Matthew Ryder
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Matthew Ryder

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About

Born and raised on the east coast of Canada, I've been in journalism since I was 17. I was paid for my first written article then, and the whole thing kind of snowballed.

From there I went on to get involved in television and radio, serving as an interviewer and color commentator in the QMJHL for a couple of seasons. I took a job as Media Relations Director for the St. John's Fog Devils at 20, which I did until the team moved to Montreal.

Hockey was my first passion in writing, but since the implementation of the "new" NHL in 2005 I've lost interest. The sport is too focused on pandering to non-hockey fans and complaining about parts of the game that have been around for a hundred years but look bad on network TV and need to go as a result. Gone are the days where guys chased a rubber disc around and it was entertaining because it just was, and those are the days I long for.

My other passion has been martial arts, and the rise of MMA has given more of an outlet to cover the sport. I remember watching UFC 4 with my dad when I was a kid and being fascinated by it. Couple that with growing up in an era where Jean-Claude Van Damme was still relevant and a new Mortal Kombat game was out every year, and martial arts has been influential to me for a long time. I've spent time training Taekwon Do, Jeet Kune Do, a little bit of Muay Thai and boxing, and currently train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Professor Pedro Sauer as part of his Canadian team.

I've hooked up with Bleacher Report in hopes of giving people opinions on MMA that are conveyed intelligently and don't come from a guy in a Tapout shirt on a webcam. I hope, if you're reading what I write, it entertains you enough to keep coming back, whether you agree with me or not.

Short List

  • Favorite Athletes

    Randy Couture, Brett Favre, Mike Tyson, David Wright, Milan Lucic

  • Favorite Sports Teams

    New York Mets, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Diego Chargers, New York Knicks

  • Favorite Coaches

    Rex Ryan, Sam Mitchell, Pat Quinn, Cito Gaston

  • All Time Sports Moment

    For pure athletic accomplishment, Randy Couture beating Tim Sylvia at UFC 68. To be 43 and coming out of retirement to beat a guy no one thought was beatable at the time, and to do it so convincingly, was the greatest thing I've ever seen. Number two would be Keith Primeau's OT goal against Pittsburgh in the marathon game in 2000. The goal itself was weak, but the call from Chris Cuthbert was unforgettable and I always appreciate what good announcing can bring to a game.

  • Most Memorable Game Attended

    Not really a "game," but UFC 118 in Boston. First time I'd seen the UFC live and the first time I'd been to Boston, which quickly became one of the coolest places I've ever been. Hope to get back there again some day.

  • Most Unbreakable Sports Record

    DiMaggio's 56-gamer. When you see the media coverage someone gets in the modern era for getting to 20 or 25 games and consider that's not even halfway there, forget about it.

  • Ruth or Mays?

    Ruth. He's the guy that started it all when it comes to power hitters. And probably to fat guys who are undercover-amazing at sports too, really.

  • Unitas or Montana?

    Johnny Unitas. Now that's a haircut you could set your watch to.

  • Jordan or Russell?

    Jordan. The best athlete his sport has ever, or will ever, see.

  • Gretzky or Orr?

    Gretzky. He did it for longer and in a more dominant fashion. He's the best we'll ever see on the ice, and he's got the numbers to prove it. I'd probably take Lemieux over Bobby too.

  • Pele or Maradona?

    Pele because he only used his feet to score big goals.

  • Federer or Sampras?

    Sampras because I'll always favor old school over new school.

  • Tiger or Nicklaus?

    Nicklaus at pure golf, Tiger at balancing sexting and golf.

  • Petty or Earnhardt?

    Racing bores me to tears. SPOILER ALERT: They're turning left.

  • Schumacher or Senna?

    Schumacher, but I still don't like racing.

  • ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 or SEC?

    US College sports isn't as big in Canada. Probably Big East because I go for Syracuse.

Bulletin Board

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  • Matthew Hemphill posted 174 days ago

    Matthew Hemphill

    Hey Matthew. Thanks for doing the Monday MMA shift for UFC 140 with me! I think we rocked it.

  • Mike D posted 197 days ago

    Mike D

    Matthew, just need your 50 fighters... I'll do the rest -

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/948396-ufc-bragging-rights-fantasy-mma-league-welcome-to-all