Kevin Marshall's America
State Assemblyman Bob Reilly (photo: The Times Union)
State Assemblyman Bob Reilly of the 109th District is MMA’s most vocal critic in New York State, and he’s used his political leverage in Committee and the general Assembly to block it at every given opportunity.
It’s exactly the type of wrong-headed thinking that has gotten this State into the position it is today.
Reilly’s arguments against MMA exemplify everything that’s wrong in New York politics.
Don’t believe me? Last year, Ben Fowlkes – then a writer for Cage Potato and now with MMAFighting.com and TheUltimateFighter.com – got an interview with Reilly to give him a chance to explain the seeming inconsistencies. Part 1 is here and part 2 is here.
Keep in mind: this was an interview that Bob Reilly agreed to. It’s an issue he’s long been vocal about. He had plenty of time, and resources, to prepare thorough arguments that actually, you know, might make sense.
One other thing to keep in mind: this man makes decisions that affect our lives.
First, he’s asked how he thinks it’s harmful to people. His response:
“…Let me give you one example of what I consider the problem and that’s the unsavory, sordid, corrupt process for legalization of this. Just recently I asked an aide to look into the firing of the past chair of the State Athletic Commission, who was replaced by a woman (Melvina Lathan) who in fact had worked for [UFC VP of Regulatory Affairs] Marc Ratner, who now has a primary interest in Ultimate Fighting. And this woman is going to be our primary regulator in New York State? What is the connection and who brought her into this position of getting this chair?”
You’re not reading that wrong. He was asked how it’s harmful to people, and his answer was to accuse Melvina Lathan – a groundbreaking judge with irreputable merits that made her name in boxing – of being a puppet of the UFC and placed in her position by them.
When it was pointed out that this had nothing to do with the question that was asked, Bob cited the rules for Pride. Pride was a Japanese fighting organization that operated outside the Unified Rules of MMA and has been defunct for three years.
I repeat: it was an organization with different rules, it went out of business a year and a half before this interview was conducted, and it was in Japan.
Regardless, can’t you win by knocking out your opponent in boxing (of which Bob says he’s a lifelong fan)?
“It’s not a stated goal, though.”
BUH WHA?
“Even though I grew up a boxing fan and consider myself one still, though I’m not an active fan now, I compare what we should be doing to the difference between amateur boxing and professional boxing. You know how much safer amateur boxing is? A blow in amateur boxing is scored for being a clean blow, not by the force behind it or the damage it causes”
But you can win by Knockout in boxing, and most fights in MMA end in a decision. If you can win a fight by knockout, how is it not a stated goal? Do they happen by accident? Was Mike Tyson ever quoted after a fight saying he was going for the decision but punched harder than he meant to?
And again, this is all extrapolation on his criticism of a set of criteria that isn’t used in the U.S. for an organization that doesn’t exist anymore.
“Have people become immune to the violence in boxing? Maybe. Our society and our standards of what’s acceptable change. They haven’t for me, though.”
But clearly they have for Reilly, because he was a lifelong boxing fan but now opposes Mixed Martial Arts. Oh, but he’s not an active fan of boxing, I guess because knockouts didn’t happen when he was younger. That or these arguments just don’t make any sense.
But folks, here’s the kicker. His argument that MMA is bad for New York’s economy:
” They would say they would bring in about $4 million in the live gate here. They say the tax revenue would add about half a million to the local economy. And I say, yes, but at the same time three and a half million would head back to Vegas.
And here’s where I get a little heady, because just about every casino in this country is surrounded by poverty. If you go out to Turning Stone in our state, where the people who run it say it’s the only successful economic development we have, but in every case, whether it’s Turning Stone or Atlantic City or Las Vegas, these are sumptuous palaces surrounded by poverty. And that’s who runs the UFC is these Las Vegas casino owners. So if they come here the same thing would happen. You can’t take three and a half million bucks out of the economy and expect it to work.”
…
I want you to think on this for a minute. This man is saying that any event is bad that is run by a company not in New York State. By this logic, any band or promotion that puts on an event or concert in this area that is from out of State is taking money out of our economy. Metallica at the Pepsi Arena? Bad for business. Paula Cole at Troy’s Riverfest? Good Lord, that sent us into a mini-Recession!
So even though it would bring in a half million dollars of tax revenue for an event that we might not normally see, it’s bad for the economy. His reasoning? Because…it exists?
I can only see three possible explanations for this and all other nonsense Reilly spit out in this interview.
- Bob Reilly decided long ago to hate MMA, and nothing like facts or changing circumstances would be allowed to change it.
- Reilly isn’t really opposed to MMA, but fakes moral outrage for reasons or interests that have yet to be unearthed.
- Reailly is really, really stubborn and not what we call a “thinker.”
Considering he’s a man with political clout and some weight in the Assembly, I don’t know which of the three is worse.
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7 Responses to Bob Reilly and Why Our State is in Shambles
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STALK ME
This absolutely infuriates me.
1) To question both the integrity of Marc Ratner and Melvina Lathan, who have pristine reputations in the industry reflects a complete disregard for the truth and fact-finding on the part of Reilly and his staff. Both have been and are still leaders in the boxing and MMA industries. It is deplorable that he would stoop to smear tactics and reflects the lack of foundation or truth to any of his arguments. Referring to Pride is a completely incorrect argument. As the author notes, it is a Japanese organization that did not utilize the Uniform Rules of Mixed Martial Arts developed by the NJ State Athletic Control Board.
2) MMA is judged on effective striking/grappling, and ring/cage control. The fact is that a fight can end without a SINGLE strike being thrown. In fact, Fedor Emelianenko, considered the world’s best MMA fighter in the sport’s history was defeated by a man who effectively neutralized him and did not even ATTEMPT a single punch or kick. Show me a boxing fight that ends without a single strike being thrown or even a football game that ends without high impact collisions.
3) “They haven’t for me.” – that’s fantastic that a representative of New York State in 2010 bullheadedly refuses to adopt to a constantly evolving society. If legislators are this mis-informed about something as simple as MMA, I wonder how mis-informed they are about education and health care.
4) Mixed Martial Arts is not a casino. It is a sport. It is not some taboo underground tumor of society. It is sponsored by major labels – Budweiser, Under Armor, Microsoft, to name a few, and it is covered and lauded by major sporting companies/venues such as ESPN. To say that an MMA event would take AWAY money from the economy would be like saying a Jonas Brothers concert would take AWAY money from the economy.
In addendum, I applaud the author for this article and hope he continues to show both the truth about the sport of MMA and the utter ignorance of the opposition. The fact of the matter is that MMA is already here. All you need to do is drive down route 9 to the Renzo Gracie Academy to see what MMA truly is. MMA classes are held for men, women and children, fostering teamwork, camaraderie, and self defense skills. Go to Jillian’s this Saturday and see how packed it will be for the MMA event shown there this weekend.
Even if MMA was NOT a revenue builder, it should be brought to New York for the simple fact that it is a legitimate, highly respected, competitive SPORT.
It goes beyond this insanity though – we have assemblymen who took time to propose, debate and try to pass laws that would outlaw the sagging of a man’s pants. Nevermind the bill that was passed that would demand each in home service to the disabled to develop, file and implement an evacuation plan for each disabled person in all counties in NYS, and they never ever thought on how to fund the damn thing. This is why we’re facing massive budget problems. This is why our government is failing us. What you rail against is just a part of a larger problem.
The problem? With three men in a room deciding the fate of the state, everyone else needs to get press time. Passing laws that limit one’s pants, or working actively to ban MMA is how to do it.
I have to agree. Assemblyman Reilly has no real issues or tangible benefits that he has provided, on which he can run for re-election, so he has seized on this non-issue to show his constituents that he is taking the moral high-ground. The only thing he is really known for is donating his salary. Frankly, I’d prefer an assemblyman who actually worked for his salary to one that has donated my tax dollars away to charities of his own choice.
I wasn’t going to vote for him anyway, Kevin. I called his office a few weeks back regarding the budget crisis, and hated the way I was treated by his snotty young staffer, Jim.
“Bob Reilly and Why Our State is in Shambles”=Typo
Bob Reilly IS Why Our State is in Shambles <–Fixed
If Bob Reilly really cared about this issue he would (1) have better arguments and (2) resign now that his only issue is being defeated.
The only explanation – other than Bob Reilly is losing it – is that he doesn’t really stand for this issue and he is just padding his pension.
Bob, they say you are a good guy. Please step aside so we can have real representation.