Few professions allow, nay - encourage, their practitioners to be so constantly and egregiously wrong as that of Mainstream Sports Columnist. Their entire careers are predicated on comforting their fellow old white men’s opinions that all change is bad, the NBA is full of “thugs,” and baseball statistics are the worst thing to happen in sports, ever.

(Would you call either of these men gay to their face?) 

Such professional contrarianism has been lucrative for Dallas columnist Tim Cowlishaw, who has played his whitebread opinions into a daily gig yelling at his colleagues on ESPN’s “Around The Horn.” Not content to hate everything new and changing about the nation’s mainstream sports,  he has now decided to focus his bland, toothless vitriol on the fastest-growing sport in the country: MMA. And he might have just, finally, gone too far.

Read more…

If the name “Bob Arum” sounds only vaguely familiar, that’s okay. That’s because boxing is only vaguely familiar to many younger sports fans, a demographic that has trended largely toward MMA over the last few years. But Arum’s a fight promoter, one who’s been in the business for decades, and is in charge of the Pacquiao-Cotto fight coming up this November.

(Granted, Melvin Costa’s tattoos really aren’t doing MMA any favors on this one.)

As you can imagine, Arum doesn’t hold MMA in very high regard. He’s also a very senior citizen who “grew up in a different era,” as polite people often say, and when pressed to elucidate his disdain for MMA, unleashed some ridiculously offensive comments, the likes of which you’d never hear from high-ranking people in any sport but boxing. Or, um, MMA. Video is below.

Read more…

UFC front man Dana White is rarely one to shy away from self promotion, so it was a little surprising to hear earlier this month his announcement (via Twitter, natch) that he would be ending his regular video blogs on YouTube. What could possibly be the reason for such uncharacteristic restraint from White? Gee, it wouldn’t have anything to do with calling reporter Loretta Hunt a “f–ing dumb bitch,” would it? Or perhaps that advertisers, TV producers, and most of the non-tribal-tatted world frowns upon such vile, misogynistic behavior?

Well, not according to White, who held his traditional pre-fight press conference extravaganza yesterday in anticipation of UFC 102.  Of course not. So what was the pesky reason behind dropping one of his most popular features among MMA meatheads?

It’s the economy, stupid! Hey, at least he didn’t blame it on swine flu.

Read more…

Despite the occasional craziness from chief Dana White, WWE-style bluster from Brock Lesnar, or morning TV sexytime from Tito Ortiz, UFC is still the serious big kid on the block when it comes to mixed martial arts. Fedor Emelianenko might be heading to Strikeforce, but in general when the best fighters on Earth get down to business, they do it in the Octagon.

Last night’s UFC 101 event was no exception, as the two main co-event victors Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn cemented themselves as two of MMA’s best fighters, both in surprisingly efficient - but quite different - fashion.

Read more…

After Affliction’s sudden, immediate, largely hilarious demise in the world of fight promotion (no worries, meatheads, you can still wear those silly shirts with the skulls and stuff on them), all eyes were immediately trained on human/wolverine hybrid Fedor Emelianenko.

(FEDOR FACT: punching people in the face is awesome.)

With his stature and the seeming dearth of serious UFC competition for fellow destruction machine Brock Lesnar, it seemed like Emelianenko was a natural fit for moving to the UFC. As a matter of fact, the LOS ANGELES TIMES cited sources close to the situation in a report that Fedor would be signing with UFC by Friday.

Um, about that. Whoops.

Read more…

The TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL recently called MMA, albeit plaintively, “the miracle of sport marketing in the early 21st century.” It’s hard to argue. Even as recently as a year ago, EA Sports refused to believe MMA was a sport; now they’re fighting for a share of the burgeoning market. And now, with UFC 100 in the books, nobody doubts the staying power of the sport.

(Fortunately, Marcus Galvao eventually woke up.)

But perhaps the confidence is all premature. After all, the one hurdle MMA has never had to clear here in its heyday is its most inevitable, logical conclusion: death.

Read more…

• Erin Andrews seems to look a bit emaciated at the MLB All-Star Game:

Somebody get that gal a huge plate of St. Louis BBQ ribs, pronto!

• Pics of the bloody strap & knife that Amanda Rodrigues allegedly used to kill her ex-boxer husband Arturo Gatti.

• If the United Football League will be remembered for anything, it could be for the wireless QB wristband known as the ID Coach.

• Delaware to allow betting on NFL games. Wilmington, here we come!

• Albert Pujols says he’s so not doing steroids that he dares you to help yourself to his bathwater.

Read more…

As you might recall, EA Sports revealed that they’re developing an MMA game, cleverly titled “MMA.” That’s strange, because the UFC already has their own game through THQ (with their own fighters, naturally) that’s already out and selling reasonably well.

(Are they seriously trying to brand this thing with a tramp stamp?)

Then again, it’s also strange because according to UFC’s head hypermanic gorilla in charge, Dana White, EA Sports told him just last year that his sport, well, wasn’t one. Fast forward to today, and the war is on.

Read more…

• During a recent visit to Houston’s Minute Maid Park, a married MLB player supposedly tried to ask out a media intern for some post-game fun.

Say it ain’t so, Junction Jack!

• The NFL is trying to spread its pigskin platitudes throughout China with - what else? - a reality TV show.

• Dana White lectures big UFC bruiser Brock Lesnar on how to behave properly with the press. Huh, how about that.

• But the UFC prez shouldn’t have such worries if Shaq joins his ranks. Unless Kobe is also on the card.

• The Chicago Cubs are considering filing for bankruptcy. Wouldn’t it be great to see Mark Cuban snag the Cubs from bankruptcy court?

Read more…

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…