Eduardo

Racism is a complex beast. I don't know how many racists you have in your life but if you're white you probably know at least one or two (and that's not counting casual ignorance that grows out of privilege). Unfortunately my dad is pretty racist. Yeah, he loves a charming performer like Clifton Chenier. He loves a funny loud mouth like Red Foxx or even Muhammad Ali. Obama? It's embarrassing the shit I've heard him say. I'm sorry if you're naive enough to think that racism doesn't influence the way every person of color is presented on television but unfortunately it does. I was just watching Hot Pepper. Chenier is so great. One hundred percent agree with this post. Since the Seahawks won tonight, it's easy to remember what happened last year with Richard Sherman, which was filled with fans, media, talking heads, etc. using really fucked up coded language to talk about Sherman.

I heard that too. This reminds me, one of the talking points that Zuffa constantly pushed during the boom period of 2005-2007 was how their fighters were "college educated", how Chuck Liddell had a degree in accounting. They tried to push an idea that their guys at the time (Liddell, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, Rich Franklin, Matt Hughes) were not like those "other" athletes you find in established sports.

Yep, what Bix said. It's not that there aren't legitimate reasons to dislike Jones. This is a dude whose official Instagram and Twitter accounts sent out homophobic comments and messages to fans. And he has other questionable behavior as well. This is about how race plays a very legitimate role in how fans and media treat, respond to, or frame athletes of color. It's about how historically athletes of color in America, especially black athletes, get harsher reactions as compared to white athletes. Also, Rashad Evans was given shit for years for the way fans perceived him. Even though media members and fighters would say he was a good, nice guy, he was treated badly by fans for years and accused of being "cocky". Not that it matters whether one is legitimately nice or "cocky", one doesn't deserve to be treated as harshly as Evans was. Anyways, I don't remember who it was, maybe it was Jordan Breen or Greg Savage, but they once told a story about how the fans reacted inside the arena when Evans knocked out Chuck Liddell, and they said it was pretty ugly. Meltzer acting like race plays no role in modern day combat sports, because he's heard athletes of color receive some positive crowd reactions, is absurd. He also frames the issue like those who are saying that race plays a role, are ignoring other reasons why some people dislike Jones. When in reality, he's the one that is simplifying the issue, by acting like race playing a role is an idea that's so beneath him that the only way to talk about it is to he's mock it, and the people who bring it up.

I haven't listened to the Alvarez and Martin show, so I can't say what went on there. But this is what Meltzer was saying on WOR on Wednesday. He was using sarcasm in his voice while saying some of this stuff: Meltzer: This is the one that cracks me up the most. None of those things [that were talked about previously] matter, the only reason that people boo him or don't like him, because they should like him 'cause he's so talented, is because they resent a talented black man. That's why. Alvarez: That's why huh? Meltzer: It's his race. Whenever somebody pulls the race card about Jon Jones, and people are going to get mad at me for saying this, because a lot of people listening pull it out themselves. Here is the only problem with that. I was at New York, or Jersey actually, Newark, New Jersey, the night Jon Jones... Alvarez: I'm skeptical this is the only problem but go ahead. Meltzer:...beat Shogun Rua to win the championship, and everyone in the building cheered him. The people loved him. It wasn't until the Rashad Evans thing [describes the story between Jones and Evans, Jones turning down the fight against Sonnen, etc.]. But it's the race card. Frustrating but not surprising to hear that Meltzer doesn't understand how race plays a role, and racism, coded language exists in sports, and in the world around us, since he's the same dude that thinks that Flair, and Ole Anderson using the n-word towards black wrestlers and talent is, "It's not so much racism as environment with the n-word and people trying to tell jokes and not aware until after the fact that there were people who didn’t like the jokes." Anyways, I think kjh is on the right track with saying that that article really got under Meltzer's skin. Even a few years ago Jordan Breen did a very basic break down how race plays a role in combat sports, but I don't know if Meltzer ever directly responded or replied, since him and Breen are buddies.

pol is right. He was saying the complete opposite of that and it was really embarrassing. Reminds me of the time Meltzer got into an argument with Snowden on Twitter about the build-up to Jones-Sonnen. At one point, Meltzer was arguing about "people pulling the race card", about how he's going to get people mad at him for saying that, and how race doesn't factor in because Jones got cheered when he beat Shogun Rua in New Jersey. He also framed the introduction to this topic in a disingenuous way. Meltzer came off looking pretty bad. EDIT: Just to clear up, in case there is any confusion, I meant that Meltzer was saying the opposite of what cm funk is claiming he argued.

-I need to go to more local indie lucha libre events around South Texas. -Watch more stuff, from everywhere. -Read more stuff. -Hopefully if I can do the first three, write more stuff. -See if I can find any old Mexican newspapers that covered lucha libre from decades ago, and translate into English if I find something interesting. -For fun, maybe interview some old legendary luchador and ask PWO if they have any questions.

I forgot if it was Meltzer or Alvarez who told the story, but this reminds me that around late 2005 or 2006, one of those two said that Shawn Michaels pulled someone aside (Rey Mysterio?) and said something along the lines, "Here's a secret: winning and losing matters."

Looks like El Hijo del Santo is returning to the ring in 2015:

Watching some of these TNT's, and I'm really surprised at how good Vince McMahon is on some of these episodes. As a fake TV talk show host, he feels and sounds better than actual late night, American talk show hosts in 2014. Shit, in one episode, he seems sincerely warm and like he actually cares about SD Jones' career, and the music Jones grew up with. There is this level of absurdity to it, with a dash of ridiculous self-importance that makes these interviews really fun to watch.

El Faraon vs Sangre Chicana from 1986 looks wild and awesome in highlight form.

Agreed, it's the fight that makes the most sense, and it's already attracting a lot of attention and buzz online. They should really capitalize on this.

David Armas, one of Jason David Frank's sparring partners (and friend) talked to Dana White tonight. Armas was there because Charles Oliveira fought tonight, and Oliveira is part of that close-knit Houston MMA scene. Armas is associated with Jorge "Macaco" Patino. Anyways Armas is claiming that White thinks Punk-Frank is a "great fight". I hope he's not bullshitting, and UFC goes all the way, and actually makes it happen in 2015. Countdown would be amazing.

This is pretty amusing. http://www.theonion.com/articles/the-onions-person-of-the-year-2014-tie-malala-yous,37661/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:1:Default

The Green Power Ranger had an amateur fight about ten minutes from where I live, in 2010.

Not entirely off base, but not entirely comparable either. Reason I ask is I remember Dana White publicly said that Jon Fitch made 1.3 million over the course of his UFC career, acting like that was an impressive amount for a guy who had countless fights in one of the toughest weight-classes in MMA. Punk is probably going to make more than that, if he actually goes through all three fights. He'll probably make more than someone like Nate Diaz -- who has fought against a who's who in entertaining fashion inside the brutal lightweight division -- has for years inside the UFC.

This whole thing is so funny to me. Would this be comparable to Punk's criticisms on The Rock or am I off-based here?

Hahaha. I am a huge fan of Punk. When Punk is motivated, great worker and promo. Also, seems like a cool guy. But yikes. I personally know dozens of no-name MMA fighters in the Texas fight scene that I would bet my life savings on to beat him in a MMA fight. Also, Dana White/Zuffa/UFC is carny as fuck, and has its fair share of issues. Punk in Rebook gear should be amusing though.

John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats is an obvious one. Although he was into pro wrestling decades ago. He actually started following me on tumblr after I made some corny Chavo Guerrero Sr. comment. Then he followed me on Twitter after I tweeted something about Juan Manuel Marquez. So as expected, he has good taste all around.

One time I asked one of Santana's acquaintance's if I could talk to Santana at some point. I wasn't really expecting any actual reply or if I did get one, wasn't expecting anything soon. Literally one day after I asked, I get a call from a New Jersey area-code, and it's Santana himself. I wish everyday people I know where that good at returning phone calls. You can't leave the story there! What does one talk about when Tito Santana calls them up? Ha, sorry for the late reply, just saw this. The reason I wanted to talk to him was I had an idea to write a short story in some local periodical about him and a brief overview of his career. So when he called unexpectedly, I just briefly made small talk then asked if I could talk to him more in-depth another day, so I could prepare. He was like, 'Sure no problem.' When we talked again a few days later, we chatted a lot about his childhood and growing up in the Rio Grande Valley (where Santana and I are both from). He told me about growing up in a really poor area, being embarrassed about the clothes he would have to wear, and about working hard labor as part of a migrant family. I was trying to get him to tell me if he listened to any local bands growing up, but he couldn't remember. Then after that we talked a bit about his career. Just a really cool humble person.

Also, not to nitpick, but Punk said "the next day or the next week, HHH walks Mayweather to the fucking ring". It wasn't that soon, it was almost four months later, as Sonnen-Bisping was on January 2012, while Mayweather-Cotto was on May 2012.

One time I asked one of Santana's acquaintance's if I could talk to Santana at some point. I wasn't really expecting any actual reply or if I did get one, wasn't expecting anything soon. Literally one day after I asked, I get a call from a New Jersey area-code, and it's Santana himself. I wish everyday people I know where that good at returning phone calls.

I've had some friends that have worked at arenas, and interacted with all types of athletes and celebrities. I always remember one cool story. Backstage at a house show, some of the agents were around a table of monitors watching what was going on in the ring. A friend of mind, who was on break from working backstage was trying to catch a peak of the monitors from a distance. Ricky Steamboat noticed my buddy, went over to find a chair, and invited him to sit down next to him to watch the match that was going on. I thought that was a really neat gesture from Steamboat.

Bobby Green just used Gangrel's "The Brood" entrance music at the UFC Fight Night card in Austin.

The commentators really bugged me at the end, and I rarely get annoyed to the extent I did last night. I can understand why they were trying so hard to put it over, but they sounded so phony. Especially JBL. I only saw the main event last night. Thought the body of it was solid, and fun at times. The stuff with Rusev was good, and loved how he was eliminated. But as soon as the main event was over, I was thinking, "I missed tiny Cole Beasley and Dez Bryant scoring touchdowns during the 3rd quarter for this?"