----------- UPDATE ----------- - Eric Meagher was the Bigfoot driver in Stafford Springs, not Dan Runte. - There is at least one other video that Bigfoot has uploaded to their RUclips channel where Grave Digger is blocked out with a graphic. Any further updates or clarifications will be added to this comment.
Let me know if you read my response in the comments I haven't finished the video yet but it is actually a very intrical part go apart on what happened Between the 2 parties.
The Stafford Springs, CT show I wonder if that's the US Truck Fest Event in August of 98 than I'm not sure that's the last event that Bigfoot ran for Monster Jam. If I'm not mistaken the Atlanta Motor Speedway show which was Sept 11-12 another US Truckfest event that I attended Dan Runte was there with Bigfoot 14 and on Sept 19-20 at the Hagerstown Speedway Sky Hartley was there with Bigfoot 10 sporting the new Super Duty body. I think that's the show where Dennis rolled Grave Digger and ended up packing up and rolled out. If it not mistaken Dennis was pretty ticked off.
Either way the end of 98 would be the last time Monster Jam would book a Team Bigfoot truck. I feel like I've watched this video a hundred times already. It is a great video. 👍 👍
I would say this is unfortunate, but being able to check out Bigfoot at some smaller venues, and local fair settings is just awesome, and not something that is as easy to do with a massive monolith owning rights.
I’m 38 and grew up in the Houston area. I have many many memories from the late 80s early 90s of grave digger and Bigfoot going head to head in the astrodome. I would love to see the modern iterations of those trucks racing again
Regrettably, those days are now a thing of the past, only alive within our memories. What was once a sport has transformed into merely corporate entertainment.
Because Bob Chandler is an absolute Chad and refused to sell out. Feld owns all the trucks, names, likenessess, toys, merch, etc. Feld is an entertainment business, with no regards to legitimate racing or innovation. Bigfoot just didn't want to participate. IF Bigfoot ever returned to Monster Jam, it would have to be the dominant star for a while. Bigfoot doesn't play 2nd fiddle for anyone.
Scott Douglass and Scott Jordan really nailed it at the end. As much as I wanna see Bigfoot compete against monster jam trucks, neither one needs the other in order to be successful so it’s unlikely it will happen again soon
I wouldn't hold your breath on that. There's still some key individuals who are still at or running Monster Jam since the fallout and it seems like they don't want to deal with Bigfoot. I mean Bigfoot has reached out and made it clear that they were willing to let the past be the past and move forward. Considering the direction that Monster Jam is going I'm kinda glad Bigfoot has gone and done their own thing. I really don't follow Monster Jam
Definitely gotta give respect to Bigfoot, Bob and Jim. Monster Jam wouldn't be where their at if it wasn't for them and some of the early pioneers of this industry.
Ushra was all about sled pulling. Bob showed up to be sideshow and crushed some cars. Bigfoot was first, i believe if i'm remembering correctly Bearfoot was the second. I remember when the competion started where they pulled the sled to the other end of the floor, unhooked turned 90⁰ to go across some cars back towards the start/finish line. Later they became the main attraction and the sled pullers became the side show. I heard that dennis owned/started monster jam. I was watching back where they showed 3/4 of the monster trucks at Gravediggers headquarters. They mentioned how old digger chassis would get rebodied as a different truck so it sounded plausable. Dennis sold merch for two reasons. 1. he was listed as a chevrolet. 80% of the population thats chevy fans would buy merch. 2 Dennis truck would always break. Freestyle originated because they would go thrash to make it run. After the event was over Dennis would come back out drive over whatever was left until it broke again, which in the early days didn't take long. And he was a chevrolet which 80% population seems to like. So largest demographic. But Bigfoot will always be #1 to me.
@@brianadams429 Not sure about Bearfoot being 2nd. I'm sure the first class for the International Monster Truck Hall of Fame should give us a idea of originators.
As someone that has friends that work for both companies and has have the opportunity to work on bigfoot trucks.. I think it's pretty awesome that you were able to put this video together with very accurate information overall and get it on a platform for so many people to see. I did post below and pretty much you hit it right on the head on where any conflicting issues lie now. As wel where the main problem was.
@@wickedhouston5538 shut up. Explain how it is at all boring And you better not say “oh it’s not like the races from the 80s and 90s” because that’s called evolving and becoming better
When they were in my town a Bigfoot crew man I talked to told me that the reason they don’t compete in Monster Jam was 100% because they didn’t want to sell out the name.
That's exactly what it is! Feld entertainment wanted all the rights to Bigfoot. Just like Dennis Anderson Tom Meents sold their's. With a lot of other big names.
@@xWORLDxCHAMPIONx Dennis has spoken about the whole situation with his connection with the truck. I wish I could remember that interview. It was quite a while back when he spoke about it.
Nah I wouldn't for monster jam, I'd make a trip to see it tho even tho I drive past the original on the big white rims enough wich is good enough for me lmao
@@PookaLuka Back before I had kids if Bigfoot was at a show I would drive out of state to that show. I live in Virginia and I've been to NC, SC, GA FL, PA, OH and etc to attend shows where a Bigfoot truck was gonna be at.
I want bigfoot back in monster jam. It would be so fun watching bigfoot compete on monster jam tracks. I hope that they at least do like a one off event somewhere. Like team bigfoot vs team digger. Wishful thinking but I hope!
@@grindelston5968 Basically this. Unless Firestone drop the contract and BKT takes over or either company agree to a Big Foot shaped clause, this is basically what it boils down to.
It's sad it all came to that. I remember Big Foot just literally winning everything back in the 90's. It was like watching Michael Jordan and the Bull's. You just knew he was going to win but also blow you away with the things he did.
it was also because they had the money to get the same shocks as baja racers and put them in their trucks. when they did that it changed everything in '89 to the point where the truck got banned for a year
Obviously neither of them need each other but it would be great to see Bigfoot on Monster Jam and let him keep the Firestones. Monster Jam is awesome and the freestyle tricks they do are insane but some of my personal favorite is the Monster Drags from the 90's. When they're lined up side by side and see who can fly over the 2 different car jumps in a straight line and get to the finish line first. They need to bring them back.
I'm not sure how much stock you can put in it, but I can't help but think that with Bigfoot being mentioned on the IMJ podcast that the door is starting to open up for Feld to welcome Bigfoot back on Monster Jam. Feld does seem to allow the fans to give their input on topics and most history of the sport is being discussed on it without being censored, so maybe there is hope that time has healed whatever wounds were there.
they might be able to make amends but the problem is Feld aren't fans of letting their truck owners be independently owned which is why we don't see Overkill Evolution on any of their shows anymore and the only indie team still left is all of Jim Koehler's team
@@theunhingedgamer3762 there's other indie teams/drivers on the MJ circuit : Saigon shaker, Kraken, Jester. FELD just makes competing in MJ A. financially not viable B. forced to run those garbage overpriced BKT tires C. forbiding indie teams from selling their merchandise at FELD events. Mikey Vaters and son got tired of FELD's bullshit, the nonstop traveling prefers to run indie promoters
@@theunhingedgamer3762 There’s quite a few teams left although a lot of them left after the Covid Pandemic. The remaining teams are Over Bored Motorsports, Team Throttle Monster, Team Scream, Monster Trucks Ltd. (Stone Crusher/Hooked), Tomfoolery Motorsports ( Jester. Kraken), Hall bros racing, Saigon Shaker, Wasted Nites, Bad Company & Blown Money, and MK Motorsports( Get er Done II & Get er Done original)
The biggest takeaway I got from this is that both sides got too big for one another- which sucks because while I’m not a diehard fan of monster trucks, I can at least recognize both Grave Digger and Bigfoot for their iconic paint schemes and history together.
I'm only 21, so I definitely didn't grow up with Bigfoot, I'm a Gravedigger fan through and through and grew up with monster jam. That being said, I always wonder why THE monster truck of monster trucks never completed. I'm glad Bigfoot is still out there doing stuff though. All the love and respect to it for giving us this wonderful sport.
36 and remember watching Bigfoot on tv. Been a fan ever since. My son who’s 4 is a grave digger, max D fan. I have collected Bigfoot hot wheels cars and he’s like where’s Bigfoot at monster jam? I said I wish he would show up one time buddy. Glad to see monster trucks are still successful either way.
I grew up watching Big foot on VHS tapes and in person at our local motor sports park, and I would love to see them compete on a major course that monster jam has to offer. Great video by the way!
Great video. I grew up in the monster truck world in the early 2000s, ended up befriending a few drivers, went to dinner with them (usually Denny's) after the shows, and even got to work on some trucks (Obsessed, Obsession, Time Flys and Detour/ Wildflower), but I was never given a good explanation as to why Bigfoot was never at a Feld event. Thank you for clearing things up after all these years
Larry Swim had a Bigfoot truck at the MJ world finals for MJ’s 25 anniversary. I’ve heard that they were going to have a Bigfoot truck for display and part of the big parade, but the BKT tires and Firestone issued put an end to that. Larry actually hid the hauler a few blocks away and was enjoying the pit party though.
Larry Was actually there because he had just left a left a video shoot in California so he stopped on his way through. But there was rumors bigfoot was going to be at the 25th anniversary of monster jam but that fell through.
Dennis Anderson use to be called One and Done Anderson because he'd break his truck in qualifying. Now he would ask promoters if he fixed his truck if he could put on a show at the end for the crowd and his fans. His freestyle was a favorite of fans. He was another pioneer of the sport. I've never been a fan of Grave Digger, I grew up as a fan of Bigfoot. I do however have a lot of respect for Dennis Anderson and Grave Digger. Just my personal opinion, I've never felt like Bob Chandler let the fans down. I hope they never sell the rights of Bigfoot to Monster Jam. Great video.
Awesome video man! It probably won't happen but imagine seeing Bigfoot at the Monster Jam World Finals! Or seeing Grave Digger vs Bigfoot in the finals of racing. That would be so awesome! But it probably won't happen. But then again never say never.
@@DiecastBlazeOfficial The newest driver Eric Steinburg would be phenomenal as well. He runs the trucks a little bit harder than the other drivers, but doesn’t seem to tear up the trucks. Eric reminds me of Larry Swim a little bit, minus all of the damage.
I remember loving Bigfoot and Gravedigger as a kid. Gravedigger was cool the way The Undertaker was cool in the WWE, where Bigfoot was cool because even in the early 2000s, you could tell Bigfoot was the OG and was respected as the grandfather of the sport. I think it's wild hearing this history 20 years later. Monster Jam is one of the coolest things you can see in your life, it's a shame there was so much drama behind the scenes.
I only found this channel today. After one video (the milestone motorsport one) I subbed. I hope he gets big. A lot of information in the comments too so I'm guessing this is a true connesur channel
I have spoken to Freddie Shephard when I was at Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live in Bakersfield, and he did told me that Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live will plan stadium events in 2023 or 2024 when Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live have officially announced, so that will be Bigfoot’s new home a big stadium floor will be like their Monster Jam track style, so Bigfoot will never go to Monster Jam. Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live will be Bigfoot’s home now.
I miss the old days where a man built a truck and brought it out to an event. Monster jam and the Bigfoot products are cartoons. We like going to the smaller independent shows. Maybe the drivers don’t tear their stuff up every run but it’s closer to what the 80s were like
Eh, apples and oranges to some extent. Trucks with over 1000 horsepower that can clear 25 cars in one jump, land, not fall to pieces and not kill their driver certainly have their appeal! However, you are right on the money about the canned nature of the Monster Jam events. What are the stakes when one company owns all the trucks? The straight up head-to-head racing in Monster Jam is like watching paint dry. The freestyle is the only event from that organization worth watching anymore.
I loved Bigfoot as a kid, and Bob and what he created when I became an adult. The Bigfoot/Gravedigger Rivalries of the past was what got me into the sport. I still have a book that I stole from the library in elementary school that showcased Bob and the first bigfoots, I think it was Bigfoot one through Bigfoot 18, and that was one of my favorite books growing up because they had pictures of every iteration.
Clicked on this one out of curiosity and couldn’t stop till it was done. This was a great blast from the past and also informative piece. Thank you for posting this. 👍👍👍
I would love to see the actual originators, Bigfoot, USA-1, Bearfoot and King Kong in mainstream events. Historically speaking, USA-1, Bigfoot and Awesome Kong finished 1,2,3 for the first National Championship in 1988 under TNT Motorsports. Ah...the glory days.
I still til this day enjoy watching the old TNT days. I watch that and the Penda Series more than any thing else. I do watch quite a bit of the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live shows.
I wish, racing would come back. Legit racing. TNT one truck , tour. Crushed cars. Points. Not this WWF racing we get from monster Jam.. I'd give back a back flip just to have real racing back. USHRA back in the day was awesome. Pure excitement!! But these days it's getting kinda lame. But if it wasn't for monster jam monster trucks would die or fade out. Because there monster jam people know monster trucks. As well as big foot, it's nice to see some independent people still around. I just wish monster truck racing was just as serious as it used to be.
Monster Jam does in fact have a points series currently and has had one for the past 7 years. They also have crush cars, albeit in a very reduced role, and their racing is in fact legitimate, albeit not like the racing of old. The closest monster trucks came to "WWF racing" I'd say was Monster Trux 2000. Either way, you're right in that, however Monster Jam has chosen to give exposure to monster truck racing, they've kept it in the public eye in a prominent way.
@@californiamonstertrucks4655 no I'm talking about, one grave digger , the one you see is the one you get. Not 10 that tour simultaneously. ...serious racing not this "entertainment" racing. I'm mean come on dirt jumps.?? Not 80's style racing.
The best racing was 88-the mid 90’s. TNT and Penda no doubt. I even loved the ProMT as well. If NASCAR and NHRA can be successful for all these years then I’m sure Monster Trucks could have been as well.
Lets not forget about the MLMT series, that series was awesome and I really enjoyed it and wished it had continued. Thank goodness for RUclips! Love going back and rewatching all of those series and races.
No matter, how you, feel about,Monster Trucks,Bigfoot was,will Always,be,the iconic Name, in the History of this Motor Sport!!! Metro Detroit Loves you guys!!! G
I was born in 1995 but grew up loving monster trucks. I used to watch the freestyle event re-runs at 7am on the old SPEED channel #72. I just guess I just thought Bigfoot was it's own thing. I knew the the name, the iconic-ness of it. Even played the Momster Jam Video game. I just never sat down and thought about why the team didn't compete. I guess I just assumed/told myself that the truck was 1980's era and maybe just like doing the smaller events or something. Great video and good info. I'm now understanding just how far someone will go to be brand loyal
I’ve known about this since 2000 I noticed it when Bigfoot wasn’t on Tnn anymore and found the reason why on there website and it explained pretty much the same reasons in this video it’s always made me sad but I’m a diehard Bigfoot fan and watching what monster jam has become through out the years I’m glad they decided in the split it would be nice if they would work things out but it’s not gonna happen
I would definitely like to know more about the 100 years Ford event. I've done heard different accounts of that event. I heard that Dan Runte whooped up on the Monster Jam trucks and then Lyle Hancock on Scott Douglass show/livestream said that he beat Dan Runte. 🤔 Not sure what the deal was, unless it was a multi shows where Bigfoot and the Monster Jam trucks were competing against each other. I definitely would have liked to have seen videos from that event.
TruckWorld wasn't specific about who defeated who, as it was a multi-day event so it's entirely possible that Lyle in Blue Thunder could have defeated Bigfoot. Bigfoot's official release regarding the event gave a general summary that Dan Runte didn't have any problems defeating the Monster Jam trucks, but I haven't seen any official results. There is video of the events circulating but I didn't have it off hand and didn't feel it was 100% necessary to include.
@@californiamonstertrucks4655 I friend who I use to race rc Monster Trucks with back in the late 90's through early 2000's was at that event and I'm sure he could shed some light on what actually happened. He lives in Michigan still I think and I know back then he did. I haven't seen or spoken with him in a long time, but if anyone knows Dan Wyatt he could tell you more about that event.
Not much is known about it because it was a tiny fairground event just commemoring the Ford anniversary. It was the last time they competed together but since it was such a little show back then there were little to no accounts of it.
@@DiecastBlazeOfficial Anyone who was lucky enough to attend that event would know what actually happened. I only know of one person who was at that event.
I think that should be the topic of another video, because it's quite a similar case to Monster Jam's "Ultimate Freestyle Spectacular", which Jack already made a video on. A seemingly groundbreaking once-in-a-lifetime show to commemorate a full century of the Ford Motor Company, faded into obscurity, with very low media preservation and unconfirmed results.
One guy told me a story of when he brought his son to a Bigfoot shop back around 2013, his son told Bob Chandler himself: "I just wanna see Grave Digger and Bigfoot race just once." Chandler replied "That ain't gonna happen!" across the shop one guy shouted, "Monster Jam sucks!"
Tangentially, I would bet Grave Digger and associated merch sales benefitted in the 90s from the Undertaker in wrestling becoming huge. Even though they were unrelated, I definitely associated the two as a kid and I'm sure I wasn't alone.
This is interesting. I never knew there was heat or even thought about it. All the shows I went to as a kid up in Canada were independents, and sometimes Big Foot and or Grave Digger trucks were among em. Then when I started watching Monster Jam on TV, I just assumed they weren't under contract much like not seeing Sting in the WWF. Plenty of mechanical is still on shelves as far as Big Foot goes, so even though Grave Digger became the marketing kings, it's totally understandable for the camps to not need each other to keep the brands alive.
Thanks for this video. I’m a huge Bigfoot fan and tried to do my own research in the early 2000’s. I called Bigfoot 4x4 and all they would tell me was that if the promoters would schedule them then they would be at the shows. They gave me the promoters number to call and they just played dumb and wouldn’t tell me anything. We still took our kids to some shows when they were little but now that they’re grown we don’t go anymore if Bigfoot was to start being at these events again I would still attend everyone in my area as an adult.
Early 2000's I attended the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas NV. Pathetic how USHRA/Monster Jam advertised certain Monster Trucks at their event as being the first corporate sponsored Monster Trucks. Bigfoot was the very first Monster Truck, which received major corporation sponsorship.
When I was 16 I used to go to the Pontiac Silverdome with either my friends or my girlfriend to watch the mud bogs and tractor pulls and the monster trucks man I miss those days. We would all cram into my Pinto and roll.
I remember back in the mid 2000's in the forum days. If you mentioned Bigfoot and Monster Jam the very next post would usually say "uh oh, here we go". Then chaos would ensue.
Bigfoot is the GOAT... growing up in the 80s in New Zealand...Bigfoot was in headlines like the 49ers or Margaret Thatcher. Bigfoots was truly global. I thought they had gone, so happy to see they're still around and doing good too.
From what I was told with a conversation with Bob. Was When SFX tried to offer to buy bigfoot Bob unintentionally insulted Mancuso. And it was taken very personal and that's when the relationship ended. He told me more things that were said but at that time that's what created the situation.
Can’t say that I don’t blame Bob for saying what he said. Bigfoot was worth quite a bit back then and considering the kind of revenue they were generating.
Videos like this, that talk about Monster Trucks back when the whole phenomenon was just starting, take me down memory lane. Days when rear-steer was rare, most everyone had planetary gear hubs, and trucks were built on a weekend hobby budget. Mostly N/A motors with a cam, on pump gas or sometimes racing fuel, and the trucks all weighed well over 10,000 lbs. If you could keep it under 15,000 you were doing good. The trucks weren't fast back then, they usually didn't race. They just competed on who could do the best crush or wheelie. It didn't take long though, before they switched to heavy-duty axles & steering knuckles, no planetary gears, and really cranked up the HP with bigger motors, superchargers, etc. Now look at them... long jumps, high jumps, backflips, frontflips, donuts, nose stands, cat walks, etc. I had the privilege of being friends with Jesse Birgy (OG version of Play'n For Keeps). Lots of midnight oil was burned keeping the truck race-ready, as is the case with all monster trucks. Axle swaps/repairs, steering knuckle replacements, engine rebuilds, body panel repair/replacements, etc. I lost count how many times I drove to 7-11 for Big Gulps from all the times he said "You fly, I'll buy". You may be gone Jess, but not forgotten. RIP It wasn't just Bigfoot that got the short end of the stick when it came to organized monster truck events in those days. Many of the smaller names/independent trucks got slighted along the way, since most of the promoters at the time would favor their sponsored trucks in close races even if by shady means. I'm on the fence about Big Foot and Monster Jam possibly reuniting. I do agree with the statement at the end of the video, about if Big Foot, Grave Digger and Max-D were to all be on the ticket, that would be an awesome show.
honestly I'm not a massive bigfoot fanboy as I've always been a Grave Digger fan but honestly I'm glad Bigfoot stayed away from Monster Jam tbh Monster Jam is the WWE of motorsports and that's because they want to own all the teams and their trucks and tbh Monster Jam lost a lot of steps with the removal of crush cars and many other things that made all the shows worth watching so honestly all the shows Bigfoot runs are much better to watch
The video embargo for teams at USHRA events started in the summer of 1992. Bigfoot clips were still included in the first remaster of Crash Madness that was released in late 2000.
I think it’s sad that I may never get to see BIGFOOT in Monster Jam. BIGFOOT’S always been my favorite truck and I always loved watching Monster Jam growing up. I started becoming a big fan when I was very little and the 2011-2014 and then I guess to 2017 too Monster Jam was always so fun to watch with my Dad. The song you put at the end is pretty much perfect for this, it’s sad and it’s what a bunch of fans are thinking. Great Video.
What a great video! I grew up litterally right after Bigfoot left and was a HUGE Tom Meents fan mostly because Bill Goldberg was my favorite wrestler in the WCW
As I grew up, the more interested I was in the history of the sport which does have a lot of stories and historical significance to motorsports in general. Monster trucks themselves gives kids an introduction to auto racing with the flashy designs and nothing you can see elsewhere. Its kind of like Pro Wresting with the Indy Scene and WWE/AEW. Whether it be a independent show or Monster Jam, its always fun to see!
Lots of insight boss. Great video 👍 I think you did a good job explaining a question I’ve had for years and now (though I may not know the exact details) I have a good perspective as to why big foot disappeared after the 90s
The main reason that would hinder BF running some MJ events is the tire issue. Firestone is a long sponsor of BF and to run in MJ you must run BKT tires so this is a issue for both Firestone & BKT. With BF now running the Hot Wheels show they are trying to make that show in competition with MJ and personally I don't think the show will come close to the popularity of MJ unfortunately.
Cool video. Grew up watching them all. Snake bite and digger were my favorites. I only found out a couple years ago that grave digger sold out in the 90’s. I oddly feel betrayed by that. The way it was treated like it was still Dennis Anderson’s. My current favorite is Jim Koehler and Avenger. He seems like a really normal guy. Well as normal as can be for a guy who crushed cars for a living lol.
Not saying this just as passionate Digger fan but Anderson did not sell out. Truly selling out would be entirely focusing on Monetary gain and not caring about the fanbase or the enjoyment of the sport. Selling out is very different. Dennis was not a wealthy guy at all starting out. Apparently, his house costed 20,000 and the first engine for Digger was 40,000. There were many shows where he wouldn't have enough money to get home so he sold t shirts to get just enough to travel back to North Carolina. He has always loved the fanbase and his goal every night was to put on a good show. He was actually the first to pioneer freestyle events in Monster Jam. He was never in it to get rich, quite the opposite he just loved doing it. Grave Digger will always belong to the Anderson family. Yes Feld does own the rights to all trucks currently but the Andersons can easily pull the plug and they make the decisions regarding its design and usage. Dennis is a super nice normal guy who loves his family and fans as well as all his kids who drive Diggers too. I remember fondly his son Ryan creator of Sun Uva Digger that's also just as cool during the World Finals one year after giving it his all and winning Freestyle and racing with tears welling up in his eyes We would not be here without you fans those who spend their hard earned money to see this show and I would not leave tonight without giving it my all and making it worth it. This show these trucks belong to the fans just as much. To this day all the Digger drivers have always had the most heart and passion you feel it, it hits different for me personally. If Bob Chandler wanted to keep things independent and small that's fine its his prerogative. He was very obsessive about figures and tunning using advanced technology which many frowned upon. It can be argued that using computers to build a truck for you would be selling out. While someone with less money and tech could build a truck and beat you. Chandler was reluctant to expand and grow as a sport and monetize Bigfoot he preferred to sell merchandise independently. This can be very difficult because its harder to draw attention to it. The bigger Monster Jam got the smaller Bigfoot got. Its curious why Bob joined Monster jam at all if he was reluctant to the obvious inevitable growth it was going to have. He turned around and got mad at them for wanting to grow the sport while being reluctant to growing with it. Innovation and growth does not mean selling out. To me Grave Digger innovated the sport and pushed boundaries to new heights and still continues to grow. Its become a sport that travels the world bringing the joy of it to fans globally. Dennis never sold out he just saw an opportunity to make the sport more than it was...that is Innovation.
@@liamscorgie8859 Yes, Feld owns it. That means he sold the brand out to them. I know his back story and it’s really cool. I’m not mad at Dennis Anderson, would love to meet him someday. A guy who made it living his dream. Have to appreciate that. What bothered me about the buyout is during the interviews he made it sound like you were supporting him as the little guy when really you were supporting the corporate truck. I feel like that was intentional but I don’t know for sure. Could just be my interpretation of it. I’m a round about way you are supporting him but it’s different then supporting the little guy who is really scratching and clawing trying to make it. Meanwhile monster jam not allowing the independents at the show sell merch so they can push more of the corporate owned merch. Slimy. Will always have fond memories of the black and green wrecking machine but if I’m buying merch it’s going to be from an independent that’s out here making his dream happen. Dennis is fine but he made it to the mountain top. As fans let’s pull up the guys who are still climbing. Really hope they worked out a deal to let independents sell merch at monster jam shows.
@@liamscorgie8859 Monster Jam is bush league! Not even a real competition since they own all the trucks. How can you "compete" against yourself?? If I sell tickets for a checkers match where I play both the red and the black checkers, would anybody pay to see that? Heck no! Why anybody goes to a MJ show is beyond me. All it is is an exhibition/demonstration. Fine if you just want a look at the trucks, but it's not a competition. Thankfully Bigfoot didn't sell out. Anderson, however, is the very definition of a sellout. Allowing a corporate entity to buy the rights to your creation is 100% selling out. Spin it any way you want, but all you're doing is putting lipstick on a pig. At least Bigfoot is still free to COMPETE against other non-sellout teams.
As much as I love Bigfoot tbh I think them not working together and the lack of info about why almost boosts Bigfoot, the mystery surrounding why it's not in monster jam is very mysterious. Heck I found this video by searching that exact question.
Bigfoot being a household name really depends on where you live. If you're in a big city and under 30, you might not even know who bigfoot is. Monster jam is THE big show. It's like comparing an NBA star to a college star. If you aren't in a college town, you probably have no idea who they are. That's just how much things have changed over time.
Monster Jam is bush league! Not even a real competition since they own all the trucks. How can you "compete" against yourself?? If I sell tickets for a checkers match where I play both the red and the black checkers, would anybody want to see that? Heck no! Why anybody goes to a MJ show is beyond me. All it is is an exhibition/demonstration. Fine if you just want a look at the trucks, but it's not a competition. Hardly THE big show!
Considering I’ve seen toys of both Bigfoot and Monster Jam by Hot Wheels, I didn’t know they were separated! Still, hoping that both of them can come to an agreement someday.
Bigfoot currently licenses to at least two different diecast companies, Mattel for Hot Wheels Monster Trucks and Greenlight Collectibles for Kings of Crunch. Monster Jam and Mattel parted ways a few years ago with Monster Jam going to Spin Master toys. I think the first Hot Wheels Bigfoot came out soon after Monster Jam left Hot Wheels at the end of 2018, possibly not completely coincidentally.
Interesting video. I always wondered why Bigfoot disappeared as someone who grew up in the 80s, I was a huge monster truck and Bigfoot fan. Also, what is that song that plays at the beginning of the video? I seem to hear that everywhere for old monster truck content.
Never mind, I think I figured it out. The song at the beginning was from a classic windows video game, Monster Truck Madness. Would love to see this series come back to modern platforms: ruclips.net/video/OzstVnQ6Owc/видео.htmlsi=AS6ZkYOv1zC4LXWf
Bob Chandler has made statements since the inception of building Bigfoot, that he didn’t like the destruction of smashing cars so, they have always wants to focus on the precision and racing aspect of the sport. Whereas Dennis Anderson was always about his wild driving style and wanted to do more than just go fast over cars and that led to the invention of freestyling events.
I think the Bigfoot team made the right decision. Monster Jam was basically motorized WWE back in the early 2000’s, and Bigfoot would have faded away into obscurity during the big showdowns between the Anderson and Meents camps. That’s all Monster Jam cared about for YEARS. I remember attending a live event where Grave Digger put on a lousy freestyle and still won by a landslide by the “fan” judges. All in all, I lost interest with child-oriented Monster Jam years ago. The small town speedway and county fair shows that still crush cars, motor homes and buses are by far superior shows, and much cheaper to attend.
The answer is because Bigfoot is a real show truck. Doesn’t do all that rediculous body wrecking back flipping garbage. I’m sure glad I grew up with real monster trucks, built by good ol boys with a welder, and some enginuity.. the original monster trucks were exactly that, TRUCKS .. these are cages with a fiberglass shell.. #bringbackrealmonstertrucks
Eh. I think MJ actually DOES need Bigfoot back in the post pandemic years, I know The BF fanbase does. Also, thanks for addressing that the role of sponsors plays a big role in the state of affairs between both parties. To get both parties back together, Hot Wheels would basically need to boot Spinmaster out AND BKT would need to commit to sponsoring Bigfoot both in and out of MJ to make it happen. That said, I would definitely fly across the country (and I don't even like flying!) to see it. Maybe if either party were serious, they could amend their contracts. I hope it happens in my lifetime, but 50/50 on it actually happening. great video!
Bigfoot may have been the most recognizeable Monster Truck in the 80s and 90s but Grave Digger is the most recognizeable for decades now. I had forgotten about Bigfoot until I saw this video. Not like totally forgot about it, but just kind of assumed Bigfoot was out to pasture since I have not seen it for YEARS.
Just went to Monster Truck Wars today hoping to see Bearfoot, Carolina Crusher, and Bigfoot. Was told by Preston Perez, the driver of Outlaw (and a really good guy), that Bigfoot had an exclusive deal with Hot Wheels. I get it, it’s THE name in monster trucks, but there’s two, almost three generations nowadays that have no clue who Bigfoot is because the lack of exposure. Everything is Grave Digger and Max D. Bring Bigfoot back to Monster Jam!
Last time I paid attention to Monster trucks it was part of a saturday tv block w wwf wrestling in the 90s. Started watching the Monster Jam OTT channel on vizio's streaming service recently. Saw a familiar name in Grave Digger(and noticed some variants.) Wondered about Equalizer and Bigfoot (names from childhood) Thanks for the video.
Lucky i seen bigfoot and Snake bite at monster jam back in the 90s. I still have the 📼 of Bigfoot vs Snake bite that my dad bought me at the show. Also the OG grave digger was there
Did not realize that Monster Jam and the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live had some type of legal issues. I've heard that some who once have worked for Monster Jam are working with the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live program. I've seen one guy that I recognize, just can't think of his name. I've attended a few Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live shows and I find myself enjoying them over a Monster Jam Arena show.
it was kind of obvious when they made toys under Spin Masters lol as for the Hotwheels events that's more enjoyable because it's not all tabletop jumps and the same backflip ramps on every track layout
@@theunhingedgamer3762 Yeah, my daughter took me to a Arena show back in 2017 with that pod setup in the middle and I was definitely not a fan of that.
When I saw that Hot Wheels made their own League I immediately cringed. Not because it was bad, but I knew it would definitely stir the pot and make it look like they were leaving Monster Jam on the dirt road to pack.
Bigfoot is literally my Mickey Mouse. Monster Jam is the WWE of Monster trucks. Bigfoot will always be my favorite no matter what. Monster Jam was a good product now it's a shell of itself. This video was great thank you very much.
Ive seen almost every bigfoot version in the 80s and 90s and have been wondering why i havent seen any in like 20 years...great video and thanx...to you and to bigfoot
Simplest reason used to be the Bigfoot crew wanted open competition not invitation only, Monster Jam doesn’t want that, they want to control the show. Then they wanted to use Bigfoot at the events and Bob Chandler wasn’t willing to giving up commercial rights to his truck and rightfully so. Haven’t been to a monster jam even in years and won’t return, it’s a circus show, they need another Penda Points race series again, the current format is a joke.
I'm not sure about the invitation only part, because that's how USHRA events had always been and the vast majority of events that Bigfoot has competed at are invitation only. I know that was a problem with Everett Jasmer, which is why he and his team all but dropped off the face of the Earth after 1991.
@@californiamonstertrucks4655according to Bob Chandler the whole MJ was invitation only. When the Penda deal came about it was open, which is what they wanted.
----------- UPDATE -----------
- Eric Meagher was the Bigfoot driver in Stafford Springs, not Dan Runte.
- There is at least one other video that Bigfoot has uploaded to their RUclips channel where Grave Digger is blocked out with a graphic.
Any further updates or clarifications will be added to this comment.
Let me know if you read my response in the comments I haven't finished the video yet but it is actually a very intrical part go apart on what happened Between the 2 parties.
I have pics of lebanon valley in 98 with big foot.. I’ll have to look and see if I have any from the home state track, Stafford springs.
The Stafford Springs, CT show I wonder if that's the US Truck Fest Event in August of 98 than I'm not sure that's the last event that Bigfoot ran for Monster Jam. If I'm not mistaken the Atlanta Motor Speedway show which was Sept 11-12 another US Truckfest event that I attended Dan Runte was there with Bigfoot 14 and on Sept 19-20 at the Hagerstown Speedway Sky Hartley was there with Bigfoot 10 sporting the new Super Duty body. I think that's the show where Dennis rolled Grave Digger and ended up packing up and rolled out. If it not mistaken Dennis was pretty ticked off.
Either way the end of 98 would be the last time Monster Jam would book a Team Bigfoot truck. I feel like I've watched this video a hundred times already. It is a great video. 👍 👍
@@DestructionDan I was at the Stafford Springs show in 98, Bigfoot was there.
All these years I've always wondered why bigfoot never completed on monsterjam. Thank you so much for this video.
I would say this is unfortunate, but being able to check out Bigfoot at some smaller venues, and local fair settings is just awesome, and not something that is as easy to do with a massive monolith owning rights.
I’m 38 and grew up in the Houston area. I have many many memories from the late 80s early 90s of grave digger and Bigfoot going head to head in the astrodome. I would love to see the modern iterations of those trucks racing again
me too at the astrodome but monster jam is now woke and boring
Me three and loved the shows at the astrodome in the 80's Bigfoot is definitely the king of this sport
Same
@@wickedhouston5538 how is MJ woke?! they're not. they're corporate
Regrettably, those days are now a thing of the past, only alive within our memories. What was once a sport has transformed into merely corporate entertainment.
Because Bob Chandler is an absolute Chad and refused to sell out. Feld owns all the trucks, names, likenessess, toys, merch, etc. Feld is an entertainment business, with no regards to legitimate racing or innovation. Bigfoot just didn't want to participate. IF Bigfoot ever returned to Monster Jam, it would have to be the dominant star for a while. Bigfoot doesn't play 2nd fiddle for anyone.
Scott Douglass and Scott Jordan really nailed it at the end. As much as I wanna see Bigfoot compete against monster jam trucks, neither one needs the other in order to be successful so it’s unlikely it will happen again soon
I wouldn't hold your breath on that. There's still some key individuals who are still at or running Monster Jam since the fallout and it seems like they don't want to deal with Bigfoot. I mean Bigfoot has reached out and made it clear that they were willing to let the past be the past and move forward. Considering the direction that Monster Jam is going I'm kinda glad Bigfoot has gone and done their own thing. I really don't follow Monster Jam
Definitely gotta give respect to Bigfoot, Bob and Jim. Monster Jam wouldn't be where their at if it wasn't for them and some of the early pioneers of this industry.
You can definitely tell that Scott Douglass is a Monster Jam guy. Lol
Ushra was all about sled pulling. Bob showed up to be sideshow and crushed some cars. Bigfoot was first, i believe if i'm remembering correctly Bearfoot was the second. I remember when the competion started where they pulled the sled to the other end of the floor, unhooked turned 90⁰ to go across some cars back towards the start/finish line. Later they became the main attraction and the sled pullers became the side show.
I heard that dennis owned/started monster jam. I was watching back where they showed 3/4 of the monster trucks at Gravediggers headquarters. They mentioned how old digger chassis would get rebodied as a different truck so it sounded plausable.
Dennis sold merch for two reasons.
1. he was listed as a chevrolet. 80% of the population thats chevy fans would buy merch.
2 Dennis truck would always break. Freestyle originated because they would go thrash to make it run. After the event was over Dennis would come back out drive over whatever was left until it broke again, which in the early days didn't take long. And he was a chevrolet which 80% population seems to like. So largest demographic.
But Bigfoot will always be #1 to me.
@@brianadams429
Not sure about Bearfoot being 2nd. I'm sure the first class for the International Monster Truck Hall of Fame should give us a idea of originators.
As someone that has friends that work for both companies and has have the opportunity to work on bigfoot trucks.. I think it's pretty awesome that you were able to put this video together with very accurate information overall and get it on a platform for so many people to see. I did post below and pretty much you hit it right on the head on where any conflicting issues lie now. As wel where the main problem was.
monster jam is woke and boring
@@wickedhouston5538 shut up. Explain how it is at all boring
And you better not say “oh it’s not like the races from the 80s and 90s” because that’s called evolving and becoming better
@@MTJackinator shut up little kid
@@wickedhouston5538 how?
@@wickedhouston5538people try not to use woke incorrectly challenge (impossible)
When they were in my town a Bigfoot crew man I talked to told me that the reason they don’t compete in Monster Jam was 100% because they didn’t want to sell out the name.
That's exactly what it is! Feld entertainment wanted all the rights to Bigfoot. Just like Dennis Anderson Tom Meents sold their's. With a lot of other big names.
@@benjamingreever5235 I had read that Grave Digger was jointly owned by Feld and the Anderson family in a sort of partnership.
That is not correct, what was Mentioned in this video is pretty much spot on with the issues in the past and currently.
@@xWORLDxCHAMPIONx
Dennis has spoken about the whole situation with his connection with the truck. I wish I could remember that interview. It was quite a while back when he spoke about it.
@@xWORLDxCHAMPIONx
Go back and watch Dennis's interview with Dave Despain on Wind Tunnel go to 20:30 in the video.I can post a link to that video.
If Bigfoot was to ever go back to Monster Jam I might willingly attend a show.
Nah I wouldn't for monster jam, I'd make a trip to see it tho even tho I drive past the original on the big white rims enough wich is good enough for me lmao
I drove from Massachusetts to NJ to see Snake Bite. 😁
Grave Digger over Bigfoot for life.
@@seankennedy131
Bigfoot over Grave Digger for me. Dennis is a great guy, but I will always be a fan of the original.
@@PookaLuka
Back before I had kids if Bigfoot was at a show I would drive out of state to that show. I live in Virginia and I've been to NC, SC, GA FL, PA, OH and etc to attend shows where a Bigfoot truck was gonna be at.
I want bigfoot back in monster jam. It would be so fun watching bigfoot compete on monster jam tracks. I hope that they at least do like a one off event somewhere. Like team bigfoot vs team digger. Wishful thinking but I hope!
Won't happen because of the firestone thing.
It just wouldn't look good ,the only truck in a season that doesn't have a blowout being Bigfoot
@@grindelston5968 Basically this. Unless Firestone drop the contract and BKT takes over or either company agree to a Big Foot shaped clause, this is basically what it boils down to.
Bigfoot on those boring tracks, heck no
It's sad it all came to that. I remember Big Foot just literally winning everything back in the 90's. It was like watching Michael Jordan and the Bull's. You just knew he was going to win but also blow you away with the things he did.
it was also because they had the money to get the same shocks as baja racers and put them in their trucks. when they did that it changed everything in '89 to the point where the truck got banned for a year
I remember having the toy truck and watching the VHS tapes my dad had in the late 90s- early 2000s. My bro had Snake Bite. I miss those days
Obviously neither of them need each other but it would be great to see Bigfoot on Monster Jam and let him keep the Firestones. Monster Jam is awesome and the freestyle tricks they do are insane but some of my personal favorite is the Monster Drags from the 90's. When they're lined up side by side and see who can fly over the 2 different car jumps in a straight line and get to the finish line first. They need to bring them back.
This.
I'm not sure how much stock you can put in it, but I can't help but think that with Bigfoot being mentioned on the IMJ podcast that the door is starting to open up for Feld to welcome Bigfoot back on Monster Jam. Feld does seem to allow the fans to give their input on topics and most history of the sport is being discussed on it without being censored, so maybe there is hope that time has healed whatever wounds were there.
they might be able to make amends but the problem is Feld aren't fans of letting their truck owners be independently owned which is why we don't see Overkill Evolution on any of their shows anymore and the only indie team still left is all of Jim Koehler's team
@@theunhingedgamer3762 there's other indie teams/drivers on the MJ circuit : Saigon shaker, Kraken, Jester. FELD just makes competing in MJ A. financially not viable B. forced to run those garbage overpriced BKT tires C. forbiding indie teams from selling their merchandise at FELD events. Mikey Vaters and son got tired of FELD's bullshit, the nonstop traveling prefers to run indie promoters
@@theunhingedgamer3762 There’s quite a few teams left although a lot of them left after the Covid Pandemic. The remaining teams are Over Bored Motorsports, Team Throttle Monster, Team Scream, Monster Trucks Ltd. (Stone Crusher/Hooked), Tomfoolery Motorsports ( Jester. Kraken), Hall bros racing, Saigon Shaker, Wasted Nites, Bad Company & Blown Money, and MK Motorsports( Get er Done II & Get er Done original)
@@dawhiteman1451 can't forget Bad News Travels Fast, Brandon ran a few shows this season too.
@@tylerwicklander7966 he does but I’m not sure if he’s competing with them next year
The biggest takeaway I got from this is that both sides got too big for one another- which sucks because while I’m not a diehard fan of monster trucks, I can at least recognize both Grave Digger and Bigfoot for their iconic paint schemes and history together.
I'm only 21, so I definitely didn't grow up with Bigfoot, I'm a Gravedigger fan through and through and grew up with monster jam. That being said, I always wonder why THE monster truck of monster trucks never completed. I'm glad Bigfoot is still out there doing stuff though. All the love and respect to it for giving us this wonderful sport.
36 and remember watching Bigfoot on tv. Been a fan ever since. My son who’s 4 is a grave digger, max D fan. I have collected Bigfoot hot wheels cars and he’s like where’s Bigfoot at monster jam? I said I wish he would show up one time buddy. Glad to see monster trucks are still successful either way.
I grew up watching Big foot on VHS tapes and in person at our local motor sports park, and I would love to see them compete on a major course that monster jam has to offer. Great video by the way!
Great video. I grew up in the monster truck world in the early 2000s, ended up befriending a few drivers, went to dinner with them (usually Denny's) after the shows, and even got to work on some trucks (Obsessed, Obsession, Time Flys and Detour/ Wildflower), but I was never given a good explanation as to why Bigfoot was never at a Feld event. Thank you for clearing things up after all these years
Larry Swim had a Bigfoot truck at the MJ world finals for MJ’s 25 anniversary. I’ve heard that they were going to have a Bigfoot truck for display and part of the big parade, but the BKT tires and Firestone issued put an end to that. Larry actually hid the hauler a few blocks away and was enjoying the pit party though.
Larry Was actually there because he had just left a left a video shoot in California so he stopped on his way through. But there was rumors bigfoot was going to be at the 25th anniversary of monster jam but that fell through.
Dennis Anderson use to be called One and Done Anderson because he'd break his truck in qualifying. Now he would ask promoters if he fixed his truck if he could put on a show at the end for the crowd and his fans. His freestyle was a favorite of fans. He was another pioneer of the sport. I've never been a fan of Grave Digger, I grew up as a fan of Bigfoot. I do however have a lot of respect for Dennis Anderson and Grave Digger. Just my personal opinion, I've never felt like Bob Chandler let the fans down. I hope they never sell the rights of Bigfoot to Monster Jam.
Great video.
Don't forget crybaby Gary Porter lol
Awesome video man! It probably won't happen but imagine seeing Bigfoot at the Monster Jam World Finals! Or seeing Grave Digger vs Bigfoot in the finals of racing. That would be so awesome! But it probably won't happen. But then again never say never.
Darron would absolutely dominate in Monster Jam. I saw him in york haven this year.
@@DiecastBlazeOfficial
The newest driver Eric Steinburg would be phenomenal as well. He runs the trucks a little bit harder than the other drivers, but doesn’t seem to tear up the trucks. Eric reminds me of Larry Swim a little bit, minus all of the damage.
I remember loving Bigfoot and Gravedigger as a kid. Gravedigger was cool the way The Undertaker was cool in the WWE, where Bigfoot was cool because even in the early 2000s, you could tell Bigfoot was the OG and was respected as the grandfather of the sport.
I think it's wild hearing this history 20 years later. Monster Jam is one of the coolest things you can see in your life, it's a shame there was so much drama behind the scenes.
These analysis style videos you’ve been making are incredible. No one else is doing videos like this about monster truck history.
I only found this channel today. After one video (the milestone motorsport one) I subbed. I hope he gets big.
A lot of information in the comments too so I'm guessing this is a true connesur channel
I have spoken to Freddie Shephard when I was at Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live in Bakersfield, and he did told me that Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live will plan stadium events in 2023 or 2024 when Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live have officially announced, so that will be Bigfoot’s new home a big stadium floor will be like their Monster Jam track style, so Bigfoot will never go to Monster Jam.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live will be Bigfoot’s home now.
I can’t wait to hear where there first stadium shows gonna be at cause I just might have to make a special trip to that event.
I miss the old days where a man built a truck and brought it out to an event. Monster jam and the Bigfoot products are cartoons. We like going to the smaller independent shows. Maybe the drivers don’t tear their stuff up every run but it’s closer to what the 80s were like
Eh, apples and oranges to some extent. Trucks with over 1000 horsepower that can clear 25 cars in one jump, land, not fall to pieces and not kill their driver certainly have their appeal! However, you are right on the money about the canned nature of the Monster Jam events. What are the stakes when one company owns all the trucks? The straight up head-to-head racing in Monster Jam is like watching paint dry. The freestyle is the only event from that organization worth watching anymore.
Bigfoot still does that, I saw them a couple year ago at Buck Motorsports Park
I loved Bigfoot as a kid, and Bob and what he created when I became an adult. The Bigfoot/Gravedigger Rivalries of the past was what got me into the sport. I still have a book that I stole from the library in elementary school that showcased Bob and the first bigfoots, I think it was Bigfoot one through Bigfoot 18, and that was one of my favorite books growing up because they had pictures of every iteration.
I didn't know Bigfoot owned the WCW trucks. Cool video
Clicked on this one out of curiosity and couldn’t stop till it was done. This was a great blast from the past and also informative piece. Thank you for posting this. 👍👍👍
This all reminds me of Nascar. I think the sport was better, when they had more independent owners.
I would love to see the actual originators, Bigfoot, USA-1, Bearfoot and King Kong in mainstream events. Historically speaking, USA-1, Bigfoot and Awesome Kong finished 1,2,3 for the first National Championship in 1988 under TNT Motorsports. Ah...the glory days.
I still til this day enjoy watching the old TNT days. I watch that and the Penda Series more than any thing else. I do watch quite a bit of the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live shows.
I miss going to watch tractor pulls and Monster trucks in one event in Hampton VA and Norfolk Va.
11:26 i played Monster 4x4: masters of Metal growing up! was my favorite video game for years! man to go back and play it again...
I'm glad Bob didn't sellout to the knuckleheads at Monster Jam!
calm down fanboy
@@theunhingedgamer3762
Lol, I don't need to calm down. I'm totally calm.
I wish, racing would come back. Legit racing. TNT one truck , tour. Crushed cars. Points. Not this WWF racing we get from monster Jam.. I'd give back a back flip just to have real racing back. USHRA back in the day was awesome. Pure excitement!! But these days it's getting kinda lame. But if it wasn't for monster jam monster trucks would die or fade out. Because there monster jam people know monster trucks. As well as big foot, it's nice to see some independent people still around. I just wish monster truck racing was just as serious as it used to be.
Monster Jam does in fact have a points series currently and has had one for the past 7 years. They also have crush cars, albeit in a very reduced role, and their racing is in fact legitimate, albeit not like the racing of old. The closest monster trucks came to "WWF racing" I'd say was Monster Trux 2000. Either way, you're right in that, however Monster Jam has chosen to give exposure to monster truck racing, they've kept it in the public eye in a prominent way.
@@californiamonstertrucks4655 no I'm talking about, one grave digger , the one you see is the one you get. Not 10 that tour simultaneously. ...serious racing not this "entertainment" racing. I'm mean come on dirt jumps.?? Not 80's style racing.
The best racing was 88-the mid 90’s. TNT and Penda no doubt. I even loved the ProMT as well. If NASCAR and NHRA can be successful for all these years then I’m sure Monster Trucks could have been as well.
@@waynenorbreyjr9371 Amen
Lets not forget about the MLMT series, that series was awesome and I really enjoyed it and wished it had continued. Thank goodness for RUclips! Love going back and rewatching all of those series and races.
this gonna the best monster truck channel with this kind of quality i can feel it
No matter, how you, feel about,Monster Trucks,Bigfoot was,will Always,be,the iconic Name, in the History of this Motor Sport!!! Metro Detroit Loves you guys!!! G
You’re exactly right!
Monster Truck Madness music, Need For Speed music... you're giving me major nostalgia flashes here. 🤩
Another home run video dude! I really hope a lot of people watch this so they can stop asking 😂
Props for including that WKUK bit.
R.I.P. Trevor Moore
I was born in 1995 but grew up loving monster trucks. I used to watch the freestyle event re-runs at 7am on the old SPEED channel #72. I just guess I just thought Bigfoot was it's own thing. I knew the the name, the iconic-ness of it. Even played the Momster Jam Video game. I just never sat down and thought about why the team didn't compete. I guess I just assumed/told myself that the truck was 1980's era and maybe just like doing the smaller events or something.
Great video and good info. I'm now understanding just how far someone will go to be brand loyal
I’ve known about this since 2000 I noticed it when Bigfoot wasn’t on Tnn anymore and found the reason why on there website and it explained pretty much the same reasons in this video it’s always made me sad but I’m a diehard Bigfoot fan and watching what monster jam has become through out the years I’m glad they decided in the split it would be nice if they would work things out but it’s not gonna happen
I would definitely like to know more about the 100 years Ford event. I've done heard different accounts of that event. I heard that Dan Runte whooped up on the Monster Jam trucks and then Lyle Hancock on Scott Douglass show/livestream said that he beat Dan Runte. 🤔 Not sure what the deal was, unless it was a multi shows where Bigfoot and the Monster Jam trucks were competing against each other. I definitely would have liked to have seen videos from that event.
TruckWorld wasn't specific about who defeated who, as it was a multi-day event so it's entirely possible that Lyle in Blue Thunder could have defeated Bigfoot. Bigfoot's official release regarding the event gave a general summary that Dan Runte didn't have any problems defeating the Monster Jam trucks, but I haven't seen any official results. There is video of the events circulating but I didn't have it off hand and didn't feel it was 100% necessary to include.
@@californiamonstertrucks4655
I friend who I use to race rc Monster Trucks with back in the late 90's through early 2000's was at that event and I'm sure he could shed some light on what actually happened. He lives in Michigan still I think and I know back then he did. I haven't seen or spoken with him in a long time, but if anyone knows Dan Wyatt he could tell you more about that event.
Not much is known about it because it was a tiny fairground event just commemoring the Ford anniversary. It was the last time they competed together but since it was such a little show back then there were little to no accounts of it.
@@DiecastBlazeOfficial
Anyone who was lucky enough to attend that event would know what actually happened. I only know of one person who was at that event.
I think that should be the topic of another video, because it's quite a similar case to Monster Jam's "Ultimate Freestyle Spectacular", which Jack already made a video on. A seemingly groundbreaking once-in-a-lifetime show to commemorate a full century of the Ford Motor Company, faded into obscurity, with very low media preservation and unconfirmed results.
One guy told me a story of when he brought his son to a Bigfoot shop back around 2013, his son told Bob Chandler himself: "I just wanna see Grave Digger and Bigfoot race just once." Chandler replied "That ain't gonna happen!" across the shop one guy shouted, "Monster Jam sucks!"
Lol
Tangentially, I would bet Grave Digger and associated merch sales benefitted in the 90s from the Undertaker in wrestling becoming huge. Even though they were unrelated, I definitely associated the two as a kid and I'm sure I wasn't alone.
I wouldn't be surprised if WWF got the Undertaker idea from Gravedigger, which predates the wrestling character by about 8 years.
This is interesting. I never knew there was heat or even thought about it. All the shows I went to as a kid up in Canada were independents, and sometimes Big Foot and or Grave Digger trucks were among em. Then when I started watching Monster Jam on TV, I just assumed they weren't under contract much like not seeing Sting in the WWF.
Plenty of mechanical is still on shelves as far as Big Foot goes, so even though Grave Digger became the marketing kings, it's totally understandable for the camps to not need each other to keep the brands alive.
I'm glad that I still have my Inside Monster Jam box set and any other videos and all before the split. Just wished I had the IMJ box series on DVD.
Thanks for this video. I’m a huge Bigfoot fan and tried to do my own research in the early 2000’s. I called Bigfoot 4x4 and all they would tell me was that if the promoters would schedule them then they would be at the shows. They gave me the promoters number to call and they just played dumb and wouldn’t tell me anything. We still took our kids to some shows when they were little but now that they’re grown we don’t go anymore if Bigfoot was to start being at these events again I would still attend everyone in my area as an adult.
Early 2000's I attended the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas NV. Pathetic how USHRA/Monster Jam advertised certain Monster Trucks at their event as being the first corporate sponsored Monster Trucks. Bigfoot was the very first Monster Truck, which received major corporation sponsorship.
When I was 16 I used to go to the Pontiac Silverdome with either my friends or my girlfriend to watch the mud bogs and tractor pulls and the monster trucks man I miss those days. We would all cram into my Pinto and roll.
I remember back in the mid 2000's in the forum days. If you mentioned Bigfoot and Monster Jam the very next post would usually say "uh oh, here we go". Then chaos would ensue.
Bigfoot is the GOAT... growing up in the 80s in New Zealand...Bigfoot was in headlines like the 49ers or Margaret Thatcher. Bigfoots was truly global. I thought they had gone, so happy to see they're still around and doing good too.
From what I was told with a conversation with Bob. Was When SFX tried to offer to buy bigfoot Bob unintentionally insulted Mancuso. And it was taken very personal and that's when the relationship ended. He told me more things that were said but at that time that's what created the situation.
Can’t say that I don’t blame Bob for saying what he said. Bigfoot was worth quite a bit back then and considering the kind of revenue they were generating.
What a fantastic documentary! Thank you for this concise much-needed explanation. The music fits this issue perfectly too!
Wow, what incredible content! I was shocked to see you're just over 1k subs. Feels like a 100k+ content!
Videos like this, that talk about Monster Trucks back when the whole phenomenon was just starting, take me down memory lane.
Days when rear-steer was rare, most everyone had planetary gear hubs, and trucks were built on a weekend hobby budget.
Mostly N/A motors with a cam, on pump gas or sometimes racing fuel, and the trucks all weighed well over 10,000 lbs. If you could keep it under 15,000 you were doing good.
The trucks weren't fast back then, they usually didn't race. They just competed on who could do the best crush or wheelie.
It didn't take long though, before they switched to heavy-duty axles & steering knuckles, no planetary gears, and really cranked up the HP with bigger motors, superchargers, etc.
Now look at them... long jumps, high jumps, backflips, frontflips, donuts, nose stands, cat walks, etc.
I had the privilege of being friends with Jesse Birgy (OG version of Play'n For Keeps).
Lots of midnight oil was burned keeping the truck race-ready, as is the case with all monster trucks.
Axle swaps/repairs, steering knuckle replacements, engine rebuilds, body panel repair/replacements, etc.
I lost count how many times I drove to 7-11 for Big Gulps from all the times he said "You fly, I'll buy".
You may be gone Jess, but not forgotten. RIP
It wasn't just Bigfoot that got the short end of the stick when it came to organized monster truck events in those days.
Many of the smaller names/independent trucks got slighted along the way, since most of the promoters at the time would favor their sponsored trucks in close races even if by shady means.
I'm on the fence about Big Foot and Monster Jam possibly reuniting.
I do agree with the statement at the end of the video, about if Big Foot, Grave Digger and Max-D were to all be on the ticket, that would be an awesome show.
Great Documentary! VERY well narrated and documentad. Great work guys!
honestly I'm not a massive bigfoot fanboy as I've always been a Grave Digger fan but honestly I'm glad Bigfoot stayed away from Monster Jam tbh
Monster Jam is the WWE of motorsports and that's because they want to own all the teams and their trucks and tbh Monster Jam lost a lot of steps with the removal of crush cars and many other things that made all the shows worth watching so honestly all the shows Bigfoot runs are much better to watch
The video embargo for teams at USHRA events started in the summer of 1992.
Bigfoot clips were still included in the first remaster of Crash Madness that was released in late 2000.
Love the video. I'm an ancient man and grew up with Bigfoot and Gravedigger rivalry.
I think it’s sad that I may never get to see BIGFOOT in Monster Jam. BIGFOOT’S always been my favorite truck and I always loved watching Monster Jam growing up. I started becoming a big fan when I was very little and the 2011-2014 and then I guess to 2017 too Monster Jam was always so fun to watch with my Dad. The song you put at the end is pretty much perfect for this, it’s sad and it’s what a bunch of fans are thinking. Great Video.
I learned so from this doco. Nice work. No bullshit here, just good info delivered without modern short attention span techniques.
Best compliment I've gotten in a while.
What a great video! I grew up litterally right after Bigfoot left and was a HUGE Tom Meents fan mostly because Bill Goldberg was my favorite wrestler in the WCW
Scott Jordan plays a dangerous game but he is honest on important facts that feld is simply not willing to go public with in fear
As I grew up, the more interested I was in the history of the sport which does have a lot of stories and historical significance to motorsports in general. Monster trucks themselves gives kids an introduction to auto racing with the flashy designs and nothing you can see elsewhere. Its kind of like Pro Wresting with the Indy Scene and WWE/AEW. Whether it be a independent show or Monster Jam, its always fun to see!
Wow this was cool to hear. As a kid I always wondered why Bigfoot was never on Monster Jam.
Lots of insight boss. Great video 👍 I think you did a good job explaining a question I’ve had for years and now (though I may not know the exact details) I have a good perspective as to why big foot disappeared after the 90s
The main reason that would hinder BF running some MJ events is the tire issue. Firestone is a long sponsor of BF and to run in MJ you must run BKT tires so this is a issue for both Firestone & BKT.
With BF now running the Hot Wheels show they are trying to make that show in competition with MJ and personally I don't think the show will come close to the popularity of MJ unfortunately.
Cool video. Grew up watching them all. Snake bite and digger were my favorites. I only found out a couple years ago that grave digger sold out in the 90’s. I oddly feel betrayed by that. The way it was treated like it was still Dennis Anderson’s. My current favorite is Jim Koehler and Avenger. He seems like a really normal guy. Well as normal as can be for a guy who crushed cars for a living lol.
Not saying this just as passionate Digger fan but Anderson did not sell out. Truly selling out would be entirely focusing on Monetary gain and not caring about the fanbase or the enjoyment of the sport. Selling out is very different. Dennis was not a wealthy guy at all starting out. Apparently, his house costed 20,000 and the first engine for Digger was 40,000. There were many shows where he wouldn't have enough money to get home so he sold t shirts to get just enough to travel back to North Carolina. He has always loved the fanbase and his goal every night was to put on a good show. He was actually the first to pioneer freestyle events in Monster Jam. He was never in it to get rich, quite the opposite he just loved doing it. Grave Digger will always belong to the Anderson family. Yes Feld does own the rights to all trucks currently but the Andersons can easily pull the plug and they make the decisions regarding its design and usage. Dennis is a super nice normal guy who loves his family and fans as well as all his kids who drive Diggers too. I remember fondly his son Ryan creator of Sun Uva Digger that's also just as cool during the World Finals one year after giving it his all and winning Freestyle and racing with tears welling up in his eyes We would not be here without you fans those who spend their hard earned money to see this show and I would not leave tonight without giving it my all and making it worth it. This show these trucks belong to the fans just as much. To this day all the Digger drivers have always had the most heart and passion you feel it, it hits different for me personally. If Bob Chandler wanted to keep things independent and small that's fine its his prerogative. He was very obsessive about figures and tunning using advanced technology which many frowned upon. It can be argued that using computers to build a truck for you would be selling out. While someone with less money and tech could build a truck and beat you. Chandler was reluctant to expand and grow as a sport and monetize Bigfoot he preferred to sell merchandise independently. This can be very difficult because its harder to draw attention to it. The bigger Monster Jam got the smaller Bigfoot got. Its curious why Bob joined Monster jam at all if he was reluctant to the obvious inevitable growth it was going to have. He turned around and got mad at them for wanting to grow the sport while being reluctant to growing with it. Innovation and growth does not mean selling out. To me Grave Digger innovated the sport and pushed boundaries to new heights and still continues to grow. Its become a sport that travels the world bringing the joy of it to fans globally. Dennis never sold out he just saw an opportunity to make the sport more than it was...that is Innovation.
@@liamscorgie8859 Yes, Feld owns it. That means he sold the brand out to them. I know his back story and it’s really cool. I’m not mad at Dennis Anderson, would love to meet him someday. A guy who made it living his dream. Have to appreciate that. What bothered me about the buyout is during the interviews he made it sound like you were supporting him as the little guy when really you were supporting the corporate truck. I feel like that was intentional but I don’t know for sure. Could just be my interpretation of it. I’m a round about way you are supporting him but it’s different then supporting the little guy who is really scratching and clawing trying to make it. Meanwhile monster jam not allowing the independents at the show sell merch so they can push more of the corporate owned merch. Slimy. Will always have fond memories of the black and green wrecking machine but if I’m buying merch it’s going to be from an independent that’s out here making his dream happen. Dennis is fine but he made it to the mountain top. As fans let’s pull up the guys who are still climbing. Really hope they worked out a deal to let independents sell merch at monster jam shows.
@@liamscorgie8859 Monster Jam is bush league! Not even a real competition since they own all the trucks. How can you "compete" against yourself?? If I sell tickets for a checkers match where I play both the red and the black checkers, would anybody pay to see that? Heck no! Why anybody goes to a MJ show is beyond me. All it is is an exhibition/demonstration. Fine if you just want a look at the trucks, but it's not a competition. Thankfully Bigfoot didn't sell out. Anderson, however, is the very definition of a sellout. Allowing a corporate entity to buy the rights to your creation is 100% selling out. Spin it any way you want, but all you're doing is putting lipstick on a pig. At least Bigfoot is still free to COMPETE against other non-sellout teams.
As much as I love Bigfoot tbh I think them not working together and the lack of info about why almost boosts Bigfoot, the mystery surrounding why it's not in monster jam is very mysterious. Heck I found this video by searching that exact question.
This is going on almost 30 years now and it still hurts
Monster jam is about destroying the minster truck. BIG FOOT IS NOT ABOUT DESTROYING THE TRUCK
Bigfoot being a household name really depends on where you live. If you're in a big city and under 30, you might not even know who bigfoot is. Monster jam is THE big show. It's like comparing an NBA star to a college star. If you aren't in a college town, you probably have no idea who they are. That's just how much things have changed over time.
Monster Jam is bush league! Not even a real competition since they own all the trucks. How can you "compete" against yourself?? If I sell tickets for a checkers match where I play both the red and the black checkers, would anybody want to see that? Heck no! Why anybody goes to a MJ show is beyond me. All it is is an exhibition/demonstration. Fine if you just want a look at the trucks, but it's not a competition. Hardly THE big show!
Considering I’ve seen toys of both Bigfoot and Monster Jam by Hot Wheels, I didn’t know they were separated!
Still, hoping that both of them can come to an agreement someday.
Bigfoot currently licenses to at least two different diecast companies, Mattel for Hot Wheels Monster Trucks and Greenlight Collectibles for Kings of Crunch.
Monster Jam and Mattel parted ways a few years ago with Monster Jam going to Spin Master toys. I think the first Hot Wheels Bigfoot came out soon after Monster Jam left Hot Wheels at the end of 2018, possibly not completely coincidentally.
I still love both Bigfoot and Grave Digger. They will race together once again someday!
I remember seeing Bigfoot, Bearfoot, Grave Digger, Snake Bite, Carolina Crusher all racing in the 90's at the Colorado State fair at my home town!
Bigfoot 4x4x4 is still loved in Hollister, Ca.
I miss the old USHRA. Mud bogs, truck and tractor pulling, monster truck racing, and a stunt show (usually Spanky Spangler) all on the same night.
The song at the end with the credits was gold 😂
Interesting video. I always wondered why Bigfoot disappeared as someone who grew up in the 80s, I was a huge monster truck and Bigfoot fan. Also, what is that song that plays at the beginning of the video? I seem to hear that everywhere for old monster truck content.
Never mind, I think I figured it out. The song at the beginning was from a classic windows video game, Monster Truck Madness. Would love to see this series come back to modern platforms: ruclips.net/video/OzstVnQ6Owc/видео.htmlsi=AS6ZkYOv1zC4LXWf
Bob Chandler has made statements since the inception of building Bigfoot, that he didn’t like the destruction of smashing cars so, they have always wants to focus on the precision and racing aspect of the sport. Whereas Dennis Anderson was always about his wild driving style and wanted to do more than just go fast over cars and that led to the invention of freestyling events.
I think the Bigfoot team made the right decision. Monster Jam was basically motorized WWE back in the early 2000’s, and Bigfoot would have faded away into obscurity during the big showdowns between the Anderson and Meents camps. That’s all Monster Jam cared about for YEARS. I remember attending a live event where Grave Digger put on a lousy freestyle and still won by a landslide by the “fan” judges.
All in all, I lost interest with child-oriented Monster Jam years ago. The small town speedway and county fair shows that still crush cars, motor homes and buses are by far superior shows, and much cheaper to attend.
The answer is because Bigfoot is a real show truck. Doesn’t do all that rediculous body wrecking back flipping garbage. I’m sure glad I grew up with real monster trucks, built by good ol boys with a welder, and some enginuity.. the original monster trucks were exactly that, TRUCKS .. these are cages with a fiberglass shell.. #bringbackrealmonstertrucks
You nailed it. Today those are just large toys but no trucks anymore. I miss the old times. 😞
Eh. I think MJ actually DOES need Bigfoot back in the post pandemic years, I know The BF fanbase does. Also, thanks for addressing that the role of sponsors plays a big role in the state of affairs between both parties. To get both parties back together, Hot Wheels would basically need to boot Spinmaster out AND BKT would need to commit to sponsoring Bigfoot both in and out of MJ to make it happen. That said, I would definitely fly across the country (and I don't even like flying!) to see it. Maybe if either party were serious, they could amend their contracts. I hope it happens in my lifetime, but 50/50 on it actually happening. great video!
Ive been wondering about this. Thank you for explaining.
Bigfoot may have been the most recognizeable Monster Truck in the 80s and 90s but Grave Digger is the most recognizeable for decades now. I had forgotten about Bigfoot until I saw this video. Not like totally forgot about it, but just kind of assumed Bigfoot was out to pasture since I have not seen it for YEARS.
Just went to Monster Truck Wars today hoping to see Bearfoot, Carolina Crusher, and Bigfoot. Was told by Preston Perez, the driver of Outlaw (and a really good guy), that Bigfoot had an exclusive deal with Hot Wheels. I get it, it’s THE name in monster trucks, but there’s two, almost three generations nowadays that have no clue who Bigfoot is because the lack of exposure. Everything is Grave Digger and Max D. Bring Bigfoot back to Monster Jam!
oh damn, havent heard that tune in years, good memories from monster truck madness back in the good ol 90s
Last time I paid attention to Monster trucks it was part of a saturday tv block w wwf wrestling in the 90s.
Started watching the Monster Jam OTT channel on vizio's streaming service recently. Saw a familiar name in Grave Digger(and noticed some variants.) Wondered about Equalizer and Bigfoot (names from childhood) Thanks for the video.
Love these kind of videos Jack, really enjoy them, great work
Lucky i seen bigfoot and Snake bite at monster jam back in the 90s. I still have the 📼 of Bigfoot vs Snake bite that my dad bought me at the show. Also the OG grave digger was there
Good content. Upgrade that mic though, sound makes it that much better.
Monster jam wanted Bob Chandler to sell the name to them. Bob Chandler said "NO"
Did not realize that Monster Jam and the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live had some type of legal issues. I've heard that some who once have worked for Monster Jam are working with the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live program. I've seen one guy that I recognize, just can't think of his name. I've attended a few Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live shows and I find myself enjoying them over a Monster Jam Arena show.
it was kind of obvious when they made toys under Spin Masters lol
as for the Hotwheels events that's more enjoyable because it's not all tabletop jumps and the same backflip ramps on every track layout
@@theunhingedgamer3762
Yeah, my daughter took me to a Arena show back in 2017 with that pod setup in the middle and I was definitely not a fan of that.
oh boy 3 stacks of cars at hot wheels woo how fun
@@theunhingedgamer3762 literally Hot Wheels does the same track every single show
When I saw that Hot Wheels made their own League I immediately cringed. Not because it was bad, but I knew it would definitely stir the pot and make it look like they were leaving Monster Jam on the dirt road to pack.
Bigfoot is literally my Mickey Mouse. Monster Jam is the WWE of Monster trucks. Bigfoot will always be my favorite no matter what. Monster Jam was a good product now it's a shell of itself. This video was great thank you very much.
My 4 y/o recently found Monster Jam, he loves it! My first question after watching it was where's Bigfoot?
Bigfoot will always be my truck, seeing it at Buck Motorsports Park back when I was a kid to again just the other year.
Is the song at the beginning not the menu theme from Tokyo Xtreme Racer 0
Ive seen almost every bigfoot version in the 80s and 90s and have been wondering why i havent seen any in like 20 years...great video and thanx...to you and to bigfoot
I miss seeing Andy Brass driving Bigfoot and Wildfoot 😃😃
Definitely! the good ol penda series days. Andy was the best!!
Simplest reason used to be the Bigfoot crew wanted open competition not invitation only, Monster Jam doesn’t want that, they want to control the show. Then they wanted to use Bigfoot at the events and Bob Chandler wasn’t willing to giving up commercial rights to his truck and rightfully so. Haven’t been to a monster jam even in years and won’t return, it’s a circus show, they need another Penda Points race series again, the current format is a joke.
I'm not sure about the invitation only part, because that's how USHRA events had always been and the vast majority of events that Bigfoot has competed at are invitation only. I know that was a problem with Everett Jasmer, which is why he and his team all but dropped off the face of the Earth after 1991.
@@californiamonstertrucks4655according to Bob Chandler the whole MJ was invitation only. When the Penda deal came about it was open, which is what they wanted.
Bigfoot! Bear foot! Usa1! Those were the times! If only These 3 originals got together with monster jam! I would show up