When did downhillers turn into drama queens?

When did downhill racing turn into a high school lunch break drama session? I remember a time when riders just got on with it regardless of how 'unfair' their race went or who was running a different setup than they were. You're a professional athlete in an outdoor sport, it rains in the outdoors, it gets windy, and it can be cold. If you don't want to deal with the elements then start playing racquetball. I remember a race back in the day where everyone knew it was going to rain, it rained everyday at 3 for a week and everyone knew it was going to rain on race day. Uci didn't alter the race schedule. Instead, one rider in particular took tactics into his own hands and pulled over for 20 seconds in his qualifying run. He ended up winning the race because he was able to take his run before the rain started. However, another rider came down in the rain and most likely would have beaten him barring a crash midway down the Hill essentially winning the day but not the race. What I don't remember is a bunch of children bitching and moaning after the race saying that UCI needs to change and they got an unfair race and blah friggin blah. Buck up buttercup, this is downhill racing. You're supposed to be tougher than the rest. You're supposed to be stronger and more skilled than the rest. You're not supposed to complain about everything because you think you got a raw deal.

I also remember a time when the entire downhill industry was making a switch to a 27.5 wheel. It took certain companies much longer to produce this larger wheeled platform while other companies were leading the change. I also remember a certain rather ratty rider who, instead of complaining about how everyone else was 'cheating' and 'we need to standardize everything' and bitch and moan and pee their little baby pants, he smoked the entire field for one last time on his little slow wheels through perseverance, hard work, and flat out talent. While we're on the subject I don't understand why everyone is making a fuss about a bigger wheel and nothing about the gentlemen who won the race with a remote activated lockout on his rear shock. No one else that I'm aware of had this arguably faster technology, but yet no one is complaining about that or saying that its cheating. I guess it comes back to the old Chinese proverb: 'pick a wheel size and be a dick about it.'

Maybe it's the new young guns who were told they were special all their lives. Maybe I'm getting old and crotchety. But I miss the days where riders just accepted things and got on with it regardless. There is always a chance of inclimate weather, you're outside. There will always be some companies pushing the progression of the sport and it may not be the company you are riding for. Thats what makes downhill so awesome, it separates the men from the boys. There is always something new and sometimes it's faster and sometimes it's not but if we try to standardize every little thing then this sport will lose a lot of what I believe makes it so damn awesome.