White also released a statement on UFC.com clarifying that Rogan’s UG posts were not sanctioned by anybody but Joe himself, and they weren’t particularly appreciated by the company:
Joe Rogan recently made an offensive statement reflecting a personal opinion that does not represent the UFC in any way. I have addressed this directly with Joe.
(“This damn knucklehead. Always saying what the rest of us are thinking. Ah, well.“)
White also released a statement on UFC.com clarifying that Rogan’s UG posts were not sanctioned by anybody but Joe himself, and they weren’t particularly appreciated by the company:
Joe Rogan recently made an offensive statement reflecting a personal opinion that does not represent the UFC in any way. I have addressed this directly with Joe.
Okay, so it’s more of a ‘tweet’ than the kind of drawn-out statement you’d expect from a company president — honestly, the dude ate up more of his data-plan feuding with Bloodstain Lane on Saturday night — but it was a necessary gesture during a moment when emotions were pretty high on both sides of the debate; even a columnist for the UFC’s hometown newspaper is now calling for Rogan’s head.
One more quote from the Yahoo! piece, and then I promise I’ll leave you alone about this shit:
[L]ate Thursday, UFC spokeswoman Caren Bell privately called Hendricks and issued an apology. And while it is commendable that the UFC offered any kind of apology at all, it was made privately at a time when Hendricks was under heavy siege publicly because she stood up for what was right. A public apology would have meant more and carried far more weight.
Well, Hendricks got her public statement from White, though I wouldn’t categorize it as an “apology,” exactly. And personally, I disagree that any public statement would have carried more weight than either Joe or Dana calling Maggie up immediately afterward and saying “Hey, sorry, that was out of line. We cool?”
Instead, we have a female vice-president of communications tasked with calling up Maggie and apologizing for Joe Rogan calling her “cunty,” which just strikes me as awkward and bizarre. For his part, Joe Rogan downgraded “cunty” to “bitchy” in his own apology on the UG. In the MMA world, we call that a happy ending.
There’s been a healthy amount of debate raging in the wake of Rampage Jackson’s faux “motorboating” of MMA Heat’s Karyn Bryant. The classlessness of Rampage’s actions need no more ridicule. That point has been made. As of two days ago, however, t…
There’s been a healthy amount of debate raging in the wake of Rampage Jackson’s faux “motorboating” of MMA Heat’s Karyn Bryant. The classlessness of Rampage’s actions need no more ridicule. That point has been made.
As of two days ago, however, there is now a second controversial issue that has come out of this incident. If you’ve been reading some of the MMA blogs out there like Cagepotato and Bloody Elbow, you’re certainly familiar with those sites calling out Joe Rogan for his poor choice of words to describe Yahoo Sports columnist Maggie Hendricks, after she was one of the many journalists to criticize Rampage for his actions.
Rogan’s disagreement with Hendricks’ call to the media to not give Rampage a platform to perform his stunts is an opinion he is entitled to. What was clearly not OK about his actions was his use of the now infamous C-word to describe her.
Rogan got roasted with enough heat from his comments on the MMA Underground forum that he issued a public apology yesterday to Hendricks for what he called her, now he should go a step further and issue a televised apology at some point when Spike is airing the main card.
This is bigger than Joe Rogan. MMA has been dancing around the edge of getting acceptance by the mainstream for years now, whether you consider that to be a network deal, a full nation of states sanctioning the sport, or your neighbor actually understanding that the sport is called mixed martial arts and not ultimate fighting.
If UFC employees, full-time or contracted freelancer’s, are allowed to get away with saying and doing things that in any major sport such as football, basketball, and baseball would warrant suspension’s and/or fines you can be sure the media, and subsequently the public, will be sure and brush it off as a sport not worthy of their time.
It’s a great thing that ESPN is covering MMA, but how long do you think they’ll want to be associated with a sport that’s king organization refuses to punish it’s employees for classless and crude actions and remarks don’t garner any punishing response?
Dana White and the UFC PR department are now on record as saying that “Joe Rogan is an independent contractor and he wrote his own opinion” thereby absolving them of the responsibility to take action. That stance is weak.
After Dana White, Joe Rogan is arguably the most recognizable face the UFC has. He hosts all the weigh-ins, gives insightful interviews in every hype video leading up to every event, and is arguably the best color commentator calling MMA today.
I honestly believe Rogan’s knowledge and ability to break down what is happening in a fight for the layman to understand has helped the UFC grow leaps and bounds. It’s the ability to take what appears to be a boring grappling match and describe intricately what each fighter is trying do within the fight. He is continuously two steps ahead of the action.
For all these reasons, Joe Rogan’s official title as “independent contractor” for the UFC is irrelevant. If he’s weighing in on anything MMA related, he’s doing so as a voice for the UFC, and the UFC knows that.
In any mainstream sport, athletes and commentators occasionally make mistakes, and apologies are issued. We, the people, demand it. Joe Rogan made a mistake. His actions don’t negate the possibility of the sport being accepted as a mainstream attraction, nor did he necessarily set that effort back.
Using his time on air tonight to issue a genuine apology for his words towards Maggie Hendricks would show that the UFC, and therefore MMA, is conscious of wrongdoing by its employees and will seek to rectify those wrongdoings using the correct avenues.
Continuous silence and denial of responsibility only proves those who want to stop the sport’s growth are doing the right thing.
The dust after UFC 130 could not settle due to the harsh winds of controversy. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson—former UFC and Pride champion as well as the night’s main event winner—was at the source of the issue.In a post-fight interview with MM…
The dust after UFC 130 could not settle due to the harsh winds of controversy. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson—former UFC and Pride champion as well as the night’s main event winner—was at the source of the issue.
In a post-fight interview with MMAHeat.com’s Karyn Bryant, Rampage acted in a way many would deem inappropriate, saying he wanted to “motorboat” Bryant while doing the motions and getting close enough to her to make it uncomfortable (although it is worthy to note that Bryant wasn’t bothered).
Rampage, having done questionable things to female reporters in the past (see here and here), is no stranger to such actions.
Needless to say, Rampage’s antics have created controversy amongst the MMA community…controversy about how there is no controversy!
Rampage’s behavior was criticized by Cagewriter.com’s Maggie Hendricks who concluded that Rampage’s act was “old and tired” and that by giving him publicity the MMA media was making a mistake.
Her thoughts on Rampage’s behavior made it to the infamous Underground forums where they were lambasted by rabid keyboard warriors and even UFC commentator and comedian Joe Rogan who said:
“I think Rampage occasionally gets out of line, and I think some of what he does in interviews in unfortunate. I also think that’s a part of his charm. He’s not a fucking dentist, he’s a cage fighter, and he’s one with a very unique personality. I don’t think he should be given a free pass for some of the questionable things he does, but I do think that this woman in question is all kinds of cunty.”
Joe Rogan too has gone “off the handle” at times in the past. Rogan’s words have turned legions of MMA fans against Hendricks and in doing so have caused even more controversy.
Cage Potato’s Ben Goldstein was not at all amused by Rampage’s actions nor by Rogan’s commentary on the situation. He expressed his angst at the lack of attention the whole incident was getting. He rightly summed up the reaction of the MMA community when he wrote:
“[T]he majority of sports fans don’t give a rat’s ass. It’s just not part of their conversation. Nine out of 10 UFC fans will side with Quinton Jackson and Joe Rogan every time, because Rampage and Joe are awesome, and motorboating is hilarious, and who the fuck is Maggie Hendricks anyway?”
In his last paragraph, Goldstein provided a warning: That the employees (be it athletes or commentators) of other sports organizations couldn’t act in such a manner and that a time will come when those belonging to the UFC can’t either so Rogan and Rampage better get their acts together soon.
Goldstein’s ideas can be reiterated in one sentence: If the UFC wants to be considered a first-rate sports organization, its employees should act like they’re part of one.
While no one can or would say that Rampage violating a reporter is commendable (and this article is in no way trying to endorse his actions or dismiss them), this particular situation highlights an issue of great importance that if often ignored in MMA, the issue of the UFC’s image.
UFC President Dana White is heavily criticized by pundit and keyboard warrior alike for his brash personality and propensity for foul language (“Count the F-bombs” could be a drinking game when listening to White’s interviews). Like-minded people criticize Rogan for similar reasons.
The argument is that the UFC can’t ascend to the highest pinnacle of sports along with the NFL and other such sports organizations unless people like White and Rogan are kept quiet and replaced with more conservative figures that will “play the game” and act like a proper CEO or commentator.
However, this notion may not be true. The truth may actually be that the UFC can’t ascend to the highest pinnacle of sports WITHOUT people like Dana White and Joe Rogan and the attitude and style they represent the company with.
The fact of the matter is this: The primary demographic for the UFC is males ages 18-34.
The lower half of that demographic is extremely receptive to the UFC in large part because the President of the UFC dresses like them (Dana White can often be seen sporting shirts that wouldn’t be out of place in a college campus or a frat party) and talks like them.
Having Joe Rogan as commentator is also part of this appeal. He is a popular comedian for that age group and is also a well known marijuana advocate (which increases his stock with parts of the demographic considerably), not to mention his stint on Fear Factor.
Part of the reason that the UFC is so popular is that White and Rogan help to give it an edge that the NFL, nor the NBA, nor any major sports organizations have. The fans relate to the UFC because they see people more like themselves at the press conference and behind the commentator booth, not like their parents or grandparents.
This has lead to success in the past and is leading to success now. But can it lead to success in the future? Is Goldstein right when he says that the UFC will have to change its ways to be taken seriously?
The answer is a complicated one and may not be settled for a generation.
First, the UFC is swiftly becoming—if it hasn’t already—a truly international sports organization and will therefore not be as subject to the whims of prude American society as it extends its reach over the globe.
Second, it is possible that the current generation of younger (lets say 18-24) UFC fans will become parents that don’t mind behavior the likes of which can be seen by White and Rogan. If this is the case, the UFC’s demographic will expand to the older parents as well as their children, since their parent’s will have no qualms with the UFC unlike many of the older people do today.
If this is the case, the UFC will have almost all of society captivated. They will have the parents since they used to be fans. They will have the kids since the kids will be raised on the sport. And they will have the teens since the sport of fighting naturally appeals to testosterone laden youths.
Third, it is possible that the opposite happens and the fans of today become parents that are put off by the UFC’s antics. If this happens, the UFC has two options. They can either maintain their image and stay with their traditional demographic. The other option is streamline their image and in doing so capture the current fans attention as they become true adults.
If this happens, the sport can still become popular since the NFL is popular with all male demographics and it doesn’t have the “edge” the UFC has.
So, “at the end of the day, what is the answer” you ask? The short term future of the sport depends on the UFC’s current image that appeals so strongly to the zeitgeist of the modern (American) male. It has fueled the companies growth and will continue to do so in the coming years. But in the long term, the answer remains to be seen and will not be known until the bulk of the current UFC fans start having babies.
Yesterday, the article was posted on the Underground Forum, which led to an avalanche of posters insulting everything from Hendricks’s writing ability, to her physical appearance, to her perceived jealousy of Karyn Bryant. A series of posts from UG member “The Skywalker” summed up the anti-Maggie sentiment:
“The act is only old and tired to you because you seem not to like the colorful flirtatious nature of his character in the first place. And again, he isn’t assaulting anyone, he’s staying within the lines and giving them great material so they can get more hits, more ad clicks, and make more money…You try to empower yourself by implying that you have the power to take his stage away, when you know damn well that the fans couldn’t care less about who is holding the microphone. You’re not giving him a stage, he’s giving you a job. If you don’t like it, I’m sure that there are lots of other news outlets that would love (lol) to have your CV on file…
(“Great night of fights, Joe, and I’ll see you next Tuesday.”)
Yesterday, the article was posted on the Underground Forum, which led to an avalanche of posters insulting everything from Hendricks’s writing ability, to her physical appearance, to her perceived jealousy of Karyn Bryant. A series of posts from UG member “The Skywalker” summed up the anti-Maggie sentiment:
“The act is only old and tired to you because you seem not to like the colorful flirtatious nature of his character in the first place. And again, he isn’t assaulting anyone, he’s staying within the lines and giving them great material so they can get more hits, more ad clicks, and make more money…You try to empower yourself by implying that you have the power to take his stage away, when you know damn well that the fans couldn’t care less about who is holding the microphone. You’re not giving him a stage, he’s giving you a job. If you don’t like it, I’m sure that there are lots of other news outlets that would love (lol) to have your CV on file…
The reason we are making fun of your looks is that it is obvious that your attitude about gender relations is the result of an emotional reaction to how you have been treated, not an objective rational thought process. Nobody “expects” you to be a supermodel, because you’re a reporter. That’s something you have invented in your own mind, and looking back over your history, it’s perfectly obvious that this is nothing new. Karyn is obviously no supermodel either, and that is a large part of why Rampages joke was SO FUNNY…You might not be able to CONTROL how [your articles] are perceived, but you can control the tone of your own writing. And thus far, you have come off like a sandy-crotched whiney teenager who just got done reading Atlas Shrugged for the first time.”
Okay, normal MMA-forum banter so far, right? So then, Joe Rogan chimes in. Yes, that Joe Rogan, the color-commentator from the UFC. (It’s on page 12 of the thread, if you’re curious):
“I think Rampage occasionally gets out of line, and I think some of what he does in interviews [is] unfortunate. I also think that’s a part of his charm. He’s not a fucking dentist, he’s a cage fighter, and he’s one with a very unique personality. I don’t think he should be given a free pass for some of the questionable things he does, but I do think that this woman in question is all kinds of cunty. The Skywalker broke down everything that’s wrong with her and her shitty, cunty brand of writing to a fucking T. That, was worthy of the #BOOM.”
I’m a big fan of Joe Rogan’s work for the UFC — I was before this, and I will be after this. But how is it appropriate for an official commentator of a sport with major-league aspirations to refer to a female member of the media as “cunty”? What the hell? Even if he and Maggie have personal beef (pretty sure they don’t), it’s not something you ever say in public. Joe has a wife, a daughter, a mother, female co-workers — that word really shouldn’t be in his vocabulary.
I expected Joe’s post to grab the blogosphere’s interest this morning, just like when Joe called MMA writer Tomas Rios a “faggot” last year, which led to a smirking non-apology that also managed to incorporate the word “cunty.” But for some reason, no other MMA sites have touched it. I think it’s because the amount of outrage that Joe’s latest gaffe created was nearly non-existent. (Draw your own sad conclusions about that, and what it says about the place of women in the MMA media. By the way, Karyn Bryant was totally cool with being motorboated while her husband filmed the segment in question. Heather Nichols was not, and never covered MMA again. So no, Rampage’s antics aren’t always taken in the spirit which they’re intended, and I think Maggie’s post was dead-on.)
In a way, all stories like this feel manufactured, in the sense that us members of the media care about them, despite the fact that the majority of sports fans don’t give a rat’s ass. It’s just not part of their conversation. Nine out of ten UFC fans will side with Quinton Jackson and Joe Rogan every time, because Rampage and Joe are awesome, and motorboating is hilarious, and who the fuck is Maggie Hendricks anyway? Seriously, here’s another representative comment from the UG thread from member ‘Bat21′:
“shitty cunty?!?!? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!! Fuck, I’m still laughing after 5 minutes. You’re the man, Joe.”
Jesus. If this is the mindset of the average UFC fan, then good luck being taken seriously, guys.
A high-profile commentator for the NFL or NBA couldn’t get away with throwing around slurs like this in public forums. I know that the fast-and-loose quality of the UFC’s frontmen and fighters has been part of the brand’s great success to this point. But there will come a time (we hope) when MMA is so popular that guys like Rampage and Rogan will have to behave like gentlemen — so they may as well start practicing for it now.
Hailing from the hit TV show, King of Queens, actor Kevin James’ latest venture is a film revolving around music and mixed martial arts. To add support and credibility to the upcoming project, Ultimate Fighting Championship president, Dana …
Hailing from the hit TV show, King of Queens, actor Kevin James’ latest venture is a film revolving around music and mixed martial arts. To add support and credibility to the upcoming project, Ultimate Fighting Championship president, Dana White, gave his consent to use the UFC brand in the movie, slated for release in 2012.
According to MMAWeekly’s Damon Martin, Here Comes The Boom is about James’ character, Scott Voss, a high school science teacher, who moonlights as an MMA fighter, in order to save the school’s financially struggling music program.
Along with the comedian, the movie also stars Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler. Also casted for this comedy, as denoted on IMDB.com, are UFC notables: commentator Joe Rogan, ring announcer Bruce Buffer, ring girl Arianny Celeste and former champion Bas Rutten.
Until now, Zuffa LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion, has never given anyone the rights to use their trademarked name, since obtaining the UFC in 2001. Kevin James, a longtime mixed martial arts fan, called White directly for permission when production began.
“I like Kevin and he called me up and he’s passionate about the sport, he wanted to do this movie. We haven’t given the rights to anybody,” White explains. “(In the movie) it’s UFC, we gave him the rights to it.”
Though Dana White was asked to have a role the film, the UFC president laughingly declined.
“They asked me. I’m no actor. No way in hell I would do that,” expressed Dana.
Here Comes The Boom is currently in production and scheduled to be released by summer of 2012. The film was written by Kevin James, Rock Reuben and Allan Loeb, and directed by Frank Coraci.
ROLAND RISO MMAIDIOT.COM
Roland Riso is a contributing writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained from MMAWeekly.com.
If there are two things that I’ve learned from years of UFC fight commentary, they are as follows:1. Mike Goldberg could be replaced by a soundboard with almost no noticeable difference on the PPV broadcast.2. Joe Rogan loves leg kicks.It is the latter…
If there are two things that I’ve learned from years of UFC fight commentary, they are as follows:
1. Mike Goldberg could be replaced by a soundboard with almost no noticeable difference on the PPV broadcast.
It is the latter observation that I will be writing about today.
If you happened to be watching the Facebook prelims last Saturday, you might have caught a glimpse of the fight between Michael McDonald and Chris Cariaso.
The fight was a close and competitive one that could easily have been scored either way, but what was most obvious to me was that Rogan called a ton of leg kicks by Cariaso, but made a much smaller deal of the right-hand counters landed by McDonald.
This is nothing new.
Forrest Griffin‘s fight with Rashad Evans comes to mind as good example of a fight where Rogan was quick to give credit for Griffin’s leg kicks, but gave almost no credit for hand counters.
Admittedly, Evans deserved to lose the first two rounds of his fight with Forrest, but if you were listening to the commentary without video, you would have thought it was a blowout, which it clearly wasn’t.
Another notable example is the first fight between Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua.
While once again, Rua’s kicks played a big factor, the hand counters by Machida went largely uncalled for much of the fight.
In the picture above you’ll clearly see Machida clearly landing a strong blow to Rua’s chin, but during the fight commentary, it was Rua’s body kick that received the Rogan call.
Unfortunately, Mike Goldberg pretty much acts as a Joe Rogan thermometer, so when Rogan isn’t calling the counter punches, those punches remain uncalled.
I don’t know what it is exactly that makes Rogan so quick to call leg kicks, but trust me, it’s apparent.
Perhaps the best example came when Anderson Silva fought James Irvin.
Irvin threw a leg kick and Anderson destroyed him with a killshot to the face.
