Extreme Fighting A Sport?

I said from the start, XFL would fail, but OK, I see your point.

So what if there is no staying power. It's here now. People are interested. Isn't it our job to provide coverage to events, whether or not it's going to be around in two years?

It's not our job to promote the sport, but anyone who says we shouldn't be covering this is a reason we are becoming more irrelevant by the day.

 

You're kidding, right? The UFC is about to stage its 86th pay-per-view event, for crying out loud. The UFC brand has been around for 15 years. The Ultimate Fighter reality show on Spike is about to enter its seventh season.

It's not going away, and in all likelyhood is going to continue to grow.

If a paper has someone who covers boxing, even in a part-time capacity in addition to other duties, how can you not have them do MMA as well?

 

It's violent. This is America. It'll stay.

 

Sorry, I'm not basing an editorial decision on a demographic whose tastes change based on which new beer advertising campaign came out. And don't give me anything about twentysomethings not being that shallow. Most of them are not. Those most of them make up the vast minority of MMA's growth. Sorry, I'd rather die as a biz than become bread and circuses.

And GB, no I'm not kidding. And seven seasons? Whoa, that's only one digit from 70! And be Mr. Sports Editor, answer my question.

And Perennial: the way PKA stayed?

 

For some reason, I don't see the majority of MMA fans as being big readers.

 

OK, GB, you finally gave me something non-breathless I can answer: I wouldn't significantly cover either sport, but I'd give more consideration to boxing as far as what I'd consider breaking news to put a GA on. Granted, it hasn't been on Spike for seven years....

 

There's no need to provide 45 inches a week to MMA...yet.

It also depends on the size of the paper. Should the Podunk Press run MMA every week? Not unless there's local flavor.

Should the Freep or the Star-Telegram run a little something now and again? Absolutely.

Many of you are underestimating the impact of "low brow" people. (I know there's a better way to put it, but I'm drawing a blank. It's not meant to be offensive. Most of my friends, and me to a point, are of that ilk.)

I'm not comparing MMA to NASCAR, but it carries a lot of the same audience members.

 

I'm starting a new sport called "Two Guys Beating Each Other with Clubs." I predict huge ratings among the 18-34 male demographic.

 

Yeah, and where's that weekly backyard wrestling column?

 

Says who?

As you say, we are a changing society. So, why wouldn't we change a little to mimic the society in which we live?

 

As long as they don't win by choking, joe. That would be ... undignified.

 

Young people don't buy newspapers. Never have, never will.

We need to do a better job of retaining the readers we have, rather than trying to attract a group who aren't going to buy the paper no matter what we do.