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In a battle of two of the best fighters in mixed martial arts, the judges couldn't pick a winner: Jon Fitch and B.J. Penn fought to a majority draw at UFC 127.One judge scored it 29-28 for Fitch, but the other two judges scored it 28-28, and those two judges made it a majority draw -- a disappointing ending that left the fans in Sydney, Australia booing. It was the second time in three UFC pay-per-views this year that the main event has been scored a draw.
Fitch seemed to control most of the fight, and Penn acknowledged afterward that he thought he had lost. But Penn requested a rematch afterward, and that seems likely.
Then once Penn got Fitch on the ground, he took Fitch's back, and he attempted a rear-naked choke. But Fitch did a nice job of escaping the back control and getting back to his feet, and the round ended back on the feet, with Fitch holding Penn against the fence again. It was a close round that I scored for Penn, 10-9.
Penn and Fitch charged toward each other at the start of the second round, and when Penn missed with a flying knee, Fitch took him down and got on top of him. Penn seemed completely comfortable on the ground, however, and he got back to his feet without ever getting in any trouble. As they clinched against the cage Fitch was in control of the positioning, but Penn was landing better strikes, including several short elbows to Fitch's head. By the midway point of the second round, Fitch was bleeding profusely out his nose.
After the two briefly separated and threw a couple of punches, Penn took Fitch down and took his back, but Fitch escaped back control again and got on top of Penn, doing some damage with ground and pound as the round came to an end. I thought Fitch did enough with the ground and pound at the end that he may have taken the round, making it all tied up heading into the third and final round.
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UFC 127 Fight Night Photos
Jon Fitch strikes BJ Penn at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Tiequan Zhang submits Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt punches Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Chris Tuchscherer leaves the Octagon bloody at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Fitch did, indeed, go for broke at the start of the third round, hitting Penn hard and taking him down, then taking his back a minute into the third round. From there Fitch got on top of Penn and unleashed more ground and pound, and there wasn't much Penn could do. It was amazing how effective Fitch could be with the ground and pound, unleashing punch after punch after punch to Penn's face, even though Penn had Fitch in full guard. I gave Fitch a 10-8 round, meaning I scored the fight for Fitch, 29-27. But the judges disagreed with me, and there was no winner.
A disappointed Fitch said afterward that he didn't know what he could have done differently.
"I think I did enough to win at least a split decision," Fitch said. "I want the title more than anything, but at the end of the day we don't make the decisions. ... I'm here to fight, I'm here to fight the best. If my 13 wins in the UFC already isn't enough to put me in for a title shot, I'm ready to prove myself more.
Penn sounded dejected afterward, but he said he expected to fight Fitch again.
"Since the gods were nice to me and gave me a draw, if he wants to do it again I'll do it again," Penn said.
The UFC should do it again: Penn and Fitch deserve the chance to erase any doubt about who's the better fighter.
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UFC 127 Fight Night Photos
Ross Pearson and Spencer Fisher exchange shots at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Tiequan Zhang submits Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt punches Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Chris Tuchscherer leaves the Octagon bloody at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
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Show the B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch fight to people who don't know how MMA is judged, and ask them who won. They'd tell you it was Fitch, obviously. But of the three people whose job it was to decide who won, only one said Fitch was the winner. The other two said it was a draw, and so that was the result: No one won the main event at UFC 127.What's unfortunate is that the people who don't know anything about MMA would have done a better job of judging this fight than the professional judges.
Jon Fitch deserved to win the decision at UFC 127. That the fight was a draw is a combination of the fact that MMA has bad judges, and bad judging criteria.
Let's start with the bad judges: This is something that it seems everyone in MMA agrees on: Too often, the judges just plain get it wrong. What the judges score a round, it doesn't match up with what the rest of us saw. UFC President Dana White said as much when Nick Ring was gifted a unanimous decision he hadn't earned over Riki Fukuda. White wrote on Twitter: "Judges f**king suck again!! Fukuda got robbed!!!"
So I'd love to see White himself lead the way toward recruiting and training better judges. It's first and foremost the responsibility of the state athletic commissions, but the state athletic commissions have shown they're not up to the task.
But even aside from the individual judges, there are problems with the judging criteria. My biggest problem with MMA's use of the 10-point must system imported from boxing is that far too many MMA judges seem to think they have to score every round 10-9, and 10-10 or 10-8 rounds are far too rare. Fitch absolutely dominated the third round -- according to Compustrike he landed 134 strikes in the third, and Penn landed zero. That's a textbook example of a 10-8 round, and yet one of the judges scored it 10-9.
Watching the fight live, I scored it 29-27 for Fitch: I gave Penn the first round 10-9, Fitch the second 10-9 and Fitch the third 10-8. Watching it again this morning, I scored it the same way. FightMetric.com, which offers the most comprehensive analysis of MMA fights available anywhere, also scored it 29-27. This was a fight that Fitch won.
Except that he didn't. Instead, what Fitch gave us was another example of why MMA needs judging reform.
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UFC 127 Fight Night Photos
Jon Fitch strikes BJ Penn at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Tiequan Zhang submits Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt punches Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Chris Tuchscherer leaves the Octagon bloody at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
-- Nice submission win for China's Zhang Tie Quan, but let's not forget that Jason Reinhardt is a 41-year-old who hadn't fought in three years and had never beaten anyone of any quality in his life. Reinhardt was the most ill-equipped fighter the UFC has put in the Octagon since James Toney.
-- It's hard not to lose respect for Michael Bisping over the last couple days, between his homophobic slur toward Jorge Rivera and his illegal knee when they were in the Octagon and his post-fight antics. Bisping showed that he's a better fighter than Rivera, but he hasn't exactly covered himself with glory this weekend.
Quotes from UFC 127
"He was very disappointed on the show when his leg blew out." -- Joe Rogan on the injury suffered by Nick Ring on The Ultimate Fighter. Tell me when you meet someone who's happy that his leg blew out.
"Both these guys have great futures at 155 pounds." -- Mike Goldberg on Spencer Fisher and Pearson. Fisher is 34 years old and has now lost three of his last four fights. His future isn't looking so bright.
Good call
Brian Ebersole's decision to start his fight with Chris Lytle by using a cartwheel kick. No, it didn't work, but it was worth a shot for a heavy underdog making his UFC debut -- and Ebersole has done it successfully before. It set the tone for a fight in which Ebersole would have his way with Lytle.
Bad call
Ebersole's decision to shave his chest hair into an arrow. Maybe it was a good luck charm in the upset victory, but it looked ridiculous.
Stock up
Mark Hunt: Granted, Hunt's stock couldn't have been much lower than it was heading into this weekend; he was riding a six-fight losing streak. But even if he's overweight and out of shape and getting old, Hunt can still hit hard, and when he connects, it's going to hurt. It certainly hurt Chris Tuchscherer. Hunt, the 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix champ, is probably getting close to retiring from combat sports. It would be nice to see him retire with a win.
Stock Down
George Sotiropoulos. After the way Dennis Siver handled him in the stand-up and easily avoided all his takedown attempts, I don't think we'll hear any more about Sotiropolous ever being in title contention again.
Final thought
UFC 127 was entertaining, as far as it went, but it didn't have a lot of really important match-ups. It was nice to see, however, what a good job the UFC did promoting UFC 128, a huge card headlined by Jon Jones vs. Shogun Rua. The preview for UFC 128 was tremendous, and reminded us what a really great fight card (which UFC 127 was not) looks like.
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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- You can bet Buffalo general manager Darcy Regier and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff have probably never heard what they heard Tuesday when billionaire Terry Pegula was introduced as the team's new owner."If I want to make some money, I'll go drill a gas well," said Pegula, who paid $189 million for the team. "Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup."
Imagine that, an owner willing to turn a pretender into a contender, at his own expense.
Regier was admired around the NHL for getting the most of owners more concerned with the bottom line than winning.
And Ruff earned the respect of his peers for getting the most out of a lineup that doesn't have a star attraction.
Under previous owner Tom Golisano, the Sabres had slashed the budget for the scouting department, relying heavily on video scouting.
Those days are over.
After saying that Regier and Ruff will be back, Pegula said he will dip into his deep pockets to bring a championship team to Buffalo; he all but promised a blank check to Regier.
"We'll put the pedal to the metal as capably as we can," he said. "I don't know if it's wise to spend to the cap every year. But we're not in this to save money, that's for sure."
"Darcy will run a hockey department that I have previously said will have no financial mandates. We're cutting the chains off and he's free to run with whatever he wants to do with scouting, player development, working with Lindy (Ruff, coach) and the coaches. We're going to pour some resources into that area of the team."
"There is no salary cap in the National Hockey League on scouting budgets and player-development budgets. I plan on increasing, working with Darcy and the guys, increasing our scouting budget with bodies on the ground in areas we might not be hitting, and enhancing our video department.
"Starting today we will bring in more player development coaches to help these guys become better hockey players, work on their weaknesses or whatever the coaches think. We will aspire to be the best in the league at finding, developing and keeping our players in their new Buffalo Sabre family."
At 59, Pegula has an estimated worth of $3 billion and was most recently ranked 110th on Forbes magazine's list of wealthiest Americans.
Pegula and his wife, Kim, have lived previously in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park. The couple will continue to live in Florida but will travel back and forth to Buffalo.
Pegula grew up a fan of the Sabres.
"I'm the guy who lived in Houston, Texas, in 1979 and listened to that horrible (playoff) overtime loss to the (Pittsburgh) Penguins," said Pegula. "A friend of mine in Olean, N.Y., held his phone to the television and I listed to the game on the phone. I'm the guy who used to sit on an overpass in Pittsburgh in the early 80s to listen to Sabres radio broadcasts as they faded in and out."
Pegula then turned to where Sabres alum and Hockey Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault was sitting and began crying.
"You're my hero," he said. "That's my hockey genesis right there."
The Sabres are on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, in ninth place.
The first order of business is the Feb. 28 trade deadline. Pegula didn't rule out making player moves, but didn't say whether he has anything specific in mind.
This isn't his first venture into hockey.
In September, the Pegulas made the largest private gift in Penn State history, donating $88 million to fund a new multipurpose arena and help upgrade the men's hockey program. The Nittany Lions will make the move to Division I hockey in the 2012-13 season.
But make no mistake about it.
Winning a Stanley Cup is his top priority.
And that was exactly what Ruff, the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL, wanted to hear.
"It means a lot to me, personally," Ruff said. "For almost 30 years, I've been a Sabre in some capacity or another, going back to when I was drafted in 1979. I said my goal was to win a Stanley Cup, and he may be more passionate than I am.
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It was a modern phenomenon befitting a very modern player.Within minutes of converting a penalty kick against Chile in the U.S. national team's Jan. 22 friendly outside Los Angeles, Teal Bunbury had gone viral.
He had his composure from 12 yards and Telefutura announcer Pablo Ram�rez to thank. Bunbury, normally rather reserved, celebrated his first international goal with a little dance near the corner flag.
That's when Ram�rez' impromptu Black Eyed Peas-inspired call transformed a mundane penalty into an iconic moment, a forgettable friendly into a celebration and "Boonbooree" into both a trending topic and a t-shirt.
The player was among the last to find out about it.
"One of my buddies sent me a text and let me know about it," he told FanHouse about the "Boonbooree" call. "A couple of days days after the game I went online and listened to it for the first time. It was kind of shocking."
Ram�rez sealed the game's place in American soccer lore, but Bunbury did an awful lot to bring it to life. It was lurching along at a dreary pace when U.S. coach Bob Bradley inserted both the Sporting Kansas City forward and the New York Red Bulls' Juan Agudelo at the hour mark.
The pair (combined age, 38) added an obvious spark, attacking fast and fearlessly. Chile was on its heels, and Agudelo earned the penalty when he was brought down following a give-and-go with Alejandro Bedoya. Bunbury, sensing his moment had arrived, convinced the player he considered "my little brother throughout the whole camp" to relinquish his claim on the kick.
"Eventually he let me take it," Bunbury said.
What followed vaulted the 20-year-old into the country's soccer conversation, both the kind limited to 140 feverish characters and the more thoughtful part addressing the future of the American striker. Currently, the only reliable American goal scorer is playing for Italy, and while Jozy Altidore remains in the picture, the position remains up for grabs.
That prospect undoubtedly fueled the "Boonbooree" excitement. U.S. fans are hungry for a forward who can make things happen, and Bunbury appears to have that knack. It's a knack resulting from a combination of factors that leave him almost perfectly positioned to make an impact on the modern game. Bunbury is, in his own way, an embodiment of the growth of American soccer. He is a player for the next generation.
It starts with his roots. Although Bunbury's example is extreme, it's part of a growing and auspicious trend. Not everyone will be fortunate enough to be raised by a pro, but more and more American players will grow up surrounded by family, friends and coaches who know the game. Partly because of its increased popularity, partly because of our shrinking world and partly because those who grew up with soccer in the 1970s and early '80s now are having kids of their own, the number of players with early and knowledgeable soccer influences is surging.
"The landscape of youth soccer has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. It's not pockets of the United States. It's really consistent throughout the country," Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes told this website.
Eleven years ago, Vermes was a teammate of Alex Bunbury on the Kansas City side that won the 2000 MLS Cup. The elder Bunbury was born in Guyana and moved to Quebec as a child. By the time Teal came along in 1990, his father was a four-year veteran of the Canadian national team. Alex would play professionally in England, Portugal and the U.S. His son would grow up with a love, appreciation and affinity for the sport, and with a father who pushed him to excel.
"It felt like every little thing I did in training he would critique," Bunbury told The Shin Guardian in January. "Obviously my teammates were there but it seemed like he was always singling me out for everything. If I had one bad touch he was on my case ... which isn't a bad thing though. It prepared me for my career."
Bunbury is a modern player in body, as well as at his foundation. He is not the kid of a dozen years ago, who settled for the soccer team because he was too small for football. At 6-feet-2, 175 pounds, he is big yet lean, strong enough to hold off defenders and win the ball, but quick and skillful enough to run at the opposition and create.
"He's sort of at the next level. In some respect, this guy's the prototypical wide receiver," Vermes told FanHouse. "You start talking about certain guys just because of their body makeup, and he has a lot of qualities that are very interesting for that (forward) position -- his size, his speed, the technical ability."
Bunbury scored 17 goals in his second and final season at the University of Akron, and tallied five in his rookie campaign in Kansas City last year (his first MLS goal is below). Vermes can use him in a variety of attacking positions, both leading the line and playing behind the strikers.
His transition from club and high school ball to Akron, from Akron to MLS and from MLS to the national team has appeared almost seamless. Bunbury even felt comfortable during a practice stint with English Premier League club Stoke City in December, scoring in a reserve team match.
The modern player is confident yet humble. He's comfortable with a ball and can anticipate the demands of each subsequent level. He has the skill, the long-term vision and the temperament to succeed.
"You attribute that to his professionalism at a very young age," Vermes said. "He's an extremely mature kid. He has a great work ethic. He comes to training every day to be the best, and it's just inside him. He's always realistic. Sometimes, athletes -- we've all been there -- what happens is you wind up being a little bit unrealistic, a little delusional when you do a little self evaluation.
"He's not that way at all. He's 100 percent a very good evaluator of his performance. That really helps his development. He can move on and build and work on certain aspects of his game. You can talk about it and he'll pay attention. You can spend time after practice working on different aspects.
"Because of that you can really indoctrinate yourself not only into a team, but into another level because people are willing to work with you and give you the benefit of the opportunities that are out there. He's just taking advantage of it."
Bunbury said the biggest jump was from college to Kansas City. "The speed of play was my biggest thing to adjust to, but granted, I think I adjusted to it quickly," he told FanHouse.
As far as getting comfortable with the national team, he credited Bradley's candor and renowned attention to detail for helping him plot his path.
"He's very meticulous. He's really clear on details and things like that," Bunbury said. "He's just always really, the few times I've been in camps and stuff, just trying to keep me grounded, give me things to work on. I still have a lot to learn and he's always trying to focus on different things to help me improve my game as much as possible."
Such as?
"He just wanted me personally to work on my opening runs, giving myself an extra yard from the defender and get the ball facing the goal, was his biggest thing, He wanted me to work on just keeping my head up and just staying focused."
They'll have grown up with professional coaching in the youth and college ranks and a viable and competitive domestic league. They'll be monitored by an ambitious and well-organized national team program (or two) committed to player identification, and they'll benefit from the trailblazers who ensured that the American player will be considered and respected abroad.
It's the start of a virtuous circle that, hopefully, will produce players more athletic and more mature than their predecessors, and more moments like the one at the Home Depot Center.
That road also will have forks, and those options present a different kind of pressure. New clubs will come calling, and many players will be eligible for more than one passport.
Bunbury's first foray into the headlines came last November, when he accepted Bradley's invitation to join the senior side for the friendly against South Africa. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Bunbury had followed in his father's footsteps and played for Canada's under-17 and under-20 teams.
Then Bradley called, and offered him the chance to make his own name for a team that had qualified for six consecutive World Cups.
According to Vermes, it was not a very tough decision.
"I felt as if he was leaning toward the United States, and at the same time he also wanted to respect the fact this his dad played for Canada," the coach told FanHouse. "He realized that he's got to live his own professional career, and I think he realized that a lot of the things he wants to achieve can lie with the United states team. It wasn't a selfish thing on his part at all. He just wanted to give himself the opportunity to play in the best competition he could."
Those offended by Bunbury's switch may have missed to important elements. The first was that Teal left Canada at the age of two, when his father signed with West Ham. When he returned to North America eight years later, the family settled in Minnesota. It was there that Bunbury went to high school. It was there where he began to feel American.
The second was that by playing for his adopted country, he did follow in his father's footsteps. Alex sought greater opportunity in Canada, and his son would do the same in the U.S.
"He's got my back 100 percent no matter what decision I would have made. He's happy with whatever decision I make. It was the right one, and I wanted to make it. He didn't want to pressure me," Bunbury said.
He addressed it like an adult. He addressed it with mature perspective.
"The fans and the media kind of blow it out of proportion and get carried away with it. Ultimately it's the player's decision on his future," he told FanHouse, shortly after the conclusion of the European transfer window featured scenes of Liverpool fans burning their Fernando Torres jerseys.
Torres was purchased for millions from Atl�tico Madrid and sold for millions to Chelsea. Bunbury argued that in the business of modern soccer, loyalty is far more nuanced.
"Obviously every player is going to try and stay as loyal as possible, but when it comes down to it you have to provide for your family and do what's best for you in your professional career. But that's the day and age we're in now and people are just exploiting things differently," he said.
"People are entitled to their opinions and their decisions. I guess I have to deal with it. I'm very honored and blessed with the decision I made and the opportunities I've been given, and I'm going to just continue to do what I can to make myself a better person on and off the field. I can't really please everybody."
Bunbury wants to play in Europe. It's been a dream of his since he followed his father there. But he knows that will come if he makes good on his commitment to Kansas City. It's a club that, thanks to a new stadium and rising profile, will provide a legitimate platform for him to showcase his abilities.
It's a city where he's already been embraced. A Sporting spokesman said that Bunbury has never refused a media request and has, along with good friend Kei Kamara, set an admirable standard for his interaction with fans on Twitter.
Those fans responded with their designs for the "Boonbooree" t-shirt that the club has been selling on its website. In about two weeks, Bunbury had progressed from national team camp hopeful to meme to fashion statement. It's a modern story about a player equipped to shape it. It's a story that's just beginning.
"I'm a bit more reserved, but I think it's good, bringing more attention to Sporting Kansas City, having a little contest with the shirt," he said. "I'm grateful and very humbled by it. I'm not a guy to go out and promote myself and things like that. I'm very honored that people have taken the time."
At this rate, Bunbury will continue to attract attention. There certainly is no guarantee of success, as the news that he may have dislocated his elbow in a Tuesday scrimmage attests. But there is no question that he possesses the tools required. He is at the vanguard of what could be a profound change in the way American soccer players are forged and followed.
"For right now I'm really happy with where I'm at," he said. "But I'm always looking forward."
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Michael Bisping showed off an impressive, well-rounded offensive arsenal against Jorge Rivera at UFC 127, using a combination of takedowns and punches to win a second-round technical knockout.The fight was the culmination of a rivalry between Bisping and Rivera that included bad blood and harsh trash talk from both fighters over the last few weeks, including Bisping spewing a homophobic slur toward Rivera at the weigh-in. After the fight Bisping and Rivera appeared to have some more harsh words for each other, as did their respective corner men. But they eventually exchanged a hug, and Bisping said he was sorry in his post-fight interview.
"I just want to apologize," Bisping said afterward. "He touched a nerve and I'm a sensitive guy."
For the rest of the first round it was Bisping who was getting the better end of the striking exchanges, and he also secured another takedown. Bisping deserved to win the round 10-9, so with the point deduction it was a 9-9 round.
At the start of the second round Rivera rocked Bisping with a big right hand, and it looked like Rivera might bounce back. But after that one big punch, it was all Bisping: The Brit started battering Rivera with punches and eventually knocked Rivera down with a hard right hand and then unleashed a couple more punches on the ground before the referee stopped the fight, awarding Bisping the technical knockout victory.
The win improves Bisping's record to 20-4. Rivera falls to 19-8.
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UFC 127 Fight Night Photos
Jon Fitch strikes BJ Penn at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Tiequan Zhang submits Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt punches Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Chris Tuchscherer leaves the Octagon bloody at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Duke Snider, the Hall of Fame center fielder for the charmed "Boys of Summer'' who helped the Dodgers bring their elusive and only World Series crown to Brooklyn, died early Sunday of what his family called natural causes. He was 84.Snider died at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, Calif., according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which announced the death on behalf of the family.
"The Duke of Flatbush'' hit .295 with 407 career home runs, played in the World Series six times and won two titles. But the eight-time All-Star was defined by much more than his stats -- he was, after all, part of the love affair between the borough of Brooklyn and "Dem Bums'' who lived in the local neighborhoods.
Ebbets Field was filled with stars such as Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges during that 1955 championship season. Yet it is Snider's name that refrains in the ballpark favorite "Talkin' Baseball.''
"Willie, Mickey, and the Duke,'' the popular song goes.
Snider wore No. 4 in Dodger blue, and was often regarded as the third-best center fielder in New York -- behind Willie Mays of the Giants and Mickey Mantle of the Yankees -- during what many fans considered the city's golden era of baseball.
"The newspapers compared Willie, Mickey and I, and that was their thing,'' Snider said several years ago. "As a team, we competed with the Giants, and we faced the Yankees in the World Series. So we had a rivalry as a team, that was it. It was an honor to be compared to them, they were both great players.''
Mantle died in 1995 at age 63. Mays, now 79, threw out a ceremonial ball last fall before a playoff game in San Francisco.
Snider hit at least 40 home runs in five straight seasons and led the NL in total bases three times. He never won an MVP award, although a voting error may have cost him the prize in 1955. He lost to Campanella by a very narrow margin -- it later turned out an ill voter left Snider off the ballot, supposedly by mistake.
Snider hit .309 with 42 home runs and a career-high 136 RBI in 1955. That October, he hit four homers, drove in seven runs and hit .320 as the Dodgers beat the Yankees in a seven-game World Series.
For a team that kept preaching "Wait till next year'' after Series losses to the Yankees in 1953, 1952, 1949, 1947 and 1941, it had indeed become next year. A generation later, long after they'd all grown old, those Dodgers were lauded as the "Boys of Summer'' in Roger Kahn's book.
Born Edwin Donald Snider, he got his nickname at an early age. Noticing his son return home from a game with somewhat of a strut, Snider's dad said, "Here comes the Duke.''
The name stuck. So did Snider, once he played his first game in the majors in 1947, two days after Jackie Robinson's historic debut.
A durable slugger with a strong arm, good instincts on the bases and a regal style, Snider hit the last home run at Ebbets Field in 1957.
Snider's swing gave the Dodgers a lefty presence on a team of mostly righties. He often launched shots over the short right-field wall at the Brooklyn bandbox, rewarding a waiting throng that gathered on Bedford Avenue.
"The Duke's up,'' fans in the upper deck would shout to those on the street.
A wild swinger, Snider was harnessed by Branch Rickey, who made him practice standing at home plate with a bat on his shoulder calling balls and strikes but forbidden to swing.
Snider stayed with the Dodgers when they moved to Los Angeles in 1958 and won another World Series ring the next year. Prematurely gray, "The Silver Fox'' returned to New York with the bumbling Mets in 1963 and finished his career in 1964 with the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers' longtime rivals.
Snider was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1980 on his 11th try. He was a broadcaster for the Montreal Expos for several seasons -- he played in the city as a minor leaguer in the Brooklyn farm system -- and later was an announcer with the Dodgers.
In 1995, Snider pleaded guilty to federal tax charges and was sentenced to two years' probation and fined $5,000. He admitted not reporting more than $97,000 in cash from autograph signings, card shows and memorabilia sales.
Snider was sentenced at the Brooklyn federal courthouse, a few miles from where he had starred. The judge said Snider had been "publicly disgraced and humiliated ... here in Brooklyn, where you were idolized by a generation ... of which I was one.''
Snider apologized for his actions. He said he began making autograph appearances because he had little in savings and had made several bad business decisions. The judge said Snider paid nearly $30,000 in back taxes and noted he had diabetes, hypertension and other illnesses.
A native Californian, Snider became part of Brooklyn's fabric during his playing days.
"I was born in Los Angeles,'' he once said. "Baseball-wise, I was born in Brooklyn. We lived with Brooklyn. We died with Brooklyn.''
The Duke, however, had some early problems with the boisterous Brooklyn fans.
Once, in the early 1950s, he was quoted as calling them the worst in the game. He came to the park after the quote was published and was greeted with a chorus of boos. But he enjoyed one of his better nights, and silenced the fans for good.
"The fans were something.'' Snider said. "They were so close to you. You got to know them, some of them by name.''
During his playing career, Snider became an avocado farmer. He lived many years in Fallbrook, Calif., which calls itself "the avocado capital of the world.''
He is survived by his wife, Beverly, whom he married in 1947.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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Charlie Davies is ready to be a grown-up. He's ready to be a role model.The man whose life changed forever when he skipped out on national team curfew (less than 48 hours before a World Cup qualifier) and got into an SUV with a woman who'd been drinking now wants to be the player to whom others turn for guidance.
He's hoping to get that chance with D.C. United, which is trialing the 24-year-old striker in Florida. If Davies can demonstrate that he's able to contribute, the MLS club will acquire him on a year-long loan from Sochaux.
Naturally, he hopes those contributions show up on the scoreboard.
"I think as far as on the field just to show that I'm back, as far as being physically able to contribute and be the player that I was before," he said during a Friday conference call when FanHouse asked what he hoped to show United during his tryout.
"Whether that's using my speed, creating chances, scoring goals -- all of the above -- that I do. That's just being out there and and being the player that I am."
But Davies also wants to make an impact that can't be quantified.
It's certainly fair to say that he's engaged in some impetuous behavior over the past 16 months. From that fateful and fatal night in Washington, to the comments and tweets that created rifts with both Sochaux and U.S. coach Bob Bradley last spring, and to the October incident where he lied to French traffic cops in order to protect a speeding teammate, Davies hasn't always taken the mature and professional path.
He implied Friday that he's ready to do that now, telling FanHouse that he wants to offer his leadership and new-found wisdom to his teammates.
"It's just being the guy (who) guys can go to with questions, and obviously helping out guys on the field and off the field."
Davies is an unknown quantity in both places. Obviously, no one is sure whether he can perform consistently at a professional level.
He was "out of favor" at Sochaux, D.C. coach Ben Olsen told MLS's ExtraTime Radio, and Davies acknowledged during the Friday call that, "Do I need to improve on different things? Of course. I haven't played in a year at a high level, in a competitive match, so I still have to progress."
Olsen and his staff will have a sense by the end of next week how far Davies has come as a soccer player.
Should he stick with United, we'll all have the chance to see his evolution as a person.
He admitted his culpability in the events leading to the October 2009 accident that left one woman dead and Davies' body shattered, and expressed his appreciation for the memorable show of support from Washington fans two nights later as the U.S. took on Costa Rica.
"It's not the city that made the mistake that night, it was me. It was a bad decision, but the fans there are unbelievable ... and I'd love to have the chance and the opportunity to play in front of them and make things happen," he said.
Taking responsibility for your actions -- that shows some genuine adult perspective.
Davies offered some more toward the end of the call, responding to a question from FanHouse about how he has trained and behaved differently since the accident.
"Of course when you go through something like I went through, extra training is normal. Every day, if there's doubles, you're doing triples. If (there's) singles, you're doing double. I've put in the work to get to where I am now. I know it's not going to stop," he said.
"You can't take things for granted anymore. I think it's one of the biggest things I've learned. I wake up every day and I'm so thankful I can go out and put on my boots and play with the ball and play with my teammates. I look at it, if you can go out and do it, you go out and do it to the fullest. I think in that sense, there's no limit to where I can work and where I can get to."
Olsen said he's going to hold Davies to a high standard, that he needs a striker who can contribute immediately, and that he hasn't been in touch with anyone at Sochaux regarding the player's health. It's all on the line for Davies over the course of the next week.
The coach did say, however, that Davies' "intangibles are very good."
He's needed them to get over the trauma of the crash, and through the disappointment of missing the World Cup and the rigorous rehabilitation and training that's brought him to the verge of an MLS contract.
He'll need them going forward as well, to make good on his Friday promise to be team leader and to prove that he's become a person who can make the right decisions. That sort of player is far easier to cheer for.
Here are highlights from United's Friday intra-squad scrimmage:
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Or was it? We'll get to that later.
The news was that NASCAR, in a major break from the stock cars of 1948, finally decided to adopt fuel injection for its racing engines, replacing the venerable (and largely obsolete) carburetors, the primary device for mixing air and fuel on internal combustion engines since the dawn of time.
Problem is, all cars manufactured for street use in the United States (and just about everywhere else) began widespread of fuel injection in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The last factory-for-sale car to use a carburetor was a single model of the Subaru in 1991.
NASCAR's insistence on carburetor use was therefore mystifying, and evidence of the widening chasm between NASCAR and "stock" cars. Every other major form of motorsport uses some type of computerized mix-and-inject.
In fact, only one company makes the kind of carburetors used in NASCAR racing. The carbs therefore are pricey and require extensive machining in the team shops to make them work in specific applications.
NASCAR engine men and owners, and Detroit designers and execs, had worried NASCAR for 20 or 30 years to make such a change. NASCAR's explanation, directly from then garage chief Gary Nelson, was that anything electronic could be cheated ? NASCAR's tacit way of saying its people weren't smart enough to handle it.
The hard parts of a fuel injection system are, really, simpler than a carburetor. It consists of a fuel rail from the pump, with branches to an injector at each cylinder.
(On the other side, no one really knows how a carburetor works. Maybe I'm serious, maybe I'm not. It's a collection of tiny holes, floats, plates, cams, levers and rods, blessed by an archbishop and consecrated to its purpose.)
Let's step back a minute for a primer. What burns in the engine's combustion chambers is a mixture of air and fuel. Gasoline needs oxygen in order to burn. So in order to create an explosion in the cylinders, it's necessary to mix fuel and air.
(One very smart engine man once described an engine to me as an "air pump", and that's really all you need to know.)
From 1900 to 1980, the best available way to mix air and fuel was through a carburetor, which brought the air and fuel together in what amounted to a mixing valve, combining the two at a ratio of about 15:1.
The real black magic of a carburetor was in the ways it managed four or five separate circuits ? an idle circuit, a high-load circuit, a cold circuit, and so on. In a fuel-injection system, all these functions are simplified and controlled by the engine control unit (ECU), the so-called "computer" in the modern engine.
The throttle is a plate which opens and closes depending on how far you press the gas pedal. In a carburetor, the throttle is downwind from where the fuel is mixed, and thus admits the mixture to the intake manifold.
In fuel injection, the throttle (gas pedal) controls the amount of air admitted to the system; the mixing is done later, just as the air enters the cylinder at each cylinder's intake valve. The ECU, via sensors, measures air volume and velocity, then signals the injector at each cylinder to admit the precise amount of fuel needed for the correct burn ratio.
The intake manifold, therefore, conducts only air ? not the final mixture.
The problem with a carbureted system is that once the mixture is throttled into the manifold, it's pretty much on its own. It is conducted by the manifold runners, one per cylinder, to the intake side of the combustion chambers. Some cylinders get more, some get less ? hence all the thought and expense in manifold design.
With fuel injection, the mixing, controlled by the ECU, is all done at the intake valve, ensuring that each cylinder gets an identical charge at each firing of its spark plug.
You got all that? OK then, let's move on.
Gary Nelson's fear, reflecting NASCAR's, was that teams would find ways to code the ECUs in ways that would evade NASCAR's detection; in other words, they'd cheat. But read carefully the wording of NASCAR's bulletin, and you'll see that what was announced was not fuel injection, but a way to control its use.
"The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today a historic technology partnership with Freescale Semiconductor and McLaren Electronic Systems to develop and integrate fuel injection systems into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, targeted for the 2012 season" the release revealed.
U.K.-based McLaren, of course, has been developing, building and presenting engines, systems and parts for top-tech racing engines for 50 years. McLaren will provide the hard parts for the NASCAR's proposed injection system.
Texas-based Freescale, an offshoot of Motorola in 2003, is the largest maker of ECU-type systems in the world; it also supplies systems for the likes of anti-lock brakes, air bags, and so on.
These two companies, in partnership with NASCAR and its teams, will develop and supply all fuel-injection components for the race teams.
Supposedly, the fail-safes are built in. The ECUs will work only with NASCAR-specific code in sealed units. Without the code, the engine will not start.
Hence, Gary Nelson's great fear will be handed off to people who really know how these things work.
So there. That's it in a small gray box. But is this the great leap forward many had hoped for?
Actually, it's about half a leap forward ? just enough to allow NASCAR room to wiggle if, for whatever reasons, the program doesn't work out.
Recall that Detroit, like NASCAR, had to be dragged screaming into the injection age, largely due to government restrictions on economy, emissions, and unleaded fuel. Fuel injection greatly increases fuel economy and carefully controls emissions to make them palatable to catalytic converters.
Detroit, however, had inventory and retooling matters to consider ? part of what normally cost the Big Three an average of three years from concept to showroom.
As a timid first step, Detroit's makers injected the fuel on the plenum side of the manifold ? sort of a glorified, computer-controlled carburetor.
This is what is called "port" injection. The injection system used on showroom cars, with the fuel injected at the intake valve, is called "direct" injection.
And what NASCAR has decided to do ? at least for now ? is port injection.
"This is not direct injection that we know today on production cars, but more of a port-injection style in the intake manifold runner, just down from the plenum chimney," said Doug Yates, chief of RoushYates Engines. "NASCAR has elected to start [there] on the first version of the fuel injection."
That leaves at least a door open. I asked Doug whether the software would be varied for different tracks, or whether NASCAR/McLaren/Freescale would hand out and pick up the ECUs for each race, much as NASCAR now does with restrictor plates. Again, he left a door open.
"We have a meeting in about three weeks to go through those questions, and we'll have more answers in the near future," Yates said. "As soon as we have more definition, we'll let you know."
Many had hoped that NASCAR, with injection, could do away with the much-despised restrictor plates. No, not so fast. Although McLaren and Freescale have more-than-adequate know-how to dump the plates for good, NASCAR apparently wants to keep some last-minute control in choking the engines.
"The plates are the easiest and most economical way because you govern the air flow," Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vp/competition, told reporter Ed Hinton.
Footnote here: NASCAR is very aware that some people actually like plate racing on the big tracks, with a pack of 40 cars sputtering by every 50 seconds.
The way it looks now, the plates, when needed, will be placed somewhere downstream of the air intake.
So there it is, some hybrid mutant of a fuel-injection system, provided by companies which could provide so much more, and turned partly to mush by the sanctioning body.
Here we had ? and likely still have ? an opportunity to bring NASCAR into technological harmony with actual stock cars ? much moreso than some common-template "Mustang" or "Camaro" will do ? a chance for racing truly to help improve the breed. But not yet.
So instead, I'll give NASCAR a B-minus for this one, maybe a B, depending on how quickly the cartel allows it to evolve.
It's a good start, fellows. You've got everything you need. Now go for it.
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AMSTERDAM ? With an exciting first US camp under his belt, Halmstads BK right back Ryan Miller is turning focus to preseason prep for the new Swedish top-flight campaign, with a view to better things ahead than last season's 12th-place disappointment.
After all, there are those rabid HBK supporters to cheer up. The four-time Swedish champs have a bit of a mighty mite rep around town.
"It's a small club, but it's the only small club in Sweden that's won a championship," Miller boasted to MLSsoccer.com by phone, in a fashion sure to make the home faithful proud. "The fans are a little bit spoiled for a small club, they expect big things. When we have seasons like last year, they can't stand it. You feel bad walking around town because you're letting them down."
There have been some changes in Halmstad, with aims on making sure grandstand faces aren't so long this year. The fans aren't the only ones paying to expect more this season. Fresh from a No. 2 job with Allsvenskan champs Malm� FF, Barcelona native Josep Clotet Ruiz has been brought in to sprinkle some f�tbol flavor into the local cuisine.
"They've gone out and got a new coach, a Spanish coach, so we have new philosophies and a new direction," said Miller.
The defender says Ruiz is still tinkering with his tactical recipe, but the manager is trying to instill a more free-flowing, skill-based style.
"We're not really sure how we're going to play," shrugged Miller. "We've experimented with all sorts of things in the preseason. I think the thing he wants to do is get the best 11 players on the field, and how they play is up to them. He wants everyone to use their creativity."
To help instill this new attitude, Ruiz has brought three Real Madrid reserve players over on loan. Miller says their presence is having the desired effect in the team so far, but it's too soon to consider them actual game-changers.
"When you get Spanish players, you know they're going to be very technical," said Miller. "They definitely encourage [skillful play] at training. They always want the ball at their feet, they always want to combine. They are young, so they've got a lot to learn, and they're small stepping into a physical league, so we'll see if they can make an impact right away."
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After earning a move up from second-flight Ljungskile, the 26-year-old Chicago area native saw the field for 26 of 33 league matches in his first season with Halmstads. He hopes for another step up one day, but doesn't expect it to come until he goes free next December.
"I've got two years left on my contract, so I have a while," said the Notre Dame alum. "I plan on playing out my two final years, and of course, I want to play at the highest level possible. If I can switch to a bigger venue, I'll do that. Scandinavia is a good window into Europe. There's always scouts at games. A lot of teams come here and grab players for cheap."
Miller came close to reaching the international level with his participation in this year's January USMNT camp. He did not get a cap at the end of it, but you won't catch the defender complaining any about the call-up.
He admits to being so stunned when the official email arrived from US Soccer that he first had to verify if it was real.
"It definitely took me by surprise," Miller laughed. "They hadn't [contacted me prior] and I didn't know how they went about it."
He knows how they go about things now, though. Boss man Bob Bradley was struggling with knee troubles throughout camp, but Miller assured that it never kept the coach from barking orders and encouragement.
"The experience was incredible," he declared. "The coaches are top-class. You can see how competitive [Bradley] is. He does a very good job of instructing people, even though he was limited physically. There was nothing that was going to stop him from doing what he does. And he was in pain, he was always in the training room."
With that influence now brought back to Sweden, Miller will start trying to earn his next US call when Halmstads open the 2011 season with an April 2 visit from Kalmar.
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February 22 2011 Last updated at 12:25 PM ET
Miami policeman John Wyche is committed to keeping residential streets clean of bad guys. Wyche is also committed to keeping residential trash cans and commercial garbage dumpsters clean of hazardous bacteria and fungi.Both can be dirty jobs but, hey, somebody's got to do them, right?
Wyche, a former collegiate and professional football player, loves both his jobs.
In fact, one led to another.
In October 2009, some local kids had spray painted a number of neighborhood cars. Sgt. Wyche, on duty the following morning in Sunny Isle, Fla. realized that garbage was scheduled for pickup. He figured the young culprits probably tossed their spray paint cans in a neighborhood dumpster for a clean and easy getaway.
More than 200 garbage cans and 40 dumpsters later, Wyche discovered the spray paint cans -- and a business idea.
"After digging through those garbage cans and dumpsters I came to the realization that nobody was cleaning these things, because I had a nasty smell in my nose for the following week," Wyche said and laughed.
Wyche researched his idea and discovered companies in the United Kingdom and California were offering similar services to their customers.
Wyche was determined to do it better, and today his company -- TrashCo -- cleans residential garbage cans and commercial dumpsters all across south Florida. Better yet, Wyche says, the cleaning materials are green, environmentally compliant and effective.
Wyche's ultimate goal is to provide his service to trash and waste companies and customers throughout the United States. He also wants to help educate customers and businesses on the dangers of containers that are infested with flies, maggots, ants, insects and harmful germs and bacteria.
"People think that garbage cans just stink, but it can be much worse," Wyche explained.
Wyche said in recent testing by his business, seven different hazardous bacteria and fungi were identified in randomly tested residential trash cans and commercial garbage dumpsters.
Once a month and on the same day trash is collected, one of Wyche's technicians pressure washes, sanitizes and deodorizes area garbage cans, recycling bins, dumpsters and compactors.
Wyche, 42, had no idea one of his professions would be garbage.
He was a three-year starter (1987-90) at FSU, and many Seminole fans remember the horrific leg injury he sustained on kickoff coverage. Wyche, a starter at strong safety, broke his leg "in seven wonderful places" and still can't wiggle his toes due to the nerve damage he sustained.
Following FSU, Wyche signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers and played one season for the Birmingham Fire in the World League of American Football. He returned to Tallahassee, Fla. and worked in banking for four years before he decided to join law enforcement, moving to Miami more than 10 years ago.
Wyche keeps a close eye on his beloved Seminoles and tries to remain in touch with former teammates. While Wyche can't believe how quickly time has passed since his playing days, he has plenty to keep him busy with three children and two careers.
Wyche wants to make a difference and keep Miami streets clean.
February 28 2011 Last updated at 12:17 AM ET
If you're like the rest of us at FanHouse, you can't wait for the season to begin, but we've got you covered until opening day arrives.
It's the FanHouse 15, a countdown of the 15 most talked about, blogged about, tweeted about, sensational stars of America's pastime.
Who will be number one?
The list continues with No. 2, the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez.
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GrindTV NEWSWIRE via Maloof Money Cup- Today, a new world record was set. Aldrin Garcia landed a 45" high ollie in the finals of the Maloof High Ollie Challenge claiming the $10,000 cash prize and unseating Danny Wainwright who has held the world record of 44.5 inches since 2000. Garcia also beat out pros including Torey Pudwill, Levi Brown, Luis Tolentino, Steve Nesser, Austyn Gillette and Anthony Schultz.
Held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center as part of the new Ride Unltd...
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Those two words came to me every time I thought about what to write on a touchy subject, and I'll admit to some reservation in writing it at all.
Arguing with aggrieved NASCAR fans is like trying to explain something to your ex-wife -- you cant win.
Another quote brings it closer to home. Former world champion Jackie Stewart recalled a pre-season drivers meeting in the 1970s and looking around and wondering, en brogue, "which of these men I wouldn't see at next year's meeting."
Yes, friends, the possibility of death on the track loomed large then, and before, not just in Grand Prix racing but in midget and sprint-car shows in the Tommy Hinnerschitz days. The Nurburgring, that 16-mile monstrosity through the German forests, was billed as the world's most lethal track. Anyone remember Langhorne Speedway, outside Philadelphia? Bill Vuckovich? Eddie Sachs?
The now-gone Indianapolis News annually published the "official" record book of the 500-Mile Race. On a full page in the back was "Died at the Speedway", a list that included not only drivers and crewmen but spectators and innocent bystanders.
The most moving moment before any Indy 500 is the playing of "Taps." The tune began as sort of a lights-out signal during the Civil War. Through time, it became a salute to fallen heroes, a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice. Something about "Taps" brings a respectful hush to the quarter-million people in the stands, and the 33 drivers ready to risk it all on the bricks.
To sum it up, danger and death always have circled motor tracks with the racers -- a dark presence just over the horizon, a devil that could rise and strike at any time. And, without getting too Hemingway, and whether the customers admit it or not, that is some large part of the appeal of any sport that crosses the edge of safety.
Don't get me wrong. I don't want to see anyone die. I've seen a few fatal racing wrecks, and you find yourself surprised how the effect of death diminishes the more of it you see.
We call our racers heroes, but every hero will tell you there's no such thing as a hero. I saw my duty and did it, they say, or anybody else would have done the same thing, or, as blinded Peter Griffin said before fainting, "That place was on fire?"
To most of us, speed is dangerous. To racers, it's just part of the game. The object of the game is to win the race, and he who goes fastest is likeliest to win. How many times have you heard a racer say, You don't notice the speed until you hit something.
But let's get real here. Speed kills. Yes, the racers say, you could die falling out of bed in the morning. Yes, he died doing what he loved to do. Blah, blah, blah. That's how racers -- men not noted for their description skills -- rationalize death and danger.
But the customers want to see heroes, and hence they want to see danger, and hence, deep down, they understand that amid all the noise and color and finish-line action and parking-lot cookouts, they want to see men step willingly over that line.
What they've done though, as have (to a lesser degree) the moguls of the NFL, is to move the edge of danger outward, out past a limit where mere games end and true heroism kicks in.
The idea for this commentary came to me during football season, when it hit home that modern NFL football isn't football the way I remember it. The NFL delivers a good product, with suspenseful games and well-matched teams for the most part. But the latest regs on hitting -- when and on whom and on what parts of the body -- have sissified the game. The old Jim Brown/Dick Butkus/Johnny Unitas kind of football is gone.
As I say, I don't want to see anyone die, or be badly hurt. Soft walls, improved seats, HANS restraints, and yes, even some of the safety aspects of the "car of tomorrow" (such as moving the driver toward the center of the vehicle and away from the doors) certainly have kept many drivers healthy and ready to race another day. I'm all for it.
On the other hand, NASCAR continues to worry about declines in ratings and attendance, and it constantly tinkers with the product (such phony devices as green-white-checkers and the like) to keep tension in the game.
What they've done though, as have (to a lesser degree) the moguls of the NFL, is to move the edge of danger outward, out past a limit where mere games end and true heroism kicks in.
Heroism, no matter what the heroes tell you, comes from looking death in the eye and staring it down. In its essence, it's a long, cold-blooded look, as between a hunting dog and a bear, with no attempt by either side to laugh it off or make light of it.
Racers accept it, although part of their defense is in a simple "it won't happen to me." They believe this, and that settles it.
But from time to time, they all have to face it. Mark Martin, one of the true old pros, has been taking these kinds of risks all his life. He recalled once in the early 1990s at Talladega. His car was put out of control at 200mph and skidded toward a narrow gap between two concrete wall abutments. "I knew I was going to die," said Martin, who does not talk this way very often. He and his car made it through the gap with a couple inches to spare on either side.
Really, the way the cars race these days, there is far more excitement inside the cockpits than is apparent from the
grandstands. "You think this is boring?" Michael Waltrip asked the press after a particularly boring race a few years ago. "Then try driving it."
True. Listening to driver descriptions of the two-car push-packs at Daytona last week brought that back to mind. The fastest way to go was to nose up under the bumper of a car in front of you, thus neatly cutting a 40-car field into a field of 20 racing unities.
The problem was that the driver behind could not see in front of him and therefore had to rely entirely on his spotter to tell him what was ahead of the car in front. You couldn't get me to do that at 60 mph, much less 200.
The great Earnhardt put his finger exactly on it in one of his frequent protests against restricted racing. "Move the stands back, take the plates off, and let us race," he'd say. Bill Elliott would say that 230 or 240 mph probably was the limit of coordination in a "stock" car, but drag racers would scoff at that, at least for a quarter-mile. It's not just speed that makes heroes.
No, it's that spectre, that dark-robed figure who may or may not be present every time they drop the green flag.
NASCAR, and everyone else has debated the apparent sag in the popularity of motorsport, which peaked in the late 1990s. Some point to the economy, some say the death of Earnhardt, some believe it has to do with the retirement of some of the older heroes and the present group of colorless players.
(Colorless? What more color do you need than Kevin Harvick, say, or Kyle Busch?)
Racers look for the edge and sometimes cross it. The customers also tread a fine line. When racing is just another game, do we take it as seriously? Do you like it fine, what it's become? Or ...
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In a surprising lightweight result in Sydney, Dennis Siver won a unanimous decision over Australia's own George Sotiropoulos at UFC 127.It was a very good fight that Siver won on the judges' scorcards by scores of 29-28, 30-28 and 30-27, improving his professional record to 18-7. Sotiropoulos falls to 14-3, and snaps an eight-fight winning streak.
"It was a hard, hard fight, but I could (follow) my game plan, and that's why I won," the German Siver said afterward, through his translator. "We trained so much every day."
When Siver wouldn't go down, it seemed to frustrate Sotiropoulos, and then Siver came through with some powerful punches, knocking Sotiropoulos down twice. Sotiropoulos was dazed and wobbly, and it looked like Siver was going to put him away, but Sotiropoulos managed to survive the round.
In the second round Siver did a great job of using his striking to create separation between the two of them, and Sotiropoulos had trouble getting close enough to go for a takedown. And when Sotiropoulos did go for a takedown, Siver just shrugged him off. In the final minute Sotiropoulos finally started to take control as Siver looked like he was fading, but I gave the second round to Siver.
The third round was a back-and-forth battle in which both men landed plenty of shots, although Siver's seemed more powerful. Sotiropoulos attempted several takedowns but never got the fight to the ground. When the third round ended neither fighter seemed to have a feeling for whether he had won. But all three judges agreed it was Siver's fight. I thought so, too. It was a great showing for Siver, who followed the perfect game plan.
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UFC 127 Fight Night Photos
Jon Fitch strikes BJ Penn at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Daniel Herbertson, FanHouse
Tiequan Zhang submits Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Tiequan Zhang celebrates his submission win over Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt punches Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Mark Hunt drills Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Chris Tuchscherer leaves the Octagon bloody at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Curt Warburton ground and pounds Maciej Jewtuszko at UFC 127 on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
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