..By PAUL MOSER Special to AllAroundPhilly.com

He is respected for shaping the Moto-X freestyle circuit as one of the true pioneers in the sport. Deegan is one of only two riders to medal in every Moto-X discipline at ESPN’s Summer X Games.

Each pales in comparison, however, to what Deegan really excels at. Marketing is the tattooed 27-year-old’s real forte. Deegan is the X Games’ answer to the WWE’s Vince McMahon.

You see, while many of the Moto-X athletes competing in this week’s freestyle, Big Air and Step-Up competitions struggle to make motorcycle payments, Deegan is one of the few coming to Philadelphia this week who has gotten rich in the daredevil sport.

And, to hear Deegan tell it, there is a secret to his success.

"I think the marketing and the image part is probably about 90 percent of being successful," Deegan admitted recently. "The riding part is the small part. With television and kids’ need for entertainment it’s better to emphasize how marketable you are."

Judging by the ferocity the legions of fans that follow he and his crew – the Metal Mulisha – it would appear Deegan has a point. Started as a statement against the establishment, the Mulisha was founded by Deegan and friend Larry Likogle. Since then Deegan and his partners have become, without a doubt, among the most recognizable names in Moto-X.

One need only keep a close eye on the X Games crowd inside and outside the First Union Center this week to see why. Quite simply, throngs of fans adorned with skulls and army fatigues will watch Deegan’s every move. And, not one to flash modesty, Deegan knows it.

"The X Games aren’t about sports," Deegan affirms. "It’s about entertainment. If you can market yourself, give the kids something to hold onto, then you can be big."

The rebellious youth from the Midwest is just that.

Deegan’s rise to fame started as a statement against conformity back in 1997 as he and Likogle became frustrated with the status quo racing had migrated toward – pushing those who towed the company line. Conformity was not a debatable topic for the pair, however. With a real affinity for what would be eventually considered freestyle anyway, the duo left supercross to become Moto-X pioneers.

"We just wanted to ride dirt bikes and have fun," Deegan said. "We kept our hardcore image and never sold out. Then, all of a sudden, other kids we recruited were on the same wavelength. They didn’t know what to do and liked to ride and found a home with us and it kept growing. It keeps getting bigger."

So large, in fact, one must have a fast modem to get their hands on Mulisha merchandise. It’s no secret to the action sports world that with hats, T-shirts and bike apparel alone the group has made a killing. The success is a mere testament to the businessman in Deegan.

"We try to keep it easy: T-shirts, hats and stuff kids will buy," Deegan said. "We didn’t start to make money but to prove a point and then all of a sudden the kids were down with us. We had to come up with product for the kids so they could support us."

Support them they have.

Aside from owning a pair of houses, countless bikes and expensive cars, Deegan’s notoriety has led to a number of career avenues rarely explored by any action sports athlete – skateboarding crossover megastar Tony Hawk included.

Consider: Deegan recently appeared alongside actor Vin Diesel (whom Deegan bragged he could beat up, by the way) in a bar scene. The Nebraska native also was featured prominently in ESPN’s IMAX feature Ultimate X. Not to make his mark on other’s coattails, Deegan even sold his life story to Hollywood.

This coming from a kid born in corn country whose parents were both educators – dad John, a superintendent, and mother Deanna, a teacher. Though the couple may not seem like parents of the Mulisha’s dark prince, Deegan affirms his parents are both proud of his athletic and financial endeavors.

"My dad is very supportive," Deegan said. "He likes how I’ve made it without having to kiss (up) and sell out. In supercross sometimes you just have to play their game if you want better bikes but I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t suck it up and then I pulled it off by being myself."

And what does Mr. Deegan’s father think of his son’s hardcore attitude?

"To my dad, he sees my image as just marketing but obviously we live it and it’s not just an image," Deegan said. "When I started freestyle my dad told me not to take my hands off and he got nervous. They always try to tell me to be careful but they know I’ll do what I want."

Which, by the way, is the Metal Mulisha’s credo. Along with members Likogle, Ronnie Faisst, Jeremy Stenberg, Colin Morrison, Bo Manley, Dan Pastor and Justin Homan, the Mulisha do not appear to be conforming to strict orders any time soon as they partake in the 2002 Summer X Games.

Deegan, personally, will be competing in all three Moto-X disciplines – Freestyle (where competitors perform tricks in two 60-second runs), Big Air (likened to skateboarding’s Best Trick) and Step-Up (think high jump on a motorcycle). As recent as this past winter Deegan got the X Games monkey off his back by capturing gold in the Winter X Games Big Air competition.

He does not plan to stop there.

"Winning is huge, that’s for sure," Deegan said. "I’ve set goals and one was to win supercross and next was to win the X Games and I’m happy I accomplished one of them. I would have been pretty upset to help start the sport, ride these many years and never win."

One would argue, however, even if he didn’t have his day in Colorado this winter that Deegan is one of the most influential people in action sports today. No small part of that is his talent, business savvy and a little group called the Metal Mulisha.

"It’s funny, if you asked me five years ago if I thought it would be what it is now I never would have guessed," Deegan said with a grin. "Back in the day we just put a name on a group of outcasts and hardcore motor guys. It formed into a group of real friends and I think when people look at it they see it’s not fake and we’re all real people not putting on a front."
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