How UFC's attempts to control the media and unwritten message board rules distort MMA news coverage
by David Bixenspan on Sep 17, 2010 4:24 PM EDT
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For the second time in five months, the same stupid thing has happened. A UFC-credentialed reporter posts a newsworthy item not as a story on their usual website, but on the F4WOnline/Wrestling Observer subscribers' message board. A contributor for SBN picks it up, and then the credentialed reporter throws a fit and acts like a major foul has been committed even thought the SBN writer did nothing wrong. It's utterly ridiculous and symptomatic of some major problems.
The first was incident was when Oliver Copp of UFC.com and F4WOnline threw hissy fit in April when Keith Harris reported on this very site about Copp's and Dave Meltzer's comments about Vince McMahon trying to get UFC banned in major European markets and it was then picked up by our sister SBN blogs (including Watch Kalib Run) and various MMA news sites such as The Underground.
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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The UFC was using paid shills to help Sonnen troll?
Interesting. For some reason, I’m reminded of WCW blasting “GOLDBERG” chants through the speakers.
"I need a shot of tequila and a cigarette." -- Don Frye
No. There's nothing tyhat says the UFC had knowledge of this or that anyone was paid
All that is known is that Sonnen had people there acting as “fans” to ask him questions that he had written out and answered/memorized ahead of time. In the original article, I had an example of one question that DIDN’T make the air.
Yeah it seems like a piped-chant thing to me.
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
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by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 17, 2010 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
There is no way
the UFC didn’t know about this. If they didn’t, they don’t run as tight of a ship as they have also claimed.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
CagesideSeats.com
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by Geno Mrosko on Sep 17, 2010 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
INCONCEIVABLE!
If they didn’t, they don’t run as tight of a ship as they have also claimed.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
you say that word a lot. i do not think it means what you think it means.
I’ve got big walnuts. Gorilla nuts.
by Austin Martin on Sep 17, 2010 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions
That or maybe he just likes The Princess Bride…
Twitter me @kkelchner621
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by Kaleb Kelchner on Sep 17, 2010 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
In fairness, it is a great film
One you might be overdue for another viewing of.
Just Blog Guy - http://JustBlogGuy.wordpress.com/
by JustBlogGuy on Sep 17, 2010 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
haha at least someone got it
I’ve got big walnuts. Gorilla nuts.
by Austin Martin on Sep 17, 2010 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Fuck my life I walked right into it. haha
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by Kaleb Kelchner on Sep 17, 2010 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions
comedy gold
thanks to all involved ;)
I consider myself a softcore fan.
Wow, if you know what the Princess Bride is
then your reply is an ultra fail- Inigo says that to Vizzini when they discover Wesley’s boat catching up in the eel ocean
I’ve got big walnuts. Gorilla nuts.
by Austin Martin on Sep 17, 2010 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions
and by that, i mean my original reply to pdl
I’ve got big walnuts. Gorilla nuts.
by Austin Martin on Sep 17, 2010 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions
you killed my father
prepare to die.
Forever indebted to CroCop's left leg for getting me into MMA
by Well Read Idiot on Sep 18, 2010 5:39 AM EDT up reply actions
I was thinking about this earlier, and you’re right. Sonnen didn’t pay a couple of his training buddies to get into the crowd and ask questions. That would require all of them to be UFC Fight Club members (if thats still how it works), get all of them there, among other things. It seems far more likely that the UFC helped with this, which opens up a whole new can of worms.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
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by Kaleb Kelchner on Sep 17, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Now it’s just a question of how along before the belly of the beast is exposed? The UFC is not above doing any sort of PR stunt such as this. How far does it go? As far as you probably think it does.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
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Follow me on Twitter at GenoMrosko
Or, as far as I hope it truly doesn’t. lol
Twitter me @kkelchner621
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by Kaleb Kelchner on Sep 17, 2010 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Why would Chael need to pay anybody to get in a crowd and ask questions? Does he not have any friends?
Are UFC Fight Club Q&As guarded like Fort Knox? If Chael walked into one with a few buddies and said “they’re with me”, the person at the door wouldn’t let them in unless they had tickets?
Moving people costs money, I’m not saying he paid them to do it, I’m saying that he had to get people who weren’t his direct training partners and corner men to ask these questions. There’s various ways it could have worked out for Chael not to directly use money of his own, he could have said “Hey, you guys want some tickets to the show? Do this for me and you’re in.” and not had to pay a dime. Just speculation my friend.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by Kaleb Kelchner on Sep 17, 2010 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Or he could have just met a couple of fans while signing autographs earlier in the day and asked them do him a solid at the Q&A session
There was a fan that asked him if he wrote poetry and he just happened to have a poem
Yeah, that was a plant
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
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by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 19, 2010 9:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Sonnen’s not dumb, you don’t just ask random people to do something that will hurt the image he’s trying oh so hard to put forward. They’ll tell everybody what you asked them to do, quickly.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by Kaleb Kelchner on Sep 19, 2010 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions
It is possible
Someone will have to look into that
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
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Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 17, 2010 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions
No they won't.
Anybody who doesn’t know is willfully ignorant.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
This is one of those times where the sig disclaimer is useful
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 18, 2010 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions
GILLBERG! GILLBERG! GILLBERG!
Don't like wrestling in MMA? Go watch K-1.
Can't deal with the occasional boring fight? Let me introduce you to ROH.
Dear Mr. White - would it kill you to drop a few f-bombs less?
by Monday Morning Martial Artist on Sep 18, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
What is really ridiculous is these off-brand SBN sites writing about themselves and their own personal conflicts, then posting it over here like it is somehow a relevant, objective MMA story.
by smoogy2 on Sep 17, 2010 6:33 PM EDT reply actions 12 recs
Off brand?
You’re an idiot.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter at GenoMrosko
by Geno Mrosko on Sep 17, 2010 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
If you can’t handle my opinion, feel free to write 1000 words about it. Just don’t link it back here.
I didn’t realize you ran this site.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter at GenoMrosko
by Geno Mrosko on Sep 17, 2010 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
no name calling please
and don’t get offended, smoogy used to hate on BE exclusively, now he’s branching out to the other SBN sites.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Sep 17, 2010 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Sorry, Nate.
I know the rules. I apologize. Just don’t like Cageside or any other SB blog being called off brand.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter at GenoMrosko
yeah
understandable. We’ve banned smoogy before for being abrasive. He’s a hater, unless you’re an international MMA promotion.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Sep 17, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
And now being abrasive is practically a job requirement here. Go figure. rimshot
For real though, who is hating on who here? I’m expressing a rational opinion that several other readers obviously agree with. Two of the top fanposts can be summarized like this:
-SBN/WKR dudes going after MMA writer who backed away from a flippant forum message
-subo and his poor man’s cult of personality, Part 57
And then on WKR I see another post from subo where he is having an imaginary dialogue with Johathan Snowden. If the fanshots section is just a de facto message board, I suppose this is pretty standard fare. But as supplemental editorial material, self-important drivel hardly lives up to the grown-up image BE is trying to project. I know when I make fanposts, I do it with the intention of creating something worth publishing on the main page.
No no no. WKR dude isn't going after ANYONE
Let’s get that straight. I don’t do Twitter wars, I don’t do forum wars, all that shit. Nope. I may pop off on Twitter once in a while, but that back and forth stuff? Nah.
I’m with you on the last paragraph though. As I stated before in another comment I’m not a fan of “writer on writer” articles.
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
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Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 18, 2010 1:21 AM EDT up reply actions
well smoogy
your comments are generally unpleasant.
But the FanPosts are created by our readers, not the staff. If you’d like to see better FanPosts, by all means post something. I haven’t seen one of your regional mma roundups in ages. Are those just for the UG and you save your complaining for BE?
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
I’m expressing a genuine opinion, you’re just being bitter.
I stopped doing those WWoMMA posts because of a lack of interest. Considering you just disparaged me for watching international MMA, it is curious that you’d request another of those installments. But you may enjoy my upcoming new series, “Wide World of UFC Dana White Brock Lesnar Strikeforce Sucks”
We don’t agree on much but I honestly enjoyed your posts always excellent. I am looking forward to your new series about reality.
Mothers know nothing about creeping marauders burrowing through the snow toward the kitchen where only you and you alone stand between your tiny, huddled family and insensate evil.
by Barack Lesnar on Sep 18, 2010 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions
lol
Srsly though, I have been meaning to do some more free agent notebooks. Lots of interesting stuff happening in the marketplace this year.
Good stuff man I’ll keep my eyes open for it.
Mothers know nothing about creeping marauders burrowing through the snow toward the kitchen where only you and you alone stand between your tiny, huddled family and insensate evil.
by Barack Lesnar on Sep 18, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, and about 5-6 comments. I guess citing lack of interest is a bit of a cop-out, but WWoMMA requires a certain commitment to research that got tiring after a while, and I don’t think I was really adding any insight on that stratum of MMA the way I was presenting it. I might streamline the concept and do it in more bite-sized pieces down the road.
I thought they were awesome
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Sep 18, 2010 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions
He was saying the "UFC Dana White Brock Lesnar sucks" series would get 40 recs
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 19, 2010 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions
I think the WWoMMA posts were awesome
I’m sorry if you feel like they weren’t getting the love they deserved.
I never disparaged you for watching International MMA, just pointed out that you only have nice things to say about it and nothing else.
touche on the parody of my stuff, although I supported Strikeforce long and hard and only turned on them after they showed pretty amazing ineptitude.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
I didn’t mean to insinuate those are your main focus, just trying to contrast my admittedly particular tastes with the most populous topics I can think of. You have to admit though, I have mellowed a bit. You don’t see me joining in on the dogpile when you present a viewpoint people don’t want to hear.
lol
well because usually I’m bashing Dana. But you’re generally leading the mob when I’m bashing Coker and company or FEG.
but yeah you have gotten mellower and it’s appreciated.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
I always read an enjoyed your posts. I should have done a better job telling you so…
by Jonathan Snowden on Sep 19, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
^ makes sense
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 Sep 19, 2010 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I LOL'd
"Don’t quote old fucks to me" – Brent Brookhouse
by Chris Barton on Sep 20, 2010 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t have a personal problem with Oliver other than that he lied about Keith’s post on my site to cover his ass. It’s been years since I can remember interacting with him but it was always pleasant back then.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter @davidbix.
by David Bixenspan on Sep 18, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
SC
Didn’t you try harass Carwin in a forum or something? I vaguely remember something about this
by RoB_ex on Sep 18, 2010 4:01 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Nope
I wrote a series of fanposts in the buildup to the Lesnar/Carwin matches breaking down each fighters strengths and weaknesses. The first one I did was on Carwin. Despite its length, Carwin was able to read it and dismiss it as “trash” on Twitter within 5 minutes basically sicing some of his Carwin Army at me before ultimately blocking me when I (politely) told him I wasn’t interested in a Twitter war. Ultimately, history proved my analysis as correct as it was his gas tank that failed him in the end.
Meanwhile, there was an “ask Carwin Questions” thread on the UG. I posted saying who would he like to face after losing to Brock. Nothing more, nothing less.
Then he lost.
Then I wrote some steroid article.
That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. The thread is still up, the tweets are still up, the fanposts are still up, it’s all still up. Nothing was harassment. Not even close.
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 18, 2010 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions
you should've taken him up on the twitter war thing
I picked up a couple dozen followers when the big dummy linked back to me in our pissing match. Poor Shane. I’m actually a big fan, sorry about how all that worked out.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
If the fanshots section is just a de facto message board, I suppose this is pretty standard fare.
The fanposts/shots became that a long time ago, unfortunately.
You can go to a recent fanshot and see someone saying they would rape Arianny, if you’d like.
Actually, it seems to have finally been deleted.
If you can still see who my comment in “Make my slinky go, duh doing doing dooooooing.” was a reply to (my comment is still in my profile), then you can ban him. I’m not sure what access you have to the database.
Really hoping it’s not The Farns
Mothers know nothing about creeping marauders burrowing through the snow toward the kitchen where only you and you alone stand between your tiny, huddled family and insensate evil.
by Barack Lesnar on Sep 18, 2010 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Well the superbly written and well researched fanposts get no reads and no discussion
Seems as if people don’t want that.
They don’t want good technique, they want “WRITE AND FIGHT”
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 18, 2010 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions
lol at imaginary
Snowden has initiated several conversations with me in different mediums.
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 Sep 19, 2010 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Ehh
Its a fanpost. Its at least as newsworthy as ThisRedEngine getting drunk at UFN or Subo deciding he hates Strikeforce.
"I am a man who pisses largely and frequently, which they say is a sign of great mental activity" -Henry Miller-
lol
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 17, 2010 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions
To be fair
Nate isn’t complaining at Cageside about Randy’s lawyers getting involved.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
He didn't write a post about it either
I’m just saying
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 17, 2010 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions
strictly
due to lazyness, couture story is coming
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Sep 18, 2010 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions
No i mean a story complaining about Randy's lawyers, not the Randy story
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 19, 2010 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s called promotion. Bloody Elbow wasn’t always this big. They had to promote it.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter at GenoMrosko
Subo sunk to an all time low on that one.
jeebus.
by Anton Tabuena on Sep 18, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
New rule for BE??
No fighter bashing maybe extend into no promotion bashing?
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter at GenoMrosko
by Geno Mrosko on Sep 19, 2010 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions
They could always just institute Subo bashing
Again, you guys wanna keep funding the people paying Barnett and Daley, be my guests. I won’t be.
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 Sep 19, 2010 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not a fan of "writer on writer" journalism, so I can see your point
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 17, 2010 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Me neither, but sometimes it’s necessary. Also, if it was just the Botter deal, I wouldn’t have done a post. I didn’t do one when Oliver freaked out over Keith’s post. That it was the second time the same basic scenario went down was something I thought was worth examining.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter @davidbix.
by David Bixenspan on Sep 17, 2010 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions
i'm a fan of "writer or writer" violence though
by TylerTreese on Sep 17, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
SLAP YA FAVORITE MMA WRITER
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 18, 2010 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Kay Slay approves
Mothers know nothing about creeping marauders burrowing through the snow toward the kitchen where only you and you alone stand between your tiny, huddled family and insensate evil.
by Barack Lesnar on Sep 18, 2010 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Judging from the pic,
Oliver Copp should concentrate more on dieting.
I want Kim Winslow or Tan Dan to ref Tito Ortiz' next loss.
by MMAInFeRioRiTy on Sep 18, 2010 12:08 AM EDT reply actions
Yup!
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter @davidbix.
by David Bixenspan on Sep 18, 2010 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter @davidbix.
by David Bixenspan on Sep 18, 2010 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Really? Why? He’s still selling it.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter @davidbix.
by David Bixenspan on Sep 19, 2010 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Fuck that, my epic "Fat Man Battle Royal" featuring all 350 lbs plus will live in infamy
/sarcasm
SCM aka Black Lesnar aka Wesley Types aka Slap ya Favorite MMA Writer
Follow me on Twitter
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Sep 19, 2010 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you sure it was UFC putting the muzzle on Oliver?
I know for a fact he’s careful about what he says about WWE, and doesn’t want to burn bridges with them. And why would Dave not report that if it hadn’t come from a WWE source he couldn’t out? Dave is critical of UFC literally every issue of the Observer, and very frequently on his radio show and on Yahoo. What’s your evidence that this was coming from the UFC side?
Also, Botter may have been trying to protect a source with Sonnen.
by AgitationStation on Sep 18, 2010 2:38 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
And?
Let me make my point clearer since I wrote it poorly. Oliver doesn’t want to burn bridges with WWE. The story reflected very negatively on WWE. What evidence does Bix have that UFC put the muzzle on Oliver rather than Oliver just being pissed about a relatively private post potentially damaging his relationship with WWE? What evidence does Bix have that Meltzer sat on that story because UFC muzzled him? Remember, the story doesn’t reflect poorly on UFC; it reflects poorly on WWE.
by AgitationStation on Sep 19, 2010 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I interpreted this:
This is the type of thing that’ll get me to stop posting inside info on the Board, sadly. For the past three years plus, it’s never been a problem. Apparently that has changed.
As being within the context of working for UFC. I’m fully aware that the story reflects badly on WWE and well on UFC as I mentioned it in the article.
CagesideSeats.com
Follow me on Twitter @davidbix.
by David Bixenspan on Sep 19, 2010 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Did you ask Oliver? He’s easy to get ahold of. I’m not saying you’re wrong necessarily, but that interpretation is loose, and it could be easily clarified.
by AgitationStation on Sep 20, 2010 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions
wait so this 41Wrestling site has worse and constant troll jobs then Sherdog? i mean i like SRN but really there forums are a bit apprehensive damn i wana check out this stie now
so your reasoning is reporters are scaird of pissing off FW and losing credintials….we all knew this before?
Twitter @MaZZacreMMA
Cant wait until UFC starts using stunt grannys
by rovert on Sep 19, 2010 10:50 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
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