Tag: ESPN

Rampage Jackson Outs Training Camp ‘Spy’ During ESPN SportsCenter Interview


(Twit-cap via MMAConvert)

For one unlucky employee of MusclePharm, this Rampage vs. Jones “spygate” thing just got uncomfortably real. While doing a split-screen interview appearance for SportsCenter, the UFC light-heavyweight stars covered familiar ground about disrespect and training camp spying. But then, Quinton Jackson dropped a bombshell:

Jackson: We just found out who the spy was, and he’s terminated. He’s no longer working right now. So we found out exactly who the spy was…and it’s true, everything I said was true.

Jones: So who was the spy, Rampage? If you don’t mind answering that. Why don’t you tell the world who the spy was?


(Twit-cap via MMAConvert)

For one unlucky employee of MusclePharm, this Rampage vs. Jones “spygate” thing just got uncomfortably real. While doing a split-screen interview appearance for SportsCenter, the UFC light-heavyweight stars covered familiar ground about disrespect and training camp spying. But then, Quinton Jackson dropped a bombshell:

Jackson: We just found out who the spy was, and he’s terminated. He’s no longer working right now. So we found out exactly who the spy was…and it’s true, everything I said was true.

Jones: So who was the spy, Rampage? If you don’t mind answering that. Why don’t you tell the world who the spy was?

Jackson: You know who the spy was. Only reason why I won’t tell the world who it is, because the guy did work at MusclePharm and the guys at MusclePharm found him and they fired him, and I didn’t want to bring MusclePharm on top…His name is Leonard, and you know Leonard because you were sending him K-Swiss shoes and stuff and everything from your manager. He’s great friends with your manager, and you know I’m telling the truth.

Jones: I was sending him K-Swiss shoes? I have no clue who Lennox [sic] is, Rampage. You need help, buddy.

Jackson: Whatever, dude. You sound guilty, homey.

Speculation has centered on Leonard Amenta, an Executive Vice President of MusclePharm who resigned last Friday. As Jones tweeted in response, “Sucks some poor guy at musclepharm got fired over rampages paranoia.”

Quinton Jackson has been training at the MusclePharm gym in Denver for the past two months, as part of a personalized training camp that has cost over one million dollars. (Not all of that came out of his own pocket, thankfully.) Damn. I wonder how much of that was spent on high-tech surveillance equipment?

Question: Assuming a spy existed in Rampage’s training camp, do you really think that Jon Jones knew about it, or that he ordered the recon mission himself? I’m still willing to believe that this was a rogue employee who leaked info to Jones’s manager for his own motivations. What inside information could Jones possibly hope to gain here? Hell, we already know how Quinton throws that hook…

Dana White’s Twitter: “ESPN Always Hated Us…[Expletive] ESPN”

UFC president Dana White has recently set his sights on sports media giant ESPN via his (in)famous Twitter account. White tweeted (sic): “ESPN always hated us and now they hate us more now that we are on FOX. They canceled my int next week for UF…

UFC president Dana White has recently set his sights on sports media giant ESPN via his (in)famous Twitter account. White tweeted (sic): “ESPN always hated us and now they hate us more now that we are on FOX. They canceled my int next week for UFC Rio Fuk ESPN” Cursing varying entities out via Twitter […]

UFC Betting

Dana White’s Twitter: “ESPN Always Hated Us…[Expletive] ESPN”

Dana White: “ESPN Always Hated Us, (Expletive) ESPN”

Don’t expect everyone to sit around a campfire singing “Kum By Ya” to the UFC’s recently announced seven-year deal with Fox. According to UFC President Dana White, ESPN canceled a promotional interview for UFC 134 that was sched…

Don’t expect everyone to sit around a campfire singing “Kum By Ya” to the UFC’s recently announced seven-year deal with Fox. According to UFC President Dana White, ESPN canceled a promotional interview for UFC 134 that was scheduled for the week of the event. The cancellation comes on the heels of a major network deal […]

UFC Betting

Dana White: “ESPN Always Hated Us, (Expletive) ESPN”

UFC and Dana White May Change the Sports Media World Forever

UFC president Dana White recently lambasted sports media superpower ESPN via Twitter for canceling his UFC 134 promotional interview with them due to the UFC’s new television deal with Fox. Some may be annoyed with White, but it may be something that p…

UFC president Dana White recently lambasted sports media superpower ESPN via Twitter for canceling his UFC 134 promotional interview with them due to the UFC’s new television deal with Fox. Some may be annoyed with White, but it may be something that proves to be a watershed moment in sports media history.

White tweeted:

“ESPN always hated us and now they hate us more now that we are on FOX. They canceled my int next week for UFC Rio Fuk ESPN”

While many fans may roll their eyes at this incident and say, “Here he goes again,” that sort of reaction is a bit short-sighted.

In truth, it is possible that White’s apparent feud with and distaste towards ESPN may shift the sports media world.

MMA is the fastest-growing sport in the world and the UFC is the fastest-growing sports brand in the world. The television deal with Fox will serve as a superlative catalyst to the UFC’s already impressive growth and will help to guarantee that the sport and the organization will be popular.

With this basically guaranteed popularity boost, there are two possibilities regarding the UFC’s tiff with ESPN.

The first possibility is that ESPN initially sticks to their guns but ultimately wanes in their stance until they give the UFC the same attention they give the other major sports. In this scenario, ESPN’s hand is forced by the growth of the sport; ESPN cannot claim they are the worldwide leader in sports without covering what will be one of the primary sports in the world, MMA.

The second and more interesting possibility is that ESPN forever holds onto their relatively anti-UFC stance. What would result from this would be a change in the sports media world.

ESPN would lose ground as the UFC becomes more and more popular. Other sports networks—more specifically, websites, since the world has been moving more away from television and more towards the Internet—will begin to gain ground on ESPN.

The increasing amount of UFC fans will head elsewhere, perhaps to websites such as Bleacher Report, for UFC coverage and will end up staying at such websites since they can get their dose of the other sports they follow as well.

It is possible that by not showing the UFC the reverence and practical worship they show the NFL and MLB, ESPN’s hegemony over sports will finally come to an end, usurped by smaller websites and citizen journalists…all thanks to one little tweet from Dana White.

 

Matt Saccaro is a Bleacher Report featured columnist and avid fan of MMA. For more articles like this and for 140-character insights into MMA, follow @mattsaccaro

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dana White’s Twitter: "ESPN Always Hated Us…[Expletive] ESPN"

UFC president Dana White has recently set his sights on sports media giant ESPN via his (in)famous Twitter account.White tweeted (sic):”ESPN always hated us and now they hate us more now that we are on FOX. They canceled my int next week for UFC Rio Fu…

UFC president Dana White has recently set his sights on sports media giant ESPN via his (in)famous Twitter account.

White tweeted (sic):

“ESPN always hated us and now they hate us more now that we are on FOX. They canceled my int next week for UFC Rio Fuk ESPN”

Cursing varying entities out via Twitter is nothing new for the outspoken White, but this may be the first time he has gone against such a large force in sports.

ESPN is the most widely known and watched sports network in the world, and it’s likely that their coverage of UFC events and MMA as a whole will drop from the incident.  If what White said was true, then ESPN already began to cover the UFC less because of the deal with Fox.

ESPN is owned by the Walt Disney Corporation, who also owns ABC, one of Fox’s rivals.  It is clear that the UFC’s move to Fox was taken as an aggressive move by the people at the helm; why would they promote a competitor’s venture into MMA via covering UFC events on ESPN if they don’t have to?

What will this mean for the sport?

It’s difficult to tell now, but the more distinct possibility is that the whole incident doesn’t negatively impact the sport at all.  The UFC brand has made it to a deal with Fox without extensive ESPN coverage, and fanfare and will continue to grow without it.

In the future, it will be the UFC that is accepting ESPN’s apology.

 

Matt Saccaro is a Bleacher Report featured columnist and avid fan of MMA. For more articles like this and for 140-character insights into MMA, follow @mattsaccaro.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Twit Pic of the Week: Steve Cofield Gets Kenda Perez and Her Little Dog Too

Kenda Perez tweeted out this pic with her little killer dog, Dexter interviewing with our host, Steve Cofield. I just hope this photo convinces Cofield to get a tan. Check back next week for our.

Kenda Perez tweeted out this pic with her little killer dog, Dexter interviewing with our host, Steve Cofield. I just hope this photo convinces Cofield to get a tan.

Check back next week for our full interview with Kenda.

*Note: That dog looks innocent but it managed to kill 2 fake palm trees and take a sh*t on the floors of the ESPN radio offices.

You can follow Kenda Perez: here.