Comments on: The UFC’s Heavyweight Dilemma http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2009/11/04/the-ufcs-heavyweight-dilemma/ A blog for sports agents: Discussing sports business news, Sports Law, and other interesting sports related material Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:05:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Howard Goldowsky http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2009/11/04/the-ufcs-heavyweight-dilemma/comment-page-1/#comment-139067 Howard Goldowsky Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:51:23 +0000 http://www.sportsagentblog.com/?p=7478#comment-139067 I'm involved with competitive chess, and chess has the same "soccer" problem. There are two sides to the argument. One side believes that their sport should become as popular as possible. They take soccer as an example. Here is a "boring" sport that requires an appreciation for the technicalities of the game, yet it is the most popular sport in the world. What soccer has going for it is that every little kid from Brazil to Bangkok plays the game and can understand the subtleties. Hence, it's popularity. Neither chess nor the MMA ground game will become popular until more people participate. Now, not being the NFL has its benefits. The other side of the argument is that beings "medium sized" is good: no scrutiny, no crazy media, and the athletes make a fair living, albeit not superstar millions. The bigger a sport gets, the less pure it becomes. Why ruin a good thing? Here in Boston we call the casual (usually female) bandwagon fan a "pink hat." They might buy a ticket to the game, buy a few hats and jerseys, but they do not bring anything but their dollar to the table. The do not appreciate the game, and merely make life more expensive, force TV reporters to be more dumbed-down, and all around cheapen the purity of the game. This will happen to MMA ,too, if people become fans without appreciating the subtleties of a armbar. I’m involved with competitive chess, and chess has the same “soccer” problem. There are two sides to the argument. One side believes that their sport should become as popular as possible. They take soccer as an example. Here is a “boring” sport that requires an appreciation for the technicalities of the game, yet it is the most popular sport in the world. What soccer has going for it is that every little kid from Brazil to Bangkok plays the game and can understand the subtleties. Hence, it’s popularity. Neither chess nor the MMA ground game will become popular until more people participate.

Now, not being the NFL has its benefits. The other side of the argument is that beings “medium sized” is good: no scrutiny, no crazy media, and the athletes make a fair living, albeit not superstar millions. The bigger a sport gets, the less pure it becomes. Why ruin a good thing? Here in Boston we call the casual (usually female) bandwagon fan a “pink hat.” They might buy a ticket to the game, buy a few hats and jerseys, but they do not bring anything but their dollar to the table. The do not appreciate the game, and merely make life more expensive, force TV reporters to be more dumbed-down, and all around cheapen the purity of the game. This will happen to MMA ,too, if people become fans without appreciating the subtleties of a armbar.

]]> By: Michael Pacifico http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2009/11/04/the-ufcs-heavyweight-dilemma/comment-page-1/#comment-139011 Michael Pacifico Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:09:24 +0000 http://www.sportsagentblog.com/?p=7478#comment-139011 I could not agree with you more Zachary Lipari. You obviously have a passion for this sport! I will follow all your blogs closely. I could not agree with you more Zachary Lipari. You obviously have a passion for this sport! I will follow all your blogs closely.

]]>