Monkey Shines

TUF 5 - Finale

2007-06-24T15:20:00.000-04:00

Well, I didn't bother to recap the two semi-final episodes. Take the pain. Here's the quickie version. Karo and Nate Diaz almost came to blows. Manny beat Joe. The fighters trashed the house. Nate beat Gray. All Team Pulver in the finals. People hugged.

Last night was the finale, which featured Nate Diaz v Manny Gamburyan. The promos for the show took full advantage of both Diaz' and Gamburyan's family, selling the clash as a meeting of "UFC royalty." A tad hyperbolic perhaps, but a good way of selling the card. And of course, the show also features the long-awaited clash between Jens Pulver and BJ Penn.

Because the show mainly featured matches, and not in-house shenanigans, I've decided to break down the matches into my Good, Bad and Ugly classifications. Primarily for the sake of consistency.

The Good

BJ Penn d Jens Pulver - BJ looked to be in the best condition he's ever seen, and was more than ready for Jens. But Jens was able to last a round and a half with BJ, before finally submitting to a rear naked choke.
After the match, BJ and Jens hugged, and it seems that the 'bad blood' between the two of them has been cleared up. Which is good, given that the whole thing seemed to be more of a friendly rivalry than a feud. Plus, with Jens apparently dropping down to 145 in the WEC (watch out Urijah Faber) and BJ looking to go back up to 170 to avenge his loss to Matt Hughes, there isn't any point to these two 'feuding' any longer.
And speaking of BJ/Hughes 3, I'm totally favouring BJ. He lost the last fight because of poor conditioning, and if the well-conditioned BJ from last night shows up, Hughes is in trouble. Which is fine with me.

Roger Huerta d Doug Evans - Huerta is the UFC's cover boy, quite literally, as he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated's first issue to address the growing popularity of the UFC and MMA. He's young, he's attractive, and he's Latino. Which is important if the UFC wants to tap into the Latino market. Particularly when their other prominent Latino fighter, Diego 'Dirty' Sanchez has all the charm and appeal of a scorching case of herpes.
So it's understandable that the UFC would want Huerta to win. But this fight wasn't a cakewalk. Evans put on a good performance, most likely winning the first round. But in the second round, Huerta came out more aggressive. Even then, Evans took down Huerta twice, before Huerta was able to get Evans' back, and rained down punches until the ref stopped it.
Evans may have lost, but he established himself as a strong fighter in the growing lightweight division. And Huerta solidified his position both in the division, and in the UFC.

Thalas Leites d Floyd Sword - Leites put on something of a jiu-jitsu clinic here, tossing Sword around before getting an arm triangle in the second half of the first round.

Joe Lauzon d Brandon Melendez - Joe was a TUF favorite until he ran into Manvil, and Brandon was fairly impressive. Brandon also didn't make weight, coming in at 157, but Lauzon still agreed to the match. Plus Joe gets a cut of Brandon's purse as a penalty.
The first round was very good, with Joe going all out, and Brandon showing good submission defense and striking when the fight was standing. The first round ended with Joe trapping Brandon with a heel hook that, with another thirty seconds, would probably have meant victory. The second round continued with more of the same. Brandon showed great submission defense, just not enough to counter Joe's relentless attack. Joe finally got Brandon with a triangle choke as Brandon was transitioning out of giving up his back to Joe.
Joe showed that his defeat of Jens wasn't a fluke, and his loss to Manny wasn't a stumbling block. And Brandon still has a future in the octagon, or another MMA organization, possibly a team based league.

The Bad

Cole Miller d Andy Wang - Okay, during the season, Andy got in trouble for choosing to stand and trade punches, rather than take the fight to the ground and utilize his Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt! So what does he do when he's given a chance on the TUF Finale? He stands and trades punches with Cole of course!
Cole looked pretty good here, but not overly impressive, knocking Wang down with a high kick to the head, and finishing him with punches, although Wang argued that the fight was ended too soon. Cole will be pretty good in a few years, but he isn't at the same level of Diaz, Lauzon and Gamburyan.
Wang? Wang needs to rethink his fighting philosophy. Like I said while rewatching Wang's fight during the Spike TV TUF marathon, if I'm Wang's corner man, I'm telling him that if he doesn't shoot for a take down in the first thirty seconds, I'm throwing in the towel. And then I follow through on that threat. Wang needs to be taught to fight to his strengths.
Nicknames - I've talked about this before, but now it's just getting ridiculous. Last night Joe Lauzon's nickname was J-Lo. Which I guess is funny, and maybe Joe chose it as a joke, but still, why would one want to be associated with that? And Brandon Melendez' nickname? The Murderer! What's next, The Rapist? The Pederast? The 911 Terrorist?
Nicknames are all well and good, but only when they're earned, original and somewhat entertaining. Don't just take a nickname because you like the sound of the word. Otherwise you'll get names like Chilly McFreeze or the Shockmaster.

The Ugly

Gray Maynard NC Rob Emerson - Before the fight, this one was similar to Pete Sell v Scott Smith from the TUF4 Finale. Two guys, both friends, looking to beat on the other guy for 15 minutes, then go out for a protein shake afterwards.
After the fight, this one was similar to Pete Sell v Scott Smith from the TUF4 finale, with the most bizarre finish on the show. The first round saw Maynard dominate Emerson with wrestling, but Emerson scored some good punches. At one point, Maynard really damaged Emerson with a strong blow to the ribs, made all the worse by the fact that Emerson evidently tore some cartilage on his ribs during training.
In the second round, Maynard took Emerson down, and the force of impact caused Emerson to tap. But the force also knocked Gray out, as he essentially DDT'ed himself on the mat. Gray thought he won, but it was announced as a no-contest. Gray was livid, while Emerson positioned everything for a rematch.
Not a bad fight, as both guys looked good (although Gray looked better), but the ending was a mess. And Gray's refusal to accept the decision made him look pretty bad. I can understand arguing, but he was almost petulant.
Nate Diaz b Manny Gamburyan - In the first round, Manny showed why being 155 lbs of muscle on a 5'5" frame can be a good thing, as he overpowered Diaz. Diaz tried for some submission attempts, but as Rogan and Goldberg pointed out, Manny's smaller limbs make it easier for him to escape potential submissions. Diaz was being overpowered, but he didn't lose his cool, and kept focused on the match. More importantly, Diaz let Manny wear himself out in the first round.
When the second round started, Manny seemed ready to go, albeit a little winded, while Diaz seemed fresh. Manny shot in, and took Nate down, then started tapping. Manvil suffered another shoulder problem, which is what kept him out for two years before he got on the show, and he evidently aggravated in his victory over Lauzon.
Again, this was by no means a bad fight, but the ending was ugly, made all the worse by the repeats of Manvil's shoulder injury. Obviously Nate will take the victory, but he didn't beat Manny. What is worse is the possibility that Manny may not fight again, given the continuing problems he seems to have with that shoulder. Should Manny be able to return, a rematch is more than in order. Maybe an Ultimate Fight Night with Manny v Diaz and Gray v Emerson?
BJ Penn's Post-fight Interview - or lack thereof. Jens gave a good interview, commending BJ, talking about his plans to train with BJ, and move down to 145, and how he learned from the show. When Joe went to talk to BJ, BJ said to go to BJPenn.com, then ran from the ring like George W. Bush from a grieving war mother. When I went to the site later, it was down, giving an Internal Server error, which could have been a commentary on BJ's feelings, but was probably the result of too much traffic. As of my writing this, the site still wasn't working properly. I don't know why BJ decided not to do an interview, but it made him come across as bitter and childish. But I still like him better than Matt Hughes.

TUF5, despite the fact that it greatly disillusioned me on Dana White and the UFC, was still a very good season. Interesting characters, good fights, and some not too childish antics made for a good show. Hopefully TUF6 will continue that theme, although I'm not looking forward to having to watch Matt Hughes on my tv. Unless it's footage of him getting his ass handed to him by GSP over and over again.

TUF 5.10

2007-06-14T14:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I'm quite late in posting this. But I just started two new jobs, so I'm working oddly right now.

The show opens with Corey Hill in the sauna, talking about the fight with Buddy Rowe. What's that? You don't know who Buddy Rowe is? Why he's Corey Hill's motivational inner voice. This once again demonstrates Corey's rather unique personality and approach to the sport.

The most dramatic portion of this week's episode was Nate Diaz working out with Team Penn, as a result of his desire to spend less time around Corey Hill, given that he was preparing to fight Hill. Some of Diaz's Team Pulver teammates are less than enthused about this, a sentiment shared by some members of Team Penn. Notable amongst Team Penn members is Joe Lauzon, who has advanced to the semi-finals, and has a couple of nagging injuries that he doesn't exactly want to advertise.

Nate stays at the gym to work out with Team Pulver, and has a little tete a tete with Jens about why he was working out with Team Penn. Jens tries to understand Nate's reasoning, but doesn't quite get it. But he also doesn't get upset with Nate, and supports the decision regardless.

Jens also tells us that he's not cornering for either Nate or Corey. Good on him.

Corey and Nate have a very good fight. Just comparing Corey's performance in his first fight to this one, you can see just how much Corey has improved. Nate wins with a triangle choke after a few minutes of both stand up and ground work. More importantly, the end of the fight is followed by hugs and mutual admiration.

We then move on to the next fight of the episode, Matt Wiman vs. Manny Gamburyan. In order to better prepare Manny for the fight, Jens brings in Manny's cousin, Karo Parisyan. You know, the guy who throws opponents around like sacks of flour? Yeah, him. Parisyan gives all Team Pulver members a crash course in throwing.

Nobody except Karo and Manny seem to be giving Manny a chance. Dana favours Matt, BJ favours Matt, and Matt believes that God favours Matt. I think Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia made similar contentions. And of course, we can never forget God's teaming with Shawn Michaels in a tag team loss to Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon.

In the fight, Manny outpowers Matt's attempts to take him down, and does more damage striking. In an upset, Manny scores a unanimous decision over Matt.

Matt shows his Christian side when he dismisses Manny's victory as a fluke, stating that "I still believe that I’m a much better fighter than he is… if I fought that guy ten times, I would beat him more times than he would beat me… It doesn’t make sense, him beating me." Classy guy that Matt Wiman.

The Good

Both fights were very good this week.
Corey Hill is a markedly improved fighter. If he improved this much in the six weeks or so he was in the house, he is going to be a real force to be reckoned with after six months.
Once again, Jens shows his reasonable and motivating side. While he may not have really understood why Nate wanted to train with Team Penn, he didn't freak out and go off. Instead, he listened to what Nate had to say, and did his best to ensure that Nate got what he thought was the best training possible. Hmmm, coaching without belittling, abusing, berating or attacking. What a crazy concept.
I'm impressed with Karo's willingness to come in and help all members of Team Pulver. While Manny may have been the reason he came, he didn't only help Manny. It's also impressive because Karo doesn't get the respect from the UFC that other guest coaches like Randy Couture and Matt Hughes have received.
After the kafuffle last week about Noah Thomas and Marlon Sims facing one another at the TUF5 finale next week, Dana sent down word from on high that not only is that fight not taking place, but also that "will never fight in the UFC - ever." Dana said that Spike announced the fight because they wanted it, but Dana never agreed, and he has no intention of allowing them in the UFC after the street fight. Good for Dana.

The Bad

I don't think Nate ever just said "I wanted to train with BJ because I don't feel comfortable training here with Corey."

The Ugly

Matt Wiman needs to learn to keep his mouth shut. If you're going to drop the God card before the fight, you'd better be prepared to keep it in play after the fight. Otherwise, you just come across as a hypocritical jackass. Unless, of course, you actually are a hypocritical jackass.

Next week, we get the announcement of the semi-final matches. It seems that Dana wants to see Nate v Manny and Joe v Gray, but Jens isn't too keen on the idea.

TUF 5.9 - Killing Time

2007-06-02T11:54:00.000-04:00

This week's episode begins with a recap of last week's fight. The official one, not the one between Noah and Marlon, which goes unmentioned this week. This week's fight is Gray Maynard versus Brandon Melendez.

We then go to a Team Pulver training session, where Jens is growing frustrated with Melendez's attitude, and Melendez is growing weary of Jens. Jens tries to talk to Brandon, but Brandon doesn't really seem to be listening. Everything comes to a head when Brandon insists he wants to ride the Airedyne after practice, but Jens wants him to do some stretching instead. Brandon really likes the Airedyne. It's his happy place.

At Camp Penn, Gray and BJ are sparring, and we get Gray's description of how BJ could have stepped it up at any time and taken Gray out. The sparring session gets pretty intense, but shockingly neither man snaps and loses it, and instead they just keep pushing one another to try harder. You know, kind of like a sparring session is supposed to work.

Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Pulver, Brandon asks for a chat session with the coaches. He tells them a bunch of stuff about wanting to get the most from his TUF experience, and how he wants to do some training with BJ, just so he can say he trained with both Jens and BJ. Jens tries to explain the whole 'team' concept to Brandon, telling him that 'nobody walks off and nobody gets kicked off'. Realizing that Jens isn't going to Wang him, Brandon acquiesces and everybody hugs and stuff to end the drama.

At Team Penn's session, BJ introduces a special trainer, Randy Couture. Most excited is Gray, who trains with Randy anyway, and is now getting a visit from his mentor. As Matt Wiman describes it, "Gray’s wagging his tail, bouncing around...Who wouldn’t be?" Randy gives the remaining four members of Team Penn some grappling tips. Hmmm, four is less than eight, which means these four guys get more time with one of the greatest fighters in UFC history than they would have if Dana hadn't kicked out three guys and BJ hadn't bullied another out in an attempt to compensate for his feelings of emasculation.

We also get more of a preview for Penn v Pulver II. BJ seems to think that Jens has been disrespecting him behind his back since BJ's defeat at the hands of Pulver. Jens feels that he was disregarded before the first fight, which motivated him then, and being similarly disregarded is motivating him now.

It is now time for our weekly installment of wacky house antics. This time the excitement involves Cole and Nate. The antics evidently began with Nate bugging Cole while he slept, which led to Cole covering Nate's bed in silly string and pinatas (?), which led to Nate and Cole wrestling and fighting with silly string. Everything appears to be finished when Cole and Nate throw each other's mattresses in the pool and a truce is called.

But Nate isn't satisfied. He waits till Cole is asleep, and sneaks in, douses Cole in cold water, then has Manny 'antique' Cole with baby powder. Standing there, wet and white, Cole realizes he is a beaten man.

We now get to watch Melendez trying to cut weight. Most impressive of this whole thing was the way that Andy Wang stayed with Brandon, keeping him motivated and just giving Brandon some company. After the less than stellar way Andy came off after his loss, and subsequent expulsion by BJ, this episode really redeemed Andy as a good person and teammate.

The fight begins around 20 minutes to the hour, so we can be fairly sure the fight is going two rounds.

After some striking, Gray takes Brandon down, but Brandon not only avoids being dominated, manages to try for some submissions, and gets to his feet. Gray keeps taking Brandon to the mat, but Brandon proves to be a better wrestler than anticipated, and Gray has trouble keeping Brandon on the ground.

The second round starts with both guys trading punches in the middle of the ring, with Brandon getting the better, causing Gray to return to grappling. Again, despite taking Brandon down with relative ease, Gray can't do anything, and Brandon gets in his own submission attempts before getting to his feet.

Finally Gray takes Brandon down and gets him in a guillotine. Brandon taps with just under a minute left in the round. A good fight, and either Brandon is much better than he was given credit for, or Gray isn't the wrestling machine he was being touted as. Or some combination of the two.

The Good

Once again, Jens comes across as a reasonable, intelligent, sympathetic person.
Randy's appearance was very good, and he not only gave BJ's only four teammates some good advice, he was even helping BJ out.
Andy Wang may not be a warrior, but he's a mensch.
Cole and Nate's antics are an example of rough-housing done right. No bones were broken, nobody was bloodied, and all parties were laughing at the end.

The Bad

At the beginning of the episode, during the recap, one of the fighters said that Cole "was a man, and went out and took his beating." What one has to do with the other is unclear.
I really think the fact that BJ is such a piss poor coach that four of his fighters are no longer with his team is giving the guys he has left an unfair advantage. BJ gets to spend more time with the remaining fighters individually than Jens. But then again, Dana seems to want one of BJ's fighters to win, and isn't shy about manipulating the show to help make that happen.
I'm not sure why Cole chose pinatas as the totems to send a message to Nate, but without context, it seems awfully racist.
While the Cole/Nate antics seemed to be all in good fun, Nate's interviews suggest that he wanted to actually fight. Did he not see what happened the week before?

The Ugly

Or did Nate see all too well what happened to the two guys who got kicked out for fighting the week before? They got to go home, see their families, watch some tv, read a newspaper, and do what normal people do. And then they got a fight on the TUF5 finale. That's right, the first matchup for the TUF5 finale undercard has been announced, and it's Marlon Sims v Noah Thomas. AKA, the fight they both wanted, and their motivation for starting that backyard fiasco. So last week, their antics so thoroughly disgusted Dana, and were seen as a slap in the face to those who have sought to bring legitimacy to MMA in North America. But now, those antics are seen as a reason to give these guys a fight on national TV, a UFC payday, and a shot at making it in the UFC. Which is it? Are these guys a disgrace, or are they UFC calibre fighters? Or are UFC calibre fighters a disgrace?

Next week, we get the two remaining fights. Manny Gamburyan v Matt Wiman, which I believe is an upset waiting to happen. And Corey Hill v Nate Diaz, which guarantees a Team Pulver fighter in the semifinals. Except Nate seems to turn his back on Team Pulver in an attempt to train away from his opponent. DRAMA!!

TUF 5.8 - Yard Tards

2007-05-25T20:28:00.000-04:00

With last week's twofer, we are now done with the preliminary fights, and are moving on to the quarterfinals.

With that in mind, Dana gets BJ and Jens into a room to discuss matchups for the quarterfinal matches. Shockingly, this results in tension, and breaks down into insults and threats being exchanged. Dana's and BJ's selections match up, while Jens' picks differ slightly.

What was most interesting about this entire segment was Dana's admission that the selection of these fights is done in a way that favours the fighters who are seen as the strongest, and designed in such a way as to ensure that those fighters meet in the finals. While this may seem obvious, I found it interesting that Dana would admit to the subjective/manipulated/worked nature of the UFC (and the fight business in general).

Dana, BJ, and Jens each have their own opinions about the fighters on the show, and those opinions influence the matchups they decide on. Fights are not selected based on how entertaining they will be for the fans, or how two different fighters' styles matchup, but instead are selected based on what will make it easier for the preferred fighters to advance. In this case, the preferred fighters are Nate Diaz, Joe Lauzon, Grey Maynard and Matt Wiman. Or, BJ's three survivors and one of Jens' fighters. In declaring these four fighters to be the favorites, Dana is making it clear that Corey Hill, Manny Gamburyan, Brandon Melendez and Cole Miller are going to be put into situations where it will be particularly difficult for them to advance.

The four quarterfinal fights are announced as:

Cole Miller v. Joe Lauzon
Gray Maynard v Brandon Melendez
Nate Diaz v. Corey Hill
Matt Wiman v. Manny Gamburyan

I find the Hill/Diaz selection to be the most interesting, because it means that Dana wins either way. If Diaz wins, one of the favorites advances. If Hill wins, they can continue to market the freak show aspects of Hill, the oversized lightweight. I also find the Wiman/Gamburyan matchup to be an interesting one, because I think Manny is tougher than they are giving him credit for, and he could very well take out Wiman. Although, after reading Joe Lauzon's blog from this week, the choice makes a little more sense.

After the selections are made, we go back to the house, where the fighters are relaxing around the fire pit. Marlon 'Street Fighter' Sims is discussing why he and Wayne Weems are better losers than Noah Thomas and Allen Berube, because neither Weems nor Sims tapped out, while Noah and Allen did. Much of this discussion stems from Noah and Marlon's desire to face one another at the finale, and is clearly an attempt to set up some backstory for that matchup.

The discussion gets more heated, and Marlon tosses the chair Noah is sitting in. Shirts and mikes are removed, and Allen Berube takes on the role of Big John McCarthy, getting the middle of the two and telling them to 'get it ON,' while reassuring them that they won't get kicked out of the house.

Marlon gives Noah the first punch, and, much as he did in his fight against Matt Wiman, sticks his chin out for Noah to hit. Noah takes the bait, although the punch he throws is pulled and doesn't do as much damage as it could. They wrestle and scuffle, with Marlon taking Noah down, and almost cracking Noah's skull on the edge of the rock garden when he does so. While all this is going on, the rest of the gang stand around cheering and clearing potential hazards such as glass bottles out of the way.

The two break up, and Marlon says he doesn't want to do anymore because he doesn't want to get kicked out. Noah takes the opportunity to kick Marlon in the head. The fighting begins anew, and Noah goes for an armbar from the bottom. Unfortunately, Marlon is on his feet, and he elevates Noah and drops him on his head. Twice. Shockingly, Noah is bleeding, and a little upset that Marlon would do this to him while Noah was only trying to break Marlon's arm.

Eventually everyone settles down, with Nate Diaz likening the incident to the Lord of the Flies, and Cole Miller describing it as "the most technical streetfight he has ever seen."

The next day, Allen 'Monstah Lobstah' is preparing some seafood when the door to the house opens and Dana comes in, not looking happy. He calls all the fighters for a meeting in the living room where Dana unleashes another patented Dana f-bomb diatribe, where he derides Marlon and Noah for setting back the cause of all those who have sought to legitimize MMA and have struggled against the stigma of the sport as 'human cockfighting' (also go here) as everyone's favorite POW, John McCain has called it. Dana also includes the rest of the house in his rant, taking umbrage with the fact that they all stood around watching and cheering. When his speech is done, Dana makes two expected announcements, kicking Marlon and Noah out of the house, and one rather unexpected one, kicking Monstah Lobstah out for the part he played in the unpleasantness. This is now four people who have been kicked out of the house.

We now move on to the sanctioned fight portion of the evening, as Cole prepares to face Joe.

The first round is fairly good, with Cole using his long legs to avoid being dominated on the ground, although Joe is the clear winner of the first round. In the second round, Joe gets a warning for punching Cole in the back of the head. Shortly thereafter, Joe nails Cole in the back of the head with an elbow, earning a one point penalty, and giving Cole a chance to recover. After being examined by the doctor, Cole says he is able to continue, and the fight resumes.

Unfortunately, Cole doesn't seem to have the same fire he had before the elbow, and Joe starts to dominate. Eventually Joe has Cole's back, and starts ground n pounding till the ref calls the fight.

The Good

Before the elbow, Cole and Joe had a good fight going.

The Bad

As entertaining as it was, the fight between Marlon and Noah was an example of hypermasculinity at its worst. More importantly, it is a demonstration of the problems inherent in these reality programs, where people are put into unreal situations and told to behave normally. In this case, they are trapped in a house with strangers/competitors, and given no outlets for release. Add alcohol, boredom and a culture of violence, and you have all the ingredients for bad things.
Dana kicked out Allen Berube for his role in the fight, but shouldn't he have kicked out everyone who was there? Or did he only want to kick out eliminated fighters?
Now that we know that Dana sees all the footage from the house, how can we be sure that the comments from the fighters are accurate reflections of their opinions? Not only because Dana can edit what they say to ensure that only messages he wants getting out are included, but isn't it possible that people will censor themselves in order to ensure that they don't get Dana angry with them?

The Ugly

After the fight, Dana told Cole that he should never continue a fight if he doesn't feel like he is physically capable of doing so. But does this accurately reflect Dana's opinion, or just what Dana wants the Athletic Commisions to hear and see from him? Earlier in the episode, Dana admitted that Joe Lauzon is one of the fighters he wants to see in the finals. And as we saw with the Corey Hill/Gabe Reudiger situation, Dana will manipulate situations in order to get his desired result. Is it possible that Dana encourages fighters to continue, rather than take a DQ victory? Even if that sort of encouragement isn't explicit, isn't it implicit in the culture of masculinity that pervades the UFC? It is a situation similar to Vince McMahon's "wellness policy." While technically wrestler's are not supposed to use performance enhancing substances, time and again we see wrestlers with oversized physiques rewarded with title runs and main event pushes. Which is the actual policy? The one that is written down, or the one that is communicated behind closed doors, and in the actions and decisions of those with power?

Next week, Gray Maynard v. Brandon Melendez. Gray prepares by training with Randy Couture. Brandon prepares by arguing with Jens.

TUF 5.7 - BJ's Revenge

2007-05-18T12:36:00.000-04:00

As per usual the episode begins with a recap of the previous week's fights. Debate over who really won the Emerson/Hill fight continues to rage.

Jens gets some time to brag on being 5-1. But if you saw the commercial for this episode, you saw that already.

Concerned over how BJ will emerge from this season, Dana pulls him into the office for a pep talk. Dana basically tells BJ that reports emerging from Camp Penn have BJ not doing proper cardio training, and BJ not leading his team properly. Dana warns BJ that he "doesn't want to be the Ken Shamrock of this season," burying Shamrock, who is, of course, now coaching the Nevada Lions of the IFL. Dana tells BJ that he has to be a team leader, and lead the team.

(Note, for full effect, read that paragraph again, but add fuck as every second word.)

BJ then says that he thinks that he will need to beat Jens down and retire him at the finale. What BJ's personal success has to do with the success of the people that he chose to train is unclear, but it does demonstrate what could possibly be part of the problem with Team Penn.

Back at the house, Emerson celebrates being a two-time loser with a keg and a hookah. Evidently Noah got them by putting them on the grocery list. Geraghty joins in the fun by indulging in a few beer bongs.

Taking Dana's words to heart, BJ calls his team together, and kicks Andy 'Weeping Warrior' Wang off the team for not listening to BJ's advice, and disrespecting BJ. Stunned, Andy is taken away by Tony DeSouza and the other assistant coach. Andy comes back and asks for an explanation. BJ tells him that it is a waste of time, and that Andy never listens. BJ doesn't come across very well here.

Dana is summoned to the gym, where BJ and he discuss BJ's attempts to assert some level of control over Team Penn. Dana tries to explain to BJ that he, in fact, actually can't kick someone off the team, particularly when BJ not only chose the team, but prompted that whole hand raising thing during the team selection. BJ is adamant, and Dana realizes that he has to find an Option B.

Dana calls Jens into the office, and asks Jens to take Andy on the team. Jens agrees, so long as the rest of the team concurs. Interesting. BJ kicks Andy off the team without consulting anyone, and while he's still upset over his tongue lashing from Dana. Jens, on the other hand, seeks the input from his team on allowing a new member. Curiouser and curiouser.

Jens asks the team if they would be willing to take on a new member who has been kicked off Team Penn. Everyone assumes the person is Noah, and say no. Jens tells them it's Andy, and they do a 180, expressing nothing but respect for Andy as a nice guy.

Dana and Jens inform Andy of his status as a member of Team Pulver, but Andy seems resistant. Part of Andy's trepidation seems to be because Andy was one of the hand raisers from the first episode. Jens says that wasn't an issue then, isn't an issue now, and won't be an issue in the future.

Despite this, Andy is still less than enthusiastic about this switch. He mumbles about loyalty to BJ, and still owing BJ something. This prompts an incredible Dana tirade, featuring liberal helpings of the word fuck. The essence of the tirade is that Andy should a) shut the fuck up, b) stop being a disrespectful little twerp, c) start thanking Jens for the opportunity, and d) try to make the most of it.

Jens finally takes Andy out to meet his new team, who greet him with hugs. Everyone walks toward the ring. Cue happy ending music.

Everyone gathers at the gym to announce the next fights. Jens picks Wayne Weems to fight Gray Maynard, which means that Marlon Sims will fight Matt Wiman.

Despite tearing Weems a new one on a previous episode, Jens has nothing but good things to say about him now, commending his willingness to learn, and the progress he has made in the past few weeks.

The fight starts at 10:30, which ordinarily would suggest that the fight was going to go the full two rounds, possibly even three.

The fight doesn't last that long. Gray knocks Weems down, and the fight goes to the ground rather quickly. Gray is on top, and Weems tries to get Gray's head, but can't do much. Eventually Weems gives up his back, and Gray starts raining down punches while Weems covers up. After a minute or so of this, Herb Dean calls the fight about halfway through the first round.

Weems loses his temper in the locker room, upset with his performance. Unfortunately, he doesn't cry. Pulver commends Weems for, among other things, actually getting into the ring, unlike other unnamed contestants.

With over twenty minutes to go, we prepare for the second fight of the evening. This would have been a good surprise, if they hadn't advertised that two fights would be aired on this episode, thus robbing the episode of the surprise factor.

Marlon is cutting weight in the sauna, while regaling Manny with his street fight tales. For example, Marlon has never been knocked out by a person, only by an Oldsmobile.

At the fire pit, Matt Wiman and others are discussing Marlon's stories.

We also get Matt telling us about his nickname "Moderately Attractive," which used to be "Handsome" but Matt changed it because he wanted to come across as humble on the show. BTW, Marlon's nickname is "Mr. Indestructible."

The fight starts at five minutes to the top of the hour, suggesting another short fight. Matt starts the fight by rocking Marlon with a hard right hand to the face. Marlon stumbles, and Matt pounces. He takes Marlon's back, and locks in a rear naked choke. Less than a minute in, Marlon is unconscious. Matt - "So much for Mr. Indestructible."

Marlon takes his loss well, and he actually doesn't come across as a giant tool for once.

The Good

Matt and Gray both had strong showings. Even better was their lack of bravado or ego. Team Penn may be 5-3, but those three are probably the strongest fighters.
Jens' willingness to take on Andy "Ronin" Wang was yet another example of Pulver's strength as a coach. Particularly with Pulver's insistence on consulting the rest of the team. How is this guy friends with Matt Hughes?
Dana's unloading on Andy Wang was thing of brilliance. As Ralphie says in A Christmas Story, "My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium, a master." That was Dana's rant.

The Bad

BJ's kicking off of Andy seemed like the act of a petty, vindictive child, lashing out at someone weaker after being called out by his daddy. I'm not saying that BJ wasn't justified, but nothing on the show thusfar had given any indication of deep rooted problems between Andy and BJ, save for Andy's shoddy fight performance.
I am so sick of that stupid standings chart. Dear Dana, hire a real graphic artist and get something that both looks good and serves a purpose. Or do you enjoy looking bush league?
As my roommate pointed out, if Dana is so concerned with how the fighters are training, and their conditioning, then why are they given a hookah, a keg, and a beer bong?

The Ugly

For the longest time, one of my biggest complaints about the show has been the fact that the start time of the fight indicates how long the fight will go. This time, the first fight started at a time that indicated the fight would go the distance. But instead it was over in two and a half minutes. This would have been the perfect example of the type of swerve I was hoping for, keeping us unsure of how long the fight would be. Would have been, had it not been for the fact that Spike TV advertised that the episode would have two fights! Instead of swerving us, the episode just told us that neither fight would last very long when the first fight started half an hour into the episode. Incredibly poor planning on the part of the show producers and the Spike TV promotions producers.

Next week, second round matchups are chosen, but BJ and Jens have trouble agreeing. And at the house, we get a demonstration of Marlon's street fighting skills. Hopefully Cammy and Chun-Li make an appearance.

TUF 5.6 - Twofer!

2007-05-16T13:12:00.000-04:00

After last week's Rutabega debacle, TUF is treating its viewers to not zero, not one, but TWO fights on this week's thrilling installment of "Who Does Dana Want to See in the UFC Lightweight Division?"

First up is Joe Lauzon versus Brian Geraghty. Lauzon is known as the guy who beat Jens Pulver in a stunning UFC upset just before Season 5 began. Joe has also been keeping a blog for the Boston Herald as the season progresses, which you can find here.

There is some discussion of Joe and Jens' history, with Pulver encouraging Geraghty to try to put that history out of his mind when fighting Lauzon.

The fight starts, and Joe attacks. He rocks Geraghty with some good punches before taking the fight to the ground and dropping some nasty looking elbows, one which misses, but probably leaves a nice dent on the mat.

Geraghty manages to wriggle away, and scramble to his feet. Unfortunately, when he does so, he gives Lauzon his back, and Joe pounces, catching Geraghty in a rear naked choke and getting the first win for Team Penn.

To celebrate his loss, Geraghty is this week's weeper, crying over the loss, and his poor performance. I swear, somebody has cried every week on this show. It's like a damn very special Oprah episode.

With fight 1 out of the way, preparation for fight 2 begins, featuring Rob "One Loss" Emerson versus Corey "Pro-Am" Hill.

Jens and Hill are strolling around discussing Corey's fight experience. Corey has told people that he is 8-0, but he comes clean(ish) with Jens, telling him he is actually only 4-0. The actual truth is that Corey has never had a pro fight, and has fought two amateur fights.

The fight begins, and Rob and Corey start trading punches. With his reach, Corey is able to keep Emerson at bay, and Emerson does a lot of backing up, occasionally throwing a leg kick, while Corey throws bombs, some of which actually connect.

Read that for five minutes, and you have the first round.

For the second round there is much of the same, although at the end Rob slips, Corey pounces, but Rob manages to lock in a heel hook as time expires.

The fight goes to the judges, who give Corey the first round, and Rob the second. It's time for a third round, or 'sudden victory' as it is now euphemistically called.

For a recap of the third round, go back to the description of the first round and read it again for five minutes.

Shockingly, BJ thought Emerson won the third round, while Jens had it for Hill. Dana, not impressed with either performance, thinks Emerson won, but I'm sure that Dana's giving Emerson a free pass for this second fight has nothing to do with that opinion. After the judges are awakened from their comas, they score the third round, and the fight, for Corey Hill.

Back in the locker room, Corey comes out of the closet and tells everyone that this was his first professional fight. Nobody tells Corey that these fights are all exhibition, so I don't think they really count as pro fights.

The Good

Joe looked excellent in his fight. He is the guy to beat in this competition, but I think Lauzon versus Manny would be a good finale fight.
Jens' attitude regarding his loss to Joe was refreshing, particularly given the way that some fighters like to make excuses after a loss (I'm looking your way Tim Sylvia!) Jens continually impresses me as a person, but he really needs to start keeping better company.

The Bad

Brian Geraghty did not look good. I think he can be redeemed however, given the fact that he was upset with himself and his performance, and not with Dana for favouring the wrong kind of fighter, as we saw in the first season with Leben and his losses.
Corey Hill was also unimpressive. However, given the fact that he was brought onto the show because of his height and potential, rather than his record, I'm not too upset. I don't want to see Corey Hill in the octagon fighting for the title in September, but I think that, in a year or so, he will be a force in the UFC.

The Ugly

After losing one of the best Ultimate Fighter fights ever with Nick Diaz, Rob Emerson earned the respect of MMA fans and fighters. I think he lost much of that with his loss to Corey Hill. Unlike his fight with Diaz, Emerson fought not to lose, rather than to win. And he still lost. But more importantly, he showed that he rises to just below the level of his opponent. Emerson could still be a great fighter, but he needs to do some training, both mental and physical.

Next week, BJ gets angry and kicks someone out. They can do that? If so, why didn't he do it with Rutabega? Also, we're getting two fights again, although it's unclear why. My guess is that the fighters didn't have enough zany antics to fill an entire episode.

TUF 5.5 - The End of UFC Legitimacy

2007-05-04T09:52:00.000-04:00

This is it. The episode we've all been waiting for from the first episode. The One Where Gabe Loses Weight. But first, we get the recap. Then we get the non-Gabe related drama of the week. This week, the drama comes in the form of Noah getting stretched by Tony DeSouza. From what the show portrayed, Noah was a lippy, arrogant twerp, who thought it would be funny to insult Tony during training. Tony took offense, and proceeded to show Noah what grappling and submission style wrestling is all about.

There are two ways one can look at this. One is that Tony went too far and was picking on someone smaller, weaker, dumber, and less experienced than himself.
The other is that Noah has an attitude problem, and thinks he's the bee's knees. Given what we have seen from Noah in previous episodes, I believe this is the more likely of the two. From his bragging about being a Marine, which Noah seems to think a) is a good thing, and b) makes him somehow better than others, to his attitude before he got schooled by Manny, to the behaviour that drove Tony over the edge, Noah doesn't seem like a good person.

The incident certainly wasn't as bad as Bob Holly's assault on Matt Capotelli a few years ago on Tough Enough, and hopefully Noah will now take training more seriously, as he's now had his ass handed to him twice.

Now for the main event.

10 minutes into the show, the fight announcement is made, and, as anyone who saw the previews would know, Corey Hill called out Gabe Rutabaga. We then begin the grand adventure that is Gabe trying to lose weight. He starts out by eating ice cream cake. That makes sense. Gabe insists that he can cut the weight, as he's never had a problem doing so before. At the beginning of the adventure, Gabe is 21 lbs overweight.

The rest of the show features Gabe's attempts to cut weight, which finally culminate in BJ and Gray Maynard taking Rutabaga to the house where he is forced to ride the stationary bike in the sauna.

Hilarity ensues when Gabe "collapses." It is unclear whether this collapse was legitimate, or just Gabe playing the drama queen. I'm leaning towards the latter.

Back at the gym, we see Corey getting ready for the weigh-in, having made weight. With ten minutes to go before weigh-in, Jens comes in and tells Team Pulver they have to go back to the house.

When they arrive, they see an ambulance pulling away, and Team Pulver learns that Rutabaga has been taken to the hospital for dehydration.

It is at this point that Corey should be declared the winner by forfeit.

Instead, everyone just hangs out in the house, unsure what is going on. Gabe returns, and is shunned like an Amish kid who bought a GameBoy. He apologizes to people, but for some reason the house is unwilling to forgive the guy who has been insulting, rude, egotistical and self-involved.

The next day, everyone goes to the gym for a meeting with Dana, and the end of any claims to being a legitimate sport that UFC ever claimed to have. With everyone in the gym, Dana shows up and tears Rutabaga a new one. He then kicks Rutabaga out of the house and off the show. In a one-on-one interview, Rutabaga cries. I laugh.

Then, Dana proceeds to destroy the UFC's legitimacy. Rather than making the only logical choice and declaring Corey Hill the winner, Dana proclaims that "there are no free passes" and gives Rob Emerson a free pass back into contention. As punishment for Team Penn's inability to get Rutabaga to fighting weight, Team Pulver is allowed tp pick the next two fights. They choose Brian Geraghty to take on Joe Lauzon, and Corey Hill to face Rob Emerson.

Here's the problem with this whole situation. Corey Hill chose his opponent. His opponent was unable to meet the conditions of his fight, forfeiting his right to fight. Therefore, Corey Hill wins by forfeit.

Instead, Dana decided that Corey should be required to fight someone who has already lost a fight. In so doing, Dana has made clear that The Ultimate Fighter, and by extension the UFC, is sports entertainment, not an athletic contest. By rigging the competition in the name of entertainment, Dana White has abandoned any claims to being a legitimate sporting event.

While I can understand the need for fighters to replace an injured fighter, that wasn't the case here. This was a case of one team, after having been informed of who was to represent them in a fight, being unable to meet the requirements of that fight. As a result, the opposing team, having proven successful at meeting the requirements of the fight, wins. No questions. No debate. No free passes. If every player from the Golden State Warriors suddenly tears their ACL tomorrow, the Dallas Mavericks won't be allowed to play in GS' place.

UFC is no better than pro wrestling. How can we believe in the legitimacy of anything the UFC does when they make their manipulation and match fixing so blatantly obvious?

Next week we will have both fights announced this week. The only question is whether I will bother watching.

TUF 5.4

2007-04-28T01:32:00.000-04:00

Well, after a great fight last week, what will TUF offer us this week? Another great fight? A one minute squash? Only time will tell.

The show starts with a recap of last week's fight, including mention being made of the fact that Rob Emerson earned people's respect in a losing effort in his fight. This is absolutely true, and I think Emerson, much like Ross Pointon from TUF3 are the kinds of guys that Dana will take care of.

During a Team Pulver training session, Jens calls out Wayne Weems as the weak link on the team. The kid looks like a deer caught in the headlights.

During a Team Penn session, Gabe Rutabaga tells BJ that he thinks that he should be the guy to fight Wayne Weems. Gabe seems oblivious to the fact that:

Team Penn needs to win a fight before they can make the match
He is still twenty pounds overweight, and won't be fighting anybody if he can't shed his excess baggage.
Gabe has done nothing to earn BJ's help, let alone his respect. If Team Penn DOES win a fight, and CAN pick their own fight, what has Rutabaga done to earn the 'gimme' match?
There is no such thing as a 'gimme' match in UFC these days. Just ask Mirko Cro Cop.
Matt Wiman, Rutabaga's nemesis, heard this exchange.

Back at the house, Wiman calls Rutabaga on being a sneaky little crap weasel. He doesn't use that exact phrase, but he should have. It's a good one. Try to work it into conversation this week.

In Pulverland, Jens dresses down Brandon Melendez, who, in addition to suffering from a case of the Rutabaga's, and is carrying around some extra poundage, is also nursing a sore foot, which is keeping him out of practice. Jens thinks Brandon is being a bit of a baby, particularly since Brandon wants to fight next. He tells Brandon that if he can't get down to 160 lbs by the time they announce the fight, Brandon won't get the call. Reasonable decision.

Time for the most entertaining part of this evening's episode. The Adventures of Mr. Indestructible.

Remember last week when I asked 'Who the hell is Marlon Sims?' Well, evidently he's the greatest street fighter since Ken beat Ryu. Hell, motherfucker took down Blanka and Major Bison in a two on one.

Marlon regales his housemates with tales of his street-fighting adventures, which all somehow saw Marlon emerging victorious, no matter the odds. In case you missed it, here's a description. You know that friend who is so desperate for attention and affection that he will make up the wildest, most ridiculous stories, despite the fact that nobody in their right mind could possibly believe them? Yeah, that guy is Marlon.

Rutabaga earns a modicum of respect from me when he calls 'shenanigans' on Marlon's stories.

It's fight announcement time, and evidently Brandon is at 160 lbs, because he gets to call the fight. He calls out Andy Wang, aka the Asian guy who has done nothing to earn any face time.

We get a bunch of stuff about how Andy learned martial arts from his grandfather, interspersed with the kind of random motivational cliches that you find in the offices of companies that offer poor benefits and little job satisfaction.

At the weigh-in, Brandon shocks the world by making weight. He also impresses 55% of the world's population by wearing a banana hammock. The other 45% collectively exclaim, "Man, I did NOT need to see that!"
Andy also makes weight.

Having made weight, Brandon is eating lots of food at home.

At the gym, Team Pulver shows up to find Matt Hughes cleaning the mats. He's there to help train Jens' team. Evidently Jens and Matt are 'family.' My respect for Jens Pulver just plummeted.

The fight starts at 10:40. I'm anxiously anticipating a one-minute KO.

For the first round, Andy decides to throw punches with Brandon. BJ implores Andy to take Brandon down. Andy ignores this. Brandon hits Andy a lot. Andy...not so much.

At the intermission, BJ tells Andy to stop standing and take Brandon down.

When the second round begins, we learn that Andy has decided not to take BJ's advice. Brandon hits Andy for another five minutes.

Brandon wins.

Andy cries. A lot. I'm not talking that acceptable kind of crying. I'm talking snot bubble sobbing. And yet, at the same time, Andy is declaring himself to be a 'warrior.'

BJ doesn't offer his usual condolences. Probably because Andy is a tool who made BJ look like a jackass, and cost Team Penn another fight.

The Good

Rutabaga was not the biggest jackass in the house this week. Instead, that honour is split between Andy and Marlon. Congratulations Gabe.

The Bad

How can someone like Jens, who seems like a decent human being, be tight with someone like Matt Hughes, who doesn't? I have to reconsider my respect for Jens.
Last week's fight was two guys going all out to win, trying to win the fight, and trying to prove themselves. This week's fight was two guys fighting not to lose, trying just to survive another week, and make it to the big television finale. Guess which fight was better?

The Ugly

I'm not sure what was worse: Andy sobbing after losing a fight, or the producers showing it. Andy is done. Not only will he have no respect in the house, I don't think he'll have any respect in MMA.

Next week. Actually, the preview for the next episode gave pretty much everything away. Tony DeSousa beats up Noah in practice, Corey challenges Rutabaga, and Rutabaga might die trying to cut weight.

MR. UPSIDE

2007-04-24T00:09:00.001-04:00

The draft is this weekend.

Who will be featured in this video five years from now?

TUF 5.3

2007-04-19T23:44:00.000-04:00

The commercials for this episode promised the greatest fight in the series' history, so they're setting the bar pretty high.

As with previous episodes, the show starts with a recap of the previous fight, coupled with comments from the other fighters. Marlon Sims offers his evaluation of the Noah/Manny fight.

Who the hell is Marlon Sims?

At the training centre, BJ talks about being worried about Gabe Rutabaga. BJ knows that Pulver is taking down the weak links on BJ's team, and since Gabe is overweight, he is one of those weak links. Gabe suggests getting a colonic to help him drop some weight.

Manny gets the ugly belt thing. Actually, I mock the ugly belt, but I actually think there is something to be said for the symbolic value it holds. It helps to unite the fighters, and provides a physical manifestation for their goals on the show. It's ugly, but it's useful. Besides, at 2 am, even something ugly is good enough.

At the house, Nick Diaz is getting psyched for a fight. He was thinking about challenging Joe Lauzon, but as a result of the...unpleasantness with the Sharpie, he is focusing on Rob Emerson.

At the gym, BJ Penn and coach Tony DeSouza call out Gabe and his perceived lack of dedication. It is suggested that Gabe isn't taking the whole training aspect of the show very seriously.

While Team Pulver trains, Corey Hill transforms into "Bad Corey." "Bad Corey" is the shouting, hyperactive Corey. "Bad Corey" wants to fight Gabe.

Jens Pulver then introduces the special guest coach, Jeremy Horn, who is there to help the team with their grappling. Corey doesn't know who Horn is. Horn takes a shine to Corey, and suggests that Corey should come to train with him. Horn sees Corey as a lump of clay to be moulded. I think Jeremy is on to something.

Gabe goes for his colonic. Before you go getting all freaked out about the deal, I suggest you check this out. While Gabe is doing this, the rest of the team is actually training. Team Penn is getting a little sick of Gabe's schtick, and some believe that all of this is just Gabe's way of putting the attention on himself.

Back at the house, Nick Diaz grows tired of Noah and Rob, who have taken to running around in banana hammocks. Nick makes it clear that he has no problem with guys who are gay, but that Noah and Rob aren't gay, they're just acting gay. For more on this interesting distinction, check out this article.

It's challenge time, and Nick Diaz calls out Rob Emerson. Dana knows we have a good fight coming, because it's a good staredown. Well, Dirty Sanchez and KOS had a pretty good staredown at the weighin, but I don't think anybody is calling that a Fight of the Year candidate.

After the requisite video packages and trash talk, the fight starts around 10:40. My roommate and I decide that the fight either goes two rounds, or they've been reading this blog and have decided to swerve us. I opt for the former.

The first round is standuptastic. Not as good as Bonnar/Griffin I, but still pretty good for an exhibition fight where the guys know they'll have to fight again in a week or two. Diaz is more aggressive, but Emerson has some great takedown defense.

Secound round starts out much the same, with the guys standing and clinching. Diaz finally scores a takedown, but Emerson gets back up, but this time Diaz takes him down quickly. The look of Emerson's face is one of exhaustion and exasperation. Diaz is in total control on the ground. Emerson manages to avoid a few submission attempts, but Diaz finally gets the rear naked choke, and Emerson taps with 15 seconds left.

Dana calls the fight the best in the history of the show, and tells Emerson he has nothing to be ashamed of.

The Good

The fight was very good. Not a match of the year candidate or anything, but certainly the best of the recorded fights from the five TUF seasons. (My roommate questioned whether Bonnar/Griffin I is considered part of the TUF canon of fights. My guess is no, simply because all the TUF fights are two round exhibitions, while Bonnar/Griffin I was a 'real' fight.)
I like the fact that everyone is sick of Gabe Rutabaga. I particularly like the fact that Tony DeSouza called him out in front of his whole team. Not only does Tony have the best beard in the UFC, but he's now cool too.
Rob Emerson earned himself a place on Dana's cool list with that fight. If anyone goes down with an injury, Rob is going to get the first call. Particularly given Dana's announcement this week that he wants exciting fights first and foremost.
I like the thought of Jeremy Horn training Corey Hill. I was also impressed with the fact that Corey seemed genuinely interested in what Horn had to tell him.

The Bad

The fight started around 10:40. It went almost two full rounds. For the love of all that's good and holy, swerve us! I'm not talking Russo swerving, but just keep us guessing.
Dear Spike TV, get some new commercials. I have seen that damn "Sponge Bob No Pants" ad too many times. And I love both Sponge Bob and Burger King.
Gabe Rutabaga is the new Johnny Fairplay. Which means that he's using the show to promote himself, and six months after the show ends, no one will know where he is. Nor will they care.

The Ugly

That flatscreen TV/eliminated fighter deal that Dana does before every fight announcement is really sad. It doesn't add anything to the show, and just makes the UFC look bush league.
Also bad is the Burger King contest. It wants you to pick the fighters for the next fight, and who will win. It's really sad, and if that's the best contest that they can tie in with TUF, then UFC is NOT the major player they are supposed to be.

Next week, a UFC champ shows up to coach. And Jens gets angry. JENS SMASH! And more Rutabaga. Yay.

Priorities

2007-04-18T16:55:00.000-04:00

This is a screenshot I took from CNN.com today at 4:55 pm EDT. Look at the story I have circled in red.

33>170?

That is some really interesting math.

TUF 5.2

2007-04-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

The show opens with a recap of last week's fight between Cole Miller and Alan Berube. Again, this is the kind of thing that could be shown AFTER the fight, thereby making it less obvious how long the fight will be. Everyone agrees that the fight was pretty one-sided.

This week's crier is Cole Miller, who ran to the locker room to cry after defeating Berube. Something about achieving his dreams, being a UFC fighter ahead of schedule. Strange, I remember Danny being somewhat derided for calling himself an Ultimate Fighter in Season 3. But I'm sure it has nothing to do with Cole being whiter than a sheet, and Danny being not that.

Cole is also given a "championship belt" that looks like it would be rejected by a backyard fed.

Evidently Dana didn't want to spend money on a second house, because Monster returns to the house to continue to train with his team, and to fill in should someone be injured. It is at this point that the show gets interesting, as there seems to be some heat between Gabe "20 lbs" Ruediger and Matt Wiman. The twist? They're on the same team! Oh what a crazy scenario. The only problem is that there doesn't really seem to be any justification for the "hatred." Instead, one guy just says he doesn't like the other guy, and the other guy concurs.

We head to the gym for the fight selection. Team Pulver has the pick, but Penn tries to shift things in his favour by having Rob Emerson call Corey Hill out, hoping that this will cause Hill to choose Emerson. Pulver sees through this Machiavellian ruse, and Team Pulver's Manny Gamburyan picks Team Penn's Noah Thomas.

Here's what you need to know about the fighters. Noah is/was a Marine. Manny is Karo Parisyan's cousin, and hasn't fought in two years because of a shoulder injury.

Back at the house, some of the boys are chilling in the backyard when they see some women on horseback riding by. They invite the women up to the house, then go to the front door. Just in time to see the horse wipe out on the driveway, after being unable to find traction.

I almost felt bad during this segment. I'm not a big fan of horses. I actually kind of hate the things. (They're too big to be considered friendly animals. Basically, I feel about horses the way Stephen Colbert feels about bears.) The horse is lying on the driveway, and I thought for sure its leg was broken. Luckily for the horse it wasn't, and some of the boys bring out a rug to give the horse some traction. Crisis averted, the horse, and the attractive equestriennes are on their way.

Team Penn is on the way to the gym, and Reudiger and Wiman continue to bicker. Joe Lauzon informs us that they are going to BJ with this, as the infighting is an unwanted distraction. The tension carries over to the training centre, and BJ gathers the group together to try and smooth things out. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Nothing is resolved. Penn says that if this continues, he'll just tell Reudiger and Wiman to not come to the gym.

Back at the house, Team Penn has some free time. And, as with seasons past, this always results in good times. First, the boys find a shield, and discover that the tiki torches in the backyard make good spears. They intend to play a game of "deflect the pointed object with the decorative piece of metal." Luckily, someone decides to practice with a ball. The result? Bangkok! The game is cancelled.

Then, someone finds a marker. First, a bunch of pro-military grafitti is posted. Basically, picture a post-fight troop shoutout in written form, and you'll find it on the walls. Then, someone decides to write "Team Pulver suck it!" on the wall.

Naturally, this D-Xian scribble leads to the type of homophobic hypermasculine antics that have pervaded previous seasons. Nick Diaz sees it, and challenges the author to fight right then and there. Others follow suit, and soon scribbler Rob Emerson is apologizing, and trying to calm the situation down, while guys like Gabe Reudiger try to stir things up more. At this time I was thankfully distracted by a phone call, and had to miss most of the stupidity.

Before the fight, we discover that Manny hates Noah. Why? Umm, well, yeah, um...Dear God, whats that over there?!

It's inside 8:50, so the fight will be a short one.

Manny pwns Noah. Manny rocks Noah in standup, then takes Noah down. About halfway through the first round, Manny locks in a kimura, and Noah wisely taps.

The Good

Umm, I guess its good the horse didn't die. I guess?
Manny looked impressive.

The Bad

Matt Wiman is getting a raw deal. First Gabe makes him the object of his "hatred" for not apparent reason, then he is forced to be the lone voice of reason during "MarkerGate." I guess its good because it gets Matt some face time without having to act like an idiot, but I kinda feel bad for the guy.

The Ugly

The over the top histrionics from these children was pathetic. From Nick Diaz's challenging everyone to fight, to Manny's challenging everyone to fight, to Brandon Melendez's challenging everyone to fight, to the simple act of writing crap on the walls, Matt Wiman summed it up best, calling it a "sad day for all humans." Truly pathetic.
Gabe Reudiger needs to go. NOW. Why Team Pulver didn't pick him to fight is beyond me. He won't be able to make weight, and he'll be sent packing. Then he'll have to shut up, because everything he says will be tainted with the stench of failure that surrounds him. He's overweight, and about as popular as a Gazette editor at, well, just about anywhere intelligent reasonable individuals gather. So pick him, weigh him, and ship him home. The world, or at least the show, will be a better place for it.

Next week: Gabe Rutabaga gets a colonic to help lose weight. Well, he is full of shit. I'm sure that joke will be made numerous times next week. Plus, it will allow them to make all sorts of oh so clever anal insertion homophobic comments. Delightful.

2007-04-14T17:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at 9:30 am, I sat down in a room with five professors, three of whom proceeded to ask me questions about my Master's Thesis. An hour and a half later, they decided they were satisfied, and declared my thesis acceptable, with minor revisions (typos, formatting, abstract). I have now defended my thesis, and once I finish my final term paper, I will have completed all the requirements for my MA in Media Studies.

Up next, PhD.

TUF 5.1

2007-04-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

Well, the new season is upon us, and I finally have something to watch on Thursdays from 10-11. Of course, the premiere episode actually aired on a night when NBC was showing their patented 'supersize' episodes of The Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs, Andy Barker and My Name is Earl, which meant that I was torn, but I shouldn't have that problem next week.

Just as the last iteration of The Ultimate Fighter featured the gimmick of fighters trying to make their way back into the show, this season's gimmick is that all the fighters are 155 lbers, as the UFC tries to bolster and promote their lightweight division. As a result, there is only one "six figure" (read $100,000) contract up for grabs, as opposed to two, and all the fighters know they could face any of the others before the season is over.

The show looks to be pretty entertaining, as all of the fighters are off their Ritalin in the house, making for some interesting interaction. As Dana puts it, "155-pounders are crazy motherfuckers." This could be really entertaining, but if it degrades into spaldingcide and "[insert fighter name here] is gay" fights, then I'll be disappointed.

It's a new house this season, as I'm sure the owners of the past houses have enjoyed the smashing of doors, bubble fights, and attempts to bust through a wall to the outside that have all been highlights of past seasons. One thing I did notice is that this new house not only has the pool table, but there appears to be a ping-pong table. Of course, still no television or computer, but at least they can play pub games. Still no word on whether there will alcohol available. Because that never causes problems.

BJ Penn and Jens Pulver are shown at the gym, where Dana does his 'we need to get along' speech before they pick their teams. What's great is they showed footage of the first Penn v Pulver fight from 2002. Man, Penn's head has gotten bigger since then. And I don't mean it in that metaphorical way where references to the size of one's head are used to suggest a sense of ego. I mean the dude's head has gotten bigger. If it was blue, I'd say he had eaten the "three-course-meal" gum after Mr. Wonka warned him not to.

The fighters all work out for Pulver in the morning, and Jens gets a good sense of what these guys are capable of in the ring. By the time Penn arrives for his chance to scope out the new guys, everyone is plum tuckered out. Did Pulver do this to prevent his rival from properly evaluating the fighters? Penn believes this is likely.

The show gets really entertaining when Dana brings everyone together for team selection. He flips the official TUF coin, this time giving the coin toss winner the choice of picking the first fighter, or the first fight. Pulver wins, and decides he wants to pick the fight, giving Penn the first choice of fighter.

Penn then throws down the gauntlet, telling the assembled fighters "If any of you here know for a complete fact that you want to be on my team and give me 100 percent, and you don’t want [anything] to do with Jens Pulver’s team, raise your hand." 10 guys raise their hands. This leads to some great banter between Pulver and Penn, with Dana trying to control the situation. Eventually the teams are decided, and everyone is off to the house to provide the drama and entertainment.

6'4" Corey Hill, Jens Pulver's first selection seems to really respond to the notion of "teams" taking his allegiance to Team Pulver quite seriously, smack talking anyone in a blue Team Penn jersey. As one of the other fighter puts it, "he put on a gold jersey, and turned into DMX." Corey then begins barking like a Ruff Ryders anthem.

We also learn that Team Penn's Gabe Ruediger has come to the show weighing 175 lbs. More importantly, he seems to be gaining weight. I think somebody is in a family way. Gabe's weight issues lead to him crying in front of his teammates.

Team Pulver chooses their fight, and instead of making Ruediger drop twenty pounds, they go with Cole Miller from Team Pulver v Eric Berube of Team Penn. Berube, aka 'Monster' owns a seafood restaurant, while Miller appears to be MMA's answer to Jack Evans. Miller has the experience, and expects to win quite handily. Berube even seems to accept this, as he admits that he was using MMA as a means to promote his restaurant.

Which he does. Berube put forth a valiant effort, but he just wasn't ready to make it to the big show. After first attempting a Kimura and a guillotine, Miller is finally able to catch Berube with a triangle choke, and Berube has to tap.

The Good

I think the fighters have some personality, and that should make for good television. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing more from Corey Hill, Nate Diaz (Nick's little brother), and Joe Lauzon.
The Penn/Pulver dynamic looks to be really interesting. They don't like each other, they're looking forward to fighting each other, but it seems much richer than the Ortiz/Shamrock relationship from TUF3.
It was great watching Dana try to maintain control over the team selection. Constantly telling the two coaches to "shut the fuck up" while they presented their own ideas on how the teams should be selected was hilarious. If this keeps up, Dana could very well lose his mind by the end of the season.

The Bad

Ruediger showing up 20 pounds overweight is not good. If things don't turn around in the next episode, Team Pulver should seriously consider picking him to fight, only because he won't be allowed to fight. And even if he does cut weight, I don't think he'll be well enough to compete.
Dana, I'm begging you. Give the guys some entertainment. Maybe some books and magazines. A television with limited cable channels. A Sirius satellite radio. All the previous seasons have indicated that the house is as boring as watching a Best of Tim Sylvia tape. So give them something to keep them occupied. This doesn't mean that the drama will end. We could even get some good fights out of who gets to control the remote.

The Ugly

The fight didn't start until 10:55. Not exactly surprising that the fight ended in the first round. This has been a major drawback to every previous season of TUF, and it appears that the producers still haven't clued in. If they swerve us just once, and start the fight at half past, only to see it end 1o seconds into the first round, then we won't know what to expect. Every fight needs to start by the 45 minute mark of the episode at the latest, ensuring that we don't know how long the fight will be. Plus, this will make it possible to fit in all the post-fight reflection after the fight.

All in all, TUF5.1 was a great start to the season. The fights might not be the best, but they'll still be better than anything Tim Sylvia is capable of. If we can avoid the mindless destruction of previous seasons, this one could be the best since Season 1.

I Insist You Call Me 'Fantastic Lover'

2007-04-06T14:38:00.000-04:00

Well, the new season of The Ultimate Fighter is upon us, and as such, I'm going to again offer my insights into the goings ons in the TUF house

Before that however, I feel it important to discuss the lead-in for TUF5, that being another installment of Ultimate Fight Night, this time headlined by TUF2 champion Joe 'Daddy' Stevenson vs Melvin 'The Young Assassin' Guillard. I thought this was a good show, with Kenny Florian earning a strong submission win over Dokonjonosuke Mishima (btw, kudos to Bruce Buffer for making Mishima's name sound fluid during the introductions).

But any discussion of Kenny Florian must lead to the inevitable discussion of nicknames. Nicknames in the UFC have now officially reached the point of absurdity. Kenny 'KenFlo' Florian is one thing. It sounds like an actual nickname, and the kind of thing that Florian has been called for years. Sure it's a stupid nickname, but at least it doesn't seem contrived or forced. But the second fight on the card featured Antoni Hardonk vs Justin McCully. McCully's nickname? The Insane 1. 1! How brutal is that? And then, when they had some time to kill before the main event, they showed a dark match featuring Nate Mohr vs Kurt 'Batman' Pellegrino. Batman. BATMAN! The guy is calling himself BATMAN! And I won't even get into Pellegrino's post-victory "break dancing" routine

This whole nickname trend in the UFC has to stop. It stopped being cute with Chris 'The Crippler' Leben and Ed 'Short Fuse' Herman. You don't give yourself a nickname unless you're George Costanza, and even then, you're more apt to end up with Coco than T-Bone. Chris Benoit earned the nickname 'Crippler' when Sabu broke his neck on a botched move in ECW. And that was in pro wrestling, where personalities and storylines are part of the SCRIPTED nature of the sport. If the UFC wants to embrace the fake nickname aspect of pro wrestling, then they need to accept all the other baggage that goes along with it.

If Chris Leben wants a nickname he earned, how about Chris 'Overrated Crybaby' Leben or Chris 'Perennial Midcarder' Leben? Same with Ed Herman. How about Ed 'Tito Stalker' Herman, or Ed 'Closet Homosexual Using MMA As A Beard' Herman? All these stupid nicknames just distract from the sport, and in my opinion, make it seem bush league. Names like Randy 'The Natural' Couture or Quentin 'Rampage' Jackson work. But Diego 'Nightmare' Sanchez? Unh-unh. Sorry Diego, it's always going to be Diego 'Dirty' Sanchez.

BTW, The Insane 1 beat Hardonk (in a bout of sophomoric humour, I kept hearing hardon during this fight and giggled like a child) in one of those slow lumbering heavyweight fights that were the trademark of Tim Sylvia's excruciating title reign (speaking of nicknames, any discussion thereof must always include the all too regrettable 'Maine-Iac').

And oh yeah, there was a main event. To be honest, I haven't been that impressed with Joe Stevenson since he was unable to put away Luke Cummo to win TUF2. And Melvin Guillard has seemed pretty good, so I was expecting a good fight. Instead, Joe showed that he is comfortable at 155, even though he really didn't have much time to showcase what he can do. Melvin just made a bad mistake, gave Stevenson his head when getting up off the mat, and submitted to a guillotine choke. Without that mistake, who knows what would have happened, because the match didn't even last 30 seconds. And Guillard will be back. But Joe shut Melvin up, and hopefully the next time we see Melvin, he'll try to be a little less boastful.

What really impressed me about Joe Stevenson was how he conducted himself after the fight. In his interview with Joe Rogan, he was humble, he was funny, and he didn't rub the loss in Melvin's face, even though the trash-talking before the fight would have led you to believe he would. Sure he made the obligatory nonsensical shoutout to the troops for 'defending our freedom,' but hating an American for blindly supporting the military is like hating a baby for crapping in its diaper.

Last night's Ultimate Fight Night wasn't an outstanding show, but it demonstrated the state of the UFC right now. Light guys give entertaining fights, big guys are boring and plodding, and a good time to go to the bathroom. But since UFC cleverly designs all of their events with lots of time and useless filler between fights (last night's show feature 'exclusive' previews of not one, not two, but THREE upcoming releases, those being Grindhouse, GRAW2, and, in an interesting cross-promotion, given the contentious relationship between Spike TV, UFC and WWE, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's upcoming The Condemned) finding time to go to the bathroom is never a problem.

Running the world - Jarvis Cocker

2007-02-23T18:48:00.001-05:00

This song is on the soundtrack for Children of Men. Excellent film, excellent soundtrack. I haven't bothered posting the lyrics. You'll see why.

Venture Bros - Orpheus meets the Master

2007-02-15T01:42:00.001-05:00

Randomblings

2007-02-12T23:38:00.000-05:00

Yes I am aware I haven't posted much lately. I've been busy, so sue me. But that doesn't mean I've stopped loving you all. I have neither the time nor the energy for an actual post, but I thought I would drop some brain leavins here on the Interweb.

When did Pizza Hut start using a Jessica Simpson female impersonator for their ads? And more specifically, why did they pick one that is so haggard looking? I'm sure I could go to a drag show and get a better looking Jessica Simpson impersonator. Not that I pick up Jessica Simpson impersonators.
Did Snickers honestly think nobody would complain about their ad?
The Marine is out on DVD. This film is like a slow descent into madness. There are moments when you're not sure whether what you just saw or heard actually happened, simply because they're so bizarre. By the end of the film, I was actually mistrusting my own senses, sure that I could not have just watched the film I just did.
I haven't watched a single episode of TNA Impact since they signed Vince Russo. And judging by the spoilers, recaps, and reviews I have read, I'm not missing a thing.
It's hot in Topeka.
Sunday afternoons without football suck. Although, as my friend Daubs was good enough to point out, its only a few weeks until pitchers and catchers report. And the draft is coming.
If you're not watching 30 Rock, I'll cut you. Seriously. I am going to start looking into people's windows at 9:30 pm on Thursdays, and if their television isn't on NBC, there will be blood. Oh yes, there will be blood. I will be taping 30 Rock at home.
I really hate the commercials for Axe and Tag stink lotions. I can't wait till they find out ten years from now that those products cause cancer.
I like fishy crackers!
Watching new episodes of The Simpsons is like watching your grandfather slowly dying in the hospital. You remember the good times, and there are moments of lucidity when everything seems okay, but most of the time, you just sit there, watching something you once loved slowly wasting away.
I really hope that Grammy voters refuse to vote for Eddie Murphy because of Norbit.
If you've thought about reading Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, don't. Not that it's a bad fantasy series, but you don't want to give up that much of your life to a set of books.
Lost is dead to me. I give up. I'm sick and tired of the show treating its fans like garbage. I hope Sawyer and Kate fall into a live volcano, and Hurley eats the rest of the survivors.
Friday Night Lights, on the other hand, gives my Wednesdays a brief shining moment of glory. This is the best show on television right now.
Not only does The Comedy Network have one of the worst television station websites out there, but they seem genuinely disinterested in using their website to promote viewership. Everytime people ask me why I'm ashamed to be a Canadian, I can point to The Comedy Network. Or really, any of the Bell Globemedia websites. Just pitiful.
Why does a black MacBook cost $200 more than a white MacBook? $200 for an extra 4G of hard drive space? Doesn't seem quite right.

That's really all I have for now. I promise to make more of an effort to post regularly. I've also got a blog for a course I'm taking this semester on video games. You can find it at gamesofempire.blogspot.com. Its really only just links to different stories about video games for my classmates, but feel free to check it out.

Stop Escalation

2007-02-07T11:25:00.001-05:00

We didn't get this ad in Canada. But then again, I don't think much of America got it either. Worst of all, I worry that those who saw it don't get it either.

2006-11-28T11:26:00.000-05:00

With All Apologies to Kenny Rogers

Words are meaningless. Just watch. Brilliant.

2006-11-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

Johnny Cash God's Gonna Cut You Down

You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!"

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's done in the dark will be brought to the light

You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down

Raw? More Like, Um, I Got Nothing...

2006-11-07T16:42:00.000-05:00

Which qualifies me for a position with WWE creative! Yay me!

I haven't watched Monday Night Raw in a while, partly because my roommate prefers CSI: Miami, and partly because WWE hasn't been particularly compelling, and partly because I had about as much interest in a D-X reunion as I do in the impending Genesis reunion.*

But last night I decided to watch Raw, seeing as how I had little to no interest in the Seahawks/Raiders Monday Night Football game. Although I am upset I missed the Play of the Day.

Now I wish I had chosen option B, which was to re-enact the optic nerve scene from Hostel, while listening to Barry Manilow, and wearing lederhosen.

Last night's show was everything wrong with WWE today, all neatly packaged in two hours and ten minutes. Moronic stipulations, bad matches, offensive stereotypes, misogyny, homophobia, and piss poor acting. By about halfway through the show, I actually started missing David Caruso's wooden delivery.

If you want a recap of the show, check out Todd Martin's recap here. Or you can check out Jamie Pennick's Talking Points. Although perhaps the best analysis of the show comes from John Pollock of Live Audio Wrestling, who wrote that " *There is no truth to the rumor that Vince Russo booked last night’s edition of “Raw”."

There was absolutely nothing good on that show. If WWE is trying to drive away what little audience they have left, this is the type of show that will accomplish that goal.

When this is the last image you have as the show goes off the air, you need to take a step back and examine what direction the show is taking.

People don't want fat faux male strippers.

People don't want to see Eric Bischoff's face in those stripper's buttocks.

People don't want meaningless stipulations.

People don't want 40 year old men pretending to be 30 year old men pretending to be 20 year old punks.

People don't want to see 50 year old men beating 25 year old men who are supposed to be the future of the company.

People don't want to see a guy pretending to mentally challenged beating up an old man with pieces of wood.

I will admit that there is probably some interest in seeing K-Fed get beaten up by a guy pretending to an actor and rapper. But what does it say about the WWE today when the number one heel in the company is a guy who is famous for being married to Britney Spears, who is quickly on her way to the title of Dana Plato for the next millennium. But will this interest drive up buyrates or ratings? Doubtful.

I'm just surprised they didn't find a way to talk about Eddie Guerrero being dead on the show. But then again, next week is the first anniversary of Eddie's death, so I'm sure Chavo and Vicki Guerrero will dig up Eddie's corpse, so Triple H can skull fuck it, Batista can piss on it, and Shawn Michaels can bury it, since he never got the chance to do so before Eddie died.

* Just a note, Genesis stopped being relevant when Peter Gabriel left and Phil Collins took over.

2006-11-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

Why Aren't You Watching?

2006-10-31T16:45:00.000-05:00

We are now a couple of months into the new television season, and the body count is starting to pile up. NBC's Kidnapped was banished to the graveyard that is Saturday nights, and told to wrap things up in 13 episodes. There is also talk that Twenty Good Years, starring John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor, is also getting the boot. CBS's Smith, starring Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen and Amy Smart was bumped off. Fox's Vanished has also been ordered to wrap things up in 13 episodes. Evidently the CW (the merger of UPN and The WB) had a show called Runaway that has also been killed off. I'm fine with all of these, because I only watched one of them, Vanished, and it wasn't very good. But now there are rumours starting to abound that some of the season's better offerings may be on the chopping block. So I implore you, if you watch television, if you despair over the lack of quality offerings on network (ie non-HBO & Showtime) television, start watching these good shows.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Aaron Sorkin just keeps on churning out great shows. First Sports Night, then The West Wing, and now Studio 60. An hour long drama about the inner workings of a Saturday Night Live-esque show. I swear, Matthew Perry was born to recite Sorkin dialogue. And Bradley Whitford just picks up where he left off with West Wing, delivering great performances. Add in DL Hughley, Sarah Paulson, Nate Corddry, Steven Weber, and Timothy Busfield, and you've got a great cast. Hell, even Amanda Peet manages to do more than flash her sexy toothy smile.
There was a great moment in the first episode where Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford are having a conversation in a half-taxi used for sketches. Their conversation finished, they get up to leave. Perry walks out the front, since there is no front half of the cab, while Whitford opens the door and gets out. Brilliant.
What's even better is that the show discusses issues that need to be discussed, but tend to get lost in the white noise of status quo television. The role, and under-representation of minorities on television. The effect of the growing corporatization of the entertainment industry. The self-censorship created in the culture of fear birthed on 9/11. The growing influence of religious right neo-conservatives. The role of art in a commercial capitalist culture. All this, wrapped up in an entertaining and compelling dramedy.
And I think thats the problem. People aren't used to having network television offer up these issues. They're used to dealing with the issues like the range of grapefruit pulp, or who is sleeping with whom, or any of the other banal minutiae that are typically offered. And don't get me wrong, I like to indulge in mindless escapist entertainment. After all, I'm a wrestling fan, and I watch The Ultimate Fighter. But I also like to be challenged from time to time. Shows like Studio 60 do that.
The other complaint I've heard about Studio 60 is that its too much like another show that NBC offered this year:

30 Rock: I'll be the first to admit it, I have a thing for Tina Fey. For a while, she was the only bright spot on Saturday Night Live, with her place at the Weekend Update newsdesk helping to make the show watchable. Some jackasses at one of those "men's" magazines labelled her as one of the must unattractive women on television, but I think thats because they know she is smarter than them.
This show is brilliant. Alec Baldwin follows up a spectacular performance in The Departed to appear on the show as a GE executive who, after inventing the "trivection" oven, is given command of the "The Girlie Show" presided over by Tina Fey, and starring Jane Krakowski. His first move, to bring in Tracy Morgan, who channels Martin Lawrence in presenting a seriously unbalanced, delusional, often unintentionally hilarious, comedian. While the entire cast is hilarious, as is the writing, the best part of the show is Jack McBrayer, who plays NBC page Kenneth. Overly exuberant, utterly naive Kenneth, of whom Baldwin says, "In twenty years, we'll all either be working for him, or be dead by his hand."
Currently the show is on Wednesdays at 8, but it is said that NBC will be moving the show to Thursdays at 9, followed by Scrubs. This will give NBC a two hour block of great comedies, reminiscent of the good old days when NBC had shows like Cheers, Night Court, Friends, and others in that slot, dominating it for years. But now, Thursdays at 8 is Survivor, and 9 is CSI versus Grey's Anatomy. I haven't watched Grey's Anatomy since ABC moved it, but evidently quite a few people are, as it is winning the battle over CSI.
I implore you people, stop watching Survivor. It is the Terry Schiavo of television. Just let it die already. It had a good run, it helped to lower the bar for television programming for years to come, and paved the way for such mind-numbing treacle as Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire, Unan1mous, The Apprentice, and all the other reality shows that continue to pollute the airwaves.
And I'll admit it, I chose to watch Survivor in the past. But today, if given the choice between Survivor (or any other "reality" show) and a well-written, well-acted comedy like My Name is Earl or The Office, I'll take the show that admits to being scripted.
As for CSI, I will also admit to being fascinated by the show in the past. But the lustre has worn off. Issues such as the 'CSI Effect' along with the continuing melodrama that pervades what should be a police procedural have made me sick of CSI. And don't get me started on CSI's bastard children. And I'm just a civilian. If you really want to hear from people who hate CSI, talk to cops who have to deal with the repercussions of the show, and the ridiculous heightened expectations that it creates in the minds of the general public.
So people of the world, I am begging you. Stop watching Survivor and CSI. Break free from the shackles of mediocre comfort television, and embrace shows that are offering something better than the status quo. Studio 60 and 30 Rock are two such shows. But perhaps the best new show this year is:

Friday Night Lights: Film adaptations are a tricky beast. Really, any time you try to capture what worked in one medium and translate it to another, you're going to run into problems. Robert Rodriguez did it successfully with Sin City. Sam Raimi did it with Spiderman. Peter Jackson did it with Lord of the Rings (although I know some fanboys who disagree). Catwoman is an example of a horrendous failure. So too is Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Friday Night Lights is an interesting case, because it is a television show, based on a movie, which was based on a book, which was based on the author's experiences over the span of a year in the town of Odessa, Texas. Obviously, the movie couldn't capture everything from the book. The movie focused on the football team at Permian High, while the book was about the entire town, with the Permian Panthers as the focal point. It raised questions about the priorities of the modern education system, the role of sports in community building, and the economics of small-town America in an increasingly growing global America.
I think the television show will be able to address these issues, if they're given the time. Some of the details from the book have been changed, such as the name of the team. But really, the only complaint I have is that they changed the team colours from black and white to yellow and blue. But its entirely possible that was done for legal reasons. Or because someone at the show is a Michigan fan. But apart from these minor changes, the show has the potential to address the issues raised by the book. The problems of joining and agreeing without question, a problem found not only in small-town football, but in the military, and authoritarian nation-states. The problems of hegemonic masculinity. The problems caused by major paradigm shifts when your world view is too myopic.
Friday Night Lights has the potential to be an important, powerful television show. It has great performances from Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, and a group of young people playing the students. It has smart writing, a universal plot (well, North-Americanal, but that's not a word), and a message. So naturally, nobody is watching.

I'm begging you, good people of North America, take some time to check out these shows. They are smart, they are funny, they are what television is supposed to be.

TUF 4.11

2006-10-31T15:11:00.000-05:00

I really should be working on my second chapter. But I have writer's block. So I am taking the advice I gave to my tutorial students, and using this blog as an attempt to break the walls down.

On with the show

Major Points

Random acts of violence. Pete Spratt decides he wants to break through the wall of the house to the outside. Not with a sledge hammer or other blunt instrument, but through the application of sheer brute force. For some reason however, Mikey Burnett is the one who does the actual running at the wall. Have no fear faithful reader, he's wearing swim goggles for protection. And actually, I would say that the eyes are probably the most vulnerable part of Mikey Burnett's head.
Mikey does a fair to middling job of putting Mikey shaped dents in the sheetrock, but is unable to reach the outside. The wall however, draws first blood.
The hidden television makes an appearance, as the boys get to watch the TUF3 finale. Oh Ed Herman, will Tito ever love you?
Preparations for Lutter/Drago begin. Dana picks Lutter.
Chuck Liddell trains with Drago. Liddell is cool.
Tired of trying to act as a human wrecking ball, the boys in the house practice throwing playing cards. In theory. It breaks down into a game of whip shit across the room, moving from playing cards to poker chips, and ending with ice cream and Twinkies.
Lutter trains with noboby. Team No Love has seemingly given up on training, so Lutter, the only TNL member to accomplish anything, is left to his own devices for his training. We get some great footage of Lutter jogging alone. Which is odd, because I thought they weren't allowed to go anywhere alone. I mean, Jeremy Jackson got kicked off for leaving the house to go play slap and tickle with a lifeguard. Maybe semi-finalists get special treatment.
We actually get to hear from Mark DellaGrotte, who is training with Travis. MDG is a third.
The fight starts around 10:30. We all know what that means by now.
Drago's strategy seems to be trying to punch, failing, and then falling to his back with Lutter on top. Somebody's a bottom.
Lutter makes a game of trying to hit every inch of Drago's face with part of his arm. Lutter wins. He also wins the fight, 30-27.
Drago cries.

The Good

Chuck Liddell is good people.
Lutter is unscathed from his fight, so he should be in good shape for the finals. Which are in a week and a half, or, four months after the semi-final fights.
I was glad to see Drago crying after losing his fight. Not because I want him to suffer (although he never did drop 'I Will Break You') but because it was a moment of authenticity on the show. Those are rare on reality tv.

The Bad

After commenting on the relative maturity of the fighters this season, I was disappointed with the decision to play smash the wall. Meaningless destruction is stupid, particularly when somebody is going to have to pay for the damages.
I've also thought Matt Serra was a great coach all season, but reflecting on this episode, I wasn't very impressed. Matt was too encouraging while Drago was lying there doing his impression of a side of beef. He should have been yelling more than "Nice!"
Lutter was pretty gassed after the fight. I hope he's been working on his cardio for the finale.

The Ugly

I cannot in good conscience let the events that stemmed from the playing card throwing go unmentioned. Most of the events were fairly benign. But then they started wasting Twinkies. Twinkies are the food of the gods, and deserve greater respect. I only thank the stars that they weren't wasting Hostess Fruit Pies, or I would be very upset. Mass-produced snack cakes deserve greater respect.

Next week, Cote vs Bam Bam.

Bound For Glory

2006-10-23T20:34:00.000-04:00

So I was all set to watch Pride "Real Deal" at Crabby Joe's on Saturday night, when, a couple of weeks ago, I got a better offer. My brother emailed me and told me he had won tickets to go see Bound for Glory in Detroit, courtesy of Viewers Choice Canada. We made some plans, arranged for the proper transportation and accomodation, and headed down to Detroit for the big show. You can get recaps all over the net, so I'm not going to bother giving all the details. I'm just going to reflect on the show as it came across to the audience live in the arena.

General Thoughts

I am overweight. So I love visiting the United States. Because I'm the same size as just about everybody else.
I hereby demand that American restaurants make their way into Canada. I'm looking at you Cracker Barrel, Denny's, Chili's and Olive Garden. And don't give me none of that 'It didn't work the first time' crap Olive Garden. It was all good, and then one location didn't do well, so you cut and ran. But we Canadians are a forgiving people, and we will gladly welcome you back. Please, come back and put East Side Mario's out of business. Their commercials make me want to kill puppies.
I also demand that Hostess Fruit Pies be made available in Canada. I know they're going to be the death of me, but I'll die happy dammit!

The Arena

I've been a wrestling fan for over twenty years now. In that time, I've weathered bad storylines, bad wrestlers, Vince Russo, and a scourge of avoidable and unnecessary wrestler deaths. But the thing that makes me consider giving up wrestling forever is none of those. Instead, its other wrestling fans. I know this is going to make me sound like a snob, but there is nothing more disturbing than the crowd you'll find at a live wrestling event. From that guy who dresses like Hulk Hogan, to the stereotypical gap-toothed rednecks, to the overweight virgins with their misspelled signs. A wrestling event can be a damn depressing place. And I'm not saying that all wrestling fans are like that. Some of my best friends have been wrestling fans, and I wouldn't be ashamed to be seen in public with any of them. But a live wrestling event truly draws in a diverse cross-section of North Americana. The next time anyone questions why advertisers are reluctant to advertise with pro wrestling, go to a live event.
I did run into a couple of guys from The LAW at the show. One of them is a total dick. The other is Dan Lovranski, who is very personable.
Okay, I gotta say this. The seats at the Compuware Sports Arena suck. I'm talking Linda Lovelace level of sucking.
Okay, TNA, you really need to make some changes if you want to be taken seriously. Some of them I'll get into when I talk about the show, but here's a big one. Have more than one merch table. Seriously, half hour waits for shirts isn't cool. And also important is location. If you're going to make people wait around till you open the doors, have a merch table out there. When people wait, they get bored. And when they're bored, they buy shit. Think about it.

The Show

Our seats weren't bad. If you saw the show, we were in the stands to the left of the entrance ramp. So we had a good view of the entrances. And not a bad view of the ring.
Before the show started, Jeremy Borash was throwing stuff into the crowd. Dude has a good arm.
Chant of the Pre-Show: 'Thank You Dixie' for TNA President Dixie Carter. Classy and well-deserved.

Bobby/Robert Roode v Lance Hoyt

Okay, for weeks they've been plugging Bobby Roode's quest for a new manager. They brought in Sheri Martel, Bobby Heenan, Col. Parker to tease the big announcement. And the big announcement is...Traci Brooks. Now Ms. Brooks, her unnaturally large breasts barely constrained by a quasi-sexy business blazer. Yawn. All that buildup to re-re-re-re-introduce Traci Brooks? Brutal. And boring.

Kevin Nash Invitational X-Division Battle Royale

Okay, this is the first of my major complaints about the show. TNA had large video screens set up at the entrance ramp. But they didn't use them enough. So whenever something was happening backstage, we didn't see it. So much of the show was lost on us.
The match was pretty good, with some entertaining comedy, and some good moves. The match wasn't supposed to be a technical masterpiece, and instead was meant to get the crowd psyched up and excited.
It was great seeing the return of D-Ray 3000, particularly his heartwarming reunion with Shark Boy.
The return of Austin ~~Aries~~ Starr was also great, although I don't like the name change as I find it unnecessary and annoying.
Zack Gowen may be annoying, but he's kind of impressive.
Sirelda is annoying, but at least she's not Chyna. Or Asya. Or Nicole Bass.
The other problem with the Austin Aries (I'm sorry, I refuse to call him Austin Starr) return was that we were unsure whether he was a heel or a face. Even when Nash was handing him the trophy we weren't sure. But if this leads to some Alex Shelley vs Austin Aries matches, I'm all for it.

The James Gang Vs AMW Vs The Naturals Vs Team 3-D

Boring. How many times are The Naturals going to win the Number One Contendership and then lose a PPV match? And then get slapped around by Shane Douglas? Yawn.
And the James Gang and AMW just disappeared. They brawled backstage, and that was the last we heard from them. Very stupid.

Raven Vs Runt Vs Samoa Joe Vs Abyss in the Monster's Ball match with Jake Roberts as the referee

The match had some good action, with some awesome spots. Joe's senton driving Abyss' face into the tacks. Runt's plummet followed by Abyss' elbow drop.
This match earned the first "This is Awesome" chant of the evening. Somewhat undeserving, but because it was the first intense match of the night, it got some crowd love.
My big problem with this match is that it was a huge waste of Joe. They put him in a holding pattern after he beat JJJ last month, but his involvement in this match made no sense.
Plus, what was with Jake stopping people from using chairs? Thumbtacks are okay, but you can't hit guys with chairs? Lame.
Plus, the victory didn't help Joe, it hurt him. He needed a Jake DDT to beat Raven? How stupid. Joe shouldn't need Jake's help to beat anyone, let alone Raven.
And when the hell is Raven going to get his title rematch?

Eric Young v Larry Zybysko

I hate Larry Zybysko. And not that heel heat that makes me want to see him get his comeuppance. That heat that makes me turn the channel when he's on my television. So, in other words, Jeff Jarrett heat.
Eric Young on the other hand, is hilarious. This match was pure comedy, and made no sense, seeing as how Young was 'fired' last week. But it was short, so it was inoffensive.
The crowd was really into the 'Don't Fire Eric' chants. Now they just need to get Eric a new gimmick.

Jim Cornette Interview

This is the other major problem with the show - the sound.
I couldn't hear a word Cornette had to say. I guess he had laryngitis, but the sound was awful.
Angle appeared, and got a pretty good reaction. Then he said a bunch of things that we couldn't hear.
Evidently he said something that called out Joe, because Joe ran out.
Then I think they fought or something. But because it was on the floor at ringside, we couldn't see anything. So, no sound, and no video. And because TNA wasn't putting the show on the video screens, it was pointless. So we just sat there with our thumbs up our asses.
Then they fought on the ramp. We could see that, so a pretty good 'Let Them Fight' chant got going. Sadly, they did not heed our advice.

Chris Sabin Vs Senshi for the X-Division Title

If I am locked in a coffin and slowly starved to death, but was shown this match over and over again while I died, I would die happy.
This more than atones for the Jackass crap we've been forced to endure lately.
I could go on, but suffice it to say, this match was more than deserving of the 'This Is Awesome' chant it elicitied. That chant also made me glad to see that the crowd wasn't just into the violent brawls.

Rhino v Christian Cage in an Eight Mile Street Fight

Bad. Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad.
The match started outside. Not a good sign. They did show this on the big screens, but the cameras weren't equipped with lights, making the footage as useful as a Tony Snow press conference.
There was a lame bit where Rhino drove the Zamboni part way into the arena, with Christian on the hood. If you're going to rip off Steve Austin gimmicks, at least do them right.
The brawl then took place at a recreation of Eight Mile E. Which consisted of some fake street signs and some plastic street light Christmas decorations. It was so authentic, I thought I was on the real Eight Mile.
The only cool spot was Christian Cage putting Rhino in a straitjacket. But once Rhino fought back, the ref helped Rhino out. WTF? At least have a plant in the crowd do it.
Bad.

AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels Vs LAX in Six Sides of Steel for the NWA Tag Team Titles

Once again, Styles and Daniels prove why they are the best things in wrestling today.
And 'Cide proved why he belongs in the ring with them.
And Hernandez proved he deserves the opportunity.
And Konnan proved he is a great mouthpiece/manager.
GHETTO FORK!
This match is in a dead heat with the Sabin/Senshi match for Match of the Night. Crazy spots, non-stop action, and tequila as a weapon. This match had it all.
Including the coat hanger!
The Gringo/Cop Killa is the sickest move in wrestling today. And the fluidity with which Homicide applies it makes it even better.

Sting Vs Jeff Jarrett with Special Enforcer Kurt Angle, NWA Heavyweight Championship Vs Career

I think I fell aslep during JJJ's entrance.
This match was boring, and I had no interest in watching it. I hate Jarrett, but I also didn't want Sting to win. For me, the best-case scenario was for Russo to run in, and the three of them to fight over the belt, only to have the lighting grid collapse, killing JJJ and Russo, and ending Sting's career. Sadly, that didn't happen.
Angle making himself the referee by Angle slamming the ref made little to no sense. But then again, ref logic wasn't a continuing theme of the show.
When Sting won, some people were excited, but not enough to justify putting the belt on him. Sting should be helping to build new guys, not winning titles from a sack of crap like JJJ, who has no business being anywhere near a title belt of any kind.
The guy in front of me had a sign that said 'Jeff Jarrett + Sting = WCW' That says it all right there.

Overall Thoughts

Some technical difficulties really hurt this show. Well that, and a main event that had all the appeal of a syphillitic leprous crack whore. The undercard was strong, and for the most part really delivered. Hopefully TNA management gets a clue and takes JJJ out of the main event picture.
Or ideally, out of the picture altogether.
They need new LAX shirts. I'm happy with the "Joe's Gonna Kill You" shirt I got. And my roomie likes the Angle shirt I got him. But I think a shirt with "You Can Stop A Revolutionary...But You Can't Stop A Revolution" shirt would be killer.
I've been to WWE PPVs, TV and house shows. I've been to indy shows. And now I've been to a TNA PPV. The production values aren't up to WWE standards yet, but they deliver a better in-ring product. Which, when you get right down to it, is more important.

TUF 4.10

2006-10-20T16:03:00.000-04:00

I've added some links in the sidebar. Of note is Matt Serra's TUF4 blog...it's quite interesting to get Serra's point of view on the episodes after they've aired.

Also check out Dave Zirin, one of the few liberal minded sports writers out there.

Okay, on with the show, this is it.

Main Points

Matt Serra goes off on Marc Laimon for Laimon's perceived lack of respect for the Gracie's. Matt Hughes sits to the side and eggs them both on. Serra says that Laimon should just keep his mouth shut, since Laimon never actually fights. Laimon says he can say whatever he wants because he has 'freedom of speech.'
Din congratulates Serra on calling Laimon out and laying a verbal beating on him.
Shonie is now spraypainting furniture. Okay Shonie, simple spray paint advice. 1) Use a drop cloth. 2) Get things you don't want to paint out of the room. 3) OPEN A WINDOW!!! Seriously, the guy had fans going, but the blinds were closed. I don't care if the windows behind them were open, it's not that effective when the venetian blinds are covering the windows.
Tired of Shonie's antics, Rich Clementi and Jorge Rivera come up with "Phonie" Carter. 'Phonie' is Jorge in a clown wig, red rubber nose, and clown shoes. And, of course, a banana hammock. Mikey Burnett and Jorge perform a re-enactment of Shonie/Serra I, complete with spinning back fist o' doom.
Shonie asks Rich Clementi to be his cornerman. Serra has GSP.
Serra talks about how much he wanted this fight, and how he thought it would never happen, due to Shonie's moving up a weight class, and his (Serra's) moving down.
The night before the fight, Shonie and Serra chat on the patio. They comment on the fact that its been six years since that first fight. It's actually quite touching and gives a sense of the odd friendships that are formed in MMA. Shonie says he wants ice cream.
The fight starts around the half hour mark. Hmm, I wonder how long this fight will be? Oooh, the anticipation.
First round sees Serra dominate on the ground, getting Shonie's back a few times, but Shonie is always able to escape and stand back up. At one point raining down punches like played for Miami and Shonie was FIU. With about 30 seconds left, Shonie nails a spinning back fist that rocks Serra.
Second round has more of the same, with Serra taking Shonie to the ground, only to see Shonie escape. Things are more evenly matched when standing, with both guys throwing some good punches. You can tell Shonie is starting to get a little gassed.
Third round is another good round, with both fighters playing to their strengths.
Serra wins the decision, but we have no idea how the judges called it. I would say 30-27, but I can see some judges giving Shonie the first based on his comeback at the end. Or Cecil Peoples could have decided it was 10-8 because he just makes up the fight in his head.

The Good

Serra ripped Laimon a new one. Also interesting is the revelation on his blog that "all of this happened the night before the incident with Matt Hughes and GSP in the restaurant. Tricky editing, as usual, would lead you to believe that this was after the semifinal matchups had been decided." That's one of the best things about Serra's blog...his information about the way the show has been edited to take things out of context.
A good fight. I think Shonie showed himself to be much better than people expected, and Serra showed why he is dangerous.
The whole 'Phonie' Carter thing was hilarious. And NO VANDALISM!!! Even better was Jorge's talking about Shonie not seeing this until he's at home with his friends. I'm not saying I want Shonie to be humiliated in front of his family, but I think the fact that Shonie may have had no idea this was coming when watching last night is great.
Serra on Laimon - "You're a swimming coach who never gets in the pool." - Brilliant
All three rounds went five minutes this time! Congratulations Nevada State Athletic Commission, your timekeeper was competent enough to tell time!

The Bad

Marc Laimon's backing up his comments by saying he was in a free country is pathetic. Yes, you (sort of, not really, kinda don't) have 'freedom of speech' in the United States. But if that's the only justification you can offer for saying what you say, then what you say isn't very valuable. The "Freedom of Speech" is not justification for saying something, it's a means of ensuring that something important can and will get said. The National Enquirer can claim 'freedom of speech' for their garbage, but it doesn't mean that anybody should pay attention to it. Bob Woodward can claim "Freedom of Speech" to ensure that his latest book gets published, because he's saying something important. He's not hiding behind 'freedom of speech' so he can spout off a bunch of nonsense. Thats what people Ann Coulter and Marc Laimon do.

The Ugly

Matt Hughes is a pathetic, sneaky little crapweasel. Sitting there egging Laimon and Serra on. And I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that Laimon was sucking up to Hughes so hard that he actually formed a vacuum seal on Hughes' sphincter. Not that a good old country boy like Hughes would like that sort of thing, either literally or figuratively. I mean, guys like that you drag behind your truck and string up on a fence to die. It's how good god-fearin' folk deal with that kinda thing.

The Welterweight Finale is set. Matt Serra v Chris Lytle. November 11. Aka Remembrance Day in Canada. Maybe that means our buddy James will remember to mark the date on both his calendars and actually come watch the show.

Next week, Pete Sell vs Travis Lutter. Still no word on whether Sell drops "I must break you." Maybe he's saving it for the finale.

Finally, I know there was no way to mention this on the show, but I'm loving the fact that the Middleweight winner won't be facing Rich Franklin. Congratulations to Anderson Silva for beating Franklin like a Leben. And especially on busting up Rich's pretty boy nose. Seriously though, Silva looked great, but I'm sure Franklin is going to come back strong. Not necessarily take his title back, but he's not done by any stretch of the imagination.

TUF 4.9

2006-10-13T12:51:00.000-04:00

I would just like to point out my predictions for the semi-final fights announced in this episode.

4 for 4 baby. Granted, I got at least one winner wrong, but at least I know how to deliver the drama baby!

Now give me Dana's job. And Tito's girlfriend.

Major Points

With Cote's defeat of Jorge, we are now on to the semi-finals.
Matt Hughes arrives at the gym, sans Dana announcement. More man hugs.
GSP, who at the time the show was taped was preparing for a fight with Hughes, is somewhat perturbed. GSP leaves the gym, to ensure that he and Hughes keep a comfortable distance from one another.
Dana & the boys interview the semi-finalists regarding who they want to fight this round. The middleweights go first.
Lutter doesn't care.
Cote wants Bam Bam.
Bam Bam wants Cote.
Drago wants Lutter. Drago is questioned on this, as he says he wants to fight Cote in the finals, and he knows that Lutter will be a tougher fight. Hughes is particularly dubious, but that could be because this was his week for the camera love.
Dana announces the fights: Cote v Bam Bam, and Drago v. Lutter. But if you were read my recap last week, you'd know that I called those.
Dana also tells the fighters that in addition to the $100,000 "cash," the fighters will also be receiving a 1 year, $100,000 sponsorship with Xyience. And a title shot. Which Dana says will be against Rich Franklin, indicating either the fix is in this Saturday, or Dana hadn't planned on Franklin having a title fight before facing the winner of TUF4.
The welterweights are then given their interviews.
Serra wants Shonie.
Din wants Lytle.
Shonie gives a speech about peasants and kings, and says he wants Din, because he's already beaten Serra and Lytle.
Lytle doesn't much care.
Dana tells the welterweights about their year's servitude to Xyience should they win, and announces the welterweight fights: Serra v Shonie, and Din v Lytle.
Din v Lytle is up tonight.
Dana says this is the first time he's been unable to pick a winner.
The fight goes a full three rounds, with Lytle in Din's guard for much of the fight. When they stand up, Din gets some good shots in, but doesn't capitalize and press the advantage. And when Din is on his back, he doesn't try very hard to either reverse, or take control.
Lytle wins a unanimous decision. I said I picked the fights correctly. I said nothing about picking the winner of those fights correctly.
Next week is Shonie v Serra.

The Good

I'm going to commend myself again on calling all the upcoming fights.
I think the fights give the best possibility for a good finale. Which is why I picked them, and I'm sure why ~~Dana~~ the "Jedi council" picked them.
GSP showed class, poise, and grace in handling the intrusion of Matt Hughes on the training camp. He didn't do it because he was afraid, but because he wanted to maintain a certain mindset regarding Hughes. I think he made the right call, and he did it the right way.
It was also funny seeing Cote call GSP on not wanting to be at the gym as the same time as Hughes.
Shonie's suit at the fight announcements was styling.
GSP's blinged out hat is also very pimp. If I'm GSP, I'm either saving it forever, or auctioning it for the Ryan Bennett Memorial Fund.

The Bad

Doesn't everybody in UFC have a de facto sponsorship deal with Xyience?
Din v Lytle wasn't a bad fight. But it seemed that they were both more interested in not losing, than they were with winning. Nobody really pressed the advantage, and the ref stood them up more times than Lex did to Dean.
Shonie man. First of all, the beard. Not working baby. And your speech to the "Jedi Council?" Lamer than half of Jean Chretien's face.
Somebody please explain to Matt that the finale will be live, and will be taking place months after the semi-final matches. If somebody gets injured during a semi-final fight, they have a very good chance to make it to the finals sans injury. So Drago's choice of Lutter almost makes more sense, because, should Drago advance, he has a much better chance of ensuring he is prepared for an opponent he stands a better chance of fighting.
Okay, in the first round, the countdown clock went to 0:00, with all the numbers red. And they kept fighting. According to Dana, the timekeeper made a mistake. Okay? Let me get this straight. The TIMEKEEPER, who has been appointed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on the basis of his ability to TELL TIME, wasn't able to do his job. With digital clocks and timers, how on earth is it possible to screw this job up? And what does that say about the Nevada State Athletic Commission? I mean, they've already proven incapable of hiring competent judges, but at least that job is somewhat subjective. But this is telling time. The kind of thing you need to master before they let you leave the comfy confines of Kindergarten! If either of the fighters had been KO'd or submitted in that extra minute, would they have had a legal foundation to challenge the results of the fight? This would have been ugly, but there was worse this episode.

The Ugly

Matt Hughes is an ugly, ugly man. And I don't mean physically. He is a bully, a racist, and an arrogant jerk. He represents everything ugly and wrong with the world of sports. Whereas GSP chose to leave the gym with dignity, Hughes used the opportunity to try to embarass his pending opponent. They may try to portray Hughes as a good down home country boy, but they need to understand that the underside of that social type is intolerance, arrogance and unnecessary aggression. All of which Hughes has in droves.

Next Week

Serra v Shonie 2: Revenge of the Spinning Back Fist

Ortiz Shamrock 3 - This Time, It Continues To Be Personal

2006-10-10T13:19:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the long anticipated Ortiz-Shamrock rematch. Well, not really long-awaited, given that most people actually saw Ortiz whup Shamrock's ass a few months ago on PPV. But since that fight ended somewhat controversially, I guess its a highly anticipated fight. Kinda, sorta, not really. Its really more of a sideshow curiosity, to see how quickly and how bad Ortiz disposes of Shamrock this time around.

What this match really is is a way for UFC to get a high profile fight on quasi-free television. Because you can only see it if you have cable, which some people don't. So its not really on free tv. But its not PPV, which is something. Dana has even admitted in the commercials for the event that the match is being given away for free as a way of making up for the less than satisfying ending to their last fight. And while this is all well and good, I think it also poses a problem for the UFC.

I was watching the TUF4 marathon yesterday on Spike TV, and shockingly, there were quite a few ads for tonight's show. The ads stressed the animosity between the two men, replete with footage of the two men arguing and in pull aparts. The other thing stressed by the ads was that the fight was available "FOR FREE." And while its all well and good to make sure people know that this fight is on Spike TV and not PPV, I think the emphasis on FREE can be dangerous.

If people are told over and over again that the fight is available for FREE, it will raise questions about the value of paying for fights on PPV. And UFC's PPV rates are too high, particularly for a company that doesn't even wait a month between events. By stressing the FREE nature of tonight's fight, people may begin to ask why they are paying $39.99 for a UFC event. If one of the selling points for the fight is that it's FREE, then it must mean that even UFC knows that their prices are close to becoming prohibitive.

Pitching the fight as FREE brings the notion of cost to the foreground of any discussion of UFC. While it is certainly honest for them to be bragging about giving the fight away for free, it probably isn't the best business decision. Particularly when this weekend's UFC 64 card isn't the strongest they've presented. Why should I pay forty bucks for a PPV when a big name fight like Shamrock/Ortiz III is being given away for free on cable television? The last thing the UFC needs right now is for people to be questioning the cumulative costs of ordering all UFC events on PPV. Particularly when you consider the highly ambitious number of events that the UFC is looking at putting on in the coming year.

Of course, the other problem is that anything on television isn't actually FREE. Instead, the audience is being sold to advertisers in exchange for their attention. The viewing habits, demographics, psychographics and purchasing power of viewers are the commodity they are exchanging for the privilege of watching television. Particularly when you consider that the card is being presented as a lead-in to Spike TV's Scream Awards, and they want a large audience to watch that show. This is all part of Dallas Smythe's "Free Lunch" formulation.

But enough of that depressing polecon stuff. Fight Predictions!!!

Tito Ortiz (203.5) vs Ken Shamrock (204.5)
Kendall Grove (184.5) vs Chris Price (185)
Jason MacDonald (185) vs Ed Herman (186)
Matt Hamill (205) vs Seth Petruzelli (203.5)
Nate Marquardt (184.5) vs Crafton Wallace (175.5)
Dustin Hazelett (167.5) vs Tony DeSouza (171)
Josh Haynes (184.5) vs Rory Singer (185.5)
John Alessio (169.5) vs Thiago Alves (171)
Marcus Davis (170) vs Forrest Petz (169.5)

All in all, this entire card is built around Ortiz/Shamrock. Which is fine. But don't tell me its FREE.

Canadian Thanksgiving

2006-10-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

This weekend is Thanksgiving here in Canada. Which ties in neatly with the U.S.' Columbus Day, and also saves Canada from having to give us another holiday between now and Christmas. Thanks Canada! You won't let us watch good tv, but at least you'll ensure we burn out faster! Fuckers.

Anway, I like to listen to this every Thanksgiving. Really reminds me of what is important in the world today. (Right click to save mp3 file.)

"To John Dillinger and hope he is still alive.
Thanksgiving Day November 28 1986"

Thanks for the wild turkey and the passenger pigeons, destined to be shat out through wholesome American guts.

Thanks for a continent to despoil and poison.

Thanks for Indians to provide a modicum of challenge and danger.

Thanks for vast herds of bison to kill and skin leaving thecarcasses to rot.

Thanks for bounties on wolves and coyotes.

Thanks for the American dream,
To vulgarize and to falsify until the bare lies shine through.

Thanks for the KKK.

For nigger-killin' lawmen,feelin' their notches.

For decent church-goin' women,with their mean, pinched, bitter,evil faces.

Thanks for "Kill a Queer forChrist" stickers.

Thanks for laboratory AIDS.

Thanks for Prohibition and the war against drugs.

Thanks for a country where nobody's allowed to mind their own business.
Thanks for a nation of finks.

Yes, thanks for all the memories-- all right let's see your arms!

You always were a headache andyou always were a bore.

Thanks for the last and greatest betrayal of the last and greatest of human dreams.
- William S. Burroughs

Here's video of the man himself reading his poem.

TUF 4.8

2006-10-07T14:32:00.000-04:00

Tonight, the last of the preliminary rounds, with Canadian Patrick Cote facing Jorge Rivera. Of course, this deprives us of the drama that ensues when a fight is announced.

Major Points

Shonie decides he doesn't want to play with Team Mojo any longer, and goes to train with Team No Love. This angers TNL, and TM. What is even more odd is that Team No Love wasn't able to figure out how to close the van door to prevent Shonie from getting in the van.
As a result of Shonie's new training schedule, TNL stays to watch TM train. Serra has to explain to Shonie that the universe doesn't revolve around Shonie, and, in civilized society, people have to make concessions to one another to prevent anarchy and chaos. Actually, he tells Shonie that he should keep training with TM. Shonie acquiesces. Methinks a producer got in Shonie's ear and told him to get in the TNL van.
Back at the house, Jorge tells Serra of Shonie's lack of team spirit. This angers Serra (Serra SMASH!), who now wants to fight Shonie.
Odd. The week of the final preliminary fight and the team dynamic starts to break down. Especially when you consider TM pretty much ran the table on TNL, with the exception of Lutter, and of course, the as of yet undetermined final victor.
GSP is training with Cote. GSP discusses being Cote's training partner outside the simulacratastic world of TUF.
Jorge trains with Mark Dellagrotte, who is Jorge's trainer in reality. Curiouser and curiouser.
Dana makes subtle snide comments about the guys not training with Rich 'One-Knee' Franklin. He also mentions how people thought Franklin was a doodyhead.
Dana then introduces this week's special guest trainer, Chuck Liddell. Man-hugs all around. Chuck tears down gender constructions by showing off his painted toenails. Go ahead, YOU tell him only girls do it.
We get Cote's UFC background. 0-3. But his first fight he was fed to Tito with four days notice. His second was a loss to Joe Doerkson. And his third was a split decision loss to Chris Leben, who was fresh off of being the drunken, destructive crybabyface of TUF1, and UFC was trying to build him up a bit. So I put Cote at 0-1.*
Then we get Jorge's record. He's 2-3. Notables include a victory over David 'The Crow' Loiseau, and a loss to the 'Fatherless Bastard' himself, Chris Leben.
The fight goes the full two rounds. Jorge was on top as the first round began, but Cote connected with a kick to the head that turned things around. From there, Cote was in half guard, but unable to knock Jorge out. The second round is more of the same, with Jorge getting Cote's back and going for a guillotine, only to see Cote escape. The judges give Cote the fight.
Next week, Matt Hughes shows up. Serra isn't happy. And the implosion of Team Mojo begins as the second round of fights are announced.

The Good

Team Mojo's 'Cote, Cote' chant is hilarious. It embraces my love of Samoa Joe, my academic curiousity regarding ritualistic chants, and my ambivalence towards soccer.
I liked seeing Chuck doing some training with Serra. That punch is ugly, but could probably do some damage if it connected.

The Bad

Shonie's decision to train with Team No Love seemed really random. And his acquiescence to Serra seemed even more random. But hey, it provided some drama for the first ten minutes of the show.
Do you ever get the feeling Dana enjoys being on TV a little too much? He reminds me more and more of Vince McMahon everyday.
Okay, these guys have Randy Couture and GSP at the gym with them. Why do they feel the need to bring in special guest trainers? Could it be because of the two trainers they assigned to this season, one has the personality of oatmeal, and the other makes you wish you were listening to Jean Chretien?

The Ugly
Seriously Cote, those ears are nasty.

Fighters Advancing to the Next Round
Matt Serra - 170
Shonie Carter - 170
Din Thomas - 170
Chris Lytle - 170
Edwin Dewees - 185
Patrick Cote - 185
Travis Lutter - 185
Pete Sell - 185

My predictions for who will be fighting in the next round, and who will win those matchups:
185 lbs.

Edwin Dewees v Patrick Cote - Cote
Travis Lutter v Pete Sell - Sell

170 lbs.

Matt Serra v Shonie Carter - Serra
Din Thomas v Chris Lytle - Thomas

I figure they will go with the fights that will deliver the best possible fights on the finale, rather than the most dramatic. I'm sure they want to guarantee a Shonie vs Serra fight, and while I know they would love to have it on the finale, I doubt they'll count on Shonie making it past anyone else, particularly without the help of Team Mojo.

I'm torn on the 185 pounders, with my nationalist streak cheering for Cote, the closest thing to a Canadian on the show. But Dewees impressed me with his shower of blood, and Drago was also impressive. And Lutter doesn't suck. But I think the above fights give them the best chances of a good fight on the finale.

Either way, next week should be a good week.
Monday: Thanksgiving
Tuesday: Ortiz v Shamrock III
Wednesday: Lost
Thursday: TUF 4.9, The Next Round
Friday: I dunno, but its Friday. Maybe a third good ECW show in a row?
Saturday: UFC 64 - Franklin loses his belt to Anderson Silva in the second round

*Note, the records recorded by Stephen Swain are not official, and in no way reflect anything resembling objectivity or scientific method. They are purely arbitrary and designed to reflect Swain's desire to right injustices.

TUF 4.7

2006-09-29T17:24:00.000-04:00

Major Points

Rich Franklin is still at the gym to train with the guys. We don't really seem him do much in the way of training. He does point out that he's afraid to touch some of the guys, due to the staph outbreak. Which is in no way the fault of the UFC. Some of the guys also think Rich is a bit of a jerk.
Most guys think Rich is really there to scout out potential opponents. Rich believes he will be facing the winner of the Middleweight group. Anderson Silva probably believes otherwise.
Dana points out that bringing in Franklin was done for the betterment of the fighters. Of course, he makes this point in an interview, and not in the gym to the actual guys.
To celebrate his victory, Pete Sell gets drunk. And I mean DRUNK. Thankfully, a) Drago is a funny drunk, and b) the other guys in the house don't get upset with Drunken Drago. No doors were broken, and no beds were urinated on. Unfortunately, even drunk, Drago doesn't drop I Must Break You.
Rich Franklin does some training with Matt Serra. Rich's advice? Drop to one knee so the guy can't kick you. Serra thanks Rich for the unconventional training strategy.
At the house, Rich's advice is mocked. For some reason, most of the guys don't think limiting your mobility and reach during a fight is the best strategy. Much hilarity ensues.
Charles McCarthy asks Rich about the advice. McCarthy is surprised to learn that Franklin was serious. The rest of the house is dismayed to learn that McCarthy squealed.
Patrick Cote demonstrates some personality, drawing a humourous cartoon of Captain Miserable, doing a funny skit with Serra, and threatening to get drunk and go hunting for Rich Franklin.
Refusing to let it go, Serra asks Randy Couture about Rich's advice. Couture questions the wisdom of such a strategy.
Serra is fighting Pete Spratt. Because we've already had Spratt's UFC clips, its all Serra baby.
Serra is 4-4. He currently seems to be focusing more on training other guys than on fighting. Serra seems to get screwed by judges.
Nobody gives Spratt much of a chance against Serra. Spratt says he is going to surprise some people. Or, you know, not.
Serra beats Spratt in the first round. Spratt put up a good fight, and by good fight, I mean Spratt managed to avoid getting taken down on Serra's first attempt, but Serra got full mount and rained punches. Eventually, Big John McCarthy got around to stopping the fight.

The Good

Its nice to see Patrick Cote showing some life. Of course, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Cote is fighting Jorge Rivera next week. Cote's blinged Maple Leaf on his hat is pretty cool. And I'm skeptical of nationalist symbols.
Serra should be in good shape for his next fight.

The Bad

Rich Franklin came across as boring, rude, and arrogant. I'm not saying he is those things, but that's how he came across. Not good for their poster boy champion.
For the love of all that is good and holy, can somebody buy Shonie Carter some shorts? Any footage of a Shonie fight always features his packagetastic speedos. Congratulations Shonie, you have a penis. Seriously, pixelate that. We have the technology.
Is it Matt 'The Terra' Serra', or Matt 'The Terror' Serra? Is he scary or dirt?
Was Dana's rant about the guys not taking advantage of Franklin's expertise made before or after the knee advice? If before, okay, I can see that. But if that is any indication of the help Rich did offer when he was asked, then Dana has no right to be upset.
Dana continues to rewrite UFC history. Just call him Winston Smith.

The Ugly

Watching the drunken antics of Drago had me reminiscing about the juvenile, violent outbursts exhibited by former TUF competitors. This season is much better behaviour wise.
Hmmm, its 10:45 and the fight hasn't started yet. Wonder if this is going to be over quick? OMG, it WAS! How can I parlay this newfound psychic ability into a lucrative career?

Next Week

It's Chuck! Hey guys, another UFC champion is coming to visit us! Hopefully Ken Shamrock will come by in two weeks so they can watch fight tapes.
Patrick Cote is fighting Jorge Rivera.

Exploring All The Angles - v 3.0

2006-09-25T12:24:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so I went with the cheap pun this time. Rather than just rambling on about my thoughts on TNA's signing of Kurt Angle (which I will probably still do), I've instead chosen to offer the thoughts of some of the other professional wrestling writers who populate the Internet, to give a sense of the reaction from the Internet Wrestling Community as a whole. I will probably add to this list over the span of a few days, as more information becomes available and more people reflect on the news.

"TNA has made a decision to look at medical advice and the bright red warning flags with a negative attitude. They're defiant. Just look at Rhino's attitude in the promo. They will be quick to use the "three-dates-per-month" schedule as justification. Right now, any schedule is too much for Angle considering the health position he was in just three weeks ago. Don't tell TNA that. They slept well Sunday night knowing they have Angle on the roster, a prime time slot, and justification for this desperate decision." - James Caldwell, PWTorch.com, "Remember that Rhino promo? It was TNA's justification for signing Kurt Angle"

"Angle isn’t getting help. Rather, he is simply moving on to a different pro wrestling company. He won’t have to work as grueling of a schedule, which is a positive. However, TNA needs him a lot more than WWE did, which will force him to go all out in his matches to try to justify his role in the company. He will still be in the same problematic environment with the same temptations and dangers. WWE’s intervention didn’t help Angle at all." - Todd Martin, Smashmouth Driving, "Noble Intentions and Undesirable Consequences"

"Kurt Angle Update: TNA, a WWE rival, announced yesterday that they have signed Angle. This will end terribly, and possibly sooner rather than later." - Adamannapolis, "A Very Bloggy Monday"

"TNA has lost its internal voice of reason. TNA has become an enabler to wrestlers seeking an environment where they can freely continue to use performance-enhancing drugs. Kurt Angle cannot stop himself from wrestling, which sadly will lead to his death if he isn’t stopped...Since being fired by the WWE and no longer having to conform to the guidelines of WWE’s “wellness” policy, it’s no coincidence that Angle has reportedly put on 20 pounds of muscle in a little under a month. It will also be no coincidence when TNA is holding a tribute show for Kurt Angle if someone in TNA management doesn’t take appropriate action soon." - Sean Radican, PWTorch.com, "RADICAN'S BLOG: Who Will Take a Stand in TNA?"

"The real question out of all of this is whether Angle is healthy enough to even be doing it. There have been some reports that Angle has been taking the time to rest up, and repair his personal life. But once back in the ring, the problems that drove him out could come back full force.
They could come back worse. The easier schedule could actually accentuate Angles [sic] problems, letting him think he can do more than he really can, since he can “rest up”. And some of his problems, while perhaps not bothering him as much as they were, are still there. Angle does like to take short cuts. He was said to be seeing a pain specialist. Those kinds of treatment are usually to help one adapt to not being able to do as much as a person used to. They are not quick fixes. They take time to actually doe [sic] the work of healing.
One other thing to consider is that the TNA locker room is very different from the WWE. Drug testing for one, is not done. TNA also botched Sting.
Yet, Angle in TNA is a gamble worth taking for TNA. Angle is a big name. Angle has fans, fans that will want to see what this is all about. Angle in TNA does lend legitimacy to the promotion, one that needs it a lot. Not that TNA was a real promotion, but with Angle, it makes them more than just some crappy wrestling show, but one that is truly trying to compete with WWE. That has it’s own good and bad sides." - Wevv Mang, LordsofPain.net, "Snake On A Plane And Angle In TNA"

"Of course the best thing would be for Angle to probably retire, or at least sit out for several months, but anyone who has followed him and this story knows that isn't going to happen. If he was going to work, the best place would have been WWE on a special schedule, but if not, this is the best place because of the schedule. The idea that TNA would hire someone WWE fired for fear of his own health is both abhorrent, predictable and I don't think the downsides were even worried about too much because of the potential upsides. But from the minute he was let go, everyone wanted the guy." - Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 09/25/2006 Update

"The concept of putting Angle in the X Division was something that came to me when I was leaving the pay per view and was talking to some friends of mine about possibilities for matches involving Kurt Angle with the wrestlers in TNA as well as some independent matches if Kurt Angle would be available to work independent shows for companies like Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, or Pro Wrestling Guerilla." - Richard Trionfo, PWInsider.com, "From the Pit: What To Do With Kurt Angle in TNA" (Popup/Potential Malware Warning)

"I’m scared for Kurt Angle. I was scared for him in WWE, and I was happy when they released him, hoping he would finally deal with the problems and issues in his life. And maybe be able to return to the company that made him some day when he was ready. But it’s obvious now that he hasn’t done that, and I don’t see this turning out very well at all. I hate to say it, and I hate to be morbid. But I’m just being honest, something Kurt hasn’t done with himself in a long time. I don’t see this story ending well. I sincerely hope to God that I’m wrong....I do know the answer to one question, and that is when it comes to morals, ethics, and doing what’s right, The Carter’s, Panda Energy, and TNA are no better than Vince McMahon. Vince is not known for his morals and ethics in the wrestling business, and even he knew he couldn’t keep Angle on the roster. Even he knew that Angle’s problems were too big to just sweep under the carpet, and that he would have to part ways with one of his best homegrown creations for the betterment of everyone involved. TNA apparently didn’t see it that way. What does it say about them when Vince McMahon looks like the moral and ethical one of the bunch? Chew on that one for a while." - Dan Wahlers, WrestlingObserver.com, "It's On Your Head Now, Dixie"

"Lastly, one thing that we all agree on is for Kurt to turn around the things that brought him down in WWE. While only time and probably a surgery can do anything about his neck, what he can do is his dependency on pills. How much those two are inter-related only he knows. Kurt is a well-educated man and he knows his body and well being better than anyone. He has made more money than the vast majority of us will ever see. I do not think that he has blown all of it and the money he is making with TNA could not be so much that he would endanger his future. Hopefully his new job can allow his body some rest some and allow him to be the performer he wants. I know I will be watching and despite what many have said so will you." - Scott Whitt, The Great Scottland, "See Kurt Jump"

What is the over/under on how long Kurt Angle stays in TNA? I think the world of Kurt and hope he gets totally healthy much sooner than later. Perhaps being a part of TNA will work for Kurt as it relates to travel and in ring demands. I do think this genre is much better suited for Angle than mixed martial arts, UFC, etc. I wish Kurt well on his new opportunity and that is true, damn true. - Jim Ross, JR's Blog, "The Night the Lights Went Out in OKC"

"Kurt Angle- This matter is really getting a great deal of feedback and may be borderline over analyzed. Kurt needed time off to deal issues he has throughly discussed on his own website. As I understand it the WWE and Kurt mutually agreed to release Kurt so he could heal physically and mentally and then puruse other options including coming back to the WWE if he was healthy and chose to. No one betrayed anyone here. Kurt needed to step away from the WWE and heal. It was that simple. For anyone to say Kurt was “held back” is a little far fetched to me. Kurt made a ton of money in the WWE and earned a worldwide reputation. What else was he supposed to do while in the WWE? This business is about making cash, plain and simple. Kurt made big money and got famous in the WWE. He deserved all his accolades and the rewards that went with them. TNA is not going to become an overnight sensation with or without Kurt Angle. One man does not a company make. I perceive and am told that there are conflicts of interest issues in TNA but that’s hearsay because I am not there. I hope everyone in TNA are all successful and finally reach profitability." - Jim Ross, JR's Blog, "Still Responding to Emails"

"Kurt Angle was one of the most talent performers in recent WWE history. If he was healthy, I'd be all for him headlining in TNA. But last time I checked, Kurt Angle has a badly damaged neck, and is risking his continued mobility every time he steps in the ring. There hasn't been an announcement as to the date of Angle's first TNA match. Maybe it won't happen at all. Angle's a driven man, who badly needs to find a career that doesn't involve taking bumps." - Pat McNeill, PWTorch.com, "McNEILL: The State of Things: Holly, DX, Angle & Russo"

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

2006-09-24T10:53:00.000-04:00

Once again, my Pro-Line picks for today's football games.

1:00 Games

CIN @ PIT, TIE Game. Odds: 2.80
TEN @ MIA, MIA by 04 pts. Odds: 1.20
WAS @ HOU, WAS by 04 pts. Odds: 1.80
CHI @ MIN, CHI by 08 pts. Odds: 2.30
GB @ DET, DET by 04 pts. Odds: 1.60

Total Odds: 22.26
$2 bet = $44.50

4:00 Games

STL @ ARZ, TIE Game. Odds: 3.40
PHI @ SF, PHI by 08 pts. Odds: 1.80
BAL @ CLE, BAL by 04 pts. Odds: 1.30

Total Odds: 7.96
$2 bet = $15.90

Kwik-Pix

WAS @ HOU, HOU by 04 pts. Odds: 2.80
JAX @ IND, JAX by 04 pts. Odds: 4.00
PHI @ SF, PHI by 08 pts. Odds: 1.80
STL @ ARZ, ARZ by 08 pts. Odds: 2.20
CAR @ TB, TIE Game. Odds: 3.20
BAL @ CLE, CLE by 04 pts. Odds: 4.50

Total Odds: 638.67
$2 bet = $1277.30

History Bites

2006-09-23T18:11:00.000-04:00

"The golden rule of wrestling is those who constantly learn are forced to watch the product of people who never do." -- Dave Meltzer

As has been reported elsewhere, and has become quite the topic for discussion in the wrestling community is the decision by TNA to bring back Vince Russo. That's right, the master of Crash-TV. The man who gave us the 'Viagra on a Pole' match in WCW. The man who gave us Terri Runnells miscarriage in WWE. And the man who gave us Sports Entertainment Xtreme in TNA. He's back.

The reaction in the Internet Wrestling Community has not been enthusiastic. Well, unless you consider enthusiastic negativity to be an enthusiastic response. And I am on the side of those who think this be quite possibly the worst move possible for TNA.

Interestingly enough, in the past month I just re-read R.D. Reynolds' Wrestlecrap, as well as watching TNA's Phenomenal: The Best of AJ Styles DVD. Both of these serve to reassure me that Vince Russo is not the cure for TNA's ills, if there are any ills to be had.

Wrestlecrap, mediocre writing aside, is an excellent examination of some of the bad decisions that are the hallmark of Vince Russo's booking. His desire for revenge at the expense of the wrestlers, his obsession with catering to smarks, his love of swerves, and his lack of long-term planning are Russonian staples, none of which serve the interests of a wrestling company looking to become competitive in the face of a national monopoly.

The Styles DVD, while it does showcase one of the industry's top talents, is also oversaturated with Russo. To such an extent that I found myself enjoying the DVD less than one would expect. Russo made himself a centerpiece of the organization in his first run, and I believe it stands to reason that he will do so again. Unfortunately, Russo is not what people want to watch on their television sets when they tune into professional wrestling. Or, likely, any other type of television programming. People didn't want to watch Russo in WCW, they didn't want to watch him in TNA on PPV, and they won't want to watch him on TNA on SpikeTV.

Evidently the reason for this otherwise inexplicable decision is that TNA higher-ups and Panda Energy's Dixie Carter are concerned over the recent ratings drop that TNA has been experiencing. My dubiousity (is that a word?) regarding Nielsen ratings aside, I think TNA needs to look internally before looking for external solutions to the problem.

TNA has made some important and impressive moves in the past year. They brought back Sting, and, in my opinion, they have used him fairly well. They managed to keep Rhino when Vince came looking for people to add legitimacy to WWECW. They have elevated Samoa Joe. They have kept AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels fresh and entertaining. They brought in Homicide, who, despite his not yet having the opportunity to showcase his true potential, is an incredible talent. They brought in Jim Cornette, a brilliant wrestling mind and still one of the best talkers in the business. And they brought in Christian Cage, who turned down a new WWE contract to sign with the group.

The problem is that, despite all these good things, their bad decisions have been far more serious. They brought in Kevin Nash, and put him in a program that belittled and betrayed TNA's most important alternative to WWE programming, the X-Division. They brought in Earl Hebner, who offers absolutely nothing to a wrestling organization. They haven't fired Larry Zybysko, the most useless waste of space in wrestling today.

But TNA's most egregious mistake can be summed up in two letters. JJ. Double J. Jeff Jarrett. Since the beginning of the promotion, Jeff Jarrett has been presented as the centerpiece of the organization. A bitter cynic would say that TNA was founded simply as a vanity project for Jeff, a way for him to prove to the world that he's a main event player. Unfortunately, he's not. Back in Jarrett's WWE days, Steve Austin refused to do a program with Jarrett because he didn't feel Jarrett was in a position to feud with him. And in retrospect, Austin was right. Jarrett is the kind of guy who should never have risen above the mid-card in a national promotion. Sure he may have been over like Grover in Memphis, but Memphis ain't the rest of North America.

Despite all the positives that TNA has accomplished, they have all been undermined by Jeff Jarrett's ego. Sting was put in a main event program...with Jarrett. Raven finally won the title, then lost it...to Jarrett. Rhino won the title, then lost it...to Jarrett. Since his arrival in TNA, Jim Cornette has been feuding with...Jeff Jarrett. In one of TNA's most memorable moments of the year, Christian Cage beat Jeff Jarrett for the title, celebrating his victory in the ring, surrounded by TNA fans. Then, in one of the most moronic decisions ever, Cage lost the title in the overly convoluted, and insultingly planned, King of the Mountain match...to Jeff Jarrett.

Starting to notice a pattern?

In those periods when Jeff Jarrett isn't the champion, when he isn't the centerpiece of TNA, people are interested. But those periods are few and far between.

Bringing in Vince Russo is not going to solve TNA's problems. I believe he's only going to make them worse. Russo is 'friends' with Jeff Jarrett. (The word friends is quoted because friend isn't a word that can ever really apply to a relationship in the world of professional wrestling, which thrives on politics and manipulation.) He's not going to deal with the 800 lb. gorilla that is Jeff Jarrett. He's going to mess with the things that were working. He's going to make stupid decisions that don't entertain the viewers. He's going to destroy the things that could make TNA standout, and try to mimic WWE's bad decisions. Mimicing WWE is not the way to go, as their declining ratings show.

Vince Russo is not being brought in to save TNA. He's being brought in to save Jeff Jarrett. His goal will be to make Jeff Jarrett the star he believes himself to be. Unfortunately, that will never happen. Jeff Jarrett is TNA's greatest weakness, and until the people in TNA realize that, TNA will never succeed.

TUF 4.6

2006-09-22T10:59:00.000-04:00

Look at me, posting the day after and everything. I'm so responsible. Or, I'm horribly irresponsible, because I still have to go to the library and pick up a book by Orrin Klapp to read for my thesis' first chapter. Stupid theoretical framework. Anyway, on with the show, this is it.

Major Points

Charles McCarthy is sulky. Or depressed. Or just too sad to play dodgeball. Or, as he would have you believe, so empathetic that Mikey Burnett's loss to Din Thomas is affecting him greatly. His housemates have nicknamed him "Captain Miserable." And, despite the taunting, he's enough of a good sport to wear a homemade "Captain Miserable" cape and pretend to fly.
Shonie exacerbates the situation by adding 'personality' to McCarthy's shopping list. And McCarthy blames Pete Sell, leading to much hilarity. And again, no use of abject fluids in the execution of this prank.
Personally, I attribute McCarthy's moroseness to being named after a ventriloquist's dummy.
Evidently Jorge Rivera's partner is expecting a child while he is in the house. Randy shows up and tells Jorge that he has a new daughter, and gives him an AMP'D mobile phone with which he can see video of his new crap factory. Clever. Product placement disguised as a tender heartwarming moment.
I'm impressed that Jorge made the decision to come to the house with a child on the way. Especially when you consider Season 3's Noah abandoned the house because his girlfriend MIGHT have been told he is cheating on her, and he wants to clear things up. That's dedication.
Rich Franklin shows up as a guest trainer. Considering he is might be fighting the middleweight TUF4 winner, he probably wants to scout potential opponents. Plus, he hasn't fought since March 03, so Dana probably wanted to remind people he was around, and still champion. Of course, he is scheduled to fight Anderson Silva at UFC 64, so who knows what will happen there.
Franklin doesn't align himself with either team, and makes clear that there is no Team Franklin. Really Rich? You mean, exactly the same way as there is no Team Couture or Team St. Pierre? Shocking.
The next middleweight fight is announced. Pete Sell vs Charles McCarthy. McCarthy says he was planning on that, and has been training for Drago. Which, of course, won't help one bit if he makes it to the next round.
Speaking of Drago, how can he use that name and not drop "I Must Break You?"
The fight goes three full rounds. In the third, Sell is on top, even getting full mount, with McCarthy going for some submissions. He doesn't seem to be fighting enough though, and the judges give Drago the match.
We get a couple of replays of McCarthy in pain when he thinks he blew his knee out. Including a cool slomo one.
Next week, Matt Serra finally gets in the ring, facing Pete Spratt.

The Good

Because Drago is already one of Serra's fighters, he probably had an easy time of it, but Matt Serra is a definite factor in Team Mojo's success.
Showing Pete Sell's controversial loss to Nate Quarry was interesting, because it already sets up a match for Sell, even if he doesn't win TUF4.
I was glad Dana allowed Jorge an opportunity to learn of his daughter's birth. The whole "cut off from the world thing" is stupid enough, but a man deserves to know when he has another mouth to feed.

The Bad

Okay, they gave Jorge Rivera a CELL PHONE so he could see video of his new daughter. Call me crazy, but couldn't he also use that PHONE to CALL his partner to talk to her. Have people forgotten that's what cell phones were originally intended for? Or did I just have a Helio moment?
When they announced the fight before 10:30, my roommate looked at me and said "It's going three rounds." That is not dramatic foreshadowing. Thats predictability. If the producers would just mix it up once, people wouldn't know how long a fight was going to be based on the time it starts.

The Ugly

Thankfully, the length of the fight meant that there was no need to add filler. Which means less opportunity for ugliness.
Although, the use of a child's birth to plug a cell phone isn't pretty.

Looking forward to seeing what Serra can do in the ring next week. He's been built up fairly strong, so he should impress. Unless the whole Serra build was done to swerve us. How delightfully Russonian that would be.

Overheard at Western: There are inappropriate analogies, and then there's this.

2006-09-21T21:41:00.000-04:00

Overheard at Western: There are inappropriate analogies, and then there's this.

Right now, this is my favorite thing in the world.

UWO culture never ceases to provide me with inappropriate delights.

TUF 4.5

2006-09-20T15:06:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I could have posted this sooner. But I didn't.

Major Points

With the drama of the Jeremy Jackson eviction out of the way, Team No Love now has an opportunity to replace their libidinous teammate with one of their defeated comrades. Rather than a dramatic decision making process, which I'm sure is what Dana and the producers wanted, TNL instead chooses to flip a coin to decide between ~~Willie McGinest~~ Pete Spratt and Rich Clementi, the man whose tattoo provided TNL with their name. Clementi loses, thus raising the question of whether his tattoo means he doesn't love anyone, or nobody has any love for him.
Shonie likes to swim. Unfortunately, Shonie's overactive creativity has now inspired him to attempt the construction of a "floatie" from discarded plastic bottles. Naturally, Shonie decides the best way to do this is to throw all the bottles into the pool. Evidently, despite his artistic nature, Shonie has not heard of planning or design. After much debate over the bottles, which involves other people clearing the pool of them, only to have Shonie throw them back in, Shonie finally constructs his floatie. By filling a garbage bag with bottles and floating on it. Given that Shonie took all the bottles out of a garbage (possibly, hopefully recycling) bag in the kitchen, I can't help but think there were a number of unnecessary steps in the whole process.
Shonie also doesn't sleep much. So naturally he plays pool, one of the quieter pastimes, at 3 am. Basically, much of the non-fighing aspects of this episode revolved around Shonie being annoying. And yet, there was no urine or knifeplay involved.
Pete Spratt is considering not fighting, and instead allowing Clementi to fight. This due to Spratt's lack of faith in his abilities. But Clementi continues to suffer a paucity of affection, and Spratt chooses to return to the competition. I think this is a good move by Spratt, as it keeps him in Dana's good graces.
TNL headfakes choosing Matt Serra to fight this week, then goes with TNL's Mikey Burnett versus TM's Din Thomas. They figure Din will be weakened by the staph infection running rampant in the house. But certainly not from the mats!
Din's recap recaps Din. Mikey Burnett's is much more interesting, as he is a pre-Zuffa fighter, so UFC gets to do their "no rules, no weight-class, underground" spin on UFC history. Mikey does have a good line, saying the UFC was "more spectacle than sport." Sorry Mikey, spectator sports are, by definition, spectacle.
Din beats Mikey. Fairly handily too. I hope Mikey gets another chance, maybe as another Ross Pointon kind of fighter. You don't expect him to win, but you know he'll show up.

The Good

I like Din Thomas. He's got a good chance of winning this thing.

The Bad

The UFC history spin. Look, I'm not an expert on UFC history, but I know a bit. And watching them spin the UFC history this way is annoying. Its right up there with Vince McMahon and his "smoky bars" history of professional wrestling.

The Ugly

Why do the fighters still do a walk/van ride of shame? Aren't they all still in the house? Did they make Mikey Burnett drive back the house alone, while the rest of the guys came in another van? Isn't that a waste of gas? For this, kids are getting killed in Iraq?

This episode didn't particularly capture my attention the way past episodes have. Maybe it was just being tired, or dreading my first tutorial the next day. I'll find out tomorrow night when I watch 4.6. At least I'm sure it will be better than ER.

The End of Hockey?

2006-09-19T23:21:00.000-04:00

Bell Globemedia bidding $1.4B for TV hockey rights -- CHANNEL CANADA

I could have gone with a cheesy title like "NHL on Thin Ice?" But I'm above such puns.

I can't believe I missed this story when it first happened. Thats what happens when you spend most of your summer watching 90210 reruns and lusting after Shannen Doherty, rather than keeping an eye out for interesting sports media stories.

Anyway, this whole thing was brought to my attention by a friend of mine as we were discussing the Oilers' chances this season, and being media students, he mentioned this story. My interest piqued, I did some digging, and found the above article. You can also search the Globe and Mail's website, but any stories on the subject are now "archived" meaning you have to buy a $14.95 per month subscription to read them. Or go to your local library and find a hard copy there. Here's a link to one of the stories, if you really want to spend $14.95 a month.

The gist of the story is that Bell Globemedia, one of Canada's largest media conglomerates, is planning on offering $1.4B over 10 years for the rights to NHL broadcasts in Canada when the CBC's contract with the league is up in 2008. So basically $140M a year. That's more than double than the $65M per year the CBC is currently paying. Most insiders agree that if this happens, the CBC will be unable to post a competitive bid.

The problem with all this is that it will mean that most people who do not have cable or satellite service will no longer be able to watch hockey in Canada. While it is claimed that CTV will broadcast some games on their actual broadcast channels, such as CFTO, CKCO, or whatever the hell the call letters for their Calgary station are. (This raises an interesting question, when did stations stop using their call letters? And when did the CRTC stop requiring them to do so? Or have they?) But I digress.

The problem here is that CTV does not have the broadcast reach that the CBC does. While CKCO may claim to be the CTV station for Kitchener-Waterloo and London, as well as the rest of Southwestern Ontario, I have never been able to get a decent CKCO signal using just an antenna. And London, despite being a small town disguised as a city, is one of Canada's more populous cities. A quick glance at CTV's local stations page shows just how weak their coverage is. What about Windsor and Sarnia? For that matter, what about the good people of Detroit who watch CBC hockey coverage? What this shows is that people who want to watch hockey will be forced to abandon their antennas and purchase cable or satellite subscriptions. Which is, of course, good for Bell Globemedia, who are providers of Bell Expressvu satellite service. Media concentration at its finest.

Of course, there are other possible outcomes to this scenario. One is that this deal, should it happen, will be the death knell for the CBC. Long hindered by poor funding, out of control bureaucracy, and a mandate that can't possibly be met under current conditions, the CBC relies on hockey as a major source of revenue and publicity. Without the NHL, the CBC will likely find itself turned into a second rate PBS, with pledge drives hosted by Rick Mercer and Gordon Pinsent, showing reruns of British comedies. The Canadian government, both the current one, and the governments of the past, have not considered the CBC important, instead choosing to permit media concentration to persist, all the while abandoning any notion of giving the CBC the funding they need to provide Canadians with a proper public broadcaster. While some may argue that there is no longer a need for a public broadcast outlet, in this day and age of multiple channels, others argue that the fact that Canadian broadcasting is essentially run by Rogers, Bell Globemedia and CanWest Global (especially with the pending absorption of the essentially worthless CHUM Group into BGM), indicates that the need for a public broadcaster is even greater today than it was fifty years ago.

The end of Hockey Night in Canada on CBC will also mean the end of a Canadian institution. The memorable hockey moments provided to Canadians via HNIC are too numerous to count. The fact that Foster Hewitt, the voice of HNIC for so many years, has the award for hockey broadcasting excellence named for him, should give some indication of the importance of the CBC to hockey and to Canada. An argument could be made that hockey on CBC is so integral to Canadian culture that it should be protected at all costs. Arguments over the value of Canadian culture have been made before, as in the case of dual-run American magazines in Canada, that saw the Canadian government attempting to limit the incursion of American magazines into Canada.

One final potential outcome of all this is the death of hockey itself. Okay, maybe "death of hockey" is a bit hyperbolic, but possibly the death of the NHL. Still reeling from the public backlash over its multiple labour difficulties, the NHL cannot afford to alienate its most dedicated audience, Canadians. It is entirely possible that, with regular hockey broadcasts taken away from them, that some people will simply abandon the NHL altogether. While this likely won't happen with Leafs fans, most of whom have little else to cling to, it could happen to others, it could happen in other places. People could simply abandon NHL franchises, and turn to other alternatives for their hockey fix. Or curling, which plays at roughly the same level of excitement as hockey. And if that happens in Canada, the NHL is finished. They have overplayed their hand in the United States, to the point that the NHL receives zero dollars for its contract with NBC, and only slightly more for their contract with the American OLN. Hockey in the United States gets ratings that make the XFL look positively robust. So it is not the American market that is going to keep the NHL alive. Sure it might (and thats a very big might) be the future of the NHL to become a major American sport, but it should not be the NHL's primary concern in the short term.

And should Canadians choose to abandon the NHL, Bell Globemedia could find themselves with an albatross around their necks, weighing them down in much the same way that Major League Baseball does Fox. And by the time the BGM contract is up, the NHL could find themselves negotiating a Canadian contract from the same position of weakness that they negotiated their American contracts.

If the NHL leaves the comfort and familiarity of the CBC for the financially enticing siren song of Bell Globemedia, it could spell disaster for the CBC, the NHL, and hockey itself in Canada.

Sunday Pix

2006-09-17T11:33:00.000-04:00

Well, things didn't exactly work out so well last week. Undaunted, I continue forth.

1:00 Games

OAK @ BAL, BAL by 08 pts. Odds: 1.40
HOU @ IND, IND by 04 pts. Odds: 1.15
CLE @ CIN, CIN by 04 pts. Odds: 1.20
BUF @ MIA, MIA by 08 pts. Odds: 2.20
DET @ CHI, TIE Game. Odds: 3.90
NYG @ PHI, NYG by 04 pts. Odds: 2.50

Total Odds: 41.44
$2 bet = $82.90

4:00 Games

STL @ SF, STL by 04 pts. Odds: 1.80
ARZ @ SEA, SEA by 04 pts. Odds: 1.40
NE @ NYJ, NE by 04 pts. Odds: 1.50
TEN @ SD, SD by 04 pts. Odds: 1.20
KC @ DEN, TIE Game. Odds: 3.90

Total Odds: 17.69
$2 bet = $35.40

Kwik-Pik

BUF @ MIA, BUF by 04 pts. Odds: 3.30
NYG @ PHI, PHI by 04 pts. Odds: 2.10
ARZ @ SEA, TIE Game. Odds: 3.60
TB @ ATL, ATL by 08 pts. Odds: 1.80
CLE @ CIN, CLE by 08 pts. Odds: 7.50
KC @ DEN, TIE Game. Odds: 3.90

Total Odds: 1313.51
$2 bet = $2627.00

The Lost Art of Walking

2006-09-14T15:00:00.000-04:00

One of the joys of spending time on a university campus is also one of the greatest pains. Lots and lots of walking. I like walking around the UWO campus. For the most part, its a fairly attractive campus, with the possible exceptions of the UCC Concrete Beach, TD Waterhouse Stadium, and the construction around Thompson arena. But most of the rest of the campus is fairly attractive.

But when did people forget how to walk? In the past week, I've seen students walk into the middle of traffic without even checking for oncoming traffic. I don't know if these kids are drunk, stoned, unfamiliar with the notion of automobiles, or just so infused with such an inflated sense of entitlement that they believe the laws of both physics and the road shouldn't apply to them because their daddy is a lawyer/doctor/some other arrogant and often meaningless career, but I'm shocked. It seems that every year, at least one Western student dies in traffic, either riding a bike or as a pedestrian. And you know what...they probably deserve it. Whats more amazing is that the rest of the brain-dead children don't learn from their mistakes.

Also upsetting is the inability of people to understand the relatively simple concept of traffic flow. Sidewalks are constructed to handle roughly two people side by side. Perhaps three, depending on how anorexic the people are. But let's just say two is the average.

With that in mind, why do people feel they have the right to walk side by side as people walk towards them? It doesn't matter if they're chatting to a friend, or passing somebody, the fact remains that these people are getting in my way. Whats more annoying is that they see there are people walking towards them, and they don't feel any obligation to move out of the way. Its the same sense of entitlement that permeates almost every aspect of UWO life.

Here's the problem with the walkers, and they don't understand. I'm a fairly large man. In fact, given my travels around campus, I would say I am one of the larger men at Western. (Thats not bragging, as one should not be proud of one's morbid obesity.) I also carry a large duffel bag, often laden with at least three or four heavy books. Should I so desire, I'm sure I could easily send one (or more) of these children sprawling into the mud like a doughboy crawling through No-Man's Land. I choose not to, however, mainly because I like to make people think I'm a nice guy.

Its even more interesting when I'm walking around campus with my buddy Presto. Presto happens to be in a motorized wheelchair, which certainly poses some interesting options for navigating the hilly/stair-dependent UWO campus. When we're trying to make our way across campus, I'm amazed that people don't realize that Presto's chair has the potential to inflict damage. ITS A METAL CHAIR, POWERED BY AN ELECTRIC MOTOR!!! At what point do you not realize that this machine can hurt them? Look, I'm not expecting them to part like the Red Sea, but it would be nice if people would realize that there are 10,000 other people on campus.

One of these days, I'm going to just walk where I want to walk, without considering what may happen to other people. If kids get knocked into the dirt, too bad. If some little plastic gets pushed out of the way, too bad. If some moron gets their cellphone knocked out of their hands, too bad.

I probably won't do this, but its a nice thought.

Lazy Sunday

2006-09-10T15:22:00.000-04:00

If you held a gun to my head and forced me to come up with something I liked about Canada, I could actually come up with two. And oddly enough, they both involve Sundays.

The first is Alan Cross, whose Ongoing History of New Music is one of the best music documentary programs ever produced. I like to set my alarm for Sunday @ 9am, and then just lie in bed listening to his show, which my local Corus station, FM96, plays for two hours on Sunday mornings. Alan Cross is a national treasure, and should be listened to by anybody with eardrums.

The second thing I like about Canada is our legalized sports gambling, Pro-Line. I can go down to my local Mac's and buy a ticket making my picks for the weekend's football games. I can actually bet on a whole host of sports, but I only bet on football. From what I can tell, the only major sporting event missing from Proline is NBA, which they used to offer, but the NBA forced them to drop it when Toronto was trying to get the Raptors. Seems certain NBA stars at the time had a small problem with gambling. *cough*MJ*cough*

Of course, the only drawback to having sports gambling overseen by the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Commission is that its not as simple as picking one team to win, or cover the spread. Instead, I have to pick a minimum of three games, and up to a maximum of six. I usually play the straight Pro-Line, wherein you choose a game, and then select one of five outcomes: Visitor by 8, Visitor by 4, Tie (either team wins by three points or less), Home by 4, and Home by 8. These outcomes are all given a value of at least 1.1, and once you have selected your three to six games, those values are multiplied together to determine your odds, and then multiplied by the value of your bet to determine your potential winnings. Riskier picks means better money, but is harder to win. Playing six games also increases your potential winnings, but means you have to get that many more picks correct. So its obviously in the house's, or government's favour. But its still fun.

What I tend to do is to play one ticket with the 1:00 games, one ticket with the 4:00 games, and another ticket that I call the Kwik-Pik, where I find the range for the day's football games, then make six random selections.

Here are my picks for this week:

1:00 Games

NYJ @ TEN, TEN by 04 pts. Odds: 1.90
BUF @ NE, NE by 08 pts. Odds: 1.50
SEA @ DET, SEA by 04 pts. Odds: 1.30
PHI @ HOU, PHI by 04 pts. Odds: 1.50

Total Odds: 5.56
$2 bet = $11.10

4:00 Games
DAL @ JAX, TIE Game Odds: 2.80
CHI @ GB, CHI by 04 pts. Odds: 1.80
SF @ ARZ, ARZ by 04 pts. Odds: 1.30

Total Odds: 6.55
$2 bet = $13.10

Kwik-Pik
NYJ @ TEN, TEN by 04 pts. Odds: 1.90
SEA @ DET, DET by 08 pts. Odds: 6.20
IND @ NYG, TIE Game Odds: 3.10
CHI @ GB, CHI by 08 pts. Odds: 2.40
NWO @ CLE, NWO by 04 pts. Odds: 2.50
ATL @ CAR, TIE Game Odds: 3.50

Total Odds: 766.88
$2 bet = $1533.80

Right now, things aren't looking so good for my 1 o'clock or my Kwik-Pik. But I've still got my $13.10 4:00 ticket.

TUF 4.4

2006-09-08T23:24:00.000-04:00

This post is late, as I was at my live fantasy football draft on Thursday night. More on that later. I got home in time to watch the "fight" and I taped the rest to watch today.

I guess this episode explains why we got the Jeremy Jackson recap last week, as this week the Test lookalike got the boot for being led around by his hormones. In addition to Jackson's rampaging lust, the episode featured the outbreak of another disease, this time a staph infection running wild like Hulkamania over the fighters.

What's really interesting is the way that the staph infection helped to cause Jackson's eviction. GSP took Team No Love to the YMCA. He claimed it was because he wanted to give the team a change of pace, but I suspect it was because the gym mats, and everything else in the gym was being disinfected because, well, let's face it, they were nasty. While there, Jackson caught the eye of a pretty young lifeguard, who he invited to the house. He then snuck over the wall to meet her, all of which was caught by the cameras. The next day, the house got a phone call that morning workout was cancelled, and Dana was coming for a visit. Dana gave a mini-speech about respect and responsibility, then kicked Jackson out. Idiot.

We then got the fight announcement, which would be No Love's Travis Lutter versus Mojo's Scott Smith. This wasn't part of Mojo's original gameplan, but the staph breakout forced them to change things up. Smith's background is interesting, because he has an 0-1 UFC record, but that loss is pretty controversial. Essentially, he and David Terrell were locked up against the cage, and the ref called for a break. Smith broke, and Terrell didn't, taking Smith down and choking him out. Which makes no sense. Hopefully the referee, who I couldn't identify has been banned from ever refereeing another fight, of any kind, ever again. The fight also took place only a few weeks before the show started shooting, so it looks like Smith was offered a spot in the house as a kind of peace offering by Dana.

But once the action took to the octagon, it was like watching a replay of Smith's other fight. Lutter took him down quickly, and choked him out. The only thing missing was an incompetent ref. Lutter just outclassed Smith and won easily. I think Smith should consider dropping down a weight class, as Lutter looked much larger than him.

Anyway, enough recapping, on to my uninformed opinions.

The Good:

Lutter looked really strong. His fight was quick, and he should be fresh and ready when it comes time for him to fight again.
In a sick sort of way, the staph infection was a good thing for the show. It forced Team Mojo to change up their plans, and gave No Love the Coin of Doom (TM). That only adds to the drama of the show, and made things more interesting.
I liked Dana's explanation of staph infections, and what they mean for fighters.
I also liked the Travis Lutter/Pete Sell smack talk. It wasn't overly insulting, didn't degrade into a hissy fit, and set the stage for a fight later. Those two minutes did a better job of building a fight than an entire episode of Raw.

The Bad:

Okay, I like women's butts. I'm really more of a breast and leg man, but I like a nice butt. However, there is no reason why the butts of the ring girls should feature so prominently in the show's opening credits. The ring girls are not part of the show, and they should not be featured in the opening credits. Particularly not their posteriors.
I didn't like Dana's damage control over the staph infection. Dana, don't blame everybody else. Obviously you need to avoid any admissions of guilt for legal purposes, but don't play lawyerball either.
I was torn as to whether to put this here or in ugly, but I'll put it here. Jeremy Jackson. No pity. Absolutely none. You talked about all your problems, most of which seem to stem from, or at least involve, bad relationships with women. I'm not saying I take pleasure in Jackson's suffering, but I can't feel bad for the guy. You can't go for six weeks without some action? This isn't Big Brother man. I'm pretty sure they'll leave you alone in the bathroom for five minutes. Or less. Mikey Burnett made the best point about no piece of ass being worth $50,000.

The Ugly

Those staph infections do not look pretty. Hopefully they aren't going to cause further problems or evictions.
Did you know the Blade: The Series finale is next week? Did you care? Dear God, can you please stake this thing before we get stuck with another Ultimate Fight Night built around a Blade premiere?

Randy & GSP Sightings
Randy: 3, one talking
GSP: 3, one talking, one in which he looked like that guy who wore a robosuit to hang out with bears. I think he's dead now.

The Devil You Know

2006-09-05T23:50:00.000-04:00

This makes me happy. (Scroll about halfway down the page) Sort of. Brent Bozell, for years the head of the "Parents Television Council" (PTC) is stepping down from his position of power with the organization. He is being replaced by Tim Winter, who has served as the secretary of the group.

I really don't like the PTC. And I'm not talking in that, "I don't like brussel sprouts" kind of way. (Actually, I kinda like brussel sprouts, but that's neither here nor there.) I'm talking in the "I don't like genocide" kind of way. For years they were the bane of the WWF/E's existence, waging a war on Smackdown and what they perceived as the evils of professional wrestling. Of course, sports entertainment wasn't their only target. They've also gone after shows like Family Guy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a veritable plethora of other shows that offended their self-defined sense of "family values."

(Former US vice-presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman (and probably former Democratic Senator of Connecticut) was once on the PTC advisory board. I must admit that I was torn during the 2000 federal election, as I feared Lieberman's impact on the FCC had he achieved the vice-presidency. But in a concession to the greater good, I was rooting for Gore. Then Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris took the issue out of the hands of the voters.)

Bozell, and the PTC's, obsession with the deleterious effects of professional wrestling came to a head with the Lionel Tate murder case. Tate, then 12, was accused of killing a 6 year old girl. It was alleged, as part of Tate's defense, that his imitation of a professional wrestling move led to her death. This was disproved in court, and Tate was found guilty. But the specious association with professional wrestling stuck to the Tate case, to the point that even today, any reference to the case often mentions professional wrestling. The PTC assisted with this, making claims about the effects of professional wrestling on young people.

The WWE rightfully took offense, and filed suit against the PTC. They won, forcing Bozell to publish a retraction of the allegations, which, amongst other things, said "that it was wrong for MRC [Media Research Center], PTC, their spokespersons and myself to have said anything that could be construed as blaming WWE or any of its programs for the deaths of the children." Also included in the retraction was the admission that "I want to be clear that WWE was correct in pointing out that various statements made by MRC, PTC and me were inaccurate concerning the identity and number of WWE Smackdown! advertisers who withdrew support from the program. Many of the companies we stated had “withdrawn” or pulled their support had never, in fact, advertised on Smackdown! nor had any plan to advertise on Smackdown!" Of course, WWE's victory was somewhat hollow, as the Tate taint remains. But after this happened, the PTC went to great lengths not to mention professional wrestling much anymore. In fact, if you go to their site, you will find a link to their "ratings" of television programs. Smackdown does not appear on that list. If you go to their Friday television listings, they have UPN listed as showing Major League Baseball on Friday nights. So PTC is staying away from wrestling, likely as a result of the lawsuit.

But it doesn't mean that the PTC has stopped trying to tell people what they are allowed to watch on television. The "Nipplegate" incident at the Superbowl provided the PTC with a new target to attack, that being the declining moral values of American broadcasters. The ludicrous fines imposed by the FCC on CBS for the appearance of the offending nipple (which, of course, is attached to that most offensive breast) were likely influenced by the hyperbolic response of the PTC. And, of course, the new more conservative American church state that has been reinforced by men like George W. Bush, John Ashcroft and his ilk.

But the PTC is a dangerous, dangerous organization. I am all in favour of people voicing their opinions. I write letters to companies that piss me off. If I'm ever offended by something I see on television, I exercise my right to choose, and change the channel. (Unless its The O'Reilly Factor, then I keep watching. That guy is funnier than Stephen Colbert. Nobody could honestly say those things and mean them.) But the PTC goes too far. In 2004, FCC chairman Michael Powell said that complaints to the FCC had increased 14,000 to 240,000. For some, this was proof that the people of America were standing up against the obscenity-spewing, nipple-exposing, violence-causing, homosexual monster that is the American broadcast media.

However, it was later revealed that 99.8%, or 239,520, of those complaints came from the PTC. Essentially, the PTC uses their website to encourage people to write letters of complaint to the FCC and advertisers, even providing a web form for people to do so. Actual viewing of the program is not required. Neither is actually being offended by the program. The PTC website provides people with all the tools they need to file a complaint with either the FCC, a sponsor, or the network.

The problem here is a complex one. Should these people be denied their right to complain? Of course not. But should a few people be able to dictate what people are able to watch? Absolutely not. My dad hates plenty of things on television. When I go visit him, and he's feeling particularly evangelistic, he'll tell me about something he saw on Showcase or Bravo that he didn't approve of. But I don't let his opinions change mine. I like what I like, and he likes what he likes. And he's smart enough to know that if there's something on television he doesn't like, he can change the channel. And if he gets really offended, he can call his satellite provider and change the channels he subscribes to, thus affecting the station financially, without exerting unfair pressure.

As much as I hate the Nielsen ratings system, aren't they the most accurate measurement of what people want to watch? The PTC likes to target Desperate Housewives, but that show is highly rated. So if 100,000 people complain about the show, but 12.8 million people were watching, what does that say about the country's opinion of the show? Sure there might not be enough programming aimed at a younger audience on television. But is taking the programming that is better suited for a mature consumer the way to go?

The question now remains. What will Tim Winter do with the PTC? Will he continue in Bozell's footsteps, trying to tell America what to watch? Or will he take the group in a more constructive direction, encouraging a more democratic media, and working WITH broadcasters to create media designed with the public interest in mind? Because I'm not saying there aren't offensive things on television. But the key to changing the media lies in education, not oppression.

So enjoy your time off Mr. Bozell. Find a hobby. Read a book. Watch some PAX or Disney Channel. Or maybe, just maybe, you can travel. Go out and visit America. Go to large urban centres and small rural peripheries. Open your eyes and realize that just because YOU don't enjoy something, doesn't mean that nobody else does. I'm offended by right-wing ideologues like Pat Robertson or Charles Colson spewing their bile and hatred on television. Should I use your FCC complaint form to complain about people saying that Hurricane Katrina was a punishment from God? Or should I, as I actually do, tell myself that they have a right to believe what they believe, a right to think what they think, no matter how wrong headed it might be, and that unless they are advocating violence against others, there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to say the moronic, hate-filled, and wrong-headed things they do? I choose the latter.

I'm on the left, and that's my right.

TUF4.3

2006-09-01T00:05:00.000-04:00

The Good

During TUF3, I was constantly upset with the incredibly juvenile antics of the fighters in the house. Obviously, some of that stems from the ridiculous fact that they are trapped in this house with no outside contact. That makes sense on a show like Big Brother where there is no premise to the show. But in this day and age of television subscription packages, V-Chips and blocked channels, I'm pretty sure that Dana could give the guys a TV that only gets TV Land and Comedy Central. At least that would give the guys something to watch. But I digress. The joke played by Jorge Rivera and Rich Clementi on Shonie Carter was a good one. They didn't destroy what he made, they didn't let it get out of hand, and they had a good laugh. Sure they misspelled YOUR, but thats forgivable. They didn't destroy Shonie's work, they didn't let the joke get out of hand, and they all had a good laugh. The maturity of this batch of fighters is much greater than TUF3.
I liked the flashbacks to Jeremy Jackson fights. I know they've done them for all the fighters before their fights, but thats why the Jackson vignettes were so good. Because he didn't fight. But by creating these expectations, what we got was a well-done swerve. It was clever editing on the part of the producers, and played with the expectations of the audience.
I'm also enjoying the Shonie moments. The producers obviously have to focus on Shonie, because he's an entertaining personality. But they give the other fighters an opportunity to talk about Shonie, ensuring a more balanced portrayal of the fighters.
I'm also growing to like Matt Serra more and more. This show allowed us to not only see a more vulnerable side of Serra in watching Royce Gracie lose to Matt Hughes, but we also got to see him corner another fighter to victory.

The Bad

I don't understand the point of trying to create a feud between Serra and Marc Laimon. Particularly since Laimon isn't a fighter. The point of a feud is to build to a payoff fight. That was the whole point of TUF3. But we're not going to get a Laimon/Serra fight. So why waste time on their rivalry? Why not focus on some of the other fighters, or show us some more of their training?
I'm torn on having Dana White mention other MMA organizations. On the one hand, it tells people that UFC isn't the only game in town. On the other, it gives Dana the opportunity to dismiss them as small potatoes, especially since he doesn't mention their names.

The Ugly

I've mentioned this countless times before. And I will continue to mention it until somebody listens. The audience knows how long the fight is going to last by the fight's start time. This week, the fight didn't start until 11:55. And the fight only lasted a couple of minutes. If the producers are serious about presenting a more dramatic show, they will ensure that all fights start by the 45 minute mark on the show at the latest. Even if the fight is an eight second KO, people won't be expecting it. This is a serious production problem, and needs to be remedied.
Okay, now I had no intention of going to see Crank in the theatres. The commercial during UFC 62 guaranteed that. But the "special sneak preview" tonight has me questioning whether I will ever watch it. Not because the commercial was obtrusive or obnoxious, but because it makes it look like Crank is a truly terrible film. The dialogue is awful, the fights are lame, and the acting doesn't exactly seem to be of Oscar calibre. And most importantly, "Turn Me Loose" by Loverboy is not fight music.

Randy & GSP Sightings

Randy: 3
GSP: 2

Obligatory Kurt Angle Post

2006-08-28T20:44:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-27T01:25:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-25T13:31:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-24T23:44:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-24T00:22:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-21T14:20:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-20T18:39:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-19T23:11:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-17T20:06:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-16T20:08:00.000-04:00

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?

2006-08-14T17:33:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-08T18:39:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-07T13:07:00.000-04:00

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.

Maximizing Monthly Allotments for PPV

2006-07-25T14:37:00.000-04:00

Todd Martin has his review of the inaugural World Fighting Alliance show posted here. After reading his review, I asked him whether it was worth purchasing, given that its not airing in Canada until July 30th, this coming Sunday. He replied that " If you're a big MMA fan, it's definitely worth checking out. If you're more casual, maybe not." However, I don't think that is the only factor that determines whether or not I purchase a PPV.

I like to catch the UFC PPVs, but I hardly ever actually buy them. Instead, I go to my local bar/restaurant and watch the show there. I end up spending about $20 - $25 on food and beverages and watch the show. Now, it could be argued that my roommate and I can spend the same amount and get the PPV at home, but thats not true. Once we've bought snackage to accompany the PPV, we've spent more than we would have by watching the show at Crabby Joe's or the Oar House.

And thats just for the UFC PPVs. Unfortunately, UFC is the only group to have inspired enough casual interest to get restaurant owners to shell out the cash to order a PPV. (I've heard it costs upwards of $1500 for a restaurant to show a PPV, and the total amount depends on the total capacity of the bar.) But the bars don't order Pride or WFA events. (The Oar House used to show WWF PPVs, but stopped during the WWE crackdown. I have an interesting anecdote that I'll relate at the end of this post.) So UFC is pretty much the only affordable PPV option.

I know I could order the Pride or WFA PPVs at home, but the costs are prohibitive. The same holds true for WWE PPVs. The WFA PPV is $34.99. I'm not sure of the price of a Pride PPV, but I'm sure its about the same. And WWE recently boosted their price to $39.99. The WWE's logic is that the diehard fans who continue to order the PPVs will more than make up the loss of those fans for whom $39.99 is too much to see The Undertaker vs The Great Khali in a "Punjabi Prison Match." (Especially when that match doesn't actually happen.) My logic is that I can read the recaps online, see the replays on television, and, on the off chance that the show is worth watching, I can buy the DVD for $19.99 a month or two later. (Actually more than that, because WWE's Candian distributor Koch, is about as competent as a braindead lemur with palsy. Or they might need to take longer so they can waste time and money making everything bilingual. Bilingualism = Canada's shame.)

Unfortunately for Pride and WFA, they have no means of establishing a WWE or UFC like rapport with the general public. At least, not in Canada. I guess Pride has a television show in the States, but they have no presence here in Canada. As a result, they only get purchases from those fans who are confident that they will be ordering a good show. And can afford it. And I am neither of those things.

First of all, I'm a pessi-realist. I always anticipate the worst possible realistic situation. So I don't expect any show to be great. Particularly when I'm not able to immerse myself in the backstory and the personalities that are involved. And second of all, I'm a student on a budget. As such, I have to be more choosy with how I spend my PPV dollars. I'm not living on ketchup soup and crackers, but my situation does require me to weigh the pros and cons of spending money on something like a PPV, which has no guarantees of being any good. Seeing Rampage and Matt Lindland go at it isn't worth $34.99, especially if the rest of the fights involve replacement fighters and guys who have let themselves go to pot.

I don't doubt that Pride and WFA have, can, and will put on good shows. But I need more than the possibility of seeing a good show before shelling out the money for a PPV. These companies need to find a way to connect with the general public if they want them to order their shows. The Fight Network is a good start, but I have refused to order the channel since they ended their free preview. Some of their programming was pretty good, but I have no desire to watch "So You Think You Can Fight" or bad karate movies. I believe they may have improved their programming since then, and I may order the channel, but thats just me. If Pride and WFA want to compete with UFC in more than just the US, they are going to need to raise their awareness.

They may want to consider offering the PPVs at a more reasonable rate, to encourage people to take a chance on one of their shows. I know this may offend the people who have been ordering Pride PPVs for years, but given the rising profile of MMA in North America, companies are going to need to find ways to reach out to new audiences. UFC has done this with The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Unleashed and the like. IFL has their show on Rogers Sportsnet (even though there is no mention of the show on the Sportsnet website and the episode they showed last night was the same I watched a month ago.) So its time for the other companies to reach out.

*************************************

Okay, WWE PPV story. For those who don't know, WWE Canada has a, for lack of a better word, godawful website. What they have now though, is a hundred times better than their old one. For years, the only thing on the WWF/E Canada website was a survey asking people where they watched WWF PPVs? They promised people would be entered in a draw for an unnamed prize. Of course, all of this was happening while WWE/F was cracking down on bars showing PPVs. Was this actual market research? Or was it just a sneaky underhanded way of getting naive people to rat out their favorite bar?

I Hate To See You Leave, I Love To Watch You Go

2006-07-20T19:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's announcement of the big move of RAW from TSN to The Score isn't the only media related wrestling news to go down in the past week or so. So I thought I'd talk about some of the others.

Stacy Keibler has signed a deal with Disney/Touchstone that is going to see them either develop a show for her, or find a way to bring her into an existing show. I think this is a big deal for Keibler, who has managed to put WWE behind her, after her breakthrough performance on Dancing With The Stars. Keibler is an interesting example of a WWE diva, as she managed to resist both the pressure to pose for Playboy, and the obsession with big breasts that is the WWE. She was popular with the fans, she came across as relatively intelligent, and she provided WWE with a good public face. She put up with all the degrading garbage that WWE makes their female employees do (gravy bowl, bra and panties, pillow fights, etc, etc). Sure she wasn't a good wrestler, but since she was originally hired to be a dancer, one can't expect her to be Lou Thesz.

I can see Stacy getting a role on a sitcom as the pretty friend or neighbour. A quick glance at ABC's (aka Disney/Touchstone's primary broadcast outlet) fall schedule shows a few shows where she may fit in. Right now, I think the best option would be Ugly Betty, which, despite the terrible title, seems like it would be a good fit for Keibler. The show is about an ugly duckling (played by America Ferrera, who isn't actually ugly) working in the world of fashion publishing. Given Stacy's looks, she could probably work well in that show, and given her nice girl appeal, could be the friend/sounding board for Ferrera's Betty. I don't think Keibler will be taking on any dramatic roles any time soon, but she could possibly replace Katherine Heigl's Izzy on Grey's Anatomy, if Izzy is actually leaving.

Keibler's move away from the subculture of professional wrestling also bodes well for another Diva, Trish Stratus. Evidently Stratus' contract with WWE is up shortly, and like fellow Canadians Chris Jericho and Christian Cage before her, Stratus has yet to sign a new contract. The brilliant and hilarious RD Reynolds has written an open letter to Trish here, although I don't know how much longer it will be up. So read it now. NOW I said!!! Anyway, I've got to agree with what Deal says. Trish has pretty much done it all in the world of professional wrestling. Those who have been watching for years have seen her develop from eye candy manager to one of the best North American female wrestlers today. Her heel turn on Chris Jericho was one of the highlights of Wrestlemania XX. She has been one of the most adored wrestlers, and one of the most hated. That last is impressive, as WWE fans are often reluctant to boo a beautiful woman who can entertain, but Stratus was able to do it.

Outside of wrestling, Stratus has made appearances on MadTV, has done some comedy work with Toronto's Second City, and hosted the meaningless Canada's Walk of Fame ceremony. She has genuine charm, is stunningly beautiful, and seems to be a likeable person. Unlike Keibler, she may have unnaturally large breasts, but she too has managed to avoid the Playboy pressure. She has nothing left to do in professional wrestling, and if she sticks around, she will probably just find herself in more T&A matches (not Test and Albert), occasionally being allowed to showcase her actual wrestling skills against Victoria or Mickie James.

Given the sad state of Canadian television, any Canadian production company would jump at the opportunity to sign Stratus to a deal similar to Keibler's. I'm not saying she should be the hot new teacher on Degrassi, but I'm pretty sure that they could find a role for her.

The other argument that some people will forward is that presented by the cases of Sable and Chyna. Both of these ladies left wrestling with hopes of achieving success in Hollywood. Sable's greatest success has been hooking up with Brock Lesnar, and Chyna (Doll) has appeared on VH1's Surreal Life and in an oddly, and disturbingly, popular adult video release with Kliq bagboy Sean Waltman (no nudity, but that doesn't make it any less disturbing). For me, the difference lies in the fact that Stratus and Keibler have already laid a groundwork for their success. Sable and Chyna did Playboy, and that was about it. Their egos got the best of them, and they began to think they were more popular than they really were. Stratus and Keibler are popular, and have the tools to succeed when freed from the constraints of professional wrestling. Sure they may not win any Emmys or Oscars (I'm not saying they won't) and they may not make Julia Roberts money(again, not saying they can't). But I think they can both find a comfortable position that allows them to continue to entertain, without worrying about herniated disks, broken ankles or being forced to bark like a dog and literally kiss your boss' ass.

So Stacy, congratulations. And thank you. You've entertained, you've done your best, and you've forever etched the name Hancock on the minds of wrestling fans. Hell, I actually think better of the Baltimore Ravens because of you.

And Trish, as much as I hate to say it, please leave and don't come back. You're better than wrestling. You have done all you can, and you should spread your wings and fly. I take solace in the fact that you should find work in Toronto, making it simpler for me to continue to enjoy your work.

Raw Is Moving

2006-07-19T17:05:00.000-04:00

Today, WWE made a major announcement regarding their television programming in Canada. After 11 years of Raw on TSN, WWE's flagship program is moving to The Score, the same channel that carries WWE Smackdown. This was a big deal, and definitely represents a major shift, and a bit of a loss for TSN.

For me, this is like a neglected wife leaving her husband for the arms of a man who appreciates her. Here in Canada, the first time I saw Monday Night RAW was on CKVR, which became The New VR, and then became A-Channel Barrie. But that relationship soured with the Brian Pillman gun angle. After that, TSN had the Canadian broadcast rights to RAW, a relationship that worked out fairly well for all parties involved. (Interestingly enough, CKVR was/is owned by CHUM and TSN is owned by Bell Globemedia, which just purchased CHUM Media for an obscene amount of money) Of course, in the very early days, RAW wasn't broadcast on Monday nights, and could usually be found at 9 am or at some point on the weekends. Eventually, RAW found its way to Monday Nights, just in time for the birth of WWE Attitude. Which, of course, led to the first big problem in the WWF(E)/TSN relationship.

Much of what aired during the Attitude Era was deemed unacceptable for viewing in Canada. I can only attribute this to the fact that Canadians are not as smart, sophisticated or educated as Americans, and are unable to make their own decisions regarding what is acceptable viewing. As such, we rely on government regulatory agencies, television censors and professional self-regulatory standards councils to help us determine what we should be viewing. There were times when, watching RAW, a Canadian would see more canned crowd shots than actual programming. The irony here, of course, is that Canada typically enjoys more freedom in their broadcasting with CTV (the broadcast arm of Bell Globemedia, as opposed to TSN which is only available via cable subscription) broadcasting unedited episodes of The Sopranos. The logic behind editing RAW for cable transmission and not editing The Sopranos for television broadcast was that "The Sopranos is dramatic programming and WWF is sports programming." (A direct quote from correspondence with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.) As such, actions which would be acceptable in one venue such as The Sopranos, would not be acceptable in another, like RAW. Of course, none of this was really TSN's problem, but it does indicate the problems in the TSN/WWF(E) relationship.

Once wrestling got really hot, TSN made sure to have RAW on Monday nights. Unless there was something else they would rather show. Which is my biggest problem with the way TSN handled RAW. Sure they showed it, but they would pre-empt it for hockey, or curling, or baseball, or tennis. TSN knew that wrestling fans would follow the show wherever they stuck it, so they didn't have to worry about not showing it live. Of course, TSN was more than happy to take advantage of the dedication of wrestling fans, using them to help a fledgling sports round table talk show called Off The Record by featuring WWE wrestlers as guests. This show helped a useless joke of a broadcaster named Michael Landsberg establish a niche for himself as the guy in the easy chair who reads topics off cue cards.

Landsberg also serves as a great example of the lack of respect that TSN had for wrestling fans. I remember a radio interview he did where he mocked wrestling fans, insulted their intelligence, and accused them of making death threats when they were displeased. This just goes to show how TSN and their public faces thought of the people who watched one of their most successful programs.

This pre-emption program only worsened when RAW moved from USA Network to TNN/SpikeTV. Unlike USA Network, TNN/SpikeTV is available in Canada. And when a Canadian station and an American station carry the same program, Canadian stations use a practice called simulcasting, wherein the signal of the Canadian broadcaster is broadcast over the American signal. At least when both stations are showing the program at the same time. But for some reason, TNN/SpikeTV never showed RAW, except for the very first episode. Even when TSN was showing something else, Canadian TNN/SpikeTV viewers got to enjoy CSI or VIP or one of the other insipid programs that littered the TNN/SpikeTV landscape. Because TSN had the Canadian broadcast rights and because they were showing something else, they had the right to deny RAW to Canadian viewers. Not exactly the actions of a broadcaster that cared about its audience.

Of course, with WWE's move back to USA, this isn't as much of an issue. (Although I would like to point out just how much Canadian television sucks when compared to the U.S. You have TNT, USA, FX, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, TVLand and others, and we have the CBC. Yay, hockey and news. Canada rocks.) But TSN has continued to pre-empt RAW on a somewhat regular basis, particularly for Maple Leafs hockey. RAW continued to bring in decent ratings for TSN, but they were content in the knowledge that wrestling fans would find the programming wherever they stuck it.

But all that is over now. Now TSN can show whatever they want on Monday nights. Of course, they have acquired the rights to the new ESPN Monday Night Football, and then they'll show Leafs games and Blue Jays games. As for the rest of the Monday nights, they'll probably show reruns of World's Strongest Man competitions or darts or billiards or something like that. And we Canadian fans can tune into The Score at 10 pm on Monday nights for RAW, secure in the knowledge that our show won't be pre-empted for piss poor hockey that only appeals to a bunch of brainwashed cult members too stupid to recognize a lost cause when its bites them on the ass.

The 10 pm thing, thats a Can-Con thing. The Score shows horse racing on Monday nights, and they can't move it because of Canadian Content regulations. For those not in the know, Can-Con is legally required Canadian programming. The reasoning for this is that Canadian programming is typically inferior to American programming, and must be forced down the throats of Canadian viewers, who would otherwise show zero interest in watching the garbage that Canadians produce.

IFL In Canada

2006-07-18T16:07:00.000-04:00

This weekend, Rogers Sportsnet aired the first International Fight League episode. It was refreshing to see an alternative to UFC on Canadian television, and I'm hoping that this signals a desire on the part of Canadian broadcasters to embrace the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

For those not familiar with the IFL, it has an interesting premise. Rather than simply pitting fighter against fighter, the IFL adds the concept of teams. Each team consists of five fighters, once each in the Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight weight classes. These five fighters then compete against the fighters from another team. The first team with 3 victories is the winner, although the other fights will go on, on order to help with standings and the like.

The fights take place in a four sided ring, a la Pride. This presents some interesting dimensions that the UFC cage doesn't offer, such as the moving of a ground game from the ropes to the centre of the ring if it appears that the fight is in danger of going outside the ropes. I only mention this because that rule certainly helped Alex Schoenauer on the first episode, as he was able to lock in an excellent heel hook from the bottom after the fight was moved from the ropes to the centre of the ring. Which raises an interesting strategy question, regarding whether getting the fight moved to the centre of the ring is a viable strategy, as it affords the opportunity to take the opponent by surprise when the fight is restarted.

As of right now, there are four teams, each with an MMA legend as coach, but there are a number of teams that have been announced. The four existing teams are:

The Silverbacks, coached by Pat Miletich.

The Anacondas, coached by Bas Rutten.

The Pitbulls, coached by Renzo Gracie.

The Tiger Sharks, coached by Maurice Smith.

It was interesting watching the first episode, not only for the refreshing change of pace from the UFC, but because of some of the faces I saw. First off was UFC referee Herb Dean, who was also the referee for the first match on the show. Thankfully, he didn't end the match too quickly this time. I also saw UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia in the Silverbacks corner. While that shouldn't be surprising, seeing as how Sylvia trains in the Miletich fighting system, I was surprised that Dana didn't exert more control over his fighters, and what they are allowed to implicitly endorse through their presence. Unless Sylvia was later told he is not allowed to attend any further IFL fights, or at least not to appear on camera.

I'm also looking forward to the emergence of some of the new teams, most importantly, the Canadian Dragons, coached by Carlos Newton. Also announced are the Sabres, coached by Antonio Inoki, whose fighters will hopefully be more exciting than the infamous Inoki/Ali fight, the Razorclaws, coached by Mark Coleman, and the Wolfpack, coached by Matt Lindland. With all these great names coaching, the IFL is also wisely putting the coaches in some fights, with Miletich/Gracie announced for their shows in September. I do doubt, however, that Inoki will be taking any fights.

I think the whole IFL concept is interesting, as it offers a new dynamic to the world of MMA, particularly because it makes the triumph of the individual as important as the triumph of the team. More importantly, at least to me, is the fact that the existence of a Canadian team may help to make the sport more accepted here in this desolate wasteland we call a country. Who knows, maybe in the near future, I'll be able to buy tickets to an MMA show in Toronto, or even here in London. Because god knows I don't want to have to go to Quebec, even if they do have better poutine.

NFL Head Coach

2006-07-12T20:32:00.000-04:00

So, as promised, I'm presenting my unofficial review of EA Sports' latest offering, NFL Head Coach. As I said before, if you enjoy Owner Mode in the Madden series, you'll probably like NFL Head Coach.

The game starts with the premise that you are one of Pittsburgh's coordinators, either offensive or defensive, and you're now on the free agent market. You decide on your offensive and defensive styles, conduct an interview with a team, and then the job offers come in. Whichever team you interview with will offer you a job, as will three or four other teams. Each team will offer you a certain amount of money, but will also have certain expectations. Better teams will expect you to get to the playoffs, or even a specific round, while other teams will want you to win a certain number of games. Other objectives could include drafting a marquee player, ranking in the top 8 in certain offensive and defensive categories or others.

Once you've signed with a particular team, you'll first hire and fire your assistant coaches. You start with a full coaching roster, but you can fire the ones you don't want, and hire new ones. No matter what you do, at least one of them is going to cop some major attitude during the season, and will probably quit during a staff meeting. The only coaching staff member you have no control of is the Scouting Director.

Once you've got your roster, you'll have to deal with your restricted free agents. Then the draft. Then your unrestricted free agents. Pretty much the way things go in the regular offseason. During each part, you'll have particular goals you'll have to achieve, like re-signing certain players, drafting certain positions, and making sure you have the minimum number of players at each position. This also brings me to one of my favorite aspects of the game.

Real Players. Games like Madden and NCAA Football give you the option to create your own player(s). But the game doesn't have any limits, and you can create a player with perfect stats. While I can see the appeal in this, as I've done it myself, its also kind of like cheating. Head Coach offers no such option. You play with real players, warts and all. So those players who only win when they have a team of mutants may not enjoy the game as much. In this game, you stand a good chance of losing, particularly if your players aren't very good.

Once you finally get to training camp is when the fun begins. You'll have to run practices to make sure your players get their skills to their highest possible level. Certain practices will have more impact on a player's individual stats, but won't contribute anything to the teamwork. Other practices will build teamwork, but do nothing for individual stats. The trick is running the right number of the right kind of practices. Preseason is interesting, because you may run into a situation where you don't have time to run enough practices. Or, in the worst possible situation, you won't have time for any practices. Which brings me to one of my complaints about the game.

Scheduling. Each week, you'll have certain scheduled events that you can't change. A meeting with the owner, a staff meeting, scouting meetings and "office hours." The problem is that many of these are pointless. Once you get into the regular season, the owner meeting will just be skipped over. But there it is, on your schedule, taking up two hours you could be using for something else. The same with office hours. These are when you can fiddle with your roster or answer phone calls and read emails. But you can't make phone calls, or do other things. During my preseason I had one period where I had nothing but assigned tasks, meaning that I didn't run a single practice in that time. So shockingly, I wasn't able to meet any of my weekly goals. Which brings me to my next criticism of the game.

Goals. Each week, in preseason and regular season, you have assigned goals. But for some reason, the game doesn't always recognize when you've reached that goal. For example, you will almost certainly be assigned a goal to ensure that your QB is at 100%. So you run the appropriate practices, but the goal isn't met. Then you check your depth chart, and you find that your QB actually IS at 100%. But you have to switch the QB in and out of the depth chart to get the game to recognize that. Its quite exasperating, and if EA hasn't fixed it by the time the next edition comes out, it will be a major flaw that could kill any interest in the game.

Coaching the game is an interesting mix of playcalling, motivation and strategy. During practice, you'll build up certain plays to be money plays, meaning that you'll have a greater chance of success when using them in a game situation. You'll have to call the plays you think will work, depending on down and yardage, etc, etc. But you also have the ability to motivate and strategize with your players. You can strategize during practices, and that strategy should carry through the game. Or you can strategize with a player while the play is going on. For example, if your defense is on the field, once you've called the play, you can turn around and strategize with your offensive players. Its an interesting feature, but it also relates to my other complaint about the game.

Motivation. I understand the need to motivate players. And the dangers inherent in doing so. If you motivate properly, your player will respond well. If you say the wrong thing, the player won't respond well. The key is figuring out what the player needs to hear. The problem lies in the lack of options. When you go to motivate a player, you have two options, one AGGressive, and one PASsive. But sometimes the passive one is really passive aggressive. Sometimes you're just hoping for an 'atta boy' option, but that isn't available.

All in all, NFL Head Coach is a good first effort. There are some things missing, like doctors, trainers and the media. I think a press conference after the game would make it much better, as would be consultations with the medical staff over how best to treat an injured player. Other things need to be fixed, like the goals and the scheduling. But overall, I'm enjoying the game. There are times when I find myself reacting to a great play, cheering for the player as he breaks it out and busts down the field, or swearing at the television over an interception. Which is probably the best sign of how good the game is.

UFC 61: Bitter Audiences

2006-07-09T12:20:00.000-04:00

Wow, did the fans shit all over that or what? By the end of the main event, I thought I was watching a German scheisse video.

I guess you could say that Joe Stephenson won. But he really didn't show anything, and winning because your opponent couldn't clot isn't much of a victory. Once again, a TUF champion showed that he's not ready for the big time.
Yves Edwards head was a thing of beauty at the end of that match. Is it wrong that I said that?
Okay, so the first guy they fed to Frank Mir beat him. The second guy they fed to Mir lost a controversial decision that in all reality, he probably should have won. Is UFC going to feed another guy to Mir in the hopes of making him championship material, or are they going to cut their losses?
Should Herb Dean have stopped the Shamrock/Ortiz fight, probably. But why did they give this fight to Dean and not Big John McCarthy? Dean has a history of making controversial decisions, and he didn't seem like the guy to ref a fight this big. I think Meltzer put it best when he said, "This was not what the UFC needed with this kind of momentum." This match, after all the hype, all the anticipation, needed a decisive ending.
Then again, I doubt Shamrock would have conceded defeat unless he had been knocked unconscious. But watching Tito celebrate was good times.
Burkman/Neer was the kind of fight that you don't mind going to see go to a decision. Next fight, Neer should consider backing up his taunting with some actual fighting.
Arlovski/Sylvia was everything a main event shouldn't be. It was dull, it was plodding. Arlovski seemed to have forgotten that he was allowed to throw kicks, or even take it to the mat, if he so desired. Sylvia seemed content to wait for the big punch. After that match, Arlovski didn't deserve to win the belt, but Sylvia didn't deserve to keep it. Hopefully Monson will pound the crap out of Sylvia, because right now, the UFC Heavyweight division is the most boring division in the UFC. My suggestion, give us the Arlovski/Mir fight that people were clamouring for before Mir's return. It'll force Mir to step up his game, and may get Arlovski out of his funk.

Other Thoughts:

The booth was missing Joe Rogan. As methodical as Randy Couture is in the octagon, he is just as methodical on the microphone. Hopefully Joe isn't on the outs with UFC and will be back for the next PPV.
Shock of the night was Dana announcing "his friend," Wanderlei Silva. That shock was followed closely by Silva wearing a Pride shirt. The only thing I don't like is the fact that Liddell has to beat Sobral to get to Silva. If Liddell loses, does Sobral fight Silva? Is the match between Liddell and Silva a title match?
Does this mean we're going to see some kind of partnership between Pride and UFC? Does this mean that Dana has realized the TUF fighters aren't main event calibre?
Has there been a Dana White edict not to use the name Miletich? I know Randy and Goldberg used the name, but Goldberg wasn't exactly on his game last night (did I really hear him say Tito and Shamrock won?) But they're announcing guys as being MFS fighters, not Miletich System fighters. Just seems that Miletich has become persona non grata in Danaland.

Advice On Watching UFC At A Bar

If you're going to watch UFC at a bar, and the show starts at 10, don't show up at 9:30 expecting to find a seat. And certainly don't show up at 9:55 expecting to find a seat.
If you're going to wear a hat, turn it around so the brim doesn't block people's view.
If you're a couple, don't cudde. A) Public Displays of Affection are nauseating, and B) your two heads together blocks the television. If you want to cuddle, do it on your couch at home. Especially if one of you is pregnant. Pregnant women shouldn't be out in public, let alone cuddling.
I could rant about the drunken morons shouting at the screen during the Arlovski/Sylvia, but damn if they weren't the most interesting thing about that damn fight. The best was that they were each cheering for a different guy, and were arguing about who should win. And then it broke down into calling the guys 'pussies' and telling them to stop dancing while pounding on the silverware laden table. They almost made the match bearable.

Always Put Salt In Your Eyes

2006-07-07T23:23:00.000-04:00

Just some random thoughts.

I just finished Orson Scott Card's Speaker For The Dead. Again. Have you ever noticed how reading a good book can be totally invigorating? Seriously, that book is just incredible. Now I have to find my copy of Ender's Game and read that again.
Speaking of which, Ender's Game is such an odd book. Odd, in that its such an important book, but it often gets shunted into juvenile literature. Not that I don't want kids reading it, in fact, more kids should read it, but so should adults. Certainly before they read a Harry Potter book. But when you give a book a cover like this most adults won't be likely to pick it up. And yes, I've read the Harry Potter books, and enjoyed them.
What is the preferred justification style? Right justified or full justified? I prefer the rigid guidelines offered by full justification, and feel that it makes the reading flow better. But in the notes on my thesis proposal, my professor said that right justification allowed "for a more natural, readable look to the page." So I did it his way, but I still prefer full justification. But I am falling in love with Chicago citation style.
Man, that last one reveals me as a total academic nerd.
I'm watching Family Business right now on The Movie Network, and Cousin Stevie is visiting Lucha Va Voom to find new talent for Adam's talent agency. Man, burlesque and lucha libre, what a combination. I totally need to move to L.A. So now I guess I need to write up my script treatments. Does anyone know how to sell those?
Man, Myrna just dumped Adam. Bummer.
I think RVD's punishment is justified, and I'm somewhat glad that WWE chose to punish him, rather than ignore the incident to keep him on the ECW shows. Not that ECW's success seems to be a priority to anyone.
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends was nominated for an Emmy. That's so awesome. Me love Eduardo.
The decision to nominate Martin Sheen for Best Actor makes less sense.
It is interesting to see that Lost, Desperate Housewives and the entire CSI family were all excluded from nominations.
24 also makes little sense. Don't get me wrong, I love the show, even though I don't watch it on television, and instead wait until its out on DVD. But its escapist fare. It would be like seeing Superman Returns nominated for Best Picture
I picked up EA's NFL Head Coach. If you like Owner Mode in Madden and NCAA, you'll probably like this game. I'll write up a more detailed review, as there are some flaws that need to be addressed.
TVTropolis is now onto Season 2 of 90210. It's total soap opera now. Bless them. The episode where Scott accidentally shoots himself at his birthday party is a classic. Evidently the guy who played Scott is now in USAF Intelligence.
Looking forward to UFC 61 tomorrow night, despite the fact that my roommate has abandoned me and gone to visit his buddy in St. Louis. Or, as I like to call it, the place where you can buy better snack foods than in Canada.
Why can't I get Hostess Fruit Pies or pudding pies here? Are they so much to ask?
Didn't bother watching the second episode of Blade: The Series. It will be interesting to see what the ratings for the show will be without UFC. Same with TNA: Impact.
The title for this post came courtesy of the Kids In The Hall. Man, what happened to Dave Foley? Dude looks rough these days, particularly compared to those shows.

Ultimate Fighter Finale & Ultimate Fight Night

2006-06-29T20:43:00.000-04:00

So in the past 5 days, UFC has had two specials on Spike TV. And oh what adventures we've had.

The Ultimate Fighter Finale was fairly well done. The pacing was still slow, but it was better than the TUF2 Finale. As expected, Michael Bisping defeated Josh Haynes to win the Light Heavyweight contract. And Kendall Grove defeated Ed Hermann to win the Middleweight Contract. I was quite happy to see that Hermann lost, as he was entirely too confident in his abilities, and too obsessed with Ortiz, as I have stated before. It was a fairly good fight, with Grove really coming across as a much improved fighter. Because of the closeness of the of Grove/Hermann fight, Dana did the Bonnar/Griffin thing and gave both fighters contracts.

And this is where things got interesting. I swear I saw Dana pull Ed Herman aside when Joe Rogan went to interview Kendall, and when Joe interviewed Ed, he seemed more reserved and cordial than the self-absorbed, whiny little child that I had come to want to see dead over the season. Did Dana have a little chat with Ed? I think its entirely possible. It was even better when Dana announced a contract for Ed, as he was already halfway to the locker room, and didn't convey the same sense of excitement that Stephan did when he got his contract. In fact, Ed almost looked disappointed with the contract offer. Which raises an interesting question...Is Ed obligated to take the contract? To me, it seemed that Dana was more interested in locking up a free agent fighter than with rewarding Ed. And I think there's a reason for that.

Dana White, and the UFC, are trying to corner the market on mediocre fighters. As Dave Ling pointed out, the fighters from TUF 1-3 are being exposed as Not Ready for Prime Time Fighters. But at the same time, they are putting on good fights when put up against someone on their own level. Bonnar/Griffin is considered one of the best fights of 2005. But since then, Bonnar has been unimpressive/disappointing. Granted, Griffin is coming into his own, but even he lost to Tito Ortiz, although that fight probably did more to elevate him than hurt him in the eyes of the fans. Season 2s Joe Stevenson had a decent fight with Luke Cuommo, but was beaten in his last fight.

What I'm trying to point out is that, when up against fighters of their calibre, TUF guys look pretty good, but when they're in the ring with more experienced fighters, they come across as pretty unimpressive. But it seems that Dana is determined to make these lower calibre wrestlers the cornerstone of the promotion. Rather than try to sign a fighter like Rampage Jackson, Dana focuses his energies on the Lebens and Quarrys. If Dana gets a stable of enough of these fighters, he will be putting on great matches every time, because the guys he has under contract are all on the same level. But they won't be world-class fighters. But nobody will notice, because UFC gets all the MMA press in the popular media. Groups like PRIDE, IFL, WFA, Strike Force aren't getting the same level of coverage. So the general fan will consider what the UFC is presenting to be the pinnacle of MMA.

Take Chris Leben's moronoic promo before he was beaten like a red-headed orphan by Anderson Silva. Leben said when he was done with Silva, Silva could go where the competition isn't as tough, like Japan. To the casual UFC observer, this statement demarcates UFC as the superior promotion. If Dana can continue this myth, and the myth that the UFC has the best fighters in the world, then eventually that myth will come to be accepted. Sort of like the way FOX News viewers believe that Iraq had WMDs or that there is a was on Xmas. The truth will become irrelevant, and all that matters is the message. I'm sure Dana was happy with Leben's promo, if he didn't have it scripted for him. The more the UFC can create the illusion that they are the premiere MMA group in the world, the more they can convince people that illusion is true. So by locking up another mediocre fighter like Ed Hermann up in a contract, Dana ensures that he has another fighter to put on good fights with the rest of the mediocre fighters he has under contract.

Other thoughts coming out of TUF3 and Ultimate Fight Night:

Ultimate Fight Night helped convince me Joe Rogan is on the outs with UFC. He openly mocked Blade, the show that the Ultimate Fight Night was organized to promote. He said that the judge who scored the Bonnar/Evans "should be shot," and he mocked Blade star 'Sticky' Fingaz during his interview. (Granted, the mockery came in the form of Joe's patented wide-eyed 'is this person a freak' look, but it was mockery nonetheless.)
I may have been too judgemental of Tait Fletcher. I've been to his website and read his message boards. He may have been a bit of a jackass on the show, but he seems somewhat more human when not filtered by Zuffa editors. But his head is still enormous.
Mark Hominick also has a giant head. As does Tito Ortiz.
I'm thinking of taking up MMA training, just so I can challenge Jonathon Goulet to a hair vs hair match and win. Of course, I weigh two Goulets, but thats beside the point.
UFC is going too far with the product placement and cross-promotion. I think one of the reasons I didn't really like Blade: The Series is because it was hyped so much.
What amazed me is that they didn't pretend to change their name to Stake TV to promote the Blade premiere.
I still think there's something with those decals on the octagon mat that messes with people's footing.
I'm getting tired of fighters' nicknames. They seem so forced and contrived. The worst is Tim 'The Maine-Iac' Sylvia.
I'm looking forward to TUF4. Mainly because I want to see Shonie Carter walking around the house with his goblet.
If Zuffa hasn't bought the rights to LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out for TUF4, they have no marketing sense.
Okay, GSP, good fighter. BAD interview. And this isn't just because I hate Quebec. He doesn't speak good English, and should not be interviewed. I can only imagine the frustration of the guys he was 'coaching'.
Okay, just so I'm clear, does the winner of the TUF4 get a title shot?
And is it me, or does Dana promise title shots to fighters as flippantly as I offer "I Love You's" to the women I want to bed?
I am really looking forward to UFC 61. That footage of Tito laughing at Ken and Ken kicking the chair into Dana is classic.
Arlovski isn't going to win. His hair is still too short. Whoever the Jezebel who convinced him to cut his hair is an idiot.
I will finish with this quote from the Ultimate Fight Night feedback on the Observer. "Plus, why does Joe Rogan hate Canadian Fighters? He continually downplays the efforts of fighters like GSP and Hominick and will instead praise whomever they are poundings ability to take a beating. Did Dave Foley burn you, Joe, on us Canucks? Why the hate?"

The Best Game You Can Name?

2006-06-26T22:23:00.000-04:00

Dave Ling made an interesting point about "Canada's Game" in his latest post here. In this post, which mainly discusses the trade of Andrew Raycroft from the Bruins to the Leafs, he had this to say, "To me it's my least favourite of the professional league sports -- basketball, football, baseball, heck probably even lacrosse. I find preverse pleasure the fact that game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals drew fewer television viewers then WWE's weekly showing of Monday Night RAW." The reason I mention this is because I was planning on making a post on the same subject.

I am Canadian.

I'm not obsessed with hockey.

I mean, don't get me wrong. If I'm given the choice between watching hockey and watching rabid wolves tear my nieces apart, I'll watch the hockey. But I'm not the kind of chest painting, schedule planning, life dedicating hockey fan that tends to populate this barren wasteland we call a country.

I own a Boston Bruins jersey. I think I still have a Cam Neely poster somewhere. I also have an autographed picture of Bobby Orr's goal that a London Knight who used to room at my parents' place got for me. But hockey isn't the be all and end all of my existence. I'll choose NFL Football over the NHL any day. Same with MLB and NBA. Possibly even NASCAR. And certainly I'll take wrestling or MMA over hockey.

Why is this so? I have no idea. But I do have some theories.

First of all, I never played hockey as a child. And this is one of my biggest problems with hockey as opposed to other sports. The investment involved in hockey is much greater than the other major sports. If a kid wants to play hockey, beyond playing some road hockey with their friends, (which is quasi-illegal anyway) then the parents have to shell out big bucks. Skates, pads, sticks, socks, registration fees, replacement blades, etc, etc. And thats just to play in a league. Then they have to shell out extra money for tournaments, transportation, hotel rooms. And its more than just a financial investment. Canadian parenting tales are filled with stories of parents (often fathers, but such a generalization would be incredibly sexist and would greatly diminish the contribution of those mothers who take an interest in their children's lives) who take their kids to hockey practice at 5 am every morning because thats the only ice time available.

Not all families can afford this kind of investment, both the financial and the time. Compare this to a game like basketball where the parents need to buy a ball, and if the kid shows some interest, a pair of decent sneakers. Or baseball, which involves sneakers and a glove, and, every now and then, a bat and ball.

And then there's football, which should cost just as much as hockey. But from what I can understand, football doesn't involve the same investment, particularly not in the U.S. I consulted with my buddy Daubs, because he's an escaped American living in Canada. And from what he says, Pop Warner football provides the equipment, rather than requiring the kids to provide their own. This must make football a more affordable choice than hockey.

So children growing up in Canada who want to participate in Canada's game must have parents who are willing and able to make the commitment to get their children involved in the game. And some parents aren't. Some can't afford the money or the time. Some choose not to make the commitment to that game, and instead choosing to get their children involved in other activities. And given the chance of being assaulted by another parent at a midget game, I can't blame them.

I never played hockey. I believe it was a combination of the money, the time, and my mother's neurotic opposition to sports.

A few years ago, there was talk of offering tax credits to parents for hockey equipment. It seems that the government decided to address a truly pressing national crisis, that of declining interest in hockey, before dealing with others like unemployment or health care. I was incredibly opposed to this plan, because it didn't offer similar tax incentives to parents who wanted to buy their children a musical instrument, or a computer, or any of the other expensive items that kids need to have an advantage in the job market when they get older.

Basically, I don't like hockey because its an incredibly exclusionary sport. It demarcates who can and who cannot participate, and to hell with anyone who can't.

Plus, Don Cherry is a loudmouth jerk.

And I'm sick of NHL broadcasts pre-empting Monday Night Raw.

And finally, hockey is responsible for what I like to call "The Second Worst Christmas Ever." This holiday saw me at the store with my dad in the sporting equipment aisle. I asked why we were there, and he told me that someone (my stepmother) thought somebody (me) wanted a new pair of skates for Christmas. I responded that I had absolutely no interest in a pair of skates, and under no circumstances should they purchase me a pair of skates. Come Christmas morning, I am the proud recipient of, you guessed it, a pair of skates. I used them once. A few months later, my stepbrother, who played hockey and whose skates were getting tattered, claimed my Christmas present as his own, with no recompense to me. Conspiracy? Possibly.

Gonna Ramble On, Sing My Song

2006-06-21T00:44:00.000-04:00

Just some random thoughts, in lieu of an actual post.

Stella was voted off Last Comic Standing tonight. Shocking. The unfunny woman who was only put on the show because she would cause 'friction' was quickly eliminated by the fans who were asked to judge on comic ability, rather than their ability to make 'good TV.' This, in a nutshell, is my problem with these shows. Shows like LCS and The Ultimate Fighter are slaves to narratology, rather than seeking to provide entertainment in other forms. Shows like The Real World need this conflict based approach because thats all the show has to offer. But the shows that are being done under the pretense of finding a fighter/comedian/business executive/liontamer/gynecologist to the stars shouldn't be bound by these constraints. But such is the nature of the beast. The question is whether it is the fans who demand these conflicts, the producers who think the fans demand these conflicts, or the executives who demand the producers provide these conflicts because they believe the fans demand them. It's a vicious circle.
I'm not sure whether the IFL and WFA will succeed, but this article from The Fight Network/MMA Weekly is an interesting read.
CanWest Global's Prime TV has been rebranded as TVTropolis, a knockoff of America's TV Land, only with a bunch of reruns of Canadian television shows that nobody wants to watch. But one show they have is Beverly Hills, 90210, aka THE GREATEST SHOW EVER!!! Okay, that might be stretching it, but that show really redefined teen melodrama shows. Well, Degrassi Jr. High did, but 90210 made it cool. Right now they're showing the first season, back when it was more issue oriented, ie, teen pregnancy one episode, AIDS the next, then alcoholism. Whats really amazing is the fact that Shannen Doherty remains the hottest woman on television. And there is nothing wrong with her eyes! And she wore a Degrassi varsity jacket in Mallrats.
If you didn't see last week's Fear Factor, try to find it. Or just go here to watch this. You've probably already seen it, but it was even better in the context of the show.
Speaking of Joe Rogan, my roommate has a theory that Joe is on the outs with UFC. This due to Joe's association with Taint Fletcher, and Taint's ultimate disappointing of Dana in refusing to step up and take a fight with Bisping. I dismissed this, but a quick look at this page of Joe's website shows that Joe has a comedy date in Boston the night of UFC 61, which should be a HUGE night for UFC, coming off TUF3 and with the highly anticipated Shamrock/Ortiz match. Why is Joe doing a comedy show the night of one of the biggest PPVs of the year?
Whats the deal with next Wednesday's Ultimate Fight Night? First of all, the website has it listed as taking place at 2:30 in the afternoon. Second of all, Kristian Rothaermel has a fight. Does anyone know how he got back in with Dana? Does this mean Taint is coming back too? Or...Noah?
I just started watching Season One of Deadwood. Man, Sopranos, Big Love, Oz, Entourage, Deadwood (and a bunch of other shows as well). HBO makes some damn good TV. I'm giving Lucky Louie a shot, but I'm not sold yet. Besides, I feel creepy checking out Bobby Hill's boobies.
Has anyone seen Tourgasm? I like Dane Cook, but its not showing in Canada yet. Same with Ricky Gervais' Extras.
The more I watch Family Business (If the link doesn't work, don't blame me, Showtime has a seriously messed up internet policy.) , the more I want to work in the porn industry. Behind the camera of course. I highly doubt there would be a big market for overweight, unattractive men with small penises having sex with beautiful women. But I can hold a camera and edit with the best of them.
Because I live in Canada, I think I'm supposed to be upset that Edmonton didn't win the Stanley Cup. But I'm not.
The more I work on my proposal for my thesis, the more I don't want to actually write the thesis. Sadly, EVERYONE else in my program feels the same way about their theses.
Evidently Superman Returns doesn't suck.

TUFinale

2006-06-16T17:13:00.000-04:00

So the finals for TUF3 have been set. I know I haven't written much on TUF3, and certainly not as much as I had hoped to. I'll blame it on being distracted. You know, schoolwork, conference presentation, something shiny. But with the finals set, and the next season set to start in August, I thought I should at least mention it.

I was disappointed that Matt wasn't able to go further. Hopefully Tito meant it when he said he was going to take Matt under his wing. The look on Matt's face when they told him he wouldn't be fighting tells me that he really wants to do this. Judging from his fight, I don't think he's ready for the UFC, but I do think he has what it takes to eventually make it.
I hate Ed Herman. I mean, I hated Taint Fletcher, but Ed Herman is just obnoxious. Hate to the point where I will have to seriously think about whether or not I want to order a PPV where he is fighting. Not only is he immature, obnoxious and arrogant, but he has a serious Tito complex. I can understand being disappointed that Tito didn't pick you, but Ed's determination to prove Tito wrong borders on obsession. There's hero worship, and then there's stalking. Ed needs to seriously think about what is motivating him, because getting Tito's attention and affection is probably not the best reason to fight.
That being said, I also hate Kendall Grove. I hate 'Team Dagger', I hate his spiderwebbed head, and I hate the fact that he's a narcissistic, self-involved little child. I think the Kendalls and Eds are the reason that I didn't enjoy this season as much as the previous ones. If I want to watch children drink, throw hissy fits and act like drunken monkeys, I can watch The Real World. This is supposed to be a show about guys training to become professional fighters, but instead they choose to act like morons. Some of it is funny, but when it degrades into homophobia and headgear pissing, then the show has lost its focus. I mean, Dana won't give them televisions, but he will give them alcohol? And I'm not expecting the fighters to be teetotallers. But I don't expect them to be stumbling drunks either. They need to lay down some ground rules for the participants, because they aren't making UFC look good with their antics.
Of all the fighters who will succeed in the UFC, my money is on Ross Pointon. That's right, Ross. I think Bisping has the chance to make it eventually (that was a great knee), but right now the man for the UFC is Ross. Why? Because he's their new Tank Abbott. Somebody drops out of a fight? Call Ross. Need some filler on an Ultimate Fight Night? Call Ross. Need to feed a guy to a new up and comer? Call Ross. I don't think Ross is going to be a UFC champ, but I think he has the potential to achieve cult fan favorite status. They just have to make sure they give him plenty of interview time. Even better would be an interview session with GSP and Ross. I smell money.
My predictions for the finale? Unfortunately, I have to go with Ed. I think he's just a better fighter than Kendall. More importantly, I don't think the fight is going to get out of the first round. I've also got to go with Bisping. He won his fight handily, whereas Josh was on the defensive in the first round, and got the standing guillotine on a stupid mistake by Jesse.
My biggest concern about the TUF3 Finale? That their is going to be an overabundance of filler like there was for TUF2. This is an area where Dana and UFC need to do some work. There is no reason that, on a show that features three fights that they should feature over an hour of interviews, recaps and other nonsense. If the fights aren't as long as expected, they should fill that time with dark matches. I shouldn't be able to go outside for a cigarette, go to the washroom, grab a snack and change my laundry between matches.
As for Tito and Ken, I think the 3-1 ratio speaks for itself. Especially when you consider that Matt was also Team Punishment. Ken really didn't seem to care about anyone but himself and his fight with Tito. For me, the most telling moment was when Ken spent a training session watching 'fight tapes'. What this really meant was Ken watching his glory days in the octagon, and expecting his fighters to do the same. Tito actually seemed to care whether his fighters succeeded, and more importantly, improved.
Of course, that final pull-apart couldn't have been more staged. But at least it made Ken out to be the asshole in this whole thing.