Point/Counterpoint: Does Herschel Walker have a career in MMA?
The Evening Sun’s staff, while friendly and professional in the newsroom, often times (making that most of the time) will disagree on the issues of the day. While we could save our discussions for ourselves, we occasionally like to bring that banter to the readers in a forum we call Point/Counterpoint. Today, staff writer Mike McGuire and sports editor Patrick Newell weigh in on some current sports issues.
PN: Mike, I read earlier this week that Herschel Walker was signed by Strikeforce (a MMA competitor of the UFC), to fight at an “unspecified date.” I’ll grant that Hersch is in great shape, not just for a 47-year-old, and he has a long history participating in martial arts. But let’s get real here, he hasn’t competed against top-level athletes since he retired in 1997, and he is definitely not on the cutting edge of this evolving sport. How can he possibly expect success against guys 20 years his junior? Well, may Kimbo Slice or another tomato can is available. ...
MM: Pat, “signed by Strikeforce” isn’t the right way to put it. Herschel Walker has been unleashed on Strikeforce. So what if he hasn’t competed against top-level athletes since 1997? He’s probably been fighting bears and tigers in a garage. Aside from never lifting a weight in his life and still being eternally chiseled, the man is a sixth-degree black belt, an Olympian, and says he has multiple personalities. I’m going to assume, like everyone should, that he is as gifted and punishing as ever. Not to mention, being 47 with a mental disorder makes him unpredictable. He’s also a nice guy, and will likely be underestimated in MMA. This is a good fit. Football, with all its pads, rules and requirements, was only a leash holding this manimal back.
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MM: Pat, the Columbus Crew are leading Major League Soccer’s Eastern division. I did not know that until a few minutes ago, after I Googled “American sports that no one cares about.” I did not even know there was a Columbus Crew, and I cannot name another team in that division, or the Western Division, for that matter. Even after I practiced with flash cards. As for coming up with any MLS players, you’d have an easier time beating a unified field theory out of me. Wait, that’s not true. I saw David Beckham on ET. He plays in Los Angeles (What are they called, the L.A. Fruitlovers?). One of his teammates talked bad about him in a book. I think his name is Landon Michaels? (I remember it reminded me of the dude from Highway to Heaven). Despite all that, I’ll go out on a limb here and say that professional soccer is going to be hugely popular in America.
PN: After 35 to 40 years of professional soccer leagues here in the United States, I think the sport is just about ready to take the country by storm. Ummm, no! At European soccer games, fans are like caged animals who need restraining fences in place to keep from storming the field. Across the United States, sports fans are like free-range chickens able to roam about to the place of their choosing, while seldom taking a seat at an actual MLS game. The most interest adults have in soccer is when their 5-year-olds are running into each other at YMCA Youth League games.
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PN: Hey Mike, what does the name Caster Semeya mean to you? How about world track champion. Sure, she has dude-like features and her voice is an octave lower than mine, but the allegation that she is really a man are preposterous and hurtful. Don’t you think the people who grew up with her the first 18 years of her life would have spoken up by now. Imagine a South African native saying, “hey, isn’t that Kevin Semeya running in the women’s race?” No, we have not heard anything like that. It’s madness Mike. What’s next, rhythmic gymnastics will no longer be considered an Olympic sport?
MM: Pat, sadly enough there is proof that this scenario is more prevalent and harmful than we would like to believe. Let’s start with Tootsie, a 1982 docu-drama about a struggling actor who pretends he’s a woman in order to get work. As an actress he makes it big on a soap opera. This film, rich and deep, delves into the damaging effects of sexism, and muddies the long-held belief that it is easier for men to succeed in a woman’s world. Prior to Tootsie, the critically acclaimed series, Bosom Buddies, one of Tom Hanks first projects, dealt with the gender roles as it relates to co-habitation in an urban setting. More recently there was Juwanna Mann, an underrated gem of a movie about a disgraced basketball star who returns to glory in the WNBA. I’d say the Caster Semeya claim, while deeply personal and invasive, also deserves to be examined under a critical lens.
PN: Mike, I read earlier this week that Herschel Walker was signed by Strikeforce (a MMA competitor of the UFC), to fight at an “unspecified date.” I’ll grant that Hersch is in great shape, not just for a 47-year-old, and he has a long history participating in martial arts. But let’s get real here, he hasn’t competed against top-level athletes since he retired in 1997, and he is definitely not on the cutting edge of this evolving sport. How can he possibly expect success against guys 20 years his junior? Well, may Kimbo Slice or another tomato can is available. ...
MM: Pat, “signed by Strikeforce” isn’t the right way to put it. Herschel Walker has been unleashed on Strikeforce. So what if he hasn’t competed against top-level athletes since 1997? He’s probably been fighting bears and tigers in a garage. Aside from never lifting a weight in his life and still being eternally chiseled, the man is a sixth-degree black belt, an Olympian, and says he has multiple personalities. I’m going to assume, like everyone should, that he is as gifted and punishing as ever. Not to mention, being 47 with a mental disorder makes him unpredictable. He’s also a nice guy, and will likely be underestimated in MMA. This is a good fit. Football, with all its pads, rules and requirements, was only a leash holding this manimal back.
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MM: Pat, the Columbus Crew are leading Major League Soccer’s Eastern division. I did not know that until a few minutes ago, after I Googled “American sports that no one cares about.” I did not even know there was a Columbus Crew, and I cannot name another team in that division, or the Western Division, for that matter. Even after I practiced with flash cards. As for coming up with any MLS players, you’d have an easier time beating a unified field theory out of me. Wait, that’s not true. I saw David Beckham on ET. He plays in Los Angeles (What are they called, the L.A. Fruitlovers?). One of his teammates talked bad about him in a book. I think his name is Landon Michaels? (I remember it reminded me of the dude from Highway to Heaven). Despite all that, I’ll go out on a limb here and say that professional soccer is going to be hugely popular in America.
PN: After 35 to 40 years of professional soccer leagues here in the United States, I think the sport is just about ready to take the country by storm. Ummm, no! At European soccer games, fans are like caged animals who need restraining fences in place to keep from storming the field. Across the United States, sports fans are like free-range chickens able to roam about to the place of their choosing, while seldom taking a seat at an actual MLS game. The most interest adults have in soccer is when their 5-year-olds are running into each other at YMCA Youth League games.
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PN: Hey Mike, what does the name Caster Semeya mean to you? How about world track champion. Sure, she has dude-like features and her voice is an octave lower than mine, but the allegation that she is really a man are preposterous and hurtful. Don’t you think the people who grew up with her the first 18 years of her life would have spoken up by now. Imagine a South African native saying, “hey, isn’t that Kevin Semeya running in the women’s race?” No, we have not heard anything like that. It’s madness Mike. What’s next, rhythmic gymnastics will no longer be considered an Olympic sport?
MM: Pat, sadly enough there is proof that this scenario is more prevalent and harmful than we would like to believe. Let’s start with Tootsie, a 1982 docu-drama about a struggling actor who pretends he’s a woman in order to get work. As an actress he makes it big on a soap opera. This film, rich and deep, delves into the damaging effects of sexism, and muddies the long-held belief that it is easier for men to succeed in a woman’s world. Prior to Tootsie, the critically acclaimed series, Bosom Buddies, one of Tom Hanks first projects, dealt with the gender roles as it relates to co-habitation in an urban setting. More recently there was Juwanna Mann, an underrated gem of a movie about a disgraced basketball star who returns to glory in the WNBA. I’d say the Caster Semeya claim, while deeply personal and invasive, also deserves to be examined under a critical lens.
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