Mammoth Blog

As Brock Lesnar stood in the Octagon delivering his now infamous promo, he was THE story of the biggest UFC show of all time. The stories that everyone were talking about after the show were all in some way about him. Whether it was about the match, that promo, his possible challengers within the UFC or whether he could hang with Fedor, it was all about Lesnar.

And the bizarre thing is that it was never meant to be that way. Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II was never meant to take place at UFC 100, let alone be the Main Event. No, until Mir injured his knee the plan had been for Lesnar vs. Mir II to take place at UFC 98 and for the UFC 100 Main Event to be Rashad Evans against Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson for the Light Heavyweight Title.

And while that decision sounds crazy now, back then it made sense.

The light heavyweight championship has for a long time been presented as the company's most prestigious belt. Whether it was the heel antics of Tito Ortiz, the everyman stardom of Chuck Liddell or the epic Griffin-Bonner TUF 1 Final, the light heavyweight division has provided the marquee matches and fighters in recent years. Hell, the biggest heavyweight draw before Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, did his biggest business at light heavyweight with matches against Liddell and Ortiz.

And it wasn't just the light heavyweight division; the UFC has always been a company that focused on smaller fighters. From the early days of Royce Gracie showing how Gracie Jiu-Jitsu could allow him to beat bigger men to the dominant title reigns of George St Pierre and Anderson Silva the heavyweights have always struggled to secure the spotlight.

And yet for many of the potential MMA fans that the UFC is trying to reach out to, this focus on smaller fighters was a disappointment. Many of these potential fans are disillusioned boxing and pro-wrestling fans, and as such have a 'bigger is better' mentality. Both boxing and pro-wrestling were built on their heavyweight titles and helped embed the assumption that a much bigger man would always win in a fight. The potential interest that such causal fans would have in a dominant heavyweight was shown by the early ratings success that EliteXC enjoyed with Kimbo Slice.

What's more the mainstream sports media also buys into this 'bigger is better' mentality and so believe that the Heavyweight Title is the apex of any combat sport. That's why the likes of ESPN have hyped Randy Couture as the legend of the sport and why they are now rushing to assume that Brock Lesnar is the "face of the UFC".

And yet for a long time, the UFC heavyweight division was a joke, with the title held up in a legal dispute and a lack of marquee fights. The past 17 months has changed all that. The debut of Brock Lesnar, the reinvigoration of Frank Mir and the return of Randy Couture has given the heavyweight division the prestige that many casual fans would expect. With veterans seeking redemption such Nogueira and Cro Crop and rising stars such as Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez there are now numerous marquee matches in the heavyweight division.

And at the centre of it all is Brock Lesnar, the man who is quickly establishing himself as the world's biggest PPV draw. While his Tyson-lite persona and pro-wrestling past may appal more fastidious MMA fans, his dominant style and overwhelming size is exactly what the mainstream expects from the world's greatest fighter. Lesnar is the type of crowd-baiting champion that fans and journalists who grew up watching Ali or Tyson can understand. Far from scaring away the mainstream, Brock Lesnar finally allows the UFC to place the emphasis on its heavyweight division that the sports media and casual fans would expect.

And yet as the emphasis on the heavyweight division increases so does the pressure on the UFC to sign the legendary Russian fighter Fedor. It was okay saying he was irrelevant and overrated when most UFC fan didn't care about the UFC heavyweight division but now they have a champion they want to see tested by the best. Given that much of the UFC's appeal is its apparent lack of promoter politics and confusion over world titles, there's only so long that Brock Lesnar can reign as undisputed UFC heavyweight champion but not the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. source>>>

The Minnesota Vikings have signed cornerback Antoine Winfield to a five-year contract extension.

Winfield was heading into the final year of his contract and negotiations stretched into the summer. That prompted Winfield to skip the team's optional workouts. He also missed a mandatory minicamp in June.

But the team reached agreement Thursday with one of the trusted leaders of a veteran defense. The 32-year-old Winfield is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance.

In his 10th season out of Ohio State, Winfield had 95 tackles, four forced fumbles, two interceptions and two sacks last season to help the Vikings to the NFC North title. source>>>

White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle threw the second perfect game in club history on Thursday, blanking the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-0, at U.S. Cellular Field. It was the second no-hitter of Buehrle's career - he also threw one at home on April 18, 2007, vs. the Rangers. The only other perfect game in White Sox history was Charlie Robertson's perfect 2-0 victory over the Tigers on April 30, 1922. source>>>

The HP Pavilion in San Jose will resemble "a galaxy far, far away" come fall.

The home of the San Jose Sharks will host "Star Wars: In Concert" on Oct. 11. It's the local stop on a worldwide tour, co-presented by San Francisco's Lucasfilm and Berkeley concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment, that will feature a live orchestra performing John Williams' famed "Star Wars" scores, paired with film clips shown on a three-story, high-definition LED screen, and other multimedia elements.

Details about the trek, which kicks off Oct. 1 in Anaheim and plans to hits 50 North American cities before embarking on a global jaunt, were announced Thursday, ending months of speculation that began after "Star Wars: In

Concert" premiered at London's O2 Arena in April.

The production features specially edited footage from all six "Star Wars" films shown on a giant screen, yet the goal is to celebrate composer John Williams' work on the "Star Wars" saga. A full symphony orchestra, under the direction of conductor Dirk Brosse, will perform music from each film as the corresponding scenes unfold onscreen.

"We've taken the key themes from the music and cut together all the images that fit with each theme, so you can really get a sense of how the music played into the images," said "Star Wars" creator George Lucas. "The whole soundtrack is a testament to John Williams' creativity and his extraordinary ability to enhance the emotional aspects of the
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films."

In between the musical moments, Anthony Daniels, the actor who provided the voice of C-3PO in all six "Star Wars" films, will provide live narration and fill in holes in the story line.

Accompanying the concert is an exclusive exhibit of "Star Wars" costumes, props and other rarely scene artifacts, many of which are leaving Lucas' Skywalker Ranch for the first time.

Besides the live music, the stage show differs from the celluloid version in that it unfolds chronologically (the way many "Star Wars" fans now watch it on DVD). The film series kicked off 32 years ago with the release of what was actually the fourth chapter of the saga, followed by the fifth and sixth installments.

Performances at HP Pavilion on Oct. 11 will be 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets run $35-$75 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 2 at the HP Pavilion box office and Ticketmaster outlets, as well as by phone at 800-745-3000 and through www.ticketmaster.com. More information is available at www.starwarsinconcert.com.

Danielle Madeira, marketing director for Another Planet, says production isn't solely intended for the type of folks that can recite Han Solo's lines from memory.

"It will give you chills, even if you aren't a 'Star Wars' fan," she says. "You are basically overwhelmed by the story. It pretty much gives you the best parts of 'Star Wars.'" source>>>

The HP Pavilion in San Jose will resemble "a galaxy far, far away" come fall.

The home of the San Jose Sharks will host "Star Wars: In Concert" on Oct. 11. It's the local stop on a worldwide tour, co-presented by San Francisco's Lucasfilm and Berkeley concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment, that will feature a live orchestra performing John Williams' famed "Star Wars" scores, paired with film clips shown on a three-story, high-definition LED screen, and other multimedia elements.

Details about the trek, which kicks off Oct. 1 in Anaheim and plans to hits 50 North American cities before embarking on a global jaunt, were announced Thursday, ending months of speculation that began after "Star Wars: In

Concert" premiered at London's O2 Arena in April.

The production features specially edited footage from all six "Star Wars" films shown on a giant screen, yet the goal is to celebrate composer John Williams' work on the "Star Wars" saga. A full symphony orchestra, under the direction of conductor Dirk Brosse, will perform music from each film as the corresponding scenes unfold onscreen.

"We've taken the key themes from the music and cut together all the images that fit with each theme, so you can really get a sense of how the music played into the images," said "Star Wars" creator George Lucas. "The whole soundtrack is a testament to John Williams' creativity and his extraordinary ability to enhance the emotional aspects of the
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films."

In between the musical moments, Anthony Daniels, the actor who provided the voice of C-3PO in all six "Star Wars" films, will provide live narration and fill in holes in the story line.

Accompanying the concert is an exclusive exhibit of "Star Wars" costumes, props and other rarely scene artifacts, many of which are leaving Lucas' Skywalker Ranch for the first time.

Besides the live music, the stage show differs from the celluloid version in that it unfolds chronologically (the way many "Star Wars" fans now watch it on DVD). The film series kicked off 32 years ago with the release of what was actually the fourth chapter of the saga, followed by the fifth and sixth installments.

Performances at HP Pavilion on Oct. 11 will be 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets run $35-$75 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 2 at the HP Pavilion box office and Ticketmaster outlets, as well as by phone at 800-745-3000 and through www.ticketmaster.com. More information is available at www.starwarsinconcert.com.

Danielle Madeira, marketing director for Another Planet, says production isn't solely intended for the type of folks that can recite Han Solo's lines from memory.

"It will give you chills, even if you aren't a 'Star Wars' fan," she says. "You are basically overwhelmed by the story. It pretty much gives you the best parts of 'Star Wars.'" source>>>

The debut of The Beatles: Rock Band is still well over a month away, but early glimpses of the video game suggest another wave of Fab Four hysteria can't be far off. On his current tour (and at Coachella), Paul McCartney has already revealed some charming animated footage from the game. And at a recent preview session at MTV in Santa Monica, California, Rolling Stone got an up-close look at the most exciting version of Rock Band yet.

As RS previously reported, the game comes with 45 remastered tracks, and Abbey Road will become available for download at the same time as the title's September 9th release for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Fifteen more tracks -- and their venues -- have been announced today, including "Can't Buy Me Love" at the Ed Sullivan Theater, "Paperback Writer" at Budokan and "I've Got A Feeling" at the rooftop concert (full list below).

(Click here to watch the newest trailer for The Beatles: Rock Band, featuring eight of the 15 newly announced tunes.)

A hands-on test of the game suggests it could sometimes be a challenge to keep up with George Harrison's guitar on "Day Tripper" and "Here Comes the Sun." And your luck singing along (and actually hitting the right notes) with John Lennon and McCartney is measured within the game. As previously reported, The Beatles: Rock Band allows for three-part harmony (a vocal training session in the game will help with that) and rocking on the Beatles' signature instruments: a Höfner bass, Rickenbacker and Gretsch guitars and Ludwig drums.

Fans will also find rare bits of Fab ephemera otherwise unavailable on the albums embedded in the game. According to a spokesman for MTV Games/Harmonix, McCartney personally did some unofficial fact-checking for the game, making small adjustments in the chronology. Before now, the Beatles have been totally unavailable to fans of Rock Band (or rival Guitar Hero), but the delay has led to a Beatles version of the game that pushes the technology further, finally offering a digitized magical mystery tour that is a vivid, multi-layered experience for a new era.

Confirmed songs for The Beatles: Rock Band:

"Twist And Shout" / Cavern Club
"Do You Want To Know A Secret" / Cavern Club
"Can't Buy Me Love" / Ed Sullivan Theater
"I Wanna Be Your Man" / Ed Sullivan Theater
"Eight Days A Week" / Shea Stadium
"Paperback Writer" / Budokan
"And Your Bird Can Sing" / Budokan
"Yellow Submarine" / Abbey Road Dreamscape
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" / Abbey Road Dreamscape
"With a Little Help from My Friends" / Abbey Road Dreamscape
"Within You Without You" / Tomorrow Never Knows / Abbey Road Dreamscape
"Revolution" / Abbey Road Dreamscape
"Birthday" / Abbey Road Dreamscape
"Dig A Pony" / Rooftop Concert
"I've Got A Feeling" / Rooftop Concert
"I Saw Her Standing There"
"I Want To Hold Your Hand"
"I Feel Fine"
"Taxman"
"Day Tripper"
"Back In The USSR"
"I Am The Walrus"
"Octopus's Garden"
"Here Comes The Sun"
"Get Back" source>>>

If you've read the stories on Apple's latest earnings, you may have noticed that Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer took the time to break out the sales of each model in the iPod franchise, which is seeing year-over-year declines for the first time in its history. In her piece, our own Erica Ogg wrote:

"During the third quarter, Apple sold 10.2 million iPods, compared with 11 million a year ago. It turns out that the shifting appeal of the Shuffle, Nano, and Classic model iPods are to blame. But Apple apparently saw this coming." She then goes on to quote Oppenheimer, who says those declining sales are "the reason we developed the iPod Touch. We expect our traditional MP3 players to decline over time as we cannibalize ourselves with iPod Touch and iPhone."

As rumors continue to circulate that Apple will introduce new iPod models this fall (as it traditionally has), the big question is whether the iPod Classic becomes the odd iPod out. In a recent MP3 Insider podcast, CNET editor Donald Bell points out that orders for new Samsung hard drives that would go into an updated Classic appear to be nonexistent, according to Ars Technica and Apple Insider. And shortly after the earnings were posted, TechCrunch writer MG Seigler asked whether the iPod as we know it is dying.

The prevailing bet among iPod followers is that the Classic may stick around for a little while, but it probably won't be upgraded and will be quietly put out to pasture. The fact is that the iPod Touch offers a lot more functionality and, most importantly, it can run iPhone apps, which people find appealing, and they generate revenue for Apple.

Of course, there's a lot of folks out there who need a high-capacity iPod to store all their tunes and videos. The Classic remains a pretty decent value from the standpoint of a storage player, and we're seeing great deals on refurbished fifth-generation video iPods. If indeed Apple comes out with a 64GB iPod Touch this fall--as we expect it to--it will still cost quite a bit more than a 120GB iPod Classic. And that will keep Classic owners clinging to their antique iPods.

Personally, I hope Apple keeps the Classic around until the prices for flash memory drop enough to make a high-capacity Touch affordable. But I have a feeling the Classic will be gone by then. source>>>