Montreal Screwjob Sequel?

For those still digesting the outcome of tonight's main event between Welterweight Champion Georges St.-Pierre and the #1 contender Johny Hendricks, you are NOT alone.  The social media stratosphere has blown up with angry tweets, posts and conspiracy theories.  Even UFC President Dana White, speaking truthfully, called out the judges and even the Nevada State Athletic Commission, commenting on how he was "blown away" that GSP won the fight .  (Two judges scored the fight 48-47 in favor of St.-Pierre, with the third judge scoring the fight 48-47 in favor of Hendricks, thus awarding the fight to St.-Pierre by split decision)  So why all the fuss?  Hendricks, a former NCAA Division 1 National Champion with knockout power and a dangerous striking repertoire, was ahead on many fans scorecards heading into the final round.  (For all the proof you need, just check twitter tweets as the fight was progressing)  Hendricks clearly won the first two rounds, with vicious elbows and power punches leaving the champion bloodied and hobbled.  GSP fought back to claim round three, but round four was seemingly decisive for the challenger.  Punches and elbows from the top position left the champion a bloody mess, and barring any major catastrophe, we were all set to crown a new Welterweight Champion.  While Hendricks landed minimal punches (or a punch) in the final round, he looked more like he was set to begin a fight than a fighter who just went 5 rounds with the best pound for pound fighter in the world.  Seemingly physically unscathed, you saw the challenger drop to knees at the referees decision-and most fans felt that something was amiss. 

In full disclosure, I am a HUGE GSP fan.  Since my introduction into the world of Mixed Martial Arts, Georges St.-Pierre has been my favorite fighter, hands down.  I just feel that Johny "Bigg Rigg" Hendricks was the better fighter at UFC 167.  And the fact that he is not leaving Las Vegas with the Welterweight title had me thinking about how something so obvious could be so imperceptible.

The post title to this entry merely pokes fun at the 1997 Survivor Series debacle (or genius PR move) involving Bret "Hitman" Hart, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, Vince McMahon and Earl Hebner-playing to the Montreal connection and its kayfabe repercussions.  Was this a fix?  Most likely not, just a scoring mishap, and at one of the worst times.  UFC is in the midst of celebrating its 20th anniversary-last nights PPV was dubbed the "20th Anniversary Show."  Reports circulating online indicated that this PPV was by all accounts "the most in demand event in the promotions history."  A strong undercard, with trash-talking pro wrestling-esque heel Chael Sonnen, former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans, and Rory MacDonald doesn't exactly hinder box office shattering sales and interest.  However, an unpopular and maybe "erroneous" decision is not something that you want to overshadow a banner event for the company...or is it?  There is the old saying that "any publicity is good publicity."  The topic of the main event finish is mainstream news, even as I sit here at 4:10AM ET the morning after.  Despite what you read online, I don't think there was any fix in for this fight at all.  Sure, rumors of St.-Pierre retiring or taking time away from the sport he has dominated since becoming Welterweight Champion 84 PPV's ago may sit in peoples minds as having a potential impact on the finish.  However, that wouldn't make total sense.  St. Pierre is a major fan favorite.  Even after taking a massive beating and escaping with a questionable split decision, fans still booed Hendricks.  For a potential rematch, which is more must-see TV?  Hendricks, the underdog in the peoples minds and hearts, fighting to prove he was wronged in the first fight? Or, the former champion fighting to reclaim his place among the sports all time greats and show he is still the best in the world?  Ill go with the latter.  This is all irrelevant because fighting isn't scripted-as much as people may want to think there are conspiracies that go on behind the scenes and unfold in the octagon, this is not pro wrestling.  There are generally not real heels.  I will never argue with the motto "Controversy Creates Cash," but there is no need to use under-handed score keeping to generate interest for the king of PPV  while placing its integrity directly and advertently in the public eye.  So put those conspiracy theories away and continue to enjoy one of the up and coming sports in the world.  Even if two judges scored round one for the champion.  Happy 20th. 

My favorite Hockey Road Trip Experience-Montreal

One of my favorite hockey road trips was in 2012 when a bunch of friends and I headed north on I-87 from NYC to Montreal, CA.  Once we got to the NY State Thruway, it’s a straight shot up to Montreal, about 6.5 hours. There were 8 of us altogether, and 6 of us had been to the city numerous times before, but never to a Canadiens game at the Bell Centre, let alone in visitor NY Islanders jerseys.  The journey itself was uneventful; we stopped in Albany for lunch as it is about the halfway point to Montreal, and then back on the same road which by then was now called simply ‘the Northway.’
The first time the excitement really started to kick in for me was when the signs on the road started to become multilingual (Exit/Sortie).  This was because I knew we were getting very close to our destination.   After a quick pit stop at the duty free shop on our side of the border, we got on line at the border hoping for a quick and uneventful pass.  When it was our turn, the Customs agent asked a number of questions and then told us to have a good trip and we were off, now in Canada, and only 45 minutes from Montreal.  It was hard not to exceed the 100 kilometer speed limit on this dark, poorly lit road as we were now desperate to get there already.  We then reached my favorite part of the trip up there, crossing the Champlain Bridge and seeing the lit up skyline of downtown Montreal, the frozen waters of the port below, and a distant Olympic Stadium off to the right, the former home of the Montreal Expos.
We zigged and zagged through the downtown streets that we’d come to know even better than the streets of New York City in recent years.  At the hotel, we changed into our Islanders gear and headed to a quick dinner at a great Italian restaurant on Crescent Street called Weinstein and Gavino’s.  Due to its proximity to the Bell Centre (about 3 blocks), the place was packed with Habs fans, every one of which stared at us as we were led through the place in our Isles jerseys to our table.  In every other arena I’ve been to, you would at least come across a handful of fellow fans but up in the frozen north of Montreal, Canada, it was pretty much just the 8 of us.
After dinner, we walked to the arena, continuing to attract glances from people, but I began to realize something.  The glances weren’t necessarily because they hated us or hated the Islanders, but it seemed to be more out of respect for the trek we likely had made to get there, all in the name of their national pastime, hockey.  I found the same thing at the game as we made our way all the way to the top row to our seats.  The people were nodding and grinning at us to acknowledge and give approval of our dedication to our team.
The pre-game intro at the Bell Centre was like nothing else we’d ever seen.  The building went dark, the ice lit up in Canadiens red, with full ice sized images of each player, giving the crowd a chance to clap for each one.  The music continued to play, and ultimately ended with the Habs taking the ice to a huge ovation.  What an awesome feeling.
During the game, there were noticeable differences between this place and the Nassau Coliseum (“The Barn,” as we call it, where I grew up attending games frequently).  For example, at the Bell Centre, the sound of the crowd gets increasingly louder as the Canadiens player skates the puck out of the defensive zone, through the neutral zone, and into the offensive zone.  If they get a shot off, the building roars and shakes like it’s the Stanley Cup Finals.
Another thing I noticed is the concourse during the period.  I went to get a drink and I was literally the only person out there while the game was still going.  Nobody gets up until the intermission. Nobody. Yes, they may wait on long lines causing them to miss some of the next period, but once they sit, they stay.
A third difference is the buzz around town after a game.  As the crowd filtered out of the arena and into the downtown streets, strangers that saw us wearing our jerseys (it didn’t matter that it was the visiting team) asked us specifics about the game.  Not simply who won, but how did certain players play? Who assisted on the goals?  Were the goals even strength or on the man advantage?  This was a shock to us, as we grew up scanning the TV channels to even find our game, and maybe getting lucky enough to have the score mentioned on the news if we missed the game.
Lastly, what I found to be truly awesome was the fact that you can turn to whoever is next to you in any bar in downtown Montreal and have an intelligent conversation about hockey into the wee hours of the night.  You may not want to, given all of the other activities the city has to offer.  All I’m saying is that you can.
This was a pretty descriptive review of my favorite hockey road trip experience but it can all be summed up as follows.  If you’re a hockey fan, or even if you’re not, you must get up to Montreal to catch a game at the Bell Centre.  So bundle up, pick a game from the schedule, search for a nearby hotel, price out flying versus driving versus the train, search yelp for all the good restaurants, convince your friends that it’s not as far away as they think, decide who’s driving, and get up there.  Or just click a button and come with us! 
www.roadicetravels.com