haze in it.

i loved the Special Events-Penda points series, but to break it down succinctly, they lost. they were out promoted by then Pace-USHRA.
Special Events is still around, and they even have a points series, but there show has become a variation on the Monster Jam theme. Point in Fact, almost all current monster truck promoters run a variation of the monster jam theme, and whether we like it or not, That speaks volumes about what the demand is.

Pace-CCE-LN, whatever you call them, they meet that demand very well, and are reaping the rewards.


also i have a friend of mine who crews for a LN team, and he told me just yesterday that for the non-company teams, things are bad and getting worse, so it may not be long till LN owns everyone who runs for them.

the reason why i dislike MJ so much is that there is no structure, no incentive for small teams to give it all to collect a bigger purse. sure there are the indy teams that will give all hell for the fans but with the way the economy is going they will have to sell out to LN or fold. its a sad state but its gonna happen.
i do like penda but that was also flawed, not so much the layout but with the way technology was at a rampant pace that most indy teams couldnt fund a good truck, but you look back at 94-96 and those were awesome years for racing. call me old fashioned but i would rather watch a old penda episode i have seen a thousand times then watch a new MJ episode on speed (that is whenever there is actually a new episode)

You guys are all over the place here.


> I'm sure there are better monster truck drivers than Dennis Anderson.

What does driving have to do with anything?


> what's with all this attention over Grave Digger? Grave Digger is no better than any other truck on the Monster Jam circuit

Grave Digger revolutionized monster trucks, became an icon of reliability and showmanship in the early days, and the fleet and its crew represent(ed) all the positive characteristics a responsible organization could want to utilitize for the education and indoctrination of its culture. Who is better on the track is beside the point.


> Nothing will change, for the better or for the worse. Its still the same big wigs running MJ behind the scenes

That remains to be seen. In order to make the transition agreeable, the seller and buyer must say all the correct things, but the reality is another matter entirely. The guy with his hand on the light switch doesn't have much influence when the guy holding the purse strings turns off the electricity.

If I had to guess, I'd say LN knows the lay of the land. They've used techniques and strategies to make money, but they also know they are heavily criticized and have been alienating the paying portion of their audience. So, for them, a group looking to make an easy buck, it's easier to sell out than it is to change. This too remains to be seen but a smart business man knows when to buy and when to sell.


> they lost vs they were out promoted

Those are not the same thing. McDonalds may have more outlets in the world than any other single franchise, but that will never make them a five star restaurant.


> variation of the monster jam theme vs what the demand is

One has nothing to do with the other. See your first point. Marketing 101.


> for the non-company teams, things are bad and getting worse

I doubt highly that circumstances are coincidental or that the economy is solely to blame. Monopolies are never an accident.


> the reason why i dislike MJ so much is that there is no structure

On the contrary, there is so much structure it's become a cage the little guy cannot break out of, a trap the little guy walks into happily.

> no incentive for small teams to give it all to collect a bigger purse.

Why would there be?

> but with the way the economy is going

economy has nothing to do with it.

> they will have to sell out to LN or fold.

Maybe. But the path of least resistence is an easy cop out.



You guys confuse competition with entertainment, sport with business, and free enterprise with profit. Which is exactly why you allow companies like LN to spoon feed you rancid garbage, and you thank them for doing it.

the purple was dennis' idea.

Phin, they were selling the same thing, Monster Trucks, they just happened to be doing different things with them, and we see who won, nearly everyone emulates PACE\CCE\LN now.


Now, as far as Anderson goes I would not call him an icon of reliability he didn't get the nickname One Run Anderson back in the day for nothing. he became a legend because he was a wild over the edge driver who would come back and put on a show just for his fans because he felt he disappointed them, and modern freestyle grew out of that and other guys emulating him

and as far as monopolies, I hope you end up being wrong, i really do


oh and LN doesnt feed me rancid garbage, i havent been to something of theres or bought anything from them in going on 4 years now.

garbage, EH!?
baltimore this year was FANTASTIC.
houston had like 4 shows to accommodate people who didn't have tickets for the first 2. the 3rd one in particular was my fav 'cuz the focus wasn't just monster trucks, clearly.
is THIS garbage?
SRSLY!!!

nome66, we're addressing a wide range of topics and my words most definitely have context. I meant no offense to you or anybody who's had good experiences at shows.



> monopolies, I hope you end up being wrong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MBA

No matter what we think of the "programme" LN knows a business plan, and the stategies to implement it.