Ripping off Evel

This article appeared in the Aug. 28, 1974, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.

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The state of Idaho probably doesn't owe Evel Knievel anything. Quite the contrary. The king of the motorcycle mentality is littering Idaho with his presence and perverting the majesty of the Snake River Canyon with his proposed pseudo-motorcycle (really a rocket) leap of the canyon next month.

But the state of Idaho owes itself the good grace to retain its customary decency and not become part of the grasping practices of the greedy promoters behind Knievel. The state of Idaho owes itself the self-respect of being fair, even to some grandstanding lout like Knievel.

Idaho is not being fair. Knievel has created, pretty much by himself, something of incomprehensible value - the potential joy of millions of closed-circuit television watchers over the possibility of seeing Knievel smash himself on the lava rocks at the bottom of the canyon.

It would have been one thing for the state to invite Knievel to take his grisly sideshow and go elsewhere. And Idaho is within its rights to demand some payment for the use of facilities in the area and for the many inconveniences.

But Knievel's payday is the closed circuit television. The state decided yesterday to put a crimp in that payday by offering live television rights to the highest bidding network. CBS has already offered $50,000 and is prepared to offer more.

That kills the purpose of the jump. The purpose was not, of course, the dauntless Knievel defying death for the sheer audacity of it, but the revenue from the closed circuit telecast. Idaho's action spoils that.

If the yokels can watch it for free on a national network, why should they shell out for the closed circuit version?

That's dirty pool on the part of the state of Idaho, even if many residents of. this state may wish Knievel had never brought his tawdry show to the state. The canyon is Idaho's, and Idaho deserves some rent. But the idea, tacky as it is, was Knievel's. It is not fair for the government of this state to depreciate the economic value of an original idea, once it was accepted. - B.H. [Bill Hall]