Obligatory Kurt Angle Post

As I sit here writing/composing this, I am watching Monday Night Raw. The first Monday Night Raw of the post-Kurt Angle era. Angle's release has been the talk of the wrestling community since it was announced on Friday, and rightfully so. This is big news, and deserves attention. So I thought I would take advantage of my little piece of the Internet to offer my thoughts on the whole thing.

I knew Angle had been having problems, from reading the various reports on the Internet, as well as simply by looking at his body. I remember a number of years ago, a couple of friends and I went to the Skydome to see a WCW event. To give you an idea of how long ago this was, Steve Austin was there with Brian Pillman doing the Hollywood Blondes gimmick. Also on the card was Paul Orndorff. I remember my one friend commenting on Orndorff's arms, one of which was decidedly smaller than the other. We later discovered this was due to Orndorff's arm injury and subsequent surgery.

The reason I mention this is because Angle's arms were starting to take on a disturbingly Orndorff appearance. Of course, this was a physical manifestation of the damage that had been done to Angle's body, as his muscles had started atrophying due to his damaged neck and spine. That isn't good. He had already had one neck surgery, and was obviously in need of further surgery.

Angle had also been suspended twice under the WWE's Wellness Policy, implemented after the tragic loss of Eddie Guerrero almost a year ago. It turns out that he was relying on painkillers to make it through the day, a tale that wrestling fans have heard too many times already. So its obviously in the best interests of Kurt's health that he take the time he needs to let himself heal, physically and psychologically.

The big question, as I see it, is why Kurt was released? When Shawn Michaels suffered a not-quite career ending injury, WWE kept him on the payroll. Michaels was eventually able to return when the departures of bigger stars Steve Austin and The Rock coincided with his back healing. Other WWE independent contractors like Joey Mercury and Chris Masters were sent to rehab to deal with their personal problems, and were not released. One would think that the WWE could do the same with Angle, forcing him to get healthy, and not using him on their programming until he is.

I should note at this point that I am not badmouthing WWE by asking this question. I'm simply trying to figure out the situation. Its interesting because recent WWE returnee Jeff Hardy was also released because of his addictions. I remember listening to an MP3 rip of his RFVideo shoot interview, where Hardy claimed that he refused rehab because he didn't believe he had a problem. So has Angle refused rehab? Or is there something else going on here?

The other question to be raised here is whether Angle is done wrestling. I posted a comment on Todd's entry about Angle's firing, inquiring as to what sort of no-compete clause has been imposed on Angle as a result of this release. After I posted it, I realized it could be misconstrued as wishful thinking on my part, hoping that Angle will appear in a different promotion soon. Scott Williams has an article about this line of thinking up on the Observer website.

And I'll admit it. When I heard about Angle's release, I started envisioning the kind of dream matches that this release could provide. Angle vs. Danielson in a 60 minute ROH classic. Angle vs Samoa Joe. Vs. Kobashi. Vs. Muta. Vs. Ken Shamrock. The options were almost limitless. To my credit, I quicky tossed out these thoughts, and instead started envisioning things like Kurt Angle seeing 40, 50, 60. I put aside the selfish desires of the wrestling fan, and started thinking about the toll that Angle's desire to entertain had taken on his body, and the problems he was now facing as a result. As much as the wrestling fan in me would love to see those matches take place, I would much rather see Kurt Angle get healthy and never wrestle again.

But will others do the same? If Kurt Angle calls up ROH and asks for a shot, will they give it to him? Would the ROH fans greet Angle as a hero, or will they give him the Jeff Hardy treatment? Would Angle go to TNA in an attempt to prove he's still the best? Would TNA take him?

From what I understand, one reason why Kurt has allowed the problem to get this bad is because he has refused to admit he has a problem, and instead has insisted that he can go out and do what he does best. Wrestle. But is this release going to get him to admit that he isn't well? Or is he going to try to prove himself in a different ring.

I hope Kurt Angle takes full advantage of this opportunity. He hasn't burned any bridges with WWE, and as his stint as Smackdown GM proved, he can continue to contribue in a non-wrestling capacity. Heck, if he wants to really contribute, I think Angle would be one hell of a trainer down in OVW. Maybe Lance Storm can get Angle up to Calgary to show his students how things are done. If you're going to learn, you might as well learn from the best.

Heck, just thinking about Lance Storm and Kurt Angle gives me an angle idea that could result in a Wrestlemania dream match.

I know there is no way Kurt Angle reads this, but I'm hoping that in some metaphysical way, my simple act of typing these words will somehow influence the direction of the universe.

Dear Kurt,
Thank you for everything you did in wrestling. You were funny, you were intense, you were a wrestling machine. And as a fan, I am asking you. Please don't do it anymore. Go home, rest up, and never wrestle again. You've done enough. Hell, you've probably done too much already. You have nothing to prove, and nobody to impress. The most inspiring thing you could do now is to admit your limitations, and overcome your problems. Because I would much rather watch footage of you not wrestling tomorrow, than of you wrestling yesterday.

UFC 62

She was underwhelmed
If that's a word
I know it's not
'Cause I looked it up
That's one of those skills
That I learned in my school
"Underwhelmed" - Sloan

Well, UFC 62 is in the books, and I turn to CanCon* to sum up my feelings about the show. The fights weren't particularly bad, and I would probably go with a thumbs in the middle, but other factors force me to give this show a thumbs down.

First of all, the fights.

• Varner vs. Franca looked to be going to the judges, until Franca caught Varner in a pretty nice armbar. Neither fighter was particularly impressive, with Varner going for takedowns, and then getting outclassed on the ground. Franca threw some good knees, and even managed to have Varner docked a point for running away.
• Kongo b Wellisch via KTFO. Kongo defended a Wellisch armbar attempt well, and then threw a knee that, were this a cartoon, would have seen little birdies floating around Wellisch's head. It was tough for me to hear at the bar, but evidently Kongo challenged Mir. Not a bad choice on Kongo's part, as Mir still has a bit of his mystique left, and defeating him should put Kongo in the upper echelon of UFC heavyweights. Although I still think the UFC should go with Mir/Arlovski now, before either fighter suffers any more defeats.
• Nick Diaz broke his 3 fight losing skid against Josh Neer. Neer's strategy seemed to be to ignore the fact that match is judged, and instead try to get Diaz to punch himself out. Diaz was a punching machine here, while Neer seemed to be more interested in only throwing punches to prove he was still in the fight. In the third round it went to the ground, and Diaz tied up Neer's arm with a pretty kimura** for the submission.
• Griffin/Bonnar II wasn't as good as their classic first match, but was still, in my opinion, the fight of the night. Both guys were more reserved than last time, but Griffin seemed more aggressive and in control. This isn't to say that Bonnar was totally outclassed, and he still came out looking pretty good. The judges had it 30-27 for Griffin, and I'd agree, but I wouldn't argue too vehemently with anyone, such as Forrest or Stephan, who gave the second round to Bonnar. Perhaps more importantly, Griffin continued to display that self-deprecating charm that makes people love him, and Bonnar asked for a best of five series. And you know what, if these guys fought once a year, I wouldn't mind.
• Chuck Liddell made short work of Babalu Sobral, knocking him out in just over a minute and a half. At thirty seconds in, Babalu got a couple of good shots in on Chuck, but then Chuck took over and rocked Sobral. Big John McCarthy seemed willing to give Babalu the benefit of the doubt on a couple of shots, but when Sobral was knocked to the ground and not defending, BJM had no choice but to step in. You can tell Babalu was out of it when he seemed to want to grapple with Big John.
• Liddell's post-match interview also saw some entertaining banter from Tito Ortiz who came out of the crowd to say he was willing to fight Chuck in December, and then, as an afterthought, congratulate Liddell on the win.
• The ease of Liddell's win has me hoping that Dana rethinks his decision, and decides to bring in Wanderlei Silva.

So the fights weren't terrible, but as I said, other factors force me to give this show a thumbs down.

• It seems that whomever was in charge of the excellent production job on last week's Ultimate Fight Night was rewarded with the weekend off. As a result, the tight well produced quality of that show was completely missing. This show seemed slapped together by a bunch of interns who are going back to school in a couple of weeks and are just killing time till the end of the summer.
• And I get it, there are women and celebrities at the shows. But there is no reason to constantly show skanky ring rats. If you want to show Jenna Jameson because she's with Tito Ortiz, that's cool. Hell, if you just wanna show Jenna Jameson, thats cool. Jenna's in class of her own. You know what, you can even show Brittney Skye. She does things that other women won't. Like have sex for money. Plus, she's a big UFC fan. But random skanks? Once is fine. Twice is is pushing it. But for every crowd shot? Thats just pathetic. If I want to see marginally attractive slutty women dancing, I'll go to a club, and not watch UFC PPVs. I don't want the two combined.
• Almost as obnoxious are their boyfriends/johns, who wave their arms in front of the camera and hoot. Go away. I hate you. I understand these people are in the crowd. But that doesn't mean they need to show them. If I'm watching a PPV, I'm not interested in seeing which random drunken strangers are in the crowd. I want to see the fights.
• Guess what? If I'm watching UFC 62 with the main event of Chuck Liddell vs. Renato Sobral, there is no need to plug Chuck Liddell vs. Renato Sobral. So don't. There is no need to tell us that the fight is coming up later, and no need to show clips from the Spike TV preview show. We've already ordered the show, you already have our money. Now you're just wasting time.
• I understand that UFC television specials are used as advertising platforms, because the show is free, and paid for via advertising. And it seems logical to promote UFC 63 during UFC 62. And its even acceptable, but just barely, to promote the next episode of The Ultimate Fighter on the PPV. But to use a PPV to show a movie clip for a completely unrelated film and then interview the star is just cheap. Its an utter abuse of the popularity of the UFC's popularity, and it offends me. Everyone involved in that should be ashamed of themselves, and I truly hope that the next PPV's buyrate suffers. UFC is already taking their audience for granted, and making it clear that they are more concerned with making as much money they can, rather than being concerned with putting on good shows that entertain.

This wasn't a bad show. But it wasn't a good one. Its a sad state of affairs when the shows that UFC is giving away on television are better than the ones they want people to shell out $40 for. Thats the kind of logic that started WCW on the slippery slope to bankruptcy. And while I understand that UFC can't rely on the worked nature of professional wrestling to guarantee good shows,*** it doesn't mean that they shouldn't make the effort to ensure that the product people are paying for is of the highest quality possible.

*Canadian Content, for those not familiar with the term.
**Can you use the word pretty to describe a kimura?
***Not that professional wrestling is churning out gems every month, but I digress.

Every Town Has An Elm Street

I have plenty of interests. Professional wrestling and MMA are two that I discuss quite frequently here. I like football, and porno, and books about war. I love cartoons. I love Stephen King books. And I love horror movies. Friday the 13th, Night of the Living Dead, the Sleepaway Camp series, I love them all.
But for me, at the top of the heap lies A Nightmare on Elm Street. The first movie was brilliant. It was gory, it was scary, it was clever, it was terrifying. Sure things got watered down with each subsequent sequel, but that doesn't diminish the brilliance that was the first film. Actually, the final film in the series, Wes Craven's New Nightmare was also brilliant. Self-reflexive, postmodern, and terrifying, it was Scream before there was Scream.
So imagine my excitement when I saw this headline on IMDB. "Original 'Nightmare' To Return To Theaters -- For Two Days" To promote the release of the Infinifilm version of the original, they are re-releasing the film to theatres. And there will also be a special reel called "Freddy's Best Kills" which, for the time being, will only be shown at the special screenings.
However, when I go to the website to preorder my tickets, I discover, much to my dismay, that there will be no special screening in the city/town where I live. In fact, there will be no special screenings in Canada. Once again, living in Canada has come to bite me in the ass. This sucks. But I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best. There's still almost a month left. Besides, maybe I can convince the manager of the university movie theatre to show the original as part of his cult classics series.

TUF4 - Episode 2

Yeah, so I didn't do a write up for Episode 1. Take the pain.

Creepy, I typed Episode 1, and a chill ran down my spine. The pain of The Phantom Menace still lingers.

Anyway, on to The Ultimate Fighter.

The Good:

• Matt Serra is quickly becoming the star of this show. He is proving himself to be an excellent coach and corner man. Even if he loses his first match in 10 seconds, he has already proven his worth to the UFC, and they need to make sure they take advantage of that. What really impresses me about Serra is the fact that he seems so willing to help. He has really stepped up and taken charge of Team Mojo, but he did so in a way that doesn't seem like he is bossing people around. He is simply able to convince people of the validity of his argument through reason and logic.
  
• At the same time, Serra is also demonstrating a great personality. He enjoys what he does. The scene with him wrestling with Shonie Carter yelling "We've been here before Shonie!" is classic. He wasn't trying to humiliate Shonie, it was just Serra having fun.
  
• Shonie Carter is also impressing me. Given his over the top personality, I was expecting a lot of bravado and arrogance in his post-fight interviews. Instead, he gave credit to his team for helping him to win that fight. Yes Shonie won that fight, but it was a team effort.
  
• Shonie's announcement of the next fight was hilarious. It was made even better by Charlie McCarthy's utter cluelessness that he wasn't the one being called out. If Serra is the heart and soul of Team Mojo, and of TUF4, then Shonie Carter is it's sense of humour.
  
• Keeping the fighters in the house and training in the gym is a wise move. Watching both Kristian Rothaermel and Tait Fletcher turn down the chance to fight in TUF3 must have been very embarassing for Dana. This way, he doesn't have to worry about that, as he ensures that all 16 fighters stay in game mode. (Credit goes to my roommate for pointing this out.)
  
• Good call by the ring doctor in allowing Edwin Dewees to continue to fight. Yes that cut wasn't pretty, but it wasn't impeding Bam Bam's ability to fight intelligently.
  
• Dewees really impressed me. Dana pointing out Bam Bam/Babyface's composure with that cut was an excellent observation. Even without the cut, Dewees was fighting a great fight, listening to his corner, and fighting to his strengths. That pushup move when Gideon Ray was caught in full mount was particularly impressive.

The Bad:

• Where are Couture and GSP? We saw GSP for a few moments, but I don't think I saw Randy at all. I know that the format is different from past seasons, and they're just trainers for all the fighters, but still, I'd like to see them a bit.
  
• From the way Gideon Ray was talking after the fight, his strategy is to cut his opponent open with hard elbows, and then win by doctor stoppage. Personally, I find that to be a scummy strategy. While it may be legal, it doesn't make it ethical or classy.
  
• This is really a point from Episode 1, but I'll make it here. Team No Love? Thats lamer than FDR's legs. Although it is delightfully delicious that the guy with that tattoo loses in the first fight.

The Ugly:

• I swear it looked like somebody opened a faucet on Dewees' head. The blood was flowing like a grindhouse film. It was like that scene in Fight Club when a bloodied Tyler Durden was spitting his blood all over Lou.

The P Stands For Postponed

Before UFC 62 is even in the books, the main event for UFC 63 has drastically changed, and so too has the face of the UFC welterweight division.

GSP has withdrawn from his title fight with Matt Hughes, and been replaced by BJ Penn. Hopefully this doesn't mean that GSP has lost his title shot. GSP has definitely earned a shot, but I'm concerned that this setback will send him to the back of the line.

Unfortunately, thats exactly what happened with Karo Parisyan, who was set to fight Hughes for the welterweight title, but a hamstring injury forced him out. Parisyan saw his title shot go to Joe "Diesel" Riggs, then saw the match become non-title when Riggs didn't make weight. Since then, Karo has been trying to work his way back up the welterweight ranks. That was definitely stalled when Karo lost to Dirty Diego Sanchez at the recent Ultimate Fight Night. That fight definitely boosted Sanchez up the ranks, but probably didn't do anything for Karo.

Does the same fate lay in store for GSP? Hopefully not. Thankfully, there is an interesting situation that should help GSP, beyond the fact that UFC is obviously banking on GSP as a fighter of the future.

BJ Penn, who is taking GSP's place, holds a victory over Matt Hughes. Penn can also lay claim to the fact that he was never beaten for the Welterweight title that Hughes currently holds. This match between Hughes and Penn should provide some closure to that argument. Penn, however, has only one loss on his UFC record, that being a split decision loss to none other than GSP. So logically (which isn't necessarily a word that applies to the UFC, or any fighting organization for that matter) regardless of who wins at UFC 63, GSP should be in line for a title fight. Hughes was supposed to face GSP, and should be willing to do so again. And Penn should be looking to avenge his loss to GSP. So either way, GSP should still be at the top of the heap for a title match.

But that heap is growing. Diego Sanchez is obviously now being looked at as a serious welterweight contender. Joe Riggs is looking more impressive, and Karo Parisyan can't be counted out. My biggest concern is that Dana will decide that GSP should face one of those three before getting his fight with whomever holds the welterweight title. I'm not saying I don't think GSP could/would/should win, just that nothing can be taken for granted.

One final note about GSP and his injury. In his Ultimate Fight Night preview, Mike Coughlin noted that "Parisyan lost his title shot due to an injury. This is something of which the UFC should be ashamed. It sets a dangerous precedent. Fighters will likely start hiding injuries, more so than professionals already do, knowing that they’ve only got “one chance.” Guys with incredibly serious injuries may even fight, fearing that if they don’t who knows what will happen. With MMA dangerous enough as it is, the last thing the sport needs are broken fighters competing. This sort of thing is what will likely lead to the first serious injury in the UFC. If Karo was in line for a title shot, then his getting injured should do absolutely nothing to alter that fact. He should not have to be fighting for a chance that the UFC has already admitted, by booking him to fight Hughes back in November, that he earned."

I can't agree more. Its not only unfair that Karo lost his title shot, but a black eye on the UFC. Rumours about GSP's injury started surfacing a few days ago, but his camp appeared reluctant to make any announcements regarding the severity of the injury, and GSP's status in the fight. But the incident with Karo's title fight raises the question, was the reluctance and reticence from the GSP camp simply a result of waiting for a more definite answer as to the serverity of the injury, or was it a result of GSP not wanting to lose his title fight? Obviously GSP's injury must be pretty serious if, a month before the fight he has to withdraw. Did GSP negotiate a deal with UFC where he would withdraw from the fight and give the UFC plenty of time to not only find a replacement, but also to promote that fight properly?

UFC now has the next four or five episodes of TUF4 and this Saturday's PPV to promote the Penn/Hughes fight. Not only that, but they have plenty of time to quickly prepare some UFC All Access and Unleashed specials designed to promote the fight, and the backstory behind Hughes/Penn and all the accompanying controversies. These will obviously be spun in a McMahon-esque manner, but should prove entertaining and mildly informative nonetheless.

By withdrawing so early, GSP has done the UFC a big favour, one that could have positive benefits for the company. Fans have been clamouring for the Penn/Hughes rematch since Penn's return, and this injury provides them the opportunity to capitalize on that before either of the men loses any of their lustre. And with a challenger waiting in the wings for the victor, as well as a host of other eager would-be title holders, it would seem that the welterweight division just got a lot more interesting.

Elmoronic

Finally, the world is starting to come around to my way of thinking. This article argues what I have been saying for years. Elmo is evil.

That's right, the lovable, perpetually infantile little red monster, adored by millions, is quite possibly the most despicable creature on television right now. And that includes Bill O'Reilly and Ben Mulroney.

I've been bemoaning Elmo's existence ever since he began taking precedence over the more mature Grover. Grover mastered Near and Far, then had it stolen by Elmo. Hell, they even took away Grover's literary classic, The Monster At The End Of This Book, and replaced it with Another Monster At The End Of This Book. Why? So Elmo could get in the book.

The whole problem was exacerbated by the Tickle Me Elmo craze of ten years ago. That horrid little toy not only ruined thousands of Christmases, but helped to perpetuate a growing Elmo myth that should have been nipped in the bud.

Since then, the malignant cancer that is Elmo has spread throughout Sesame Street, destroying all that was once good and decent about the place. Such horrors hadn't been seen there since the tragic loss of Mr. Hooper. And had the death of Mr. Hooper happened today, I'm sure the giggling idiots would try to make a fort with his casket, and entertain themselves while misreading his tombstone and drooling on their furry chests.

This article is more than simply a commentary on the current state of Sesame Street. It is a call for all those of us who refuse to accept the Lowest Common Denominator to stand up and resist. To demand the end of the Elmoronics.

The Elmolution Will Not Be Televised

SummerSlam Predictions

With about an hour and a half left before the event starts, I thought I would post my SummerSlam predictions.

I predict I will be so uninterested in the card that I won't order it, choosing instead to watch the season, and possibly series, finales of Deadwood and Entourage.

Ultimate Fight Night Thoughts

Well, Todd and Dave have already posted their thoughts on Ultimate Fight Night, and I don't have much to add, as I pretty much agree with everything they had to say. But I'll still say a few things.

• Going into the fight, I was rooting for Karo Parisyan. Diego Sanchez didn't really impress me in his last fight, and, to be perfectly honest, I've always found him to be a little bit creepy. But he really impresed me at Ultimate Fight Night. But I remember after the second round, I said to my roommate something along the lines that Karo's face was not the face of the man who was winning the fight. I know that isn't worded very well, but basically, after two rounds, Karo seemed to be the winner. I'm not saying that Diego didn't win the fight, he did. But I think a solid argument could have been made that Karo won the first two rounds. At the very least, there could be healthy debate over who won the first two rounds. But the third round? Diego pwnd Karo. The fact that there are/were concerns that Karo has a broken orbital bone indicates the level of the beating that Diego laid down on Karo. I'm not trying to diminish Diego's victory. Looking at the fight from a holistic perspective, Diego won. But with the system in place, Karo could have legitimately been declared the winner of that fight. I'm glad he wasn't, as that would have caused needless controversy, but the possibility was there.
• Don't agree with me? Hell, Meltzer had the fight 28-28. And who am I to argue with the Meltz?
• With all that being said...30-26? Where the hell is the Las Vegas Athletic Commission getting their judges? Rogan's comment from an earlier event that a judge should be shot may be a little extreme, but perhaps a solid beating with a bar of soap in a tube sock is in order.
• And, despite his victory, Diego still creeps me out. Look, I'm not the most religious guy in the world. But I'm pretty sure God, Jesus, Mohammad and Moses don't take a personal interest in who wins a fight. Look, if you want to thank God that nobody was seriously injured, that's cool. But don't thank God for a win. It belittles your faith, it alienates fans, and it suggests that omnipotent deities don't take an interest in things like war, natural disasters, global pandemics or the Red Sox/Yankees series. You know, the really important stuff.
• During the TUF3 marathon last weekend, I told my roommate that I wanted to see more of Dean Lister. Note to self, be careful what you wish for.
• I refuse to feel bad when Jonathon Goulet loses, so long as he has that stupid hair.
• With one flip of the bird, I think Jason Von Flue guaranteed at least one more UFC fight. Dude knew he was going to lose, and decided to have some fun before he tapped.
• I think Leben is going to have to do more to erase the stink of the Anderson Silva fight than knocking out Jorge Santiago.

Overall, I thought this was a great event, and just what the UFC needed, particularly after the last PPV. We weren't subjected to a bunch of ads for crappy programming we don't care about, and everything flowed fairly well. This was one of the tightest UFC events ever, even with the time overage that messed up my recording. They need to follow this pattern for all of their events, and not let their shows become glorified infomercials for programming that nobody cares about.

I mean really, is anybody watching Blade: The Series? Anyone?

That's How The WWE Rolls

Found this little news bit on The LAW, and just had to mention it.

"The WWE and Jay Reso may be heading to court over the rights to name "Captain Charisma". The WWE never officially trademarked the term, so when Reso left the WWE he attempted to trademark the term. WWE is now coming back saying that in states in WWE contracts that any nicknames that the performer comes up with become property of the WWE. I guess I better contact my legal team for those LAW spots. "

This case could prove interesting, and I'd really like to get a legal opinion on the whole thing.

From a purely common sense point of view, WWE has no case. Christian was using Captain Charisma as a nickname while in the WWE, and they even produced t-shirts with the phrase on them. (Then, for some reason, they pulled all the shirts, despite the fact that Christian was become quite popular, and the fans were responding to both the name, and the new attitude.) Yet for some reason, WWE chose NOT to trademark the nickname, despite being within their legal right to do so.

I'm also wondering if the WWE's recent history of trademarking nicknames for wrestlers no longer in their employ could work against them in this instance. They trademarked "Dudley Boyz" and "Billy Gunn" after they let those guys go. So why didn't they do the same thing with "Captain Charisma?"

I really think that Christian Cage could win this legal battle. All that he needs is a good lawyer who is willing to work on contingency, and the courage of his convictions. If anyone has any understanding of the US legal system and can offer a more informed opinion, I would love to hear it.

TUF4 - Mama Said Knock You Out

Don't call it a comeback
I been here for years
Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear
Makin the tears rain down like a MON-soon
Listen to the bass go BOOM
Explosion, overpowerin
Over the competition, I'm towerin
Wreckin shop, when I drop these lyrics that'll make you call the cops
Don't you dare stare, you betta move
Don't ever compare
Me to the rest that'll all get sliced and diced
Competition's payin the price
"Mama Said Knock You Out" -- LL Cool J

If these lyrics don't accompany the opening credits for the latest UFC reality tv offering, The Ultimate Fighter 4, there is a serious problem. Not simply because I'm getting quite sick and tired of that generic hard pop song that they use, but because this song is just plain awesome.

The genius of Ladies Love aside, I'm quite looking forward to this next installment of The Ultimate Fighter. As TUF3 proved, and as we've seen from the performances of TUF alumni, the fighters from the first three shows haven't quite been up to par with the rest of the competitors in the octagon. So it seems that, rather than see if there's a layer below the bottom of the barrel, UFC has chosen to give 16 former UFC fighters a second chance.

Of course, I don't believe this move is purely altruistic on UFC's part. With the advent of the IFL and WFA, and Pride's interest in breaking into the American market on a larger scale, UFC knows that they have to get better fighters under contract. Since many of the guys who have emerged from past TUF seasons haven't quite cut the mustard, they have to look to other sources. And because groups like WFA and IFL are signing guys with some name recognition, UFC is obviously seeing these 16 fighters as an opportunity to ensure that they don't sign with a competing organization, as well as providing them with a better batch of fights for the fourth season of the show.

I'm also looking forward to some of the changes that will come with this new season. First of all, no teams. Instead, the guys will be training with both of the main coaches. Second of all, I'm looking forward to seeing how they decide who fights who, now that the teams have been eliminated. Finally, because these fighters have been in the UFC before, and have even faced one another, I think there should be some good personality clashes. More importantly, personality clashes based on something more important than who doesn't do dishes, or who makes childish insults regarding the others. Instead, these conflicts should involve actual conflicts between the fighters.

I'm also looking forward to some of the personalities in the house. More specifically, I'm looking forward to Shonie Carter. Sure he's named after a reasonably priced family restaurant. But he comes to the ring with a golden goblet. And he wears a banana hammock when training. Plus he knocked Matt Serra out with a spinning backhand. And since Serra is also on the show, this should prove interesting.

The only thing I'm not looking forward to are the trainers. I know everybody loves Randy Couture. I wouldn't go as far as Joe Rogan and proclaim the guy my hero, but I think he's pretty nifty too. But he's never struck me as a particularly exciting guy. I'm sure he'll provide some great advice to the fighters, but I don't envision any of the excitement of Shamrock/Ortiz that was the highlight of TUF3.

Plus, Georges St. Pierre is the other trainer. And GSP is a great, exciting fighter. But his English leaves something to be desired. While this should prove interesting when he tries to explain things to the guys he's training, it could also mean a bunch of strange looks and angry comments.

All that being said, I think this should be a good season. 16 guys who have something to prove, and no guys with creepy stalker-like crushes on the trainers.

Is TNA Catching Fire?

In case you hadn't heard, TNA Wrestling encountered a small technical difficulty with last night's Hard Justice PPV. And I'm not talking about Kevin Nash getting a neck injury before his one on one match with Chris Sabin.
A fire broke out in the lighting grid above the ring, causing the ring to be filled with smoke and/or fire extinguisher exhaust during Eric Young & Johnny Devine's opening match. Once the match, and post-match Hebner angle were completed, the "arena" was evacuated by the Fire Department. Those watching the PPV were treated to video clips and some quickly arranged filler.

Now, I'm not writing this to rag on TNA Wrestling. From what I understand they handled the situation professionally, and because part of the filler was Eric Young, hilariously. Although nobody will ever top the time filling abilities of Paul Heyman who encouraged Kimona Wanalaya to strip atop the ECW Arena. I mean, c'mon, you've got Gail Kim AND Christy Hemme, and don't offer HLA? Oh well, welcome to George Bush's America.

But I'm wondering if WWE is going to acknowledge this. They have started showing signs of going after TNA, with the push given to Umaga, the WWE's version of Samoa Joe, and they signed Shannon Moore and Jeff Hardy away from TNA, two guys with seemingly no upside, besides depriving TNA of some names.

But this is the first opportunity to openly mock TNA. Now, I don't think they'll re-enace the problem, but I think they may make mention of it somehow. If WWE does mention it, it means TNA is on their radar, and TNA had better get ready to go to the mattresses. If its not mentioned, then WWE still doesn't see TNA as a threat worth mentioning.

Tonight's RAW should be interesting, but I'm sure the Hulk Hogan and DX segments will help to negate that interest.

Summerslambiguities

As Summerslam draws nearer, the card is becoming more and more clear. We have King Booker vs. Batista for the Smackdown title, Edge vs. John Cena for the Raw title, DX vs. The McMahons, and Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Orton. Clearly the big draws are the McMahon match and the Hogan match. Or more specifically, the matches that are being viewed by the powers that be as the big draws are the McMahon match and the Hogan match. But there's another match on the card that, for me, is more intriguing.

Mick Foley vs. Ric Flair.

This match is built upon real animosity, although not enough that we have to worry about one of the guys shanking the other. It's a match that people have been anticipating since "Flair's" "book" was released a couple of years ago. At that time, Flair, took shots at Foley as an admitted receipt for Foley's criticisms of Flair in Foley's first book, Have A Nice Day. Unfortunately, Flair came out on the losing end of that, as Foley made sure to qualify his statements, while Flair simply attacked Foley's career. Flair came across as petty and childish, lashing out for the sake of lashing out.

Since then, there have been a few mentions of tension between the two, but a professional tension that didn't sink into violence (unlike Flair's admitted assault of Eric Bischoff). And now, years later, the match is finally happening. Of course, the match was actually hotshotted a few months ago at a different, lesser PPV, but it appears that may have actually been an example of planning, as that match plays a role in how this match has come about.

The interaction between Flair and Foley has been, for me, the highlight of RAW for the past few weeks. Let's face it, both these guys are master promo-men, and their work is an example of why scripts should not only not be encouraged, but should in fact be banned from professional wrestling. Foley as the man who claims he has nothing to prove, and Flair as the man with a score to settle has given some classic exchanges, built on the real life differences between these two legends.

There's only one problem. Foley is the heel, and Flair is the face. Ostensibly. But for me, Foley is the face. And this ambiguity is tainting how I see this match. I'm not getting behind Ric Flair, because I don't think I could ever support the man. And I certainly can't support him when he's opposing Mick Foley. Ric Flair does not deserve the crowd support in this program.

Because I think Ric Flair is a jerk.

As you may have guessed, I don't like Ric Flair. Its not that I don't respect and understand all that he's done in, and for, professional wrestling. But he doesn't come across as a likeable human being. Maybe its his right-wing politics. Bragging about being on a first-name basis with George Bush is, to me, like bragging about hanging out with Paul Bernardo.

Maybe its the way he's lived his life. Foley made a good point in his promos, noting Flair's, shall we say, commitment issues. That, coupled with his recent road rage allegations, his tax problems, and the like, Flair doesn't come across as the guy that people should be admiring.

Maybe its Flair's hipocrisy. Flair brags about his wrestling prowess, but his most notable matches recently have been a Money In The Bank ladder match at 'Mania, a TLC match with Edge, and an "ECW" bloodbatch with the Big Show. As Flair has gotten older, he's had to resort to the "garbage" matches he previously derided in order to get the fans to give a crap about an old man who didn't have the common sense to know how to save money, pay taxes, or know when the ride was over.

But I don't think these things are what makes me hate Flair.

It's his attitude. Allow me to elaborate. My university department is very interdisciplinary. As a result, there are a wide range of professors, each with their own approach to research. There are anthropologists, social scientists, historians, political economists and others. With all these different disciplines and all these different personalities, there are bound to be conflicts. I've heard stories about professor's getting into shouting matches in the hallway. I've seen professor's dismiss outright the methodology of other professors. I have personally been witness to two professor's engaging in a battle of wills. But most of the time, these conflicts are temporary. But sometimes, you will encounter a professor who is so sure of the validity of their approach, that they simply refuse to accept any other.

Wrestling is a similar monster. You have brawlers, you have high-fliers. You have comedy matches, you have technical showcases, you have "extreme" matches. There is no one right way to approach professional wrestling. In fact, I would argue (as I'm sure many others do) that the best cards are those with a proper balance of all these styles. Mick Foley is a brawler, a hardcore wrestler, and a comedian. He tells great stories in the ring and tries to entertain the fans. Foley knows his place in the realm of professional wrestling. He knows he can't do a Jeff Hardy Swanton bomb. He knows he can't achieve the physique of a Hulk Hogan. But he doesn't dismiss those other approaches to professional wrestling.

Flair does. Flair seems to hate anything that doesn't fit with his paradigm. He dismisses Foley as a glorified stuntman, ignoring the fact that that's pretty much what every single professional wrestler is. In fact, a professional wrestler who is unable to properly fall convincingly will never amount to much. Flair seems to think his way is the best, and anyone who is different is less than him.

Not only that, but Flair thinks that anyone who disagrees with him is evil. Look at the way he lashes out at fans who boo Shawn Michaels, despite the fact that Michaels is an easy to hate man. Look at his blind devotion to the McMahons. This is not a man who is open to other ideas.

So how am I supposed to get behind Flair in this feud? Flair isn't a man who inspires much in the way of sympathies. I don't want to cheer for him, because doing so would be an implicit endorsement of his attitudes towards wrestling, towards society and towards other people.

In fact, the only time I can see myself getting behind Ric Flair is to push him into the path of an oncoming train or down a flight of stairs.

Media Brown-Out

I probably should have written on this a week ago when it was still news, but I didn't. Deal with it. For those who aren't familiar with the situation, you can read about it here and here. Essentially, WOIO, Cleveland's CBS affiliate lost their preseason contract with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns wanted to end the contract after WOIO's news department played a 9-1-1 call made when the owner's sister called about her missing child who drowned in her pool.

The case poses a number of interesting problems as they pertain to the relationship between the media and the organizations that they deal with. On the one hand, it certainly seems to be an example of Herman & Chomsky's Propaganda Model at work. More specifically, the influence of ownership and advertising revenue on news departments. The Browns were absolutely exerting their financial influence from the area of sports programming on the news department. More importantly, they were going after WOIO's very identity. The station has identified itself for years as the "Home of the Browns," and by taking that away from them, the team was making its influence felt on the station as a whole.

Even without the identity and financial aspects, the Browns were going after WOIO's ability to function as a television station. Given the popularity of NFL teams, and the Browns in particular, it stands to reason that the Browns preseason games would be highly rated programming for WOIO. With that in mind, the broadcasts would provide an excellent opportunity for the station to plug CBS' new fall lineup. By ending their relationship with WOIO, the Browns were certainly attempting to influence the news department of the station by exerting pressure on other areas.

The flipside of the argument however, is that the WOIO news department has no justification for airing that 9-1-1 tape, and by ending their relationship with the station, the Browns were taking a stand on a news department run amok. Far too often these days, news departments seem to believe that because they are permitted to air something, that means that they should. But airing this tape was not news. It was not done to inform the public. It was not done to encourage public discourse. It was done so the news station could try to grab ratings, and shock people into continuing to watch their news programming. Nothing at all benefited the viewers of WOIO by broadcasting that tape.

In a sense, it could be argued that the Browns decision is actually a victory for responsible journalism. Perhaps other stations will consider whether or not they should do some of the things they do. The question lies in whether they will be reluctant to air pieces because they are concerned about the financial impact of those decisions, or whether they are actually considering issues of the public good when making their decisions.

Of course, this isn't the only issue regarding sports and the media to have arisen in recent weeks. Two other notables involve the so-called 'new media'.

The first is the decision by the University of Kentucky to report themselves to the NCAA for potential recruitment violations. This was done because some UK boosters/fans found the MySpace home for high school player Patrick Patterson and posted messages encouraging him to sign with the Wildcats. While some may argue whether or not this is an actual violation, the fact remains that UK chose to play it safe and report themselves to the NCAA in an attempt to avoid any penalties.

Whats more important is that this makes clear that the NCAA needs to address these sort of issues now, before they become a serious problem. Even if the schools make it clear to their fans that they shouldn't go looking for a recruit's MySpace/Facebook/Blog to plead their case, it doesn't mean those fans will listen. Plus, given the anonymity of the Internet, whats to stop some lowdown, dirty Michigan fan from disguising themselves as a fan of The Ohio State University to get the Buckeyes in trouble?

Archaic institutions like the NCAA need to reevaluate their regulations, and prepare themselves for these challenges, rather than waiting until they are tried in the courts, whether they be legislative, or public opinion.

The other issue is that of recently dismissed Oklahoma QB Rhett Bomar. Evidently young Mr. Bomar was receiving pay from a car dealership, despite not actually doing any work. Now, despite the fact that this sounds like he was the dealerships executive producer, evidently this is a bad thing. And when Oklahoma found out a few weeks ago, they dismissed Bomar. Now its been revealed that news of this actually came to light back in January, on a Texas A&M message board.

Stewart Mandel raises the most important question about this issue. "How it is that some random Texas A&M fan could have known about Bomar's arrangement more than six months ago, yet Oklahoma officials claimed to be unaware until recently." If some guy knew a girl who worked at the dealership who blabbed, doesn't it stand to reason that she told more than one guy? Or that someone else said something? Wouldn't it come out at like a Chamber of Commerce shindig or a similar soiree? Hell, after the Drudge Report reported on Big Willie Clinton's underdesk fellatio, it became a big story. So doesn't it stand to reason that someone else should have heard about Bomar's own special job?

One of the reasons I bring all these issues up is because, despite the fact that I am in a MEDIA faculty, I am confident that nobody at my school is aware of these issues. Despite the pervasiveness of sports into popular culture, too many people (particularly those in my faculty) seem to think that sports and the media do not address larger social issues. If I go ask any of my political economy profs about WOIO, I am confident they will stare at me with big doe eyes. And if I ask a cyberculture prof about Bomar or UK, they won't know what I'm talking about. Oh well, I guess it gives me something to talk about at the orientation wine & cheese party.