Hehe, no I got it. I just can’t miss a chance to dig at Lebron. ;D
Bob Rule has something to tell Gentry.
I don’t think I agree with that guy. I also don’t think he gets what Gentry is saying. What gentry is saying is that if yoyoing is ever going to get widely popular, people have to stop associating it with their grandpa, rock the baby, and walk the dog whenever they see it, because those things aren’t really that cool.
Also, Mr. Rule said that people had the determination back then, but the technology is better now. 2A is still sort of using the same technology, but takuma, shinji, shu, and grant are doing things that nobody got even close to in the 60s.
“I ran into this dude and his wife, talking about being yo-yo champions in the ’70s with rock the baby. That’s cool they have that story, and so many people have that same story: ‘I was a yo-yo champion in the ’60s, and I did walk the dog,’ but that’s what’s killing the image."
Killing the image? That phrase just doesn’t make sense no matter how you look at it. I think Gentry said something he probably regrets saying.
The technology of today’s 2A yoyos is way better than what they had in the 60s.
There are a lot of people who get into modern yoyoing because of old school connections (people who used to do the old tricks when they were kids, but also kids who have learned the basics from those people). A big part of the appeal of modern yoyos is that they make those old tricks that people are familiar with, that used to be really hard, more accessible. And then, once you master those on a modern yoyo, there is plenty of room to grow beyond that. So it’s a way to get people who were marginally interested before to get into it and stay interested.
I don’t see how it is a problem that people use that as an entry point to the hobby. Or even if some of those people don’t get into it now, it’s not a problem for them to have that connection with yoyoing. It’s a good thing to have more ways to make positive connections with more people, and that generally leads to more people being interested. Being able to socially interact with people who are interested in something you do is one of the things that projects a positive image for yoyoing and helps make it cool. Having people who used to yoyo come up to you to talk about their memories contributes to that. Marginalizing those connections isn’t going to help make the new stuff any more accessible to people; it’s just going to shut off some people who would otherwise be interested.
I’m kind of wondering if Gentry was possibly misquoted/misinterpreted/taken out of context with that response. It’s certainly possible that something in the process of the transcription and editing down to a presentable format turned that into something harsher than what Gentry was actually trying to say during the interview.
I’m 9/10 sure that’s what happened. He probably meant that people get turned away from yoyoing because all they think you can do with it is old skool tricks. If he meant otherwise, I’ll never forgive him >:( ;D JK
Oh, and the reporter isn’t necessarily the most reliable. Yoyo baby was 6 at the time not five!
“you’re six years old and you have a #” remember?
I don’t want to speak for Gentry and Bob, but they have already connected on the matter.
Gentry made it clear that he was not trying to disrespect yo-yoing’s history or the players of the past. The perspective he was sharing was not meant to be arrogant, but it benefits MTV for it to come off that way. Almost NO ONE understands modern yo-yoing beyond the tiny fragment they have experienced through pop culture - essentially Walk the Dog and Rock the Baby. As a modern player, he’s trying to give people a sense for what playing is like now. I think it was taken out of context, and though it came off a little brusque, Gentry’s not the kind of guy to hate on people who came up playing back in the day.
People will always know the classic tricks from yo-yoing’s past. And all players have to be patient with the assumptions novices bring to the table. Gentry can understand that AND work to bring the mainstream up to speed at the same time.
2 Likes
There is a secret to knowing you have made it as a yo-yo enthusiast… when people start referring to you as an “old time player”. 
I doubt Gentry was trying to be malicious in his statement. If anything it was probably a knee jerk reaction that I have seen other players have when asked to walk the dog and other “old school” tricks. Most big league players know their roots and have much respect for those that have made the hobby possible, I am sure Gentry is no exception. Keep in mind who it benefits in this instance when drama is stirred up… MTV. The ONLY reason I even posted it on my site’s Facebook feed was because it is always good to hear from Bob.
I have no problem with Gentry’s statement taken for what it is, and I do not find it harsh at all. I think those who want to find something negative in the interview, will find the negative. Those of us who want to find something positive in the interview, will find the positive. I also think that those yo-yoers who want to turn his statements into a younger generation vs. older generation duel, are finding a debate where there is none.
Gentry referred to yo-yo history, and older tricks and people sharing older tricks as “cool.” He would not have said that, if he had no respect for those contributions. But, one of the main reasons people ask yo-yoers to “walk the dog,” is based on their perception that it is one of the most advanced and impressive tricks to be done with the yo-yo. A lot of lay people also believe that holding that toy up and making it move somewhat like a pendulum, is so very impressive, with rock the baby. Tricks done today are far in advance of those types of tricks, so maybe Gentry wonders with all the tricks he is able to do, why is the media still walking up to him, stuck in a state of mind that walk the dog is one of the most advanced and impressive tricks to be done with a yo-yo? It’s a great trick, and a classic trick, but the fact that people are still considering it the talk of the town, might mean that yo-yoing has not caught up enough to let people know that tricks are way beyond that now. A young man addressing the media, might take the opportunity to tell them in a subtle way to catch up.
In a day and age where kids have the option to play with a Playstation 4, or throw a yo-yo, do you think our best chance to impress them is walk the dog? Or, in the alternative, some advanced trick by today’s standard, that might present the kind of challenge to make the kid choose to take up yo-yoing? It depends on the kid, right? Some kids might love walk the dog as much as we do, but it would bore other kids who have a game console at home. Gentry is a bright young man, talking to the media, and trying to encourage them to show yo-yoing in it’s most “modern” image more often, so that the younger generation can get to know it, not just from it’s history, but beyond that to encompass what it is today.
Think about what life would be like, if someone walked up to you and even said, “Can I see you do the Matrix?” Now, that’s not even super advanced, but if you think about someone actually walking up to you and making that request, it means that modern yo-yoing has caught on a lot better in society. I know it would make me feel good. Yossarian is correct, that there is nothing wrong with the classic tricks and old stories, and Gentry already said that is “cool.” But, I’m sure in his position, he would like to see the average person walking around knowing what is possible in modern yo-yoing.
There is nothing wrong, if Gentry Stein believes yo-yoing has catching up to do image-wise. I happen to wholeheartedly agree.
haha, totally right 
1 Like
But that’s After almost a year gentry has got it in a month
try 8 days
1 Like
How many did Jensen get before YYF took the video down? I seem to remember it being a massive number.
The reupload has like a million.