Herschel Walker Launches Mixed Martial Arts Career on Saturday Night
by T Kyle King on Jan 28, 2010 9:48 PM EST
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PrintYou know, I know, and the American people know Bulldog Nation knows that the main event is this weekend. No, I’m not talking about Friday’s gymnastics meet. No, I’m not talking about Saturday’s basketball game. Yes, the Super Bowl is next weekend.
I’m talking about Herschel Walker’s mixed martial arts debut.
This Saturday night, Walker will step into the . . . um, ring, I’m guessing? All right, evidently, it’s an octagon. Anyway, he’ll enter whatever space is set up for such competitions and take on someone named Greg Nagy in something called "Strikeforce: Miami." Had you asked me beforehand what "Strikeforce: Miami" was, I’d have told you it was a new "CSI" spinoff on CBS starring Emily Procter as the leader of an elite Navy Seal-style commando unit, so I decided to gauge the opinion of folks who actually are knowledgeable about mixed martial arts to see what they thought about the three-time all-American’s entry into the sport at age 47.
Sentiments are mixed among the MMA crowd. Donna conducted a poll which found that 53 per cent favored leaving the Goal Line Stalker alone, while the rest panned it as a stunt fight. Zak Woods is self-confessedly "bitter" about the media attention Herschel has received, but he credits Walker with humility and with representing the sport well. Kelvin Hunt isn’t expecting much from Herschel’s first fight, and, in an interview with Derek Bolender, Robbie Lawler dubbed the former Heisman Trophy winner "a really nice guy" but deemed it "just weird" that Walker was starting at such a lofty level. In the poll following Leland Roling’s preview, two-thirds of voters predicted a Herschel Walker victory.
It would be hard to see this as anything other than a publicity stunt if it were being attempted by any other former Georgia athlete, but Herschel has a long history of challenging himself athletically, and this certainly isn’t any stranger than his decision to seek a spot on the U.S. Olympic bobsled team. While I wish he wasn’t doing this, I certainly will be rooting for him and I hope he does well. Walker has never been anything other than a first-class ambassador for Georgia---the state, the university, and the athletics program---and there’s no former Bulldog I’d rather see do well than Herschel.
Do any of you plan to watch the fight on Saturday night? Do you believe it’s an effort to grab headlines or something more genuine? Tell me what you think in the comments below.
Go ‘Dawgs!
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going straight off of old memory- he finished his degree in Criminal Justice
I could google it, but want to risk what i thought i knew for $1000.
I wonder how Herschel’s personalities are doing – seriously. Haven’t heard much follow up too it.
"I look forward to developing an aggressive, physical, attacking style defense that offenses will not look forward to playing against." - Coach Grantham
I saw Herschel
on PTI yesterday during the “5 Good Minutes” segment with Wilbon and Kornheiser. He really seems motivated and gave a good interview. Herschel said he feels like he’s 20 years old again (and he looked it, too)…and said he could still run a 4.3/40. Too bad he doesn’t have another year of eligibility left.
Herschel had a pretty good track record of Saturday performances. I hope he whips this guy.
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
that would be hilarious if Herschel could come back a year. And highly just downright unfair. And the money from sellouts, wow.
"I look forward to developing an aggressive, physical, attacking style defense that offenses will not look forward to playing against." - Coach Grantham
Actually, since he left school after his junior year . . .
. . . shouldn’t he technically have a year of eligibility left? Maybe if Mike Adams becomes president of the NCAA he’ll give us a waiver? Please?
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Jan 28, 2010 10:14 PM EST up reply actions
There isn't an age limit
in college football? If not – sign Herschel up quick!
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances." Mark Twain
no age limit - some dude like 53 years old played football and wrote a book about it
but Herschel played pro, so he cant play college. But he could push a bobsled.
"I look forward to developing an aggressive, physical, attacking style defense that offenses will not look forward to playing against." - Coach Grantham
Oh fine then...
rain on my parade sigh
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances." Mark Twain
check that -
rain, sleet & snow on my parade.
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances." Mark Twain
I'd rather see Herschel fighting a schmoe in the octagon...
… than witness him humiliating himself by hawking the new Trump line of hair care products on the streets of New York on Celebrity Apprentice. (I have no idea if he actually did that, but I’m sure whatever he did, it was equally humiliating.)
what little i saw
was humiliating in the hawking. However, the impeccable manners and gentlemanly-ness of Herschel the person was cool.
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances." Mark Twain
Being a MMA fan myself...
I think it’s great that Herschel chose to enter the sport cause he positively represents the sport. He’s a long-time MMA fan from the early days of UFC and has practiced Tai Kwon Do for years. Also, all the money he earns will be donated to charity. He’s doing this for the athletic competitiveness, not for a pay check or publicity as a lot of people assume.
Herschel is a DGD
I really can’t imagine Herschel doing anything he was not 100% invested in. From what I’ve read he has sparred with some of the best and we all know how fit he is and always has been. As long as he’s not dressing up like gorgeous george and prancing around with a boa, this new endeavor does not tarnish my personal image of HW. Besides that, there are a couple of things more: 1) #34 is what I see when I look up “Damn Good Dawg” in the Dawg dictionary in my head. That and the way he’s always conducted himself as a perfect gentleman has earned him the right to do most anything he wants as far as I can see. 2) If HW says he’s gonna do it, he’s gonna do it. I"m not gonna tell him no. Are you?
oddly enough, as we dicuss MMA - this website is covered with Affliction gear ads
"I look forward to developing an aggressive, physical, attacking style defense that offenses will not look forward to playing against." - Coach Grantham
This article is proof
that even Kyle gets writer’s block. Slow news day, huh.
Actually...
…I’ve been interested in this story since it first made the news. I’d really like to see his fight.
Will
I'm not sure I can watch this fight
I’m not generally fond of watching fights in the first place, and when you add in that Herschel is one of the fighters – i just don’t want to see anyone hit him – not ever.
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances." Mark Twain
That's cool
I can totally understand being put off by fights in general, and especially those involving someone your really invested in. At least you’re not one of the harpies screaming about ‘human cockfighting’ and what not; MMA is a very beautiful sport which can be brutal, but can truly show men at their finest moments of athletic performance and personal integrity.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 30, 2010 6:05 PM EST up reply actions
But I do want to know how
Herschel does. It’s odd I know – I always want to support him 100% in everything, but I just don’t think I can bear to watch.
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances." Mark Twain
I make every effort
to never be confused with a harpie. Whatever you men would like to do is most generally fine with me so long as each and every man around me understands that at all times he must root for the bulldogs and against florigay. Unfortunately, not all men see this as fair or reasonable. I just don’t understand what their problem is.
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances." Mark Twain
It is definitely fair and reasonable to at all times root for the bulldogs and against florigay. Herschel won, but the way.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 31, 2010 6:52 AM EST up reply actions
See that's what I thought, but
living in Big 12 country – they have some pretty warped ideas. Something about rooting for OU usually.
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink- under any circumstances." Mark Twain
I'm a huge MMA fan
And Greg Nagy should be a gimme fight for Herschel based on sheer athleticism. He’s been training at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, which has produced many of MMA’s top contenders such as Cain Velasquez, Josh Koscheck, and Jon Fitch.
The thing that worries me is that Tae Kwon Do really isn’t practical in MMA, but Nagy has no distinguished skills and Herschel has been with top-flight trainers like Dave Camarillo and Javier Mendez. If you’ve got nothing to do, flip over to Showtime tonite and give MMA a shot.
BTW: Strikeforce is an inferior competitor to the more well known MMA franchise, the UFC, but that’s a hilarious line up top, Kyle
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
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