UFC 114 is rapidly approaching (as in it's tomorrow night) and it's been getting a lot of coverage from the mainstream media, notably ESPN. Part of it is because of the big feud between Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans, whose bout is the main event, but it's also because MMA and the UFC in particular are getting more attention. UFC president Dana White's been all over ESPN from MMA Live to Rome is Burning to The Sports Guy Bill Simmons's podcast. Sportscenter did a short preview on tomorrow night's main event. This kind of coverage was unthinkable in the not so distant past.
I started following the sport fairly recently, maybe around four or five years ago. I attended an event (UFC 59) with my brother, and soon after I started reading Sherdog. To this day I still don't remember how I found that site, but it's where I learned most of what I know about MMA and its history. For some reason I just loved it and started looking for videos of past fights, whether it be UFC, Pride (its main competitor at the time) or even smaller shows like Rumble on the Rock or Strikeforce (which has grown into the UFC's current competitor).
At that time MMA was beginning to grow in popularity, spurred largely by the UFC's reality show The Ultimate Fighter. Still, it wasn't mainstream at all, so it was jarring for me to be watching ESPN and all of a sudden hear Sage Steele talk about how Rampage Jackson would deal with Rashad's speed and wrestling and the title implications of this fight.
It's a good first step, but it will definitely take time. Honestly I still know very little about the tactics and mechanics of MMA, so I'm sure sports anchors will need time to learn about it until they get to a level where they can go into a more detailed discussion as they would for basketball or football.
It's been an interesting journey to see MMA grow up in a sense and really start to make its mark on the sport and entertainment industries. Even as a relatively late adopter, I've seen a huge transformation in how MMA is viewed and presented. I'm excited to see where it goes from here.
But...if I could ask for one thing, one thing that would really indicate to me that it's been more accepted and understood, I'd love to hear the anchors and talking heads pronounce the Brazilian names correctly. I didn't get this for the longest time, but apparently R's (or maybe just the first R? I don't know) are pronounced as H's. With guys on top right now like Shogun Rua and legends like Royce Gracie, it's a small but very noticeable detail. As dumb as it sound even as I'm typing it out, that little change will make a big difference in my mind.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Badge Story
So I started my internship with Motorola last week.
One of the first things I had to do was get a badge so I could get into the campus and buildings and walk around looking all official. While I was waiting to take my picture, I noticed the photographer didn't instruct the people to smile or not. I've had it both ways so I guess this was sort of nice.
For some reason I got it in my head that I should just not smile and stare at the camera. Well actually that's not true. I got it from this video. Anyway yeah I thought it would be funny because it's really not me. At all.
But for whatever reason when it was my turn, I couldn't do it. I think it's because next to the camera they had a picture of a gorilla telling you to smile. I have to admit, it was pretty funny. So my attempt to mean mug failed and so I ended up with some silly looking smile.
Luckily the guy let me retake it, and I stared at the camera best I could. Afterwards, the guy straight up said, "So you're going for the hard Asian look huh?"
It was pretty epic fail, but that somehow makes it funnier. He then told me just to say that he had pissed me off during the picture. But whatever the case, it's done, and now when I walk around with that badge clipped on, people know I mean business. Or something like that.
One of the first things I had to do was get a badge so I could get into the campus and buildings and walk around looking all official. While I was waiting to take my picture, I noticed the photographer didn't instruct the people to smile or not. I've had it both ways so I guess this was sort of nice.
For some reason I got it in my head that I should just not smile and stare at the camera. Well actually that's not true. I got it from this video. Anyway yeah I thought it would be funny because it's really not me. At all.
But for whatever reason when it was my turn, I couldn't do it. I think it's because next to the camera they had a picture of a gorilla telling you to smile. I have to admit, it was pretty funny. So my attempt to mean mug failed and so I ended up with some silly looking smile.
Luckily the guy let me retake it, and I stared at the camera best I could. Afterwards, the guy straight up said, "So you're going for the hard Asian look huh?"
It was pretty epic fail, but that somehow makes it funnier. He then told me just to say that he had pissed me off during the picture. But whatever the case, it's done, and now when I walk around with that badge clipped on, people know I mean business. Or something like that.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Quick Hits: UFC 113
Just as a brief note, I didn't actually get to watch the card tonight, just saw the main event. Most of this is just from reading play-by-plays. Anyhow.
- Biggest story has to be the return of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Here's a guy who looked sloppy in his first two UFC fights but has been slowly climbing up the ladder ever since. To me, this is as good and as dominant as he's looked in several years. Just for some context, this guy was a killer back in the glory days of Pride. He never wore their 205 lb belt as he deferred to then teammate and champ Wanderlei Silva, but his run in the 2005 grand prix over Rampage Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, and Ricardo Arona still stands as one of the most dominant in history. I mean you're talking about consecutive wins over three then top 10 guys and another top 15 fighter in a single tournament. Doesn't get much better than that. He finished out his Pride career with a few other good wins and a gruesome injury loss, but this is easily the best he's looked since coming to the UFC.
- Another note for some context. Around the time Shogun won that tournament and for a couple years to come, he was one of the three men whose name was thrown around as the best light heavyweight fighter in the world. The debate was always between Shogun, and the two major champions Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. And really, you could have made a strong, defensible case for any of those guys. However, Chuck and Wand are clearly in the twilight of their careers. They can still throw down, but age and the evolution of MMA have caught up to their respective striking-based styles. On the other hand, Shogun isn't even 30 yet and, now that he has the belt, has the opportunity to truly begin his reign.
- Machida will bounce back. Count on it. He got caught by a better fighter tonight, which can always happen especially for counter-fighters. I found it interesting that Shogun was the one to give Machida his first loss. Shogun is known for a wilder style of striking, as are most of the fighters who were affiliated with the Chute Boxe camp at one time. Machida was known for dodging and countering wild strikes. Clearly, Shogun is much more precise and calculated than one might give him credit for.
- Now that his teammate no longer holds the belt, hopefully Anderson Silva will be willing to make the jump to 205 to fight for the title. That is, assuming his head is back in the game.
- Other than Anderson, there are definitely many intriguing matchups to be made. I'd love to see a rematch between Shogun and Rogerio Nogueira. Their fight in 2005 was a barnburner and still one of the most exciting bouts I've ever seen. Lil Nog's got to take care of business in his upcoming fight first, then we'll see if Dana White sets that up or makes him string together a couple more victories before his shot. Other fights that may have title implications are Rashad Evans/Quinton Jackson and Chuck Liddell/Rich Franklin. Also waiting in the wings is the up-and-coming Jon "Bones" Jones. Definitely no shortage of possible matchups.
- Josh Koscheck earned a title shot and a date with Georges St. Pierre with his decision victory over Paul Daley. Dominating wrestling performance, which really is no surprise. That's Kos's bread and butter and he's extremely tough to stop. We'll see if he can establish his wrestling against GSP unlike in their first fight where he was pretty much stuffed and manhandled for 15 minutes. He also won a coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter 12 across from GSP. Nothing against those guys, but I just don't think they have enough drama/charisma to make things interesting. Think Tito Ortiz/Ken Shamrock in season 3, BJ Penn/Jens Pulver in season 5, or Rampage/Rashad in season 10. It's not necessary and can feel contrived at times, but that rivalry and hatred does add an interesting dimension to the show that can't be replicated.
- Looks like Kimbo Slice and Daley are out of the UFC. Kimbo seems like a good guy and eager to learn, but at this point he really is just a draw. His game is progressing but still isn't at the UFC level. He's an older fighter, so it's up to him whether he wants to keep going and try to fight his way back up the ladder or just call it a career. As for Daley, I wish he hadn't pulled those stupid antics after his loss. He's an explosive striker and fun to watch, but there's no place for sucker punches in the UFC.
- Good win for Alan Belcher who pushes his record in his last five fights to 4-1. He won't challenge for the title, but he's a solid fighter finding his stride. He can be a dangerous opponent for most of the 185 division.
- Even in the victory, I'm not too impressed by Marcus Davis. He really let a round get away from him before he was able to (arguably) finish a guy who's known for having a subpar chin. He had some hype in the past, but aside from the Chris Lytle fight, every step up in competition he's faced has resulted in a loss. I'm not too sure Davis will ever be anything more than a gatekeeper at 170.
- Get better soon Jason MacDonald. He suffered a nasty leg injury in his fight with John Salter. He's a good fighter who's strung together a few wins since being cut by the UFC. Hope to see him back in the Octagon soon.
- Biggest story has to be the return of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Here's a guy who looked sloppy in his first two UFC fights but has been slowly climbing up the ladder ever since. To me, this is as good and as dominant as he's looked in several years. Just for some context, this guy was a killer back in the glory days of Pride. He never wore their 205 lb belt as he deferred to then teammate and champ Wanderlei Silva, but his run in the 2005 grand prix over Rampage Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, and Ricardo Arona still stands as one of the most dominant in history. I mean you're talking about consecutive wins over three then top 10 guys and another top 15 fighter in a single tournament. Doesn't get much better than that. He finished out his Pride career with a few other good wins and a gruesome injury loss, but this is easily the best he's looked since coming to the UFC.
- Another note for some context. Around the time Shogun won that tournament and for a couple years to come, he was one of the three men whose name was thrown around as the best light heavyweight fighter in the world. The debate was always between Shogun, and the two major champions Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. And really, you could have made a strong, defensible case for any of those guys. However, Chuck and Wand are clearly in the twilight of their careers. They can still throw down, but age and the evolution of MMA have caught up to their respective striking-based styles. On the other hand, Shogun isn't even 30 yet and, now that he has the belt, has the opportunity to truly begin his reign.
- Machida will bounce back. Count on it. He got caught by a better fighter tonight, which can always happen especially for counter-fighters. I found it interesting that Shogun was the one to give Machida his first loss. Shogun is known for a wilder style of striking, as are most of the fighters who were affiliated with the Chute Boxe camp at one time. Machida was known for dodging and countering wild strikes. Clearly, Shogun is much more precise and calculated than one might give him credit for.
- Now that his teammate no longer holds the belt, hopefully Anderson Silva will be willing to make the jump to 205 to fight for the title. That is, assuming his head is back in the game.
- Other than Anderson, there are definitely many intriguing matchups to be made. I'd love to see a rematch between Shogun and Rogerio Nogueira. Their fight in 2005 was a barnburner and still one of the most exciting bouts I've ever seen. Lil Nog's got to take care of business in his upcoming fight first, then we'll see if Dana White sets that up or makes him string together a couple more victories before his shot. Other fights that may have title implications are Rashad Evans/Quinton Jackson and Chuck Liddell/Rich Franklin. Also waiting in the wings is the up-and-coming Jon "Bones" Jones. Definitely no shortage of possible matchups.
- Josh Koscheck earned a title shot and a date with Georges St. Pierre with his decision victory over Paul Daley. Dominating wrestling performance, which really is no surprise. That's Kos's bread and butter and he's extremely tough to stop. We'll see if he can establish his wrestling against GSP unlike in their first fight where he was pretty much stuffed and manhandled for 15 minutes. He also won a coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter 12 across from GSP. Nothing against those guys, but I just don't think they have enough drama/charisma to make things interesting. Think Tito Ortiz/Ken Shamrock in season 3, BJ Penn/Jens Pulver in season 5, or Rampage/Rashad in season 10. It's not necessary and can feel contrived at times, but that rivalry and hatred does add an interesting dimension to the show that can't be replicated.
- Looks like Kimbo Slice and Daley are out of the UFC. Kimbo seems like a good guy and eager to learn, but at this point he really is just a draw. His game is progressing but still isn't at the UFC level. He's an older fighter, so it's up to him whether he wants to keep going and try to fight his way back up the ladder or just call it a career. As for Daley, I wish he hadn't pulled those stupid antics after his loss. He's an explosive striker and fun to watch, but there's no place for sucker punches in the UFC.
- Good win for Alan Belcher who pushes his record in his last five fights to 4-1. He won't challenge for the title, but he's a solid fighter finding his stride. He can be a dangerous opponent for most of the 185 division.
- Even in the victory, I'm not too impressed by Marcus Davis. He really let a round get away from him before he was able to (arguably) finish a guy who's known for having a subpar chin. He had some hype in the past, but aside from the Chris Lytle fight, every step up in competition he's faced has resulted in a loss. I'm not too sure Davis will ever be anything more than a gatekeeper at 170.
- Get better soon Jason MacDonald. He suffered a nasty leg injury in his fight with John Salter. He's a good fighter who's strung together a few wins since being cut by the UFC. Hope to see him back in the Octagon soon.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Catch, The Shot, The...Elbow?
http://twitter.com/lebronselbow
I am by no means a LeBron James fan. I'm sure part of that is because I'm a Lakers fan, but there's also the part of me that is just rubbed the wrong way by his cocky demeanor. The part that bothers me isn't so much his dancing during games or not shaking hands, but it's his overall disconnect with why people would even be offended or have a problem with those things. And then there's his choice of nicknames (King James, The Chosen One), his choice of marketing campaigns (We Are All Witnesses, LBJ/MVP ripping off of Run DMC), and other things that leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Still, he's a transcendent talent in the NBA today. His combination of speed, skill and brute force is something to see. And that's why, even though I'm a LBJ hater, I'd still like to see him explode in these playoffs, beginning with this Boston Celtics series which is currently tied at 1-1.
In the closeout game of Round 1, LeBron hurt his elbow near the end of the game. Even though it caused him to shoot a free throw left-handed in the closing seconds of a four point game (he missed, but they still won), he said after the game that it wasn't that bad. He's since been diagnosed with a sprained elbow and bone bruise and has had several MRIs since then.
The weird thing about it all is that his play and talk aren't quite matching up. Clearly, he's being affected by it. Other than that leftie free throw, he just hasn't quite been as aggressive as we're accustomed to seeing. Now it's possible, and in fact my opinion, that he's being a bit of a baby about it. After all, he himself said that he's good to go and not too affected by it. Is all this injury talk just a ploy to make fans and media fawn over what a warrior he is?
Whatever the case, his elbow is one of the biggest subplots of this postseason. As much as I hate to admit it, I'd love to watch him rise above it and take over his team. On a recent podcast, ESPN columnist Bill Simmons mentioned that he considers it a skill to be able to play injured. I totally agree. Some of the most enduring moments in sports are athletes overcoming adversity, both physical and emotional, to shine their brightest. Think Brett Favre passing for nearly 400 yards the night after his father died. Think Michael Jordan scoring 38 (15 in the 4th) in a crucial Game 5 while playing through the flu. Think Kirk Gibson limping to the plate and homering off Dennis Eckersley in the World Series. And even in today's NBA, think of the great players bound for the Hall of Fame. Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan. They're all great players and all have put up very good performances playing through pain.
If LeBron can't fight through what may or may not be a minor elbow injury, what does that mean for him? Certainly at 100%, he's one of the best to have touched a basketball. But injuries happen to everyone. Isn't durability part of the game? Isn't fighting through pain part of what it means to be a professional athlete, much less a superstar? LeBron's a special talent. I want to see him have that extra switch, the one he can flip on even when he's hurt and say, "F this, I'm taking over anyway."
He doesn't have a real sidekick on this team. There's no Jordan/Pippen, Shaq/Kobe, Dream/Glide dynamic at all. They might as well change their name to the Cleveland LeBrons (or Crabs I guess). If he can't find that switch, it's a distinct possibility that he'll be sitting at home, watching the next round of the playoffs. Not quite the throne the King was hoping for.
I am by no means a LeBron James fan. I'm sure part of that is because I'm a Lakers fan, but there's also the part of me that is just rubbed the wrong way by his cocky demeanor. The part that bothers me isn't so much his dancing during games or not shaking hands, but it's his overall disconnect with why people would even be offended or have a problem with those things. And then there's his choice of nicknames (King James, The Chosen One), his choice of marketing campaigns (We Are All Witnesses, LBJ/MVP ripping off of Run DMC), and other things that leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Still, he's a transcendent talent in the NBA today. His combination of speed, skill and brute force is something to see. And that's why, even though I'm a LBJ hater, I'd still like to see him explode in these playoffs, beginning with this Boston Celtics series which is currently tied at 1-1.
In the closeout game of Round 1, LeBron hurt his elbow near the end of the game. Even though it caused him to shoot a free throw left-handed in the closing seconds of a four point game (he missed, but they still won), he said after the game that it wasn't that bad. He's since been diagnosed with a sprained elbow and bone bruise and has had several MRIs since then.
The weird thing about it all is that his play and talk aren't quite matching up. Clearly, he's being affected by it. Other than that leftie free throw, he just hasn't quite been as aggressive as we're accustomed to seeing. Now it's possible, and in fact my opinion, that he's being a bit of a baby about it. After all, he himself said that he's good to go and not too affected by it. Is all this injury talk just a ploy to make fans and media fawn over what a warrior he is?
Whatever the case, his elbow is one of the biggest subplots of this postseason. As much as I hate to admit it, I'd love to watch him rise above it and take over his team. On a recent podcast, ESPN columnist Bill Simmons mentioned that he considers it a skill to be able to play injured. I totally agree. Some of the most enduring moments in sports are athletes overcoming adversity, both physical and emotional, to shine their brightest. Think Brett Favre passing for nearly 400 yards the night after his father died. Think Michael Jordan scoring 38 (15 in the 4th) in a crucial Game 5 while playing through the flu. Think Kirk Gibson limping to the plate and homering off Dennis Eckersley in the World Series. And even in today's NBA, think of the great players bound for the Hall of Fame. Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan. They're all great players and all have put up very good performances playing through pain.
If LeBron can't fight through what may or may not be a minor elbow injury, what does that mean for him? Certainly at 100%, he's one of the best to have touched a basketball. But injuries happen to everyone. Isn't durability part of the game? Isn't fighting through pain part of what it means to be a professional athlete, much less a superstar? LeBron's a special talent. I want to see him have that extra switch, the one he can flip on even when he's hurt and say, "F this, I'm taking over anyway."
He doesn't have a real sidekick on this team. There's no Jordan/Pippen, Shaq/Kobe, Dream/Glide dynamic at all. They might as well change their name to the Cleveland LeBrons (or Crabs I guess). If he can't find that switch, it's a distinct possibility that he'll be sitting at home, watching the next round of the playoffs. Not quite the throne the King was hoping for.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
2 Truths and 1 Lie
Fun game. We played in Sunday school today. Pretty self-explanatory. Anyway.
1. I like fried chicken
2. I like watermelon.
3. I like Kool-Aid
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