Guilty Pleasure and Secret Favorite Sport Gets Daylight

The futuresport known as MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is in the midst of a Surge. And it seems to be the most effective Surge currently active.

The new issue of Sports Illustrated features a 9 page story on MMA's emergence (Click on the above).

I love this sport. With apologies to my beloved Mets, in my bloodshot eyes MMA is the greatest and coolest sport. It is the truest battle of mind and body televised. It is made up of Black Belts from many disciplines, former NCAA Wrestlers, US Army Men, single parents with 6 children, and, in one case, a former commander of the Croatian Anti-terrorism Unit ATJ Lucko and member of the Croatian Parliament:

This has been an embattled sport, but through drastic and practical rule-changes and very intelligent and well-spoken fighters, the light is beginning to shine on a few long-held myths about the safety and legitimacy of the sport (Tony Kornheiser of PTI and MNF last week referred to MMA as "barbaric, from the 1800's", and his partner, Wilbon, commented it was "bare-knuckle fighting that should be held on a barge").

From the article...

As UFC officials say, the sport is safer and less violent than boxing -- and after watching both sports up close, it's hard to disagree. Boxing doesn't permit fighters to change tactics by clutching or wrestling. And one could even make a credible case that UFC and other MMA competitions are less brutal than -- dare we say it? -- the NFL. "It's a combat sport, and injuries can happen," says Randy Couture. "But what a lot of people don't realize is that you're not there to hurt the other guy. Your adversary isn't your enemy. It's a kinetic chess kind of thing."

"You're going to see worse cuts in MMA than in boxing, especially with longer rounds, and there are more knockouts," says Dr. Margaret Goodman, chairwoman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission's Medical Advisory Board. "But overall, is it safer than boxing? I think so. The guys [submit], and it's over. You don't have standing eight counts, you don't have 10 rounds of guys taking shots to the head."


"If you're going to measure every parameter [endurance, flexibility, coordination, strength], without a doubt, MMA fighters are the most accomplished athletes out there," says Carlon Colker, a Connecticut physician who has trained or advised the likes of Andre Agassi and Shaquille O'Neal. "It's not even close."

There's a great fight on Saturday Night, by the way.
Anyone want to come over and watch?

That's what friends are for...

Who among us has not teased a close friend? Going a bit further, who among us has not balanced that friend dangerously on a tower of ill-arranged furniture?

Sometimes when friends drink too much an intervention is necessary. Instead of just talking to your friend, you can try one of these more progressive methods.

For a more thorough list of this therapeutic schema, travel HERE.