SB Nation User Blog: FlyByKnight

Coleman vs. Couture -- The Fight That Almost Happened

FlyByKnight — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:30:10 -0000

Back in May of 1998, the UFC held it's 17th Pay Per View event. It was titled UFC 17: Redemption. On that night in Mobile (Ala.), former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark "The Hammer" Coleman took on UFC newcomer Pete Williams. In a fight that tested endurance as well as resolve, Williams knocked out Coleman just 38 seconds into the overtime period with a brutal head kick. Williams had won his UFC debut. Coleman's career began to spiral out of control. Coleman went on to lose a split decision to Pedro Rizzo in his next fight before going to Japan and dropping a fight due to submission to then 1-2 Nobuhiko Takada. However, Williams was not Coleman's originally scheduled opponent for that evening in Mobile. It was then current UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture.

Randy Couture earned the UFC Heavyweight Championship in December of 1997 by defeating Maurice Smith via decision. It was Smith's second title defense since he took the strap away from Mark Coleman in July of 1997. Couture, at 4-0, won the Heavyweight Championship in record time for a career. It only took four professional MMA fights in the UFC. He bested Coleman who had taken six fights to earn it. They were slated to meet in the octagon that May evening but Couture had to pull out of the fight late in training camp due to an injury. They called upon Pete Williams to replace him. Williams appeared outmatched in the early going but did throw up a nice armbar attempt that almost made Coleman tap out before rolling out of it and then controlling the fight once more on the ground. Coleman was completely gassed after about seven minutes and just cruised the final five minutes of the regulation time period. In overtime, Williams was the aggressor as a tired Coleman just stood in his corner and took a beating before succumbing to a vicious head kick.

One does have to wonder, though. What would have happened if Coleman and Couture had actually met that night? Would Coleman have been knocked out? Would Coleman have actually trained better knowing he would be going up against the Heavyweight Champion? Would Couture have been able to ride out a decision against Coleman, who had a notorious history of gassing, in a clash between two powerhouse wrestlers? All these questions have been left unanswered due to Couture's injury a little over 12 years ago. In a way, it robbed us of one of the most looked forward to Heavyweight showdowns in UFC history.

I know this is a look back at history but perhaps this could also be a look forward into the future. Both men are approaching the end of their proverbial rope. Couture is 46. Coleman is about to turn 45. Neither man has much going for him right now. Couture has a fight at 205 scheduled against Brandon Vera for UFC 105. Coleman had a match scheduled with Tito Ortiz for UFC 106 but had to pull out due to injury. Both guys, at the present moment, are in the 205-pound division. Neither guy will, most likely, challenge for a title anytime soon. A match between these two would be a match between two guys who should have fought over a decade ago but never got the chance to.

Call me crazy, but this is a fight that needs to happen. Just to finally put the baby to bed. What say you?

"You just have to look at my face and his (Lyoto). I didn’t suffer one kick, only some knees but he ...

FlyByKnight — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:40:03 -0000

"You just have to look at my face and his (Lyoto). I didn’t suffer one kick, only some knees but he has a rib broken neither get to walk and his mouth is stitched. They made some fighting analysis and I landed the double of hits. Will the judges say they didn’t see that? They will speak anything to justify the result. I feel pissed for my score (18-4), I prize a lot for it and I don’t consider this loss. I didn’t meet Lyoto after the fight but he’s a man I respect so much. He’s blameless, it’s judges’ culprit. Only them say the fight that way. I don’t blame Machida at all."

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua speaks about the judges

Mike Tyson on Oprah

FlyByKnight — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:09:46 -0000

He went on Oprah earlier today and was talking about his life and the things he's been through. I was wondering if anyone else had watched this. It was a very telling interview about who Mike Tyson the person truly is. He retells some things about his childhood and how he used to get picked on. It was very sad to hear him talk about some of the things he went through. He also talked about the death of his daughter, his marriage with Robin Givens, and the Holyfield incident. You can actually watch it by going to her website.

http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow-20090912-mike-tyson

Sorry this isn't a professional FanPost, just figured I'd talk about it in brief.

Question: How’s living in Canada? Rampage: It’s cool doing this movie! It is fun, but lots of wor...

FlyByKnight — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:10:38 -0000

Question: How’s living in Canada?

Rampage: It’s cool doing this movie! It is fun, but lots of work. I am playing a character that i thought was the coolest man alive growing up. I used to walk around my house pretending I was B.A. Baracus, reciting his lines to my family and friends. It proves to me how good God is. I am actually wearing the costume right now! hahaha

Question: Do you see yourself fighting anytime soon?

Rampage: I’m not a psychic. I can’t say. I have other movie offers already and I really miss my kids, it’s a lot easier on your family doing movies then at a ten week fight camp. I really have to think things through. I’m not saying that I don’t want to fight well see what the future holds

Rampage and Tiki interview. Rampage speaks about the show, fighting, and movies.

Top Ten Total Runs Contributed seasons since 2003

FlyByKnight — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:03:01 -0000

10.) David Wright (177; 2007)
7a.) Chase Utley (178; 2006)
7b.) Albert Pujols (178; 2003)
7c.) Alex Rodriguez (178; 2007)
4a.) Todd Helton (179; 2004)
4b.) Adrian Beltre (179; 2004)
4c.) Albert Pujols (179; 2009)
3.) Alex Rodriguez (181; 2003)
2.) Barry Bonds (184; 2004)
1.) Chase Utley (192; 2008)

What does this show? Chase Utley is a freaking beast. A lot of his total runs come from the positional adjustment factor which has ranged between 26 and 31 runs since 2005, when he first started contributing on a regular basis. His 192 Total Runs last season was mind-boggling. Hell, it was 21 runs more than Pujols generated last season. And, of those 21, a grand total of 20 runs came from the positional adjustment difference between the two which still shows Utley was the better straight-up player last season.

Since 2005, Utley has produced 861 Total Runs. Over that same time period, Pujols has put up 848 Total Runs. I'm not saying Utley is the better player between the two but it's quite clear that Utley is a top five player in this league and quite possibly even top three. Utley is actually second, behind Pujols, in terms of Total Runs this season. He's a true monster. He's posted Runs Saved totals of 21, 15, 15, 34, and 13 since 2005. He's an amazing fielder at his position considering his ability at the plate. And he's not a lame on the basepaths either. He's posted Baserunning Runs totals of 3, 5, 3, 5, and 5 since 2005. He's an adequate and smart baserunner.

Just one of the ways to show how dominant Utley has been during his career.

One of the reasons I made this thread was to show some of the great seasons that were put up since 2003. Another reason was to show how absolutely brilliant Utley has been for the Phillies during his time there. In January of 2007, Utley signed a seven-year deal worth $85 million. It keeps him in Philadelphia until 2013. That's what you would call a smart investment. It pays Utley a meager $12.1 million per season with the Phillies through 2013. Since 2005, when Utley began this impressive run, he's been worth an average of $30.9 million per season. He's being underpaid by nearly $20 million per year. He's in the Pujols category when it comes to that.

One has to wonder how long it'll take people to recognize Utley as one of the top players in the game today. And, when I say that, I truly mean a top player. At the very least top five but possibly the best all-around player in the game. One could debate it and not truly be wrong. I used to say that Utley wasn't even the best second baseman in baseball but he is. And he is such by a wide, wide, wide margin. It's not even close. However, he now may be the best player in the game and not just the best second baseman in the game.

Time to recognize greatness. Both past and present.

How much do you think Matt Holliday is worth?

FlyByKnight — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:23:02 -0000

Simple question but not so simple answer. In the four seasons where Matt Holliday has seen at least 600 plate appearances, he's been worth an average of $25.2 million. That's nothing to sneeze at. This isn't going to be a long post about it, just really a question about how much you think he's worth and two graphs to take a look at how much he has contributed over his career (since 2004).

So, how much is Matt Holliday worth ? You're getting a premier hitter who plays very good defense in left field and runs fairly well.

Chicks dig the long ball .. and so does the W/L column

FlyByKnight — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:25:31 -0000

Lately, I have proceeded to do a multitude of research on various things regarding the great game of baseball. One of the things that I examined happened to be the impact of the home run on a team in terms of wins and losses. Why? Because I wanted to see how much impact home runs actually have on wins and losses for every team. I wanted to see if there was a direct correlation between them. The answer didn’t really shock me, per se, but the way that it stood out is what did the trick. Hell, the top four teams in the American League in home runs all have a winning record. Coincidence? Not really. And four of the top five teams in the National League in home runs have a winning record. Again, coincidence? Not entirely. There have been 4769 home runs in baseball this season to date (September 25th). With that said, are you ready to crunch some numbers?

The Arizona Diamondbacks, one of the worst teams in baseball this season, have hit 163 home runs this season. Of those 163, 55.8% (91) have come in their victories. Meanwhile, their pitching staff has given up just 29.2% (47) of their home runs during a victory. So, with one of the worst teams as a baseline for this analysis, let’s look at another epically bad team. The Washington Nationals are in the same boat. They have 144 home runs this season. Of those 144, 53.5% (77) have come in victories. At the same time, like the Diamondbacks, their pitching staff has cut down the home runs. In victories, the Nationals have allowed just 24.3% (41) of their home runs. So what is the summary here? Home runs matter, but not in the way you think.

Driving a ball over the fence obviously helps your chances at winning the game. However, the main factor here is that teams that can limit home runs hit against them have a far higher chance of winning a game than a team that gives up a home run. And it’s by an astronomical margin. It really is.

Exhibit A: New York Yankees
Wins: 87 Home Runs Allowed (97 games)
Losses: 88 Home Runs Allowed (56 games)
Analysis: The New York Yankees are allowing 0.90 home runs per game during a win. However, during a loss, they’re allowing 1.57 home runs per game. That’s nearly a 0.70 difference. That’s just something that you don’t see every day. Think it’s just the Yankees? Think again.

Exhibit B: Los Angeles Angels
Wins: 82 Home Runs Allowed (90 games)
Losses: 93 Home Runs Allowed (62 games)
Analysis: The Los Angeles Angels are allowing 0.91 home runs per game during a win. Exactly 0.01 more than the Yankees. And, like the Yankees, they’re allowing a higher rate during losses. The Angels are allowing 1.50 home runs per game during a loss. That’s nearly a 0.60 difference. It’s only 0.10 less than the Yankees but, at the same time, they’re in the same ballpark even though the balls are not.

Exhibit C: Boston Red Sox
Wins: 63 Home Runs Allowed (91 games)
Losses: 85 Home Runs Allowed (61 games)
Analysis: The Boston Red Sox are allowing 0.69 home runs per game during a victory. During a loss, they’re allowing 1.39 home runs per game. A difference, like the Yankees, of 0.70 between a victory and a loss.

So what does the data show? Well, it’s quite simple really. If your team is hitting at least one home run per game and not allowing at least one home run per game, then they’re going to be a team over .500. It’s as simple as that. Teams live and die by the home run but in different ways. Certain teams can jack them out. Certain teams can prevent them. Certain teams can do both. Either way, the data shows the same conclusion. A team will only go as far as the ball travels.

P.S.: First time I've ever made a graph on Photoshop. Felt weird. And if anyone wants the numbers for every team, let me know.

The red bar is for victories and the blue bar is for losses. In case people didn't realize that.

@ShaneCarwin What do you think about Rampage (and Cro Cop) possibly being done with their MMA...

FlyByKnight — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:07:30 -0000

@ShaneCarwin What do you think about Rampage (and Cro Cop) possibly being done with their MMA careers?
@FlyByKnite Rampage is about as retired as Jay-Z. Crocop needs to engage his opponents or retire.

Twitter conversation between Shane Carwin (@Shane Carwin) and myself (@FlyByKnite).

"The UFC has done a lot for me but I think I have done more for them … this movie role came about t...

FlyByKnight — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:40:17 -0000

"The UFC has done a lot for me but I think I have done more for them … this movie role came about that I have been trying to get for over a year & as soon as I found out I was close to getting it, I called Dana right away & asked to push the Memphis fight back just a month or so. I told him what this movie role meant to me. I told him that I used to bond with my father watching the tv show as a kid when my parents where still married & it represents the memories I had with my father when we lived together. My dad became an alcohalic & addicted to drugs & we grew apart. But after my dad got his life back together, I was so proud of my dad & I told him I would always take care of him in the future & make him proud of me. My dad & I are still very big fans of the show & I am basically doing this for the childhood memories I had spending time in front of the tv with my dad. Dana went on the internet & mocked me because of that & I still did nothing. Dana & I finally talked & we made up & then after that he went back on the internet & said some bullshit & he was talking bad about the movie when information is not even supposed to be released & talking about payments which is not even true could really hurt my future acting career, which could very well last longer than my fighting career. I’m not like Randy Couture. My body has been getting so many different injuries that I wont be able to fight until my forties & neither do I want to fight that long. So I feel like my second career could be in jeopardy.. so I’m done fighting. I’ve been getting negative reviews from the dumb ass fans that don’t pay my bills or put my kids though college. So I’m hanging it up. I’m gonna miss all my loyal fans but hopefully they’ll follow me to my new career & I will gain more loyal fans along the way. & all you hater fans out there can kiss my big black hairy ass! & anybody that don’t like what I just said can come try to kick my ass! I still feel the UFC is a great organization and I felt like I was very loyal to them but they didn’t respect my loyalty but I wish the UFC the best. I did a lot of things for them. I wish no bad blood between us but I have kids & a family back in Memphis to provide for & thats all that matters to me!"

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson says he's done with the UFC. (via MMAMania)

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. agreed to pay $5.6 million in back taxes before the Internal Revenue...

FlyByKnight — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:06:41 -0000

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. agreed to pay $5.6 million in back taxes before the Internal Revenue Service was poised to take the money from his purse after his Saturday comeback fight against Juan Manuel Marquez.

The IRS sent the Nevada Athletic Commission a levy notice on Sept. 4 ordering Mayweather's unpaid taxes from 2007 to be deducted from his $10 million fight purse, commission executive director Keith Kizer told The Associated Press.

Kizer said the IRS backed off one week later, after Mayweather agreed to pay the money. Mayweather won the fight in a unanimous decision.

Mayweather agrees to pay back taxes
(via ESPN)