The Singular Identity of Brian Stann

by Luke Thomas on Mar 24, 2008 11:46 AM EDT in News

Seriously, journalists just can't help themselves, can they? To wit:

But WEC fighter Brian Stann was willing to give up much more than junk food and alcohol -- and he was willing to give it up for a cause that was anything but for himself.

Stann is an infantry officer for the United State Marine Corps. The 27-year-old served two tours in Iraq and is a recipient of the Silver Star, an award given for gallantry against the enemy in combat. It is the Marine Corps' third highest honor after The Medal of Honor and The Navy Cross.

"I was platoon commander and my guys encountered quite a bit of adversity during the week-long operation," Stann said of the actions that earned him the award. "[There were] some pretty tough events. As a unit, we performed stellar. It was amazing what my guys were able to accomplish."

Now the 2003 Naval Academy graduate and former college football player has a shot at the WEC light heavyweight title when he faces Doug Marshall on March 26 at The Joint in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WEC card begins at 9 p.m. EDT on Versus. Stann, 27, has a 5-0 mixed martial arts record, with all of his fights ending by either KO or TKO in the first round. The Scranton, Pennsylvania product takes certain aspects of his armed services experience and is able to transfer that inside the cage.

"It gives me an advantage, especially mentally," Stann said. "What do I really have to be worried about in an MMA fight? The real thing that's going to get hurt is my pride. What's a broken nose compared to no legs."

Is this ever going to end? Is there anything to Briann Stann that doesn't have to do with being a Marine who served in Iraq? I served in the Marines as well (I did not go to Iraq) and that time I spent in the Corps is certainly a component of my identity, but it is not the lynch pin.

This is downright nauseating. For crying out loud, can someone please do an interview with Stann without mentioning the Marines, the military or Iraq just once?

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Re: The Singular Identity of Brian Stann

I agree. I never served but I the act of doing so to be incredibly admirable. But I think we've drifted too far into trying to "humanize" and soften fighters when we don't ever get to know anything about a fighter if he served in the military.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 24, 2008 12:46 PM EDT 0 recs

Re: The Singular Identity of Brian Stann

Dude, it's his gimmick. How many other people have one? The only people complaining about it are forum posters and bloggers. I don't have a problem with it. It's a human interest story. ''Why can't someone interview Randy without asking about his age?'', sounds so dismissive of everything the guy has done. He's a proud man, he doesn't want to distance himself from the things he has done in his past. Compared to you, me, and almost everyone else, he is a pretty damn heroic guy. We can brag about that time we won $50 on a lotto scratcher, this guy is the story topper who brings up the time he saved a bunch of lives. You know how many local news stations are gonna jump on this guy if he wins the big one against Marshall? You know how big he would be if he transfers to the UFC and does well?

by godzillad on Mar 24, 2008 3:56 PM EDT 0 recs

Re: The Singular Identity of Brian Stann

Yeah, I get all that. I'm just kind of tired of it. No, I'm really tired of it. Part of me also thinks it cheapens the accomplishment to use it so consistently as the bargaining chip. Tim Kennedy has all the accolades Stann does and yet doesn't do half of the marketing based on that history. More importantly, Kennedy is twice the fighter Stann is, too.

It just seems to me that in place of being able to say anything meaningful about his abilities, journalists and Stann himself are falling back on this story as a proxy.

by Luke Thomas on Mar 24, 2008 4:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: The Singular Identity of Brian Stann

Tim Kennedy doesn't talk about it because he can't. He doesn't want to talk about. He doesn't want to talk around it. He's in the army he went to war he got a bronze star. That's public record. Everyting else is off limits. Brian Stann can and he believes he can use it to highlight the accomplishment and sacrifice of his bretheren. He doesn't always talk about it and it's the journalist and comentators who tend to want to go there, but I believe he is completely honest. It is fundamental to his makeup. Some people are actualy motivated by the lofty and transcendent. Couture is 44, GSP is Canadian, Koscheck is a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, and Brian Stann is a Marine awarded the Silver Star, motivated by the death of is bretheren to excell... get over it.

by ahaygood on Mar 27, 2008 2:30 AM EDT 0 recs