"When you stretch the truth, watch out for the snapback."
-Bill Copeland
Some fans are wondering why the WWE is starting up shows and the UFC is not. The answer has two parts: 1. Florida; and 2. COVID-19 Essential Services.
The WWE Performance Center is located in Orlando, and Florida has not led the nation in Flattening the Curve. The UFC Performance Center is located in Las Vegas, and Nevada has taken a more responsible approach.
Further, Essential Services are exempt from Shelter in Place orders. Nurses can go to work, as can for example grocery store workers and front line news reporters. And thus, under the media services exception, WWE performers are exempt in Florida.
And Fightful reports that on April 5, the WWE informed employees that “We have just been notified that [name redacted] was diagnosed with COVID-19. WWE doctors spoke with [redacted] this morning and reported [the individual] last had contact with anyone at WWE on March 26 at the Performance Center. As you know, [redacted} is not an in-ring performer and we believe this matter is low-risk to you.”
Vince doesn't give a shit about ESPN/Disney execs. Dana now has higher up's to answer too. I'm sure Dana is not liking the push back, from a Dem like Feinstein too.
This has already backfired on WWE since Bobby Lashley , Corey Graves and Carmella have tested positive for it. And Dana Brooke and Rey Mysterio were already in quarantine over it.
"When you stretch the truth, watch out for the snapback."
-Bill Copeland
Some fans are wondering why the WWE is starting up shows and the UFC is not. The answer has two parts: 1. Florida; and 2. COVID-19 Essential Services.
The WWE Performance Center is located in Orlando, and Florida has not led the nation in Flattening the Curve. The UFC Performance Center is located in Las Vegas, and Nevada has taken a more responsible approach.
Further, Essential Services are exempt from Shelter in Place orders. Nurses can go to work, as can for example grocery store workers and front line news reporters. And thus, under the media services exception, WWE performers are exempt in Florida.
And Fightful reports that on April 5, the WWE informed employees that "We have just been notified that [name redacted] was diagnosed with COVID-19. WWE doctors spoke with [redacted] this morning and reported [the individual] last had contact with anyone at WWE on March 26 at the Performance Center. As you know, [redacted} is not an in-ring performer and we believe this matter is low-risk to you."
You’re missing an obvious part too, there’s a lot more people required to be in the same place with all the athletic commission people (judges, referee, time keeper, doctors) along with the fighter and corner people, and camera people.
The WWE can do it and only have the performers and camera people there.
If a UFC has 12 fights, we’re talking 24 fighters, 3 corners each, and commission people have you over 100 people within a few feet of that cage…and they can’t really bleach things between fights either given that fighters will be sweaty and rolling around on the mats, and we can’t have cleaning solution getting in people’s eyes.
I’m sure they’ll figure out how to make it work, but comparing it to WWE doesn’t make a whole lot of sense at this point. I get it’s not you making the comparison, and you’re responding to the various posts here.
Personally I think putting 200? People at risk of catching corona to entertain and give MILLIONS of people respite is worth it.
I am with you man.
I think that not just public health experts, but public health experts with a specialty in virus transmission have taken over the process to a dangerous extent. I don't think the public health effects of throwing 20-30% of the nation into unemployment have been adequately considered. Never mind the quality of life effects of tanking the world's largest economy.
That said, I don't think the WWE GAF about anyone of that. I don't think Vince McMahon cares about what happens to people at all. And don't even get me started on Florida.
The world needs, I think, a more wholistic approach to COVID-19. We need a hugely increased testing capacity, we need robust contact tracing, we need a better understanding of how long post-CV immunity lasts. I drives me nuts that everyone gets $1,200 for nothing; that's welfare, which appears to have destroyed generations of some communities.
But right now, we are going to war with the army we've got. And that includes a monster effort to flatten the curve via sheltering in place and social distancing. As I said, I would like a smarter effort; the current one has destroyed multiple of my little businesses. I wish there was a better CV fighting effort in place, but the solution is not a handful of self-serving skirting the laws and directives in place.
Seriously though, the reason the WWE pulled this shit off is because the WWE is literally fake as fuck and does not require a state commision to partake in their shows.
WWE used to be regulated by athletic commissions. McMahon lobbied that it was sports entertainment to avoid regulations.
The UFC needs to do this as well. We're already WAY MORE than half way there in transitioning MMA from sport to "entertainment" by awarding scumbags like Jon Jones two decision victories when he definitely lost both fights. Fighter safety can be done in-house, and judging should be completely revamped (e.g. more than just three judges with intimate knowledge of MMA). UFC can then apply their own rules and judging criteria that is actually compatible with MMA, fuck the 10 point must system.