Posts Tagged ‘opinion’
Boxing vs. MMA
July 8th, 2009
Mixed martial arts is a sport which has been seeing an ever expanding fan base over the past decade. The sport really started to take off after a UFC-centered reality TV show which exposed the sport to the public. The UFC is the official MMA league which produces and promotes the matches; all of the professional MMA fighters are in the league, giving the UFC a lock on the sport. Many people worry that the attention paid to MMA comes at the expense of boxing, but the two sports are different enough that there shouldn’t be any cause for alarm - there is no reason to follow one sport and not the other, since MMA is not intended to replace boxing.
Boxing for a long time has been falling off of the radar of the American sports fans consciousness. However, for just as long there have been people saying that boxing would die, that it would never survive and that it would never be as good as it used to be. But despite all of the hardships along the way boxing has survived and it has a hardcore group of fans that would never give it up. Some of these fans refuse to watch MMA because they feel it’s low quality or that it’s a cheap knock off.
At the same time, many boxing fans have begun to appreciate MMA while still remaining dedicated to boxing as well. There’s plenty for boxing fans to appreciate in mixed martial arts fighting. The sport incorporates elements of boxing, wrestling, judo, kickboxing, Muay Thai and other styles. This blend of styles into a single event makes for a sport which is something all its own.
Fans of each will find something that is appealing, and you can be a fan of both for different reasons. For example, the quality of the actual boxing in MMA is low. Fighters have to stand differently to guard against takedowns and strikes from other angles. Additionally, without years of honing fine boxing technique, the punches themselves are sloppier.
However, with smaller gloves that serve merely as knuckle guards, there are many more knockouts and fights can seem more exciting in that fashion. It depends on what you are looking for, a finer display of skill and technique or a potentially more explosive display. People can like both and turn to each for separate reasons.
There is no reason why you can’t be a fan of both boxing and MMA. You can appreciate the finer elements of each sport while watching each one for different reasons. While the sports contain similar themes and elements, they are completely different from another. Nobody laments the fact that now that they watch soccer they can’t watch hockey anymore. Both have similarities, but they are viewed rightly as different sports and so the conversation never takes place.
Boxing and MMA fans need to come to an understanding that the sports are two different animals and have different things to offer fans. Naturally, you don’t have to like both; no sport will appeal to every fan. However, you should approach each sport on its own merits rather than in relation to other sports.
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Choices, Choices: College vs. Professional Sports
July 1st, 2009
One of the classic debates in sports is which is better, amateur competition in the collegiate ranks or professional competition in our sports leagues. People stand firmly on each side of the issue, and some people will even feel differently from sport to sport. The two most popular sports that face this comparison and debate are football and basketball.
March Madness is one of the primary arguments made by college basketball devotees in favor of collegiate athletics. The March Madness tournament is something which gets the attention of NBA fans and even many who don’t normally watch basketball at all; its appeal is hard to deny. The college tournament schedule includes dozens and dozens of games and there is always the chance of an upset in any given matchup. This generates a lot of excitement each spring and is one of the few events which it is socially acceptable to bet on. It’s hard to find a workplace anywhere in the country that doesn’t have a March Madness pool, regardless of local mores or even regulations on sports betting.
Proponents of college basketball also mention how it is more pure. Some players have pro aspirations, sure, but most are just college athletes who have already maxed out their potential. Therefore they are playing because they love the game, not just for money or prestige. Their passion is easily seen, as is the passion of the fans of each and every team. A loyalty to college teams exists in stronger fashion than for many pro teams.
The fans of pro basketball don’t deny the attraction of college basketball and a lot of NBA fans are just as excited about March Madness as the most devoted fans of the college teams. However, they make the point that there is a level of play and competitiveness in professional basketball which collegiate basketball programs can’t match, with the very best of the country’s basketball talent on display.
The seven game series which make up the NBA playoffs are pointed to by fans as a way of guaranteeing that the best team will emerge victorious. While it’s hard to claim that the NBA playoffs offer more excitement than March Madness, they also make the point that regular season games are more compelling events.
When it comes to football the main topic usually relates to the playoffs and the way the champion is determined. Detractors of college football can’t stand the Bowl Championship Series. There isn’t a playoff format where each team gets to prove themselves. Rather the competition is determined by voting and by computer formulas. You can be a great team, maybe even the best team in the country at the end of the season, but if you aren’t ranked 1 or 2, than you have no chance at winning a championship. This makes the bowl season and the championship game somewhat dubious.
Meanwhile fans of the college game will say that this format makes the regular season much more exciting. Since one loss can permanently knock you out of championship contention, each and every game is of equal importance. Every moment is huge, and a team must strive for perfection throughout the year. They argue that in pro football mediocre teams can have a chance to play with the best at the end of the year, making the regular season less worthwhile.
Fans on either side of the college versus professional sports schism are unlikely to change their minds. This is a debate which is not likely to be settled soon, if indeed ever, but fans don’t have to choose of course; they can watch exactly what they want from each league and experience collegiate and professional athletics in their own way.
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These NFL Excited Fans All Year Round
June 26th, 2009
The NFL is the dominant force in American sports; it is in fact the only sport which can boast of having the attention of the majority of American fans. One thing which makes the NFL unique among American sports is that it keeps the attention of fans even during its off season. Year round, the NFL is in the news and at the forefront of the minds of fans.
Every professional sport holds a draft, but only the NFL draft is a weekend long event that gets millions of viewers, hour after hour. Held every April, the draft is talked about for months on end before it takes place. People guess which players will be drafted to which team, which team will emerge as the best, who will make a mistake and so on. Then for months after the draft, teams are judged, graded and evaluated on how they did.
As soon as the Super Bowl ends, the NFL gears up for the draft, it never misses a beat. The free agency season all kicks off, which means players are changing teams and the NFL can stay in the headlines. The draft also means more speculation, rumors and trades. All of this action helps the interest in the NFL stay warm even when there are no games being played.
Fans are more interested in the upcoming NFL draft even as the NHL and NBA enter playoff season and the baseball season opens. All of these other big events in the sports world are overshadowed by the draft. In American sports, there is no other league which can stay at the forefront of the news and of the fan’s minds all through the year like the NFL.
Once summer arrives, the training camps open and fans excitedly discuss how the teams are shaping up for the year and how the players seem to feel about their teams. This is also a time of year when fans argue over which players will be the starters for their teams.
NFL preseason games are nationally televised and even when these games star second-string and even third-season players, they draw huge audiences of fans starved for NFL action. The preseason games for no other sport draw this sort of attention; not basketball, not hockey, only the NFL.
Then once the season starts, week after week the sport builds on itself. Each week is of extreme importance because there is only 16 games. Although, that is now being talked about in terms of expanding the number, because the popularity is so vast. As the playoffs approach and teams have a chance to make or miss the postseason, every game is intense and every game is taken seriously.
NFL fans are a dedicated group; all year round, they’re keeping a close eye on the sport. Casual viewers who catch only a handful of games per season are often largely unaware of the latest developments or indeed, all of the players on their favorite team. During the off season from the draft to training, the NFL is a sport which keeps the attention of fans; the only sport which is this popular all year.
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