One of the reasons why there’s no NBA team in Las Vegas is that David Stern and the rest of the league are utterly terrified of the effect that the gambling mecca would have on its players. There’s the inevitable point-shaving, and who knows how many glassy-eyed, hung over players who had been up gambling for 16 hours straight we’d have on our hands.  And jail time. Lots of jail time. It’d be bad, right?

(He seems thrilled.)

Oh, funny thing though. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has a decidedly different view of gambling and its potential effects. Why else would he be providing his support to “Yes on Issue 3,” which would put casinos in Ohio? Check that - right in downtown Cleveland, which just so happens to be where the Cavaliers play. Opposite day!

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Main Entry: dis·pa·rate
Pronunciation: \ˈdis-p(ə-)rət, di-ˈsper-ət, -ˈspa-rət\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English desparat, from Latin disparatus, past participle of disparare to separate, from dis- + parare to prepare

1 : containing or made up of fundamentally different and often incongruous elements
2 : markedly distinct in quality or character

(Some of UFC’s many sponsors on display.)

An enterprising young cameraman representing ULTMMA.COM (we assume the ULT stands for “ultimate” and that it’s not an acronym for, like, “unitards, leotards, and thongs”; that would be a horrible development for the sport) caught up with MMA head honcho Dana White down in Arizona recently. During the 5-minute interview, which was only mildly profane and thus White at his most subdued, White claims (among other things) that he and UFC don’t need “blue-chip” sponsors. That he was only in Arizona to attend a finance convention doesn’t seem to affect such a statement. Video of the interview (NSFW language) is after the break.

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At first glance, we had no choice but to stand up and applaud for the Colorado athletic department; their public stance that they would not give press credentials to media organizations that allow anonymous and pseudonymous comments appeared to be a bold but principled stand against one of the most noxious aspects of new media: the anonymous attack. Yes, we know these are available at SbB, but you don’t see us begging for press credentials, either.

But then when we actually looked at what Colorado’s policy was, we realized it was little more than just the same arbitrary,  pro-dead-tree provincialism that’s infected sports media during this transitional period. That principled stand against Internet tough guys? Yeah, not so much if you’re already running a newspaper.

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Good news, people. The researchers at Duh Institute have come up with some sensational, ground-breaking news. Apparently the journalists tasked with bringing us coverage of high-profile sporting events sometimes derive pleasure by betting on them!

(A fine journalist, this man, and that’s all we’re saying about him.)

The EDITOR & PUBLISHER was the first to break the news on this phenomenon, which completely takes everybody by surprise. Here, we thought talking heads were endlessly fawning in praise over certain teams because, well, they just really like them. It turns out they may have a different motive.

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Like Snuggies® at small college football games in the fall, UFC has now officially taken over the world. The L.A. sports bar I shoehorned into Saturday was overwhelmed with TapOuted cranks trying to crash UFC 100. The only time I can remember SoCal *sports* fan reax even approaching that was Lakers NBA Finals-time.

(Opposite day! White counsels Lesnar on couth)

UFC’s PPV buys, attendance figures, gate receipts, merch sales and coverage from MSM outlets has passed critical mass. UFC now IS MMA. They might as well rename the sport.

And with that suffocating coverage comes increased scrutiny. Scrutiny that led to the extensive public comment on Brock Lesnar’s regrettable post-fight behavior at UFC 100. And the deliciously ironic response from pro sports’ biggest a-hole, Dana White.

Following Lesnar’s post fight slights of fallen opposite Frank Mir and UFC title sponsor Bud Light, White reportedly lectured the fighter on the fine art of how to act in public.

In other words, it was opposite day! Read more…