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Tank was the idea of the ideal fighter most people (at least without any martial arts background) would have assumed would have worked in the early days of the UFC because he was big strong and had a good chin, and the rules allowed a guy to fight someone 100+ pounds smaller/bigger. Nowadays, we realize that someone with Tank's skillset would never even make it to the UFC because any adequately skilled fighter in his weight class would take him out 9 times out of 10, and do so quickly. Gracie may have helped revolutionize the sport but Tank will forever be the guy that symbolized the transition of what WON'T work anymore in MMA longterm. The fact he's still considered one of the biggest/most controversial names in UFC's history even though was only 4-8 illustrates the point. He's got a jobber's record but was a huge star at the time because he was the perfect showcase guy to have an actual MMA fighter take on a rather skillfree NHB slugger to show what could happen. If you've ever seen that evolution chart of ape to man and wanted one for UFC, Tank would be the last guy that looked like a "sloppy, but dangerous fighter" before you got to a Couture or someone of that ilk who actually looks like an athlete. Not the best visual, but I hope the point is clearer.

That dunk "contest" was a crock of shit and made me hope she's a bust at the collegiate and pro levels. I love how we're supposed to get excited because Lisa Leslie dunked in a WNBA game. Jesus Christ, she's ONLY 6'5. I first dunked a ball in game action when I was 16 (5'8) on a guy that was 6'4, and if I hadn't fucked up my left knee I could still do it now. If I'd been 6'5, I could have easily busted out windmills and 360's and Lisa BARELY got the ball over the rim. I think they should focus on women being able to shoot the long ball as well as their male counterparts instead of trying to make glorified layups a big deal. I don't drink, but if you ever want to have a contest that guarantees drunkeness just watch an NCAA or WNBA game and take a shot every time some big bitch (let's say 5'10+) blows a lay up from point blank range. You'll be fucked up by halftime.

'Splain please. I'm going to guess his view and/or explain my own because it's a bit similar. To me Tank Abbott was more "important" simply because he proved the common man's myth of a winning fighter to be wrong, or at least incomplete. What the author of the article failed to mention really was that because Abbott lost, and often times in spectacular fashion it changed the way your average Joe looked at MIXED MARTIAL ARTS FIGHTING. If Tank and Randy fought in a stand up bare knuckles bar room brawl, Tank would win because he's bigger, stronger and not bright enough to know when to stop. However, when you add in all of the elements encompassed in an MMA fight his strengths actually become weaknesses because if you can survive his flurries, his stamina isn't worth shit and if you take him down the fight is done because he has no skills whatsoever. Way back in the day, most people who were new to the game didn't understand Royce Gracie and his style. They almost always assumed the guy with the size and big, heavy strikes would win, and if you had to draw up an archetype for that "guy" it would be Tank. Since he had a losing record and lost quite a few fights in short order it forced people to think more and try to understand how the hell the 300 pound guy who looks like he'd kill his grandma if she gave him a dirty look ended up losing to someone smaller than he is in under a minute. What Randy did was the opposite in that he showed that you could be a great wrestler but develop more skills over time. He showed you could be a small heavyweight and dominate, and then move down to a lower weight class and take less risks while continuing to be the best around. I personally thought he had no personality or charisma, but it didn't matter because he WAS the embodiment of the modern MMA fighter in that you could see his growth and that he was able to beat great wrestlers and strikers with ease when he was at the top of his game. UFC needed someone like Couture after the Josh Barnett steroid debacle to keep the top division important and then when he dropped to LHW he took the prestige with him. His two losses to Chuck have made Chuck the standard bearer now, while beating someone like Tank who was exposed to be a stiff didn't really have any cache once we all realized he was the UFC equivalent of a JTTS. Tank was the guy everyone THOUGHT would have been the unstoppable force because of their preconcived notions, while an "old" Randy Couture proved himself to probably be the closest thing the UFC will ever have to someone who was pretty much unbeatable at the highest level of competition, no disrespect to Matt Hughes of course. I could probably explain that better, but it's 2 AM and I've been up for 18 hours.

Not really interested in seeing any of the "top" matches so no.

Nice to see that the Big East is 9-4 now after the 0-3 start. The Little 10 having no sweet 16 teams made me smile as did Nantz and Packer eating crow (or at least their version of it) for disrespecting the MVC.

How many times has UK had a chance to rebound the fucking ball here and instead opted to play hot potato with it? Way to throw away a spot in the Sweet 16.

Boone looks like a cousin of mine, right down to the sissifed hair.

How do you beat Duke in Cameron on senior night and then get beat by George F'in Mason? I can't wait to see Packer bitch and moan AGAIN next year when 6-9 MM schools get at-large bids even though the MM have been doing really well this year, especially against the power conferences.

George Mason is about to buttfuck my brackets. I'm guessing the selection committee is justified in their pick of them over Hofstra. Sadly, this all but guarantees UConn cruises to the Final 4 now, but Wichita St. or George Mason is going to the Elite 8! You win some, you lose some I guess.

I agree with the stuff about ET. The man deserves some kudos for helping the Clippers become a playoff contender, especially after being labelled a bit of a malcontent in his last stop. I do think that Brand however, is also vastly underrated by a significant portion of the media since there aren't too many guys capable of averaging 25-10-3, with 2.6 BPG and a steal too.

Just thought I'd put that out there again.

Here's my problem with the Nash victories. Last year he played with 2 other top 20-30 guys in the league (Marion & Amare) and won, largely because well Shaq had Wade and people didn't think he deserved it because Wade is supposedly greater than the combo of the Matrix & Amare. Or at least that was the logic when people explained why Nash deserved it. This year he'll win because he only played with Marion, whose game has incidentally improved to very low borderline MVP candidacy on his own. This time Wade won't win even though Marion is playing better than Shaq this year. Next year, if Amare comes back at even 85% of what he was, and the Suns win 60+ which is possible, if not probable, then Nash will be the favorite once again because he'll return to being the "best" player on the best team even though again he'll have 2 all world guys on his team while Wade will be playing with a diminishing Shaq and will likely put up even more ridiculous numbers than he did this year. The voting isn't all that consistent. When did 3 all stars on one starting 5 supposedly constitute a handicap that needs to be overcome when judged against a dynamic duo? I hope that explains the point better.

There are some ugly fucks listed already, but I'll contribute my nomination with the line "Who wants to sex Mutombo?".

Kidd deserved it over Duncan, I still think Shaq deserved it over Nash last year. Nash definitely deserves it this year, but I don't think the media are consistent with the purpose behind the award, and their voting shows it. Steve Nash with multiple MVP awards just doesn't sit well with me at all. I don't get why other guys get it (or get passed over for it) due to career achievement. Some guys get it for being the best player on the team with the best record, but this year Nash is gonna get his in part because Amare's absence proved that he was more valuable than previously expected. Nash will be in the same position next year and if he wins 3 straight I won't be able to take the award seriously. Nash is no John Stockton and yet Stockton never got a fucking sniff because he played with Malone. I just don't see the logic. Sorry for the rant, but it just irks me when the voters constantly change the criteria with no explanation, just like they did in baseball with the A-Rod/Ortiz debacle last year.

I guess I agree with that, but the history of NBA hoops will look awkward assuming Nash doesn't get crippled in the next couple of days and wins another MVP simply because this stat will be true. Career MVP's 2 - Steve Nash 1 - Shaquille O'Neal It's not Nash's fault, but God damn does that look wrong.

This Mallon (sp? he's # 32) dude uses the hook on EVERY post play and yet he never gets called for it. Pubes should have a 'T' per game and does a lot of dirty shit, and gets away with it. I guess the Gags are the new Duke afterall.

Nothing but the bottom of the net

I want LSU to win this just so I can see Shelden pick up 3 fouls guarding Davis in the first 5 minutes of their game. That, and I hate all teams from Texas.

How was that a foul on the LSU guy when the A&M player went over his back and clotheslined/horse collared him on the way down?

My thoughts exactly. He was almost at that spot when he called the TO in the first place. Bruce Weber ain't shit.

Dee Brown for 3, book it! Why do guys pull up for 30 footers with time on the clock? Bleh.

What difference does underachieving until recently matter when Wade has been averaging 30+ (?) a pop for the last 2 months, his team has won 14 of 15 AND he's the best all around player in the league on one of the 4 or 5 legit title contenders? Do the rules only apply to a guy like that if his name is Duncan, LeBron or Kobe? I don't think he will or should win, but he should at least be in the conversation moreso than the last two guys I listed or Chauncey Billups who essentially plays with an All-Star team if you believe the NBA coaching braintrust. Aside from Nash and maybe Nowitzki, I don't see how anyone should finish ahead of him.

That block was sick. BC looks like they might just blow Montana out at any minute. All of today's games are going as planned for me except GW deciding that they didn't want to hit a jump shot against Duke and that they would drive all day just to have their shots swatted away time and time again.

Can GW hit a fucking jumper some time today please?

GW is just luring Duke into a false sense of security here.