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David Stern is the current commish in the "lockout hot seat", how likely is it that Dana White could be experience it one day? |
The NBA lockout is currently the ominous dark cloud over
everyone’s head and the NFL lockout is still fresh in people’s mind. Not to
mention, we all remember the NHL lockout and how the MLB suffered during their
lockout.
It seems like more and more professional sports leagues are
putting their fans through the anguish of listening to sides bicker about a
laundry list of topics. Let’s be real, all fans just want to see their favorite
teams and players out on the field/ice/court.
Is there a sport that won’t experience the negative
publicity of something like this? Glad you asked.
Mixed martial arts is
that sport. Why, you ask? The answer
is quite simple, but complex at the same time. So, I have come up with a short
list to answer the “why” it couldn’t happen.
Besides the obvious fact that there are no “owners” or
“teams” in the classic sense to have a lockout, there are several others I have
come up with.
MMA is an individual sport. There aren’t 30 or more teams of
fighters that are vying for one championship. Yes, fighters train in fight
camps but that’s as close as it gets. Fighters step inside the cage by
themselves and walkout by themselves. Each athlete is looking out for
themselves and their best interests. As morbid as it sounds, it is easier to control
a group as individuals than as a whole.
Promotions don’t own the rights to control their fighters.
Unlike other sports, athletes in MMA are given the freedom to promote
themselves any way they’d like. Of course, promotions like the UFC and
Strikeforce are capable of using the likeness of fighters in video games but
that comes with the territory.
Promoters understand that the fighters bring in the crowds
and make the money. MMA promoters are very different than the owners and
commissioners of other sports. In that they truly understand that people come
to see athletes and not for the ambiance of the arena.
The biggest reason in my mind is that fighters are always
willing to fight. In my opinion, many athletes are willing to take legal action
against their leagues because they know that they can’t easily be replaced.
However, fighters know that if they aren’t willing to fight then there are
plenty more fighters willing to step up for an opportunity. This ties into the
ideology that MMA is an individual sport and fighters are looking out for themselves.
There they are. Several reasons why MMA won’t experience the
public crisis that so many sports have gone through in recent years. What’s
your take? Have anything to add or do you disagree with anything? Comment and
let me know.
Follow me on Twitter @NiteshDutt
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