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Opinion & Analysis
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Staff Editorials
PELKEY COLUMN: Did Joe Rogan step over the company line on ESPN plugging Couture and Cuban?
By Matt Pelkey, MMATorch columnist
Mar 1, 2008, 14:42
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I happened to catch the two minutes of coverage ESPN's "Sportscenter" gives to the UFC on the Friday before a pay-per-view last night. Anchor Brian Kenny interviewed Joe Rogan about UFC 82: Pride of a Champion. First off, let me say that the coverage has gotten monumentally better since it's inception for the Rampage-Liddell fight. Gone were the mispronounced names and condescending tone. Kenny actually sounded like he maybe, just maybe knew what he was talking about and gave it just an ounce of respect. For the record, he and Rogan seemed to have a good rapport.
Surprisingly a variety of topics were covered. I assumed we'd just get the standard "break down the main event" and then call it a night. Rogan coined and new phrase, "ballet of violence" to describe that beauty that is Anderson Silva's striking. That would've been good enough for me, and presumably Rogan, and another small step in the slow process of MMA in general, and the UFC in particular, gaining mainstream notoriety. Luckily for us though, Kenny had other ideas.
First he asked about EliteXC and their new deal, the first for any MMA organization, on CBS, i.e. broadcast television. Rogan gave the usual neutral lines about any exposure MMA can get to the masses is a positive. Even though I'm sure he agrees, I can't imagine Dana White would be pleased with Rogan putting his stamp of approval on another company, no matter how innocent it was. Let's not forget that Rogan is an employee of the UFC.
Fellow MMATorch scribe Shawn Ennis has long championed the cause of getting unbiased, unaffiliated commentators to call the UFC action. I agree with him, but we're a long way from that happening, at least in regards to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Rogan has been named the chosen one to promote the UFC on the mecca of sports hype shows; Sportscenter. Toeing the company line, I can only assume, would be in his best interest. The comments about EliteXC can be forgotten. Despite striking the first blow for MMA on network TV, they remain small potatoes. They're not a threat, at least not yet. What won't be forgotten and certainly not forgiven, is what came next.
Kenny asked about Randy Couture. You know, the 800 pound gorilla in the room that Dana White would like you to believe has ceased to exist without the UFC? I can't blame White for his virtual silence on the subject. They're in the middle of an ugly contract dispute and now lawsuit. Maybe he's just waiting for Couture to come running home, and then we can all just act like he never left. Guess what? He's not coming back. There's one fight left in his career that he desperately wants. It's the fight with Fedor Emelianenko that Dana White couldn't make happen.
I honestly can't believe Rogan didn't avoid the question like the plague. He didn't. Instead, he acted just like the fan he is, and all of us are. He said it's a fight he wants to see no matter where it takes place. He did say he wishes he could see it in the UFC, but I don't think it'll save him from company scrutiny. He actually went on to say that Mark Cuban is good for the sport. MARK CUBAN?!?
Forgive the wrestling reference, but Mark Cuban is about to become the Ted Turner to Dana White's Vince McMahon. You know, the billionaire who throws his hat into the ring of a sport he knows nothing about. The one who lures away the big stars with the promise of huge money. Rogan even went on to say that he'd watch that fight if it was on HDNet. HE SAID THE CHANNEL'S NAME WHERE YOU CAN WATCH THE FIGHT! That was downright mind-boggling to me. Mark Cuban got free publicity from an employee of his biggest rival on the most watched sports show in the world. How is that possible? I love Joe Rogan. His enthusiasm for the sport he loves is infectious. But he screwed up here. This can't end well for him. As far as what the actual consequences are, your guess is as good as mine. Will it go as far as his termination? I doubt it. But will he be the guy Brian Kenny interviews next month to talk about the UFC's debut in Canada? Hmmm....
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