Luke Thomas and Josh Gross on the Jordan Breen Show
by Luke Thomas on Jan 21, 2010 5:50 PM EST
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I returned to the Sherdog Radio Network today with two much-requested guests on tap. After welcoming listener suggestions for the new year, two names cropped up again and again. So, back by popular demand on Thursday's JBS are Luke Thomas of Bloodyelbow.com and former Sherdog.com editor, now of SI.com, Josh Gross.
Thomas and I renew our prior discussions about new media and MMA, talking about the significance of the Washington Post covering the most recent UFC "Fight Night" offering in Fairfax, the UFC credentialing process and the content of MMA blogs.
Gross and I tackle a slate of fight topics du jour including Brock Lesnar's summer return and the fiasco surrounding Bobby Lashley's Strikeforce debut. Also par for the course: our takes on Frank Mir-Shane Carwin, the immediate future of Fedor Emelianenko, and the nature of weight class changes in MMA.
Also, as we get into the regular swing of things in 2010, I break down the weekend's slate of international MMA from Chicago to Osaka, including Saturday's major pro Shooto card.
Listen to the whole thing here.
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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Luke Thomas, Josh Gross and Jordan Breen. One of these things is not like the other.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
by szucconi on Jan 21, 2010 6:20 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
Shameless self-promotion!
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
I don't blame you.
I must say, I’ve often fallen asleep in bed to the soothing sounds of your voice—those deep, mellow reverberations decorating your podcast with the finest vocal trappings.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 21, 2010 6:48 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Wow. Complement I think?
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
creepy is what i was going for
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 21, 2010 7:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Like if Barry White drank an entire bottle of Nyquil.
Keep firing Assholes!
Mind numbing, tedious and ultimately self defeating.
by Ubernoober on Jan 21, 2010 7:41 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I feel like I should defend that crap hole bleacher report. But my point also speaks to, more importantly, BE making money. While journalism is a noble profession, even in a subscription model like newpapers or magazines ads supplement revenue. Producing quality work on these platforms is to increase eye balls on the ads and keep the eye balls that you have. More eye balls equal more dollars. The fact that a travel site rakes in big dollars is because they can target people who are looking at a travel site (obvious, I know). But when people go to a football blog, they are not seeing helmets for sale. They are seeing items that football fans might want. Like tailgate gear or team related merch. The dollars for MMA are fewer because the gear for fans is minimal. But what you do have is eye balls of one demographic that advertisers would love. Bleacher Report games the system like so many free news papers that poped up in my area some time ago. They did fine for a while because the eye ball count was high. But then we saw “No Free Paper” signs up all over the place. Bleacher Report will die, but slowly. And having a few good writers will make them last even longer so that is smart.
I just find it hard to say “lots of eyes and no money in MMA site.” The eyes and the demo is what creates the value not the subject, right?
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
They did fine for a while because the eye ball count was high. But then we saw "No Free Paper" signs up all over the place. Bleacher Report will die, but slowly.
What will be the equivalent “no free paper” signs that would cause Bleacher Report to die?
www.tapology.com | twitter @tapology
Google fixing the algorithm or people learning.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
I don’t know, Bleacher Report has pretty f*cking good SEO. Their stuff comes up all the damn time when searching.
Sports is not lucrative on the web unless you’re doing huge numbers.
by MMAEruption on Jan 22, 2010 12:23 AM EST up reply actions
Good Stuff
We just listened to the podcast. You’re quickly becoming the spokesman for UFC’s craptastic credentialing process. and that’s a good thing. The fact that you can’t get credentialed on Bloody Elbow is insane, considering the number of readers and the good reputation you guys have. I’ve said it before, but if Dana White wants to take over MMA and be the only promotion out there, he’s going to have to start playing nice with the blogs. MMA media is going to go where they’re wanted, and right now, that place is not the UFC.
It seems the vast majority of MMA discussion here and everywhere else is about the UFC. I’ve talked to UFC people about this issue and their point is an interesting one. If you are a news agg site or a blog that offers commentary on other people’s interviews, what value is there in giving you credentials?
by Jonathan Snowden on Jan 21, 2010 9:46 PM EST up reply actions
I make an attempt to answer that question as Breen asks the same thing.
Follow me on Twitter: @MMANation.
by Luke Thomas on Jan 21, 2010 10:05 PM EST up reply actions
Can you give us a version of that answer here? For the hearing impaired?
by Jonathan Snowden on Jan 21, 2010 10:21 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve got one post coming out about Bleacher Report. That issue – BR shouldn’t be credentialed – is neither here nor there as it relates to BE, although the bevy of other blogs already credentialed by the UFC that do nothing more than us sort of betrays their own arguments.
Follow me on Twitter: @MMANation.
Yeah, because that’s all we do here at BloodyElbow.com… offer commentary on other people’s stuff. Blogs mainly do that sort of thing and offer opinions of their own, but we also have a lot of original content here as well. It’s not any different that editorial writers for newspapers doing the same thing except in print format and one month after the original interview occurred.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Jan 22, 2010 9:02 AM EST up reply actions
As I write this...
There are 16 items on the front page of BE. I would categorize three of them as original content. Thirteen of the items are riffing on other people’s articles and interviews, or just plain insertions of other people’s interviews or pictures.
That’s what blogs are. That’s what Bloody Elbow is. It’s not a criticism, necessarily, it is simply the truth. The best blogs offer cogent insight into other people’s articles and provide an avenue for discussion. That’s what happens here. Own it!
by Jonathan Snowden on Jan 22, 2010 9:58 AM EST up reply actions
Well, Leland almost never is riffing on other peoples stuff, but you are right. It is a useful site, that’s why I come here. But the “cogent insight” and high quality of work done here should be a red flag to certain people to say “These guys to quality work, we should give them access so they can do more in depth quality work.” I mean, if all teh agg stuff left BE, I would still come back.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
And the UFC will never have interviews on the blogs if they don't start to offer the credentials.
But MMA isn’t as mainstream as it could be. And until MMA is truly mainstream, it would seem that any news about the sport is good for all of the promotions. Maybe that’s naive in terms of business, but as an MMA fan, I want to see it become as commonplace as watching a football game on network TV.
I don’t agree with this. I was able to interview everyone up the UFC food chain with no credentials of any kind, just hustle and moxie like a 1940’s era gumshoe. Is it easier with credentials? Yes. Do most of my interviews come from the promotion (any promotion)? Not at all.
by Jonathan Snowden on Jan 22, 2010 1:17 PM EST up reply actions
I barely get emails or calls returned as part of CBS radio, much less as part of BE or just plain ol’ donk Luke Thomas. Your experience is highly, highly atypical.
Follow me on Twitter: @MMANation.
Gross and Sherdog are/were already embedded journalists.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
Snowden is right – all you have to do is hustle. Some are willing to do it, some aren’t. His results aren’t that atypical, as I was pulling interviews within two months of starting my own site, just by hunting down the right person to contact…
by E. Spencer Kyte on Jan 26, 2010 1:44 PM EST up reply actions
I think the UFC doesn’t value BloodyElbow because the audience runs towards serious MMA fans – people that already watch the UFC. And it does hurt that BloodyElbow is primarily commentary.
by MMAEruption on Jan 22, 2010 12:25 AM EST up reply actions
JBS FTW!!
I think Jordan radio skills are always improving.. I like to think of him as THE MMA expert of Canada ….This guy seriously needs a show on the AM because seriously the masses are in deer need of Education and Regulation and AM experts are just really BAD so please Jordan contact the team 990 so you can Educate the whole MTL area!!
I get your point, but Jordan Breen educating the masses is like john nash teaching game theory to second graders.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
by szucconi on Jan 22, 2010 11:53 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs
No
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
by Damon O. on Jan 22, 2010 3:39 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
haha
Bolts from the Blue // "He looks like a catfish" - Nick Hardwick on Brandon Siler
Bloody Elbow // " looks like your comment violated rule #4. and it’s a heck of a rule, rule #4" - Kid Nate
by Richard Wade on Jan 22, 2010 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
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