60 Minutes Gets it (On)

60 Minutes did a special on MMA on Sunday. Among their sources were the UFC, Dana White, Pat Miletich, and Renzo Gracie. I thought they did an outstanding job doing fair coverage of the sport. I had expected the normal mainstream approach of focusing largely on the violent and bloody aspect of the sport rather than what it’s really about. Big ups to 60 Minutes reporter Scott Pelley for being receptive enough to actually learn some grappling with Renzo. Hopefully it will help to get more people interested in the sport.

60 Minutes on Yahoo! (Video will work for about half of you)
60 Minutes’ CBS page

Whenever mainstreamers start investigating what MMA is, most of them can’t get past the violence. However, looking at the kind of growth patterns we’re seeing with the UFC and Pride, I think it’s safe to say that people are warming up to it.

My favorite cuts in this piece were the ones with Renzo. He was passionate, intelligent, and well-spoken. I think he dispelled a lot of myths surrounding practitioners of MMA. I take a lot of shots at MMA fighters and their mental capacity, but honestly I believe that the majority of you out there are very intelligent people…college degrees, professionals. We just happen to love fighting too.