(Apparently, you don’t f*ck with a union spurned.)
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 — the group that is battling Station Casinos to unionize its hotel and casino workers — launched a new salvo against the casino’s owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who also own a majority stake in the UFC and Strikeforce yesterday by firing off a letter of complaint to Federal Trade Commission Director Richard Feinstein in which they request that the FTC launch an investigation against Zuffa for what they deem as “a violation of anti-trust laws.”
According to the complaint, sent to CagePotato.com today by the union, Zuffa’s practices of buying out the competition like they did with PRIDE, the WEC, WFA and Strikeforce, their institution of champion’s clauses, automatic contract renewal clauses and guaranteed first negotiation periods in fighters’ contracts, their control of fighter image and likeness rights in perpetuity and their refusal to co-promote all put artificial restraints on athlete movement, depress pay and stifle competition.
(Apparently, you don’t f*ck with a union spurned.)
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 — the group that is battling Station Casinos to unionize its hotel and casino workers — launched a new salvo against the casino’s owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who also own a majority stake in the UFC and Strikeforce yesterday by firing off a letter of complaint to Federal Trade Commission Director Richard Feinstein in which they request that the FTC launch an investigation against Zuffa for what they deem as “a violation of anti-trust laws.”
According to the complaint, sent to CagePotato.com today by the union, Zuffa’s practices of buying out the competition like they did with PRIDE, the WEC, WFA and Strikeforce, their institution of champion’s clauses, automatic contract renewal clauses and guaranteed first negotiation periods in fighters’ contracts, their control of fighter image and likeness rights in perpetuity and their refusal to co-promote all put artificial restraints on athlete movement, depress pay and stifle competition.
It’s worth noting that this is the same union that financially supported Bob Reilly’s re-election campaign in New York and who has been feeding the oblivious State Assemblyman lines about the Fertittas and Zuffa being sinister entities. There’s a pretty good chance they are angling at getting the FTC to force the sport to adopt a fighters union as well, but time will tell.
The CWU, who are a branch of the Unite Here group of unions that represent hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, and airport workers in the U.S. and Canada, are asking that the FTC begin a thorough investigation into Zuffa’s contravention of the FTC Act which “prohibits unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce.”
(An artist’s rendering of how Bob Reilly depicted New York would look if MMA was legalized)
Well, supporters put up a valiant fight, but in the end New York State once again cock-blocked the bill to legalize MMA again for another year.
The sad thing is, that bill S1707A never really had a fighting chance once it hit the Ways & Means Committee, where it would stall as the current Senate’s session ended Monday. Last week the Committee’s chairman, Denny Farrell, D-Manhattan, told Politics on the Hudson that he was “looking at” the bill, but admitted he was not a mixed-martial arts fan.
“I don’t think very much of the sport,” Farrell said. “Next we’ll give them clubs with spikes on the end; that will be good.”
(An artist’s rendering of how Bob Reilly depicted New York would look if MMA was legalized)
Well, supporters put up a valiant fight, but in the end New York State once again cock-blocked the bill to legalize MMA again for another year.
The sad thing is, that bill S1707A never really had a fighting chance once it hit the Ways & Means Committee, where it would stall as the current Senate’s session ended Monday. Last week the Committee’s chairman, Denny Farrell, D-Manhattan, told Politics on the Hudson that he was “looking at” the bill, but admitted he was not a mixed-martial arts fan.
“I don’t think very much of the sport,” Farrell said. “Next we’ll give them clubs with spikes on the end; that will be good.”
Good to know Bob Reilly isn’t the only oblivious asshole Democrat in New York Senate.
Well, they say bad things come in threes, and this is the third consecutive year that MMA legalization has been shot down in The Empire State, so hopefully next year. If not, there’s a Senate election slated for November of next year. Vote accordingly.
We know from experience that dealing with government types is shady business, but when idiots like Bob Reilly continue to distort the truth and screw with the livelihoods of countless people in the process, it starts to grate on our nerves.
Reilly was front and centre in the news today telling anyone who would listen that, like he’s been saying for weeks, the MMA legalization bill in New York likely won’t make it to the Assembly floor for a vote because there isn’t enough interest or support for the bill.
“If something does not have the votes to pass, we don’t bother taking it to the floor,” Reilly said.
So rather than prove there isn’t any underhandedness in deciding whether or not there really isn’t enough support for the bill by putting the issue to a vote, the opposition Democrats like Reilly and Speaker Sheldon Silver are likely to stall the bill in the Assembly’s Ways & Means Committee. That kids, is how a bill doesn’t become a law.
(Video courtesy YouTube/StocktonHeyBuddy)
We know from experience that dealing with government types is shady business, but when idiots like Bob Reilly continue to distort the truth and screw with the livelihoods of countless people in the process, it starts to grate on our nerves.
Reilly was front and centre in the news today telling anyone who would listen that, like he’s been saying for weeks, the MMA legalization bill in New York likely won’t make it to the Assembly floor for a vote because there isn’t enough interest or support for the bill.
“If something does not have the votes to pass, we don’t bother taking it to the floor,” Reilly said.
So rather than prove there isn’t any underhandedness in deciding whether or not there really isn’t enough support for the bill by putting the issue to a vote, the opposition Democrats like Reilly and Speaker Sheldon Silver are likely to stall the bill in the Assembly’s Ways & Means Committee. That kids, is how a bill doesn’t become a law.
The bill didn’t even make it onto the Committee’s agenda Thursday, and with time quickly running out for the current session, Reilly is probably high-fiving his cronies as he waits for the inevitable to occur. If the bill isn’t voted on by Monday, it’s another year without MMA in the Empire State.
“All we want up here is a vote,” said Marc Ratner, the UFC’s Vice President of Governmental and Legislative Affairs. “We want it to get to the floor, and let the members vote on it.”
According to the bill’s sponsor, Democrat Assemblyman Steve Englebright, legalizing the sport will mean an economic boom for the State.
“The state is missing out on the revenue which we could use for many other things that we need this year, such as funding for our schools, universities, libraries,” Englebright explained.
Reilly, of course, puts a different spin on it.
“We are trying to eradicate violence in this state, not approve it,” said Reilly. “This is very harmful to the fighters, this is not going to bring money into the state.”
Next on Reilly’s agenda will be having movies, television, video games, hunting, boxing, hockey, football and pro-wrestling banned from New York.
(“What about the Craftmatic adjustable bed we bought you, Bob?!!”)
Well, the MMA legalization bill in New York just passed through yet another hoop today. A04146A was approved by a vote of 17-1 by the State Assembly’s Codes Committee. Insiders estimate that’s as close as it will get to becoming a law, however, since the next vote will be chaired by vehement MMA opposer, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in the Ways & Means Committee.
(“What about the Craftmatic adjustable bed we bought you, Bob?!!”)
Well, the MMA legalization bill in New York just passed through yet another hoop today. A04146A was approved by a vote of 17-1 by the State Assembly’s Codes Committee. Insiders estimate that’s as close as it will get to becoming a law, however, since the next vote will be chaired by vehement MMA opposer, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in the Ways & Means Committee.
Still, the UFC is pulling out all the stops in a last ditch effort to persuade Assembly voters to jump on the MMA bandwagon. UFC vice president of regulatory affairs, Marc Ratner is in New York meeting with legislators in an attempt to educate those who might be sitting on the fence due to safety concerns, that MMA’s safeguards are as good if not better than other mainstream sports.
UFC president Dana White penned the following open letter to New York residents that was featured in a full page of today’s New York Daily News:
“If you’ve paid any attention to mixed martial arts over the past decade, you know the sport has exploded. It has the highest pay-per-view numbers of any sporting event, is broadcast on numerous cable, satellite and network television stations, enjoys mainstream sponsorships and has a large and diverse fan base. It is sanctioned in 45 of 48 U.S. states that have athletic commissions and across Canada and Australia.
Unfortunately, MMA fans in New York are forced to enjoy the sport from afar. Here in New York, MMA is totally banned.
It’s long past time to overturn that prohibition. It’s a safe and respectable sport that’s every bit as legitimate as boxing or professional football.
I won’t pretend to be objective. I run the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the single most popular MMA promotion company. While I think that our fans here in New York and the city would profit immensely from legalization, it will also certainly affect my bottom line.
But the benefits go far beyond my business. Bringing MMA to New York would make public policy sense in a city and state that need jobs and tax revenue badly.
I understand some people think no amount of economic activity is worth selling the state’s soul – and some people insist that MMA is simply too brutal to allow. But MMA is completely different from the spectacle New York legislators banned back in the 1990s.
When MMA first came to the United States, it was modeled after a Brazilian sport known as vale tudo – “anything goes.” Its early days were marked by a distinct lack of strong regulation – no weight classes, no time limits and no rules.
In 2001, MMA reinvented itself. The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were written and adopted by the leading regulatory bodies working closely with promoters, including the UFC. The rules include provisions for weight classes, rounds and time limits. Dangerous maneuvers are totally outlawed. In the UFC, we have multiple ringside doctors at every fight, mandatory pre- and post-fight MRIs, comprehensive drug testing and a competitive atmosphere.
If a fighter gets a concussion, he is forced to sit out of matches and training for a mandatory period determined by the regulatory body overseeing the event. No other professional sport has such strict concussion rules.
All of those changes have produced two incredibly positive results: First, no athlete has suffered a serious injury in the history of UFC – nothing beyond a broken bone. Second, the sport has gained worldwide popularity and firmly established itself as the fastest-growing sport in the country.
At this point, it’s very odd that New York would allow and even celebrate a sport like football, in which people have experienced serious and lasting physical injuries, and cling to the fiction that MMA is legalized assault.
How successful would the sport be here? We got a taste a few weeks ago. A fight at the Rogers Centre in Toronto brought in ticket sales at the gate of more than $12 million – the largest for any event ever held at the arena. The sellout crowd of more than 55,000 – bigger than when an NFL game was held there – poured in to the city early and stayed late, purchasing arena concessions, staying in hotel rooms, dining at restaurants and taking taxis.
I am positive that an event in New York would have the same kind of success. While Madison Square Garden is obviously a pinnacle for any sport, we have a large fan base in cities like Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester and Albany, all of which could use the economic lift.
We commissioned an economic impact study to demonstrate how much revenue one of our events would generate for the State of New York. The study, by HR & A, found that sanctioning MMA in New York City would generate more than $23 million in net new economic activity. In Buffalo, an event would generate $5.2 million in economic activity.
Those figures assume only two UFC events, and we estimate we could do as many as three per year in New York State.
Little wonder momentum is growing to overturn the ban. The state Senate recently voted overwhelmingly to sanction mixed martial arts and the Assembly’s tourism committee followed suit; now it’s time to allow a full Assembly vote.
The sports capital of the world deserves access to one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, one that will bring money and jobs to state and local businesses.”
We urge all New York residents to contact their State Representatives to voice your opinion about MMA in New York and to let them know that your vote in the next election will be influenced by how they vote on this bill.
A list of all of the Assembly members and their email addresses can be found HERE.
Unfortunately for MMA fans in the Empire state, the bill will likely not be pushed through in time for a vote before the current session ends in seven days, meaning it will be back to the drawing board next session.
(“Mr. Reilly, how long will it take for you to produce these documents? It’s been five days already.”)
Unfortunately for MMA fans in the Empire state, the bill will likely not be pushed through in time for a vote before the current session ends in seven days, meaning it will be back to the drawing board next session.
Before it can be voted on by the Assembly, A04146A it will have to Codes Committee so liability and legal issues can be addressed before being passed onto the Ways and Means Committee,who will look at the dollars and cents of sanctioning the sport and if passed, only then will it be greenlit for the the Rules Committee to decide if the bill should see the light of day in the Assembly voting chamber.
If vocal MMA cock-blocker Bob Reilly gets his way, the bill will once again stall in the Assembly and be sent back to Senate for consideration in the fall. Similar bills have suffered the same fate as the one Reilly hopes will quash A04146A — a lack of time and the precedence of more pressing matters before Assembly members leave for their summer break.
Although most of those MMA supporters who are more versed on the inner workings of State government than we are are all but convinced that the bill will not make it to a final vote, according to The Fight Lawyer, Justin Klein, there is an off chance that it could take a shortcut to the Assembly floor.
“Worth noting that there are a significant number of assembly members pushing the Assembly Speaker to let the bill go straight to the floor for an up or down vote after passage out of the Tourism Committee,” Klein wrote in a blog post today. “Time will tell.”
In spite of the passing of a Senate bill last month to lift New York ban of mixed martial arts, the state’s biggest douchebag most vocal opponent Bob Reilly says he’s pretty sure that an Assembly vote on the matter won’t happen until at least 2012.
The bill, which was approved by a 48-12 margin last month by the lower tier of government is expected to pass it’s next vote June 7, pushing it on to state Assembly voting. If it passes another vote after that, the sport could be legalized following a mandatory 90-day waiting period, however that’s a big if, considering it sounds like Reilly is planning on dragging out the process into next year.
(“Excellent.”)
In spite of the passing of a Senate bill last month to lift New York ban of mixed martial arts, the state’s biggest douchebag most vocal opponent Bob Reilly says he’s pretty sure that an Assembly vote on the matter won’t happen until at least 2012.
The bill, which was approved by a 48-12 margin last month by the lower tier of government is expected to pass it’s next vote June 7, pushing it on to state Assembly voting. If it passes another vote after that, the sport could be legalized following a mandatory 90-day waiting period, however that’s a big if, considering it sounds like Reilly is planning on dragging out the process into next year.
Here’s what the old curmudgeon told The Business Review recently:
“It’s a dead issue for this session. There’s less than 10 days of session left, and I don’t think it’s sufficient time to vet this subject as needed.”
The current Assembly session ends June 20, which considering the issue was already brought to the table last year and all of the written materials from the senate presentations are readily available, shouldn’t take more than a few days, but Reilly apparently need more time to prepare his uneducated case against the sport.
It’s unclear whether or not the majority of Reilly’s fellow Democrat members of the Assembly (who outweigh the Republican side by a 99-51 margin) will back his anti-MMA platform.
The bill’s sponsor, Democrat Assemblyman Steve Englebright who chairs the committee on tourism, arts and sports development – the group that will be casting the initial sub-committee vote next week – says it could go either way.
“There is a healthy controversy. There are very concerned members of the majority who can’t support it this year, as they could not support it in years past. I imagine we’ll have similar blockage or stoppage,” Englebright says. “But, you never know. There are quite a few new faces in the chamber this year. I haven’t seen a sea [of] change, but I have seen subtle changes.”
Hopefully they’re subtle enough to beat Reilly’s personal vendetta against MMA.
