The Corner of Controversy and Criticism- 12/21/2014
Over the last two weeks the UFC has put on some great fights with all of it being on a free TV but now they are the center of a controversial antitrust lawsuit involving hundreds of fighters claiming that because the UFC is the only big MMA promotion in town their pay isn’t what it should be. Some of the fighters feel they should be making the type of money boxers make. This lawsuit is being fought by all former fighters in hopes to protect the future fighters of UFC. The UFC has also screwed fighters out of sponsorship deals with their deal that they made with Reebok. Even UFC’s website says:
“Athletes will no longer be permitted to have outside sponsor logos on athletic apparel during UFC fight week official events, including fight night, UFC-produced content or other official UFC events.And individual sponsor banners will no longer be permitted for the walkout or inside the Octagon beginning with the UFC event on July 11, 2015, coinciding with International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nev. The new policy will start the week of July 6, 2015.Athletes can continue to maintain their individual apparel and non-apparel sponsors outside all UFC events, and existing or prospective sponsors may use an athlete’s name and likeness. But they cannot use UFC trademarks unless they have a direct commercial relationship with UFC.”
Most fighters have stated that sponsors are pulling out of this deal and they are losing a substantial amount of money because they make more money on their sponsorships then they do on their fight contracts. I think being a monopoly in an industry like that is bad. The WWE and UFC were at their high points when they had legitimate competition. A lot of these fighters are screwed because you either stay in UFC or you go to Bellator which in my opinion is the minor leagues. Just like TNA Wrestling is the minor leagues in comparison to the WWE. The WWE and UFC have a lot more in common than most people think. I will be curious to see how this lawsuit turns out and how it could change how the UFC is ran in the future. Only time will tell.
Speaking of money, this year the Dodgers have ended the Yankees 15-year streak as MLB’s biggest spenders and now owe more than $26.6 million in luxury tax. They have been making deals left and right over the last week. Their division rival the San Diego Padres have also been building a team to make a run for the upcoming season. In the American League you have too look at the Boston Red Sox as the front runners on paper. They have made some great moves this off-season to try and put them back into the playoff picture again. A lot of wheeling and dealing has taken place in December so far. Before we know it Spring Training will be here and we’ll be talking baseball on a regular basis but for now were in the heart of winter where football, hockey and basketball get the majority of the attention.
The playoff picture in the NFL is becoming more clearer with only one week left. Here is what it looks like if the season ended right now:
Now I am a huge Carolina Panthers an but there needs to be some changes because there are several teams who have better records then Carolina that will not make the playoffs. I believe that you should have your four division winners then four wildcards that way some of these teams in tougher divisions have a chance to be in the playoffs. The other option is have a seeding system like the NBA. Take the top eight teams and rank them by record. If that were the case in the NFL, the Panthers would still be in the playoffs but they would be the eight seed. I think that’s the fair to do it so that way the best overall teams are in the playoffs. There is always going to be an argument of who deserves to go and who doesn’t The one through eight seeding would solve that problem and make it fair for everyone.
One argument that will always be among basketball fans is who is the best. The three names you often hear are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. This past week Kobe passed MJ on the all time scoring list which puts Kobe third all time and Jordan fourth all time. Many still believe MJ will always be the greatest no matter if someone breaks his records or passes him on lists. Others say that Kobe has had a long career and deserves to be compared to Michael Jordan. I am on the opinion that MJ has done more for the sport than other player has. Look at the marketing an sponsorship that the NBA and it’s players have had since Michael made his presence felt 30 years ago. A lot of players make more money off sponsorships and marketing then they do their contracts. MJ deserves a lot of credit for that and it’s because of what he brought to the game that makes him the greatest of all time.
This coming week we celebrate Christmas and I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas as well as a Happy New Year. Hollywood’s World of Sports is going to be bigger and better in 2015. There will be more controversy and more criticism in 2015 so get ready. As always be safe, be strong and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn’t Come Without Criticism!
