Nonexistent local coverage for UFC 96 [Update]

by Zak Woods on Mar 9, 2009 9:30 AM EDT in Ohio MMA Comment 1 comment

UFC 96 has come and gone but you wouldn't of noticed if you read the local Columbus paper.

The Columbus Dispatch, the cities only major newspaper, didn't even print a recap of UFC 96 this Sunday. Instead the sports page featured a Blue Jackets recap, an opinion piece on college football's playoff system, a profile of Ohio State center B.J. Mullens and a story about a high school wrestler. That's right, high school sports are more interesting than the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

If you go to the Dispatch's website there is a recap of UFC 96, but it is all wrong. Sorry Rob Oller, but Keith Jardine would not of been given a title shot if he had won. That was reserved for Lyoto Machida, a well known fact to MMA and UFC fans. Nothing is even written about the preliminary fights or questionable stoppages. Just bland sports hyperbole and some quick notes about the televised card. Did the Dispatch even get press passes or did they just send someone to a bar to watch it?

The only story the Dispatch even printed about UFC 96 was a Q&A with Matt Hamill on Saturday. But the big feature that day was the Arnold Classic. Not that I blame the Dispatch, after all, I did write that the Arnold is indeed the big bread winner for Columbus this weekend.

It should be said that this being Columbus everything revolves around the Ohio State University athletics. But that is no excuse for local media to be so focused on the Buckeye that they miss the tree, nay the entire forest.

Take for instance the local ESPN radio station, 1460 The Fan. They did have a UFC recap show, called Ground-N-Pound, however I was informed this past week that the show was canceled due to sponsor issues. If you are a local radio station, how do you lose your MMA show right before the UFC comes to your city?

Perhaps the local guys should be given a break. UFC 96 was not exactly star studded, even for those in the MMA community UFC 96 lacked interest. Zach Arnold does a great job of breaking down the headlines, or lack there of, coming out of UFC 96.

[Update: The Columbus Dispatch printed a brief recap of UFC 96 in Monday's paper.]

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Comments

Here's the problem.

I know from experience that more people write in complaining about MMA coverage than complimenting a paper for it. Those complaints come both from anti-MMA folks AND pro-MMA folks who belittle the writer for not being as big an expert as they are.

So editors will generally take the stance of, why bother?

That’s what hit me recently at the paper I work for. MMA pieces bring more traffic than anything else on the newspaper’s website, but when they actually run one of those stories in print, they get nothing but grief.

If MMA fans want more press, they need to ask for it.. and then thank the press when it bothers.

If you see Mark Coleman in person, drop $5 on the floor and watch the fun as he tries in vain to bend down and pick it up.

by Ozzz on Mar 9, 2009 1:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs