Mike Dolce’s “Ultimate Fighter 7″ blog: week 10
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- June
- 13
After last week’s blog, I received hundreds of messages agreeing with that piece. In contrast, I only received a few dozen messages disagreeing with my opinion of what “The Ultimate Fighter” should really be about.
That ratio is very telling of what the fans of the sport want to see.
They, we, want to see who these guys really are, where they come from and what pushes them to succeed.
We want to see hard-working athletes, coming from all walks of life, defying the odds, breaking out and making it – very much like Rocky.
The last time I checked, Rocky did a lot better than Porky’s at the box office.
Obviously, I am not a television executive; I am just an 18 – 34 year old American male who needs to be told what I should want to watch, regardless of what I actually want to watch.
Instead of the above, I was treated to another segment of, “Grown men pee their pants and destroy an expensive home, along with their reputations…on the next ‘Ultimate Fighter!’ ”
YES!!!
I can’t wait to watch this week!!!
Wait a minute, I actually lived through that night of alcohol-induced debauchery and am here to tell the tale.
As with most terrible decisions, that night all started with one highly intelligent, ultra-dedicated athlete and the bright idea: “Who wants to do shots?”
Thankfully, “The Ultimate Fighter 7” bar is stocked full of all the alcohol any young athlete needs to further his lifelong goal of television infamy.
The shots are lined up, and the bottles get drained.
“Hold on a second, guys,” one of the more astute athletes declares, “There’s something wrong here!”
Surveying the situation, clearer heads will surely prevail.
“We need more BEER, we’re about to run out of BEER!”
“YAY, BEER,” say about a dozen hard training fighters, purely devoted to the sanctity of the sport. One jumps on the internal phone and orders a few cases of highly nutritious yeast and hops, which I hear is the true secret of champions…?
Hmmm, I’ll have to Google that.
Anyway, a few rounds of shots, a few beers and even a couple bottles of wine to class the place up a bit and we have ourselves a true ratings juggernaut.
That is what we are here for, right? Ratings!
“YAY, RATINGS!”
I mean, the granddaddy of all reality television shows, “Survivor,” relies on copious amounts of alcohol to boost ratings, right?
NO???
What do you mean, NO??? There’s no alcohol on “Survivor?” It’s one of the highest rated reality television shows in history?!
How can that be?
Ok, no alcohol there, but how about “American Idol?” That’s the highest rated television show for the last four years running. Surely, the contestants are wasted through the entire taping acting like total unprofessional court jesters in order to garner such high viewer interest?!
NO???
There’s no alcohol on “American Idol” either? Nobody destroys the set? Not one cast member urinates on himself?
Not even a SPRITZ???
How can this be?!
Are you telling me, good TV can be accomplished without the cast getting totally drunk and making complete asses out of themselves?
Careers and reputations do not need to be sacrificed to the all powerful media research god, Arthur Nielsen, in order to increase ratings?
Wow! Now, that would be groundbreaking television.
But hey, what would an average 18-34 year-old, American male know about good TV anyway?
Mike Dolce is a cast member of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 7”. He is also a strength coach, sports nutritionist and author of “The DOLCE Diet: Living Lean.” For more information go to his website www.MikeDolceMMA.com
This entry was posted
on Friday, June 13th, 2008 at 8:16 pm by Larry Vollmer.
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I agree. I would like to see their back stories and how they got into fighting with some shots of them back home and possible interviews with the trainers at the gyms they got started in.
If they have any old tape from some former bouts (Outside of the UFC) that would be awesome.
I agree…I have never understood why almost every season the guys tear the hell out of a really nice house just for kicks. I guess you are right…ratings. However, it is gonna continue the negative thoughts of people who don’t know much about MMA.
Well said that man!
I’ve been a TUF devotee since messers Bonner and Griffin went at it, and you can really see the difference with each series!
Sure on TUF1 you had the disgraceful Lieben/Koscheck/Sandford incident, but on the whole the whole first few series were about the fighters and the rivalries thereafter.
Personally I don’t wanna see a grown man piss his pants and try to drown himself whilst bouncing around the house like some unhinged kangaroo…..bearing in mind that only moments later the same guy was bringing a lump to peoples throats sharng his feelings about his son. That’s what I wanna see, the human element and a bit of genuine reality.
I agree with a previous post about Dana White…..back off from the camera fella, we’ve all noticed you’re there!
Anyway, rant over, well said Mike…....it needed saying, and all credit to you for doing it from the “inside”!
I hope Amir kicks CB’s arrogant ass, and that someone wipes Jeremy’s smug little boy grin right from his face in the finally!
I am really surprised Dana lets it go on… we see this each season. I understand the guys need to have a release and would probably be going insane living together, but tearing apart a house like that is a bit much.
Thanks for your always thoughful and honest insight. It’s getting ridiculous and from the looks of the preview for this week’s episode it’s going to get worse if that is possible.
Thanks for that boring rant on things I, personally, couldn’t care less about. Perhaps next week you’ll find time to talk about the actual fight.
This blog has nothing really to do with your inside insight into that week in the house, it was all points you’ve said before- smothered in your bitterness.
That’s nice your personal choice was not to drink in the house- I’m sure it has nothing to do with the age difference between you and the other fighters. Nor the fact that you market a health plan for losing weight and use your reality tv show status to market it.
Thank you for opening our eyes, to the obvious simularities between being a fighter and America’s next pop singing sensation.
The other fighters drinking is their own choice, you’ve made your opinion plain. It must suck how handily one of those ‘’fake’’ athletes beat you in your match? Maybe that’s where all the bitterness is coming from.
Great post. Maybe next week you can tell us all how the castmembers drink and the producers provide alchohol etc. Oh wait you already did this week. Oh yeah and last week.
Great insight into the obvious. Keep up the great work.
bitterness. bitterness. bitterness. bitterness. bitterness.
grow up
I hope that Mike Dolce gets to replace one of the fighters (Jessie) that kicks out the windows of that limo. He is the type of fighter that the UFC wants representing it. I know they have to be careful now that they are getting big name sponsors. They can’t just let anyone represent the UFC, the fighters have to have integrity, skill, and intellegence. The wild behavior could tarnish the image that the UFC has worked hard to legitimize.
what went down in the limo? was the damage even comparable to what all althletes participated in the house?
WHY SHOULD Mike Dolce’s REPLACE ( JESSIE ) IF HE GET THROWN OFF THE SHOW , JUST LET THE 2 LOSERS OF THE SEMIS FIGHT EACH OTHER AND WINNER FIGHTS
Mike Dolce’s IS JUST A BAD LOSER AND A BROWN NOSEING UP TO THE UFC BOSSES
Wow, well said, Mike. I completely agree with that statement as a fighter. It’s hard enough to defend my sport to people who view us as “knuckledragging meat-heads”, and when they see jackasses on tv getting drunk and urinating on themselves (or other peoples’ beds!) it makes it damn near IMPOSSIBLE. I understand wanting to celebrate a win. We train HARD for months at a time, and that win is literally our paycheck. So I understand that, but my hs football coach once told us to act like we were going to do it again. Secondly, if you’re gonna drink and get a little loosey goosey, NO YOUR LIMITS! Stay conscious of the fact that you’re representing your sport and millions of fellow athletes. Preach on Mike!
Dear Dana White,
I’m a fan and I want to help.
The situation with Jesse on Ultimate Fighter was handled great once the offenses took place but you’re allowing the fighters to act like retards “In the House” encouraged the behavior that leaked out in L.V. Keep a tighter grip on the house and GROW your sport instead of just filling up your talent pool.
Note to all fighters both professional and accidental: Who did you look up to when you still had a soul and what would they say if they saw you now…..
Are you who you think you are ?
WITH REPECT MR DOLCE,,,WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU PUT DOWN A SHOW YOU SO WILLFULLY WANTED TO JOIN! MOVE ON MIKE,”loose lips sink ships” ps…dana white is part of the ufc challenge,,, oh yeah,,”loosing sucks” respectfully scott leighton
isnt this they guy who talked all that crap about how no one would beat him then got his ass handed to him??? umm yeah thats him.. poop….
could it be that your just a little pissed still that jessie owned u in the first round eliminations…whic by the way i lost 25$ that night voting on u after thinking you’d do good since u were so serious. I think showing the fact that the fighters are like us normal people or upcoming fighters looking to find our way was a good way to really show use the fact that the show is not set up and staged like wrestling u can complain but doesnt change u lost to the guy who got wasted and pisse don himself :]
Dolce,
Quit preaching and please realize that despite the availability of alcohol, no one from Spike TV or UFC forced guys to drink – especially when sequestered in the house for a long period of time. This is what these guys do to blow off steam. Ok, they act like assholes – is that any different that what dudes do outside of the ring or outside of TV. I’m not shocked by any of it, at the same time I am not imporessed, but I won’t complain about it. Quit being a whiny little bitch and realize that reality TV is just cameras focused on people in an (at best) odd situation. You chose to not drink, but don’t preach against those who make another decision. They usually pay the price (see Jeremy’s situation). Focus on your fight game and complain less about what others do. Remember, you lost your first fight and plenty of other dudes who drank too much got further in the tournament than you did.
i think your right mike.. ive been watchin the ultimate fighter since season 1 and every season the fighters wreck the house .. i think with a chance like they have in becoming the ultimate fighter and fightin in the ufc.. they should have some more respect.. if i had the chance like that i sure would.
How are you morons calling Dolce out as being bitter? Maybe he didn’t appreciate living in a multi-million dollar home that got turned into a crack house by a bunch of testosterone loaded idiots. So he doesn’t like living in a urine soaked environment. What a bitter pussy!
This is a professional sport that Dana is always talking about trying to be taken seriously. Well Dana, how about not giving these 20-something year olds the keys to an unlimited supply of alcohol. I don’t really understand how this is ok with him. I’m pretty sure Anderson Silva is at home in Brazil somewhere getting plastered and trashing a beautiful mansion. I’m with you Mike. I tune in to watch a reality show about professional athletes not moronic frat boys.