TUF 17 Ep. 9: Almost Time for Quarter Pounders

With just one fight remaining before the quarterfinal bouts, TUF 17 Ep. 9 delivered a impressive wild card matchup between Team Jones’ Bubba McDaniel and Team Sonnen’s Kevin Casey that set the stage for the next round of action.

The Blow by Blow
Determined in the previous episode, the wild card match pitted Bubba (20-6), a training partner of Jones in Albuquerque, N.M., against Kevin (5-1).

Leading into the fight, Kevin admitted he did not perform in his last moment of pressure, but he also understands that the coaches believe in him.  Because of that, he has one more chance to advance.

Bubba taped a confessional where he acknowledged the difficulty of his lifestyle and the toll it puts on his family -- who remains in Texas while he trains in New Mexico.  It’s not clear if he has an estranged relationship, but he has an eight-year old daughter that regularly asks when Bubba is coming to see her -- which really hurts the tough guy -- but he doesn’t have the money to visit.  Winning TUF could change that, so it’s apparent that Bubba respects his second chance.

Jones and his coaches put in effort to talk up Bubba, and Jones specifically reminded Bubba of the difficulty he gave Jones training in the past.  The champion coach implored Bubba to move forward and attack in the fight -- be the Bubba that gave Jones so much trouble.

And then Bubba confused the heck out of me, as he began discussing his “kids” in the plural.  He only mentioned the eight-year-old before, but there might be multiple ‘lil McDaniels.  Eh, unimportant …

Kevin trained in a helmet to let a cut heal about his left eye, but expressed his desire to come out hard in the fight.

Yeah, like this -- just over the lip.

And then Luke Barnett made his weekly appearance … and O.M.G. … Luke has a horrifying zit above his lip that might be the size of a Silver Dollar on my screen … staring me down in HD … it’s hypnotic … But, seriously producers, I know you love Luke and all, but give the kid a week off when he has a moon-sized zit orbiting his head.

It’s a Celebration, Bitches
The house celebrated Thanksgiving with their coaches around the traditional holiday fare -- to the dismay of a cranky Bubba, who is cutting weight.   Sonnen gave a great speech to the fighters and admitted that he really likes Jones, which is an unsettling prospect for a fighter who normally enjoys hating his opponents and talking some smack.

The Fight
Kevin quickly tossed a hard left hook and the fighters clinched, but Bubba immediately put Kevin on his back and took the advantage.  After working his way to the cage on his back, Kevin climbed up, reversed Bubba to the cage and tripped the taller fighter to the mat.  Kevin maintained the advantage on the mat for a number of minutes, but failed to score any significant strikes.  With 97 seconds remaining, Bubba worked his way up against the fence.  After fighting clinched for nearly 60 seconds, Kevin scored another takedown with 25 seconds on the clock and held the kickboxer down for the remainder of the round.

After a hard kick to right thigh, Bubba clinched with Kevin, to the dismay of his coaches.  The duo exchanged a number of blows dirty boxing against the cage before Bubba pulled Kevin to the mat and took control from the side.  Bubba worked short elbows and punches to Kevin’s head with his opponent trapped against the fence for the remainder of the round, just slowly peppering Kevin with meaningful blows.

The post-fight scene pre-ambulance.

As the bell ended the round, Kevin was slow to get up to his feet.   With the fight going to the third round, Kevin refused to answer the round -- the first time I’ve ever seen such an event.

Bubba then asked Dana White, “Does that count as a finish?”

“Good question -- yeah, we’ll give it to you,” said the big boss man.

After the win, Bubba talks a bit of trash to Team Sonnen, acknowledging he heard someone yell that Bubba was going to break and give up in the first round.

Kevin left the fight in an ambulance as a precaution after feeling faint.

Quarter Pounders
There was some talk early in the episode about who wants who -- and Josh Sammen seems scared of Uriah Hall -- but this is when it matters.  Lord Dana and the coaches called the fighters in one by one to discuss whom they wanted in the quarterfinals (color-coded for ease of use!):

Bubba called out Jimmy or Luke
Jimmy Quinlan requested Bubba
Dylan Andrews wanted Luke
Luke mentioned Bubba and Dylan
Kelvin Gastelum wanted Colin Hart
Colin wanted Uriah
Uriah asked for Josh
Josh called out Jimmy (and pussy footed around a potential matchup with Uriah)

After the fighters come in, the coaches discuss the potential matchups of:

Dylan v. Luke (who wanted each other)
Josh v. Uriah
Jimmy v. Josh
Kelvin v. Bubba (a matchup the coaches want)

But you taketh what Lord Dana giveth, which was:

Fight 1:  Colin v. Kelvin (Kelvin wanted Colin)
Fight 2:  Dylan. V. Luke (a match that both the coaches and fighters wanted)
Fight 3:  Josh v. Jimmy (what Josh wanted and he avoide a matchup with Uriah)
Fight 4:  Uriah v. Bubba (neither wanted each other)

Episode Grade:  A+
I’m sure many would disagree with this assessment, but it was a great episode -- just enough build up, a good fight and the quarterfinal deliberations.  Plus, a surprise matchup between Bubba and Uriah that left both the fighters and fans confused!

Hetfield Says Yeah? Yeah

Give a ‘Yeah’ of approval for the track below.

In an ode to the greatest metal band in history, a SoudCloud user has collected Metallica frontman James Hetfield’s entire catalogue of ‘Yeahs,’ the growly call the singer proudly owns.  (But he's also known for a few ‘Yos’ and ‘Heys’ in live shows along the way.)

If you’re not a Metallica fan, you’ll probably make it through 30 seconds, laugh and move on.  If you’re a Metallica fan, enjoy more than 3:00 minutes of Hetfield in his zone.

(And, for fans, you probably will find yourself asking, 'Wait, is this actually making fun of Metallica,' about halfway through.  Just power through that feeling and you’ll come out loving this.)

@SaidSimmons:  By the way, the badass Hetsfield composition is by DeviantArt user by Zincrap.  I would post this as a caption, but I still haven't mastered the HTML setting for the caption ... and I really dislike the settings for captions on this template.

TUF 17 Ep.8: One For The Bag Guys

TUF 17 Ep.8 featured the final bout first round bout between Team Jones’ Dylan Andrews and Team Sonnen’s Zak Cummings before the stage is set for the wild card contest.

I don't think it counts for much, but Zak Cummings wins the
fight for better hair -- and creepier gaze.

The Blow by Blow
Par for the course of late, we begin the episode with more discussion about the wild card fight and Bubba McDaniel wants the spot for Team Jones.  Adam Cella makes an argument for Bubba in a confession piece and described how the veteran fighter just puts in more effort -- such as getting in a run after group training has ended.

And that’s it.  There is no behind the scenes this week and we get straight to the Coaches Challenge, where each coach competed in three challenges -- where they competed in excavators.

Yep, big ass construction equipment.

The coaches began by filling a 14-yard dumpster with dirt and Jon Jones jumped to an early lead.  However, Chael Sonnen soon overtook the UFC light heavyweight champion by scooping larger amounts in his bucket and finished first.

Sonnen moved to the next contest -- and talked some smack as he drove along -- while Jones lagged behind.  He then began stacking three oversized tractor tires in a pyramid shape and positioned two before Jones started the second competition.

But as Sonnen struggled to position his third tire, Jones quickly moved his into place and secured the third with his claw.   As both fighters worked to place the top tire, Jones miraculously dropped his into place and it balanced along the edges of the base tires across a gaping width between.

Jones chugged along to third segment, where the coaches would grab a basketball off a cone and drop it into a tire, and celebrated in the cab of the excavator.   ‘Bones’ immediately snatched the ball and spun the excavator to drop the ball in the tire, only to have it rim out and spin helplessly into the dirt.

In the meantime, Sonnen secured his basketball and maneuvered to drop it into place to win the challenge -- including $10,000 for himself and $1.5k for each of his fighters.

(And, while TUF didn’t show it, I’m sure the collective of Team Jones was likely pissed to lose out on that cash.)

As he has stated many times before, Sonnen shared a, “One more for the bad guys.”

Get to Know Your Fighters
Back in Australia, Dylan (16-4-1) went to a video rental store (blast from the past!) to get a UFC video and he noticed a gym next door -- and ended up training there for six years.

The Kiwi, who was the last TUF participant selected to a team, grew up around a marijuana farm in Australia and was inspired by the failures of his brothers, who were caught up in the weed game.

Dylan also faces a mental hurdle in that he feels trapped because he is so good at fighting that he cannot walk away.  He has two children -- a seven-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter.  Dylan explained that he works to provide for his family, but he has put them through hell by being a fighter and get this opportunity.

Zak’s (15-3) friends thought he was too smart to fight, but they soon recognized his dedication and ability.  Despite being a cage fighter, the Missouri-native has never been in street fight.  After trying out for TUF six previous times, Zak finally made the cut after his seventh effort.

Zak explained that he is happy he had to wait until the last fight, as it allowed him to get comfortable in the house -- and get mentally prepared.

The Fight

After feeling each other out Zak shot and pushed the action to the cage.  The pair retuned to their feat and Dylan retreated after catching a punch and quickly ended up on the mat with Zak in side control -- where he soon began dropping elbows.  However, Dylan reserved the position as soon as Zak took top control.  With blood flowing from the side of his head where he ate the elbows, Dyaln controlled the final two minutes on top and landed some good blows -- potentially enough to steal the round.

The pair began the second round by dancing in the middle of the ring for 30 seconds -- and midway though the pair exchanged a high five after Zak threw a wild, yet entertaining spinning kick.   Zak tossed a strong punch and Dylan retreated.  Zak pressed the action and jumped, only to have Dylan catch him and position himself atop Zak as he fell to the mat.  Dylan spent the next four minutes on top of Zak landing elbows and punches and stood at the bell knowing he had won.

The Kiwi took the fight by majority decision.

The Wild Card
In past years, UFC lord and overseer Dana White picked the wild card matchup, but allowed the coaches to decide.  Sonnen has an easy decision and selected Kevin Casey.  Meanwhile, Jones was forced to choose between his first pick, Clint Hester, and his training partner, Bubba McDaniel.  After taking a few minutes and discussing the opportunity with the team, Jones selected Bubba.

Episode Grade:  B+
It wasn’t the best fight of the season, but it was entertaining.  Toss in a Coaches Challenge and the wild card selection and it made for an entertaining evening of TUF.

#TheHobby Has Grown Up

*@SaidSimmons:  The following is an opinion piece written by a newbie baseball card collector (me) who was reintroduced to the hobby within the past year.  

You can still find a pack of baseball cards for $2.00.  But you’d be lucky if you can find a pack of 2012 Panini National Treasures Baseball for less than $400.

Holy crap!  Is that Ty Cobb AND 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson
on the same card -- with pieces of their bats from 1911?!

With that in mind, the baseball card industry seems to be robust and healthy after the collapse of the ‘90s -- as well as the economy in general.   And to gauge the baseball recovery, Panini National Treasures appear to be the measuring stick of the industry’s health.

To be fair, Panini National Treasures is significantly more than just a pack of baseball cards.  Each of the eight cards in a pack includes an autograph, piece of memorabilia or both, and mostly features players with historical significance.

From jersey pieces and bat knobs to folding book cards that feature signed balls from superstar duos, Panini National Treasures is a high-end memorabilia product for card-minded sports collectors.

Yet with demand driving the price per pack upwards of $425, the product is almost a sports memorabilia lottery more than a collector’s product.  If a fan collects a certain player or team, it surely makes more sense (and cents) to find your favorites in the secondary market.

But the product certainly does provide the opportunity to hit the sports lottery, as a father-son pair recently found out -- by pulling a 1/1 Honus Wagner cut autograph and bat relic nickname card.  The ‘Holy Grail’ was pulled from a local card shop here in Atlanta and was promptly listed on eBay for $20k (which has since been reduced to $10k).

I was able to find a pack of National Treasures before jumped through the roof -- and the shop where I bought the pack increased the price $75 the next day.*

I did well with my pack.  I pulled a 1/1 -- but not a ‘Holy Grail’.  It was an Austin Jackson logo autograph card.  I also pulled a 4/6 Will Middlebrooks button card of the rookie.

However, I was more interested in historical players and only managed one card of a player predating the ‘80s of Roy Campanella.  And with just eight cards, I didn’t grab one player with whom I had any emotional connection.

Fortunately, I’m hoping to recoup some of my ‘investment’ by selling the most notable cards and dropping the earnings on some Atlanta Braves or Pete Rose cards.^

And, yes, Rose is included because the product is not officially licensed by MLB.  Because of that, the set also features the appearance of other banned baseball baddies, including Joe Jackson, Heinie Groh and Lefty Williams.

The 2012 Panini National Treasures Baseball set is easily the coolest product I’ve come across since I was reintroduced to #TheHobby, but carries a hefty price tag.  The surrounding hype is well deserved, but I’m sure many collectors wish Panini’s set wasn’t so revered so the price tag would drop a bit.

*Because I’m a ‘journalist’ of sorts and I’m increasing my online profile by writing about my hobby, and something newsworthy, I wonder if I can convince my accountant this is tax deductible.

^Ah, crap.  I bet this means the pack isn't tax deductible after all -- and that was assuming my account wasn’t going to tell me I was a moron in the first place.

GSU: Yours Truly in the AJC

As was recently covered here -- after stealing the meat and potatoes from the AJC -- the Georgia State Panthers could end up with an in-state rival in the Sun Belt Conference.

With the conference realignment rumor mill always in full swing, the mid-major focus has now fallen on Georgia Southern and Appalachian State potentially moving to the Sun Belt.

Georgia State beat writer Doug Roberson of the AJC put out a Twitter request for State and Southern fans to express their opinions about the possible move.  And apparently I was the only Panther fan dumb enough to speak up:

Georgia State fans with hopes of creating a meaningful rivalry for the Panthers should welcome the addition of Georgia Southern to the Sun Belt. 

The Eagles’ entrance to the Sun Belt would immediately seed the potential for an in-state rivalry for the Panthers -- one that previously existed when both schools were members of the Trans American Athletic Conference in the 1980s and early 90s. 

Within the Sun Belt, the Panthers will likely develop relationships with South Alabama and Troy, two foes across our westward border with whom the Panthers have recent history.  

But Southern would create an instant advisory and a marquee football matchup for State that may resonate with both casual and diehard fans, pitting the city vs. rural Georgia. 

The Panthers have lacked any true rival -- regional or founded in competition -- in over a decade.   Upon joining the Colonial Athletic Association in 2005, the fan base was excited for realignment and hoped a regional rivalry might develop with UNC Wilmington.  But the Seahawks’ campus remained a seven-hour trip from Atlanta.   State’s departure from the CAA then dashed any possibility of time-built traditions within the conference. 

To some degree, State and Southern have maintained a rivalry in recent years in Olympic sports, softball and bickering over which school is the real ‘GSU’ on message boards.  However, the cornerstone of collegiate rivalries in the South is football and the Panthers still have to prove they can compete with Southern.   

While rivalries are oft founded in region, they are fueled by competitiveness.  After a 1-10 season, the Panthers have an obligation to improve their team and head coach Trent Miles appears capable of a turnaround with the fledgling program. 

If the Panthers improve in football, the addition of Southern to the Sun Belt should set the table for a new in-state rivalry in Georgia.

In case you missed the link above, here is the AJC blog with fan opinions, "Here's why you think the Eagles should join the Panthers in the Sun Belt."

TUF 17 Ep.7 Recap: Styles Decide Fights

Because you missed another episode of TUF and need to get a quick rundown before this afternoon’s water cooler talk, here’s an abbreviated synopsis of TUF 17 Ep.7 featuring Team Jones’ Clint Hester vs. Team Sonnen’s Jimmy Quinlan.

(And, dang, you seem to be missing a lot of episodes lately.  What gives?)

The Blow by Blow
This week’s episode opened with more talk about the potential wild card spot, with Bubba McDaniel eyeing the opportunity.  And Uriah Hall’s continued assholery is discussed with Jon Jones.

But enough with the small talk, the guys went to Hooters -- and Gilbert Smith Jr. undressed on cue and took his shirt off.  After finding his way into a size smedium Hooters tank top, Gilbert then ripped that off to the staged applause of the waitresses.

Before departing the restaurant, the fighters and coaches posed for a picture with the Hooters ladies, but the always grumpy Uriah refused to join in.

"Argh, I love being naked on TV."

The next morning, Josh Samman woke up with intense leg pain and was taken to the hospital due to his history of blood clots.  He ends up being released and okay.

(Which I somehow missed entirely.  Mid-fight, I blurt, ‘Hey, what happened to Josh,’ but fortunately my fiancée was there to back me up.  I guess this occurred when I making an adult beverage.)

A lot of the episode was spent discussing the stylistic differences of Clint, an accomplished striker, and Jimmy, who has a background in grappling.  Chael Sonnen reveals that both coaches wanted Clint with the first overall pick.

Both Clint and Jimmy genuinely like each other and appeared to be bro-ing it up a bit.  Clint said most the house doesn’t get Jimmy, but they’re besties.

Get to Know Your Fighters
Clint (7-3) is from Powder Springs, Ga. -- which is about 30 miles from the ‘ole home base in downtown ATL -- and he tries to be a humble dude.  He had a stable upbringing where he lived with his aunt and uncle, but he just liked to fight.  Clint hung with some smaller guys, so he stuck up for them -- and fought.

He wanted to box when he was young, but started in 2005.  After his boxing gym closed, he found a nearby gym that also featured MMA, which intrigued the fighter.  Clint took his first MMA fight 10 months later.

Jimmy (3-0) went to school for criminal justice and didn’t grow up in bad neighborhood.  He tries hard to be a good cop.

Jimmy also believes his police training helped to prepare him for the scenario he faces on the show -- being holed up with a bunch of dudes while competing.  The local police force has allowed Jimmy to train and pursue wrestling and MMA.  He has a job waiting when he gets back -- but he hopes to win.

The Fight

Photo from UFC.com.

Jimmy shot early and lifted Clint for an immediate slam to begin the first round.  Although Jimmy secured a strong side position after the slam, Clint quickly escaped -- yet soon was thrown a second time by Jimmy.   Clint popped up and the pair returned to grappling.  Clint almost secured a guillotine and landed some knees while controlling Jimmy’s head.  After separating, Jimmy again lifts Clint for the third slam of the round and rode the top position until the horn.

Clint opened the second round by shooting and Jimmy almost secured a guillotine after sprawling – and the second round again turns into a grappling match.  Jimmy assumed the top position.  Fighting to escape, Clint rolled to his stomach and Jimmy sat on his back.  The wrestler dropped some small bombs before sinking in the guillotine to end the fight at 3:16 with a quick tap by Clint..

Episode Grade:  C+
TUF has oft been criticized for being a juvenile and focusing on pranks -- and I miss it.  We’ve had two straight weeks of friendly fights with little build up.  If it weren’t for Uriah being a self martyr, the season 17 house might have flat lined by now.

By the way, what the hell was Clint thinking to open the second round?  Was he trying to catch Jimmy off guard, by shooting?  He needed to toss some haymakers to utilize his strengths, but too often played into Jimmy’s grappling background.

 By default, the final round matchup is Zach vs. Dylan.  Dylan was last pick, so Zach should be the assumed favorite next week.

This NIN Mashup is Contagiously Awful

Why am I sharing anything about Carly Rae Jepsen?  Because the catchy beat for her hit, "Call Me Maybe," makes a surprisingly good bed for the breathy growls of Trent Reznor.

With the BPMs matched, somehow Reznor's cries and growls are almost amplified by the poppy beat and you will find yourself helpless to listen to the entire mashup.

By itself, Jepsen's hit conjures up images of a sunny field, dandelions and happy children.  Mixed with Nine Inch Nails, you instead get a similar pleasant day where small children are being kicked off bicycles in said field by '90s grunge teens in flannel.

Be warned: this matchup of Reznor's vocals from NIN's, "Head Like a Hole," is surprisingly enjoyable.  You'll like it.  Thank me later if you can admit it.

Wait, There's a National Sports Journalism Center?

I feel somewhat embarrassed to start a post with this admission, but I was unaware there was a National Sports Journalism Center (NSJC).

To find out there was one was both intriguing and encouraging.  I don’t recall how exactly I found a link to their site -- through social media or Google News -- but somehow I opened an interview they conducted with Deadspin on the Manti Te’o story.

The interview was the exact opposite of what I expected.  The introduction to the interview quickly slanted the story an interesting direction:

“…the investigation and reporting of Deadspin’s story raise the question of whether the Te’o hoax revelation was the result of responsible journalism or a case in which an entity (Deadspin) that broke a big story without completing its due diligence got lucky that it was right.”

So after that, the NSJC continued into the interview with Deadspin editor-in-chief Tommy Craggs.

(For full disclosure, I love Deadspin.  They are the snarky, underbelly of the sports journalism world and they do a damn good job embracing that role.  In addition to that, they also break stories and do good reporting from time-to-time.  Most importantly, they keep the rest of the sports world in check by shouting, ‘Hey, what the F***?,” pretty regularly.)

After a single question on the chain-of-events that led to the story, the interviewer immediately leads the discussion in a direction that questions the judgment of Deadspin.  The interview seemingly spirals out of control in a slow, controlled demolotion of common sense, making for a mind-boggling read.

After reading the interview, you can’t help but feel like the NSJC had no interest in embracing Deadspin or leaning their account of breaking one of the most bizarre sports stories in years.  Rather,  your stuck thinking the interviewer had some beed with Deadspin and repeatedly admonishes their editor with pointed questions.

Why?  I have no idea.  Perhaps the NSJC embraces more traditional forms of journalism and has an issue with the new era of armchair journalists -- bloggers that oft seem to have more unique, genuine voices than those nurtured in old environments.

The interview ends with this bizarre exchange:

Q: With respect to the reporting on the Te’o situation, Deadspin’ s post “ESPN Reports Ronaiah Tuisosopo [sic] Confessed to Te’o Hoax in December. Was Te’o Involved? Evidence Varies” includes a reader comment at the bottom that reads: 

“Look at these f—ing Samoans, with the stripes on their face. They look so sweet, but they lie and now they’re boxed in. I wish they’d take their coconut and go elsewhere. Eh, f— it. Give me three of them plus two Thin Mints.”

This is just one of several comments laced with profanities or racial epithets appearing on Deadspin’s site. Does Deadspin have a policy on the detection and removal of offensive reader comments? If so, what is that policy and where is it displayed?
A: You’re really obsessed with policies, aren’t you? We moderate our comments to the best of our abilities. The commenting system is designed to float the best responses to the top. Bad comments get buried (and occasionally deleted outright).  

The comment you cited above does not contain a “racial epithet,” by the way. It’s a joke about Girl Scout cookies. Are there any actual racial epithets you’d like to bring to our attention?

#TheHobby in the Headlines

The most famous baseball card in the world recently returned to the limelight in a Grantland 30 for 30 documentary short series film.

The short, entitled “Holy Grail: The T206 Honus Wagner” by Prospect Productions, chronicles the history of the infamous copy of the American Tobacco Company baseball card featuring the likeness of Wagner that was once owned by Wayne Gretzky.

The 14-minute film moves quickly and demands your attention as it weaves between the history of the card and the state of the sports card trading industry.  Included in the film are interviews with industry heavyweights, collectors and journalists.

Grantland paired the short with an interesting print piece on quirks in card collecting, “The Value of Imperfection.”

As someone just getting back into #TheHobby, I had an added interest in the short -- however, I can likely assure you it’s worth watching by mentioning my fiancée enjoyed it, despite the overbearing nerdiness.

*Said Simmons: Unfortunately, ESPN/Grantland aren’t sharing the embedded code for the video (and I’m not smart enough to work around it), so following the link in the first graf or here to watch the short:  “Holy Grail: The T206 Honus Wagner”