Month: January 2021

I make no apologies as a fan of my particular teams, despite my ability to separate myself as an academic with my subject of inquiry. But even for a quantitative researcher such as myself, it is sometimes difficult to separate my fandom from my analysis.

Which leads me to Wednesday’s announcement of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Phillip Rivers’ retirement.

I was not one of the skeptical fans and media pundits who wondered aloud if Rivers had much left in the tank. There were some who questioned if the Colts made a “risky move” in going after Old Man Rivers instead of a younger more athletic Cam Newton, who ended up in New England. Rivers only signed a one-year deal at a rather reasonable rate, and considering the struggles of the team under Jacoby Brissett after the “stunning” retirement of Andrew Luck, the move made financial sense and would clearly be an improvement at the position.

And while no one was fooling themselves thinking the Rivers signing was anything other than a temporary stopgap delaying the inevitable, any improvement upon Brissett’s numbers would have been a boon to the 2020-2021 season’s prospects. 

Which is exactly what Rivers brought to the Colts. Yes, he had an immediate impact on the offense, throwing for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions completing 68% of his passes. Yes, he got better as the season went along, leading the Horseshoe to an 11-5 record and nearly winning the division. 

But in my observation, he made the team better beyond his term, something not a lot of aging quarterbacks are apt to do with a new team after a lengthy run with their original team. Psst… I’m looking at you Brett Favre with MInnesota and Donovan McNabb with Washington.

Instead, Rivers has set the Colts on a solid path moving forward. Sure, they will miss his offensive production, but greatly improved a deficit receiving corps by bringing along wideouts such as Michael Pittman, Jr. and Zach Pascal, both of whom look like future stars at the position. He helped improve a running game that suffered with the loss of starting RB Marlon Mack, but rebounded quickly with possible offensive rookie of the year Jonathan Taylor and a burgeoning Nyheim Hines. This team will continue to be an improving offensive power even without Rivers behind center.

But what I found most disappointing was the lack of fanfare for River’s announcement. Oddly timed with Inauguration Day, it seems as if Uncle Phil attempted to avoid the fanfare of the announcement, though he’s never been one to toot his own horn. While a prolific trash-talker (sans curse words, natch), you never heard Rivers tout himself as an all-time great, never heard him complain about a lack of respect or renown, and never attempted to be the center of attention at the expense of teammates. By all measures, he was a lockerroom leader and genuine good guy and teammate.

Philip Rivers is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, and I for one will miss his presence in the game.

Can we take note of how amazing it is that the UFC Fight Island 7 on was broadcast on network TV this weekend? The combat sports league returned to Abu Dhabi for yet another stellar event in the carefully managed environment of the Flash Forum on Yas Island.

Despite some early missteps (one writer calling the UFC reckless) in a return to action from the initial mass cancelations and season suspensions, the UFC has found a virtual gold mine in producing shows in United Arab Emirates. The isolated nature of the venue has allowed many of the international fighters to bypass travel restrictions, create a virtual bubble to maintain a rigorous testing program (again, criticized) and isolate fighters from COVID-19 infections, all in an effort to maintain some semblance of normalcy within the sports world. 

Of course making millions of dollars in live events despite not having anything the way of paid attendance doesn’t hurt. In fact, the creation of the endeavor even provided the UFC with a backslapping “gee, aren’t we great” mini-docuseries for ESPN+ 

Despite the legitimate criticisms of the UFC and Trump acolyte Dana White, the cards for the Fight Island shows have been nothing short of spectacular. Rafael Fiziev pulling out video game moves against Mark Diakiese. Cory Sandhagen nearly decapitating Marlon Moraes with a spinning heel kick. Guram Kutateladze and Mateusz Gamrot in an absolute barnburner.

But with this weekend’s action appearing in an afternoon slot on ABC in a first-ever broadcast on the alphabet network, the UFC did something I never imagined they would. If you had told me back in 1994 after UFC III (my first UFC ppv), or even a decade later in 2004 that the UFC would be on ABC’s Saturday afternoon sports broadcast, I would have laughed you out of the building. There was no way that MMA would rise to level of mainstream sports like college basketball or Major League Baseball and find a home on network television. 

Most kids under the age of 25 would never imagine what a pariah the sport once was. Most states wouldn’t even allow events to be held nor promoted within their borders.The growth of the sport, all of MMA really, not just the UFC, has been nothing short of incredible. In just two decades, it’s gone from John McCain’s “human cockfighting” to something beyond the definition of “reaching the mainstream.”

Not only has it reached network television on Disney’s dime, but the main event of Fight Island 7 was one of the most vicious beatdowns I have seen in my nearly 30 years of watching UFC. Holloway brutalized Kattar, epitomizing the beautiful violence of MMA, all while showing Kattar’s heart of lion and inhuman toughness. It was simply incredible.

For the squeamish, this was not the fight to see as Holloway systematically eviscerated Kattar with surgical precision, and yet, Kattar stayed on his feet again and again, despite the constant onslaught of significant strikes. In fact, Holloway smashed over a half dozen records including landing 445 strikes, of which 274 were to the head, and an unbelievable 746 total strikes attempted destroying the previous record of 541.

That this main event was the UFC’s debut on ABC makes this achievement all the more spectacular. It’s like watching Chinatown as your first introduction to the Jack Nicholson oeuvre. We got caviar expecting peanut butter and jelly; what an experience for an audience possibly unfamiliar with product.

As an admitted cage fight junkie, I certainly hope this is not the last.