The FOX Sports Media Group has banned advertisements featuring firearms, hunting, knives and ammunition from its coverage of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events. Originally this was said to only pertain to the "free" televised events on FX, FuelTV, and Fox Sports, although it appears that the bigwigs at Fox are forcing this ban down the throats of the UFC on pay-per-view events as well.
This is outrageous. The knife is mankind's oldest tool and has been a part of humanity for 2.5 million years. We use knives to cut out food, open mail, and hundreds of other sundry tasks to get us through life. Are the executives at Fox so timid and cowardly that they think seeing "Kershaw" or "MicroTech" on a fighter's board shorts are going to create a nationwide stabbing epedemic overnight?
Equally misguided is the prohibition against the shooting sports. Firearms are legal in the United States and in all the states which host UFC events. I am sure the conspiracy-minded types may think that this is a ploy for Fox to curry favor with the mayor of New York City who has an irrational fear of guns so that the UFC can hold events someday in Madison Square Garden.
In addition to having a long history as a martial artist and a fighter, one of the things that drew me to MMA in general was seeing who sponsored the events: Harley Davidson, DPMS, Kershaw, Microtech, Affliction, The Gun Store, US Firearms Academy, Emerson Knives, headrush, TapOut, etc. The owners of mainstream sports teams in the US were too cowardly to accept sponsorship from companies such as this. Even NASCAR caved in years ago and disallowed tobacco and alcohol sponsorship, which for years made up the bulk of their revenue. One would think the UFC would not cave to such a proposal, leaving some of its major sponsors in the dust in the name of greed.
One can concede and say, "That's a business decision, made in the name of helping MMA transition into the mainstream". Most fans might agree; MMA has come a long way from being a "toughman contest" or as misguided legislators termed it at one time, "Human cockfighting". Today's MMA fighters have the conditioning of Olympic Level Atheletes. They are in far better shape than their counterparts in just about any other sport, perhaps seeing that in the living rooms of Middle america for free instead of a Pay-Per-View event will make MMA as accepted as football, baseball, or basketball.
However, the majority of Americans own guns, shoot guns, hunt, and fish; and do so without commiting any crimes. Various alcohol companies sponsor MMA events, will they be replaced in the future? After all, alcohol related crimes and fatalities far surpass those committed with firearms or even knives. Beyond that, Fox will be showing prejudice toward up-and-coming fighters by not broadcasting their fights if they are backed by what Fox considers a "politically incorrect advertiser".
This Examiner is encouraging all readers, be they gun owners, sportsmen, police officers, military veterans or simply lovers of freedom to contact FOX today and urge them to recant this anti-gun policy. FOX’s decision to ban advertisements for lawful products owned by more than 80 million Americans is nothing more than corporate gun control or shilling for anti-gun politicians and they need to be taken to task for this.
To contact Fox:
Corporate Headquarters FSN
10201 W. Pico, Bld. 103
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Phone: 310-369-1000
Internet: www.FOXSports.com
10201 W. Pico, Bld. 103
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Phone: 310-369-1000
Internet: www.FOXSports.com
Lastly, I'd like to paraphrase Sir Thomas Moore from A Man for all Seasons to the owners of the UFC:"It profits a man nothing to sell his soul and gain the whole world, but for Fox Sports?".
Information for this article was gathered from the website of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Fox Sports, and UFC.
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