TUF Puts Fighter Insecurities in the Spotlight
by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 9, 2008 8:59 AM EDT
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During the live results thread for last Saturday's EliteXC show I said the following prior to the main event:
Something about the way that Slice's entourage is having to hype him up so much before he comes out and his attitude when interviewed backstage just smacks of someone battling a degree of insecurity
This aspect of the mental game is something that gets overlooked by fans of the sport quite often. You could see insecurity flowing from Kimbo when he was interviewed backstage about the change in opponent, it wasn't a "focus" as some have tried to pass it off, it was as though he knew that now that he was not going to be fighting a 44 year old who had lost 6 of his last 7 fights (all by KO or TKO) he was in a world of trouble. Seeing that kind of attitude from a main event fighter who was being "given" a prelim fighter from a lower weight class was surprising to say the least.
Now tonight on The Ultimate Fighter we saw Shane and Junie join the ranks of young fighters whose insecurities were magnified by a combination of alcohol and TV cameras. Chris Leben, Jesse Taylor, War Machine...the list of "kids" who were on TUF and had maturity issues exposed is so long that it has reached the point of troubling.
What needs to be understood is that athletes face a lot of pressure, but combat athletes are in a situation different from most other sports where the one-on-one, completely me-against-you environment where their flaws are out there for all the world to see. When someone is not mature and not comfortable with who they are this kind of "you and only you with no excuses" sport can (and often does) absolutely wreck their mind.
I really enjoy TUF, moreso at this point than most other writers and readers of this site I'm sure. But right now the show is more about watching insecure kids have trainwreck meltdowns as they drink themselves into oblivion than anything else. If Dana White is serious about the development of these young fighters he needs to take the basic step of having a sports psychologist brought onto the show and having regular meetings (OFF-CAMERA) with the fighters to help them learn to cope with the pressures of the sport and the stress of being on a TV show, in a house with 15 other men who want to fight you and cut off from the real world with limited activities beyond getting shitfaced.
Until Dana takes the step to advance these kids as people rather than just fighters the show will remain a transparent attempt to create "compelling television" by throwing young men into a house with a never ending flow of booze so that he can eventually come in, call them "retards" (a potential PR disaster for any other "company president" in the world, mind you) and question their manhood and mental toughness. This questioning of the fighters heart and manhood by the man they are most trying to impress is not helpful...it is, in fact, the most damaging thing that these troubled young men can hear after an emotional meltdown.
The show has advanced past the point in the early seasons where I said "I expect more of these fighters" to the point where I simply expect more out of the UFC. It is far past time for the company to take all available efforts to help turn boys into men outside of the cage so they are able to do the same in it.
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The truth is...
It’s no one’s responsibility to fix the kids that show up broken.
In the history of combat sports almost everyone has issues.
The UFC is a business. The fighters represent their business. Kids like Chris Leben have grown up and have evolved, but have to want to change and grow the eff up.
Dana stated why they include alcohol in the house and why they isolate them the way that they do and it makes sense—find the talent that they can work with. He told JT Money that if he was a monster now, what would he be like once he was famous.
Forrest said it best about the experience in an interview a couple of years ago, something of the tune “don’t be an idiot on national TV.”
Where is the NFL and NBA with their programs? Their players still do all sorts of dumb things, even with an army of personal life experts guiding them on women, money, drugs, community, etc.
No one needs a head case representing their company. Period.
by dohfil on Oct 9, 2008 12:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
actually...the NFL and NBA...
have exactly the kind of programs I’m talking about it. Yes, they still have guys who make mistakes…and the UFC will too even if they take the correct steps. But the NFL and NBA have workshops that rookies go through where they are taught how to deal with fame, money and success. The UFC’s method is a house with no rules of conduct beyond “don’t kill each other,” an unlimited supply of alcohol and Dana coming in and calling them retards.
I’m a firm believer that success is a burden that not everyone can handle on their own. Yeah, Leben matured and that is great…but a lot of these kids won’t.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 9, 2008 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh and Brent, I like your posts.
This one though…
My mussy is hurting. Man up bro.
by dohfil on Oct 9, 2008 12:27 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
A good example to look at is Phillipe Nover. He put in his blog, “we’re adults, we should be able to handle ourselves.”
While the UFC may one day spend their time babying primadonna athletes, I’m for one glad that they expect their fighters to take care of their own shit.
by Michaelthebox on Oct 9, 2008 12:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This to me...
is another example of holding our athletes to higher standards than those which we hold athletes from other sports.
The handling of Taylor proves what I’m talking about. The kid was obviously troubled, they kicked him out of the finale…he said he joined AA and a few months later is thrown back into a major show and it is some sort of shock that this kid was out drinking?
I guess I am just not “man enough” to think that if you’re not able to handle your own demons without the help of your company you’re not worthy of help and obviously aren’t worth anyone’s time.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 9, 2008 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Taylor was stupid. Maybe he was troubled too, but he’s definitely stupid.
I guess I am just not "man enough" to think that if you’re not able to handle your own demons without the help of your company you’re not worthy of help and obviously aren’t worth anyone’s time.
I think this quote shows a basic flaw in your analysis: the UFC is not the company for any of the TUF fighters. It is, for all intents and purposes, a six week interview and evaluation. I’m all for supporting athletes once they’ve proven themselves and their value to the sport and the UFC, which is why I was pleased when the UFC stood by Rampage during his troubles.
In the case of TUF, every fighter knows going in that the house is hell and that if they break the rules, they get thrown out. The smart ones know damn well its a job interview, and to be on their best behavior.
The UFC does do things like give basic PR lessons and such at the events, to my knowledge, for fighters in the UFC. However, I find it very difficult to shed a tear or demand more aid for fighters who are basically being offered free fame, attention, and the favor of the UFC if they simply act on their best behavior for six weeks. None of those fighters “deserve” to be on TUF; TUF is and has always been a gifted opportunity. If you can’t handle your shit while you’re on there, tough break.
by Michaelthebox on Oct 9, 2008 12:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
While that is true, nobody can deny that there is a significant amount of baiting going on with the way the show is structured.
Dana says that he expects the cast to handle themselves like adults but this is pure exploitation on their part to create some ‘good’ TV. I think everyone knows this. The very moment that he forced the other drunken idiot to fight first instead of Junie is testament to the fact that a) they want to draw this bullshit out and b) they really don’t give a damn that the guy has self-destructive issues and can endanger the rest of the cast. I’m not sure that I agree with the whole sports psychologist shebang, but there is something to be said about Dana’s decision in keeping the two in the house AND giving Junie a blog on the UFC site.
Also, it’s late. I’m not exactly sure what I’m arguing for anymore.
by Gong on Oct 9, 2008 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
so your opinion is...
that hiring someone to work with the kids while they’re on the show is a bad thing? I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree there. I would think that TUF being a primer for what will happen when you come on board with the UFC is a good thing.
And while they aren’t “contracted fighters” they are contracted to be on the show and they do make Zuffa money. So I’m not willing to say that the UFC is not the company of these fighters. Again, I understand that they aren’t “signed UFC fighters” but if they’re making money for the UFC I don’t see any harm in them being given a little bit of help rather than “here’s a shitton of alcohol…now don’t screw up.”
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 9, 2008 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They’re making money for the UFC, but they’re also getting paid in exposure.
I really think you’re underestimating how important it is to the UFC to see how badly someone will crumble under the pressure. They have a lot of investment in the winners, not as much as they used to but still a lot. I mean, realistically, a baseball player or football player spends half of their time at home with their families and not training, and the other half of their time with their team under close supervision of their company.
The UFC is unique in that the company has direct contact with their fighters for a great deal less time; for the most part fighters train on their own and have to watch their own ass.
Having someone on the show to work with the fighters for six weeks is NOT a primer for being on your own and attending UFC events for a few days every month.
And while you may say the UFC is the company of the fighters, even Dana says that you are on TUF, and its an opportunity to get in the UFC. No matter how you spin it, the UFC views it as a job interview. You don’t get guides in job interviews, you get critiqued and tested until the cream rises to the top.
by Michaelthebox on Oct 9, 2008 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Now that I think about it some more, while I still disagree with your basic premise, it does lead to some interesting questions. As the sport continues to grow and get bigger, how WILL the UFC deal with the issue of fighters who need guidance? I believe to a degree that football, basketball, and baseball are self-selecting, in that you have to already have a high degree of dedication and general ability to handle your shit to make it to the top levels. MMA hasn’t reached the level of competition where that much selection has taken place before the fighters reach the UFC. I wonder if that will change in the future, or if some coherent method of fighter education will need to be installed in the b-leagues to prepare them for the big show.
by Michaelthebox on Oct 9, 2008 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
8 seasons of this show
And I think thats the first time I’ve ever seen the basketball court in the yard.
by smoogy on Oct 9, 2008 1:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think every season is a new house.
by Richard Wade on Oct 9, 2008 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that is true
And kind of an odd choice…hopefully everyone has the good sense to not play a competitive game of basketball considering that it’s an easy way to sprain an ankle or something that could knock someone out.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 9, 2008 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think it’s a bit much to even hope that everyone has any kind of good sense given the events that have already transpired.
by Richard Wade on Oct 9, 2008 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree, these kids do have issues, but they also need to understand there living most peoples dreams.
Weather the TUF contract is great or not is another matter, and if your a good fighter who wins fights you have nothing to worry about. If i do a bad job at work more than a few times i get fired. just as fighters do if they cant win fights, but thats a different matter.
As far as the drinking goes, just because it there does mean it has to be drunk to the point that you act like a child, the fighters should see the whole show as a test, not just the fights to progress, Just as Danzig did. Show yourself to want what your there for, to get paid to do what the fighters say they love doing.
As the saying goes. " Act like a twat" and get treaded like one.
by Filby1 on Oct 9, 2008 3:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That’s a saying where you’re from?
by Richard Wade on Oct 9, 2008 4:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Insert your own local colloquialism. In Aus it’s ‘Act like a dickhead, be treated like a dickhead…’ Any colorful word fits ;)
by Benicio on Oct 9, 2008 6:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m familiar with the form, I’ve just never seen that particular phrasing.
by Richard Wade on Oct 10, 2008 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I remember hearing a Real World producer say they choose a couple people who they think are close to snapping, but are just sane enough to not cross the line. When you are dealing with fighters this is a dangerous game. Most of the men in the house are normal, in control human beings that are pursuing a career. But if you allow alcoholics and maniacs into a house with an unlimited supply of alcohol you are putting everyone in the house in unnecessary risk.
It would be intimidating as hell to be in a situation where a very good fighter was blacked out drunk wielding a beer bottle threatening to smash you while knowing your career could be in jeopardy if you defend yourself. I agree that is absolutely irresponsible to make fighters earn a career in the UFC by putting up with this bullshit.
by Dropkick434 on Oct 9, 2008 3:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think it’s complete garbage the crap that they allow to go on and even promote or encourage.
Dana loves to come in and give his infamous “pep talks to the retards, etc.” and talk about professionalism, acting like an adult and saying they don’t tolerate that shit. But every season they make sure to have some jackass (who is almost always a featured character) causing shit, fighting in the house, destroying property – which of course they hype the high holy hell out of in commercials, on promos for ratings pops.
You can’t be kicking people off the show and telling them they’re to blame when you have a steady history of placing huge amounts of exposure, media attention and emphasis on this degenerate behaviour (all for ratings hype).
by Frank_Castle on Oct 9, 2008 11:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
exactly!
They’re touting professionalism and talk about these kids having the chance of a lifetime, while telling them (multiple cast members have said this) to destroy the house and providing a neverending flow of booze. I agree with personal responsibility to an extent, but I also believe that there is NO harm in trying to help people who are representatives of your sport and organization.
I don’t care how many times White and others say “these aren’t UFC fighters yet” when a random person turns on TUF and sees fighters acting this way they are making the connection to the UFC.
I’m actually very surprised that people seem so opposed to the idea of helping out people on the show. Especially in the wake of Evan Tanner’s self-destructive tendancies and eventual death and Rampage’s legal problems.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 9, 2008 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
http://www.fightlinker.com/?p=3420
I think that sums up a lot of good thoughts right there.
How do you not kick a guy off the show that has acted the way he has and continues to act?? Obviously it’s to hype up “drama” for the ratings, but at what cost to the saftey of other fighters (there was potential for several serious incidents or injuries) and the legitimacy and respect of the sport.
While Dana can say that they are not “UFC fighters” all he wants, they ARE mma fighters and REPRESENT the sport and it’s athletes. Dana wants to crow on about how he’s “flown planes all accross the world for the last 10 years”, but then have a show with cliffhangers where “is he or isn’t he?” kicking guys who have absolutely no respect for the sport, their fellow athletes or the privilege they have been given….doesn’t really sit right with me.
If you want people to take you and the sport you’ve been championing seriously, you need to start at “home”.
by Frank_Castle on Oct 9, 2008 11:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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