In Defense of Nick Diaz

So uh, Nick Diaz tested positive for weed have you heard? Listen, I was going to come up with a solid introduction later followed by the obligatory transition into the meat of my post, but then I thought “for why?” and said forget it. So I’ll just skip right to it.

Nick Diaz is not like other people. He truly is a special and unique snowflake that happens to be so special and unique that many are quick to misinterpret his behavior in the most negative way possible and hold it against him. Maybe it’s the fact that he and I share a similar background and similar experiences so I can easily relate to him. Maybe it’s because I like that he keeps it real even to a fault. Maybe it’s because I can tell that whatever he loves, whether it be his home, his job, or his family, he loves deep down to the core of his soul. But at the end of it all, I think it boils down to the fact that Nick Diaz clearly suffers from a psychological condition that is so severe that it debilitates him, disorients him, and I’m willing to bet at times even scares him. Somehow he finds a way to keep going.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I have a soft spot for Nick Diaz there I said it. He had me at “beauty pageant.” It bothers me when people refer to him as classless, think of him as scum, and wishes to deny his participation in something that he loves simply because of his condition. Watch his interviews and compare the ones where he is not sitting out in front of a large crowd filled with cameras and reporters to the ones where he is. Watch him suddenly start to fidget and squirm, stutter and become flustered when he can’t find his words. Watch as his downturned eyes struggle to remain on a fixed spot when someone asks him the simplest of questions. Watch how awkwardly he smiles when he realizes that he might get into a little bit of trouble for what he is about to say, because he knows people will misinterpret it. It’s a little bit more than “classless” and “socially awkward” and “unprofessional” don’t you think? Actually it’s not any of those things; it’s just him trying his damndest not to lose his shit.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Nick Diaz is not actively seeking to cause trouble and he’s not trying to hurt himself, his opponent (outside of the cage that is), or the UFC. He’s trying to navigate a minefield of voracious spectators dissecting his every move waiting until he fucks up again so they can say “I told you so.” Newsflash: He told us so, like many many years ago. When it comes to this popped test, it’s a non-issue. I can’t believe I’m defending a pot-head because I hate pot-heads—they’re annoying as shit and either they laugh at absolutely everything OR they force me to listen to their conspiracy theories on the Illuminati—but this particular pot-head has what basically amounts to a prescription for medical marijuana. It’s his own personal choice of treatment for whatever it is that ails him, and if he treats his ailment in his own home in his own fucking state where he has the legal permission to do so, that should not come back to haunt him 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 2 months down the line while he is obeying the rules in another state (presumably). For those who don’t understand this I will assume you don’t have first-hand knowledge of what synthetic drugs do to people who suffer from mental illness.

Doctor: “Having anxiety attacks, Nick? Here, take this Klonopin and suffer from the following side-effects of drowsiness, dizziness, unsteadiness, problems with coordination, difficulty thinking or remembering, muscle or joint pain, and blurred vision. I know you’re a cage fighter and all but that’s neither here nor there because this is approved by the NSAC. Oh, and FYI you have to take this for 6 months before you really start to benefit from the effects, and if your system doesn’t take to it very well we’ll have to change it up and try out a different drug or a combination of many drugs for another 6 months. Oh and that/those drug(s) might increase the frequency and duration of your anxiety for a while or cause intense suicidal thoughts before it actually starts working, or doesn’t LULZ!”

Nick Diaz: “I’m outta this shit.”

I know he’s supposed to promote fights but it’s not in him to do things their way all the time. It’s not that Nick cannot do it their way; it’s that he is rendered incapable of doing it their way consistently when his stress levels are peaked. He simply cracks under too much pressure. I don’t know how to solve this problem myself as he is a very unique snowflake: I feel his anxiety alone is a disability and he should have a bit of an exemption in some cases, or even be allowed to video conference. Or the UFC should construct smaller and more contained press junkets and if that’s not possible then maybe the last case scenario could leave them giving him a small fine for not fulfilling his duties of showing up to press conferences to appease the fans who take offence to that sort of thing (I don’t take any offence to that sort of thing). That’s all I got but whatever the case, releasing him from the UFC because of this is ridiculous. I say just get over it and let the motherfucker fight.