UFC Dilemma: Just Be Kos

If comedian Rodney Dangerfield was alive today he would tell us that RESPECT is a commodity that cannot be won with any amount of blood, sweat or tears.

There are many cases in which respect is given to a person who has excelled and proved themselves in a competition in the sports world.  Usually champions in any athletic field are revered.

But just try to tell this to Tim Sylvia or Matt Serra who not only did not earn the admiration of their peers, they did not impress the legion of MMA fans that should have praised them for their accomplishments in winning the championship gold.

As remarkable as big Tim's and somewhat shorter Matt Serra's accomplishments were, respect was something that did not accompany the titles when they won championships.  Doubt and ridicule came quickly, but not respect, a more elusive goal.

Now comes Josh Koscheck to the forum of the octagon willing to sacrifice by either going down to 155 pounds or up to the 185 pound division in a quest to win both a title championship, and also hopefully, the respect and adoration of MMA fans, which his fighting career has so far been lacking. 

If he expected cheers and praise after his hard fought battle with "never say die" Chris Lytle, he must have been devastated by the boos that rang out after he was announced the winner.  Even his praise of his opponent's bravery and determination was unmet by cheers.

It has been said that Kos is so desperate to win over fans that he has considered hiring a public relations expert to coach him in this endeavor.

But why should Josh spend all that cash when Grandma Dee is sitting here in her easy chair just waiting to give him free advice.  (Grandmothers never charge for their advice whether it was solicited or not).

My advice to Josh Koscheck would be to pay heed to the English bard William Shakespeare who penned the immortal lines "To thine own self be true, and it shall follow as day follows night, thou canst be false to any man."

In other words, be yourself. 

In my opinion there are already too many "plastic people" present in the world, and sports heroes who spew the same stale stock answers that their predecessors have been reciting from rote these many years are in my opinion, cheating their fans.

One of the best baseball movies of our time Bull Durham starring Kevin Costner as "Crash Davis" and Tim Robbins as "Nuke LaLoosh" pointed this out succinctly and not without sarcasm.  The worldly wise catcher (Costner) is seen advising the newbie pitcher (Robbins) on how to respond to the questions interviewers will be asking him when he makes it to "the big show" of the major league.  He reels off a list of all the tried and true responses that the athletically gifted and supposedly 'humble' champions before him have given and Nuke dutifully writes them down and memorizes them in hopes of using them in the future.

Yes!  I hear you, this is counter to my advice.  That is my point.  Don't just repeat what has been said by those who have gone before you--express your own thoughts and feeling, expose a glimpse into your psyche, and let your fans see the real you.

True, you may rebut, Matt Hughes has lost many fans by writing a tell all book exposing himself for what he really is; so have Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Jens Pulver and many others.

Although a few of the faux fans will fall off the bandwagon when revelations of truth are unveiled, those fans left hanging on are pure gold.  They will continue in their undying devotion after seeing their idol, warts and all.

Those are the fans worth fighting for and, in my opinion, the only ones worth having.

So, if after winning a championship you are still reviled and not worshipped, at least you are not among the "false idols" who won their fans by pretending to be what they are not.

Listen to granny and "just be Kos."