Speaking of bloodlust, Madison Daily Leader publisher Jon Hunter varies his editorial style by making himself absolutely clear: mixed martial arts fighting (a.k.a. cage fighting or ultimate fighting) is barbaric, and he doesn't want it in Madison:
It's a brutal event, and we have trouble imagining that spectators get pleasure from watching another human being get pummeled. On the other hand, we shouldn't be surprised, because we know dog fighting and cock fighting are popular underground events in the U.S. and Mexico, in which animals fight and kill each other for spectator enjoyment.
But just because something is popular in a sick way doesn't mean it should be allowed or expanded. While Watertown's council split 5-3 on the issue, we think the Madison and Lake County commissions should start considering where they stand in case something similar is brought to them.
MMA is a barbaric form of entertainment that should not be allowed in a community like ours [Jon Hunter, "Despite Watertown Decision, MMA Is Wrong for Madison," Madison Daily Leader, 2011.05.04].
Alas, there goes our man Hunter's standing with our local economic development leaders. Cage fighting could kick Madison's economy back into gear! The LAIC could use cage fighting to turn its attention back to downtown development. We could buy the Dakota Drug building, put a cage in the center, and let people watch the fights from primo seats in that cool balcony. The LAIC could buy Books and More (alas!) and turn it into a fight training-gear and souvenir shop. We could even move a big fight outside for Crazy Days!
...assuming, of course, we want to build our economic development strategy on barbarism. Good call, Jon!
To call it barbarism is selling a sport of skill very short. Wrestling, judo, karate, ju jitsu, boxing, kick boxing, grappling...every form of fighting sport (most Olympic sports) combined into one with sanctioned and trained referees protecting the fighters, with promoters paying the fighters. With medical staff on hand for the fighters.
I can understand not wanting to watch Mixed Martial Arts by choice but to call it barbaric is ridiculous. More participants will die in non contact sports this year then ever have in "cage fighting".
( I hate calling it cage fighting...it automatically brings to mind incorrect images. Do the fights happen in a cage? In some promotions yes, but in some the fights happen in a ring. The proper name is Mixed Martial Arts or MMA)
I am a huge fan of the sport, I love watching the strategies involved and the pure athletisism of these warriors. I have a dear friend who runs a classy promotion here in South Dakota (http://www.thecageinc.com/site/) running fights all over the Mid West. He has certainly done more to help stimulate economies across the area than anyone screaming "STOP THE MADNESS!!!" ever has.
Just my two cents.
Shane
Interesting to note, Shane, that your friend brands his "classy" promotion with the "Cage Inc" web address.
Interesting that you would be so closed minded for someone who preaches about bringing in money to Madison. How much money has that Preaching brought in?
I know you and I have had the compromising morals conversation before, but I guess I fail to see the slippery slope with this one. Would you turn away money from the Dakota Lawdogs if they chose to pay for one of the Madison Football Fields to hold their semi pro football game? I guess I personally don't understand where the line is. We want and need money in this community...but not "YOUR" money.
Slow
Painful
Death.
I want an expanded grocery store but not one that sells alcohol.
I want more dining opportunities but not if you sell alcohol.
A Wal-Mart would benefit this town...oh they sell alcohol.
I'd like our hotels filled but not with Fighters.
I'd like our restaurants to be busy...but not with fight fans.
I'd like that building filled on main street so long as it meets my private list of criteria.
Good luck with that Utopian society Madison. I would think in these desperate economic times arms would be thrown wide open for money.
Promoters have brought fights to 3 different Yankton venues and never once has there been a problem with violence before or after an event.
Can you imagine the uproar had the editors column been "we don't need the revenue of a Christian Revival Concert"? I don't now, nor will I ever understand the "cake and eat it too" mentality of some.
Cheap and unwarrented shot by me on the Preaching comment. I know you bust your ass out of love for your community and are just as passionate about topics as I am. I just...we are never going to see eye to eye or even eye to toenail on many issues. I am pro-business period. So long as it is legal then I am for it if it helps my neighbors. I don't have to use my purchasing dollars at places I don't agree with but will NEVER keep my fellow residents from being able to.
I apologize for the shot my friend. Have a blessed weekend.
Shane
I accept your apology and embrace your passion. Two men ought to be able to fight hard and still shake hands and share a beverage afterward... just like MMA, right?
I am open to the argument that the benefits of such events outweigh the costs. However, when we do that calculus on any economic development effort, be it fight shows, nude dancing, legalized marijuana and hemp, prostitution, gay wedding chapels, oil refineries, pipelines, wind farms, etc., we may justly consider the moral cost alongside the more practical, tangible costs. The fact that a community is short of cash does not necessarily mean that a community should accept any activity that will raise its revenues.
MMA will indeed be on the Madison City Commission agenda Monday. This should be fun.
The fact that a community is short of cash does not necessarily mean that a community should accept any activity that will raise its revenues.
That is where you and I are going to disagree. So long as legal I will trust in my neighbors morals to determine if said business is for them or not. I don't believe it is up to a city council to decide that.
You're right, we will disagree. Communities can at least regulate, if not ban, certain commercial activities. I agree that five council members imposing their will may not be the best model, but I'm comfortable with situations where a city council, acting as the agent of the popular will, regulates or bans commercial activities that most in the community find inimical to the health of their community. Granted, there is the tricky issue of protecting minority rights... and there's a good question: how much of a "right" does a businessman have to make money by arranging fights? How much of a right do I have to spend my money on watching fights as entertainment?
Exactly. For me (and I'm still steamed about the smoking ban and I'm not a smoker) it must come down to freedom of choice in our Free Enterprise System.
Whether I fail or succeed depends on how I present my business to my fellows. I am asking them to trust in me as I give them a pleasant experience whether it be a purchase of good or services, entertainment, lodging or a service of any kind. It is the consumers choice. Donelle and I didn't go to bars here in Yankton that had smoking. We went to Ben's. We choose not to go to strip clubs, we also don't frequent christian book stores. My wife will never go to the fights with me or even watch them on TV with me, but will scream "GET HIM!!! KILL HIM!!!" as she watches her Bronco's play football.
This isn't a judgment on a business just consumer choices. I will though defend the right for any businessman to open any legal business he chooses to within limits. Joe Blow wants to put a strip club next to a school; I'm probably going to encourage him to look elsewhere. I'm not immune to the feelings of others or concerns Cory, rather I believe in the right to make a living in this country.
Shane
"the right to make a living"—advocates of increasing the minimum wage appreciate that concept!
But that right, like all others, is not absolute. TransCanada's employees can make a living shipping tar sands oil, because enough consumers choose that product to make it profitable. But in upholding TransCanada's right to make a living, the courts infringed on the property rights of South Dakotans who didn't want their cornfields torn up and subjected to permanent risk of oil contamination. Telling me that a guy can make money on something and that consumers want to spend money on that thing does not fully answer the question of whether a guy has a right to place that thing on the market.
How did this ever turn out with the council? As no longer a resident there my opinion matters little but I do remeber at a very young age of going to the armory to watch boxing as my uncle john niemann was actively involved. I remeber seeing plenty of blood but boxing was excepted because it is main stream to hit somebody till they knock someone out or throw the towel in. How is this any different?
Thanks for the note, Mr. Kroger! Madison approved the fight ordinance, giving it a competitive advantage over Watertown, whose voters rejected their city council's vote in favor of such fights.