CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCAST IPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPWINDOWS APPRSS
NEW FORUM

GOT THE MMATORCH APP YET?
iPhone & iPad
Android
Kindle Fire
Windows Phone
MMATORCH IPHONE APP

MMATORCH

All the MMA News • Plus Intelligent, Brilliant, Addictive Points of View!
Independently Covering MMA Since 1993 • No Big Corporate Bosses

Keller's Take
KELLER BLOG: Rashad Evans' image as a jerk - thoughts on Bent's column and reader reaction
Jan 1, 2009 - 8:54:49 PM
KELLER BLOG: Rashad Evans' image as a jerk - thoughts on Bent's column and reader reaction
DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM
...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!


By Wade Keller, MMATorch supervising editor
This week MMATorch columnist Jason Bent wrote an article about how sometimes if someone criticizes a black athlete he's accused of being racist. Bent was accused of that earlier this week when he was critical of Evans, and he wrote a column disputing that assumption. Since then, some readers have said on the web-version of MMATorch in the reader comment area after Bent's column that Evans hasn't disrespected the sport. I think that's just an argument over terminology. Is it "disrespectful" to show poor sportsmanship and come across as a cocky ass? I'm not sure it disrespects the sport of MMA, but it logically would make some fans want to see him lose.

He comes across as having no sense of humility and no sportsmanship. MMA is a sport built on honor in many respects, and Evans doesn't act in accordance with that informal code of conduct. As a result, it's natural some fans would want to see him lose to knock him down a few notches. He acted cocky last Saturday against Forrest Griffin, he acted the same way in other fights, and he did it on TUF.

Rashad seems like a jerk. I'm not sure that disrespects MMA as much as it makes him someone you might want to see lose.

As pointed out by a reader, Kimbo Slice being pushed by EliteXC as a main eventer MMA fighter disrespected MMA more than Evans. I'd also argue that Rampage Jackson's extra few punches to the face of Wanderlei Silva after the ref stepped in disrespects MMA more than Evans does with his cocky dancing and arrogant showmanship.

I think Evans might be marketing himself as a bad guy to try to stand out and eventually become a bigger attraction, taking the approach of being the guy people pay to see lose. ( I think 90 percent would be rooting for Anderson Silva against Evans.) I doubt, though, that he's the nicest guy in MMA if you bumped into him in public, but you really can't know for sure from what someone does on TV in a fight.


DON'T GO YET... WE SUGGEST THESE MMATORCH ARTICLES, TOO!
FLASHBACK: Keller's 1993 editorial on UFC 1 answering the question - what if pro wrestling were real?
KELLER: Trying to figure out what was going on in Silva's head during the fight and how he'll react tomorrow when he wakes up without the belt
IF YOU ARE READING THIS ON A MOBILE DEVICE (PHONE, TABLET) PLEASE CLICK HERE

comments powered by Disqus
HERE ARE EVEN MORE ARTICLES THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU

SELECT ARTICLES BY CATEGORY
SEARCH MMATORCH BY KEYWORD


MMATORCH CALENDAR OF EVENTS
CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF UPCOMING MMA EVENTS
CLICK TO SEE A UFC VIDEO BELOW

ARTICLES OF INTEREST ELSEWHERE
MMATORCH POLL - VOTE NOW!

Will T.J. Dillashaw and Urijah Faber eventually fight?
 
pollcode.com free polls

Do you think Daniel Cormier will defeat returning Jon Jones to legitimize UFC Light Heavyweight Title reign?
 
pollcode.com free polls

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

MMATORCH WEEKLY LIVECAST
Listen to the weekly MMATORCH LIVECAST on Blog Talk Radio


MMATORCH STAFF

EDITORS:

Wade Keller, supervising editor
(mmatorch@gmail.com)

Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)

STAFF COLUMNISTS:

Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey


Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.

MORE MMA SITES
CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCAST IPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPWINDOWS APPRSS
THE TORCH: #1 IN COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE | © 1999-2013 TDH Communications Inc. • All rights reserved -- PRIVACY POLICY