Ontario reporter compares MMA to prostitution

Ugg...
Another misinformed reporter, who doesn't check their sources!

"Grown men kicking, scratching and biting each other in a no-holds-barred fight"
I don't ever remember scratching or biting being legal, even in the early UFCs...

"If you legalize UFC in the name of bolstering tourism, what's next? Why not follow Amsterdam's lead and create red-light districts and put a brothel and marijuana cafe on every corner? Thailand's sex-tourism industry is flourishing. Maybe it's a good model to follow."
I can't imagine these examples being on the same level as legalizing a sport such as MMA?

"I feel like we all need to be better than that. That industry needs to die, by all of us being a little bit better than that."
Based on who's opinion? Yours?!

"Mixed martial arts is in that same category. It's barbaric. It's degrading. It appeals to the base instincts of human nature."
Instincts between a man and a women that are sexually attracted to each other is to have sex, that's human nature as well... Should we do something about that?

"Surely, the role of government should be to encourage a more evolved society, not exploit people's blood-lust"

Hollywood has been doing that for decades!

"But mixed martial arts, which turns people into pit bulls, should be OK?"
Hello? Anyone ever heard of boxing?!

"The potential damage mixed martial arts does to its participants and its audiences outweighs any economic benefits to the province"
Right! And violent video games turns kids into social misfits.

"Mixed martial arts is the kind of thing that belonged in a Roman coliseum in ancient times, not in a civil, sophisticated society like Ontario in the 21st century"
Did he just say Sophisticated society? I think I'm gonna vomit!

Whole article below;
http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2459545

Regards,
KFA

 Ontario reporter compares MMA to prostitution...

lmao that's from the belleville paper

always 10 years behind, we are!

What a pathetic editorial. LOL

Here is what I have on paper so far



Dear Editor

My name is Mark Loft, I am the head mixed martial arts instructor at Loyalist MMA in belleville ontario. I have been involved in the sport for well over 15 years, including my boxing experience at Mal Trenholm's (where i was featured by the intelligencer many years ago).

Being involved in the sport of MMA, I am used to the ignorant sensationalism that is employed by certain journalists when they can't construct a valid point. I have to tell you, Mr. Editor, Corey Larocque's piece is one of the worst I have ever read. In the opening paragraph, he starts with fabrications (mma has never allowed biting, and scratching is also against the rules) and then goes downhill from there.

Before writing an article such as this, one should consider the fact that Mixed Martial Arts is a sport. It has rules, trained officials and judges, and it's regulated by states or provinces. It combines elements of boxing, wrestling, judo and tae kwon do, for the uninitiated journalist, these are Olympic sports. Champions of these sports are represented in Mixed martial arts, these are trained, world calibre athletes. It's irresponsible to represent them as back alley thugs assaulting one another. Hockey is mentioned in the article, as well as boxing, but nary a word is said about the violent combative nature of those sports. One would thus assume that Mr. Larocque doesn't object to two men punching each other, sometimes with bare knuckles, as long as it's not in a cage.

Michael Vick victimized animals for profit, the "Thailand sex trade" often exploits children for profit, MMA is two consenting adults entering a controlled sport. There's absolutely no comparison. Prostitution is illegal, illicit drug use is illegal, and the last time I checked, "two men trying to kill each other" is illegal. Now if we could only make irresponsible journalism illegal, we'd be making some real progress in a civil, sophisticated society like Ontario in the 21st century.

Thank you
Mark Loft

feedback before i send it? am I being too harsh? "irresponsible" being used twice = redundant? I would like this printed

I think its a great letter, hmeboy. love the last line.

Boom! sent!

well done.

Here is the final version (big thanks to Eh_J)

----------------------------------------------------------
Dear Editor

My name is Mark Loft, I am the head mixed martial arts instructor at Loyalist Mixed Martial Arts in Belleville, Ontario. I have been personally involved in this great sport for over 15 years. I have also been active in the sport of boxing. In fact, I was featured in an Intelligencer article many years ago regarding my training at Malcolm Trenholm's Belleville Boxing Club located here in Belleville.

Being so heavily invested and involved in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, I have grown somewhat accustomed to the typical rhetoric spewed by journalists who are clearly ignorant regarding the beauty, skill, and heart involved in MMA. In my opinion, Corey Larocque's piece is one of the worst offenders of this type of journalistic behaviour I have ever come across. The opening paragraph of Mr. Larocque's editorial contains so many inaccuracies and outright lies that the article as a whole is difficult to stomach. For example, no sanctioned Mixed Martial Arts organization has EVER allowed actions such as biting or scratching. Had Mr. Larocque performed even the briefest of fact-checking regarding the rules of Mixed Martial Arts, (rules that can be found at a number of online sources), he would have known this to be the case. As it stands, it appears as though Mr. Larocque has no familiarity with Mixed Martial Arts as a whole, let alone the rules and proud history it enjoys.

Before writing an article on a certain topic, one should probably research the topic first, no? The fact that Mixed Martial Arts is a recognized sport that has established and evolving rules, trained officials, judges, and is regulated by states and provinces has clearly eluded Mr. Larocque.

MMA combines elements of boxing, wrestling, judo and tae kwon do. For the uninitiated Mr. Larocque, these disciplines are recognized Olympic sports. Gold medalists and world champions of these sports are well-represented in Mixed Martial Arts. It is irresponsible to liken these world-class athletes as back alley thugs assaulting one another. Hockey is mentioned in the article, as well as boxing, but nary a word is said about the violent combative nature of those sports. One would thus assume that Mr. Larocque doesn't object to two men punching each other, sometimes with bare knuckles, as long as it's not in a cage.

Michael Vick victimized animals for profit, the "Thailand sex trade" often exploits children for profit, Mixed Martial Arts consists of two consenting adults entering into a controlled and regulated athletic competition. There's absolutely no comparison. Prostitution is illegal, illicit drug use is illegal, and the last time I checked, "grown men try(ing) to kill each other" is illegal. Now if we could only make irresponsible journalism illegal, we'd be making some real progress in a civil, sophisticated society like Ontario in the 21st century.

Thank you,

Mark Loft
Loyalist MMA

Mike Russell -  Ontario reporter compares MMA to prostitution...


My bad..

-KFA

hey hmeboy,

I have some humble suggestions:

1)" In fact, I was featured in an Intelligencer article many years ago regarding my training at Malcolm Trenholm's Belleville Boxing Club located here in Belleville."

take out "in fact". it is already a fact pointing it out seems redundant.

2)" I have grown somewhat accustomed to the typical rhetoric spewed by journalists who are clearly ignorant regarding the beauty, skill, and heart involved in MMA. In my opinion, Corey Larocque's piece is one of the worst offenders of this type of journalistic behaviour I have ever come across. "

take out "spewed". you are trying to send a thoughtfull factual reply to an emotional angry writer. do not stoop to his level.

take out "in my opinion". your letter should remain as factual as possible and using that phrase dismisses the points you are making to just one mans instead of our community.

" For example, no sanctioned Mixed Martial Arts organization has EVER allowed actions such as biting or scratching."

take out "for example" just state the fact you are communicating

" (rules that can be found at a number of online sources)"

list some websights so that every person reading this can educate themselves on the subject.


4) "Before writing an article on a certain topic'

change certain to "any"


Hope this helps.
It is a very well thought out reply. I hope that you are proud to sign your name to it.

Nada

that definitely helps, Nada, this is exactly the feedback i was hoping for.

I already sent the letter, however :-(

still a well thought out letter regardless.

I hope they use it.

the whole thing has become so advesarial I can't see any changes coming soon. But at least we can defend ourselves when being directly compared to animals.

Fucking ridiculous that they published that! Good job hmeboy!

 

The man who wrote that piece in the intelligencer sounds testicularly challenged imo.

I believe he is a staff writer for the Niagara Falls review. The intelligencer is in the same publishing family and chose to pick up the crappy editorial. I'd love to have a debate with this so-called journalist. He seems like a tool who goes by hearsay and conjecture rather than facts and safety studies.

This guy is a reporter for my local paper. It was posted in my hometown with his e-mail address. I have already sent him an e-mail my self letting him know that he is a hack that does not research his articles. Here is the address if you guys would like to let him know as well.

clarocque@nfreview.com

ddinks - by the time mma gets legalized in Ontario, the general sports viewer will already have moved on to the next big thing.


Unfortunatly this is the most likely possibility...Sad the way our system works