Originally Posted by tightlypackedco
Well, I've been an MMA enthusiast (like a good number of you) since taking up martial arts circa '92, watching martial arts movies since childhood and imagining what art or which fighter would win in an actual fight.
I've been here since UFC 1 in Denver and enjoying the ride so far in this new sport. I been a guest on sherdog for years now and finally got around to getting registered a year and a half ago; I just posted my first reply yesterday.
I felt it was time to say something that probably many of you have already thought: The day of the purist is drawing to a close. I don't mean that the real lover of the sport is going away, per se. I mean that the pre-TUF fan, if you will, is now the minority.
I'm posting this because I'm witnessing a lot of animosity between the pre and post TUF fan. Please forgive me categorizing the new fan as TUF, as I'm sure there are some of you who have began watching and loving MMA without the help or knowledge of the show.
Nonetheless, it is easier to move forward with this categorization. When I step into a UFC discussion or hypotheticals, I find that more often than not, these threads derail into other topics that have little to do with the original post. Often times they get downright offensive and personally abusive to another poster. It leaves the thread almost valueless, sometimes.
When I visit another thread of, say, a Dream event, Affliction matches, things not UFC related, these threads (usually) have less acrimony and more respect. These questions and answers in the latter threads contain the enthusiast that has been around, so to speak. The "I know who Marco Ruas is" person. The "A takedown really doesn't mean much someimes" person. The "yes, Liddell fought in pride" person. As this is the case, these threads have mutual respect for one another, I think, because we've been here.
It's when this fan comes in contact with the post TUF fan in a thread, that things on occasion get less than respectful. My point is this: I'm becoming OK with this. I know how a lot of "old school" enthusiasts feel, I feel the same way, sometimes. Sometimes we may not want to give credit to a new MMA fighter because we didn't think he got there the hard way. Because (insert new MMA star here) is the representation of what is wrong with the sport in the sense that they cut in line of someone more deserving.
The matches are going to the TV stars and salesmen now. It's a dirty thing to consider, but deep down, you know that thought has crossed your mind. I'm leaving that thought process behind. There are new MMA fans out there who will never really know just how talented the legends were. Or are. That's fine with me. Like an NBA fan, there are those who think Kobe might be the best ever, having only seen Jordan in highlight reels.
Truth is, Kobe is awesome. But you will never really know the greatness of Jordan. Maybe we've been mad because of that. Because we feel "Jordan" and his fans deserve more respect from the new genaration of fans. I don't care anymore.
The MMA world is filled with enormous talent old and new. What this sport has in common with all the others is, we will have our enthusiasts and we will have our fanatics. The fanatics may not care as much when it comes to the foundation of the sport (that you can't stand 'em up when one of the fighters is caught in an omoplata).
The enthusiast may not want to give credit to the marketing and business side the sport (that like it or not, the popular guy needs to cut in front). They're always gonna fight. But like it or not, we're both right.
So respect to all fans of the sport I love. Here's hoping it will be given back. Long live the Gracies, Shamrocks, Machida, Frye, Taktorov, Forrest, Akiyama, Silvas, Huerta, Melendez, Rizzo, Penn, Thompson, Coleman, Guida, Gomi, Jardine, Stevenson, Sato, St. Pierre, Le, Faber, Ruas, Jackson, Barnett, Cavalcante, Belfort, Emelianenko, Horn,Sadollah, Severn, Florian, Yoshida, Rutten,......all.
|
