and it gets worse
Report: Ken Shamrock was going to be “paid to stand with him as well”
http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/10/...h-him-as-well/
I'm honestly more surprised the ref didn't stop the fight when seth hit kimbo in the back of the head.
I'm not defending ESPN by any means, but was it one of the ty shows (Around The Horn) that was bashing MMA? My guess is it wasn't the "news" shows, but the opinion ones. Frankly, those are horrible to begin with and you have to look at who's saying what.
Example: I can't really stand Jay Marrioti, but he does what he's paid to do well. He's supposed to have people upset with him so they'll tune in (or read again) to see what he'll say next. Mind you, this was a guy who went to the Olympics on his paper's dime before coming back and saying, "Oh, well, this online journalism stuff might actually be something," and cut out of his new contract.
ESPN.com doesn't really have any specific MMA writers as far as I can tell. They tend to use Sherdog.com and special contributors.
I really wish I could find a specific post I'd seen (on Yahoo, I think) about how to cover MMA if you're a sportswriter new to the sport. It was pretty basic, but informative. Honestly, great sportswriters know what they're doing (in fact, the great niche sportswriter is the one getting paid big bucks now... IE: Ludden going from the SAEN to Yahoo Sports), great columnists don't always know what they're doing.
When ESPN gets pressured enough (or likely just as a cost-cutting measure), they'll bring in somebody who can write well about the sport and make them their new MMA face.
Good Stuff JB47!
There is definately something to this. They booked Shamrock because they figured he'd be an easy KO. Seth was a better fighter and they knew it. They also needed the circus act to win.
Seth's 180 retraction is amusing
Yeah without a doubt, somebody in Elite-XC got on the phone and told him "If he wants to ever make another dime with them, he better back-track right now"
I don't know what the he was thinking?
He's just plain stupid…this is why you can't try to fix things…its get out of control so fast because people are too dumb to do it right, thankfully.
Yeah Blaze that was really good. I agree I hate those stupid shows (Around the Horn and PTI) I watch them at the gym while on the treadmill and they drive me crazy. The only one I can actually Stomach is Rome is Burning, but he can be an idiot at times. Did any old PRO wrestling fans notice that Johnathan Coachman (the Coach) is a sportscaster on ESPN?
This is the best time to be something that needs exposure (IMO).
I'd venture to say that most of the posters here are above and beyond normal fans (of basketball, MMA, etc.). If you're somebody who is really in tune to something, this is the best time to work. Everybody here doesn't go to ESPN for their MMA fix, they go to the niche sites.
And let's face it... if the standard "ESPN is everything sports" fan is the one you're trying to court, you're probably not going to get them nor want them around.
The other thing... the squeaky wheels get the grease. I only respond to people who actually get at me in my job. Many times (99 out of 100), it's negative feedback, but if they ask a legitimate question about something I can control, I'll usually respond. If they're s to me, I'm snarky back. If they seek legitimate help while providing negative feedback, then I'll help in the hopes that they tell somebody else.
My point: E-mail the ATH guys. Tell them you disagreed with their commentary, but don't be s (would you respond if somebody came at you that way?) about it. Also mention that your viewership will decline, but do realize that it's their opinion. You certainly don't have to watch, but that doesn't change their job description. Also, I would e-mail the ESPN ombudsman and let her know you'd appreciate better MMA coverage from the news side (or live programming coverage).
Part of it also is, we need to get out with the old and in with the new, with some of the sports opinions that control so much. Certain big time, writers and sports anchors are never going to appreciate MMA, they just have their heads stuck in the sand about it. They see it as bar-room brawling and they just don't care. The Mike Lupica's, Bob Ryan's and Tony Kornheisers of the world are too set in their ways to turn the train around. As the sport grows and grows, and younger fresher minds, take their place in the mainstream media that will finally change. I'd expect within the next 5 years to see Sportscenter covering UFC events like they do Boxing on a reg basis. We are getting closer to that, but not quite there yet.
JB what do you do for work again?
I miss the days when MMA was kind of a "underground sport". A little before TUF 1. That was the best. When no idiots talked about it.
I'm the news editor for KSAT.com. Previously, I've worked as a freelance sports reporter for multiple newspapers and as a cops reporter for the San Angelo Standard-Times. I'm also a journalism and new media blogger.
WHAT RETRACTION? WHAT DID I MISS?
WHY WOULD HE HAVE STOPPED IT?I'm honestly more surprised the ref didn't stop the fight when seth hit kimbo in the back of the head.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING AT THE MOST.
THAT'S NOT WHAT PUT SLICE DOWN, IT WAS A SHORT RIGHT
(UNLESS YOU ARE SAYING HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED IT TO KEEP THE CASH COW GOING?)
He pulled the generic "I was taken out of context by the media" cardWHAT RETRACTION? WHAT DID I MISS?
Not the stop fight entirely I meant stop the fight to let them get back up to let Kimbo be in a favorable spot.WHAT RETRACTION? WHAT DID I MISS?
WHY WOULD HE HAVE STOPPED IT?
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING AT THE MOST.
THAT'S NOT WHAT PUT SLICE DOWN, IT WAS A SHORT RIGHT
(UNLESS YOU ARE SAYING HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED IT TO KEEP THE CASH COW GOING?)
I was just thinking that yesterday. Yesterday some white dude at my gym was yelling about Kimbo losing he wouldn't shut up about it and he was at least 50 feet away and I could hear him.
What is he yelling about?? Kimbo sucks, anyone with half a brain knew that going into the fight.
Kimbo does suck
He was over 50 feet away I could only hear him say kimbo but from the look of it he was shocked that kimbo lost so I stopped paying attention
Typical, of the half-brained people out there that bought into Kimbo and why he was such a bad rep for our sport. He should be gone now though. His next fight won't get this kind of hype and soon he may be toiling in small shows.
$kala is such s ........
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2008/10/8...pnrad#comments
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