Pay To Play

Last night, HBO ran a one hour special called "Pay To Play" by former ESPN correspondent Andrea Kramer. The "not so new perspective" about college athletes being paid instigates the Auburn family of giving $400 dollar handshakes and the like to players. This is hardly news worthy as everyone with a brain knows that college is dirty (just watch "He Got Game") from the players all the way up to the Bowls (Fiesta Bowl). Everyone has blood on their hands and even though the players benefit from the corruption they also have the most to lose. In the end, their benefits end after football is over, while everyone else will probably get another coaching gig or business to run down the road.

This point is really hammered down by Andrea Kramerʻs during her interview on the Scott Van Pelt Show (3/30). When asked what stood out to her about the "Pay To Play" special she explains Stanley McCloverʻs situation and how the money created this false sense of reality, which encouraged him to believe that his education wasnʻt as important as football. He thought the money would always be coming in and probably envisioned himself playing in the NFL, which he did but now he sits unemployed with his children to feed, no college degree and no college booster to hand him a wad of money.

So should college football players or any college athlete be paid to play? If they are paid, how can colleges make sure their student athletes take school seriously? Because not all will make it on the field (which the NCAA commercials like to point out) and even though the student is solely responsible for his or her educational choices there are other entities (coaches, athletic director, etc.) that have the ability to mentor and steer these athletes in the right direction. But I guess, you would first have to care about your athletes and I donʻt mean the players who are your stars (Cam Newton, Reggie Bush) but those whose careers wonʻt be in the NFL. Those are the voices that are never heard and the faces that are hidden in the bright spotlight of college football.

All Business

Reading this article by MMA NEWS, March 22, 2011 (http://www.bjpenn.com/profiles/blogs/jardine-i-will-support-rashad) I can't help but smile at the sound of the Jackson camp's turmoil. I bet Dana White is smiling since he has widely been quoted as being frustrated by camps refusing to fight one another.

Thursday, October 21, 2010 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com

While appearing on The Jim Rome Show on Thursday, White expanded his thoughts on the subject stating once again that he believes anyone in the sport should be willing to fight anyone else, because at the end of the day it's business not personal.

"The bottom line is, and the way that that's been in the UFC, it's been a camp thing. You'll find a couple of camps that are saying, 'oh no this guy's my friend, I'm not fighting him.' What? This isn't personal, this isn't, 'oh I hate him, I'm going to fight him.' You train, you work hard to be the best mixed martial artist you can be, and you're going out to compete against other mixed martial artists to prove you're the best," White said.

I agree with White, it's a business and as a fan, I would like to see the best fights and if the best fighters are in one camp then they should lace up and scrap.

Why is it harder for Mixed Martial Artist to compete with one another if they are teammates? When you compare this sport to other professional sports like football and basketball, a lot of the players have to play against friends and sometimes even family. So what is it about fighting that discourages these professional athletes from throwing down with friends or teammates?

1. Opportunity: In MMA, there can be only one champion and the opportunity to win is very slim. Not everyone who fights in the UFC will even sniff a title shot. So if you are pitted against a teammate, your success could be devastating for the career of your teammate, which I bet would put a definite strain on the relationship.
2. Trust: Trust with your trainer and training partners needs to be solid like titanium. If you hear all the praise heaped upon your teammate (Jon Jones) whose in the same weight class as yourself (Rashad Evans) how much are you going to believe your coach when he tells you that you can win. Without trust, it's hard to go the extra mile or believe in the game plan that was created.

In the end, I think Rashad is making the right choice and I hope this incident will encourage all fighters to break away from committing to a team especially with those in your weight class. It's just a bad situation waiting to happen because like I said before, not everyone will have the chance to fight for the belt and if that is your goal then you better take it when it's staring you in the face.

Jon Bones Jones Era

With a resounding beat down of the champ, Jon Bones Jones lived up to all the hype and then some. Without ever being threatened, Jones dismantled Rua every second of each round until Rua melted against the barrage of strikes becoming the youngest UFC champion in its history. With such early success, I can't help but ask a few questions. Will he be able to live up to the expectations day in and out because at the rate that his dismantling his opponents, he'll have to destroy every contender from here on. If he doesn't, people will be left disappointed and wanting more like those who paid to watch Anderson Silva put on a show and then you get Abu Dhabi. How will his early success and extreme confidence affect his training? Will it drive him to new heights or will it hinder his development as it did Rocky in "Rocky 3". Finally, will the belt affect the way he fights? Will he fight to win or not to lose? If he does the latter it may lead to less stand up (less excitement) and more grinding (snoring).

Now even though Jon Jones won, I still stand by my guns and I don't believe he'll be anything close to Muhammad Ali, however, I can envision him being more like the Michael Jordan of the UFC. Ali is one of a kind. And by the way, the Bones era doesn't officially start until he defends the title and his next opponent will be interesting as he will face his former training mate, Rashad Evans. Even though many believe this will be a cake walk for Jones, one can't disregard the fact that they trained together and were and still may be friends. As we all know the ones close to you can hurt you the most.

The Next Big Thing?

At UFC 128, Jon Jones will be defending his title against Shogun Rua. Oh wait, that ain't right. Isn't it Shogun whose the champ? Isn't he the one that demolished the Machida era? No wait, it can't be, the way the UFC is promoting this fight it looks as if Shogun is fighting against the greatest fighter of all time. I mean, Jones is so amazing that he was given a whole show dedicated to him on Spike. While Shogun got a few minutes during the UFC 128 Countdown hype machine on Spike.

It's hard for me to say this but I'm beginning to dislike Jones, not because of who he is because I think he is one of the most entertaining mixed martial artist. No, it's because he is being crowned before ever winning the belt, which he may do and if he does then I would entertain the idea that he may be the greatest fighter in the making. But until that happens, it's like listening to Rex Ryan predicting another Super Bowl appearance, it's nails on chalkboard because words mean little without action. And until someone has proven themselves they should keep their mouth shut. Maybe that's the Japanese in me seeping out but touting ones horn just doesn't cut it. And I know that Dana and his boys are all about making money through advertising their product but sometimes you can do your fighters a disservice by pushing them into the hot spotlight of the media too soon.

I mean, calling someone the "The Muhammad Ali of MMA" are pretty strong words and even though it wasn't Dana's words (Bruce Bufffer) it was thoughtfully placed into the UFC 128 Countdown. Calling someone who hasn't won the title or beaten anyone who ever contended for the belt until his last match is jumping the gun. And if he were to win the belt, it takes more then winning to be like Muhammad Ali.

A perfect storm is coming that may really test this young superstar today. The pressure placed on him from all the hype that was generated by himself and the UFC in addition a slighted and motivated Rua, looking to prove everyone wrong will be the greatest test he has ever faced. I really hope he handles it well because if he doesn't we could be witnessing the climax and sudden fall of Jon "Bones" Jones.

Kevin Lole: Jones Hype Is 'Shogun's' Motivation
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=Aln9VKTBaz16Lbh1IMZip9Q5nYcB?slug=ki-iole_shogun_ready_for_jones_ufc_031711

Merger

With the merger of UFC and Strike Force going down today, many fighters must be pissed and worried about their future as an mma fighter. If UFC becomes the only company that fighters can go to, UFC will have all the leverage when it comes to contract negotiations. Which means maybe it's time for fighters to create a players union like the other major sports have (NFL, MLB and NBA) because at this point they will have no power to keep Zuffa from using them like cattle.

For the fans, this merger could only mean better fights, with bigger names and one step closer to legitimately calling their champion the best in the world.

Got The Message

After a close loss to the Miami Heat, Kobe was filmed shooting baskets after the game was over after everyone, including his teammates seemed to be hanging out in south beach. Probably drinking some colorful drink that is named after a sexual position or organ. Anyway, at first glance, I thought it was pretty cool to see a player put in the time and effort, which reminded me of some late nights I would spend (forced by my grandpa) after games, hitting toss up in the backyard until my hands were numb and the sun went down. However, after the sudden applause by the media, I wondered what was Kobe's motive. Was it to build up his image? After so many years in the league, I think Kobe's image is pretty much solidified in concrete or marble for that matter. Or maybe he just wanted to shoot some baskets after the game to hone his skills? Nah, that seems too simple and again this guy has been in the league for years, I think he has shot enough shots already. Or could it be that Kobe was sending a message to his teammates? If you listen to his interview, you wonder if his actions were a slap in the face to his mates. Maybe he wanted them to wake up and see that they needed to be as hungry as he was. Now if this is the case, will it work or will it give his teammates another reason to loath him and his unsatisfiable desire to win? I guess if you're winning it's easier to swallow.