LeBron James, Cleveland, and Why MMA Blows Traditional Sports Away
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 2:33 PM EST
in MMA Editorial
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PrintThursday night, the infamous LeBron James returned to Cleveland, to the scene of the crime. If you've been watching repeats of MMA Live instead of Sports Center for the last six months, here's the deal: LeBron is the best basketball player on Earth. A native of Akron, Ohio, he was supposed to lead his home state Cleveland Cavaliers to the basketball promised land. Instead, he hilariously arranged a prime time snuff film to kill Cleveland basketball dead. Rather than stay home and strive for glory, he took the easy route, taking his talents to South Beach and the Miami Heat.
Cleveland fans were, naturally, furious. Thursday was their first chance for revenge. The noise in the building was incredible. The fans had so much pent up emotion, angst, anger, and passion it was a little scary. Too bad their Cavaliers seemed they couldn't care less. No one seemed remotely into the game. Not only did no Cavalier make himself a hero for life in Cleveland by delivering a hard foul on James, they even spent part of the game smoking and joking with their former teammate. As LeBron talked trash to his awe struck former teammates, Miami unleashed hell, winning by a final score of 118-90.
Fans always want to believe that the players care as much as they do. That traditional rivalries mean something. That the guys on the court are living and dying with them, truly feel their pain. The Cleveland Cavaliers killed that belief in their fans Thursday night. All the emotion in the building was in the stands - on the court it might as well have been an intramural scrimmage. And that's why I've stopped watching mainstream sports (with the exception of football) entirely.
In MMA, we don't see pampered millionaires. If a fighter is as disinterested as the Cleveland Cavaliers were Thursday night, he not only gets his ass kicked, he gets unceremoniously cut by a furious Dana White after the contest. There is no choice but to care - your well being and your livelihood depend on it. It's one thing to jog up and down the court and put on a perfunctory effort. Hell, if you're Derrick Coleman, Tim Thomas, or Amar'e Stoudemire you can make tens of millions without ever having to care once. It's not every day that a sporting event paints such a vivid picture. Last night was everything that was wrong with basketball and illustrated everything that is so right about MMA. Whether anyone else recognizes it or not, our sport is something special, something pure. It's sports at its most primal and personal. Nothing is better.
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No he's not.
LeBron is the best basketball player on Earth.
Kobe
5 rings.
"God bless....God."
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
by RolloTomasi on Dec 4, 2010 12:46 AM EST reply actions 10 recs
Phil Jackson and Shaq. If you had the #1 pick in a fantasy draft, you’d be crazy to pick Kobe.
I have family in Ohio and I still acknowledge that that backstabbing, tax-dodging, selfish, shortsighted, greedy chickenshit is the best player in the league.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:07 AM EST up reply actions
Do you take everything so personal?
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
Do you even need to ask that question?
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
MMA Mania
Cageside Seats
By the way
I would recommend anyone to follow Fake Emcee on Twitter. He’s controversial at times but it’s almost always funny.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
MMA Mania
Cageside Seats
by Geno Mrosko on Dec 4, 2010 1:21 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Aren't you a peach.
Btw I’m officially off wrestling, they can all go jump in a lake for all I care.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
I stick around hoping it will turn around
and it never does. I’ll continue to stay with it and hope for the best.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
MMA Mania
Cageside Seats
Sympathizing with your abuser, I've heard of this before
it’s called Stockholm Syndrome, you should consider seeing a counselor.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
This picture makes me agree with Luke Thomas
"A lot of people in this country still believe that he who has the most things when he dies, wins. Well, you're dead fucknut. So, you didn't win." - Lewis Black
UnintelligentDefense.blogspot.com
by Earl Montclair on Dec 4, 2010 2:06 AM EST up reply actions
Which part
the reality show star, or the tacky belt he’s holding?
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
just all of it
everything there. the whole picture.
"A lot of people in this country still believe that he who has the most things when he dies, wins. Well, you're dead fucknut. So, you didn't win." - Lewis Black
UnintelligentDefense.blogspot.com
by Earl Montclair on Dec 4, 2010 2:34 AM EST up reply actions
Like Kevin Nash said "Way to let everyone know the shit is fake"
Reppin' the NYMMAI.
Black Lesnar aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun . Imma write til the wheels fall off.
by S.C. Michaelson on Dec 4, 2010 3:49 AM EST up reply actions
Met him in my hometown this summer...
He’s a good guy who has dreamed about being a professional wrestler his whole life. He’s gold on the mic, like Stone Cold/Rock level (but PG) and a pretty good in-ring performer.
He’s young as fuck, rich as fuck, and he’s already accomplished his lifelong dream….
but I bet he really wishes he was a just a nobody who hates on anything and everything people say on BE from behind his keyboard.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
by MMArazorback on Dec 4, 2010 3:58 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Did...did you just compare his mic skills to Stone Cold and The Rock?
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
Still no
I don’t care if you adjust it for inflation, The Rock and Stone Cold would be just as awesome whether pg or not while The Miz on the other hand just follows whatever script he’s given. There has been nothing memorable about any of his promos.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
There has been nothing memorable about any of his promos.
for you.
I quit watching 9 years ago and restarted after attending WMXXV in 09. Miz promos have been the best part of the show since that time.
for me.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
Okay
agree to disagree. I think The Miz is mediocre, and you want to wake up in bed next to him in the morning ;)
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
You'd still have to aknowledge this to convince yourself
he is worthy of all this hate. Kobe. Full stop.
www.ninjasplace.com
by Urijah Bieber on Dec 4, 2010 3:31 AM EST up reply actions
I think LeBron can be better than Kobe
Judging players by rings is insane.
Jim Plunkett is one of the best QBs ever if that’s the case.
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
And yes I think Kobe > LeBron at the moment
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
Agreed.
Kobe has proven the critics wrong by taking his team to 2 straight championships, and never would have picked playing with his equal over making a dynasty as the alpha dog.
by CaliforniaCreamPuff on Dec 4, 2010 1:16 AM EST up reply actions
Definitely. But you have to admit
Once he got a Big Man to help bring the team over the top they were unstoppable.
Kwame Brown < Gasol/Bynum
Cleveland in the Lebron era had Varejao (decent) and Ilgausakas. Instead it was point guard after point guard when their inside presence blew ass.
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
Your argument only works 6 of every 24 times somebody uses it
Sorry, it had to be done.
by CaliforniaCreamPuff on Dec 4, 2010 1:10 AM EST up reply actions
Let's get real for a second, shall we...
1) The only reason Lebron’s televised announcement special was considered a coward’s way out was because he announced he was ‘leaving’ Cleveland. Had he ended up announcing he was staying, I’m sure nobody would have had a problem with it.
a) As long as we can acknowledge that Lebron owes the city of Cleveland, and their defunct attempts at building a team around him, no more than the city of Cleveland owes him had he ever suffered a career ending injury, then we should also acknowledge that no mature, adult man should dedicate his life to a game unless he’s making a living out of doing so. In other words, this is a business. If I recall, Lebron raised a lot of money off of his announcement special. So as far as I can see, that was the RIGHT thing for him to do. Afterall, you watched it just like everyone else.
2) Lebron vs. Kobe is an unwinnable argument. If you measure talent by statistical output, then Lebron IS better than Kobe. If you measure talent by how many rings the player has, then Kobe’s better, as is Robert Horry. If you measure a players talent by intangibles such as being clutch, having a killer instinct, etc. then Kobe’s still better. But fact of the matter is that Kobe has never won a championship without a dominant big man, a luxury Lebron has never been privy to.
3) MMA has nothing on mainstream sports. In fact, MMA is trying to be a mainstream sport. Most mainstream sports fans who have seen an MMA fight card still enjoy their favorite mainstream sport better. MMA has yet to produce a fighter that conjures up as much support as a regional, or even college, sports team can. Someone else has made this point in this thread already, but I’ll recap. First of all, there’s not as much invested emotionally in fight fans as there is when someone cheers on their alma mater, their city, or even more spiritedly, their country. MMA just doesn’t compare. Take into account the accessibility of the sporting events themselves, both live and televised, (basic cable vs. PPV; scheduled games at local stadiums and coliseums once or more per week vs MMA promotions at Vegas casinos once or twice a month) and MMA doesn’t even have a prayer of catching up.
Arguments always seem more sound when one preaches to his own choir.
by Sucker-Lite on Dec 4, 2010 1:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Put Kobe in Cleveland for 7 years
see what the hell he could’ve tried to do with that team, and I’m a big time Lakers homer. Plus Kobe is actually on the decline anyway.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
by Fake Emcee on Dec 4, 2010 1:19 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I'd take Durant
- overall in a fantasy draft – or if I had any one player to start building a team with.
Lebron lacks the killer instinct needed…
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee
by The American Ronin on Dec 4, 2010 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
I love the Lebron vs. Kobe argument.
It’s cute seeing people get riled up trying to decide who is, at best, second place to Michael Jordan.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Dec 4, 2010 1:25 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
When they write the history books, Tim Duncan will get his due.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:26 AM EST up reply actions
When he gets his shrine they need to model it after his funny baby face he has
Whenever there’s a foul against him
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
Yeah, sure.
And Jon Fitch will get into the UFC Hall of Fame.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Dec 4, 2010 1:30 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
He probably will at some point.
"Who are you and how the hell did you get in here?"
"I'm a locksmith... and i'm a locksmith."
No he won't.
He’ll start to get old and the UFC will let him go for wearing an unapproved sponsor, then he’ll fight Robbie Lawler in Strikeforce.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Dec 4, 2010 2:06 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
apples/oranges
Jon Fitch: 0 Titles
Tim Duncan: 4 titles, 2 league MVPs, 3 Finals MVPs
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
People don't realize
He is one of the top 3 power forwards of all time already? Really?
Dude should be the model for everything NBA-related: quiet (for the most part), respectful, and makes his teammates better. If I was gay and could have babies and wanted to pick an NBA player to give me his babies, it would be Tim Duncan.
BOOSH
The curve of Kobe's career
Is greater than that of Jordan’s.
"So, while you're taking a break from the UFC, hanging out at some lame party that your girlfriend dragged you to, I'll man up and watch some goddamn fights like a goddamn adult."
- Mike Fagan
Support independent artists
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…Jordan took two years off between three-peats. He’s alone at the top (I mean, Bill Russell, but that dude had some teams around him).
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:37 AM EST up reply actions
Bill Russell made some of those teams around him.
Russell will always be the greatest.
"You stick a microphone in a guy's face and he calls out anybody but the champion, and Joe Silva should fax him a pink slip right then." -- Chael Sonnen.
LOL Jordan
Jordan is second place.
Bill “11 Rings in 13 Years Playing Against Wilt Chamberlin” Russell is the best ever.
"You stick a microphone in a guy's face and he calls out anybody but the champion, and Joe Silva should fax him a pink slip right then." -- Chael Sonnen.
No need to adjust for era or anything. It’s not like the NBA had less than ten teams the majority of Russell’s career or anything.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
It’s like saying Royce Gracie is the best ever because he beat Dan Severn. It was quite primitive.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 11:08 AM EST up reply actions
Say whatever you will about Dan Severn
As long as you leave his mustache out of it.
by Body Triangle on Dec 4, 2010 7:34 PM EST up reply actions
Im a basketball guy so I cant resist here...
thats silly. MJ is the greatest of all time…
NO GUARD WILL EVER WIN 3 TITLES AGAIN WITHIOUT AN ALLSTAR BIG MAN…. MJ WON 6 AND COULD HAVE WON 8.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
and....
If MJ played under today’s rules with no hand-checking…. WOW!
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
I agree with everything except
“Could have won 8”. I think at the end of both three-peats he was wearing down. Phoenix and Barkley gave the Bulls a close series and so did the Jazz in 98. Both were done in 6 games, but those 6 games were close as shit.
And those Rocket teams were really really good.
BOOSH
This
Those Houston teams were fucking dank. Don’t know how Chicago would’ve coped with the Dream Shake.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 9:28 PM EST up reply actions
Sigh
"I am a man who pisses largely and frequently, which they say is a sign of great mental activity" -Henry Miller-
Contributor at cagepages.com Come check us out.
Well then I guess Robert Horry (7 rings) is better than Kobe and even Jordan (6 rings). Wow, that was simple.
Robert Horry isn't a clutch killer for his team,
he’s just a piece.
Kobe is king
James is a choker.
"God bless....God."
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
No, it's just like you said above...
Horry’s got more rings, so he’s obviously the better player. Easy.
No not really.
Robert Horry is lucky to be on those champ teams. Kobe is the main weapon of his 5 champ teams.
If you can’t understand the difference, then you must be trolling.
"God bless....God."
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
Sigh
My point (which you are apparently now agreeeing with) is that your first comment – that Kobe is better than Lebron simply by virtue of having more rings – is idiotic.
Sigh
My point is, Lebron dosen’t have the mental toughness to be the best player….Kobe does. Kobe is King
Lebron is all hype no payoff in the playoff.
Kobe is better then Lebron.
"God bless....God."
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
Regardless of your stance on the Kobe-vs-Lebron debate, your first point made no fucking sense, and there’s no subsequent thing that you can say that will undo that. Take care.
It goes without saying.
Everyone who knows the NBA knows what I ment.
Quit trolling.
"God bless....God."
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
“No he’s not. Kobe. 5 rings”
“Everyone who knows the NBA knows what I ment.”
How about you say what you mean and quit sounding like a dumbass? And I like that if anyone calls you out on your bullshit, they must be trolling. No, I just feel like making you answer for your stupidity.
My stupidity?
It’s true.
Kobe has been the best for the last 10 years.
I’d even take Durant over Lebron.
"God bless....God."
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
Amen, Snowden.
Amen.
I can’t stand LBJ and his spoiled brat attitude. I’d love to see him get punched in the face.
by KenCanFightBear on Dec 4, 2010 12:49 AM EST reply actions
Spoiled brat and all
It is 100% Cleveland’s fault for giving him 3rd level talent for YEARS. Mo Williams? Larry Hughes?
Now the Heat are underwhelming because, yep, nothing after those three guys (and they should’ve gotten Amare over Bosh, who might be the ugliest player in the NBA).
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
There would be little uproar if not for that stupid TV special
The NBA is a business and not an emotional decision. He should not be obligated to stay with Cleveland just because he grew up there. What he wants to do with his legacy is up to him.
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
It's all about the stupid TV special
It’s one thing to walk away, it’s another thing to do it in such a classless manner.
"So, while you're taking a break from the UFC, hanging out at some lame party that your girlfriend dragged you to, I'll man up and watch some goddamn fights like a goddamn adult."
- Mike Fagan
Support independent artists
http://worldisart365.blogspot.com/
Even still
it’s like get over it already.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
It's not about where he grew up
It’s about HIS WORDS.
“I got a goal, and it’s a huge goal, and that’s to bring an NBA championship here to Cleveland,” James said. “And I won’t stop until I get it.”
Unless, you know, Miami.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:38 AM EST up reply actions
We're supposed to just hold people to everything they've ever said
and not take into account opinions and decisions changing in time? It’s not like he didn’t try for almost a decade.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
It’s a rotten thing to promise something to the city where sports dreams go to die and then bitch out (I feel comfortable saying that because it’s basically what Charles Barkley said). LOL at the idea that he burned out on that crappy franchise (does no one remember how bad he was against the Spurs?). He’s MY AGE.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:42 AM EST up reply actions
He's your age?
Lebron is that old?
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
25 and feelin’ alive. He, however, has his own house. Other than that, we’re pretty similar.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:46 AM EST up reply actions
Really though
we’re talking about a professional athlete in the prime of his career, it’s not like he’s working in a cubicle for a living. The guy only has a small window to really try to maximize his legacy and it just wasn’t working with Cleveland.
I’ll agree with anybody that “the decision” was a garbage idea, but people are talking like he should’ve seriously stayed in Cleveland for the rest of his athletic prime.
I am really enjoying this thread so far.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
Agreed
the show was foolish, and if he was serious about winning titles he should have gone to Chicago, but he was right to leave if he wanted to leave…
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee
by The American Ronin on Dec 4, 2010 11:04 AM EST up reply actions
Or Unless, you know, it's all one-sided.
Played his heart out and got no support.
"You stick a microphone in a guy's face and he calls out anybody but the champion, and Joe Silva should fax him a pink slip right then." -- Chael Sonnen.
At UFC 124 Montreal’s hate for Josh Koscheck will get settled when he’s locked in a cage with GSP.
Reason #1001 to love MMA over mainstream sports-rivals settle in the cage.
Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/ultmma
Local MMA news & prospect rankings @ www.ULTMMA.com
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ask Paul Daley how that worked out.
Thank god GSP has 5 rounds…
Use more judges.
I got suckered into that game. Amazed that no one made it a grudge match. Those guys could have been made men for life with a single hard foul on LeBron. Would have been able to have their choice of Cleveland women. Sure, the ladies all look like Jon Hess- still….
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 12:56 AM EST reply actions
There are gorgeous women in Ohio. Farmer’s daughters, man.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:09 AM EST up reply actions
"There are gorgeous women in Ohio"
There are gorgeous women EVERYWHERE. You didn’t do this, but I hate when people try and claim a certain area has more hot chicks than another area – they all have pieces of ass.
Except Wisconsin.
BOOSH
There’s no place like the South and that is a statistical fact.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 9:09 PM EST up reply actions
I watched Texans/Eagles
By the time I got to the Cavs game it was long over.
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
Ha. That's funny.
And you’re right.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
MMA Mania
Cageside Seats
Sure, the ladies all look like Jon Hess- still….
Born in Cleveland Ohio
just saying
by Steve4192 on Dec 4, 2010 7:18 AM EST up reply actions 7 recs
Discussion over.
"You stick a microphone in a guy's face and he calls out anybody but the champion, and Joe Silva should fax him a pink slip right then." -- Chael Sonnen.
Where you see thighs
I see earplugs.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 9:29 PM EST up reply actions
That's exactly right
Needed something like what Robert Parish did to Bill Laimbeer…except preferably as just a really hard, laid out flat sort of foul. Or, even better, like Rambis used to do to Olajuwon and get Lebron ejected too…
Guy would have never had to buy a meal in Cleveland again…
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee
by The American Ronin on Dec 4, 2010 11:08 AM EST up reply actions
I was shocked....
at the Cleveland players chatting it up with LBJ like he was still on the team…
all the announcers were right… the fans showed up and did their part, the Cleveland players DID NOT!
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
Maybe because they go by their own personal relationships and feelings
and not media hype.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
by Fake Emcee on Dec 4, 2010 4:19 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
have you ever played sports?
have you ever had a coach who was ok with you chatting it up with the player who is embarrassing you in your own building?
do you think the owner, who signs the players checks and loathes LBJ was happy about that?
it was silly and distasteful of the Cleveland players.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
I played high school football and was recruited by colleges, including one NCAA team (as in D-1). I never once dealt with a coach who had problems with me joking with the other team when winning or losing as long as I was actively trying every play. I could help players up off the ground, tell them good play when they did something well, laugh at a joke…etc and it would never have been an issue.
It’s macho meatball fan-ism to pretend that players have to represent the feelings of the fans.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 4:47 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Well, that’s unusual.
It’s fine if the players don’t want to represent the fans. Will be fine as interest dwindles and dwindles.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 5:46 PM EST up reply actions
Because if there’s one thing that’s happening it’s a dwindling interest in sports…
Representing the fans is one thing. But going out headhunting because the city is upset that a player did what ANY other player would do (leaving, not the method by which he did it) is unrealistic.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 5:48 PM EST up reply actions
Well, there is certainly a declining interest in the NBA in the last decade.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 6:00 PM EST up reply actions
Ratings have improved over the past 3 years. And let’s not pretend that during boom periods that players like Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan were “playing for the fans”
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 6:16 PM EST up reply actions
They were playing hard and for keeps. You think if James Worthy had left for the Sonics in 1990 he wouldn’t have been planted by Kurt Rambis the first time he came back to LA?
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 9:23 PM EST up reply actions
It’s not their job to act like they do in fan fantasies.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
thats retarded...
LBJ shit on those players and the city.
I wish everyone on earth let things roll off their back as easily as you would.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
He didn’t shit on the players or the city. He went about leaving in an unbelievably stupid way. But he did not “shit on them”
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 4:44 PM EST up reply actions
I have a two comment argument limit (especially with staff!) so we’ll have to agree to disagree here.
I try to avoid that Subo/BlackLesnar ridiculousness.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
but, what do I do? What do I do?
CTHULUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
by Body Triangle on Dec 4, 2010 7:37 PM EST up reply actions
Honestly, I can’t think of many sporting achievements that rival being a top-level combat athlete. Kobe can shoot a ball through a hoop? Barry Bonds can hit a ball over a fence? Big deal. When the rules are one-on-one and just a step away from kill-or-be-killed, each contest is special. You half-ass it at your own peril.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired. -Jonathan Swift
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 4, 2010 1:07 AM EST reply actions
This is something I harp on in-person a lot
I’m not too bright, you know? It’s hard for me to understand why it’s important that the Really Big Man caught the ball and ran a long way and then put the ball down and then did a dance. That’s not something that makes sense to me, because I’m not too bright.
When Gabriel Gonzaga kicks Crocop’s head into the cheap seats, though, I get that.
Gotta disagree
From a pure physics and biomechanics standpoint, hitting a home run has to be one of the toughest single skills in all of sports
That's the general consensus among professional athletes and physicists.
"You stick a microphone in a guy's face and he calls out anybody but the champion, and Joe Silva should fax him a pink slip right then." -- Chael Sonnen.
bah
my 4th grade teacher used to say that, but I just don’t see any evidence that it’s more difficult than, say, anything that gymnasts do. I"m not saying it isn’t hard, but lots of things are hard.
I do agree that as a primal survival skill, the ability to deliver power to a small, moving target is pretty valuable and cool. But doing flips and shit? I can’t picture myself pulling that off, and I’m decently athletic.
Use more judges.
I agree
There are way more people able to hit a baseball than there are people able to do a handstand or twirl around on a pommel horse.
Even at the highest levels of baseball and gymnastics I am pretty sure there are thousands more designated hitters than high level male gymnast.
People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.
- Helen Keller
by The Blackula on Dec 4, 2010 11:04 AM EST up reply actions
You must not have
any daughters. They all tend to dance/gymnastics/cheer. I bet at a youth level (thru high school) the numbers are close if you include cheer leading.
I’m not talking about what’s physically harder. There are countless activities in sports that are probably harder than throwing a punch. I’m saying that if sports about about physical excellence and proving yourself physically superior, then a combat sport is the purest expression of that. Putting a ball in a hoop is just a middleman.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired. -Jonathan Swift
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 4, 2010 11:52 AM EST up reply actions
good point
Any other sport leaves the sore loser the cop-out “Yeah, but I could kick his ass.” With fighting, you already went there. (of course, as the rules and judging edge away from the ‘purity’ of true NHB rules there starts to be a small window of doubt. “Yeah, he wins with rules and judging, but if headbutts and soccer kicks were legal, I’d crush him.”)
I consider myself a softcore fan.
Agreed, I think all sports are basically substitutes for checking who can kick the other ones ass (as in a fight). For this reason combat sports, and more specifically MMA, is the purest form of competition available.
by Horselover Fat on Dec 4, 2010 3:11 PM EST up reply actions
Great Article
Most times I’m of the same opinion as the masses who like to pile on your articles for whatever reason fits the article, but you deserve credit for an awesome editorial. Excellent point, and a good reminder that puts things into perspective for how truly great MMA is.
by CaliforniaCreamPuff on Dec 4, 2010 1:08 AM EST reply actions
In MMA, we don’t see pampered millionaires.
Yet. We don’t see pampered millionaires yet. As a relevant sport MMA is still in it’s infancy. The NBA has been around for 60+ years and guys in the 50s and 60s were absolutely not pampered. I’m not saying is guaranteed to happen in MMA but does anyone really think it won’t?
The money isn't there yet
Because Dana and the Fertitta brothers want it for themselves.
by Chortles on Dec 4, 2010 1:20 AM EST up reply actions 5 recs
bah you would too silly nanny.
Dana’s so greedy, Fertittas so greedy, blah blah blah
It’s a business, man, and dana’s a businessman.
by Body Triangle on Dec 4, 2010 7:38 PM EST up reply actions
but you are right...wish he would pay them more
but i don’t see that happening
by Body Triangle on Dec 4, 2010 7:39 PM EST up reply actions
Snowden made the point though that at the end of the day, that person has to fight another skilled MMA fighter all by himself. There is always the risk of serious injury, so even a pampered millionaire has to train hard and stay focused or else get hurt and lose. There are no teammates to pass the ball to.
Check out MMA For You at http://www.youtube.com/user/Gobusiness123 for MMA reviews, predictions, and analysis.
And further, some of these guys would fight for no money.
There are some athletes out there, and you can find them in every sport, who want nothing more than to be the best in the world at what they do, and they’d do it for $5,000,000 or $5. I think Jack Lambert would have paid Pittsburgh a few thousand per year to get to tackle opposing players.
"You stick a microphone in a guy's face and he calls out anybody but the champion, and Joe Silva should fax him a pink slip right then." -- Chael Sonnen.
Totally agree.
It’s crazy…ever since 2004 when Penn upset Hughes I became completely addicted to MMA. I basically forgot all about mainstream sports. I used to watch the world series, nba playoffs and most regular season games religiously. Now, I can’t even sit through a couple minutes of a game. It’s torture…lol. Even football…I don’t watch the regular season and barely tune into the playoffs.
You’re right Jonathan. There’s SOOO much more urgency with MMA – particularly the UFC. Every fighter knows they have to bring their A game or they may be done. Fighters can’t fight 82,162 or 16 times with half ass attempts similar to professional athletes from mainstream sports.
Also, with the UFC recently adding the 145 and 135 divisions, I feel like its gonna be even more exciting than any other sport. God bless MMA!
Common sense is not so common.
- Voltaire
Exactly.
Other sports have become background noise to me — something to look at if I’m bored and no MMA is on. I’m addicted to MMA. If this sport had been this big in the early 90s, I’d have been in it.
"You stick a microphone in a guy's face and he calls out anybody but the champion, and Joe Silva should fax him a pink slip right then." -- Chael Sonnen.
I don’t get this at all. What makes you think mma fighters are any more emotionally invested than basketball players? You don’t think that all professional athletes want to win?
If a fighter is as disinterested as the Cleveland Cavaliers were last night, he not only gets his ass kicked, he gets unceremoniously cut by a furious Dana White after the contest
1) Falcao? Seems rather analogous to me and he won the fight.
2) You mean to say “uninterested,” not “disinterested”
It helped that Falcao was winning 2-0 at that point
Though he claims that he was waiting for Harris to “go hard” so that he could counter — that is, for Harris to feel the urgency enough to go for broke.
The thing with Falcao though is that Harris didn’t go at him in the third round to really hurt him. If it’s an “uninterested” Falcao vs someone who actually showed some sort of urgency, then Falcao risked the chance of getting hurt or injured. There are always going to have exceptions to the rule (Anderson Silva vs Demian Maia, Cote, or Leites), but more often than not, and seeing what’s at stake (your job and your health), it would not be a good idea not to be focused at all times.
Check out MMA For You at http://www.youtube.com/user/Gobusiness123 for MMA reviews, predictions, and analysis.
I'm with you on the MMA and football thing.
The Bears-Eagles game the other week was epic to me. Mike Vick on the path to redemption, being a more polished version of the QB who was so impressive that an entire year of Madden was basically about making his character an absurd gamebreaker. But the Bears shut him down back then thanks to a patient Brian Urlacher beating him sideline to sideline. I’ve been waiting all year to see if Urlacher was still quick enough to match such an incredibly athlete who hasn’t diminished. Add in the Vick and Julius Peppers rivalry… fuck was I pumped. I wasn’t even excited about the Bears being on offense to put up points, just watching them contain Vick again was marvelous to me. And I racked my shins on the coffee table jumping in excitement when that interception (thanks to an Urlacher tip) happened.
Contact sports are major if you already have emotional investment. Combat sports are another level in terms of tension, dedication, and emotion.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
I have no idea how we beat you guys this year.
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
I have no idea how you beat anybody this year.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:25 AM EST up reply actions
The NFC West.
Also Mike Williams went from bust to badass overnight.
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
Two Words
Brandon. Lloyd.
Savior of my fantasy team, but I didn’t know his name before this year.
"We have all had to watch Brock Lesnar fart around. That guy is an embarrassment. God damn, you get to hand pick his opponents for him for a while then someone who is a half way decent athlete comes along and hits him once and he pisses his pants and runs. If he wasn't in a cage he would still be running."
-Don Frye
Hey, at least we beat the piss out of Seattle.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 9:30 PM EST up reply actions
O Line failures. The Bears signature move.
That said, you still got Devin Hester’d.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Dec 4, 2010 1:29 AM EST up reply actions
Earl Bennett laying out our punter
Was epic.
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
Truly awesome.
The Bears may not be blowing anybody out of the water, but they are the grittiest, no quittin-est team in the NFC right now. That block was very representative of how little we give a fuck.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Dec 4, 2010 1:33 AM EST up reply actions
The fact that Lovie Smith has a team like that puzzles me to no end. That said, Jay Cutler will never win a Super Bowl. I’ll be surprised if he makes it to one.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:39 AM EST up reply actions
You're just pissed
that Kyle Orton has no fucking clue how to see a sack coming. He had plenty of opportunities to learn in Chicago, not sure how he still doesn’t get it.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Dec 4, 2010 1:41 AM EST up reply actions
That’s just… not really his thing. Sure throws purty, though.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:42 AM EST up reply actions
Melvin Manhoef's kicks are pretty too.
But you don’t need to worry when you can put the guy on his back all night.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Dec 4, 2010 1:50 AM EST up reply actions
to be fair
it isn’t like Cutler has learned how to see a sack coming either. They’ve played mediocre to sub-average pass rushes for a while and it’s allowed the O-line to settle in a bit. I still think the Bears are going to be a team to reckon with down the stretch, but I’ll reserve judgement til they beat the Giants/Jets/Steelers/any other team that gets after the QB.
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Dec 4, 2010 9:10 AM EST up reply actions
Lovie Smith is REALLY good at fielding pretty good teams. Can’t do much better than pretty good, however.
When you're rich you don't write checks - Randy Moss
by s.r.genovese on Dec 4, 2010 12:02 PM EST up reply actions
Just so you know Mr. Snowden...
I feel like you are unfortunately subject to the same treatment that most fighters are by “the masses:” you’re only as good as your last article. As incendiary as some of your articles may be, I’m glad your voice is in the discussion.
I am currently in the midst of writing a M.A. thesis on fighting and soul and I would like to use this article as part of my work.
Thanks for the kind words.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 2:16 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I'll echo that
I’ve shit on you a lot, but I think you’ve been gold these past few weeks.
by CstBoog on Dec 4, 2010 12:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I’d say that MMA is more pure, yes. When MMA is good, there’s nothing better. But I’d also argue that when MMA is bad, there’s nothing worse. Watching two guys clinch and clutch on the fence like Cro and Mir is painful, and a night of poor fights is a gargantuan waste of time. Way worse than a bad basketball game. And what about the premadonna antics of anderson Silva?
But your story does have some merit. There’s something pure about MMA that doesn’t exist in basketball. Basketball is a shell of it’s former self. I can scarcely get myself to watch any game at all with the incomprehensible rules and the refs that are now taking center stage over the players. It’s lost it’s way bigtime. I’m a huge basketball fan, and that sport is hardly watchable.
And I didn’t think that Stoudemire was such a careless player. Not comparable with the likes of Coleman at least…
Watch Rondo
He’s remarkable. Every couple of minutes, he does something that nobody else does.
Use more judges.
Cleveland needs to move the hell on already.
It doesn’t matter where this guy came out of his mother’s vagina when in the long run it’s his career and he’s concerned with making the most out of his opportunities. Obviously the way he handled the situation was poor but even still he was able to do something positive with it by giving money to sick kids. Lebron carried that city and that team for 7 years and they supplied him with lackluster support that wasn’t going to take him anywhere outside of where he was already headed. Was he supposed to just rot out there for the rest of his life because his birthplace is close by?
They had plenty of negative shit to say about the guy calling him a choker and all that other shit despite him basically holding them up on his back for so long, but then they realized his contract was expiring so they clung back onto his nuts in a flash like it was no big deal. Well sorry people but all the dancing kids in the middle of a mall in the world wasn’t going to keep one of the best players in the game from reaching for his full career potential. The fact that some basketball player is seemingly the most these people have going for them in that city and that they’d make this big of a deal about it is telling. Move on, enjoy your lives you freaking psychos, but stop taking something little kids do on a playground for fun so seriously.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
by Fake Emcee on Dec 4, 2010 1:29 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Both parties look pathetic. Lebron and his pathetic little Nike commercials and ESPN specials announcing where he’s going to go. And Cleveland acting like a woman scorned. For one thing, you have no value in a relationship if you give away the farm. They gave all his friends front office jobs, spots on the plane, let him have his say on everything. You just don’t create value or respect that way. You’ve got to stand your ground, show him that he’s a part of something.
And then when he does leave, you figure out where you went wrong and move on. All their bitching and now the owners’ attempts at lawsuits is the biggest compliment to him. It’s like being the guy that dumped a girl and she can’t get over him. Dudes love that.
I’m still not sure who looks worse though. Lebron in his pathetic narcissistic need for attention, or Cleveland, and their emotional fragility over a guy that plays good basketball.
Oh absolutely
Lebron’s done plenty to make himself look like a jackass. I mean, the guy yelled at his own mother during a game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxPAKipFHx4
But then again if my mom was allegedly shagging one of my teammates, I might have some words for her myself.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
“Should I be who you want me to be?”
“We wanted you to be who you said you’d be.”
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:40 AM EST up reply actions
With a better team behind him he could've been.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
Well, shit, he took Z with him. And Miami is looking like an early playoff exit right now.
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 4, 2010 1:43 AM EST up reply actions
It was predicted early
that they were either gonna crush everything in their path or look like fools for their efforts. Unfortunately for them, so far it’s looking like the latter.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
Meh
It’s basically an entirely new team that has never played together. I expected them to struggle to find their roles and find some synergy. Let’s wait and see how they do in the second half of the season. I expect them to finish VERY strong and be a handful for anyone who crosses their path in the post-season.
Miami is looking like an easy out for a well-rounded team that can defend a bit…
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee
by The American Ronin on Dec 4, 2010 12:20 PM EST up reply actions
They won 66 games and were the best team in the regular season in 2008. Lebron choked in the playoffs. They won 61 games in 2009. Lebron checked out in the playoffs.
His team had plenty of talent to win in the regular season.
When you're rich you don't write checks - Randy Moss
by s.r.genovese on Dec 4, 2010 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
Two different things
How did 2007 work out? He carried the damn team on his back with dead weight like Hughes and Donyell Marshall on the team and got to the NBA Finals.
I suffer from IBS, otherwise known as "Influx of Billick Syndrome".
Plus one...
I loved playing sports as a kid and I used to follow most of our local sports teams in the area, but when I started following MMA… everything else just kind of felt like a pointless game. My favorite sport was basketball… where having heart means you don’t mail it it on defense and willing to dive after a loose ball.
In MMA, there aren’t any meaningless games. Success isn’t determined by what team has the biggest payroll. If you take like 10 steps back… it is kind of hard to rationalize how someone can make $20,000,000 a year for being really good at playing with a ball with other people.
About making millions
You could say the same thing about MMA although the amount of wealth is not at the same level. Ultimately just like other sports MMA is just entertainment. It’s not like punching guys or submitting them significantly benefits society.
Also why is it so had for people to comprehend why athletes make millions of dollars. These athletes are millionaires because millions of fans are willing to buy tickets, purchase sports TV packages, buy sports merchandise and addition to those are sponsorships. The money has to go some where.
by someguy22 on Dec 4, 2010 2:10 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Ahem
Well, of course I understand the revenue stream and all the money involved, but that wasn’t my point. Let me try to explain it a different way. Imagine if aliens came and landed on the planet. You show them two people who have fame and wealth on this planet. One is a professional MMA fighter and one is a professional basketball player.
Which do you think you would have an easier time conveying the reason for the popularity of their respective sports and why their skillsets garner an significantly elevated income. Somehow I think fighting translates better… you could even say it’s more universal (cue rimshot).
If the aliens were smart and judged both sports with objectivity in mind then they would do their research and find out that basketball and other team sports are popular because these teams often represent a region. People tend to be prideful of where they live or where they came from and in sports competition millions will throw their support for the teams that represent their region. Families and friends grow up to support these teams together and raise their kids to do the same. There are very rare examples of strong regional support in combat sports, e.g., Mexico and boxing or maybe during the Olympics.
But you take a guy like Durant, now there’s a kid that I can get behind. That guy just flat out loves to play basketball. It’s not so much about the winning, or the fame, he just loves to play ball. He gives me a little bit of hope. But not really, I’m so done with Basketball now.
Durant
Is part of the reason I don’t follow mainstream sports anymore. Well, not him… but I was a big Sonics fan when we (Seattle) drafted him, only to have Barnett (OKC owner) and Stern (evil commissioner) come in and rape us and steal the team.
Give it a few more years
and a couple more million, let’s see how he reacts then.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
I can’t really get with this article, to the extent that it implies that (a) it’s great that Dana can, and apparently does, cut people who personally upset him, and (b) it’s good for the sport that the top guys don’t make too much money.
That’s probably not quite what was intended here, but the subtext is basically an apologia for the worst UFC tendencies: keep the fighters insecure and keep them away from a proportional cut of the profits.
by JRN on Dec 4, 2010 1:49 AM EST reply actions 4 recs
This is my feeling. Do we begrudge the stars of the NBA because they recieved a large cut of the money we spend on the sport? Would it be preferable to have a few wealthy owners pocketing a larger share than seeing it go to the players on the court?
And for the nobility of a sport where it’s athletes fight not for millions but for honor it sure is expensive. A fan of the NBA can watch almost all the major games and playoffs on basic cable or free on network, while a UFC fan has to pay $45 for the privelege of watching it in their home.
by John Nash on Dec 4, 2010 4:07 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 5 recs
These athletes’ get a large cut of the revenue because they’re a lot more willing to demand what they are worth and by that I don’t mean an individual demanding more but players’ unions negotiating how to split up revenue. Kind of sad us regular people don’t do the same and often times begrudge these more empowered employees.
I still don't get this whole lbj thing
mainly why people are so riled up about him choosing to actually further his career by moving onto another team rather than stick with what hasn’t been working, I mean would you be pissed if nick diaz or cung le decided to leave strikeforce for the ufc to further their career? I think most people here would actually be happy about happenning.
It seems like cleaveland fans think lbj owes them something, they really are too obessed with this guys, their humans too, if want things, they have dreams too you know.
2 things
1. He did it in one of the most asinine ways possible.
2. Sports fans…aren’t very rational.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
Camps
I could care less about the NBA these days, but changing promotion isn’t the best example of a sports team change… It would be changing the camp you’re fighting out of.
…and sometimes when those fighters go to another camp, even to further they’re career, others are angry (either because of the way they left, or why, etc). It’s just that in MMA, people don’t usually root for their local camps as religiously.
Thats pretty true.
I think nationalism/regionalism takes a bigger role concerning where the fighter is acutally from. Leben was a little more popular at UFC 102 because he is from there. Florian was more popular in Boston, Franklin in Ohio.
Dear audio diary: Today I may have accidentally registered myself as a sex offender! WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY LIFE
- T-Rex
Basketball sucks
Always will… don’t see a reason to compare traditional sports to MMA though.
This whole website is fixated with what “mainstream” sports do… they don’t spend time comparing themselves to one another.
Go Browns. :/
Moisture is the essence of wetness.
So true...
I agree 100%. When I was younger I was the biggest baseball (until the lockout) and basketball fan. Even though I still occasionally follow either sport none have me more intrigued than MMA. Thank you for speaking for us in your article.
Great article
I myself have never been a sports fan before I started watching MMA. I loved playing basketball and football when I was younger, but never watching. They all seem kinda pointless to me. Oh he hit a ball in a net. That’s cool.
But then I caught UFC on spike (Ortiz/Griffon being one of the first fights I remember) and I’m hooked. Its amazing that one event alone can be filled with dramatic moments. Take UFC 74 for example. Patrick Cote catches Grove in a suprise upset with a punch exiting the clinch. Roger Huerta using the big screen to elbow Alberto Crane. GSP tooling Kos in wrestling after a close first round. Couture breaking a younger, stronger, faster Gonzaga.
Seriously, that was one event, and not even one of the more ‘famous ones’
Dear audio diary: Today I may have accidentally registered myself as a sex offender! WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY LIFE
- T-Rex
by sitnam90 on Dec 4, 2010 2:57 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Great article here Snowden.
The Cavs last night were complacent entirely and fucked the fans over almost as bad as James did.
Kobe is way, way better though. Vitor was a better natural athlete or fighter than Couture was, but Couture had the drive. Kobe gets up for big games, Lebron doesn’t.
www.ninjasplace.com
Umm...
Last night was a big game and LeBron put up 38 points in the first 3 quarters. If it was competitive he would have gotten 50 easily. LeBron also has one of the most epic playoff performances ever when he scored like 25 straight points against the Pistons and lead the Cavs to a win. I’ll agree that Kobe is more clutch than Bron Bron, but let’s not be silly now.
He got up for
this big game. But one big game, a rather meaningless one beyond his own revenge factor doesn’t indicate a career pattern. Lebron is fundamentally missing the drive that made Jordan Jordan and Kobe Kobe.
www.ninjasplace.com
by Urijah Bieber on Dec 4, 2010 4:04 AM EST up reply actions
agreed... for now
he helped embarrass a bad team that’s headed for a top5 lottery pick. when the other piece of evidence so far is last year’s series against Boston, i’ll reserve judgement on “gets up for big games” until we see him do it in May/June
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Dec 4, 2010 9:13 AM EST up reply actions
The ball players are all worthless
Stupid spoiled jocks with no humility or a care in the world if they win or lose because they can just shift the guilt to the other bums they play with.
All fighters know what its like to lose and to bear that loss on their shoulders which is why their humble people and treat others better then your normal meathead ball player.
You would never hear Derek Jeter say “I don’t have fans, I have friends” as he fights for an extra 30 million on his contract.
by SeanyD on Dec 4, 2010 3:41 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
To forget all the basketball stuff for a second
Because I don’t care about basketball. The shocking thing is if Jon was English he could’ve written the same article about hundreds of soccer players.
You know why MMA isn’t like that? Because the UFC and to a lesser extent, Strike Force and the other promotions are more controlling. And yet a lot of you would allow more power and more greed to the athlete and the agent (which is what happened in soccer, it wasn’t like that years ago) and allow MMA to essentially become boxing.
Fun Fact
The Cavs are a terrible team compared to the Heat. They were basically a one man show. So I don’t understand what you expected them to do. I’m sure tons of them wanted to go out there and win the game, but that doesn’t mean it’s possible. Blowouts happen in sports and just because fans want a team to win doesn’t mean it will happen. If you don’t know anything about sports besides MMA then don’t make posts about them.
Also MMA fighters in the UFC should be getting more money. One of the biggest travesty’s in sports is how Dana White is making hundreds of millions of dollars off the backs of these guys and sometimes giving them $8,000 to fight on a main card that makes $40 million.
by HaterSlayer on Dec 4, 2010 3:51 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
The UFC was borderline illegal 10 years ago
The salaries are coming along, and anyone who saw that game or the analysis of it could plainly see how disinterested the Cavs were. They totally mailed it in. They were happily chit chatting with him at one point. Snowden is on point here.
www.ninjasplace.com
by Urijah Bieber on Dec 4, 2010 4:06 AM EST up reply actions
This article is bullshit, it's just your opinion
I’ve been a fight fan since even before I considered myself a “diehard” sports fan. But as a spectator, watching fights is just entertainment for me. I don’t call myself a fan of any one fighter because I think it’s dumb to be invested in some guys you don’t even know. I have my favorites that I root for, but it’s nothing like rooting for my favorite teams that represent my hometown. Your favorite fighters fight like 3 times a year, following a favorite team requires real emotional investment throughout the year, & if they win a championship, that feeling is greater than anything in MMA cuz it was for your city, you feel a part of it.
Combat sports are the best & the purest form of human competion out there, but as a pure spectator sport, there is no way that people will become more emotionally invested in a fight than they are for their favorite hometown teams that they’ve been following for their whole life.
Dear Sports God,
Is me being a Knicks fan my punishment for being a Yankees fan?
by Benny Blanco from the BriX on Dec 4, 2010 5:09 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Here’s the problem: it’s not for your city. It’s for them. They aren’t like you, don’t care about you and are simply tall mercenaries picking your pocket and counting their dough.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 10:23 AM EST up reply actions
Well what the hell Snowden
It’s not like Shogun is out their stomping heads in for me or my city either. These athletes may have their own interests in mind but they’re still representing the city they play for regardless.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
And there HAVE been plenty of athletes who have turned down more lucrative deals to stay in a specific city. Not that it is the norm, nor should it be expected…but it’s not unheard of.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 4:34 PM EST up reply actions
Imagine Lebron in the octagon.
6’8 250 lbs.
Lebron vs Overeem
Hurry up Dana.
(And yes, I fucking hate Lebron)
by I Can't Feel My Face on Dec 4, 2010 5:32 AM EST reply actions
OK, here's the counterargument:
(A) Cleveland players dispute the tone of the on-court conversation. The fact is Miami’s a lot better than Cleveland.
(B) If we’re equating hatred with passion, then a lot of MMA fights don’t pass. Most MMA fighters have a healthy respect for each other. They touch gloves, they hug afterwards, they hug during the fight (in the Cro Cop-Barry case, anyway). If you want every contest to have passion in that sense, switch to pro wrestling.
© I think MMA fighters are tremendous athletes, but so are basketball players. Kobe Bryant can run fast while dribbling a basketball, then pull up and shoot in a controlled fashion to put the ball through a small hoop. Then he can run to the other end of the court and move quickly in response to an opponent’s feints and ball movement. The only thing an MMA fighter does that a basketball player doesn’t is get punched in the face on purpose. Soccer players also are great athletes, as are some football players (not all). Baseball players, no, though hitting a curveball over the left-field fence requires a rare blend of coordination and skill.
It’s true that fans of rival teams usually hate each other more than the players do. I think that speaks more to the insecurities of sports fans than it does to a lack of passion among the players. Pro athletes have had to invest years of sacrifice to reach the levels they’ve attained, and they — unlike a lot of people in the workforce — can lose their livelihoods if someone else performs better. The fact that hockey players can drop the gloves during a game and have a beer afterwards, frankly, is something I find quite reassuring. Maybe athletes can be role models for politicians.
I don’t think anyone is disputing that these are great athletes. The main issue here was desire. You can’t tell me, as someone who played ball and has watched thousands and thousands of games, that the Cavaliers gave a strong effort. They let the fans down.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 10:16 AM EST up reply actions
interesting as always Snowden
I love NBA, NFL, College FB/BB, and Soccer…and have since I was a little kid, but I agree, these sports cant touch MMA for me.
There is just something different about MMA (that I have never been great at articulating), so Im glad you took the time to!
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Proud BElitest.
Feel free to point out the non-athletic football players sometime Beau. ;)
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by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 4:35 PM EST up reply actions
*modern...
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by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 6:28 PM EST up reply actions
Most of the Redskins.
OK, enough hometown whining on my part. I’d argue that the specialization in football inhibits all-around athleticism. Linemen, frankly, are hardly models of health and fitness — they’re taking years off their lives to bulk up to 300 pounds.
They’re still more athletic than, say, I am, and more athletic than many baseball players. But less athletic than soccer players, basketball players and MMA fighters.
I’d argue they are less fit, not less athletic.
Many of those big behemoths on the line are incredibly athletic and can do stuff like drop down into the splits, dunk a basketball, and run a sub 5.0 40 yard dash all while carrying around 320+ pounds of body mass.
I remember when I was a kid growing up (1980s), there were a bunch of Bengals players who competed in a rec basketball league in the off-season, and I’m not talking about the wideouts and the the running backs. This team was mostly comprised of the big boys. The guy who played point guard for that team? Anthony Munoz, all 6’6" and 290 pounds of him, and he had skills. He was quick and mobile and consistently beat guys off the dribble with his first step. And obviously, once he got in the lane with a head of steam, the other team got the hell out of the way. That team was actually pretty good despite all their perimeter players being giant fat guys.
Can't believe I forgot to mention this ...
In any other sport, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch compete against each other, no questions asked.
And that highlights the differences starkly. Of course Fitch and Kos don’t want to fight – it’s some real shit. It’s easy to play ball against a friend (not so much for the Cavs apparently) but something else to try and hurt him. Is it really that hard to understand? That’s not rhetorical. Do you not see the difference?
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 10:20 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I see that as “different,” but I don’t see it as “better.”
If you’re looking for competition in its purest form, then neither the Cavs game (which, again, has facts that are in dispute) or the Fitch-Kos peace treaty will suffice.
I might be a minority among MMA fans in the sense that I don’t get really excited about a fight just because two guys hate each other and want to settle something in the cage. The desire to mess up the guy across the cage doesn’t necessarily lead to better performances. Just look at BJ Penn, who looked like a wild animal before and during his dismantling of Matt Hughes but had nothing but good things to say about Hughes before and after the fight.
I can see being disappointed in the Cavs, but really, they’re a 7-11 team rebuilding around Anderson Varejao. What would they really gain by hacking LeBron other than fulfilling fans’ bloodlust?
I often tell people that MMA isn’t, as many USA TODAY commenters claim, some sort of return to the days of gladiators being dismembered for Roman amusement. I tell them it’s a legitimate competition between top-class athletes.
Who said anything about MMA fighters “hating each other.” The article was about the effort they put into every fight – because they have to. If you want to see Koscheck and Fitch “fight” you’re welcome to it. It will be about as interesting as that basketball game – guys going through the motions and just trying not to step on each others feet.
The fact that you question what they had to gain by playing hard and passionate basketball says it all. They don’t do that in a typical game, so why would Lebron’s return be any different. Why give the fans what they want? After all, the fans are only keeping the game afloat with their interest and dollars.
By the way, MMA is a blood sport contested for our amusement AND a legitimate competition between athletes. It’s not “either or.”
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 10:52 AM EST up reply actions
Part of it is the switching teams
Only a few team sports guys are strong enough people that they just don’t care what the guys on the other teams think. Look at KG. He’s insane. He’s intense. He cares a ridiculous amount about every basketball game. And he’s widely ridiculed and disliked by guys on other teams. If he was a marginal talent, he’d likely get cut or traded every year or two, and he’d be much more aware that anyone who he pisses off could be on his team in six months. KG doesn’t give a crap because he’s better than most people and established enough that he doesn’t have to answer to anyone, but everyone on Cleveland has to worry about making it on new teams in the future and they don’t want to get “frozen out” by veterans who don’t like that the guy fouled them hard last year.
As to your overall point: Yeah, MMA is like the playoffs of every sport at all times. It’s great.
Use more judges.
I’m not questioning the notion of playing for the win. I’m questioning whether the Cavs owed anyone a “hard foul.” That’s a bit like saying GSP owes Koscheck a kick in the groin.
If your point is not about enmity being a driving force that makes MMA better, then you’re stuck (unless I’ve missed something) arguing that MMA is better because it consistently delivers strong efforts. We both know that’s not the case. Someone below raises the Rashad-Rampage example. We’ve also seen Sonnen-Filho. Countless “lay and pray” fights. For Miami and Cleveland, substitute Mir and Cro Cop.
Every sport has the risk of delivering a dull contest. Soccer, my other favorite sport, has brilliant games and dreadful games. Football is usually good if the teams are evenly matched (except when my hometown Washington Redskins are playing).
Boxing and wrestling are “primal and personal,” yet those sports can be a chore to watch, full of cautious stalemates.
All that said, I would agree that MMA delivers the goods more often than the NBA. I’d attribute that to 82-game regular seasons that only cut the league in half for the playoffs. Flying to Miami one night and Cleveland the next would challenge any athlete’s focus, and many don’t rise to the occasion. That said, playoff basketball and the NCAA Tournament are full of excitement. And we shouldn’t kid ourselves that MMA never features an indifferent bout.
For Miami and Cleveland, substitute Mir and Cro Cop.
No. A billion times no. The correct analogy would be if Tito Ortiz was laughing and joking with John Hackleman before UFC 66 and everyone acted like it was just another fight. No one really disputes that the NBA regular season is a by the numbers affair. This was an opportunity to show fans that the players do care. Instead, it was just an affirmation that the rivalries are just for us. The players can’t muster the emotional energy to make it matter.
I’m questioning whether the Cavs owed anyone a "hard foul." That’s a bit like saying GSP owes Koscheck a kick in the groin.
Come on. Dozens of fouls are committed in every game. It’s not the same and you know it. Of course, GSP does owe Koshceck a punch in the face. That’s why we’re all tuning in.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 1:23 PM EST up reply actions
I think a “rivalry” needs more than one team signing a player away from another team. As several of us have pointed out, Cleveland simply isn’t at Miami’s level. So maybe Anderson Silva-Demian Maia is a better example — Maia was a big underdog and just didn’t press the fight. (Of course, that fight is remembered more for Silva’s shenanigans, but even if Silva can’t really play Miami in this analogy, Maia can play Cleveland.)
Be fair.
Holding an entire league to the standard of one game is crap. The counterargument would be defining all of MMA by the standard of Rampage – Rashad. A fight that had the most bad blood in recent history yet Rampage didn’t care enough to show up in shape and for all of Rashad’s talk of KOing Rampage he spent most of the fight humping Rampage up against the cage.
See, the Rampage – Rashad fight is why MMA will never be as great as other sports. Because when it was time to throwdown, neither fighter cared about the fans. Rampage cared about the A-Team movie and Rashad cared about simply grinding out a win to get another title shot.
Generalizations are fantastic!
by Ironbuddha on Dec 4, 2010 11:39 AM EST via mobile reply actions 2 recs
I thought Rashad-Rampage was an entertaining fight. The building was on fire when the decision was announced, so unlike the basketball game it kept the fans engaged from beginning until the end.
The problem with the NBA is that 75% of the games are Cavs-Heat. The players sleepwalk through the season. What made that game stand out is the fact that there was so much more to this game – and still no one could be bothered to care.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 11:53 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah well maybe
that’s because they have to play 82 games in a regular season not including the playoffs, you expect them to play up to their full potential 3 times a week?
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
No. Maybe the one time they are on national television all season in the most hyped sporting event of the week. Maybe they could have mustered up some excitement for that?
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 5:55 PM EST up reply actions
What were you expecting out of Cleveland?
Honestly, if the players don’t give a shit about the situation are they supposed to pretend to? They played how the Cavaliers play, it wasn’t like they were gonna be able to keep up with Miami the whole night anyway.
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
Nobody here follows basketball apparently. The problem isn’t that no Cavlier rose up to become a hero, the problem is the Cleveland flat out sucks balls without LeBron. They’re in a rebuilding year; short of Miami’s entire roster completely forgetting how to play basketball or being hit by a truck there is no way Cleveland wins this game.
Snowden swearing off basketball because the ridiculous expectations of NBA fans and media were not shared by the players for a early regular season game that is ultimately unimportant. Oh brother.
There are good games practically every night in the NBA. Just because this one was foolishly hyped up like a prize fight doesn’t mean it was guaranteed to be good, obviously. But the whole “nobody cares about the regular season” mantra is just cynical and glib. The Spurs sure aren’t sleepwalking.
I swore off basketball when every play became an isolation and half the players became just as much a spectator as I was.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 5:50 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t really agree with the idea that a player should commit a “hard foul” to appease the fans, that’s just dirty play and not something I want from a professional. The Cavs didn’t lose because they “didn’t have the fire,” they lost because they’re a bad team that can’t compete with the talent level of Miami.
And I really hate things like the idea that laughing and joking was wrong. It’s so similar to the Derek Anderson situation last week where the world gives a shit that he dared laugh on the sidelines while losing. These a professionals who don’t live and die by fan expectation…nor should they.
Honestly, given Kos’ shit talking and generally being hated by fans, should we have pronounced Paul Daley a hero for taking a shot at him after the bell? I mean, it’s the same idea as an intentional “hard foul.” It’s not a part of the game and could result in a needless injury.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 3:46 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
I don’t really agree with the idea that a player should commit a "hard foul" to appease the fans, that’s just dirty play and not something I want from a professional.
Give me a break. Hard fouls are part of basketball and true professionals know when they are called for. I’m not suggesting anyone try to hurt him or take out his legs or anything like that. Just remind them you are there and came to play.
These a professionals who don’t live and die by fan expectation…nor should they.
I will make a note never to put you in charge of my newly formed JonathanBall league. That sounds like a recipe for bankruptcy.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 5:52 PM EST up reply actions
Give me a break. Hard fouls are part of basketball and true professionals know when they are called for. I’m not suggesting anyone try to hurt him or take out his legs or anything like that. Just remind them you are there and came to play.
So you’re saying they should try to hit him hard but you don’t want anybody to get hurt? “Oops, did I slam my shoulder into your abdomen too hard? I mean I was trying to intentionally knock you down and all but who would’ve expected you get a broken rib, my bad.”
I will make a note never to put you in charge of my newly formed JonathanBall league. That sounds like a recipe for bankruptcy.
First of all that would be a terrible name to give your league, I wouldn’t watch that just based on that alone. Secondly if it’s already the reality of most major sports why would it be so hazardous? Do you honestly think most fighters live by fan expectations either? If so you wouldn’t get a guys like Rashad and GSP saying they’re going to do what it takes to win even if it is boring. They’d all be like Wandy just swinging for the fences, and even he got more cautious when he realized he needed wins.
ALL ATHLETES ARE SELF INVOLVED no matter what sport or competition they’re apart of, doesn’t mean they don’t try their best or care. Why do so many athletes cry when they lose the big game if it doesn’t matter so much to them? I had to watch half the Lakers sob like little girls when they fell out of the playoffs one year. To say that only fighters seem to really be emotionally invested is just silly, otherwise you wouldn’t have guys like Peyton Manning who spends hours watching game footage to improve his play despite being a “pampered millionaire.”
Chael Sonnen admitted to not going through puberty and suffering from small-ball syndrome at his CSAC Hearing, so like his scrotum his suspension was reduced.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
And as the sport grows and there is more money to be made…the connection between MMA fighters and MMA fans is going to evaporate. These guys aren’t doing it for the fans, they’re doing their job. And honestly, had that style not made Wanderlei one of the best in the world…I doubt he’d be using it to “entertain”
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by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 6:21 PM EST up reply actions
If you’re saying to step in his way when he’s driving to make him think twice about just raping the paint? Sure…that’s a part of basketball. If you’re saying they should commit a hard foul because the fans are mad at LeBron? No. That’s not how things are done.
I do love the idea that fan representation with the players is what makes sports boom. Michael Jordan – Real man of the people. Not to mention…you know…pretty much the entire NFL.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 6:19 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
MMA lacks a couple of things
The shared communal experience of say, when I go to Turner Field I know that 90% of the people there are also Braves fans.
Also, sports like football and baseball draw you in much in the same way that television series do by having seasons that require a lengthy emotional investment
"Tim Sylvia’s sphincter is demonstrably weaker than Andrei Arlovski’s chin." – hlebtasic
WHat I’d add to that list from a “vs. team sports” POV
- Changes – No matter how much you love your favorite fighter, other than changing camps or possibly developing some skills…you’re not going to get to watch during an off-season hoping to see signings of free agents, drafting great players or watching during the trade deadline to see if that huge move is about to be made.
- The chase for the post-season – Yes, everyone is working toward the title. But there’s no season long pursuit as Anthony mentioned. You’re not watching knowing every step of the way where your team is.
- Permanence – Your team can be “your team” from birth to death in most cases. Every season, you know your team will be there, playing the game. In MMA you can have favorite fighters but their careers are short and their times at the top of the sport are even shorter.
I’m not saying MMA is worse than any team sport, nor am I saying it’s better. There are just aspects of both that are better.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, this is what I was trying to say before. I consider MMA my favorite sport ahead of team sports because I LOVE fighting. But, the excitement, the stress/euphoria I experience when I root for my teams is never matched when I watch a fight. When my Giants beat the Pats in the Super Bowl, the euphoria & pride that I felt was the best feeling I ever got from watching sports. Watching Shogun knock out Machida & finally win a UFC title was awesome but no where near how I felt that day NY won the title. Completely different feelings.
Dear Sports God,
Is me being a Knicks fan my punishment for being a Yankees fan?
by Benny Blanco from the BriX on Dec 4, 2010 5:43 PM EST up reply actions
Those are solid points, also. The postseason really is a special aspect of team sports. The only thing we’ve had close to playoffs/playoff hunt were the Pride Grand Prix
"Tim Sylvia’s sphincter is demonstrably weaker than Andrei Arlovski’s chin." – hlebtasic
And even then, those spots were given, not earned.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 4, 2010 6:57 PM EST up reply actions
That’s no different than a “traditional” sports reporter writing an article championing their sport over MMA (oh boxing, where art thou?). What is always said? Those people don’t really know anything about MMA. Your breadth of knowledge about basketball is nothing more in evaporate, as many of the comments show. Seems a bit silly then, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t you be aware of the fact that a knee-jerk in the opposing direction is no different than the original theme?
I doubt there is anyone in these comments that has played ball at a higher level or consumed the NBA as a product more vociferously. That’s a strange assumption to make.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 4, 2010 5:54 PM EST up reply actions
The whole “my sport is better than your sport”-thing is lame. Plus: if MMA fighters had to fight as often as the NBA guys play, maybe it’d become more of a routine as well? ;)
To save me some time on 25% of all threads, here's the universal answer to the Fedor-debate: Fedor is the most accomplished MMA fighter ever. That is a fact. If he still is the best fighter at this point in time is up for debate.
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