Predicting the outcomes of sporting events can get pretty dicey sometimes, especially when one of the competing teams happens to be your personal favourite. Loyalty often prevents a person from thinking in a way that follows their better judgement, which is precisely why the best sports gamblers either stay away from their hometown favourites, or they simply refuse to allow themselves to get emotionally attached to any one team in the first place. They have learned through experience to keep themselves and their emotions at a safe distance.

For me, predicting the Super Bowl this year between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots is relatively easy.

As a Ravens fan [shakes fist at sky], I can honestly say that I don’t give a rat’s ass one way or another who wins this year’s Super Bowl. That’s not to say that I’m not interested in the game—I love football, and frankly, Super Bowl Sunday is one of those rare occasions that I actually look forward to each year, regardless of who’s playing—even more than my own birthday (who likes getting older?) and even more than Christmas morning (sorry if I just offended you, but we all know God loves Tebow, so clearly he’s a Christian).

Therefore, because I lack any emotional attachment to the actual outcome, I am better able to break the game down simply and honestly without any fear of emotional conflict. Will I be right? Not necessarily—this is football and anything can happen (one of the reasons why I love watching it and coaching it so much I guess), but at the very least, my pick will be honest and impartial.

Neither Defense impressed me all that much throughout this past season, but the post-season has definitely proved to be a completely different animal. Both teams have stepped up (obviously, or they wouldn’t be playing in the Super Bowl), but I see the front line of the Giants Defense stepping up the most, and putting a tonne of pressure on the Patriot’s QB Tom Brady. Unfortunately for the Giants however, they won’t play any better than what the Ravens just did, and why as they might shut Brady down some of the time, the reality is that Brady has way too many targets on the field, as well as a tremendous knack for getting rid of the ball with both precision and speed when locating those targets.

Giants QB Eli Manning on the other hand is the wild card of the day. If he plays well enough, the Giants can keep this game close enough to pull off the upset (so long as Billy Cundiff isn’t playing on their team). Then again, if Manning plays in a way that is reminiscent of how he did throughout the majority of the season—they’re toast. I do love the one-two punch of the Giants backfield with Running Backs’ Jacobs and Bradshaw however, and I see those two warriors making the Patriots Linebackers suffer the whole game through.

So who’s going to win?

Sorry New Yorkers, but I gotta go with the Pats this time around—probably by three points or less.

Enjoy the game, everyone!

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Super Bowl XLVI Giants vs Patriots: The Only Prediction Method You Can Trust is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

“See me as a meal ticket, but I’m no lunch line.”—Big Sean, Rapper

Earlier today it was announced that current UFC Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo, finally decided to part ways (I prefer the word “dumped”) with his long-time MMA management team, Tough Media Inc., which as many MMA fans already know, consists of two main founders—Ed Soares and Jorge Guimaraes (aka “Joinha”).

No doubt, this has got to come as a tremendous blow to both Soares and Guimaraes, as this is now the second time in only seven months that they have lost one of their superstar “UFC Champion” clients…sorry…I meant, “family members.”

The most ironic part of the story?

The fact that Aldo decided to retain the management services of Brazilian coach and training legend, Andre Pederneiras (pictured above with former WEC fighter, Will Ribeiro), who coincidentally was the only one who actually stuck by Ribeiro’s side after his career-ending motorcycle accident, thus becoming like a father-figure to Will and his family when so many others walked away and disappeared from Will’s life forever.

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

If you ask me, Aldo made the right move.

The plot thickens.

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. Feel free to check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Jose Aldo Walks, Ed Soares Needs a New Date for the Prom is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

For years, the world of mixed martial arts has been under tremendous scrutiny by those who would just as soon see it abolished altogether due to the severe and violent nature of the sport. Some have even called it “human cockfighting,” but the reality is that mixed martial arts (for the most part) is a sport like any other, and behind the violent, bloody surface, lies an entire warrior culture, rich with tradition, respect and honour. Or at least, that’s how it should be.

Today, as I was driving in my car, I was more than a little bit surprised as I listened to a commercial for this weekend’s upcoming pay-per-view—one that included a sound bite from a UFC fighter (I believe it was Nick Diaz—the poster boy for disrespectful behaviour), as the UFC consciously and subtly told the fans that his upcoming fight was sure to be a real “dog fight.” I can only assume that they meant the kind that landed Michael Vick in prison (great visual for the sport by the way), and not the kind that saw WWII fighter planes battling it out thousands of feet in the air.

Despite being the biggest organization in MMA today, the UFC obviously feels that the traditional route of martial arts is far too boring and uninteresting for any would-be fans. So instead, they have adopted the “pro-wrestling” angle of disrespect and violence when promoting their upcoming fights. This is due to the fact that the pro-wrestling fanbase is a much bigger group than those who would appreciate the art behind the more conventional (although less popular) martial arts systems.

The sad result is that the majority of today’s MMA fans are now all too eager to pay out big money just for the privilege of watching one fighter knock out another until he falls flat on the mat, completely unconscious—that’s it—that’s all that they really care about. The rest is just filler. And if a knockout doesn’t occur, then that fighter is immediately labelled as “boring,” and is either fired from the organization for playing it too safe, or publicly ridiculed by the fans (and the promoters) for failing to entertain them in an appropriate way.

This certainly isn’t the first time that the UFC has sacrificed the sport for money and it sure won’t be the last. UFC fans continue to rave about what Dana White and the UFC have done for the sport in order to bring it up to the mainstream level (sorry, not quite there yet), but the sad truth is that the good times are gone and the days of the UFC putting the needs of the sport above their own have completely left the building.

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. You can check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

UFC Marketing Itself as Dog Fighting is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

Written by James Ryan

“Peyton and I love each other. That goes without saying. I humbly serve and protect the Horseshoe. It is bigger than any individual, including me.”—Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts Owner

Wow, how very “Joe Paterno” of him.

That particular quote was willfully published via Twitter today, and was in response to Peyton’s recent reaction to his friends and trainers being dismissed from the Colts organization without having been given any apparent notice (or respect).

“I guess it’s the reality of the football world,” said Manning. “Just not something I’ve had to deal with very often. This is so… sudden. Their keys didn’t work the next day. There’s no other way to do it? I don’t know. That’s hard to see, all these people leaving. And I may be behind them. Who knows?”

You know what they say, right? Breaking up is hard to do, and I suspect that there really was no easy way for the Colts organization to end a situation such as this one in a positive way, but at the same time, I do tend to agree with Manning, if only because I feel that based on what Manning has single-handedly done for the Indianapolis organization, that perhaps he and his friends deserved just a little more respect than that. At the very least—a phone call.

“What they are doing to Peyton Manning has me in tears! He has had four surgeries—not three, and he had the fourth done as soon as he felt the third wasn’t taking. Peyton did this to try to play this season. Peyton is a combination of Tony Dungy and a talented Quarterback—an unusual combination. He deserves a chance to play. They fired Peyton’s trainer as he was working with Peyton. That’s cold-hearted in my opinion. Peyton has been getting better every day and wants to play and finish his contract here in Indianapolis and retire. His wife and twins are here. He has brought a legacy to this state and has helped to create many jobs. I’m just sick over this!”—Shelly Mahan, Colts Fan

And what exactly has Manning done to deserve such respect, you may be asking?

Anyone who follows NFL football (and even those who don’t) have likely heard of Indianapolis Colts QB and occasional SNL Super Guest, Peyton Manning, but just in case, please allow me to refresh your memories with a “few” (and I mean that…this is only a very small percentage of Peyton’s athletic accomplishments), which will no doubt solidify Manning as one of, if not ‘the’ greatest quarterback ever to play the game of football, and will guarantee his place in the NFL Hall of Fame immediately following his very first year of eligibility…

Throughout his professional career with the Colts (and only with the Colts after being drafted number one back in 1998), Manning had been honoured with a total of 11 Pro Bowl selections, won the AFC Player of the Year Award a total of six times, had been honoured as both Man of the Year and Humanitarian of the Year by the League, was a Super Bowl Champion and MVP, is the holder of 40 regular season records, 12 playoff records, nine Pro Bowl records, 58 Indianapolis records…[catching breath] and he even had a Children’s Hospital named after him in the Indianapolis area.

Love him or hate him (because that’s just the nature of sports), Peyton Manning is a great man by any standard, and quite obviously, a great quarterback—current, not past tense.

The contentious attitude towards Manning these days is due to the fact that he had to unfortunately miss the entire season this past year as a result of multiple neck surgeries, which initially started with what many had previously perceived to be a successful spinal neck fusion surgery back on September 8, 2011. The reason for the initial surgery was because prior to that, Manning had a less invasive neck surgery back in May, but when the nerve did not regenerate properly, he was later forced to have the fusion surgery.

Hardly his fault, but it was all downhill for Manning and the Colts after that.

Without Manning at the helm, the Colts officially finished the season with a dismal record of 2-14 (same as the St. Louis Rams), which ironically puts the Colts in top position to pick up the highly touted Stanford University QB, Andrew Luck, in the upcoming NFL Draft. Given the current circumstances, the Colts would obviously be crazy not to try and sign him—regardless if Manning continues to play for them or not.

Luck could be the future in much the same way as Manning was. And in much the same way that Aaron Rogers took over from where Brett Favre left off in Green Bay. Then again, this is football. Nothing can be promised, and nothing is ever guaranteed. Holding on to Manning would be a huge risk, but so could letting him go. But at the end of the day, I suppose it all comes down to one thing—money.

The owner of the Colts, Jim Irsay, was quick to point out that it’s the symbol on the jersey that these athletes should be playing for, and not for themselves.

“It’s the name on the front of the jersey that matters most, not the one on the back.”—Coach Joe Paterno, R.I.P.

How very noble of Mr. Irsay to point that out. But if it’s alright, I’d like to point out a few of my own observations:

Many other teams out there lose their starting QB due to injury and don’t finish the season with a worthless record, unless of course, they were projected to go winless from the start of the season anyway, which the Colts most definitely were not. Instead, the Colts were picked as a heavy pre-season favourite to win the Super Bowl this year. I understand that Manning is a key player on the team, but with 52 other players suited up each season in a talent-rich league, what does that say about the quality of the organization as a whole, that they would do so poorly without Manning?

Or that they would bank so much into one single player?

Even if Manning didn’t undergo neck surgery, this is football. There’s nothing to say that Manning wouldn’t have been just as susceptible to being injured on the field as anyone else in this League. And then what? No back-up plan? Whose fault was that?

The consensus seems to be that athletes should just disappear as quickly and as quietly as possible when their best playing days are behind them. Personally, nothing about sports bothers me more than that. It just seems completely ungrateful.

I suppose it’s safe to say that given the number of years that Manning has been playing in the National Football League and after all that he has accomplished, no one should feel sorry for the man—and I don’t. With or without football, Manning will be just fine, and I am confident that his real legacy won’t actually be written until he eventually takes up coaching—hopefully NOT for the Indianapolis Colts.

But don’t believe the owner of the Colts when he tells you things, like he thinks of Manning as a “family” member or that it’s about the team and not the “individual.” What we saw this past season was that the Colts banked on one individual in particular, and due to their own failure to plan better, they now need someone to blame before fan resentment directs back to exactly where it has always belonged—ownership.

And who better to play the scapegoat than the injured and highest paid man on the team?

Personally, I hope Manning recovers and retires. It’s not worth it to his long-term health to risk permanent spinal injury just for the privilege of playing in a non-competitive market. Then again, if Manning can raise a mediocre team like the Colts to the top of the heap, imagine what he could do in a place like Buffalo if he were completely healed and ready to play.

I guess Irsay feels that he needs to point the finger quickly to the one man who had brought him so much success, before the fans clue in to the fact that he was using Manning all along, in much the same way that he will no doubt use Luck if given the chance.

Let’s just hope that if that happens, the Colt’s Luck, doesn’t run out, because that will just leave the fans asking the Colts ownership the exact same thing that the ownership is now asking Manning:

“What have you done for me lately?”

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. Check them out at www.sportstender.tv

Sportstender: Peyton Manning Falls Victim to ‘WHYDFML’ Syndrome is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

Written by James Ryan

“Certainly, it seems true enough that there’s a good deal of irony in the world… I mean, if you live in a world full of politicians and advertising, there’s obviously a lot of deception.”—Kenneth Koch

There’s nothing I look forward to at the end of a long day more than a nice cold pint of Guinness, and I always try to make sure that I have a few extra cans stocked up in the fridge to get me through the week (usually one per day suits me just fine) in preparation for thirst-quenching emergencies such as the one that I’m currently experiencing at this very moment.

Earlier this evening, I was out running errands, and I made a point to stop by the local LCBO (that’s what we call our liquor store here in Ontario, Canada) to pick up some Guinness for later on, but instead of getting my usual cans, I decided that I would pick up a six-pack of the bottles instead.

Why the change?

Well truthfully, I had never actually tried the Guinness from a bottle until just a few weeks ago when I was visiting my friend Jay at his place in Burlington, and I was quite impressed with the overall quality of the stout, as compared to that from either the can or from the draught tap at the local pub (which of course, is ideal).

A few hours later, I got home and I couldn’t wait to crack into one. I was a bit surprised however, after I had popped the cap (don’t worry, no one got shot…yet) and poured the stout into a glass, that the head and overall texture of the stout just wasn’t looking the same as usual. Within about a minute, the entire head had completely dissipated and the beer was looking unbelievably flat.

Now, for anyone out there who actually drinks Guinness, you know that the head generally sits around for the full duration of the time that it takes to drink the entire pint (which hopefully isn’t very long), and so I knew immediately that something just wasn’t right.

“Was it a bad bottle?” I wondered.

So I got up and went back to the kitchen to compare the case from the cans to that of the bottles, and much to my shock and disappointment, printed in very small lettering on the bottom of the case said:

Labatt Brewing Company

Labatt Brewing Company?! Was this a joke?! All Guinness is bottled and shipped directly from Ireland. Anyone who drinks it, knows this!

So I Googled it. And wouldn’t you know it? The very first review of Labatt’s so-called new version of Guinness, stated the following:

“The Bottom Line: Labatt’s Guinness ES’ tastes more like a ‘Bud’ or ‘Labatt’s Blue,’ but definitely not a ‘Guinness.’ It lacks the rich, distinctive flavor of the original.”

So I quickly ran back to the living room, and sampled it for myself…and guess what? BINGO!!!

That description couldn’t have been any more spot on. It’s absolutely disgusting. And now, not only don’t I have a Guinness to drink (again, one of the highlights of my day that I really look forward to), but I’m also out the money that I paid for this swill, which as soon as I’m done typing this scathing review, will all get dumped down my kitchen sink drain.

I’d consider giving this beer to a homeless dude, but given the fact that it’s near freezing outside, I think it’s safe to say that on a night like tonight, the homeless have suffered enough for one day.

Don’t buy it!

Cheers!

sportstender.tv
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Bar Tip of the Day: Try sticking golf tees into the pour spouts of liquor bottles to keep the fruit flies out.

Sportstender Beer Review: Guinness Extra Stout (Made by Labatt’s in Canada) BEWARE! is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

Written by James Ryan

“Success without honour is an unseasoned dish. It will satisfy your hunger, but it won’t taste good.”—Coach Joe Paterno

Brazilian entertainer, MC Frank, seems like a truly great guy. It’s really refreshing to see the support that he and many others have been offering former WEC fighter, Will Ribeiro, especially when you consider that so many others have tucked-tail and run away from the controversy due to callousness or fear of retribution.

As a side note, I would just like to say the following with regards to Will and the whole situation that went down with Black House MMA over the past year. When Will’s story first came to light, something just didn’t make sense to me. It didn’t make sense that Black House would abandon one of their own fighters. And you know what Judge Judy says, right? “If it doesn’t make sense, it’s not likely true.” I had always respected the fighters from Black House, and I just didn’t want to believe that the claims made by Will about their management team were in any way true. In hindsight, I don’t think any of us really did.

Determined to uncover the absolute truth, I took it upon myself to investigate this situation further (remember: writing is, and has only ever been a hobby of mine, and nothing more), and I made sure that I interviewed all parties involved throughout a process that took nearly an entire year to complete. It consumed my life, ruined many friendships, hurt my family, and I even lost my job. But if I had to do it all over again, I would.

What shocked me the most however, was that Ed Soares, Will’s former manager at Black House, repeatedly contradicted himself throughout his interview, and was so completely willing to tell multiple lies about Will, and especially about Will’s brother, Wladimir Alves (I guess Ed thought that I was just as gullible and stupid as the majority of the people who report on this sport) in an effort to save his own reputation, that he left me with no other option but to write about his claims in great detail in my new book, Desolate Warrior. As it turned out, these lies were all part of an ongoing and vicious smear campaign (an intentional, premeditated effort to undermine an individual’s reputation, credibility, and character), but of course, not everyone saw it this way and immediately sympathized with Black House as being the “victims.”

The harsh reality is that most MMA Fans only want to be entertained (or distracted from their otherwise boring lives) and are incredibly blind to any truth that could potentially harm their precious sport. They definitely don’t care about Will, and would sooner take Ed or Dana White’s word for something, than to take the time to learn the truth themselves (probably because most of them don’t like to read).

“The greatest ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about.”

MMA Media on the other hand, for the most part, only care about their own personal agendas and business opportunities. They don’t care about the truth because they are not real journalists—a point that TSN’s Michael Landsberg recently made when he interviewed UFC fighter, Chael Sonnen on OTR (start watching at the 10-minute mark):

The “media” in MMA won’t report on anything that might jeopardize their event credentials or damage their relationships with the UFC (or with Black House) because they are all a bunch of cowards with biased perspectives.

Why are they biased?

Because above all else, they are “fans” first, “journalists” second, and thirdly, they allow themselves to develop these “friendships” with other people in the industry—fighters, coaches, trainers, sponsors, promoters—and this prevents the truth from ever being told because this factor (every “fans” dream) creates the necessity of not wanting to offend anyone, thus limiting each of their own personal opportunities for financial success in a business that is already over-saturated and has limited growth potential. It’s a complete joke.

One website in particular (I’ll leave it up to you to guess which one), even once told me that despite the fact that they felt really bad for Will and what had happened to him, they didn’t want to hurt any of their current relationships (particularly with Black House), despite the fact that that made them look cowardly (which I obviously agreed with) and I was shocked! I couldn’t believe my ears. And this coming from a person who I had been helping for over a year and who dared to call himself my friend. Well, friends like that, I don’t need. They are fake.

“I don’t acknowledge certain people in my life. Instead, I treat them like the cancer they are. I just cut them out and never look back.”—James Ryan

UPDATE: At the end of the day, the book (self-published) has not been selling, even though Ed Soares tried to tell Will (he called him up recently and was being all buddy-buddy and manipulative on the phone) that he heard the book was selling very well here in Canada—something that he would have absolutely no idea about. Ed was obviously only fishing around for clues because he is scared that one day, the truth will be told to the masses.

And it will. One way or another—it will. Not to embarrass Ed, as he embarrassed himself already by lying. But to exonerate Will and his brother, Wladimir, so that one day, they can both live in peace without the stigma that Black House has unfairly placed upon them.

Something else that I have learned throughout this process is that people in general, don’t like to read sad stories about other people’s problems. Even as I was writing the book, I struggled with the idea that I was in need of a happy ending, which I think it ultimately does—as much as it can anyway. Then again, perhaps this book is merely the teaser to get the real story rolling—one that I won’t actually write for another 10 years. Who knows…

I recognize that this is a very tough read for many (at the beginning at least), but the truth is often harder to take sometimes. I suppose that’s why we now live in a society that would sooner bury their heads into a computer or television screen, than to actually pay attention to the real problems that are going on around us, and then try to do something to help fix them.

Admittedly, the book has several complicated themes and layers to it, not all of which will be transparent to everyone. In fact, I know that they won’t be. But if there’s one thing about this book that can never be disputed, it’s that it was written with the intention of fairness. At least, right up until the lies came out.

Desolate Warrior is a real-time account of the words and actions of those involved, but it’s also the start of a much bigger project that I think most people will never be able to anticipate (thus prevent). Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the sequel.

I have been called a lot of things since this book came out, none of which I actually cared about (my skin is thicker than yours), but the one thing that I thought was the funniest, was when some people tried to label me as a “hater.” I guess in their minds, it was easier to think of me that way, and to assume that I had some misguided personal agenda for fame, fortune and garnering attention for myself by stirring up controversy where it didn’t already exist, than it was to acknowledge that I might actually be right.

The only dislike that I have (I don’t actually “hate” anybody) is towards those who would sooner facilitate a man’s death than to help him in his time of need—and then lie about it.

I once had a lot of respect for Black House and the MMA Community as a whole, but sadly (or thankfully, depending on how you view it), those days have now gone up in a massive ball of flames.

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. You can check them out at www.sportstender.tv

Sportstender: A Personal Reflection on the Will Ribeiro vs Black House Situation is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

Written by James Ryan

“I tried to commit suicide last night—I won’t be doing that again. I nearly f*cking died.”—Justin Faux

In case you haven’t already heard, the UFC’s plan to hold an upcoming event in Melbourne, Australia, was cancelled this week due to one small, very significant factor—the Octagon.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, it would seem that the local government only allows MMA events to be held inside of a boxing ring, and not inside of a cage, with no exceptions, not even for the UFC.

At first glance, this seems like a very odd and hypocritical rule, one that unfortunately prevents the UFC from holding any events in the Melbourne area. I found this to be a tad bit confusing however, especially when you consider that the UFC has already held other events in Australia. So then, I had to wonder, “what’s the deal with Melbourne?”

For quick and accurate answers to these seemingly difficult questions, I decided to speak directly to a colleague of mine, Justin Faux, who currently writes for MMASucka.com and is one of the original journalists to come out of the Australian MMA scene. He’s also a pretty funny dude.

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James Ryan: Hey Justin, sorry to hear about your failed suicide attempt. Hang in there, buddy! You just gotta keep at it! [Laughs] But on a serious note, what’s the deal with the cage debate in Melbourne? What have you heard?

Justin Faux: The deal with having no cage in combat sports in Victoria, is that back in 2007, a promoter came into Melbourne and began promoting caged MMA events, and promoted them very similarly to how all of the original UFC’s were done. This then caused the Brumby Government Sports Minister to put forward the 2007 Caged Combat Sports Bill, which now outlaws any and all forms of combat sports performed within a cage, but it’s fine to do so in a ring.

You have to take into consideration that the UFC wasn’t on pay-per-view at this point in Australia or getting any TV coverage, so it was only myself and several others who were considered MMA fans and actually followed the UFC.

JR: When you say MMA fans, are you referring to journalists in your area who were covering the sport?

JF: No, I mean legitimate fans. In 2007, the UFC hadn’t been on pay-per-view since UFC 31, and nobody really knew about it besides a small segment of the community. At that time, I still wasn’t writing about the sport. That came the next year.

JR: Interesting. So do you know the exact issue with the cage? Why would a ring be any different? Is it all about image?

JF: Yes, I think it was an issue of the cage setting a bad image, like that of a dogfight, in the eyes of the uneducated. Plus, the Promoter was promoting MMA in such a way by saying “eight men enter, one man leaves” on the posters, so that couldn’t have helped.

JR: Sounds very, Mad Max—Beyond ThunderDome. [Laughs] So then, if the Government had such a problem with MMA, why didn’t they just outlaw the sport altogether?

JF: The only reason why they didn’t outlaw the entire sport in the State was because they would’ve had to have passed another bill to exclude boxing and muay-thai events, so they just banned the cage instead.

JR: I see. Well, considering that the UFC has already been to Australia, is this then just a regional decision? Don’t you think that the UFC would have known about this rule before even trying to book the date or the venue? It just seems like an odd afterthought. What do you think?

JF: The UFC has now been to Sydney twice, and is currently planning to go to Brisbane by the year’s end.

Yeah, the UFC apparently sent people down to Melbourne to speak with people here almost a year before booking the venue in Sydney, to try and get Melbourne free, because that’s where they really want to be. To draw a comparison, Melbourne is the equivalent of what Toronto was to Canada in terms of where they really want to be, but due to the regulation, they’re not allowed to.

I was in Melbourne the other day because some fighters were in town and I arranged a few interviews with them, and there was a turnout of about 4,000 people just for an autograph session. People are eating it up here.

JR: Sounds like it. Is there anything about this whole situation that you would want for MMA fans to know, so that they don’t have a negative impression of MMA in Australia? What needs to happen in order to change the current perception and the law?

JF: I think what needs to change is that the general public needs a better education on the sport. Most people still see mixed martial arts as mindless violence. People need to understand that the guys who compete in MMA are all high-level athletes who are well-versed in every martial art.

I mean, if Jon Jones wasn’t a mixed martial artist, he’d probably be tearing it up in the NFL. People need to realize that these guys aren’t the same people you’d find by picking up a BumFights DVD.

The biggest misconception about MMA to my fellow countrymen, from what I’ve heard in conversations, is this thought that “anything goes” and that anyone can just mash-up someone’s testicles in a fight, Joe Son—Keith Hackney style, with no repercussions. It’s just not like that anymore.

JR: Thanks buddy. Well said. And best of luck.

JF: Thanks James. And if you ever need any help, just give me a shout.

JR: Will do. Cheers!

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By the sounds of it, the laws from back in 2007 are in desperate need of a little re-examination. I am confident that once the powers that be do that, we will see an immediate change in the current policy. Until then, MMA fans will just need to stay patient.

Also, there would definitely need to be professional guidelines set in place to prevent smaller organizations from ever projecting MMA as a Blood Sport again, thus ruining MMA for those who actually know better.

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These are my interviews. If you don’t like them…I have others. You can check them out at www.sportstender.tv or follow me on Twitter @TheSportstender or check out my new videos.

Sportstender Discusses UFC Melbourne with Aussie MMA Journalist Justin Faux is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

Written by James Ryan

Knowing that not everyone has the time, interest or attention span to actually sit down and watch all of the videos or read all of the articles and comments related to the recent controversy surrounding the ESPN report that was done on ‘Outside the Lines’ which focused specifically on UFC fighter pay, I decided that I would invest a little time of my own and write out a quick summary to help UFC fans to better understand the main issues that are currently surrounding this particular topic.

For starters, here is the ESPN video (9 minutes 13 seconds):

Next, here is the complete interview that was filmed by the UFC, between ESPN and the CEO of the UFC, Lorenzo Fertitta (47 minutes 8 seconds):

And finally, here is the video featuring Dana White and a few of the UFC veteran fighters in response to the claims made by ESPN (12 minutes 8 seconds):

And now, my personal summary on a few of the key issues:

FIGHTER PAY OUT-PACING REVENUE GROWTH

“It’s a lot harder to double a million dollars than it is to double a hundred dollars.”

As previously stated in the following article, my opinion on this issue has always been as follows:

“It all comes down to ratio. The UFC has no problem paying their fighters thousands of dollars, so long as they are making millions in return. And now, with the new Fox deal, they will likely not have any issues paying their fighters millions of dollars, so long as they are raking in billions.”

Fighters are less likely to officially complain about how much the UFC is making, if they themselves are making just enough to prevent them from risking any loss to either their career or to their current paycheque. Let’s face it—the US (and global) economy isn’t exactly at its strongest point in history right now, so I guess being used and exploited sure beats the heck out of unemployment or working for minimum wage. No doubt, that’s why so many fighters are in fact grateful, even if they don’t think (or care) that the ratio is indeed split fairly.

At the end of the day, ESPN was simply trying to point out that the balance in revenues is way off, which it is, especially when you consider the high risks that these fighters take with regards to their health.

SUBJECTIVE BONUSES

Apparently, some of the fighters have complained about needing to “kiss UFC ass” if they’re to have any chance at all of winning one of the fight bonuses, which up until now, have been decided solely by UFC President Dana White and UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta.

I don’t know that I agree with that, but I do think that a better idea would be to completely remove the Corporate subjectivity out of the process and leave the bonus awards entirely up to the fans, who could vote after the show, similar to how they do it on American Idol (free of charge of course), and afterwards, the results could be announced via an official press release (Twitter) the very next day. That way, the fighters would still be expected to “perform” for the fans, but then the fighters wouldn’t feel as though they are at the mercy of their employers—a position that nobody with any integrity enjoys being in.

MONOPOLY

I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t say for sure whether or not the UFC falls under the legal definition of a “monopoly” (that will all be decided soon enough by a Grand Jury), but I do know that the UFC is dominant enough in the Industry that they can absolutely dictate the lives and futures of many business factions and people who work within the Industry. If being a monopoly is all about power and control, then the UFC has plenty of it.

Over the past few years especially, it can easily be proven that the UFC has gone out of their way to interfere and harm other competing businesses in the Industry. This may not be illegal, but they are at the very least, unethical.

Fertitta claims that it’s “the American way” of doing business. I say he is exactly right. And if you look at the current economy, you can see quite clearly that this old way of thinking, no longer works.

STABLE OF FIGHTERS

In the video featuring UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, there was the mentioning of a “stable of fighters” who are all currently employed by the UFC (under contract and with zero job security), which is now apparently in excess of over 320 fighters. That’s a lot of people, but on the heels of the issue of monopoly, it now has me wondering if perhaps this isn’t just like an episode of Hoarding…

Collect all of the best talent, and pay the majority of them as little as possible, but just enough that they won’t want to go anywhere else.

After all, they should all be grateful just for the opportunity to work for the UFC, right? And at the very least, “collecting” fighters keeps them from working for other potentially competing organizations. That way, if anyone else were to be so inclined as to start up a similar promotion (with the right financial backing and support, it could easily happen), they’d have essentially no real talent to choose from.

And another reason why none of the fighters would dare to leave and go elsewhere is because the UFC does a fantastic job of dangling that golden carrot in front of them, making the fighters believe that they are always only one or two fights away from stardom, which we all know is not true.

COMPARISONS TO OTHER SPORTS

It’s completely pointless to compare the UFC to any other sport in terms of their current business model, whether it be football or boxing, because nothing has ever been created (as a business) like the UFC—except maybe for professional wrestling.

The only comparisons worth making are in relation to how other sporting leagues operate their unions—something that the UFC is badly in need of, but only on the condition that the UFC provides full financial disclosure on their total global revenues, which would only happen by way of legal obligation, as the UFC seems pretty adamant about not wanting to share this information with anyone, which more than likely includes the Tax Man.

ROOKIE PAY SCALE

1st Fight: $6,000 show money + $6,000 win money = $12,000 total
2nd Fight: $8,000 show money +$8,000 win money = $16,000 total
3rd Fight: $10,000 show money + $10,000 win money = $20,000 total

*Does not include bonuses, sponsorship (restricted) or other possible incentives (trash-talking on Twitter).

If the average career lasts approximately 3 years, and the average fighter only competes 1.6 times per year (as stated by Fertitta), then the UFC could easily keep many of these fighters at the lower end of the pay scale for close to the entire duration of their careers. And remember, this scale is all based on winning. Winning streaks are not as easy to come by as you might think, especially for less experienced fighters.

KNOCKOUT BONUS

I know that this is fighting—I get that—but there’s just something about a company that encourages their athletes to concuss each other that just seems wrong to me. It’s one thing if it happens (of course it’s going to happen), but to encourage it? To reward it?

It just seems to me that the UFC is setting themselves up for a pretty massive class-action lawsuit down the road (just look at the trouble that the NFL is in right now). Concussions are proven to shorten both careers and quality of life. By the time many of these fighters are past the limitations of the rookie pay scale (above), they won’t likely be able to continue much longer without putting their health in serious jeopardy.

But in this sport, the fans don’t care about such things. They only want to be entertained and the UFC is only concerned about giving the fans what they want. Screw social or professional responsibility—how else will the UFC make money?

UFC REPLY VIDEO

The reply video that was created by Dana White and various other fighters (“company men”) is just as biased, if not more so, than the ESPN video. The ESPN video claimed that many fighters were unhappy with the current situation, and Fertitta responded by stating that if you search hard enough, you will always find people who are in an unhappy situation with their employer, which I thought was a tremendously valid point to make. And then the UFC undermined themselves by doing the exact same thing, only in the opposite direction.

Despite the fact that the fighters who spoke with ESPN refused to have their names mentioned out of fear of retribution by the UFC, it’s safe to assume that ESPN was not fabricating these stories or speaking about one or two fighters only.

The UFC video on the other hand, managed to find fighters who have had very successful careers (it was already established that the UFC had created over 29 millionaires—certainly the ones speaking in the video were among them) and they all spoke about how successful they have been because of the UFC.

No doubt. Many fighters have earned a lot of money and have been given fantastic opportunities thanks to the UFC. It is very unlikely however, that these same fighters would ever question the total split of revenues, or even care to challenge the idea. So long as they’re able to make more money from fighting than by doing anything else, they’re beyond happy.

That right there is the attitude and business model that the UFC relies on.

RETRIBUTION

Do any of you remember when Lyoto Machida recently rejected an offer to fight because he felt that he deserved more money? Do you recall that he was then ostracized and put on ice by the UFC for his apparent greed? And that’s how the UFC treats one of its biggest stars and former champions.

I don’t care what Lorenzo Fertitta says, the fighters have a reason to fear retribution for speaking out or not complying with the requests of the UFC, because the UFC has proven many times over that they will punish (or fire) any fighter if they are so inclined to do so.

A FIGHTER UNION

Thinking about this a bit more, I have come to the conclusion that this will never happen (never say never, right?). At least, not until the veterans of the sport—the guys making millions and millions of dollars, and who sit on top on the pay scale food chain, stand up for the rights of those who are just starting out. This absolutely must be a collective effort by all fighters or it won’t (can’t) work.

Lorenzo Fertitta said that he is neutral on the subject and that he would never stand in the way of a union forming. He then went on to say however (as a deterrent, I’m sure) that the needs of someone like “Tito Ortiz” might then differ from someone who is just starting out in their career. This is true.

It’s also very true in football, hockey, baseball, basketball or any other major sport, which is precisely why it takes the unified support of the veterans to help pave the way for all future generations. If that never happens in MMA, it will only be because the guys at the top are obviously too selfish and are only concerned about themselves, and not the future of MMA or the younger generations of fighters that will someday replace them.

Then again, with zero job security at any level of this sport, who can really blame them?

ESPN 1, UFC 0

And last but not least, the winner is: ESPN.

ESPN hits the mainstream sporting demographic better than any other media outlet. The UFC does not. Instead, the UFC relies almost solely on amateur journalism, social media Internet forums, and a very small (by comparison) demographic of fans.

What that essentially means is that the ESPN video will be watched by a lot more people who aren’t necessarily interested in MMA, than the UFC videos that will only be watched by pre-existing fans who already watch and love the sport anyway.

This latest ESPN report will not damage the current fanbase of fight fans. What it will do however, is reinforce to non-fight fans why they should remain that way. The UFC won’t lose business over the ESPN report, but they certainly won’t gain any either.

And here’s another interesting perspective to think about:

“ESPN is helping build the Federal Trades Commissions case. They might have done it unintentionally, but a friend of mine in the Wrestling Industry said CM Punk was pulled by McMahon due to the ESPN piece. And McMahon wants no ties to the upcoming investigation.”

Personally, I don’t blame McMahon. Things are about to get very ugly for the UFC, whether you agree with me or not.

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. You can check them out at www.sportstender.tv or follow me on Twitter @TheSportstender or check out my new videos.

Sportstender: ESPN vs UFC Fighter Pay Analysis (for Dummies) is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

Written by James Ryan

“The minute you know when you’ll be tested, it’s very easy to make sure you don’t test positive.”

Today, Keith Kizer, who is the Executive Director for the Nevada State Athletic Commission, confirmed that former Strikeforce (now owned by the UFC parent company, Zuffa LLC) Light Heavyweight Champion, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, tested positive for the anabolic steroid, Drostanolone (most commonly sold under the brand name, Masteron) following his first round TKO win over Lorenz Larkin on January 7th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this particular banned substance, Masteron is often used for “cutting cycles” and is notorious for helping athletes to increase strength and muscle definition, without adding very much weight—something that is absolutely necessary for any fighter who repeatedly competes in a specific weight class. With that being said however, Masteron is widely considered to be a “mild” steroid.

In the past, some fighters have spoken out on steroids and have even accused up to 90% of the entire Industry of taking various types of steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. This, of course, cannot be proven and is mere speculation.

Last week, female Strikeforce Flyweight Champion, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, tested positive for steroids (although she claims that the positive test was a result of something unknown that she may have unintentionally ingested via an over-the-counter supplement—an excuse that too many athletes who are caught cheating, often use), and was officially stripped of her championship belt.

Cyborg’s subsequent suspension immediately raised a few questions in the minds of many; are fighters then required to perform random testing throughout the duration of their suspension? Or are they then free to use these illegal substances (and possibly others) without any fear of getting caught during the time in which they are training and preparing for their next upcoming bout once their suspension ends? Fighters only compete on average of “1.6 times per year” according to the CEO of the UFC, Lorenzo Fertitta, therefore, a one year suspension seems like little more than an inconvenience at best for many of these athletes.

It should also be noted that it’s not all that often that fighters actually get caught using PED’s. Despite that however, the general consensus by fans and non-fans of the sport, is that it is very much commonplace in MMA, if only to help the athletes to recover from their injuries or to treat their hypogonadism (a medical term cited by UFC fighter, Chael Sonnen, for the decreased functional activity of his testicles, which many have speculated is the by-product of having used steroids throughout his entire athletic career—something that Sonnen oddly enough had publicly accused American cyclist Lance Armstrong of doing).

Given the commonality of steroids in all levels of professional sports (not just MMA), some athletes are under the opinion that steroids should just be made legal. Former UFC fighter, Sean McCorkle for example, summarized what many people had recommended in the past, by suggesting that the sport of MMA would be better off if drug testing were simply eliminated altogether:

“What you end up with is a situation of where the guys who are beating the test, where the guys who can afford to get a doctor to prescribe whatever they want, where the guys who have access to stuff—they have an unfair advantage already. I think we’d be pretty naive to think that every person who’s ever taken anything was caught. So I think, to me, in all professional sports, I say, let guys do whatever they want to do and be done with it. I don’t think anybody’s going to make or break their career based on steroids unless you’re talking about longevity, because to my understanding, the majority of them are used for recovery from injury.”

The problem with that thinking however, is that once you open the floodgates to performance enhancing drugs, there becomes no safe way to regulate the abuse of these substances, and all athletes would then be faced with the unfair decision of taking steroids, and doing whatever it takes to win at the detriment of their own personal health and safety. Like anything in excess, steroids abuse would ultimately be putting our athletes at a greater risk than I think Mr. McCorkle either understands or even cares about.

And it would seem that the UFC would agree with me on this. From now on (starting today), fighters will be screened for performance-enhancing drugs prior to signing with the UFC or Strikeforce, although frankly, I’m not entirely sold on how effective that would be considering the advanced levels in which many athletes mask the use of PED’s.

UFC President, Dana White had the following to say regarding this latest policy:

“The health and safety of our athletes is our top priority. We’ve seen the issues performance-enhancing drugs have caused in other sports and we’re going to do everything we can to keep them out of the UFC and Strikeforce. Our athletes are already held to the highest testing standards in all sports by athletic commissions. Our new testing policy for performance-enhancing drugs only further shows how important it is to us to have our athletes competing on a level playing field.”

As great as this sounds, it should also be noted that the UFC, for the most part, especially when holding events outside of the United States, relies solely on their own in-house testing to catch steroid users—a system that Dick Pound (yes that’s his real name, and no, he’s not a porn star), a Montreal-based lawyer and former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, says is “illusory (deceptive) and obviously intended to be that way. They’re just trying to do enough to keep the Congress off their backs.”

He probably has a valid point.

I’ve never been a fan of the self-administered PED testing that the UFC and its fans seem so proud of, as I truly fail to see any actual incentive that the UFC might have to catch its biggest stars (money generators), thus tainting the name, image and earning potential of the UFC. And if it is an image problem that they’re so concerned about, I do believe that that ship has sailed a long time ago.

As much as I would love to see the sport of MMA cleaned up and steroid-free, I don’t believe that that day will ever come. There’s just too much to gain, and far too little risk or punishment to deter any of today’s athletes, which definitely is a real shame.

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. You can check them out at www.sportstender.tv or follow me on Twitter @TheSportstender or check out my new videos.

Sportstender: Steroids Are Officially Synonymous with Mixed Martial Arts is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan

Written by James Ryan

“If the average I.Q. is 100 and that of downs syndrome is 75, then it means 25% of the population are dumb as a stick, 12.5% are somewhere between dumb and average, and 12% are mentally challenged, 12% are slightly above average, with the last 12% being smart enough to know anything, so, the chances of meeting anyone with a working brain is slim indeed.”—Karl Marx

Immediately following Brock Lesnar’s unproductive loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141, which subsequently pushed Lesnar into retirement during his post-fight interview, WWE Wrestler Chris Jericho was quoted (via Twitter) as saying, “Lesnar just took a dive.”

It seems like nowadays, everything that ends with the slightest bit of controversy has the stigma of a “conspiracy” attached to it—and rightfully so.

I mean…it’s not just paranoia that conjures up these thoughts. How about the fact that, We, as consumers (thank you commercialism, capitalism, materialism, almost anything that ends in an “ism”), have been lied to, taken advantage of, and marketed to, in very unethical and dishonest ways (think late night infomercials), and maybe, just maybe, we’re all starting to get wise to the massive deceptions that occur in our everyday lives, thanks to the media and the Government that “regulates” them.

[Hold on a second, I’ll be right back! I have to go buy something that I don’t need, with money that I don’t have, in order to impress people who don’t give a crap!]

“Happy New Years Everyone! Most people think that making money and gathering material goods is a sign of a successful life, but it’s not that at all. Your life, here for a brief period in time, is not measured by what you own, but rather, by what you have learned while here, and what you did with that knowledge. A prime example is the constant mind control we are subjected to every minute of the day by those in power in order to enslave and control us, because it can only be effective if we don’t understand how it works, yet very few have a clue and are too complacent to be concerned, so we have a society of mindless puppets jumping to the pull of the strings, while a few of us who use our brain look at them in amazement and think, ‘WTF is wrong with these people?’”—Dr. John Williams, Owner of Canadian Extreme Cage Rage Promotions

The term “Conspiracy Theory” gets thrown around a lot these days, usually by those who would see fit to discredit accusers as total whack-jobs (labels that will always exist for that sole purpose of raising doubt in the minds of those who would dare to question the status quo), but these theories are always based on the notion that complex plots are put into motion by powerful hidden forces aimed at the sole purpose of taking (stealing) money from “the people.”

9/11: A Conspiracy Theory

Agree or disagree…this happens a lot more than anyone is willing to admit or even knows is happening.

Take UFC President Dana White for example. As a Promoter, his only real responsibility is to hype his fighters and endorse his brand (that’s his job), and to discredit any fighters who are not currently employed under the UFC banner.

Dana White: Overeem Isn’t a Top 10 MMA Fighter (Start watching at 3:38 of the video)

Love him or hate him, Dana White is incredibly biased, and as such, he is a liar. I say this not because I want you to hate the man, but because I want you to recognize that Mr. White is a man who is capable of saying and doing anything (and he does), so long as the end result is that it puts money in his pocket. The idea that “conspiracies” are a part of the regular business practices that go on behind the scenes at the UFC, are not totally out of the question. After all, unethical marketing is all about manipulating public perception, and nobody does that better than the UFC.

[Did you just call me a “hater?” #labelalert]

Okay, so now back to Brock Lesnar. In this day and age, I sometimes think that it makes more sense to be a sceptic who requires actual physical proof in order to believe the truth, as opposed to a “person of faith” who trusts everything that they are told by the media. Call me crazy (another fancy label), but I just don’t trust big business. Not when the sole focus of that business is to make as much money as possible, by way of any means necessary.

Article written May 26, 2011: UFC: Helping Local Economies or Robbing Them Blind?

So anyway, all of this Brock Lesnar talk has had me thinking about one immediate question…

A lot of fighters…Tito Ortiz, Dominic Cruz, Big Nog, and countless others (including Will Ribeiro) always show pictures or videos of their surgery scars (or the surgery procedure itself) after they’ve gone under the knife, right?

Tito Neck Web

Well, this got me wondering…

Has anyone ever actually seen the scar(s) on Brock Lesnar from when he recently had “12 inches of his intestines removed?” Am I the only one who finds it a little bit odd that he’s not showing any of his scars to the world (or that he hadn’t lost any of his size and athleticism without the apparent use of PED’s)?

I mean, forget about privacy here. How about a little disclosure?

When I asked this exact question through social media, a few of the responses that I got back really helped to put things into an interesting perspective:

“I do find it odd having had similar experiences. He would have had a colostomy bag twice, and he has no scars from that. It would be visible when he is in his fight gear.”—David S., Retired War Veteran and Purple Heart Recipient

“Good Point! Those wonderful fighters you named are full of scars, and yet, they keep going and show you their battle wounds. Brock could you help us out here? And please keep in mind that some of us have always been in the medical field, so don’t try any scams.”—Shelly M., Nurse and Psychology Student

“Something is up. Personally, I don’t think Lesnar can handle it. He’s realizing with these higher ranked fighters, unlike Heath Herring, and those he fought coming into the UFC—and throw the Randy Couture fight out the window on his record because Randy was fighting at 205 for the longest time with Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, then retires, comes out of retirement, fights Tim Sylvia for the belt, beats him, then fights Lesnar. Sorry, but that was a set-up fight (no offence to Randy. I freakin’ love him), but now Lesnar is fighting stronger, better fighters, and can’t hang, so he’s getting out while the gettin’s good. He made his money. The possibility of “threat” might also be part of it. Dana White probably isn’t making as much money off him now since his days of coming over from the WWE. Plus, he’s losing. Lesnar isn’t retiring. Dana canned his chump ass.”—Gary H., Instructor at Eternal Fight Gym

So, wait a second. You’re saying that ”retirement” was really just Lesnar’s way of saving face from the fact that he was probably going to be “let go” anyway?

And that maybe all along, the “sickness” was just a convenient way to buy him some more time to train and improve his skillset (because let’s face it—as a technical fighter, he was really terrible), which in the end, he obviously didn’t or couldn’t do?

“DING! DING! DING! Wink, tell the man what he’s won!”

So then, I have to also wonder, did Lesnar actually throw his last fight against Overeem just like Jericho had suggested?

Probably—but only as soon as he realized that he was in over his head (a territory that Lesnar is all too familiar with when it comes to actual fighting), which would have been immediately after he realized that there was just no way on Earth that he was ever going to be able to bring the fight down to the ground.

Article written October 27, 2010: Brock Lesnar: The Sad Truth Behind His Cowardly Instincts

As far as Dana White and the UFC are concerned, Brock Lesnar served his ultimate purpose. He doubled the company’s fanbase and brought the UFC into mainstream (almost) status. For that, Lesnar will be rewarded, and one day, he will be proudly inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. And if you don’t think so, just consider this…

The UFC Hall of Fame is a complete joke.

That’s a tough statement to make without sounding like I’m disparaging any of the current inductees, which I’m not trying to do, but the fact that a “company” has the only and final say in whoever gets inducted, is a ridiculous farce indeed. There are a lot of great, former UFC fighters out there who will never be inducted because they are not a part of the UFC’s Ultimate Popularity Contest (aka kissing Dana’s ass). And Lesnar is clearly at the top of that list.

Cripes…they should just change the name to “Employee of the Month” because that’s precisely what it is.

“Hall of Fame” just sounds too legitimate, which it most definitely is not.

And should Lesnar miraculously show his scars after this article comes out, please remember that my own brother, Tom Ryan, can produce a scar better than anyone, so be careful about what you believe.

As it turns out, seeing isn’t always grounds for believing either.

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. You can check them out at www.sportstender.tv or follow me on Twitter @TheSportstender

“The Sportstender” 1 oz gin, 1/2 oz Chambord, 1/2 oz blue curaçao, 1 part lemonade, 2 parts soda, lemon and lime wedges, mixed and served in a highball glass with ice

Sportstender Interactive: Cracking the Code on the Brock Lesnar Conspiracy is my opinion, I have more, visit my website: James Ryan