Bleacher Report - Articles by casey mancini

Bazsler Status:Terminated - Cyborg's Next Target: Gina Carano

casey mancini — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:42:27 -0400

EliteXCs July 26th event this past weekend showcased a women's match up between Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and Shayna Bazsler. It was one of those matches where because I had no idea who either of these ladies were. I saw the obvious difference in size, and well I began to pray for Bazsler. No disrespect to Shayna who through some research I have found to be an accomplished martial artist, but sometimes you just see the IT factor in a fighter. Santos has IT.

Interestingly enough it almost looked like my prayer would be answered when Bazsler took to the ground. I had the same feeling when Frank Mir faced Brock Lesnar. This looked as if it may have the same tone as she skillfully maneuvered herself in position working ankle and leg locks on Santos, but to no avail.

In the second round Santos found her range, It was exactly what I had envisioned when the two fighters were announced. Santos unleashed on Bazsler. What followed was one of the most interesting things I've seen in MMA.

Though it seemed Bazsler was done, she was out on her feet and not fighting back. Santos began to celebrate, before the fight was stopped.

She {Santos} was up on the cage when she finally realized that it was not over. Now I wonder what Baszler had to have been thinking at this point, as Cyborg once again went into termination mode, the fight was finally stopped.

At ring side was America's sweetheart, MMA fighter and poster girl Gina Carano. When interviewed she said she was ready to fight Santos.

Gina Carano is a great fighter, though one of her biggest knocks in woman's MMA is that she is simply a poster girl, and not a true fighter. Though she did put on an impressive performance against Kaitlin Young at the previous EliteXC event, I can't compare it to the devastation Santos handed Bazsler.

This is the fight the fans will want to see, the fight that if Carano can win will quiet all her critics. Joe Rogan once described Anderson Silva's Fighting as a "Ballet of Violence" Well that is what comes to mind when I hear Conviction Vs. The Cyborg.

Boston Celtics Rise to the Top and What's To Come in the NBA

casey mancini — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:11:20 -0400

As a Celtics fan since I as long as I can remember, you would think I would be happy, right?

Happy that I am not just looking into a past I have only read about. The countless greatest moments watched in reruns of ESPN classics.

I have always been the type to go against the grain, if you need an example go read my Bleacher Report list in my profile. They ask Montana or Unitas? I defiantly answer Cunningham.

In a time where every kid was a Bulls fan, I wore green! I still have my first Paul Pierce jersey that fits more like an A-shirt now. I still wear it too! The Bird Man throwback only comes out on special occasions.

The Boston Celtics have won an impressive 17 NBA championships since 1957. I was born in '81, so even for the '80s' championships, I was still too young to really understand what this team was really all about.

I remember when Allen Iverson, who is without a doubt my favorite player, was rumored to be going to Boston. I could have died happy if I saw my man in a Celtics Jersey. Unfortunately, he ended up in Denver.

I live in MN, so naturally, I root for the Wolves, and how can you not love KG. So when KG was traded to Boston, I was torn. Although I love the Celtics, it was bitter sweet to say the least.

Then I thought what every fan probably thought (especially Celtics fans) when the deal was done for Ray Allen to head east. Do they even need to play? Boston will win the 2007-2008 NBA title.

So let me get this straight. They trade for KG, sign Ray Allen, and they somehow manage to keep Pierce?

Not that the road wouldn't be long, not to say that the NBA will just roll over for them, but we have never seen anything like this. Not two, but three legitimate All Stars on one team, with a stellar supporting cast in role players like James Posey, Rajon Rondo, Eddie House, and P.J. Brown, to name a few.

If they didn't pull it off, well, it would be no more shocking or disappointing than the Patriots losing their undefeated season to the hands of Eli Manning and the NY Giants. Though, due to my against-the-grain nature, I picked the Giants to win, as did anyone who knows a thing or two about football, but that's another story all together.

So, my question is: Did the Celtics buy this championship? Is it no better than Barry Bonds' HR records? Should there be an asterisk by it. Not to imply that they cheated or anything, but how could they not win with this team. I mean, what team could compete with what might literally be the greatest team in NBA history?

I will say that this doesn't mean that you can take any three All Stars and produce the same results. I do have to say that these three guys came together at a time in their career when they had all matured. They had evolved to that point where you just want to win.

Does this change how the players will approach the game? Will more guys sacrifice for the good of the team, namely, the guys with All-Star status? Or will we continue to see guys like Gilbert Arenas demand big contracts that don't allow the franchise to bring in players that can help them win?

Who will be the next team to pull together a trio of stars? With guys like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Michael Redd, each becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2010, it will be the most important offseason in the NBA's history.

Most Valuable Injustice?

casey mancini — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:36:54 -0400

I don't know if it is against the rules, or if it is just plain out a bad idea, to write an article about an article written by a fellow Bleacher Report writer.

So I hope I'm not out of line. However, I couldn't help but be inspired by Casey Greer's "Josh Hamilton Vs. Ricky Williams: Americas Bigoted Media."

A well-written, well-thought out piece—yet an unfair poke at the media in my own opinion, as I usually don't buy into these kind of stories. I was simply going to comment on his article, but then I realized I had a lot to say.

I think it's easy to read into the Hamilton/Williams contoversy as a racial thing. However, I think you have to look at the success of the individuals at hand.

The NFL's fan base is much bigger than baseball's—by far. Any feel-good story the media can find for baseball will get put out.

In the grand scheme of it all, Hamilton is in a position where he is overcoming his obstacles, and he is succeeding. There is no racial bias to it.

If Ricky came back and led the Dolphins to a Division Championship or a Super Bowl, he would be featured in the same way.

Hamilton is doing well this year, therefore he is being covered by the media. Should we say—who cares if he is a junkie and a quitter? Who cares what he does?

Let's talk about real injustice here!

Justin Morneau won the home-run derby, and scored the winning run in the All-Star Game. You wouldn't know it by the way people are gushing over Hamilton.

I have a co-worker and good friend who is black. He brought up the same issue with Hamilton a few weeks ago, when it all started. He said what would be a feel-good story on a white athlete would be a detrimental piece on a black athlete.

I challenged him, because I really don't look at things that way. I wouldn't budge, so he brought up another example.

Well, when he showed me this, I was blown away. I could not ignore it.

Tell me, how Dirk Nowitzki is the NBA's MVP in 2006-07? How does Steve Nash win back-to-back awards?

There are many other players who are way more deserving—who just happen to be black in a league that is trying to change its quote, "Gangster Hip Hop Image," unquote—so much so that the league even implemented a dress code aimed primarily at black athletes.

I know it is a business. But who really cares what these guys wear to the game? I mean, in half of the interviews you see in the locker room, the guy isn't even dressed yet anyway.

Honestly, I would say that Steve Nash had a good year in 2004-05, and was the most improved player by far—but not league MVP. Nowitzki is a good guy and a good player, but not an MVP.

In 2004-05, Nash won the league MVP when Allen Iverson averaged over 30 points and eight assists per game, and was second in the league in steals? You mean to tell me he was not the MVP?

That year, Nash led the league in assists—but was on a good team. In terms of individual accomplishments, he wasn't even in the top 20 in steals—and was 40th in scoring!

In '05-06, it was pretty much the same picture. Kobe Bryant led the league in scoring with over 35 points per game, while Nash simply led in assists—on a good team again.

In '06-07, Nowitzki was 10th in scoring, 50th in assists, and 40th in blocked shots. Need I say more?

If the league wants these guys to get feel-good awards, they should nominate them for ESPYs.

Anyone who says that the guys weren't just the best "white" players in the NBA, the poster boys for a league trying to change its image and appeal to "White America," is lying to themselves.

I also want to be sure to thank Casey for his article, and the inspiration to write what I feel is a relevant piece myself.

I honestly hope this is not taken the wrong way. Nor do I want to offend anyone.

I personally don't like to talk much about issues of racism, as I truly feel that sports is one of the great things that has helped to bring many people of all races and cultures together.

However, this is truly the kind of situation you can't deny is wrong. I don't mean to take anything away from Nash or Nowitzki—they are both great players. But the numbers don't lie!

WEC vs. UFC: Does the UFC Need a 145-Pound Division?

casey mancini — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:28:29 -0400

Does the UFC need to bring the 145ers into the mix? Many would say its about time they do.

All due respect to the WEC, but they have what most consider the pound-for-pound fighter at 145 in Urijah Faber, and as much as I love watching him fight for free, he belongs in the UFC.

Faber is an impressive 20-1, with his only loss coming at the hands of Tyson Griffin. He was eventually overcome in that fight, but he was not out of his league. Tyson has since moved up to 155 and is fighting in the UFC.

Faber coming off of an amazing five-round fight with another great featherweight in Jens "Lil' Evil" Pulver, who has also fought at 155 in the UFC and is a legend in the world of MMA.

The Faber/Pulver battle made VERSUS the most-watched among key male demos. The fight garnered a 1.4 HH rating and averaged 1,535,705 viewers (P2+) for its June 1 WEC telecast. People want to see this kid fight.

It seems that if you're a solid fighter in the WEC at 155 and up, there are opportunities to move on over to the UFC. James Irvin is one example.

So why do they not have a featherweight division for a guy like Faber? Is there a lack of talent? Generally the featherweight fights are faster and more exciting. Why wouldn't you want this guy on a PPV fight card?

Not to mention, that this is a business not unlike any other sport today. Most of these fighters are underpaid. In a sport where any second could be the end of a career, these guys should be getting what they deserve. Faber has so much PPV potential, it is ridiculous.

I hear plenty of criticism on how the WEC is full of B-level fighters compared to the UFC. I would say they are quite similar in the talent realm.

If you examine the current title holders of the WEC vs. those of the UFC, you may be surprised. For instance, "All American" Brian Stann is on a meteoric rise and recently knocked off Doug "The Rhino" Marshall to become WEC champ at 205.

He matches up well among the LHW contenders in the UFC. Who wouldn't want to see him battle Forrest Griffin.

At 185, you have WEC Champ Paulo Filho vs. Anderson Silva in the UFC. Unfortunately every experiment has a control, and this is just that. I can't honestly say he is on Silva's level.

However, I would love to see WEC Welterweight Champ Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit fight GSP at 170. I'd also like to see Jamie Varner vs. "The Prodigy" BJ Penn. All are great match ups.

That's a great idea for a PPV event: WEC VS UFC: TOTAL DOMINATION! It would be a unbelievable night, and though it would most likely never happen. It's much like talking about Brett Favre playing in Minnesota; it just sounds good.

Some of these fights will need to happen soon. For example, if you look at the hollow nature of the 185-pound division in the UFC, after Silva dismantles Cote he will have no one left to fight.

This will force him up to 205 for awhile, which is not a bad thing in my opinion. I would love to see him fight a handful of guys at LHW, possibly even for a title shot.

The 185-pound division is not the only one with problems like this. Something needs to be done and fast.

Arachnophobia Hits The LHW Division

casey mancini — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:24:17 -0400

What does it mean to be the Pound for Pound best fighter in the world?

It means you have beaten the best guys in the world at your weight. If we are talking about a guy who is in the biggest organization in the world, is undefeated in said organization and has beaten a credible LHW in James "the Sandman" Irvin. We are talking about Anderson "The Spider" Silva.

Arguably you could say guys like GSP who just won the belt and has yet to defend it. You could also make a pretty good argument for Bj Penn. He has won titles in two weight classes and is currently holding the UFC Light Weight Belt.

Still there are some guys that he needs to beat such as Kenny Florian or Roger Huerta who will square off at UFC 87. He has some work to do yet to be the P4P best. Not to mention he will need to move up and regain his 170 Lb belt from GSP or Fitch also depending on the outcome of UFC 87 in Minnesota.

Closest to Silva would have to be Fedor who yes, is a great fighter and has beaten some great fighters, but right now beating Tim Sylvia means anything, no matter how fast he beat him.

Tim Sylvia is a joke and just because he was champ doesnt make him a good fighter! Right now could you even tell me ONE exciting Tim silvia fight that he wasnt the one getting smacked around?

Does he have any real skill or is he just a BIG guy who used his size to get to the top? This didn't last! Fedor beating this guy is like A.I. dunking on Shaq, if Tim Sylvia is a top 10 fighter as some are claiming. It shouldn't happen and if Tim Sylvia were in the NBA, A.I.would most assuredly dunk all over him.

James Irvin has KO power and KO records in the UFC and he is a threat to anyone he fights. James Irvin is far from a B level fighter, he has the kind of power that can literally end a fight in one punch. Ask Houston Alexander, Terry Martin, or Doug Marshall all of whom experienced it first hand.

Anderson Silva's fight was way more of a challenge moving up and taking on a contender at 205, and dominating him shows he is the real deal.

Fedor did what he should of done which was run right over Sylvia and expose one of the phoniest fighters in the history of MMA! This was both impressive and funny to watch.
Silva is the best fighter in the world right now and they better take him real seriously in the LHW division, or be victims of The Spider. Arachnophobia has set in at 205!!!

This is the TOP 10 Pound for Pound best fighters in the world according to MMA News:

1. Anderson Silva
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Fedor Emelianenko
4. Quinton Jackson
5. B.J. Penn
6. Randy Couture
7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
8. Takanori Gomi
9. Urijah Faber
10. Kid Yamamoto

Boxing vs. MMA: All Talk, No Action!

casey mancini — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:15:55 -0400

As a mixed martial artist, I find it amusing when boxers talk down on MMA and act like they could walk through mixed martial artists with ease. Do they realize these are world-class athletes?

I was recently in the barber shop, and there was a young and upcoming boxer in there. He was talking about a match he just had. Then I brought up MMA, and asked if he ever thought about trying jiu jitsu.

First he was saying how some MMA fighters came to his gym and got lit up by some boxers there. I asked what kind of fighters they were (what disciplines they studied) and he didn’t even know.

Then he was talking about he wanted me to teach him some jiu jitsu. So I offered to train with him and gave him my number. Needless to say, I haven’t heard from him. The reason I mention this is simply to show how it’s a lot of talk and no action.

On a grander scale, you have Floyd Mayweather Jr., who I respect as a boxer, but he has talked down on MMA fighters like "The Iceman" Chuck Liddell, stating he would give Chuck a million dollars if he beat a LHW boxer from his camp.

Dana White was a little more interested in having "Money" Mayweather Jr. put his money and his ass where his mouth is and challenged Mayweather Jr. to fight "The Muscle Shark" Shawn Sherk.

In a straight boxing match with a fighter whose strongest or only skill is boxing, the pure boxer has the edge. A boxer trains in boxing only, and is dedicated to just that. A mixed martial artist has to train two or three times harder.

He has to know how to defend punches, kicks and submissions from many different styles. He must be versatile and efficient in all areas of fighting.

In MMA, you can say all you want, but you will be exposed at some point in your career, unlike Floyd Mayweather who has retired after many track star performances running around the ring.

I don’t want to take anything away from him; he is a great fighter. He knows how to train for a fight, but he has never been in a war.

He has never faced adversity like MMA fighters must be able to. I have also read that he is working with Mark Cuban on some MMA project, possibly even fighting. I still personally want to see him fight in the UFC.

I want to see his face when there’s nowhere to go inside the cage, when he feels the raw power of four-ounce gloves and a cut is opened up on that pretty face of his.

Even better, I want to see him get dropped to the mat by a world-class wrestler and ground and pounded into the arena floor, or caught in the guard of a BJJ black belt who would love to shred some limbs or put him to sleep with a choke.

I want to see action behind these senseless words. Until we do see Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the cage, that’s really all it is: talk!

Put a Fork in Brett Favre, He's...Not Done!

casey mancini — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:23:12 -0400

As a Minnesota fan, I can’t say I was too sad to see Brett Favre say goodbye! As I sit and watch the constant updates on TV and witness what he is going through now, I can’t help but feel sorry for the guy.

Do I think he should retire? Well, not if he comes to Minnesota, that’s for sure. All joking aside, that is really not my question to answer.

As an athlete, you know when you can’t compete. We can all agree Brett has plenty in the tank. It’s safe to say Brett must think so, too.

If the Packers do not intend to let Brett Favre play, they should release him. Let him play where he wants to play. He has earned that much.

Today you have guys hanging around until their late thirties. With advances in science and just taking care of themselves, they can hold their own or at the very least compete and draw a crowd. This included guys like Randy Johnson, Mike Madono, and Favre.

There are so many different factors, and it's not always completely up to the athletes themselves. This is a business and these are business men, It’s about money, Period.

Plenty of athletes "hang around." Jerry Rice and Joe Montana went to other teams for a few more snaps, Michael Jordan came back twice, although the second time he came to the team he owned, which may have been to generate attendance for the Wizards.

The Rocket came back to a New York team for a few more innings. The Great One skated out of LA to the Big Apple to score a few more goals. Are they hurting the sport or their legacy?

Too much is made of athletes going out on top. It’s hard enough to get to the top as it is. Now there’s the added pressure of going out on top. In that case, you may want to retire now if you're Eli Manning or Kevin Garnett.

Although, you have to wonder how it feels for a guy like Sam Cassell, who had a great career and yet no championships to show for it until now. He was picked up by the heavily favored Celtics for their championship run, and quite honestly I couldn’t say that he had a lot to do with it.

Should he be proud of "going out on top?" I see this as a trend in the NBA, we saw quite a few familiar faces listening to Will Smith and Going to Miami when they got hot and were heavily favored to win as well.

Imagine being a rookie quarterback, or even a young quarterback like Tarvaris Jackson, and finding out you get to spend the year behind a guy like Favre. What about the young guys that played with Gretzky in his last years, or the young pitchers who get to sit in the bullpen with The Big Unit.

What about the receivers who got to line up with the man they idolized in the greatest receiver in NFL history, Jerry Rice. What about the guys who got to take the court with His Airiness Michael Jordan.

These are the real moments in sports. These are the truest moments to the sport, because one day these young guys will find themselves in that very place. You'll see the young guy come in, and he reminds you of how you were when you were coming into the league, when the money is no longer the motivation to go out and play.

You find yourself back where you are really playing because you truly love the game you have played your whole life. When you realize you have lived a dream, you don’t want to wake up.

Although I'll never win any championships like any athlete who is passionate and has a genuine love for the game, I hope I can play beyond my youth. There is always going to be someone who defies what we believe is possible.

These guys are not tarnishing their legacy, because it’s just that: a legacy. It’s written; it’s been done. No one can take that away from them.

If they hang around another year and share their experiences and mentor the next Brett Favre, the next Michael Jordan, the next Randy Johnson or the next Wayne Gretzky, they are only making that legacy stronger.