Mixed Martial Arts

Something that we find increasingly mind-numbing to watch on TV these days is mixed-martial arts. Professional televised 'MMA' more or less began in Japan during the late 80s. The Gracie family from Brazil eventually popularized the sport in the West with their Vale Tudo ('anything goes') combat style. Today in America the sport rivals wrestling ratings and by some estimates has surpassed boxing in total viewership. Maybe it's our need for instant gratification, the desire to see an instant knockout, and a lost appreciation for boxing's 12-round bout (a sport that is as corrupt as they come). We remember downloading UFC videos in high school before the advent of YouTube. Royce Gracie had class and style. Ken Shamrock was also a mean fighter to watch back in the day. But how did it go from Gracie and Shamrock to today, where you've got a bunch of juiced-up Steve-Os slugging each other into oblivion? The photo here really does a good job in summing-up how we feel about MMA: retarded. Last we checked there were 21 different MMA leagues in the USA, we can't even keep all the fighters' names straight anymore. Promoters have really diluted the sport that was MMA. Today's MMA has lost it's cachet value and is, in our humble opinion, overrated!

Welcome Alternative: The ancient Romans had their gladiators and coliseums, we have our Chuck Lidells and Octagons. Sadly MMA, much like NASCAR or reality TV is a culture phenomenon that is here to stay for some time. Ultimately (and we think it may be starting) consumers will sense format fatigue and gradually begin to lose interest in these tattooed bad boys. The sponsors also play a key role in deciding the longevity of this sport. Shouldn't Toyota be worrying about the safety of their hybrid cars? Are there really any business synergies between UFC and Golden Corral? Furthermore, why pay $60 for an evening of UFC when you can watch some really freaky porn online for free? We live in NYC and have seen enough bar brawls (Sutton Place!) to keep us entertained for a lifetime. But let's keep MMA tucked away on cable TV and away from our young ones.