Koscheck vs. White
Jake Rossen Jun 2, 2010
For reasons that often elude me, Josh
Koscheck is not a terribly likable figure. He is not especially
disrespectful to opponents, he always shows up well-trained and
prepared, and he’s discarded a blanketing wrestling game in favor
of very credible striking.
Fans voicing displeasure for Koscheck’s attitude is one thing, but the company chair doing it is another: Dana White was quoted last week as saying he’s “doesn’t like” Koscheck, and then proceeded to use some kind of censored profanity to describe him. Is this really how you talk up your No. 1 welterweight contender?
Koscheck played it cooler, refuting White’s claims he wasn’t a “team player” and vowing to impress people as coach of “The Ultimate Fighter 12” opposite Georges St. Pierre later in the year.
Clearly, White is privy to details that audiences are not, and it may be the case that Koscheck is a difficult personality. But what purpose does it serve to air that in front of a microphone? On top of every other stress a fighter has to negotiate, why make him feel uneasy at the administrative level?
It’s probably not coincidence that White circulated these comments prior to the “TUF 12” shooting; tension between a coach and the boss is good ratings fodder. But if it’s a genuine sentiment, White should probably realize that his “feud” with Tito Ortiz did him few favors. Don’t athletes spread enough hostility around without promoters needing to add to it?
Fans voicing displeasure for Koscheck’s attitude is one thing, but the company chair doing it is another: Dana White was quoted last week as saying he’s “doesn’t like” Koscheck, and then proceeded to use some kind of censored profanity to describe him. Is this really how you talk up your No. 1 welterweight contender?
Koscheck played it cooler, refuting White’s claims he wasn’t a “team player” and vowing to impress people as coach of “The Ultimate Fighter 12” opposite Georges St. Pierre later in the year.
Clearly, White is privy to details that audiences are not, and it may be the case that Koscheck is a difficult personality. But what purpose does it serve to air that in front of a microphone? On top of every other stress a fighter has to negotiate, why make him feel uneasy at the administrative level?
It’s probably not coincidence that White circulated these comments prior to the “TUF 12” shooting; tension between a coach and the boss is good ratings fodder. But if it’s a genuine sentiment, White should probably realize that his “feud” with Tito Ortiz did him few favors. Don’t athletes spread enough hostility around without promoters needing to add to it?
