Brent Metcalf Interview

Lapchick Column

Since when are things in life fair? Nothing is and probably will never be, especially in the realm of sports. I am referring to the amount of minorities and women in professionals’ sports today. The 2006-2007: Racial and Gender Report Card by Richard Lapchick, shows how professional sports and collegiate sports hire individuals in comparison to the athletes chosen for the institution. Not too sound callous or ignorant, but is this something needed to be harped on in our society.

Lapchick’s study grades each sport by how well they hire minorities and women into an organization. The study also looks at the ratio between white athletes and minority athletes in American sports. While this may have been a highly debated topic years ago, I feel as if there are more pressing issues to be looked at.

The study shows how the NBA has over 76 percent of their players being of African American descent and the NFL has over 67 percent. In comparison, the MLB has only 8 percent African American athletes. These numbers are large because all three leagues are prominent in American society.

Could the breakdown of races have to do something with interests in the sports? With all do respect, yes. The interest of baseball has never been very significant in baseball with African Americans, but with Whites and Latinos it has been. Even after Jackie Robinson broke the race barrier in baseball the interest in baseball has never been extremely high, and seems to be decreasing year after year. Who knows if it has to do with the way people are raised or does it apply to a significant hero kid’s look up to and idolize that makes them participate in one sport or the other?

The race and gender study also shows these numbers to be lacking when it comes to the hiring of individuals for executive and coaching positions.

But why is this significant? It isn’t. The athletes are paid millions of dollars to perform and bring in the revenue for teams. Coaching and executive jobs should go to the highest qualified candidate. It should not come down to race or gender, but rather who is best qualified for the job.

Call me a racist or a sexist, but when an overqualified applicant gets passed over to meet a ‘quota’ in favor of a minority or a woman, something doesn’t feel right or just in the hiring practices.

However, the NFL has taken steps to combat the lack of minorities when it comes to head coaching positions. The Rooney Rule made it mandatory for NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate. The rule helped to increase the number of African American coaches to seven in 2007, compared to only two in 2002. The rule was showcases in 2007 when two African American head coaches led their teams to the Super Bowl, and Tony Dungy became the first to win a Super Bowl championship.

Another breakthrough for minorities came when Robert Johnson became the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. At the point of publication, Johnson was the only African American to be an owner of a franchise in any

professional sport.

While the Rooney Rule might be effective to a point, it is just another form of affirmative action. Many people agree with affirmative action, but as stated earlier, I find it hard to give a job to a person based simply on race. Also, the fact that there is only one African American owner in professional sports means diddlysquat. It all has to do with money. In the end the power of the all-mighty dollar outranks race. There are plenty of wealthy minorities in the world and in America. If one wanted to own a team and is willing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to own it, then they should do so. But don’t wine to me about not getting an opportunity to own a team, especially when a league has over three fourths of a minority group.

This is the 21^st century. There is an African American in the White House. Granted, the survey was conducted a few years ago, but the opportunities are there for every race not just for Whites. Some of my favorite athletes are African Americans and the study seemed too preachy and whinny at times. I feel everyone should have the right for growth and opportunity, but it should ultimately go to the most deserving and credentialed applicant available.

Twitter, is it good?

1. How do media use Twitter for "good?'

• The use of Twitter is good for the media because it allows journalists to break news. By logging on to their Twitter feed, a writer is able to Tweet his/her thoughts on a current topic. Often, the topics are hyper linked to a full story for further reading. Big media chains such as the NY Times and Chicago Tribune use it to entice readers. Enticing the reader makes the reader click the hyper link to view the story, thus creates more traffic and attention on ones website.

2. How do media combat/reach readers who don't know the difference between gossip and genuine reporting?

• The media is able to combat what is gossip and genuine reporting by using sources. The more sources a writer has on a topic, the more credible the story generally is. Readers who don't know the difference between here say and truth need to rely on facts and information from reputable sources. Also, a journalist has ethical issues when writing a story. They won't libel a person because it is ethically wrong and also could have major repercussions on their career.
• One main point of readers is to realize breaking news from news that has had time to marinate and sit. Breaking news is short and to the point. It usually tells what happened and who was involved without much speculation. A story that elaborates on the breaking news, usually has been written a few hours after the event occurred. This would give the journalist ample time to put facts and sources together, in order to elaborate more on the breaking news.
  
• Also, check who is distributing the news. If the news is coming from a well known distributor, then the story is more often genuine. If it comes from a tabloid, then gossip is usually what is written.
  

UFC 105 Predictions

Well fight fans you won't have to order this event, instead you can watch it from the comfort of your own home. The broadcast will air on SpikeTV. However, the event will not be live, instead it will be tape delayed because the event is currently taking place in England.

Predictions

Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera

• After watching Couture's last fight I find it hard to pick him as a winner. Vera is younger and faster than the aging Couture.
  
• Vera will ultimately win, most likely by unanimous decision. Youth will prove key over experience in this fight.
  

Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy

• I fully expect Swick to win this fight. He has been riding some heavy momentum as of late, and will fight with a chip on his shoulder. He has not been given the credit he deserves in his recent wins.
  
• Swick will dominate with a first or second round TKO of Hardy.
• With a TKO and an impressive showing, Swick would be next inline for a title shot against George St. Pierre.

Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang

• This fight could lead to some controversy if Bisping doesn't win via TKO or submission. Bisping is fighting in his native England and the judges will play a role if the fight goes to the judges.
  
• In order for Kang to win he has to get a TKO or submission.
  
• I believe Bisping will win this fight mainly because it is the home crowd and he will be motivated to give them a good fight.
  

James Wilks vs Matt Brown

• Wilks on of the Ultimate Fighter 9 and showed great poise and confidence during his stay. I really enjoy watching Brown fight because he is a brawler. He isn't the most athletic fighter but he has heart.
  
• I expect this will go to the judges with Brown winning by split decision.
  

Ross Pearson vs. Aaron Riley

• This fight is all about experience. Riley is undoubtedly the experienced one and has not shown any ring dust in past fights.
  
• Experience out-ways youth in this fight with Riley winning by split decision over Pearson.
  

Youth will attempt to guide Iowa City West to State

Youth and perimeter shooting are two things Iowa City West’s women’s basketball team will rely on this season.

Last year the Trojans finished 16-6, losing in the sub-state final to the Ankeny Hawks. But the main parts of the team have graduated.

Gone from last years team are the two leading scores, Emma Krieger Kittle and Madison Sadecky. The two graduated last year and took with them over half of the teams’ total points and rebounding.

This year’s team will rely on younger faces in order to replace the production of Krieger Kittle and Sadecky. But perhaps the hardest part to replace is the height.

The height factor is something West head coach B.J. Mayer will have to adapt to. The tallest player is only 5’10”, which creates some problems in the post.

“It’s definitely one of our weaknesses,” said Mayer. “We will probably rely more on the three-point shot this year.”

Not having an inside game would usually worry a coach, but not Mayer. Instead, the Trojans will look to run a more up-tempo style of offense, more conducive to their strengths. Senior Kristin Foman will be one key player the Trojans will look to for the three point shot. Last year, Foman averaged 27% from beyond the arc, but this year coach Mayer will be looking for her to improve her game.

“Kristin is a good shooter, but struggled last year to find her stroke,” said Mayer. “Hopefully she has a more productive season shooting the ball this year.”

Two other seniors looking to make an impact are Courtney Fritz and Mackenzie Reed. Fritz averaged 5.9 points per game and Reed averaged 5.2 last year. Mayer understands the importance of senior leadership, which will be a key part if the Trojans look to make the jump from sub-state to the state playoffs.

To help the seniors will be the addition of key players from last years 20-1 sophomore team. The added players will help establish a consistent rotation. Mayer expects to have a 10 player rotation compared to last year’s seven person rotation.

However, one key factor still remains unaddressed, the defense. In order to battle the height issues, the Trojans will run a zone defense to create more confusion on the floor, and to allow for more double teams in the post. Sophomore Tatum Klein is expected to be the main defender Mayer will look to in tough situations.

“Tatum Klein, who was a freshman last year, played a little with the varsity squad last season,” said Mayer. “Her defensive ability will be a big part of this year’s team.”

The first test for the young Trojans will be on Nov. 24 against non-conference opponent Fairfield. This game is important for the Trojans, because if they want to be able to complete with the elites in the Mississippi Valley Conference, they will need to get off to a solid start.

“Getting off to a good start, and gaining some early momentum is going to be really important, especially with such a young team," said Mayer.

The road to state for the Trojans officially begins with practice on November 9^th.

Response to Vincent Article

John Vincent’s article, Equitable Media Coverage of Female and Male Athletes: Is there a Solution?”, analyzes the many challenges female athletes face when it comes to representation in the media compared to male athletes.

Vincent’s argument is that society has stereotyped women with a certain gender role of being sexual. One example is that of Anna Kournikova. She plays tennis but is not a considerable talent such as Serena or Venus Williams. Kournikova plays into the stereotype of being sexual. Her appearances in Sports Illustrated and other publications show how her role is not of an athlete, but rather a sexual entity.

There are many social constructed ideas about female athletes that Vincent touches upon. One of the ideas is “gender appropriate sports.” Vincent notices female athletes who compete in tennis, swimming, gymnastics and so forth receive more media coverage. The idea is women who compete in more physical sports, such as field hockey, are categorized as being more masculine and thus receive far less attention.

A key aspect for women not receiving as much media coverage is because of revenue. Female athletics doesn’t draw the money men’s athletics do. For that reason, newspapers do not lead with a female story as often as a male story.

Women also don’t receive the same respect when it comes to sports journalism as a career. Sports journalism is a male dominated work place and this is still evident today, most notably on ESPN. There are female anchors on the network but generally, women work as side-line reporters. Not many women have been able to work their way from the side-line to a higher position. A reason for this is could be attributed to the stereotypes of women in society. In some ways this is true. Pam Ward, and ESPN announcer, is criticized for her play calling abilities. She often gets things wrong, and to a big sports fan, this can be seen as unacceptable. It also doesn’t help female analysts when there are blogs about how poorly Ward does.

One of the main problems I see with women breaking the barrier into mainstream sports is history. Men’s sports have saturated history, and women have been competing for a much shorter time then men. The gap between the two almost seems insurmountable. Even though history has changed, and women have gone from the household to the workplace, history has yet to change the dominant role of sports.

Even when there is a terrific female sports story in society, it generally gets overshadowed by a lesser male event. There have been times when female athletes have been able to snag the headlines such as the US Women’s World Cup team, the UCONN basketball program, and Shawn Johnson.

The conclusion Vincent gives is interesting to note. We do live in a society saturated by media and the Internet, but ultimately it is the parent’s responsibility to nudge their daughters into a direction of athletics. The idea of sitting on a couch and gaining weight is not something any parent wants. Vincent says, “it is important that parents perceive that their daughters' athleticism will be valued,” is a good measure of how a child relies on their parents to teach good lessons to them even if they don’t see them on TV or the Internet.

I believe female athletes are just as talented as male athletes. A good example is Danica Patrick. She has won an Indy Car race and continues to beat men every weekend on the track. I believe most people know she is a race car driver, but many would recognize her as the Go Daddy sponsor. She wears tight clothes and is seen with other gorgeous women in the ads. There are many other great athletes out there but still have little recognition with endorsements or by the media.

At the end of his article, Vincent lists ways in which the media can change their approach in order to equally give the same amount of coverage to both sexes. However, like most things, it all comes down to money. The media is a business, and they need followers in order to survive. It is clear to see where the media stands on male vs. female athletics. It would be hard to change something that has worked for the media for such a long time.

Fighter Bonus Awards for UFC 104

Awards

Fight of the Night

• Antoni Hardonk vs. Patrick Barry
  
• This fight was not on the main card and thus did not air on Pay-Per-View. However, it did air live on SpikeTV as part of the preliminary card. This fight was intense and very entertaining for any MMA fan. There was constant action, which was a great lead into the Pay-Per-View. It is a shame that not all UFC fights are like this one.
  
• Result: Barry won via TKO in the second round. Both fighters received a $60,000 bonus for the fight
  

Knockout of the Night

• This bonus was awarded to Patrick Barry for the onslaught of punches that he unloaded on Hardonk.
• Barry was awarded another $60,000 for the knockout.
  

Submission of the Night

• Stefan Struve won the bonus. Unfortunately, this fight was part of the non-televised fights and was only aired after the main event as a replay.
  
• Struve locked in a triangle choke against Chase Gormley. The choke happened in the last minute of the first round.
• Struve earned $60,000 for the submission.
  

UFC 104 Results

Machida vs. Rua

• The fight was back and forth the entire night. It never really looked like each fighter was able to get into a groove to win. The bout went the entire 25 minutes which is impressive.
  
• Result: Machida retains his title via unanimous decision

Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell

• Rothwell never had a chance in this fight. I know I predicted Rothwell to win, but in retrospect it was a stupid decision. Rothwell looked tired after the first round which ultimately led to his downfall.
  
• Result: Velasquez nailed Rothewell with a sharp punch early in the second round. The strike to Rothwell off of his feet and Velasquez went for the win. It was a superb victory of Velasquez and should be next in line for a heavyweight title shot.
  

Tibau vs. Neer

• I also picked Neer to win. Early in the first round, I thought Neer could pull off the victory with a submission. However, Tibau was able to escape and the fight went all three rounds.
• Result: Tibau won the via unanimous decision.

Stevenson vs. Fisher

• Another missed pick on my part. Going into this game there was some bad blood between the two fighters. To open the fight, neither fighter touches each others gloves. Usually, each fighter will touch gloves to show a sign of respect. There was none between these two.
  
• In round 1, Stevenson catches Fisher with a tight jab to the face. This cuts Fisher's face open and blood starts to pour out of it. None the less, Fisher retains poised and has an angered look on his face. Stevenson is smiley. Round 1 closes and Stevenson looks well conditioned and Fisher looks bewildered. Round 2 opens and Stevenson continues the onslaught. With one minute left in the round, Stevenson gets Fisher to the ground in the crucifix position, and unloads some heavy elbows. Blood continues to pour out of Fisher's head covering the mat in blood. Unable to defend himself, Fisher taps out.
  
• Result: Stevenson wins via tap out in the second round.

Johnson vs. Yoshida

• This fight was over before it began, or so it seemed. Less than one minute into the fight, Johnson unloads a furry of punches to Yoshida.
  
• Result: Johnson wins via TKO, early in the first round.
  

UFC 104 Predictions

Fights

Light Heavyweight Championship bout:
Lyoto Machida (c) vs Mauricio Rua

• I expect this fight to live up to all the hype. Both fighters are very well rounded with not many flaws to speak of. My pick is for Machida to successfully defend his title. I predict Machida will knock out Rua in the third round.
  

Heavyweight bout

Cain Velasquez vs Ben Rothwell

• Velasquez is undefeated and many look for him to keep his streak alive, for what would be a showdown with champion Brock Lesnar. However, Rothwell is a very large man, and capable of pulling off this upset. I think Rothwell will surprise many with a third round knockout of Velasquez.
  

Lightweight bout:
Gleison Tibau vs. Josh Neer

• Look for an upset as Tibau is supposed to knockout Neer fairly early in the fight. Neer is coming off of a tough loss at UFC 101, and will be out for redemption. Neer is also fights out of Iowa, so I have to get support to him. In all fairness, look for Neer to win via submission and shock a lot in the MMA community.
  

Lightweight bout:
Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher

• I like Fisher in this fight. He is on a three fight win streak, and looks to make it four. Again, another Iowan so he will do well.
  

Welterweight bout:
Anthony Johnson vs.Yoshiyuki Yoshida

• I will keep this one simple. Johnson will knockout Yoshida in the second round.
  

Packers Column

The loyal cheese heads that pack into the frozen tundra were hoping for a better start to the season than 3-2. Nothing seems to be falling into place for the Green Bay Packers, well except they stink almost as bad as moldy cheese.

The Packers offensive line has given up a league high 20 sacks, which is god awful. But quarterback Aaron Rogers refuses to blame his offensive line. The offense isn’t horrible, in fact they average 26 points per game, which is tops in the NFC North division.

One main reason for the Packers stench is their defense. The Packers decided to revamp the entire defensive system from a year ago. Head coach Mike McCarthy brought in defensive coordinator Dom Capors to run the 3-4.

So far this system has failed. The team has only collected five sacks and in most major statistic they are in the lower third of the league. The 3-4 sounded like a decent system going into the offseason, but the second I heard the coaches wanting to move Aaron Kampman to weak-side linebacker, I was shocked.

Why would you want to teach a new position to your best defensive player? In the last three seasons, Kampman is third in the NFL in total sacks, and this year he has only one. He doesn’t have the speed to cover an Adrian Peterson man-to-man, but what he does have is the explosive speed to rush off of the defensive line, which is where he needs to be.

The only positive to come out of this system is the reemergence of safety Charles Woodson. He has amassed three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. Oh, not to mention the Packers are second in the NFL in turnover ratio with plus seven. If there is a bright spot in the defense, this would have to be it. Also the stellar play of rookie Clay Matthews is another positive.

But beside the few bleak signs of improvement, every week the defense regresses. Being a fan my whole life, it is hard to watch a team with so much potential struggle. Maybe it is because the system is new? Or maybe it is because certain players aren’t play in the right positions?

Only time will tell if the Packers defense can get back on track. I just hope it is sooner rather than later. And please move Kampman back to defensive end where he belongs. If this system does not pan out this season, expect to see some major changes in the Green Bay coaching staff. Namely head coach Mike McCarthy and new coach Dom Capors.

It is still early in the season with plenty of time to work out the kinks. But if the Packers hope to win the division, they are going to have to play stellar defense especially against the Minnesota Vikings explosive offense.

The Rabbit Hunter by Frank DeFord: Revised

Original: "Such criticism doesn't necessarily affect Knight in the ways and to the extent that most people imagine. In a sense, he enjoys being misunderstood, so no one can get a fix on him. It's like the effect Indiana's good defense has on the coaches of its opponents. "The average coach wants his team to score points," Knight says. "It's his character, his machismo, whatever you want to call it, that's at stake. So if I make a coach concerned enough about my defense stopping his offense, then he'll forget about my offense.""

Revised: The criticism Knight endures doesn't seem to bother him the way it would someone else. In a way, he likes to be mysterious so no one can fully understand him. Indiana's defense is similar to Knight, both are puzzling and hard to guard. "The average coach wants his team to score points," Knight says. "It's his character, his machismo, whatever you want to call it, that's at stake. So if I make a coach concerned enough about my defense stopping his offense, then he'll forget about my offense."

Original: "Knight is forever putting people back on their heels, testing them, making them uncomfortable in some way. Stop them from scoring points, and they won't be prepared to stop you. Although it's fashionable to say Knight rules by intimidation, he actually rules more by derision. He abuses the people he comes into contact with, taking the license to treat them as he does his players."

Revised: Knight is a coach who will test and punish you in some way. The opposing team will be pushed to the breaking point, often putting them back on their heels, in order to get them off of their game plan. The ideology behind this is simple: if Knight's teams stops them from scoring, then they won't be able to stop you. He makes it uncomfortable to play against and speak with because of the abusing nature that both carry. Knight often treats opposing foes as if he they were a part of his own team; abusive.

Original: "The best thing that ever happened to Knight was that after high school—he's still the greatest star ever to come out of Orrville, Ohio—he didn't amount to a hill of beans as a player. Knight the failed hero has not only served as the challenge for Knight the coach, but also Knight the disappointed hero is the model for the Every player Knight coaches. That boy was limited, self-centered, frustrated, a pouter, then a bitcher, ultimately a back-biter against his coach, Fred Taylor, who once called Knight "the Brat from Orrville."

Revised: After Knight left high school the best that could have happened, did. He amounted to nothing in college, in terms of a basketball player. The failed player from Orville served as motivation for Knight to get into coaching, and his coaching philosophy. Knight, himself, is a perfect model of what he doesn't want from his players. As a player, he was a self-centered, egotistical, a pouter and a back-talker against his coach Fred Taylor. Taylor once called Knight "the brat from Orrville."

Xyience: the Official Energy Drink of the UFC

I have recently discovered this energy drink made by Xyience, called Xenergy. I saw that it is the official energy drink of the UFC. I decided to try it out and was blown away. Most energy drinks are packed with sugar that loads me up for a few hours only to come down needing an extreme sugar rush. On the can it clearly states that it has zero calories and is sugar free.

I had the flavor Mango Guava and it was tasty. I was able to drink it at a good pace, instead of chugging it like so many other energy drinks. It was a delectable choice for studying, plus it didn't have a horrible after taste. Rather it left me wanting more. I would recommend this drink to anyone in need of an energy boost. I believe that if it is good enough for the UFC to endorse, then it is good enough for me to drink.

Chuck Liddell Dancing?

Believe it or not, UFC alum Chuck Liddell can keep his dancing shoes for one more week. Liddell's dancing performance is anything from graceful, but yet the fans still vote for him. It is strange to see a man who can still fight performing delicate dance routines to millions on national TV. He appears to be stiff on the dance, often uptight, but he has yet to falter.

Last years winner was 17 year-old Shawn Johnson who danced her way to the mirror ball trophy. She too lacked grace and elegance in the beginning but was voted back week after week. Some comparisons could be drawn to Johnson and Liddell, but he still has to find his niche in the competition. She was cute, Olympic gold medal winning gymnast from Iowa. While, Liddell's accomplishments are not as world renowned as her's, he still has the athletic advantage that others might not have. I look for Liddell to improve more and more each week through the tutelage of his instructors. Liddell is used to going through five rounds of hell for a living, so dancing should be easier for him to handle. The only way to keep Liddell on the show is to vote. Stay tuned because you never know what might happen on Dancing with the Stars.

UFC 103 Predictions

Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort: 195 Catchweight

• This fight has me in suspense because it is the return of Belfort. At the same time, it is hard for me to choose a winner. I am and have been a fan of Franklin for a while. However, Belfort is coming back to the UFC and we most likely come out hungry for a victory. Belfort's striking ability is unprecedented in MMA. He also has an edge is footwork and quickness. For those reasons, Belfort should win this fight.
  
• Winner: I have to go with Franklin. I know I threw out great praise for Belfort, but my gut is telling me to go with Franklin.

Mirko Filipovic vs. Junior dos Santos: Heavyweight

• Filipovic used to dominate in the kickboxing realm of MMA, but he is slower now than what he used to be. He is not as quick and there have been noticeable flaws in his fights as of late. Dos Santos has very fast hands that are punishing. I predict dos Santos will unload with heavy right and left hand hooks in the second round.
  
• Winner: Junior dos Santos

Martin Kampmann vs. Paul Daley: Welterweight

• Kampmann is a well rounded fighter with great take down skills. He also has a terrific submission game. Daley does not have the ground game to stop Kampmann from apply a crippling submission.
  
• Winner: Martin Kampmann
  

Josh Koshcheck vs. Frank Trigg: Welterweight

• Koshcheck is faster, stronger and better than Trigg is. Trigg lets fighters get to his back too easily which is a major problem. I look for Koshcheck to exploit this weakness to capture a victory.
• Winner: Josh Koshcheck via rear naked chock
  

Hermes Franca vs. Tyson Griffin: 159 Catchweight

• Look for Tyson to control this fight with his wrestling ability. At the same time, Franca will be looking for a submission to apply. This fight has a good chance of going the three full rounds and there is not a clear and coherent fighter to choose.
  
• Winner: Tyson Griffin via split decision
  

Kimbo Slice...IMPROVED?

All hail the mighty, immortal Kimbo Slice! Right? That's the way it seemed Wednesday night when Rampage Jackson saw Slice enter as a contestant in The Ultimate Fighter. Jackson's reaction to Slice walking in was as if he had just seen God. Jackson later picked Slice as his first fighter. I am still confused on why Jackson picked Slice. It is almost as if he wanted to lose this season. Rashad Evans was happy to comply and gave Jackson the number one pick. Evans picked more strategically, evaluating EVERY fighter for their strengths and weaknesses.

Alright, enough bashing on Slice. He did impress me in the premiere. From the last time he fought, he has improved his ground game ten fold. He is still not a superior ground and pound fighter but he had gained a lot more knowledge. I was very impressed by his blocks on take downs. If he is able to block his opponents from taking him down, the he has a legitimate shot at winning this contest. However, he probably has to win two fights to make it to the finale. Even though I have been hard on Slice, in some twisted way I am rooting for him. He does bring a lot of viewership to the sport and could be beneficial to the sport. But that is a big could be. I still would like to see more development out him if he is to be the UFC.

A Shattering Premiere

Did anyone happen to watch the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter premiere, Wednesday night on SpikeTV? Well, apparently I wasn't the only one because SpikeTV captured millions of viewers. MMAJunkie.com posts, "The 4.1 million viewers (2.9 household rating) created the largest audience for a single "TUF" episode and a record for a season debut of any show in Spike TV history." Besides capturing over four million viewers, the premiere was number one in its time slot, and number one for certain demographics. The popularity of the debut is undoubtedly due to the presence of Kimbo Slice. Not only is this a good sign for Kimbo Slice, but more importantly for the UFC. On Saturday, the UFC has UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort. The same night, Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. has a boxing match on Pay-Per-View.

Boxing has been falling out of favor in recent years and MMA is starting to take over. It will be interesting to see if the UFC continues to rule the Pay-Per-View realm. Whatever the result may be, viewership is still increasing. The UFC is drawing in more power with the marketing Slice can bring to the organization. It will be interesting to see if the high viewership will continue throughout the season and into future Pay-Per-Views.

UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort

Only one more week until the highly anticipated return of former champion, Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort. It has been four years since he has fought in the UFC, most recently fighting for Affliction Entertainment, an organization owned by Donald Trump. Belfort will fight September 19th, against Rich "Ace" Franklin, at UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort.

Both Belfort and Franklin have similar fighting styles, but what makes this fighting so appealing that it would headline the upcoming Pay-Per-View? One reason is the fight is a catchweight fight. Catchweight means both fighters are coming out of different weight classes and have agreed to fight at weight somewhere between the two. Belfort generally fights at 205 lbs. and Franklin fights at 185 lbs. This fight will take place at 195 lbs, and thus it is a catchweight fight. The second reason the fight is the headliner is because both are former champions. It is hard to become a UFC champion, but to have two former champions square off makes for a good fight. Another reason is that both fighters are popular in the MMA community. They both are marketable and the economic situation the country is in, it makes sense to schedule this fight. In order for the UFC to draw fans in for a fight, the main card has to have two high profiled competitors.

Franklin comes into the fight with a record of 27-4 and 1 no contest, and Belfort enters 18-8. UFC 103 should be an entertaining fight night and should showcase two skilled competitors for three rounds inside the octagon.

UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort
American Airlines Center
Dallas, TX
September 19, 2009
9 p.m. Pay-Per-View

image courtesy of the UFC.com

Des Moines Fighter in UFC 104

Josh Neer, a native of Des Moines, will be fighting at UFC 104 against Gleison Tibau. This is a great opportunity for Neer to regroup after an unanimous decision loss to Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101. This is a quick turnaround in terms of fights for a fighter. They generally take take four to six months in between fights to train but Neer is stepping in for the injured Sean Sherk. Neer will enter the fight with a 4-4 record in the UFC, and Tibau is also coming off of a loss. Regardless of the time frame Neer has to train, he must be prepared to fight. The fight is also on the main card, meaning the fight will be live on Pay-Per-View, and is being billed as a fight to watch in the lightweight division. A win would likely increase his star power in the UFC, and should help to silence the debate about whether or not he should be in the UFC after his January 1, 2009, arrest.
Neer was arrested for DUI in Des Moines, and was charged with other violations.

Rampage the Actor?

It has recently been revealed that former UFC light heavyweight champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, will be starring in an upcoming movie. Jackson will take part in the movie, A-Team, which was a popular TV show in the 80s. According to The Examiner, Jackson is slated to play B.A. Baracus, which was the character played by Mr. T. No official announcement has been made by the UFC regarding this film, but multiple websites have claimed that Jackson has asked for his upcoming fight to be pushed back. Jackson is scheduled to fight on December 12, 2009. If Jackson did ask for the fight to be pushed back, then the UFC would have to find a replacement fighter in order to bolster the fight, because Jackson vs. Rashad Evans is supposed to be the main event.

Many other MMA fighters have branched into the movie business but have had little success making the transition. If Jackson wants to have a better outcome, then his performance has to be superb. It does help that Ridley Scott is producing the film, which should help his acting skills. Hopefully. To me, this seems like a stretch for him, mostly because he has terrific fighting skills and his star is on the rise after being a coach on the upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter. Maybe this move is do to money reasons or in hopes of creating a different career, but the only way to find out is to see his performance on the big screen.

picture courtesy of dandriffill.com

Kimbo Slice, fighter or brawler?

Kimbo Slice could be considered one of the largest Internet sensations in this decade. Who is Slice? He is a professional MMA fighter previously fighting for the organization EliteXC. He fights like a backyard brawler. There is little to no technique involved in his fights. But to his credit, he wins fights and is a huge draw at fights. EliteXC tapped him as their main card fighter and invested most of their efforts into him, mainly for the fact that he is such a huge YouTube star.

But this begs the question, is he really a fighter? This was answered in his last fight, in which he lost in an astonishing fourteen seconds. This clip attached shows what a real MMA fighter can do to someone who has not be trained in the art of MMA. Consequently, EliteXC filed for bankruptcy partially because their 'super star' was knocked out, and the UFC was too big of a company to compete with. Dana White, president of the UFC, has gone on record against Slice. White has said Slice would never fight in the UFC unless he literally fights his was in. Fortunately for Slice, he has been given an opportunity to fight for a contract in the Ultimate Fighter. Will Slice be able to capture the contract or will he be knocked out for good?

The new season of the Ultimate Fighter premiers on SpikeTV on September 16th.

It has been one week since UFC 102 featuring Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.  Couture lost the fight to Nogueira in a unanimous decision in three rounds in the octagon.  Coming into the fight both fighters were coming off tough defeats. Couture lost his heavyweight title to Brock Lesnar in UFC 91 and Nogueira lost his last fight against Frank Mir in an interim heavyweight title fight at UFC 92.  The fight was for the interim championship because former heavyweight champion Couture was in a disagreement with the UFC over certain practices.  The Couture vs. Nogueira fight showcased some elite talent.  It also demonstrated that the UFC still had tremendous athletes in the heavyweight division.  Some people believed that both fighters were finished in terms of their career.  The fight was being billed as a comeback for both fighters.  The fight clearly shows that there is still talent in the heavyweight division.  There should not have to be a debate about this topic, because both fighters have done so much, and have contributed many years to it.  The only real argument is age, or at least in Couture’s case.   

 

Former champion Couture is 46 but for his age he still fights as if he was in his twenties.  Despite losing his last fight he still has the talent to fight in the UFC.   There are not a lot of high profiled athletes in this division and therefore I believe, if both fighters continue to fight and improve, that they have a legitimate shot at the UFC title.  As of right now there is only one major heavyweight draw in the UFC, which is Brock Lesnar.  Lesnar’s next fight is scheduled to be at UFC 106 against Shane Carwin. 

 

For the lack of star power in the weight class, the UFC is going to air the Ultimate Fighter 10, which is to showcase some new up and coming heavyweights.  This is a terrific move on the UFC’s part, particularly because Kimbo Slice will be in the TV show.  This will allow the world a glimpse in the internet sensation known as Kimbo.  Is this a strategic move by the UFC to bolster the heavyweight division, or will this backfire?  

About Me

My name is Brandon Swedberg, and I am a self-described mixed martial arts (MMA) freak. I love everything the sport has to offer. Whether it is from the pure brutality of the sport or to the simplistic nature of submissions. Every aspect of the sport touches me in someway. The tole the fighters go through in training for the fights is incredible, somewhat inhuman like. Normal society works nine to five days, but in the case of these athletes, their nine to five consists of beating the crap out of training partners in order to prepare for an up and coming fight. Some people in society call the sport "human cock fighting." In some regards it is, but in hind sight it's not. Its much more than putting two people into a cage and having them beat each other up for fifteen minutes. Months and even years of training that fighters do, proves to me, that its much more than a barbaric display of athleticism. In writing this blog, I hope to showcase the strengths of MMA by writing to you, the reader, that MMA is in fact the fastest growing sport in society. My main concentration will be with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Extreme Cage fighting (WEC). Both organizations are owned by the same company but differ in many aspects of the sport. I hope to entertain and to create a blog encompassing all aspects of the sport, that will hopefully bring more attention to a growing sport in the world.