Daredevil jump tonight on ESPN

[SirFozzie]

God knows we haven't been able to avoid hearing about it, but Robbie Maddison will attempt to jump the length of a football field (360 feet) tonight on ESPN as part of their New Year's show.

This is not really a pass/fail kind of thing, more like a pass/die, considering the speed he'll be going when he hits the ramp (about 100 MPH), and how high he'll be (4 stories high at launch). It's kinda interesting, a throwback to the days of Evel Knievel, but the possible carnage factor makes me want to give this a pass.

What do you guys think?

[Mustang]

What do you guys think?

Part of me was hoping this was going to be about Ben Affleck jumping off a building or something but, just wishful thinking.

As for the jump, I'll pass. I pretty much think these things will go off without a hitch and we won't see any true carnage. If there is, I'll catch it on Youtube...

[Cringer]

I would watch it. No TV though and I doubt it will be streamed anywhere. I will see if it is though....

[Pumpy Tudors]

I actually hadn't heard anything at all about this. I don't know at what time it'll happen, so I probably won't see it.

[Cringer]

I had never heard about it until this thread either.

[Anthony]

i assume he's done this before in private, to see if he *could* do this. i don't think anyone waits until the cameras are rolling to see if they're able to pull something off. that's like someone saying "watch me, for the first time ever, swallow 100 swords".

then there's a part of me that says a motorcycle just can't go fast enough to generate the speed necessary to fly 100 yards in the air. that's asking a lot. but i assume he's successfully done this during trial-runs.

[Cringer]

i assume he's done this before in private, to see if he *could* do this. i don't think anyone waits until the cameras are rolling to see if they're able to pull something off. that's like someone saying "watch me, for the first time ever, swallow 100 swords".

then there's a part of me that says a motorcycle just can't go fast enough to generate the speed necessary to fly 100 yards in the air. that's asking a lot. but i assume he's successfully done this during trial-runs.

I am sure you are correct. I doubt we would be lucky enough he is like the HotRod guy.

[DaddyTorgo]

idk...if he was skin and bones and non a stripped-down ninja or something...if you got up to 200 MPH off a huge ramp...you don't think you could make it 300ft in the air starting from 40 ft up and being launched upwards?

i'm most curious for the landing, since I agree he has to have done this before

[rkmsuf]

Well if he's done it before and practiced this it can't be that hard since he's decided to do it again for no apparant reason.

Or it will be called off after 45 minutes of commercials due to adverse wind conditions.

[SirFozzie]

i assume he's done this before in private, to see if he *could* do this. i don't think anyone waits until the cameras are rolling to see if they're able to pull something off. that's like someone saying "watch me, for the first time ever, swallow 100 swords".

then there's a part of me that says a motorcycle just can't go fast enough to generate the speed necessary to fly 100 yards in the air. that's asking a lot. but i assume he's successfully done this during trial-runs.

Apparently he'll be doing 100 when he hits the bottom of the ramp, and around 95 at the top. He's apparently done about 300+ feet ones in practice (how do you practice this kinda thing???), and yes he's worked with mathmaticians to get the ideal takeoff angle, etcetera.

[Anthony]

but the motorcycle will explode ocne it hits the ground. not that i'm a physics major, but even if this is possible - the height that's required in order to go 100 yards is so high that by the time the cycle lands it would break apart. picture taking a bike, throwing it off a 10 story building - you tell me if it makes it out ok. obviously the point is for him to make it out ok (or for the people that care, his health and safety isn't a concern of mine), not so much the bike, but just like climbing Mt. Everest - the decent is the hard part. he would need the bike to remain intact in order for him to have a small chance of not getting seriously injured.

[Senator]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GLsVWFGO7aQ&feature=related

[SirFozzie]

but the motorcycle will explode ocne it hits the ground. not that i'm a physics major, but even if this is possible - the height that's required in order to go 100 yards is so high that by the time the cycle lands it would break apart. picture taking a bike, throwing it off a 10 story building - you tell me if it makes it out ok. obviously the point is for him to make it out ok (or for the people that care, his health and safety isn't a concern of mine), not so much the bike, but just like climbing Mt. Everest - the decent is the hard part. he would need the bike to remain intact in order for him to have a small chance of not getting seriously injured.


The point is him landing in at an angle to lessen the impact.. but yeah there better be a good soaking of impact.

[Cringer]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GLsVWFGO7aQ&feature=related

That was crazy. He barely made it over the water once the wind/air took hold of the car.

Still, he did a good job of keeping it between the lines up the ramp. :)

[Glengoyne]

but the motorcycle will explode ocne it hits the ground. not that i'm a physics major, but even if this is possible - the height that's required in order to go 100 yards is so high that by the time the cycle lands it would break apart. picture taking a bike, throwing it off a 10 story building - you tell me if it makes it out ok. obviously the point is for him to make it out ok (or for the people that care, his health and safety isn't a concern of mine), not so much the bike, but just like climbing Mt. Everest - the decent is the hard part. he would need the bike to remain intact in order for him to have a small chance of not getting seriously injured.

I think the purpose of landing on a ramp is to allow for a less than climactic deceleration. I think that is where your analogy breaks down.

[Glengoyne]

Did this happen?

[Pumpy Tudors]

God knows we haven't been able to avoid hearing about it, but Robbie Maddison will attempt to jump the length of a football field (360 feet) tonight on ESPN as part of their New Year's show.
This is truly hilarious, considering that it seems nobody on here except SirFozzie knew anything about it.

[Joe]

Did this happen?

yep he made it across. and then did it a second time for an encore.

[BYU 14]

Actually made it quite comfortably. I am sure he would not even have tried it if technology was not the the point where he could insure the bike would stay intact. Still, takes balls of steel to even think of trying this.

[General Mike]

This is truly hilarious, considering that it seems nobody on here except SirFozzie knew anything about it.

I knew about it, I just forgot about it once the Peach Bowl ran long.

[st.cronin]

I actually still don't entirely believe it. I'll need some corroboration.

[Glengoyne]

This is truly hilarious, considering that it seems nobody on here except SirFozzie knew anything about it.

IT does make me wonder what Channels Fozzie is watching.

[SirFozzie]

ESPN, mostly (and it was plastered over the ESPN website :P)

[Yellow5]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvqbo3cH_xA

For those that have not seen it yet.

[Brownkeg8]

Did it, but wasnt worth the hype. Thanks to the DVR skipped a lot of b.s.

[Thomkal]

the bizarre part for me is that this "event" was sponsored by a new movie-the Poughkeepsie Tapes. A movie about a serial killer who left behind videotapes that the police find that show every person he killed in gruesome detail. Not based on a real event in Poughkeepsie though.

Just thought it was weird that a movie about a serial killer would be sponsoring a motorcycle jumping "event"

[hhiipp]

This ranked way up there on my who gives a crap list.

[Mustang]

This ranked way up there on my who gives a crap list.

ESPN says you must care.

Do not taunt the ESPN.

[Karlifornia]

This ranked way up there on my who gives a crap list.

By making a list of things you don't care about, you become a breathing oxymoron

[rkmsuf]

More Super Dave, less daredevil guy.